Indiana University East

Hello Everyone!

I just finished putting the schedule of online classes for Summer and Fall 2010 on the IU Everywhere page! You can view the schedule at the link below:

http://www.iue.edu/everywhere/courses.php

There are a couple brand new online courses for Summer that sound very interesting and I wanted to draw your attention to them. They are both Nursing classes that are open to all IU East students; not just nursing students.

One is NURS Z492 (11209): Women’s Health: Celebrating Wisdom and Power that will be offered during the first six week session of Summer semester.

The second is NURS Z492 (13726): Food: An American Indulgence that is being offered during the second six week session.  This course will examine food consumption and the food industry in the United States in the 21st Century and will employ a variety of online activities such as gaming, web surfing, and discussions to give students the ability to critically analyze the food industry and why Americans eat like they do.

As I am fan of nutrition, physical fitness, and wellness; both of these classes  sound extremely interesting to me. Our health and wellbeing is something that I believe we all need to take responsibility for.

Those are just two of the courses being offered online during the Summer. We are offering almost 90 others! During Fall we are offering over 100! There are several other new courses on the schedule and many, many very interesting ones we’ve offered before. I’d encourage each of you to take a look at the schedule and contact either myself or you academic advisor if you have any questions.

Until next time, Good Luck in all you do!

Tom

Hello All!

I hope each and every one of you is excited about beginning a new semester at Indiana University East. I know that I am! The first few weeks of classes can be overwhelming with getting used to a new class schedule, buying books, and meeting new instructors. This is true both for in person and online classes.

If you have read my updates in the past, you will know that having good time management and being self-disciplined are essential qualities of successful distance learners. The first weeks of class will be when you lay the foundation of these qualities for the rest of the semester. During the first week of class, you should have received the syllabus and schedule for the course. These may be the most important documents you will ever receive in an online course because they contain the due dates for all of your assignments and the dates for quizzes and tests. They will be your roadmap for the class. Since you will not be meeting weekly in a classroom, you not have someone constantly reminding you of these dates. The responsibility is yours!

In the online classes that I have taken in the past, a simple strategy has allowed me to manage the schedule of the class and also be proactive about due dates. I purchased an inexpensive weekly planner (one that you can lay open and see an entire week on the two pages that are open). When I got the schedule for the course that I was taking, I immediately wrote in all the assignments, and the quizzes and tests, in red ink on the dates that they were due. I then went through the planner and made a note one week prior to the due date about assignment or test. For example, if there was an exam scheduled for February 27, I noted that on February 20. This I wrote in blue ink and then highlighted to make sure it got my attention. I kept this planner, open to the current week, next to my computer for the duration of the class. In this way, every time that I got on my computer I had a visual reminder of the important dates for that week and also reminded of the assignments that were approaching for the following week.

You may choose to use my system of scheduling for the course, or come up with one of your own, but the important thing is to have a system in place for keeping yourself on schedule in the class. If you do this the first week of class, as soon as you have you syllabus and schedule, you will have laid a solid foundation for managing your course for the rest of the semester.

Tom

I’m wishing everyone good luck on their final exams for Fall semester. I don’t know about you but it seems like this semester has flown by! I also wish everyone a joyous, restful, and safe Holiday season.

Just a reminder that there is still plenty of time to register for classes for the Spring. Please let me or your academic advisor know if you have any questions or need assistance in choosing or registering for classes. The Spring schedule of online classes is available here.

As always, Good Luck in everything you do!

Good afternoon everyone!

For those of you currently enrolled for the Fall semester, I hope your classes are going well and that you’ve successfully completed your midterm exams. Please remember that if you are having any difficulties there is still time to discuss these with your instructor and finish your semester on a strong note.

Priority registration for the Spring 2010 semester began yesterday (November 2) for current students. Open registration for all students will begin on November 6 and will run through the first week of classes in January. Please see the following link http://www.iue.edu/everywhere/courses.php for a listing of online offerings. As a note, online courses typically fill up quicker than traditional on campus classes so be sure to register for online classes as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about online classes your are considering taking, please discuss these with your academic advisor or feel free to contact me. Have a great day!

