For those of you who were in one of the online courses this semester, please share here your tips and suggestions for the students next semester! You can leave ANONYMOUS comments; no Blogger.com account is needed.
So, think about what you wish you had known in starting out the semester, so that the students next semester can benefit from your experience!
To leave a comment, see the comment box at the very bottom of this post - or CLICK THIS LINK TO ADD A COMMENT.
THANKS!
My tip to the new students is to sit down and complete every tech tip right from the get go. They are easy to do and can be helpful throughout the semester. Plus, they give you extra credit points! If I would have done that in the beginning, I would have been through with the course early. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMake sure that you get the storybook and internet assignments completed on time! They are worth a lot of points and can give you some wiggle room with other assignments towards the end of the semester as other classes become more demanding. Also take advantage of the extra credit assignments.
ReplyDeleteThis class was great. Everyone says work ahead, but really work ahead. It will benefit your greatly. Do all of the assignments and bonus points and you can finish the class several weeks early and focus on other courses. Also Email Dr. Gibbs. She is awesome at email correspondence and will always get back to you quickly and is very helpful. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteFor those who are enrolled in this wonderful class, Please do the extra credit assignments! They are easy and they will help you get the points you need in the end. This will also allow you to get done with the course early. This is a fun class because it gives you an opportunity to be creative in your writing. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteFor those enrolled in this class, please make sure you do the extra credit through the weeks. I can't emphasis enough on important these things are for your grade when you miss an assignment here or there. Also make sure to do your storybook stories on time. There is a lot of le-way sometimes but it's VERY easy to get behind which you don't want to do in class that's so straight forward. I loved this class and really enjoyed everything that Professor Gibbs had us read so enjoy it! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI encourage creativity! I chose to be as creative as I could when retelling the stories, doing character essay. I loved to give all of my links creative names instead of just basic names. I also loved to try and show my personality in my retelling of various stories and I feel that if the students do that they will enjoy the class so much more. My other tip to the new students is try and complete each reading by the Sunday of the weekly assignment. I found that on the weeks that I finished the reading by Sunday I was able to finish the reading quizzes and blog assignments before the week even started. That relieved so much of the stress that one can have when trying to finish a reading assignment on the due date.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend two things. First, stay on top of your assignments. It is not hard to do, but as you get more comfortable with the system you will be more likely to push the deadlines. Avoid that temptation and give yourself plenty of time to do everything, you'll finish the class early and with a secure A. Two, take advantage of this opportunity to be creative and explore the readings and your retelling. There's no wrong way to do this, it's an exercise in expression and free thought. So buy into it, it'll be rewarding.
ReplyDeleteI would say that the easiest way to stay on track is to do every bit you can in the beginning so that later in the semester when your other classes get a little difficult you have some wiggle room when it comes to this class.
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing class! I would recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to take a class with Laura, do so. If you ever have any concerns, Laura is more than able to help.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I would like to say how much I enjoyed this class...You will learn so much and even get to relive stories from your childhood and that's something I liked. My suggestion would be to start working ahead right away! I didn't do that and I wish I would have. You have to do a lot of work with your storybook so if you have all of your other assignments finished you can focus on that! Good luck & hope ya enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVED this course. I took World Lit and really enjoyed every minute of it. My tip to the new students would be to look/work ahead and figure out just how many points you need to make the grade you want. Although the schedule may seem demanding at times, there is enough extra credit to make any grade you desire. I would REALLY recommend taking this course! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAlways, Always, Always do the tech tips and the vocab quizzes. Those are the easiest ways to get some extra points. Don't fall behind in the storybooks otherwise you will stay behind and never catch up. Also, do as much as you can at the beginning of the semester as far as the character essays and storytelling posts because towards the end of the semester it gets harder and harder to get those done.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful class. I guess I really only have four bits of recommendations for the next round of students.
ReplyDeleteThe first is this: Don't be afraid to contact Laura for anything. She's a wonderful teacher and someone that's really easy to get on with.
Secondly: Do your work. It can be easy to let an online class slip, but if you just stay on task, this class is easily managed.
Third: Proofread. There's a lot of typos that can easily be caught by just a cursory proofread.
Four: have fun. This should be self-explanatory. If you don't have fun in a class, it likely isn't worth taking. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
The only thing I can suggest is at the very beginning of the semester, take a couple days to do nothing but Myth/Folklore and work ahead as much as possible! Even though you can only complete/submit certain assignments after a specific date, there are still many others that you can begin working on (and many that you can even complete at any time during the semester!). I wish I would have worked ahead early on so I wouldn't have had to worry so much near the end of the semester...
