This document provides advice for students who are not current with their work in an online journalism course. It recommends creating a plan to become current by reviewing assignment grades and due dates, counting remaining assignments, and setting a schedule to complete them over a set number of days. Regularly accessing the course each day and communicating with the teacher if help is needed are also emphasized to stay on track and succeed in the class.

1. W H A T T O D O I F Y O U ’ R E N O T C U R R E N T W I T H
Y O U R W O R K I N J O U R N A L I S M
Plan for Becoming Current with
Assignments

2. Why is it important to have a plan?
 Remember the saying: If you’re failing to plan,
you’re planning to fail!
 If you know what you need to do each day to get
your work done, you’ll have a goal…right?

3. What’s the plan?
Open Grades to see which assignments you have completed and which
you haven’t completed. Also check the To Do list in your course.
Download and open your Assignment Schedule. See Course Documents.
 If you have a grade on an assignment, you know you’ve
completed that assignment. (Remember to read my
comments)
 If you don’t have a grade and you don’t see an assignment file
waiting to be graded, mark that on your Assignment Schedule
as an assignment you need to complete to become current.

4. What do I do next?
 Count the number of assignments you need to complete to become current.
(Check your Assignment Schedule…Every assignment is listed with a due date).
Set a date when you plan to be current.
 Divide the number of assignments you need to complete to become current by
the number of days you have given yourself to become current.
 Example: If you need to complete 3 assignments in Module One, and, to
become current with all your work, you need to complete 3 more assignments in
Module Two and you have 3 days to be on target with your work, you have 6
assignments to complete in 3 days…so…you’ll need to complete 2 assignments a
day for 3 days to be up-to-date with your work.
 It’s that easy!

5. How can I be successful in this class?
 When you open the course and do “something” every day, you form the habit of
going into your course regularly.
 Remember, this is a class just like those you attend on your high school campus.
When you don’t access your course, you haven’t attended class that
day.
 A report within your course gives your teacher information about how many
pages you’ve covered in the course, how many assignments you’ve completed,
and how many assignments are due but have not been submitted.
 Don’t fall so far behind that you feel overwhelmed by the remaining work due.

6. Working together
 Remember, if you have a questions, send an e-mail, text me, or call.
 Find me in your course by e-mailing me using the course Inbox.
 If you need to instant message with me, text me.
 If you need to talk, let me know a good time to call.
 Bottom line: Communicate! Find my contact info on the Home page.