BOT
101B Online
Orientation
Introduction
This orientation will introduce you to the
course content and expectations for BOT 101B online. This course is
equivalent to the second part of BOT 101.
Your first quiz (that will be taken in Blackboard after you have
read this information and the syllabus) will include
questions about the syllabus and the Blackboard site, so make sure you go
over them carefully. While you work through this orientation, jot
down any questions you might have and post them to our course Help
discussion board. I recommend that you print this page, and check
each item off as you complete it. Don't forget to take the 20-point
quiz (Assignment #1 on your syllabus) to complete this orientation.
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What to do for this
assignment
-
Print this
page and mark each item as you complete it.
-
Enroll in
the course. You enroll for this online course the same way
you enroll in any other Grossmont College course. You will need
to be enrolled in the course before you can access the course
Blackboard site.
-
Buy the textbook kit (KIT
#2).
You can buy the book kit at the campus bookstore, or from
another source. You will need it on the first day of class. In
the kit you will find 2 textbooks and instructions on how to
access the software online. This course teaches keyboarding and document
processing in Microsoft Word 2010. Word 2007 is also compatible
with the online software. You need to use Word
2007 or 2010 for this class because older versions of Word will not
work properly with the GDP keyboarding software. (See below for more
details about the required course materials).
-
Login to Blackboard. The first day of
class is March 19, 2012.
If you enrolled successfully in the class, you should now be
able to access the class. If you registered for the class less
than one week prior to class starting, or after the semester has
begun, you will need to contact me to be given an add code.
However, I will not give out add codes after the first week.
How to login to Blackboard
(available
March 18– one day before class begins)
A. Go to http://gcccd.blackboard.com
(click on this link or the Blackboard Login link on the
Grossmont College homepage.
B. Click the login button
C. For Username, enter your name as firstname.lastname
(all lower case with a dot between your first and last names)
D. For Password, enter your birth date (mmddyy)
E. If you cannot login successfully the first time, try it
again. Your login information is the same as when you login to
any computer on campus. If you still have trouble login in, STOP
and contact me (barb.gillespie@gcccd.edu).
Do not panic. We will get it fixed.
Successful
login! Now that you have logged in, welcome to the course.
Read the Welcome announcement. This announcement contains
helpful information on how the course works and where to start.
-
Update
your personal information. The first time you login to the
course (or anytime you change e-mail address), click on the Tools
button, select Personal Information, and update
the e-mail address that you prefer to use for this class. When I
send class e-mail announcements, it will go to the e-mail
address in your profile. Save any changes.
-
Print the syllabus
(available
March 18 – one day before class begins).
In the Blackboard course site,
click on the Course Documents button. Click on the syllabus
link. Print the syllabus and keep it with your textbook. You may
need to save the syllabus and then open it to print it. READ the
whole syllabus (you will need to answer questions about the
syllabus on the quiz).
-
Familiarize yourself with the course
Blackboard site by clicking on all of the links (buttons) on the left
side of the screen. There are several links displayed under
each button. Browse through them thoroughly to
familiarize yourself with the entire course website.
-
Install Word 2007/2010 software (something you must already have or
will need to purchase separately).
Beginning with the very first lesson (Lesson 31), you will need Word 2007/2010 installed. GDP
will automatically launch Word when it is needed.
-
Take the online orientation quiz
(available
March 19 –
the first day of class). After completing the steps
above, you can take the quiz (worth 20 points and due the first
week of class). Login to Blackboard, click on the Exams
link, and click on the Online Orientation Quiz. The quiz
will cover information from the syllabus and Blackboard. This is
Assignment #1 in your syllabus.
There is a DUE DATE for every assignment, so be sure to watch
for these on your Assignment Sheet. NO late work is accepted.
- Begin on the course assignments.
After reading the entire syllabus, turn to the Assignment Sheet and begin on the assignments in
the order they are listed. You can turn in assignments early,
but they cannot be turned in after the due date.
See instructions for submitting assignments by clicking on
Course Documents, and then The due dates for each assignment are listed in the
syllabus. ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN THE ORDER LISTED
IN THE ASSIGNMENT SHEET. No skipping around or you'll receive a
zero on the "out-of-order" assignment! Check the
syllabus carefully for the due dates.
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Textbook and
Software
The textbook kit including is available in the
Grossmont College Bookstore or online at
www.whywaitforbooks.com.
·
Required Textbook:
College Keyboarding &
Document Processing, Lessons 1-60, 11th edition,
by Scott Ober, Jack E.
Johnson, & Arlene Zimmerly.
ISBN 978-0-07-731935-9.
·
Required Software: Word 2010 software, which is part of Office
2010. NOTE: Versions older than Word 2007 will not work with the GDP keyboarding
software, but you can use Word 2007 for this course.
You can get academic pricing, which is significantly lower than
retail, at several places. The best prices are available at
www.collegesoftware.org but is exclusively for currently-enrolled
students. You can also check
www.gradware.com ,
www.journeyed.com, and www.campustech.com.
·
Access to a PC or Mac computer with the following requirements:
·
Computer/Processor:
500-MHz or higher
·
Memory:
1 GHz+
·
Hard disk:
2 GB of available hard-disk space
·
Monitor: 1024 x 768
screen resolution recommended
·
Operating system:
Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
·
Internet access:
Internet Explorer 7,
8, or Firefox 3.5
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Advice from BOT
online students
-
Keep up
with the class. The biggest problem online students have is
gradually falling behind. No late work is accepted, and you may
be dropped from the class if you get behind. Remember, this
class is only eight (8) weeks long, and all work listed on
the Assignment Sheet in your syllabus must be
completed by the class end date (May
18, 2012).
-
Schedule
at least 5-7 hours per week to focus on the class. Some
students may need more or less time, so you can make adjustments
based on your skill level.
-
Don't wait
until the last minute to start an assignment. If you run into a
problem, it may take time to get help.
-
Contact
your instructor as soon as you begin to have problems or if
you decide to drop.
-
Check
e-mail and Blackboard Announcements several times a week.
- Have a back-up plan in case your
computer crashes. There are computers in the Tech
Mall for your use. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING ALL WORK TURNED
IN ON TIME. NO late work is accepted.
Congratulations! You are now ready to earn
your first points in the class. Go to Blackboard and take the Online
Orientation Quiz (Assignment #1), then email me (Assignment #2) and
be sure to mention that you have
read this orientation page in the message to me at:
barb.gillespie@gcccd.edu.
Good luck and let's have fun!!!
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