ReplyDeleteP.S. This class is awesome! Have fun with it and do your Storybook over something that really interests you! The more fun you have with the Storybook, the easier it will be (honestly, the Storybook requires a little time, so if you pick something boring just to get by, the semester will be pretty tortuous... Pick something fun and you may actually enjoy your biggest assignment of each week!).
My tip would be before each week you have the choice of two topics to cover. I would just randomly pick one, and then all of a sudden when I would click on the readings for that topic, they would be something I wasn't as interested in. Then I would go to see what the other topic's readings were, and they were much more to my liking. The readings can often be long, so make sure, you go through the readings ahead of time to see what stories you will be spending about an hour of reading time with, because sometimes you will wish you had picked the other topic! Also, take advantage of working ahead. By the end of the semester, you are pretty burnt out on classes, and I started missing points because of the workload of my other classes. Get an early start on things, and you will be set!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to let the new students know that this was a wonderful class. The amount of work is very fair, especially for the fact that we don't waste time in a classroom. We can more efficiently use the time to do our work. With that said, my tip would be to do/finish your work early. Not only do you get extra credit for doing so, but if you do the whole week's assignments in advance, you don't have to worry about it the rest of the week! Also, you can finish the class about a month early! Another tip I have is to pick a topic for your storybook that you are really interested in. The more interest and the more you know about your topic, the better. It will definitely make the whole process much easier, and very fun! So stay on task, and good luck!
ReplyDeleteWhen picking a topic and stories for your storybook, your impulse may be to pick something as off-beat and creative as possible. Your impulse may also be to pick some fantastic stories that are full of wonderful description and detail you may like.
ReplyDeleteMy advice to you is to fight these impulses. Pick a straight-forward and simple subject. Pick very short stories that are void of detail. Pick an easy frame-table that is simple and comfortable for you to work in.
This may sound like I'm telling you to be lazy and not creative, but this will allow you to be more creative on the back end. All of the details are yours to create. The plot is yours to manipulate. You will have greater command over your frame-table. You won't be fighting your source stories and you will have a fun semester. : )
My tip to new students is to definitely stay on top of your course work! Even if you do teh extra credit make sure to do all assignments! It is very important to complete all work in order to get an A! This class is very informational, but you must be somewhat intrigued in order to do well. I think it covers a lot of material and there is a lot to do, but if you enjoy the readings you will do very well. I enjoyed the class very much and think that as long as you stay on top of everything you will do well!
ReplyDeleteI would advise students to get a few weeks ahead of schedule and the beginning of the semester when the rest of your classes don't have much going on. This is something that I did not do but I really wish I had. You also get extra credit for being ahead of schedule. Also, make sure that you do all of the extra credit that you can. This way, it is okay if you miss a few of the deadlines. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this class. It is very nice to be able to work at your own pace. My adivice is to not wait until the last minute to complete the work. I think that you should try to complete all of the extra credit that is available. It is nice to fiish the class before finals.
ReplyDeleteMy advice would be: DONT GET BEHIND! Yes, there is a lot of grace in this class when it comes to turning assignments in on time. However, this can often make you more prone to procrastination. So, turn assignments in before they are due. Work ahead. You can complete this class two weeks in advance (only the response to peoples storybooks and blogs can't be done in advance). And there is plenty of opportunity for extra credit. TAKE IT! I will end up making a much lower grade than I should have in this class because I didn't follow this advice.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest tip is to stay caught up with assignments and to do the famous last words. It is the easiest blog assignment and worth extra credit points. These extra points can either be a nice buffer for those times you miss a coupe points here and there, or the extra points can help you finish the course faster.
ReplyDeleteHey people. Laura is a great teacher. Her knowledge of the subject matter is unbelievable. My advice is to take time to keep up with the assignments. I know that sounds pretty normal and boring, but the course work is not much at all if you keep it spread out. Also by doing this you can take time to enjoy the readings. These books were by far my favorite part of the class. The stories are awesome. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteMy advice for future students is to definitely work ahead with the class. You get bonus points for being an "early bird" and in the event that you have unforeseen dilemmas during the semester it won't hurt you to put off school work for a few days.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, let your creativity show with this course. It's so refreshing to have a course that you get to determine your own direction with that you can literally entertain yourself as much as you learn.
My advice would be for students to sit and work ahead. I was behind so many weeks, and ultimately ended up missing assignments. I could have easily made a 100 in this class, but I waited until the last minute. Also, there is a LOT of extra credit, so use it to your advantage!!
