You should now be registered and have full access to the MATC blackboard entry point for this class. When you log on to blackboard, you will be asked for a student ID and password. Use the blackboard help feature if you are experiencing problems.
Once logged on, you will see an icon for this class somewhere on the screen. Look around and get a feeling of the layout. Please look over the appropriate syllabus carefully. If you look toward the bottom of the syllabus, you will find links to the on-line class material that you will have to read. Make sure you can access these pages! Also try to access the blackboard "Course Documents", "Assignments" and "Unit Research Topics" folders to ensure that you have access to "restricted" folders.
Make sure you can access your MATC email. You
address looks something like this: xxxxxxx@matc.edu ...
procedures are given
here. . Please check your email often. Note: There is
even a
procedure that allows you to forward your
MATC email to another email account.
If I email you, it will be to your MATC mail account so it is very important that you have this set up properly.
Once set up, you should try sending yourself an email as a test.
Read the syllabus. It is in the folder marked Syllabus. Make sure you understand everything in it. Much of the information in the syllabus is repeated below.
In Blackboard you will see a welcome folder (you already found it if you are reading this). I made a video that covers many of the things you should know to get a good start on the class. Please watch this video.
Because scammers have created "ghost students" to defraud financial aid, I need to make sure YOU are real. You MUST verify yourself using a simple check-in with a valid picture ID. All the details are in the welcome folder you found to be reading this. I'm very sorry you have this additional layer of security but it is absolutely necessary to deter these crooks. Trust me, it is not a picnic for me either. I will not give any credit for any work you do until I know you are real.
In the same welcome folder you will find an initial survey. Please copy and paste those questions (and answers) into an email addressed to natsci225@gmail.com with the subject Phys 225 Survey. You even get 5 bonus points for doing this, but only after I know you are real. This is also mandatory. I will not give any credit for any work until I receive that survey.
Introduce yourself in the discussion board. You even get 5 bonus points for doing this, but only after I know you are not Casper the friendly ghost student.
Contact me anytime you have any questions about procedures
or content. My cell number is in the syllabus for calls or texts.
Please use natsci225@gmail which I use
just for this class. I check that email daily. If you message me
in Blackboard, it go to my office email which I check much less often.
Although I have taught Astronomy (225) for many, many years in the traditional classroom setting, I only taught this class online for a year before retiring in 2006. I have been pressed back into action due to the sudden death of my predecessor, Bob Hackenberg, in 2014. My hope is that I will be able to help you learn the required material as well as any student taking the course in the traditional setting. I am very familiar with Blackboard.
Teaching and learning on-line presents unique challenges. So much of my experience in teaching in a classroom setting (since 1976 at MATC) has to be "re-tooled". I've taken several classes on-line and I find it quite a different experience from traditional classes. The biggest factor in on-line learning, I believe, is that the student has to be highly self motivated. You have to take the initiative and keep yourself on a rigorous schedule. You have the advantage of flexibility and the ability to learn when you are in the mood. What I feel you will miss are the several in-class demonstrations I use to drive home a point and my corny jokes (maybe you are better off without them).
I plan to run this class in a "self paced" manner. That is, you will not be required to take the tests at a precise time but within a generous range of dates that should extend from highly motivated "eager beaver" students, but also to accommodate students who run into personal emergencies. Please check out the dates set in the daily schedule in blackboard. Please do not rely on the due dates listed in Blackboard. Blackboard does not understand the difference between "suggested time" and time I put in place to account for personal emergencies.
Below is a list of suggested completion dates for the reading material:
The summer session lasts only 8 weeks, the spring/fall sessions last 16 weeks as well as "late start" 12 week sections.
I've broken this class down into 5 units. For summer secessions, each unit should take about 10 days to complete. For spring/fall sessions, plan on taking approximately three weeks to complete a unit. The 12 week "late start" sections require about 2 weeks to complete each unit. See the "daily schedule" in Blackboard for suggested dates you should be taking each unit test.
Test 1 The sky and coordinate systems, Ancient History of Astronomy
Test 2 Modern History of Astronomy, planetary motion and models, gravity
Test 3 Orbital properties of the moon, Laws of Physics, Tools of
Astronomers, Probes
Test 4 The Solar System
Test 5 Stars, Galaxies and the Evolution of the Universe
My web pages- During most of 2004, I took the initiative to
place all my lecture notes on-line. I did a major overhaul on these
notes in 2014 and now update the material as needed. These
handouts will contain some grammatical errors, links that may go bad, and even
look unprofessional compared to material offered by a publisher, but
they contain all the information you will need to do well in this class and
the best part ... they are FREE.
You will need to access my study guides as a starting point. Links can be found at the bottom of the syllabus as well as in blackboard's course documents folder.
Required Videos - NOVA - Origins
Each student must watch the NOVA miniseries - Origins. It consists of 4, one hour tapes (or DVD). Each video has a study guide associated with it. You can find details in the Assignments folder of blackboard. Each video is worth a maximum of 25 points. Therefore, this series is worth a total of 100 points.
Additional Activities
In addition, each student is required to earn an additional 100 points by learning the basic functions of ANY virtual sky (planetarium) program. I suggest you learn Stellarium (it's free) unless you have already learned a different program. Look in the "Assignments" folder for details. It also will help reinforce many of the concepts you will be learning in this first unit. Note: Please learn the Stellarium software early to earn an "Early Bird Special" Details are in the announcements folder.
Research Topics
Each student is required to earn 100 points answering assorted research topics. For each unit, there is an associated list of topics that go deeper into the unit material. Students should choose ONE topic from a long list of possible areas to research. Please look in the Unit Research Topics folder in Blackboard for complete details. Please get your first drafts in well before the due date so you have ample time to fix any errors. Pay close attention to the due dates because once I post the answers, I can not accept any late work.
Extra Credit Option:
You can earn 40 bonus points in this class by completing additional activities . See the Assignments folder of blackboard for details