Author: Carrie Hall

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Due by (end-of-day Day One) 

Being an online student can be intimidating, confusing, and just plain difficult!

So for these first few days, you get to vent about it! No kidding. Share your concerns with each other. Maybe give each other some advice or just a good old bit of support. Believe me — online instructors have many of the same worries you do, even if we’ve been teaching online for a while. 

Here’s what you’ll do (the schedule is at the bottom):

• PLAY with the website. You can’t break it. Honestly. I’ve tried. Click around on all the tabs. See what’s there! This is our classroom for the semester, so make yourself familiar with the room. 
• READ: these two “Tips” pieces
  • “Tips for Online Learning Success”  https://www.nhcc.edu/student-resources/online-learning-d2l/tips-for-online-learning-success
  • “Online Discussions: Tips for Students” https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/blended-learning/online-discussions-tip-students

• WRITE: a new post.  There are some instructions about how to do that in the post at the top of this page.  

• • Start with one word that describes how you’re feeling about this course as we get started. No need to explain, but you can if you want to. 
    • Talk about your worries, concerns, reactions to the readings and/or to being an online student… whatever you want to. Have you ever taken an online class before? What strategies did you use to succeed in such a learning environment? What advice would you give to someone who is new to online learning? If this past semester was your first time having to switch to an online format, how did you adapt?
  • How have you been filling your time and staying positive during this time of the pandemic? Did you binge any shows? Watch any movies? Read any books? What kind of stories and topics are usually the most engaging for you? Did you learn to cook or chat with friends over Zoom and Facetime? During the beginning of the lockdown I binged the two Schitt’s Creek and The Good Place in their entirety. I normally don’t watch sitcom type shows, but getting to laugh at lives very different from mine distracted me from the stressful situation.

• Check back in and see what other people are saying, and reply  to a couple of posts that you were most intrigued by or which resonated with you the most. Do you see any tips and advice that might be helpful to you?