ReplyDeleteMy tip for students is to work ahead and do bonus opportunities like the tech tips because not only do you get bonus points but you learn a lot of cool stuff that you end up using for other classes etc. The course is really made to work ahead so that is easy, but if you are a procrastinator like me it isn't that bad. The few times I did work ahead I would forget I had the course and then end up right where I was, so anytime I missed anything I would just do the bonus to make up for it. Get comfortable with seamonkey and learning how to build the webpage asap because that will help you later on in the semester. This is a really great course and you will learn a lot! Have fun!
ReplyDeleteIn this class, you not only have the ability to learn so much, but you also have the ability to work ahead. I wish I had started doing the extra credit work and working ahead earlier in the semester. As the semester went on, I started to wish I had done more extra credit and worked ahead to finish the class sooner. It's not that this class wasn't excellent, it's just that as the semester wears on, you don't have that initial excitement and motivation that you did at the beginning of the semester. Do as much extra credit at the beginning of the semester and work ahead as much as possible so that you can miss assignments towards the end of the class and still earn an A.
ReplyDeleteGet ahead!!! Do not use the grace period in to complete assignments. You won't do them all the time, and you will fall behind compromising your grade.. Much like I am doing right now!! :-(
ReplyDeleteFor those of you that signed up for this class, congratulations! You will not regret taking it. This class offers opportunities in learning and assignments that are not found in most all other classes that you are taking. One thing that I could say that would be helpful information to anyone taking this class would be to GET HOMEWORK DONE AS SOON AS YOU CAN! It doesn't take long to get it all done. Waiting till the last minute to finish assignments only lead to stress, and this is not intended to be a stressful class. If you take the time to sit down and get the homework done early, you then have time to spend on other homework assignments. Or you could read a book with all that extra time. I recommend "The Little Prince"
ReplyDeleteLaura did a great job informing us of how the course was going to be from the beginning. For me, there were no surprises. Laura was very helpful the whole semester. There really isn't anything I wish I had known. There were times, I wish I had been able to work more ahead. I felt the pressure of the deadlines some times and working ahead would have minimized that. If you miss a week or some assignments, it is really okay. There are so many extra credit opportunities in the class that missing things really do not matter. My advice: do all the extra credit you can, get ahead as soon as possible (that alone will give you extra credit) and do your storybook assignments as early as possible. I enjoyed the class.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent course that truly demonstrates how online learning can be even more effective than in-person classroom learning. My tip for anyone taking this class is to work ahead! This is not only a wonderful opportunity in this class, but a necessity when life throws you the inevitable curve ball - and it will. Work ahead so that when outside problems arise, you will have already finished the assignments, and you handle the rest of life's challenges. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy tip to the new students is work ahead! The first few weeks of the semester have pretty easy assignments. If you do all the work and the extra credit ahead of time you can finish the course almost 3-4 weeks early! There is no reason that everyone can not get an A in this class. I finished the first few weeks ahead of time which gave me some time when the middle of the semester came along to do a few assignments at a time. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteMy tip to new students would be to do all the extra credit from the begining. This helps if you are taking hard classes because you neve know when you will get busy and miss an assignment. Working early is the best idea. This way you can finish the class before dead week and have time to worry about other finals!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely take the time to work ahead if you can. I know it can be challenging to get through two weeks ahead of schedule, but even working a day or two in advance can really make life easier for you!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really great class to take! My tip would be to definitely do the extra credit, like the tech tips and the famous last words blog, etc. They may seem like small points, but in the end they can really add up, and make it so much easier for you to get an A. This class was a lot of fun, and although it does require quite a bit of time, what we do is so interesting that sometimes it didn't even feel like homework at all. Don't slack, and you'll for sure make an A!
ReplyDeleteMy number one piece of advice is to do all of the extra credit that you can. It is such a good way to finish up early with the course, or to plan to skip assignments. I personally opted to skip assignments when I had papers to do in other classes, and still had plenty of points. START THE COURSE EARLY IF YOU CAN! It helped me so much, because I tend to procrastinate.
ReplyDeleteAlso, pick a topic for your storybook that you KNOW you will enjoy writing about, so it will not even seem like work!
