How to Contact Your Instructor

Hello Folks!

As you are getting established in the class, I will direct you to a few things. The first being how you contact me. If you haven't already, please review the entire syllabus. The syllabus can be downloaded from BB.  Please download the syllabus and read it thoroughly.

You can contact me a few ways:

1). I normally hold office hours on Tuesday's and Thursday's from 10:00am to 11:00am. You can contact me in 'real time' through Yahoo Messenger. See photo below for an example of where to find my listed office hours:

2). During office hours I am readily available through email. I check my email often during office hours, because hey, I'm on my computer anyway, right? :)

3). Appointment: We can always chat over the phone by setting up an appointment ahead of time. I can also chat almost immediately during my office hours. Some students are intimidated by chatting with their professor over the phone. However, I assure you that I chat with students over the phone every semester, so it's common practice for me.

FAQ

Some of you have emailed me with questions and I thought it would be helpful if the entire class saw the answers. Here you go:

1). Q- Do I have to post on 3 different blogs? Or can I post two or three times on the same blog as long as they are different posts?
A- You should comment on 3 different blogs if possible, but will not be deducted points for commenting on the same blog..

2). Q- How do you keep track of our posts and comments?
A- I keep track of every post and comment on a spreadsheet every week we have a discussion. Each post you make on your blog will have a date and time stamp and I keep track of them to make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. Then, I check all comments made for that week. I will record the location of your comments.

3). Q- If I comment on someones post from last week, will I get credit?
A- No, I only check the blog posts for that week. Make sure you are checking the dates of the posts you are commenting on and of course, the content of the question to make sure it is an appropriate post.

4). Q- Do comments have to be at least 100 words?
A- Yes, while posts require 150 words, comments need to be at least 100 words. I do word counts on all posts and comments to make sure you are reaching the word minimum. Of course you can post more than the minimum amount of words required, but please meet the minimum.

5). Q- Should I keep track of the location of my comments?
A- Yes. Please keep track of comments and locations in case there is a discrepancy in recording or grading.

6). Q- What do I post as a comment?
A- Whatever you'd like as long as it has to do with the content of the post and related to the question I have asked. You can agree, disagree, add to the comment, ask thoughtful questions to the poster,give feedback, etc.... The comment content is up to you as long as it relates to course material, and of course the post itself.

7). Q- If I comment back to someone on my blog, do I get credit for it?
A- In short, no. You will only get credit for your three posts and three comments on other people's blogs. However, when someone asks you a question face to face, do you ignore them or give them the courtesy of an answer?

8). Q- How do you grade posts?
A- Content, answering the question in full, expressed thoughtfulness of course content and of course word count.

9). Q- Can I post to my blog and comment at the same time?
A- Yes. You only need to worry about posting 12 hours apart on YOUR blog. You can comment anytime as long as it is within our discussion week (12:01am on Monday through 11:59pm on Sunday). You can post to your blog and then comment at the same time.....or you can do all three comments at the same time. As long as the posts on your blog are 12 hours apart, go ahead and make three comments on three different blogs at any point during our discussion week. Make sure you comment on a qualifying post on the other persons blog. This means you must comment on a post that was made during the current discussion week.

Week of August 27 - September 2

Hello Folks!

Here is what is listed on the Participation Page from BB for this week.  If you haven't already, please get to know the materials well, that I have uploaded to BB.  It is recommended that you keep a binder for this class, and print out the materials on BB so you can have them close to you at all times.

Due this week:
*Read Chapter 1 - The Communication Tradition
*Participate in the discussion (see questions below)
*Start looking for Public Speeches that would qualify for Assignment #1 - Public Speech Critique.  This assignment is downloadable from BB.


Discussion Questions:
Answer one question in its entirety in each of your three separate posts, at least 12 hours apart. Please make sure you are creating a NEW POST for each question on your blog. You MUST WAIT at least 12 hours from the first post in order to create a second post. The same is true for the second and third post. I will record dates and time of your posts, so make sure they are at least 12 hours apart. EACH POST MUST BE 150 WORDS OR MORE. Each post is worth a maximum of 5 points.

1). Think of a speaker you admire (please do not use the President of the United States as an example).  Does his or her power to persuade come from ethos, pathos, or logos?  Think about your own ability to persuade others.  What personal qualities do you have that make you persuasive?  Does Aristotle's classification scheme work for them, or do they fit into another category?

2). The Greeks believed that to be an orator, an individual had to be morally good.  Comment on whether you agree or disagree.  What, if any, is the connection between goodness, truth, and public communication?

3). Pick one concept from the reading this week and discuss it in detail.

