Thursday, October 11, 2012

10-11-12


Hello my lovely math students!

So we are well underway learning virtually. “Movin-and-a-groovin,” as the kids are saying.  Just kidding!  No one says that!  You might be still wondering how this whole Virtual Scholars thing works and you wouldn’t be alone.  I have much to tell you about how to make this blended-learning experience more amenable to you.

PLEASE READ EVERYTHING THAT I WRITE.  I wrote it for YOU!!

1.   CALL ME 503-395-4409 during my office hours between
1:25 and 5pm Monday, Thursday and Friday,
M-F 9:15 to 10:00 am
Tues from 1-3:30pm.  
If you don’t have class then, ask your teacher where you might find a computer to use outside of class time so we can connect.
2.   CELL PHONES:  Until we find another way to communicate (and we will) I need to be able to call you while you are in front of your computer and logged into your course.   We will do some cool live online collaborating.  I will let your teachers know that we will be chatting by cell phone some times.  It will make things so much easier when we can talk. My phone number that you can call and reach me during my office hours 503-395-4409   I will have a different number eventually.  If you don’t have a cell phone that is cool.  We can speak on the classroom phone.
3.   EARPHONES: Bring earphones to use to hear videos and such if you have them. If you have earphones with microphones attached, that would be preferable to plain earphones and preferable to a cell phone. Let me know if you by chance have, your own earphones with microphones.
4.   PACE CHART: Make sure you have printed out a pace chart for the correct semester. Odd-numbered courses such as Algebra 1 or Algebra 3 are semester 1 courses when printing out your pace chart.  Follow your Pace chart precisely.  Do homework if you are behind.  Ask your teacher to connect you with an afterschool lab, if you don’t have a computer with internet at home.  You should be doing at least 3-4 assessments a week.
5.   SCANS and PICS:  Any time you would rather write the math down on a paper, do it!  And then you can scan it or take a picture of it and email it to me at auerling@pps.net    Then I can write all over it with paintshop and email my feedback back to you or we can talk about it on the phone.
6.   Move on when 70% or higher only:  Please only move on when you have reached 70% or higher on each assignment.  I will allow a 3rd attempt when we have worked on the concepts sufficiently.  But between each attempt you should review your first attempt, correct it, review the lesson and practice, take notes, and asked me any questions that you have.  And then retake the assignment.
7.   Quiz/Test Password:  Each quiz and test require a password to start the assessment.  Your computer lab mentor teacher can enter that in.  Do not take a quiz or test until you have made sure each assignment is 70% or higher and you have studied all the lessons prior to the assessment.
8.   Activeness:  I expect to see that you have logged in 2+ times a week and have submitted at least three assignments every week.  If this is not the case, I will be concerned about whether you should be taking this class online because you will not be done with this course by the end of the semester.   You should seek out how to work on this course outside of school time if you are behind.  
9.   Specific Questions:  If we have to chat about a math question by message or phone, be very specific.  What is the lesson?  Where in the lesson?  What about the problem is confusing? Send me a pic of your attempt at the practice problem.  
10.   GO IN ORDER
11.   Save Documents with Your name_Course_Lesson Number.  For example:     

        Amanda Uerlings_Geo1_1.04
12.  Review my feedback in assessment attempts.  I write so much. Please read it.  I am writing you questions to spur your thinking.  Then you can revise your work when you have answered the questions and corrected your first attempt.  

Hopefully this will clarify some things and get us all on track!  
Call me and Message me, Maybe!