My tip for next semester's students is to take advantage of the extra credit early on. I wish I had done this! There are so many opportunities to work ahead in the class so I would suggest that to. It is definitely a class where you can determine your success. She has the class laid out really well and easy to understand. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThe best thing to do for this class is WORK AHEAD! With computer glitches, tests in other classes, and 1001 other things that can go wrong, you never know when you may need a little extra time. Also, make sure you like your storybook topics. You will be spending a lot of time on it, so you might as well enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else said, work ahead as far as you can. If you get a burst of creativity and/or spare time, work ahead on your website, read more of the books, etc. You can easily get tech tips out of the way within the first week, even if you can't turn them in. Honestly, by the end of the semester I was pooped and not wanting to do anything for the class - but since I worked ahead, I didn't really have to. Allow yourself that consideration so that you can focus on other classes or just regain your sanity. And don't be afraid to ask for help! Laura is always willing to answer questions or listen to anything you have to say. Even if she's busy and it takes her a couple of days, she will respond to your emails and be an incredible help. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWorking ahead in this class makes a huge difference. I finished it 3 weeks early by working ahead and I've been able to focus on my other classes and finals.
ReplyDeleteAs for advice, I would recommend taking all the opportunities for extra credit as they come up. This course requires a lot of reading and commenting on the writings of other students. This tends to be fun when the semester begins, but it becomes quite tedious towards the final five weeks. Thus, the extra credit allows you to skip some assignments towards the end.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would recommend giving some serious thought to the actual web design of your storybook. Let the background / font colors, choice of pictures, overall layout, and other features to be an expression of yourself. This process of developing web design skills can be just as rewarding as the experience of sharing your thoughts with others.
This was a great course. I really enjoyed all the readings and the storybook project. It takes a lot of time and work sometimes but you get out of the course exactly what you put into it. My tip would be to do everything early or one time. I knew that I could work ahead but at the end of the semester I realized that I would have been done so much sooner had I worked ahead. Also do your storybook assignments on time because that gives you a lot points so that at the end of the semester you can pick and choose which assignments you do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what others have said about completing all the tech tips at the very beginning, writing down which ones you've done and then just declaring them each week. A lot of them are super helpful and its better to have things like the word count or google docs from the very beginning. I would also suggest that you go ahead and get your storybook done and out of the way if you know what stories you want to tell. Not only will you not have to mess with it at the end of the semester, but you'll get up to 8 bonus points for having it done early each week! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI loved taking the WorldLit and MythFolklore classes online with Professor Gibbs. My suggestion for taking these classes would be to work ahead. It really helps to get things done at the beginning instead of scrabbling at the end of the semester. It's also wonderful to finish the course EARLY!
ReplyDeleteIt really helps in this class if you try to work ahead some. I found this easier to do in the Mythology class than in the Indian Epics class. I really liked just going and doing the assignments week by week but it is definitely a little more stressful. If you can just put aside a few extra hours you can at least get a little ahead. Also, it is important to keep track of your points from the beginning to make sure you reach to cut off for the grade you want. One last thing is that your storybook is going to give you a lot of the points over the semester so it is really important to set aside and do this assignment each week.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else is already suggesting... WORK AHEAD! Take a day that you're feeling really productive and just knock out a couple of weeks assignments all at once. I was really bad about this at the beginning of the semester so I slacked a bit, but once I caught on I liked only having to check the class on the weekends! - OH and pick a good, detailed, interesting topic for your storybook. If you end up with a topic that you thought would be cool, but ends up being lame... it's hard to get motivated to make it work.
ReplyDeleteMy tip to the incoming students is to begin the semester a week ahead. If I had started out the semester a week ahead of my assignments it would have greatly benefited me in the end. There are always those days that you accidentally forget to do an assignment but if you are already a week ahead you won't lose points for those times. So... at the beginning of the semester (week 1), take a couple hours of your free-time and work ahead to week 2. Stay on top of your work!
ReplyDeleteMany people have said much the same thing, but if you get proactive at the beginning of the semester and jump ahead in the class it makes for a stress free experience. I myself stayed about one week ahead and tried to get as many points every week which allowed me to finish up a few weeks early. You need 30 points every week to get an A at the end of the semester, but usually 37 points are available each week. Stay organized and stay ahead in class is the key.
ReplyDeleteThis class is a lot of fun. You get to write a story about anything you want. The teacher gives great feedback that is very useful. Also, it teaches you how to build a website. The biggest plus of the class is you can work ahead and get bonus points for it! I would recommend this class to anyone.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing to do for this class is complete as many assignments as you can as soon as you can. If you start racking up the points from the get-go it will be smooth sailing once your other classes get harder over the semester. Don't hesitate to ask for help or ask questions, Laura is very nice and is always willing to help you! It's a great class, have fun!
ReplyDeleteaside from starting early (which is just about the BEST tip ever!) the best tip I could give would be to take the weekly comments assignment seriously! Students can gain invaluable feedback from YOUR comments. don't be afraid to contribute additional knowledge or give constructive criticism (I stress the word Constructive, don't just tell them if they have made a mistake offer advice!)