Comments - Remember to post ONE comment ON THREE DIFFERENT BLOGS between 12:01am on Monday and 11:59pm on Sunday. This means that you will log onto MY BLOG at: http://sierracomm10.blogspot.com/ to see a list of your colleagues blogs. Click on those blogs, read what was posted for this week and respond. You need to make sure you are responding to only what was discussed THIS WEEK (starting Monday and ending Sunday of the current week). Comments posted to blogs that were NOT within this week will not be counted for points. Each comment must be a minimum of 100 words and is worth a maximum of 3 points.

Note about comments: When you leave a comment on another blog, make sure you are logged into your blogspot account. In other words, you will need to make sure your "Display Name/Alias Name" shows up on the blog you are commenting on. I record the locations, dates and times of your comments. Please keep record of your posts and comments in case there I have questions about where they are located. 

In case there is any confusion, here is how you create a new post:

*Log into your blogger account
*Click "New Post"
*Type a Title
*Type your post into the big box
*Click "Publish Post"

If you do not Publish Post, your post will not become public.

For the upcoming discussion week, you will do the same thing for each question I pose, but you will write and publish your posts at least 12 hours apart. (See the "Participation Page" on BB for more detail about participation in this course).

Blogging

Hello All!

This is probably repetitive for most folks, but please read through it just in case.

How to post to your blog:
Sign into your blogger account and hit "new post". This will create a new blog post. DO NOT HIT CREATE NEW BLOG - this will actually create a whole different blog. You are simply POSTING to your blog, NOT creating a new blog.

Commenting:
When you comment on a classmate's blog, or even my blog for that matter, your Display Name should show up. This is how I track blog posts and comments. You must be logged into your blogger (blog spot) account in order for your Display Name to show up. Whenever you leave a comment, please make sure you are logged into your blogger account and then comment so your Display Name shows up. I usually sign into my blog, then open up another browser window to make sure my Alias/Display Name shows up.  This works best in FIREFOX.  If you haven't downloaded Firefox, you can do so by clicking HERE.  I don't normally use Explorer for my web-browser, but last semester some students had issues with their Display Names not showing up.  So for simplicity sake, use Firefox - it works. 


The Blogging Prof.

Emailing the Instructor

Hello Brilliant Comm 10 Students,

I just returned to my office from the Bay Area. I had a faculty meeting at SJSU, where I teach full-time, and needed to be down there most of the day yesterday.  I've got tons of emails to return from my online students (this class and another online class at Sierra College plus 4 online classes at SJSU), and I'm trying to make my way through them.

Usually I try to return student emails multiple times a day, meaning that I will usually check my email a few times throughout the afternoons during the week. Since this is the first week of class for both Sierra College and SJSU, I may be a little behind in returning emails. Hang tight folks, I promise I will get back to you ASAP.

In the meantime, please make sure that you send me the following information per the information under the "Getting Started" tab on Blackboard (BB) if you haven't already:

1). Full Name
2). Alias Name (Check your 'Display Name' - see the "Getting Started" page on BB)
3). A link to your blog (check it to make sure it works please)
4). A contact phone number



I can't wait to get the semester started!
:)
The Blogging Prof.

Welcome Students

Greetings Students!

As most of you know the semester starts on August 20th. Most students are scrambling to fill their schedules for the coming semester, and with the shortage of classes, this is no easy task.

I want to make sure each of you were aware of a few things about Communication 10 online, Survey of Communication Studies, before the semester begins:

1). The class you are enrolled in for Comm 10 is an online class. This means that most coursework is completed online and not in a classroom setting. This has confused some in the past.  There will be no face-to-face meetings for this course.

2). I will hold office hours online through Yahoo Messenger on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the semester from 10am to 11am. I will also answer email consistently.

3). If you need to contact me at anytime from this point forward, please use the following email address: cperez22 at sierracollege dot edu OR sierracomm10 at gmail dot com

4). Please bookmark my blog address: http://sierracomm10.blogspot.com/

I will make announcements, post class updates, and generally keep in touch with the class as a whole through my blog and through mass email. So bookmark my blog, and check it often.


Some of this information may seem a bit foreign to you, and will make more sense once you are able to access the class through Blackboard. Until Blackboard opens up for access, which should be a the day the semester begins, use the email addresses I have listed here, and check my blog for updates. During the semester I update my blog numerous times a week. Prior to the semester I will update periodically.

Again, if there are any questions about the course, please contact me at: cperez22 at sierracollege dot edu OR sierracomm10 at gmail dot com and please bookmark my blog address at: http://sierracomm10.blogspot.com/ and be sure to check it often!

I look forward to sharing this semester with you, and hope that your break has been an enjoyable one.

:)
Carol-Lynn Perez, M.A.