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PLEASE read this:

The service learning is not a set amount of hours. I put the 3 hours in as a "bonus" credit - so that for the hours you spend at the HA you can get 3 hours credit toward your 10 hour field work. People are to do service learning to the extent that it is possible for them - there is no set amount of hours expected. There is much need at the HA for homework help, reading help, technology help, etc. People are to be there as they schedules allow to (hopefully) see how service is a part of being prepared to function in a global society - to see how citizenship involves responsibility to others - and to be connected to the community through service others.

1.  for the reading assignment.. when it says read this and do this... is that 
something that needs to be turned in or do we just do it for the 
reading?   The note above the calendar explains the graphic organizers 
in each reading assignment -  you do not send me those.  I included them 
because I believe that we ALWAYS ask students to be ACTIVELY engaged in ANY reading - 
I also want you to know these strategies so that you can readily use them 
with your students.

2.  If I don't come to the HA today will there be plenty of days next week 
for me to come?  Also, just so that I am sure, I need to be at the HA 
for 7 hours and the literacy project counts for 3 making a total of 
the 10 hours assigned...?  Yes, we will going to the HA each week.  
No, you have to be at a public school for 7 hours (minimum) and you are 
not "observing" - you are working with students, doing read alouds, and 
teaching your Lit-Based Instr lesson.  If students had responded when I 
first asked about field then we would likely be there now.  However, I 
got two more requests yesterday to be placed in Bowling Green JHS and 
I don't want to have to call the principal a dozen times adding and 
changing field assignments.  My hope now is that we can start the first 
week in October.  You really need to have your Lit-Based lesson ready or 
almost ready so that you can do your teaching. 

3.  When will the observations begin?  Possibly the first week of Oct. You will
be notified by email.

1.) The Service Learning Project includes the "Literature Across the Curriculum" and "Literature-Based Reading Instruction" which comes from field experience? The service learning project is tied to the QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) at WKU which engages students in community and global projects that provide service to others. I am providing incentive to get students to "branch out" a bit and become involved at the Housing Authority by allowing 3 of the 10 required field hours be done via service learning. You can do the Lit Across Curriculum by way of a participating in a "book club" at the HA. The other assignment you listed needs to be taught at a middle/high school.

2.) The 10-hours of field experience should be completed in a Language Arts or English classroom? The field work at the middle/secondary school needs to be in a classroom within your major field of study.

3.) Within the 10-hours of field experience, we teach one lesson from one of the two books we chose from the literacy list? Yes. One lesson - then you participate in a book club as part of your service learning.

4.) The lesson taught during the 10-hours of field experience, completes the "Literature-Based Reading Instruction" and should be done within the classroom, in front of the whole class? It can be whole class or small group - depends on what you and the teacher you are working with work out.

5.) What exactly is to be done with the "Literature Across the Curriculum?" Do I do this with a whole class, during an after school program, or with one student? This is part of the service learning - in the after school program - will likely be with a small group of students, but might be just one student.

8.) Since I am unable to attend the B.G. Housing Authority, can I complete all field experience and service learning project at the selected school that you had previously okayed? No. You need to find either a housing authority in another area or an adult education program. There will 2 settings for field in this course this semester - one a middle/secondary school and the other as I just listed. All students in this course need to have similar experiences in the service learning aspect of the course.

9.) Is the number of lesson plans to be completed and taught only 1? Yes. I want more teaching and less typing. I believe that the time it would have taken you to have produced a 25+ page document (as was the typical 5-lesson-plan sequence) would be better spent assisting others in a learning situation either at a Housing Authority after school program or an adult education program.

Q: Where do I find the VIRTUAL CLASSROOM (allows us to "meet" electronically, use the whiteboard, chat, etc.

Go to Blackboard - then to Communication - then to Collaboration -- then to Virtual Classroom - from there we can see the same WebPages - draw - type/talk to each other - invite others to join us.