ReplyDeleteI think the most important thing that I could tell future students is to work ahead when you can. I know almost everyone says the same thing, but really if you can work ahead one week because your other classes aren't that busy, then do it. It will help you out during a week that you are swamped in your other classes. Also, take advantage of the extra point assignments, these really help out a lot.
ReplyDeleteSince Laura opens this course about a week early you should really get started. The best thing to do in the class is work ahead. She allows you to claim up to 2 weeks worth of points at a time. However, when you have some free time you should start on the readings and stories you can add for the following weeks. The internet and storybook projects are worth the most points, so make sure that you definitely do those. If you choose to work this course one week at a time that is fine, but make sure you set up a routine for your week. The assignments are essentially the same through the week, so that shouldn't be a problem.
ReplyDeleteWork ahead, work ahead, work ahead. If you can get enough points from the beginning, you won't be scrambling for points at the end of the class. That way if you have to miss an assignment later in the course it won't be as big of a deal. Also, do the extra credit. It's not that hard and you can finish the class early. ENJOY!
ReplyDeleteMy number one tip for this class would be to work ahead. If you work ahead not only does the class end sooner but you also get bonus points. My next tip would be to stay ahead. If you stay ahead you don't have to worry about falling behind in the course.
ReplyDeleteTo do well in this course and finish early I suggest doing all the tech tips right off. I also suggest you work diligently on your storybook. The quicker you work on your storybook the less you have to do at the end of the semester. My number one suggestion is WORK AHEAD! By working ahead you finish the semester out early and can focus on other class finals. This is a great and fun class! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThis class was so much fun! When I first started, I saw that we had assignments due the first week of classes and it stressed me out, until I got into it and realized "Wow! These are fun assignments!" The biggest thing I can recommend is to try to get ahead. Try to get some of the extra credit and then later in the semester, when things start to get busier in your other classes and you don't have as much time as you did at the beginning, you can have that extra credit to allow you to make some choices about what assignments you need to complete to get the grade you want. I recommend this class to anyway, I had such a great time! Just let yourself have fun with it!
ReplyDeleteWorking ahead is key. I wanted to help manage my time management, and did so pretty well, but at times when I could have worked one or two weeks ahead I chose not to. That put me in a crunch during some weeks where stuff came up that I had to scramble at the end to make the deadlines. Make sure you take advantage to work at least one week ahead to give yourself a buffer and make things a little less stressful.
ReplyDeleteDo the early bird reading. I did this for weeks before I realized I could get points for it, haha! So pay attention to the way the course assignments are set up and get things done early. You will be glad you did when Finals week rolls around.
ReplyDeleteReally put some effort into thinking about the essay options and storytelling, it can be a great opportunity for introspection and learning. The more you get done, the more relaxing the class will be. And you won't feel rushed in your storybook project.
This is a great class to take for an upper division humanities class. Laura is great at getting back to you through email. It can be slightly overwhelming at the beginning because you learn a lot of things on the internet and how to create your own website. Don't fret! It gets easier and easier and you will get better and better at it. The extra credit points are easy and I definitely suggest doing those. They don't take much time at all and will help out at the end of the semester.
ReplyDeleteMy tip would be to either sit down every sunday night and do the weeeks work or every tuesday, thursday, and sunday to do it. Pick the same time every week and treat it just like a regular class. My second tip would be to realize that you can work ahead and you do not have to do it in order. You can work ahead on your storybook without having to work ahead on the readings and blog posts.
ReplyDeleteThis class is a fun and easy class if you stay on top of it. My number one suggestion is to use the first two weeks and work as far ahead as you can. Also do as many of the extra credit points that you can. It is very helpful if a problem comes up and you can not complete assignments. The hardest thing is falling behind and having to use the grace periods. Good luck and have fun.
ReplyDeleteThis class has a large amount of workload, however, Gibbs gives you the weekend to complete the big assignments. I suggest that you take the first 2 weeks to work ahead as much as possible. One thing I learned is that falling behind sucks because you end up spending 5 hours at once to catch up. Also, I recommend doing the tech tips and any extra credit offered. Trust me, it's worth it in the end and you may just get finish the course 2 weeks early, which is definitely a stress reliever considering the last 2 weeks of the semester is stressful due to the amount of work/studying required in other courses.
ReplyDeleteMy first tip would be pay attention to the advice of Dr. Gibbs. When I started the semester she stressed working ahead. At first I did, but as the semester wore on I quickly fell to a day by day attitude. This does not give you any wiggle room and eventually lead you to stress much more than necessary or even fall behind. So work ahead and make sure to turn in the storybook and internet assignments on time. Enjoy your semester!
