Welcome letter 6w

1. Dear students,
I am looking forward to meeting all of you on May 29 and starting our semester together! You do
not need to access any major assignments on this Blackboard site just yet—I’m still working on it.
However, this is a great time to settle in. In the next week, start exploring with these activities:
 Get a feel for Blackboard. Practice clicking through the menu items and get an impression
of how the course is organized. Notice where your gradebook is located so you can stay up
to date on your progress. Find the “Send Email” function and send me a note to say hello.
 Get an overview of the course. Print and read a copy of the syllabus, which will walk you
through what you will learn and how we will learn it together. It also explains the course
policies and gives you a snapshot schedule of the semester. Pay special attention to the
section that lists Six Things You Can do to Be Successful. An online course requires a lot of
participation and attention to deadlines, and it’s important to understand those expectations.
 Understand the necessary skills and resources for your success. For an online course,
you will need regular access to a reliable computer with an internet connection, a way to
record video, and word processing software. In case of software difficulties, you will need
backup technology available to you, whether that is accessed through friends, family, a
Madison College campus, or a public library. To protect yourself, make sure you have
updated antivirus technology. Check out the “Helpful Resources” tab, where you will find
links to the Student Help Desk, the Writing Center, and free, open-source software
programs. Skills you will need to succeed are on the other side of this letter.
 Start to get to know each other. Check out my introduction by clicking on the “Discussion
Board” tab and opening the Introductions board. Follow the instructions there to add your
own introduction. Over the course of this week, read and respond to your classmates’
introductions so you know who is in our “classroom.”
As students are preparing for a new semester, they often wonder whether to purchase the books for
their new classes. It’s a real pain to buy your books only to find out the teacher does not use them or
has changed the book requirement. If you are wondering about this, the answer is, “Yes! We will use
the book.” Our textbook is
Ballenger, Bruce. The Curious Researcher. 8th
or 9th
ed., Pearson, 2017.
We will begin using the book very soon, so please
arrange your purchase as soon as you can. The
edition you choose it up to you. The 9th
is available as
an ebook only, but used copies of the 8th
are available
in print. Choose what works for you.
I am excited to read, write, and learn with all of you!
Sincerely,
Tara Ptasnik
(that’s me )

2. Familiarity with and practice in the skills emphasized in the prerequisite
class, English 1 at Madison College:
 Treat writing is a process that includes multiple drafts and
revisions
 Demonstrate firm competence in thesis statements, paragraph
structure and sentence-level writing skills
 Conduct academic research, specifically using the library
databases, and use skills of information literacy, such as
evaluating information and employing MLA citation
 Write a summary of a complex argument, including proper
paraphrase and quoting skills
Basic knowledge of using email, including checking accounts regularly,
sending and receiving messages, and attaching, detaching, and saving
files.
Basic knowledge of how to use Blackboard, including finding our class,
reading Announcements, submitting Assignments as attachments, adding
posts and responses to the Discussion Board, monitoring grades, and
accessing instructor feedback
Basic knowledge of word processing, preferably using Word or Google
Docs, including saving documents, naming and organizing multiple
versions of files, and formatting text.
Student success skills, including
 Managing assignments
o tracking assignment deadlines
o following multipart assignment instructions
o managing multipart assignments over a period of time
 Taking initiative as a learner
o revising based on feedback
o seeking additional assistance from quality resources
o advocating for yourself
o applying skills from one assignment to the next
 Communicating professionally
o working with other students
o participating in class regularly
o communicating with the instructor