Welcome to CD2/Psyc 2 Early Child Development

Welcome to CD2/Psych2 –This is our virtual classroom.Understanding the way this virtual classroom is organized will save you time, and help you to do well in the course. If you have any questions about the technical details of logging on, resetting your password, etc., contact the Gavilan College Distance Education Coordinator, JoAnne Howell. Her email address is jhowell@gavilan.edu and she can also be reached at http://hhh.gavilan.edu/jhowell/etudes/. There you will find helpful information about Etudes, which is the software that makes this online class possible. If your questions are about the course itself, the text, the classroom, the forums, or the assignments, send me a personal message from inside the course. Don't wait too long to ask for help, as the semester is ticking away.
How much time will it take? The face-to-face version of this class during the six-week summer session meets on campus two hours a day for four days a week. Transfer level courses are designed assuming that students will complete two hours of preparation for each hour they spend in class. That’s 48 hours of class plus 96 hours of studying and homework. This class will require just as much time from you as a traditional, face-to-face class. However, the beauty of an online environment is that you can read the lectures you would normally listen to, and you can do so at any time of the day or night. In addition, you do not have travel time or have to find a parking place. I suggest that you spend at least an hour or two each day online, as well as several hours a day reading your text and completing assignments. I have tried to design this course so that you can work independently and without needing much help from me. However, I will try to respond to all questions within 24 hours. It’s important that you send any questions or cries for help to me as personal messages inside the course, as private emails may bounce or never make it to their destination. If you don’t hear from me in a timely manner, or if you cannot get into the class for some reason, send a “real” email to mbumgarner@gavilan.edu with a subject heading that includes CD2 or Psyc2 and Help”. If you are feeling that more personal contact is needed to help you through your difficulty, include your telephone number in the message, with several good times to call you over the next 48 hours, and I will try to reach you that way. Just as in my traditional classes, I will help you in whatever way I can. However, since I can’t see your body language, I will not know you are having problems unless you tell me. You need to be assertive and communicate when you need help. I suggest you click on this link to an article about being a successful online student and read its suggestions: http://www.hopkins.k12.mn.us/pages/HopOn/student_info/successful_student.html Please remember that computer systems fail on occasion. If you can't connect to the server, or your email bounces, wait a few hours or a day and try again. If the problem persists, contact me or JoAnne by email or phone. If you miss a due date for one of the assignments, don’t skip that assignment. Do it as soon as you can, then go on to the next one. This virtual classroom thing is pretty flexible, but there IS a final day of class, and by then, everything must be complete! Dr. B. |