ReplyDeleteSchedule time at least twice a week to sit down and do several days worth of assignments. It is very easy to fall behind, so stay ahead! Dr. Gibbs is a great resource for information, so don't be afraid to ask her questions. It's a great class, so take it!
ReplyDeleteHey guys,
ReplyDeleteWork ahead! When the course opens up at the beginning of the semester do weeks 1 and 2 the first week and 3 and 4 the second week so that you are 2 weeks ahead before you get too busy with all of your other classes. Plus that way you will get the two points of extra credit each week for earlybird assignments too!
I would recommend staying at least one week ahead on the assignments. It is easy to fall behind a little. I think I would also try to sit down and complete my storybook all at once so I don't have to worry about it anymore. It is worth so many points but so easy to put off until you're out of time.
ReplyDeleteMy tip for any student taking this class is to work ahead. This course is designed for everyone enrolled to pass. However, it takes time mngt skills to make sure you dont fall behind in the assignments. Laura is a great teacher, who is fair and an easy person to email back and forth. lol! Taken this course has taught me a lot about writing. Make sure you get all of your assignments done on time. NO LAST MINUTE. If you do these things you will for sure pass the course.
ReplyDeleteWhat best tip or bit of advice that I could leave for next semesters students would probably not be any different than what has already been said. This is an amazing class, and working ahead is always the best course of action. My bit of advice would be regarding the storybook.
ReplyDeleteTake time to do a good job on the storybook. It is such a difficult yet enjoyable project that if you take the time to put the work into it to make it worth reading, then it can be something that you can share with others outside of the realm of just this class.
Learning how to create an original storybook that is enjoyable to read AND is fun to look at takes time and work. For anyone that wants to have more creative options for designing your storybook, I recommend using Macromedia's Dreamweaver. Though it is complex, it is not hard to learn. This is my first semester using it, and I was surprised how easy it is to pick up (as long as you take the time to learn it).
So that is my advice. Do good on your storybook, and enjoy creating it, and others will enjoy reading it.
Work ahead! You will save yourself so much grief. Take a couple days early in the semester and do nothing but this class all day. You will be glad you did later!
ReplyDeleteThis class saved my schedule, and ended up being one of the most enjoyable classes to be in. Here at the end of the year I wish I had worked further ahead on my storybook. Between my other classes and labs I don't know if I could have ever got that far ahead on the readings, but I certainly could have knocked out four stories and an introduction earlier. Thinking back on the stress that would have spared me this week leading into finals is frankly pretty tragic. Since the storybook assignments yield nearly a third o your points each week you can also thing of it as taking the pressure of the rest of the semester.
ReplyDeleteThis class was not the easiest but it was probably in my top 5 classes in my four years at OU. Beginning this class, all the assignments seemed overwhelming and I was so close to dropping it, but I decided to stick it out and I am so glad I did! The assignments may seem kind of tedious at first, but by the third week everything becomes a lot easier to keep track of, largely because the assignment are the same every week and there are few surprises. If you are like me, you might not have time to work ahead and the is PERFECTLY OK! It would have been helpful, but I did just fine doing the assignments one day at a time. Sometimes I would do a few days at a time but never did I do a week in advance and I came out better than OK in the end. The storybook is so much fun and the most important thing in this class is to have fun and don't stress!
ReplyDeleteDo as much work as you can at the beginning of the semester. By doing this you can finish the class early and not have to worry about it during the last few weeks of school.
ReplyDeleteI hope I'm not turning in this comment too early! I just want you guys to know that this is a fantastic course- any course by Laura Gibbs is worth your time. You have many options to work ahead. My biggest advice is to do all the extra credit you can from the very beginning- do all of it. Then, later on in the semester, you can let things slide as need be. She's very flexible, very helpful and great about turnaround time.
ReplyDeleteJust make sure you actually do the work and it'll be easy for you to make an A!
One of the tips I would give to new students would be to do all of the tech tips and extra credit that you can at the beginning of the semester. This will allow you do less towards the end of the semester, when your other classes are super busy. I would also recommend that student make absolutely sure that they do a word count and proof read! It is VITAL to receive all of the points! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI definitely think it is smart to sit down and knock out what you can ahead of time- and then stay ahead! I did all of the grammar quizzes the first week, and I loved that it gave me some extra breathing room. But sometimes I felt a little too comfortable, then I was behind again! I think it is important to get ahead and then stay ahead, because sometimes there are things that sneak up and take all of your time throughout the semester. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteMy advise to students who are taking this class is to work ahead as much as possible. It makes the class a lot easier. Also make sure and do all of the extra credit assignments because you learn from them and they are easy points. Good luck and you will have a great time in this class!