Tom

I thought I would take some time today to address an issue that both students and instructors often raise when talking about online classes; communication. Specifically, written communication. Since most communication in an online class occurs through the written word (email, chat, discussion forums) it is very important that your writing is clear, concise, and professional. Following the simple suggestions below will help to make your online class more enjoyable for you, your instructor, and your classmates.

In a traditional on campus class, if you answer a question posed in class, there is chance for immediate follow-up and additional questioning so that you can better express the points you wish to make so that all in class understand. This is not quite as easy in an online class. However an advantage that online classes offer is the ability to think about and refine your response to a question before submitting it. Always take the time to consider your responses before posting them and even have someone read over what you intend to post so that your meaning is clear. Also, be sure you are offering an original point of view and not simply repeating someone else’s.

Students in online classes also need to be considerate of other particiapants in the class. Often times their classmates and instructors will need to read everyone else’s responses in addition to their own. They will appreciate your ability to make your point in a concise manner. Remember: quality over quantity. Finally, online students must be sure that their writing follows the rules of civility that you would expect to be followed in the classroom. Online communication provides a certain amount of anonymity that sometimes emboldens people to say things they wouldn’t normally say to a person’s face. Instructors and your classmates will not look kindly to name calling and personal attacks. If you think there’s a chance someone will be offended then reconsider making the comment. Also, remember that once you put something in writing there’s a record of what you said for better or worse.

Wow, I just looked and it’s hard to believe that I have not posted in over a month. My apologies, but the Summer has flown by and the interest in IU Everywhere online programs specifically, and IU East in general, has been amazing this Summer. More students than ever before have chosen IU East for their online learning needs. This is just a reminder that classes begin on Monday August 31st and you should login to Oncourse on that day to begin your courses.

As always, if you have any problems or need assistance, please feel free to contact me. I’ll be providing more updates and helpful hints throughout the semester.

Tom

I’m writing to wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July weekend. Can you believe that Summer’s half over already!? I know I can’t. Even though Summer is half over, you still have time to enroll in a class this Summer if you wish. Summer II classes begin on Monday July 6th and will go until August 17th. Please let me know if you are interested in any of these courses or if you have any other questions regarding distance education.

Once again, have a great holiday weekend!

Exciting News!

Please see the header at the top of this page for the new name for IU East’s online programs; IUEverywhere. It reflects the reality that you can get a great IU East education just about everywhere as evidenced by having students in 20 different states enrolled in our online classes during the Spring semester.

First of all, I can’t believe how time has gotten away from me the last month or so. We’ve been very busy here at IU East as evidenced by the 30% enrollment growth for Summer I over the same semester last year. In addition, we’re working to add a new University College Office which will make the experience for our new incoming freshmen this Fall a springboard for succees throughout their college career. I am enjoying my work with helping to find the best people to staff this office to provide students the best possible experience here at IU East.

I also have been exploring all the new social media tools that our campus is using to stay in touch with all of our students. We have sites on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. Each of these provide an avenue to stay in touch with students outside of traditional email, phone, and in-person conversations. Keep a look out in the future for me and IUEverywhere on these sites!

Finally, please keep in mind that Summer II semester begins on July 6th and there is still time to register. We are offering several online classes during this six-week session and it can be good way to get a course or two checked off your degree requirements. Please contact me or your academic advisor for more information on Summer II courses.

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to take a little time to remind everyone about registration for Summer and Fall 2009 classes and also to talk about something that I think is really important for everyone to remember…don’t forget to take time for yourself!

First, I just wanted to remind everyone that Summer and Fall registration is ongoing for all classes at IU East. I just talked to a professor who told me his online class for Summer is already full. There are still many classes with open spots remaining but this example just goes to illustrate that the early bird does get the worm; especially when it comes to registering for online classes. Please contact me if you have any questions about how online learning may benefit you.

Now, the part about taking time for yourself. I think this especially beneficial for online learners who struggle balancing many of life’s challenges already. You must take time to recharge your own batteries to be the best student, worker, parent (whatever life role you want to add to the list). As an employee of IU East, I was fortunate to be able to enroll in a personal health and fitness course here (E219). In taking this course and doing the required assignments, not only did I become healthier physically, but I realized just how how much I needed to take some time just for myself separate from my other life roles. It’s not selfish, to say your need an hour here or there to do something you enjoy. You’ll come back to your studies, job, or children more energized if you do. I think that’s something that’s worth remembering for everyone. Have some fun!