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Important Links
Online Orientations
BOT Online Instructors
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Introduction
This orientation will introduce you to the course content
and expectations for BOT 101B online. You'll also have a chance to make sure everything is set
up and ready to go. Your first quiz (to be taken
after this orientation) will include questions about information found
on this web page, syllabus, and Blackboard. Please review all items
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 to complete this
orientation. The Orientation quiz is found in
Blackboard at the "exams" link. If you score less than 20 points, please
take it again. You are allowed multiple attempts until you successfully
score 18 out of 20 points.
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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 Cuyamaca College
course. You will need to be enrolled in the course before you can
access the course Blackboard site.
- Buy the textbook and install the software. You can buy the
book kit at the campus bookstore, or from another source.
You will need them on the first day of class. In the kit you will find
2 textbooks and the GDP keyboarding software on a CD. This course teaches
keyboarding and document processing in Microsoft Word 2007. If you already have Word
2007 on your computer, you're ready. You absolutely must use Word 2007
for this class because older versions of Word will not work 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 22nd, 2010.
One
day before class
begins, those who have enrolled will be entered into the Blackboard
system. If you enrolled successfully in the class, you
should now be able to access the class. If
you register for the class less than one week prior to class starting, you must contact me to be entered into
the Blackboard system. If you want to add the class after the start
date, you need to
contact me for an add code.
- How to login to Blackboard
(available one day before class begins)
A. Go to
http://bb.gcccd.edu (click on this link or the
Blackboard Login link in the web page navigation at the left side of this
page)
B. Click the Login button
C. For Username enter your name as firstname.lastname
(all lower
case)
D. For Password enter your birthday (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 logging in, STOP and contact me
(pat.newman@gcccd.edu). Do not panic, we'll get it fixed. Do not click
the create an account
button as this will only complicate
matters and delay your first login.
- 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.
I regularly send class announcements and email through Blackboard. It is
very important you keep your email address current in order to receive
these communications. Please login to WebAdvisor, click on STUDENTS,
then UPDATE PERSONAL INFORMATION and list your preferred email address
and the telephone number where I can reach you if needed. WebAdvisor
updates BlackBoard nightly, so it's important to keep current
information in WebAdvisor.
- Print the syllabus.
In the Blackboard course
site, click on the Course Information
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 on the quiz).
- Familiarize yourself with the course web site by
clicking on all of the links (buttons) in the course navigation on the left side of the
course website.
There are also several links on the web pages that display. Browse through
them thoroughly to familiarize yourself with the entire course
website.
- Install the GDP keyboarding software.
Turn to page
4 in your
syllabus and follow the instructions to install and set up the GDP
software. You will also need the GDP software manual.
- Install Word 2007 software.
You will need Word 2007 installed. GDP will automatically
launch Word when it is needed.
- Take the online orientation quiz.
After
completing the steps above, you can take the quiz (worth 20
points and due by Wed 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.
- Begin on the course assignments. Turn to page
5 in your syllabus and begin on the assignments in the order they are
listed. You can turn in assignments early. See instructions for submitting assignments
by clicking "How to Upload your keyboarding assignments"
link on the Course Information page in the class website. The due dates for each assignment are listed in the
syllabus. Most assignments are due by midnight on Saturday, but be sure
to check the syllabus. The weeks of the midterm and final
exams, I need your work earlier (by Wed) so that I can grade everything and return feedback before you
take the exam.
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Course textbook and software
The textbook kit including the GDP10 software is available in the
Cuyamaca
College Bookstore or online at
www.whywaitforbooks.com.
- Required:
College Keyboarding & Document Processing,
Lessons 1-60, 10th edition (textbook
purchasing information)
by
Scott Ober, Jack E. Johnson, & Arlene Zimmerly, with GDP10 software.
ISBN-13: 978-0-077-260-538 (Kit)
- Word 2007 software
(available separately). NOTE:
Older versions of Word will not work with the GDP keyboarding
software. (software
purchasing information)
- Access to a PC/Windows computer with the following requirements:
- Computer/Processor: 500-MHz or higher
- Memory: 256 MB of RAM or higher
- Hard disk: 2 GB of available hard-disk space
- Monitor: 800 x 600 minimum monitor
resolution; 1024 x 768 recommended
- DVD drive
- Operating system: Windows XP with
Service Pack 2 or later
- Internet access:
Internet Explorer 6.0
or higher
- Sorry, no Macintosh as the Office program is very different on a
Mac.
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Advice from BOT online students
- Keep up with the class. The biggest problem online students
have is gradually falling behind. You lose points when assignments are
late, and you may be dropped from the class if you get behind. This
class is only 8 weeks in length and all work must be completed by
the class end date.
- 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.
- Attend the
BOT Flex Lab
for in-person help whenever the lab is open, if necessary.
See lab staff to enroll in the free supervised tutoring section.
- Check e-mail and online discussion several times a week.
- Have a
back-up plan in case your computer crashes. You can
always use the
BOT Flex Lab during
open hours.
Good luck and let's have fun!!!
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