ReplyDeleteI am guilty of extreme procrastination. Add in all of the other issues that pop up during the semester and you are left with a bad combination. So, my first piece of advice is to work as far ahead as you can. My second piece of advice is to complete ALL of the extra credit assignments (you'll thank yourself at the end of the semester). Third, work hard on your storybooks! They are worth a lot of points and those points will add up fast. Overall, I would have to say that the Myth-Folklore and Indian Epics courses were two of the best classes I have taken in a college setting. Do those three things and you will thank yourself at the end of the semester!
ReplyDeleteI think the most important thing to remember when starting this class is time management. This course is not similar to other courses. You have work do everyday of the week except for maybe one day. Most courses usually have two exams and a paper/project. I advise people to start out doing the extra credit every week so that towards the middle of November students can work less and focus on other classes. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I think that students will too. My biggest advise if you choose to not work ahead, do extra credit every week. But if you can do both you'll finish the class in October even! :)
ReplyDeleteThis class was a really great class. I loved it and I loved the fact that it was so easy going and you could work ahead and always had grace periods to turn in your assignments. Also there was always extra credit which was awesome!
ReplyDeleteOne tip I would give to new students is defiantly keep up with the reading, get all the tech tips done and just try to work on this in advance... they really don't take that long its just the matter of sitting down and doing it!
I wish that I would have taken advantage of the free time and easy weeks we first had in school to set aside a large block of time to get weeks ahead in this class.
ReplyDeleteDoing as many assignments at once as you can will be helpful too, because by the end of the week you really don't want to do them.
This is a great class to take! I really enjoyed making up stories and exploring my creative. My best advice would be to get things done early. Work ahead!
ReplyDeleteThis class was great! I really enjoyed the fact that you can complete the class on your own time. My advice would be to work ahead on the weekly assignments, as well as the storybook assignments! This is something I wish I would have done from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteThis class was one of my most favorite classes I have taken. It is great and I learned many things I would not learn anywhere else. One thing I wish I would have known at the very beginning of this class was that if ou start early and work ahead you will be a lot more stress free and be able to finish this class a lot earlier. Also, do the extra credit early so you know where you stand with the points you need to have to make the grade you want.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!
My tip for everyone taking this class is to get ahead and STAY ahead. As life and other classes weigh us down, it's easy to dismiss staying ahead. The best thing about staying ahead is the lack of stress involved in having to worry about what you have and haven't done. As finals come around, having stayed ahead will REALLY pay off.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved this class! My tip for future students is to work ahead! I didn't think that this would be absolutely necessary in the beginning but as I progressed later in the semester I realized how valuable it is to work ahead so that you are not doing things at the last minute. Also to have fun with your storybook! It is only as good as you make it! Good Luck to everyone!
ReplyDeleteHello Laura,
ReplyDeleteThere are several tips for next semester students. Make sure you work ahead, if you can't just make sure you have planned out what assignments you must do to get the grade you want. Don't forget that each assignment has a deadline. Read through other people's blogs, it will help you on yours. Set up a separate email folder for all of the class correspondence. That really helped me stay organized. Don't turn in the storybook assignments late because that starts a trend. Laura may not get back to you in time for your next storybook, then that one is also late! Don't discount this class, it really takes a lot of time and effort. If you want an easy A, don't count on it. It's pretty tough, but it was definitely interesting!
Hi! I would recommend working ahead and also keeping in mind how many points you would like to make for the class. If you keep the grading system in mind, it is easy to chose which assignments you would enjoy doing. Good luck. Also, don't stress about the storybooks! I was a bit nervous, but the professor provides a lot of nice feedback. If you aren't used to writing stories this helps a ton!
ReplyDeleteThis class is really fun! You will learn a lot, but you need to stay ahead!!! This is the most important thing for this class! Try to push yourself to get a lot done in the first few weeks of class, and this will keep you ahead for the rest of the semester!
ReplyDeleteAll of the little bonus points add up quickly! So remember to do the Famous Last Words writings and ALL of the Tech Tips! GOOD LUCK!!!
My tip for students enrolled in this class next semester is to work ahead as much as you can. It is easy to fall behind and miss assignments because there are so many of them. It is a good idea at the very beginning of the semester to do all of the tech tips as well as the grammer quizzes. That will give you like 50 extra points in the beginning of the class! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion for next semester's students would be to complete all the small assignments and extra credit through out the course of the semester. They add up and you won't have to do them when studying for your finals.
