Creating Collaborative Communities - Week 6

I hereby resolve to:

• Create a syllabus quiz/scavenger hunt to make sure students read it
• Keep course due dates out of the content to make it easier to update for next semester
• Establish a file name protocol for student submissionsI am not really good at following instructions, so I actually included 3 Ah-Ha moments.

I have always struggled with a way get the students to actually read the syllabus. After reading Lehmann and Chamberlin, as well of the online version of “Time Management Tips for Online Teachers” I realized that as with anything, the only way to get students to do things is to “count” them. The only way to ensure that students read the syllabus is to create some sort of assessment, like a quiz or scavenger hunt.

Another thing I have struggled with is making sure the entire course is up to date with things like due dates. Having to change them in multiple places is a pain. It never occurred to me to keep them just in one place!

A third thing that I have struggled with is telling my students a specific naming protocol. I always just told them “make sure it has your name in the file name.” I realize now that I have to be much more specific. I intend to add naming conventions to my syllabi in the future so I no longer have a drop box full of “Untitled Documents.”