To all students in my online and on-site classes, welcome to WV State or Welcome back! We are now in the second week of classes and are still going over information you will need to know as you progress through one of my English 099 classes. Last week, January 7-11, we introduced ourselves to each other and heard about basic course content and course requirements. Students in my on-site classes completed an information sheet and a beginning of the semester self-assessment as well as wrote an initial benchmark essay. This week, January 21-25, the on-site classes are visiting the course WebCT homepage to review the syllabus, the weekly lesson plans, and other resources to support you as you proceed through the course. The online students are visiting their WebCT homepage and getting familiar with the various tools and assignments. I have been collecting information from my online students in order to schedule an orientation session next week, the week of January 28, 2008.

All of my students should go to your course WebCT homepage and check it out if you haven't already done so. If you have missed an on-site class during these first two weeks of classes, go there and look for the forms that need completed and to find the benchmark essay and write your initial draft to submit to me. The initial benchmark must be completed to avoid receiving a "D" at midterm. The benchmark is an essential assessment tool that we will use to compare at the midpoint and at the end of the semester to see what improvements you have all made. Online students should go to the Assignment Tool on their WebCT homepage and find where to submit their initial benchmark essay online. There is an Introduction to WebCT Activity for all of my classes that should be completed as soon as possible by everyone.
Students from my on-site classes may go to your WebCT page to find work that you have missed, forms distributed, essays assignments, etc. We will be accessing the WebCT homepage in class at various points in the semester as well.

I am scheduling the online class orientation session for next Thursday, January 31, 2008, from 5-6pm in our Developmental English classroom in room 411 of Sullivan Hall, east. Online students whose schedule permits should plan to attend to review the WebCT course content and the WebCT tools and resources as well as to review course requirements and assignments. If you are unable to attend at this time, you may choose to schedule an individual meeting with me in my office at a more convenient time.

Again, welcome to WV State and my English 099 classes. We're glad you are here. Let us know if we can assist you in any way as you pursue your academic career.