ReplyDeleteMy tip to the new students is to try and finish the course early. In the first couple of weeks, I really slacked off in the first couple of weeks, and it came back to haunt me at the end. While I was trying to study for finals, I also had to make sure that I did really well in this class to solidify my A. I would also say to read ahead a lot. It definitely helped on the quizzes. Good luck everyone! You are going to love this class!
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion for students is to really take advantage of the weekly extra credit assignments. While they may seem insignificant they make up for lost points and boost your grade in the end. Also, work ahead!! Have fun and best of luck to you! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent course for anyone who loves to read. You have to start everything from the get go and be sure to work ahead. Working ahead will make your life ten times easier. This course is quite demanding when it comes to daily work so the better you get ahead, the easier it will be for you to space your work out. Do not take this course if you are doing a million things at one time like me. It was quite difficult to work over forty hours a week and take 15 hours of school work. You will enjoy this class though because the readings are quite entertaining. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteMy advice to any student taking this class is to work ahead. I'm sure I'm not the only one giving this advice. Also, do the extra-credit assignments early on. It will save time and then if you do get behind in your assignments you won't need to worry so bad. This is a great class to take. You will definitely enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteHi there! This class was very interesting and it was very insightful. The readings are great and reading other people's blogs and storybooks are very helpful. It's fun to be creative and make your own style. Be sure that you work ahead though; it will pay off in the end. Good luck with the class!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great class and it really helps with your grammar and writing skills. Make sure you get an early start on everything, Mrs. Gibbs is giving extra credit for a reason, she wants to help you so make sure you stay on pace. Have fun with the storybook, look at it as a way to enhance your imagination. Most of all get a good head start on everything it makes this class a lot easier and stress free! Best of Luck!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed all the reading assignments they were all very interesting and fun to read. A tip I would give isto try to work ahead even a little helps and when doing your storybook try using Goggle sites its makes it vey easy to put together the story pages. Good luck!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThis class is a class that will teach you a lot. You will learn a lot about yourself, while learning a lot about literature. Make sure to stay on top of things and keep up with the assignments. The storybook is time consuming, but will be an accomplishment in the end.
ReplyDeleteYou will read this several times in this course, but I promise, it is a MUST for this course... START WORKING EARLY AND GET AHEAD!!
ReplyDeleteSeveral times this semester, I underestimated the time it was going to take to complete an assignment. The best way to prevent that would have been to WORK AHEAD!!
Do not assume that since this is an online course, it will be easy because it is not! You will need to read, blog, write stories, and complete assignments every week. None of the assignments are particularly difficult but they do take time and thought. If you do not have the time to put into this class, you will not enjoy it, and are better off not taking it.
Do NOT skim material. This is an online class, you do not have a professor spoon feeding notes to you... therefore reading slowly will be the only way for you to figure stuff out.
This class is fantastic. My advice is to work ahead as much as possible. I am very busy much of the time so I tried to find myself a set schedule each week for when I due each assignment, that way I would never get caught off guard, or forget an assingnment. Good luck and enjoy the class.
ReplyDeleteOf course anyone can just say, keep up with the work and don't let yourself get behind... That's just a given! But my biggest word of advice would be to just talk with Laura. (Yes, I learned from the get-go that with her, it is a first name basis) She is a wonderful teacher and she is so helpful with everything! She will help evaluate and edit your assignments as well as immediately be willing to help you if you are confused or have a problem. So, you're not alone in this course- if you ever need anything, just send Laura an email, she's super cool! :)
ReplyDeleteA few tips to the future students who take this course. One is do the extra credit. Also keep up with all the work. Trust me if you do this it will be much relief come dead week and finals week. Also remember to enjoy the class it really is fun if you give it a chance. Best of luck to all the future students.
ReplyDeleteMy tip to the new students enrolling in either class would be 1. make sure to attempt to do the assignments in advance. It saves you time and gives you time to focus on other coursework. 2. Take advantage of extra credit opportunities. I wish i would have taken that more seriously. 3. Lastly, take advantage of the feedback Professor Gibbs gives. She is well informed on the subject at hand and is readily available to assist student. Most importantly, make sure you have fun. This course requires you think outside of the box and it brings out your inner creativity!!! Good Luck!!
ReplyDeleteMy advice to any student taking this course is work ahead!!! This is a great course with wonderful readings, but there is a lot of work involved, which is expected in an almost 500 level class. That said, keep on top of assigments. It will be beneficial in the long run.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really fun class and you will love it! One tip is to stay on top of your assignments and definitely work ahead. Working ahead will be really rewarding when you have busy schedules with other classes and have exams, etc. Other than that, have fun!
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