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Important: Please read these 3 very important steps right away!

1. The first class is in person physically, if you can make it! As the IHCC online "Schedule" says for the spring 2013 section of this course,

"Eng 2235-99: The first class for those within 50 miles of IHCC is in computer lab B-142 Wed., 1-16, 6-8 pm. Students also are asked to attend one art museum visit and one professional play. All students should start the class nolater than 1-16 by going to www.richardjewell.net and clicking on '2235 Website.'

First, you do not absolutely have to attend the first meeting. It is mainly for those who don't know much about online classes and/or would like a stronger start in person with me, your instructor, in a computer lab. If you fit into either of these categories, I would strongly recommend you show up. You will get two X's of attendance credit for being there two hours. (Those of you who don't come or can't come may earn these two X's in other ways during the semester--for about the same amount of time spent by those who show up.) This first meeting, again, is

Wed., Jan. 16, 2013, 6-8 pm, B-142

(The room is a computer lab in the "Business" building. Click here to see a "Map of Campus.")

If you do somehow miss the first night, please be sure to carefully look over this entire English 2235 web site and carefully read "Starting Online."

Second, I apologize for this note appearing on the schedule after registration already started. It was inadvertently left off. In previous years, the note has been automatically transferred from one year ot the next each time. I didn't notice it wasn't transferred until recently. In any case, there is nothing requiring anyone to spend more time by attending meetings--and the entire course can still be taken online from anywhere: the last time I taught it, I had people in New York and Europe taking it. The additional in-person events are just another alternative that takes neither more nor less time in most cases. After the class is over, many people loved these in-person alternatives and having the choice, so I'd like to continue to offer them.

2. Please also determine whether you are ready for this time-consuming class! This class will take a lot of time, and it demands a good deal of work. Because this is a 2000-level literature course and because it is officially one of IHCC's "Writing Intensive" courses, the class is very rigorous. It is a good introduction to critiquing literature and writing about literature as English majors do--and the subject matter is fun--but the course is very rigorous. Are you ready for a rigorous, time-consuming class?

3. Third, is this only your 1st or 2nd online class? If so, are you sure that you are ready for independently taking an online class? If this is only your first or second online class, please go now to

www.breatheptk.org

and click on the link near the bottom of the page that says "B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Document." Read it carefully. After reading it, if you have any further doubts, take the simple MnSCU quiz at www.minnesotaonline.org/students/distancelearningquiz.php or the slightly longer IHCC quiz at www.inverhills.edu/Online/prospective/online_readiness.html. (If you want further discussion of whether you should take an online course, see www.inverhills.edu/ssd/CollegeLearning/Computer+OnlineLearning.htm.)

If you still believe that this is the class for you, then please continue reading below:

Week 1: Welcome to the class! I am glad to be working with you in this fully-online section of "English 2235-Mythology" for the spring semester. I expect the course to be interesting and fun. In addition to online activities, we'll be seeing two different mythic plays and making one trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to get a guided tour of mythic art. (If you're at a distance or must miss these, you may make them up by doing similar or related activities on your own wherever you live.) The course study materials include work with classic fairy tales, Greek myth, King Arthur, the Bible, C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien, and some independent study. I hope you'll enjoy the class!

In passing, I'd like to note to you that this course does not use D2L (except for the discussion boards). In addition, the Web site sometimes shows options for both a fully-online ("FOL") section and a face-to-face ("F2F"), on-campus section. Please ignore the on-campus section, as Inver Hills currently offers this course each year ONLY in the fully-online version. Please start by reading the web pages called "Starting Online" and, if you are a high school student, PSEO. Then quickly read (or carefully skim) all the web pages in this course web site.

It is also important to note that you should have Thursday nights relatively free, as the IHCC printed and online "Schedule" says. There will be several Thursday night physical class activities: a first in-person meeting on campus, a trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and a couple of Thursday night live plays.

IMPORTANT--PLEASE NOTE! (1) This class does not run on D2L (except for the discussion boards). (2) Please fill out and mail the "Student Information Sheet" (click here to go to it, or receive it from me by hand--in person--in the computer lab on the first night's physical meeting), and if you have received any emails, yet, from me or the Online Assistant, Davyann Lee, send me your email address right away. I will send a reply email for both, letting you know I got them. If you don't hear from me, contact me immediately: (612) 870-7024. (3) You also should be aware that I always return your emailed homework, marked to show I got it. And you can always check your records by clicking on "FOL Records" above. If you are not receiving your homework back and seeing credit for it appear by each Sunday evening on the "FOL Records," contact me immediately!

IMPORTANT NOTE #2: Please note that you must use "MS Word" (not "Works" or an .rtf text) to write and send the term paper, and to read my comments and make your revisions on the term paper! You may buy Word at an inexpensive student price (about $100) if you are an IHCC student: goto www.inverhillsbookstore.com and, at the bottom of the page, clicking on "Microsoft Promo."

