Welcome to Effective Writing 1- CM 107 Unit 1 Seminar with Michael Keathley Monday, January 10, 2011 You should be hearing music. If you don’t, please check your audio. Feel free to chat and get acquainted until the music stops near the top of the hour. This session is held 6:00-7:00 PM (EST).

Hello and Welcome to CM 107 We will have an exciting journey together as we lay the foundation for solid writing skills in this course. Have you all reviewed the course syllabus? Do you have any questions?

I know you have a lot of responsibilities to juggle. A Balancing Act… I know you have a lot of responsibilities to juggle. Balancing a job, education, and family can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Help is on the Way… Whether you are new to the online learning environment, or a seasoned veteran, I am sure you will find some helpful information in this presentation that will assist you in making this semester a successful one.

The First Question Most Students Ask is, “How Can I Pass This Class?” This is nothing to lose sleep over. Following are some simple hints you can follow to increase your chances for success.

You must have a clear understanding of what online learning involves. First Things First… You must have a clear understanding of what online learning involves.

Online Learning Is… An opportunity to obtain a degree on a flexible schedule. A setting where you can meet and work with students from all over the world. As challenging as a traditional college course.

Online Learning Is Not… A way to easily earn a degree…quite the contrary. It takes motivation and self-discipline. Self-learning. I am available to you through email, AIM, and will provide feedback through the Discussion Board and projects.

Helpful Hints On the following slides, you will learn some helpful hints to make it easier to move through your CM 107 course.

Hint 1: Print Out the Syllabus When a project is due? How do I contact my instructor? All this information (and a lot more!) is contained in the course syllabus.

Hint 1: Print Out the Syllabus It is a long document, but please print it out and highlight essentials like the point values of major assignments, my office hours and how papers will be graded.

Hint 2: Familiarize Yourself With the Course Layout Understanding the course layout will make your term run much more smoothly. Even if you are already familiar with the eCollege format, it doesn’t hurt to review! Let us review the main features of eCollege.

Hint 3: Make Sure You Understand the Weight of the Discussion Board Grade… Note that your Discussion Board grade is worth of the entire course grade. 45%

What this means… This means that if you fail the Discussion Board portion of the course, but get 100% on EVERY other assignment, you would earn less than a passing score for the course. The bottom line is…you must make the Discussion Board activities a high priority.

READ, READ, READ In order to do well on the Discussion Board activities, you must read the assigned information in the classroom FIRST.

Read the Post: “What is a High Quality DB Post?” It is thoughtful, analytical and explores the discussion question in great detail. Refers to the assigned reading Uses good grammar and punctuation

Hint 4: Read Your Instructor’s Emails Sometimes they can get a bit long, but it’s all stuff you need to know! So, please be sure to read all of your emails, top to bottom, so you don’t miss out on important points, key areas to concentrate on for the week and additional instruction.

Hint 5: Read the Project Criteria Carefully Read the assignment criteria carefully BEFORE you begin writing. You will then have a clear understanding of what should be included in your project.

Hint 6: Read Your Instructor’s Comments I spend a great deal of time reading through your work and making comments. You are urged to do the same, take your time and read through everything written to you. These comments are one-on-one conversations with you about your work.

Hint 6: Read Your Instructor’s Comments Many instructors place comments in one of two places – on the side of your draft when in Print View…

Hint 6: Read Your Instructor’s Comments And at the end of the grading table.

Hint 7: Turn Projects In On Time Some students feel uncomfortable about turning in work that they have a hard time with. Turn your projects in on time…even if you have difficulty.

Hint 8: Organize Your Time With a little organization, you will do just fine.

Set Aside a Certain Time… Plan to check the Discussion Board at the same time each day – during morning coffee, while the kids are napping, or each evening before going to bed.

Discussion Board Netiquette… Let’s keep the Discussion Board neat and easy to read. PLEASE DO NOT SCREAM BY USING ALL CAPS.

Hint 9: Attend Seminars Students who consistently attend all seminars have a higher degree of success in the course. We now have flex seminars. What are they?

Hint 9: Attend Seminars You instructor prepares good material to share during seminar. Please refrain from conducting side-conversations during seminar because it prevents others from learning the material.

Hint 9: Attend Seminars You are encouraged to schedule and participate in informal chats on AIM. You can invite everyone on your AIM list to participate. If you would like for your instructor to join in, just send an invite!

Hint 10: Visit Your Instructor! See your instructor during office hours or anytime he or she may be online. You are not a bother when you ask for assistance. Feel free to send a message when you see your instructor’s username on AIM (AOL Instant Messenger). Your instructor may teach a number of classes, so please identify yourself the first time you chat on AIM. By giving your instructor this information, you can be easily assisted on a timely basis.

Let’s Get Started It’s going to be an awesome session! Have fun…you are only 10 short weeks away from success.

Any other questions? Do you have any other questions? This is the time to have them answered.

When we begin to write Why do we write? What do we try to accomplish by writing? What should we consider in writing?

Points to consider Interplay of Factors in Writing- Audience– Who is our audience and what factors about audience do we consider? Purpose– What is our purpose in writing? What are we trying to accomplish? Context- External circumstances surrounding a piece of writing. Writer- What about the writer’s goals and ambitions?

Writer/Hero (Lessons from J. Campbell) “Writing is not a task: it is an adventure!” Taking note of the world around us is the first step for a writer/hero. The reading/writing/speaking/listening/thinking connection The writer/hero must have “faith in oneself.” “Our lives evolve around our character; put yourself in situations that evoke your higher rather than your lower nature.” Follow your bliss not your dragon. What type of writer/hero are you? Have you been swept away by an unexpected adventure (e.g., Do you feel forced to take this class? Are you unsure of why a writing class is required? Etc.)? Have you chosen this journey (e.g., Do you feel interested or excited about writing and what you may learn? Do you see the value in learning about more effective written communication? Etc.) What is unique about you, your experiences, your perspective, your interests, etc. that you could draw upon for writing topics?

Any remaining questions? Work due for this week. Get to know the course and its icons Complete Reading section of this unit Introduce yourself to classmates Participate in the Discussion 50 points Attend Seminar or complete Seminar Option 2 10 points Any remaining questions?

Thank you for a wonderful seminar! Have a great week! http://icicp.blogspot.com/2010/04/healing-earth-with-service.html