Dear Member of English 1101, 

     Welcome to English 1101, or almost—you still have to get through an orientation before
      you can start  the course.  If you are like me, you have little patience for orientations or
      instruction manuals,  so let’s keep this as brief as possible. 

1)   How do I get into the course?

On the first day of scheduled classes, follow the WebCT logon instructions.   At the end of this short orientation, you will find a link for logon instructions.  Please wait to log on until you have finished reading this brief orientation. 

2)    What do I do once I get inside the course? 

Once you are inside the course, you will find everything to be straightforward—no fancy graphics or sound effects that will take a long time to load, or pop-up ads you want to shut by clicking on the X so that you can read.  Simply click on the lesson you wish to work on (let’s make that the lesson you have to work on ) as you complete your journey in English 1101. 

3)  What should I read inside the course to get an orientation that tells me only what I need to
      know—grades, due dates, how to go about assignments, where to email my work, where to
      phone if my computer crashes, and so on?  

Click on Course Syllabus and read carefully.  Click on Course Calendar and read carefully.  Click on Lessons and begin to read and learn about writing and the assignments.  Do not click on Email the instructor.  Instead, go to your favorite email account and email provider and type ulf.kirchdorfer@.darton.edu into your “Send To” box and send me a message letting me know you got inside the course.  If you have any questions, email me those, or if you have no questions, email me a hello and let me know, for example, how your day is going, what you think about the weather, or what you fear about English, and so on.  Also, include a mailing address, so that I can mail you your final exam, the only correspondence that will not take place by email.  Once we know our email accounts are working, we are on the way, at least as reliable as carrier pigeons flocking with words, we hope.

 4)   Why use my own email account and not simply use WebCT to email?  

While WebCT might provide a convenient format into which to put classes onto the Web, email can be faster and more convenient and reliable when you use an email account that is not tied into the course.  And if you are like me, you don’t want to have several email accounts with several passwords to forget when you want to quickly check your mail anytime-anywhere/24-7.

 5)   This is not question number five really, but just a way to let you know a few more
       important logistics factors (you’ll find them in the course syllabus and/or calendar as well): 

Be sure to use Word and to send all assignments in a Word attachment.  I am unable to open any other format.

Be sure to back up your work on your computer’s hard drive but also on a disk; print out a copy of your work as well.  All this sounds like a computer user’s paranoia, but from experience, I know just what a difference it can make to have saved your work .  Speaking of backing up, always keep a copy of the email you sent me; that way if I have not received your email, you can later forward me a copy.

Type your name and address inside the document so that I can give you credit for your work.

If you are experiencing any technical problems, contact the WebHelp Desk.  You’ll find their link at the beginning of this orientation.

Get up and stretch at least once every hour that you spend in front of the computer.  That way you’ll be able to minimize, I hope, your visits to a chiropractor or orthopedic surgeon.

I am looking forward to working with you on a writing journey that can be more than just a dull way to get credit for English 1101!

 And here is the link with those logon instructions.