Newcomer reminders:
A reminder to stay in your study meeting for the duration of class. It does affect your attendance record - click here for attendance policy. We will be online only for computer lab courses. We will use the same links for attendance and study groups all week. If you will be on campus, be sure to let me know.
Class runs 8 until noon, Monday to Friday. If you have commitments which interfere with this, I will do my best to adapt; however, you are still responsible for all course material. Please ensure you have sent me your requests in writing.
If you are using a Mac, you can complete all the coursework. I also use a Mac. Click here for my Mac resources.
Remember you are responsible for knowing which course's directions to follow. Reach out if you have any questions. Please only complete assignments for the course in which you are enrolled.
If you wish to work with your peers outside of class hours, you can start your own meetings. Use the appropriate course channel.
If you haven't already, please watch the Welcome video(s) and read through the welcome content, policies, and your course's Daily Schedule. If you have difficulty locating anything, please watch the tour of this site:
I also really appreciate feedback about the site, which you can provide anonymously here. Let me know if you find any dead links or out-of-date material so I can fix it!
Note that this site is not optimized for mobile use and is intended to be viewed on a desktop or laptop computer. Chrome is the preferred browser.
Daily instruction for each course:
B1075R:
Follow the Daily Schedule.
CES:
If you haven't already, email me a copy of your master ad. I will upload this to the DropBox for you as it needs to be shared with your peers to provide a baseline for each program's expectations.
With your classmates, please watch the video Cover Letter Guide (on your Courses page) and read its corresponding document in the DropBox. Also read through the tips in this post and this post. These should be your primary guides. Further resources are available in the DropBox and on your Courses page in both written and video formats; see the Daily Resource Schedule.
Then, independently, write a cover letter for your field. Respond to your master ad and your NOC profile with your content. Note: please read the article on patchwriting; my integrity policies are very strict. Also note: if your classmates are in different programs than you, you will need to
When you have completed your cover letter, please update your resume as well - be sure to include your VaCC education. Send your cover letter drafts and up-to-date resumes to me via email before class begins tomorrow at the latest; I will upload your drafts to the DropBox (remember, when creating your letterhead, to only include contact info you are comfortable sharing with your classmates!). Be sure to send them as one or two Word documents (.docx) so they can be edited. Include your name in the file name. Tomorrow is dedicated workshop time to read each other's work and provide feedback; today you should focus on your own writing and formatting. I will also provide detailed feedback.
For tips on formatting your resume, please read this post and watch this video.
If you need assistance using Word, please refer to this page.
As well as the resources on your Courses page and within the DropBox, please read through the CES tag on this blog: https://caitlinbaird1.wixsite.com/thelab/blog/categories/ces
ITC:
Continue to follow the Daily Suggested Schedule.
You have the freedom to do your three assignments in any order, so I suggest starting with the program(s) with which you are most familiar (usually Word). You can start these whenever you feel ready; all are due on the final day of the course. Click here for instructions; example assignments are available via a button on your Courses page on this site. Note: you only need to complete three files, not seven. There are two or three case study options for each assignment; only choose one per assignment.
Please note I have a full video walkthrough of each assignment; these are located in your Daily Schedule, in the YouTube playlist, and on your course page.
More questions? Check out my Frequently Asked Questions for ITC.
KBD:
Continue with Cirrus-Paradigm and/or Typing Club and the games. Please let me know if you are unable to access any of the programs.
Your Typing Club accounts are ready for you. Your username is your school email; leave the password field blank.
BCA, MSE, MSP, MSW:
Continue within Pearson. We will have check-in meetings today in your study groups. If you have any activities you want to work on with me, please ensure you know how to share your screen.
If you haven't yet, please watch the video "How to check your grades in Pearson." You have multiple attempts for the assignments etc; please send me an email if you want me to increase the tries available.
The simulation training and assessments are not for marks. You should think of these activities as lectures as these will teach you how to complete your assignments. The assignments are called "Graders" and will show as Activity 6 every few modules. I have full video walkthroughs of all of these for-marks assignments, including the corresponding tests as these are taken in the same way. To complete, download the documents and instructions as shown in my video walkthroughs. For MSE and MSP, there are four graders and four matching exams. For MSW, there are three graders and three matching exams. Remember, you can retake the graders AND exams multiple times.
Download your grades tracker form from your Courses page if you are yet to do so (MSP, MSW, MSE only). Remember this is how you will be recording and submitting your final grades. Use the "Comments" section to let me know if we discussed marks changes together. This is a Word document so can be easily completed.
MSW only: Start Pearson at Module 2, as Module 1 is a connector module ("common features") for students who have already taken PowerPoint. You are only doing three chapters - up to Module 10. Refer to your grades tracker and do not complete Modules 1, 11, 12, or 13, or Final Exam 2.
Note: if you complete the work early, you still need to sign in for attendance every day as per college policy. If you wish to start your next course early, please send me an email so I can forward the request to Student Services. Usually they prefer not to open courses early.
Remember that the Graders appear at the end of each chapter, not in every module. For clarification of terms, please utilize the Pearson glossary: https://caitlinbaird1.wixsite.com/thelab/post/pearson-glossary
Check the Pearson category on the blog for answers to common questions: https://caitlinbaird1.wixsite.com/thelab/blog/categories/pearson
OSK:
Check out the daily schedule and meet with me at 10.30 to discuss it and the Alphabetical Filing Rules (Chapter 11: Information Management). Before the meeting, be sure to have watched the lecture and filled in the filing rules study guide and the chapter 11 portion of your study guide. If you would like to go over the corresponding activity in the booklet, have your answers ready (typically we go through activities in the second week of class as directed by your topic choices).
PSK:
Continue with the daily schedule. Begin working in your groups. I suggest you assign tasks and/or topics based on your individual skills and interests. Start your research by searching the textbook for your topic and going through those sections together. Check out the presentation guide video. Remember, all sources should be cited in APA style. It's much easier to cite as you go!
Comments