I'll look forward to seeing you the first night, when we'll review the Web assignments and discussion boards. If you have questions or concerns ahead of time, please feel free to email, call, or drop by during my on-campus office hours in the spring. Click here for information about my office hours and how to contact me.

Please also note!

I will assume you will be using your "________@go.inverhills.edu" email account (unless you request that I use a different email address for you). Please check your emails at least once per week, preferably on Mon. or Tues., for emails from me about the class.

Also, please use my home email address to communicate with me. I look at it almost every day. (Please do not use my IHCC email address--I only look at it one-three times per wk.; in addition, it sometimes delays email for hours or even days.) My home email address is as follows:

richard at jeweLL dot net
and
jeweL001 ("jeweL zero zero one) at umn dot edu

But instead of "at," use "@"; and instead of "dot," use a period.
For example, if you were emailing john at smith dot net, you would write it as john@smith.net.

(Why am I using this unusual way of sharing an email addresses? It avoids my email address being
captured by "spiders"--web spammers' automated software programs that seek email addresses on web sites.)

Your email system may reject email from people it does not recognize, or from people who send emails frequently. For this reason, you should add my email address to your "safe sender" or "trusted sender" list.

If you do not know how to make me a "safe" or "trusted sender," then please use your email system's "help" function or, if there is none, then look in "tools," "options," "settings," or other places where you are allowed to control who sends you email and who doesn't.

UPDATES

The best way to check for updates is to

Check email twice weekly: check your email for messages from me: I use email to announce visits to plays/museums and other changes/additions. I also return - marked - all email homework you send to me.  SAVE A COPY OF EVERY HOMEWORK EMAIL YOU SEND TO ME! Sometimes email gets lost. You may need proof that you sent it to me. The best way to do this is to email the homework not only to me but ALSO to yourself! Put your own email address in the CC or BCC line whenever you email me your homework.

If you are not receiving emails from me at least once per week, contact me immediately at my home email address so I can get your email address on my email list.

Also check the "FOL Records" weekly: make sure you are getting credit for both email homework and for discussion-board attendance.

If there's a problem, check the FAQs first. If that doesn't help, email me at my home email address.

Please remember that the official "Schedule" of weekly assignments, though 98% accurate, may have additions and/or changes made on occasion. This is especially true for such events as plays or museum visits, which cannot be scheduled until just a few weeks beforehand and often are not even mentioned on the schedule itself, but rather in class time and/or by email. Other changes occasionally are made, too. Because of such changes, you should always check for updates. The best way to check for updates is to

Check email twice weekly: check your email for messages from me, where I announce visits to plays/museums and other changes/additions.

ARE YOU NEW TO IHCC EMAIL SYSTEMS?
If you are - and if you are using IHCC email ("go.inverhills.edu") -
please activate your free school email address by completing the four steps at

Then check your IHCC email address (___@go.inverhills.edu) at least once per week for messages from school.

Each consultation is worth two "X's" (two "V's") of attendance. If none of these times works for you, talk with me about a different time.

Days/Times/Dates

Wed., April 24, 2013 (10-15 min. each):

The consultations are in my B-136 office. They are about your term paper: have your Draft I (and preferably D-II) and bring it with you.

(PLEASE CHOOSE THE EARLIEST TIME YOU CAN ARRIVE.)

5:30 -- Kyla Gunderson

5:45 -- Heather Johnson (or 6 or 6:15)

6:00 --

6:15 -- Jenna Holtorf (or 6:30 or 6:45)

6:30 --

6:45 -- break
7:00 --

7:15 --
7:30 --
7:45 --

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Telephone or Skype Consultations April 22-May 3: Make an appt. ahead of time. Here is how a phone or Skype consultation works:

(1) Ahead of time, you get my phone or Skype number.

(2) You email me your Draft I or II at least 24-48 hrs. before the appointment (or drop it off at my office). more � � �

Wed., May 1, 2013 (10-15 min. each)

The consultations are in my B-136 office. They are about your term paper: you must have your Draft II done and bring it with you.

( PLEASE CHOOSE THE EARLIEST TIME YOU CAN ARRIVE.)

5:30 -- Abigail Campbell (or 5:45 or 6)

5:45 -- Jim Barker (or 5:30 or 6:00)

6:00 -- Danielle Elia (or 5:30 or 5:45)

6:15 -- Natalie Mitchem (or 5:45 or 6:00)

6:30 -- Tina Blunt (or 5:45 or 6:15)

6:45 -- break
7:00 -- Megan Ince (or 6:15 or 6:30)

7:15 -- Max Fletcher (or 7:30 or 7:45)
7:30 --
7:45 --

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(3) Both you and I have your Draft I or II on our computers at the appointment time.

(4) You call me, and we talk while looking at the paper together.

In addition, I take phone/Skype appointments on other evenings, and also some afternoons on Tues. and Thurs.-Sat.

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.