Q. What is my responsibility once I submit a DISCUSSION PROMPT?

You are the CONVERSATION LEADER until time for the next prompt. Log in every day - read what is written - respond - ask questions - suggest resources (books, websites), etc. KEEP the conversation going as much as possible - like you would in a face-to-face setting. Major concepts are investigated and thrashed about in these discussion boards.

Q. Do I use the same topic for my Discussion Board prompt and the Electronic Research?

A: Yes. The purpose is to make you an "expert" on your discussion board topic THROUGH your electronic research and the required reading in your text.

Q: I was also wondering how being responsible for a discussion board is any different than actually participating in one?

A: When it is your turn for your topic, you do the reading and WRITE a prompt for everyone based on that reading (just like I did for the first one ... And the example I put on the syllabus). Then you send the prompt to me - I read it, edit if needed, and post it on the Discussion Board. Then from that time until the next prompt is posted, you are the DISCUSSION LEADER - you log in every day, read all the responses to your prompt, and reply to keep the conversation going. You can share resources based on your prompt - ask more questions - answer questions - make comments, but you keep the discussion going.

When you do decide to participate in other Discussion Boards (you need to participate in 15 OTHER than the one in which you are the Discussion Leader) you read the required reading from our text, read the prompt, read what others have written, respond to the prompt and to others as you see fit.

Q. How do I sign onto Blackboard?

A. Go to this site: https://ecourses.wku.edu/

2) Your username is what comes before the @ sign in your WKU email address. Every WKU student has a WKU email address. You can go here to determine what that address is if you do not know:

http://webmail.wku.edu

3) password: follow directions to set up your password.

4) Click on our course title listed there.

5) Check the Student Tools section for a HANDBOOK that explains all the functions of Blackboard.

Q. How do I change my email address in Blackboard to the one I check EVERY DAY?

A. You much change your email preference in TopNet. Changes in TopNet appear in Blackboard within a few hours of changing the information.

B. You can also go into your WKU email account, click on OPTIONS and have your WKU email forwarded to any other email address.

Q. How to I set up my Student Homepage in Blackboard?

A. Once you have logged onto Blackboard, do the following:

1. Click on STUDENT TOOLS

2. Click on EDIT HOMEPAGE

3. To view your completed homepage, click COMMUNICATION, then click STUDENT PAGES.

5. Follow the instructions on the student demographics page for the information you need to include about yourself on your homepage.

Q. How do I respond to the prompts on the Discussion Board?

A. 1. Click on Communication.

2. Click on Discussion Board.

3. Click on the TITLE of the prompt (i.e., Chapter One) ... the titles are in BLUE.

4. You will see a list of student names who have already responded. Read those.

5. If you want to reply to any particular student(s), click on the TITLE of their response
(on the left side of the screen).

6. If you just want to post your response, click on NEW THREAD.

7. You will see a text box ... type in your response and click SUBMIT.

      NOTE: This is just a word to the wise. Type your response in WORD
     (any word processing program will work for this) and COPY and PASTE it into Blackboard. In the
     unlikely event that Blackboard OR YOUR SERVER goes down WHILE you are composing in Blackboard, you will merely have to copy and paste again instead of COMPOSING it all over again! Make sense?

Q. How do I chat on-line with my Instructor and other students?

A. 1. Log on to Blackboard.

2. Click on "Communication".

3. Click on "Virtual Classroom."

4. Entering Chat: With the Chat Panel tab, you can chat with your instructor and your classmates.

To enter chat:

Step 1: Click the Chat Panel tab.

Step 2: Type a message in the Entry Box.

Step 3: Hit the Enter button on your keyboard.

Asking a Question

With the Questions tab, you can ask the instructor questions.

To ask the instructor a question:

Step 1: Click the Questions tab. The tab panel will now appear.

Step 2: Type your question in the Question Entry Box.

Step 3: Click the Request Private box if you would like only the instructor, not your classmates, to see your question.

Otherwise, everyone in your course will see your question.

Step 4: Click Send to send the question to the instructor.