Accessing the Course Web Site(s)

Connect to Create (C2C)

We will be using a new program called Connect to Create (C2C) and to access it you first enter your portal account and BlackBoard.  I recommend the latest version of Firefox.  You may have Internet Explorer on your computer - that is OK too.  You can have more than one browser on your computer.  I also like using SeaMonkey as it has a built-in web editor. Once you have logged into your ISP (Internet Service Provider), start up your web browser and type in http://portal.utoronto.ca
There is a link to C2C on your BlackBoard course navigational menu on the left when you open CTL1799. If you have bookmarked (or put in favourites) the course information site, the links you need for the course are there. (http://astralsite.com/1799) When you arrive at the C2C site, you have entered into the main conferencing area.

We do NOT have to all be in C2C at the same time - this is not a chat room. If you have any trouble getting into it, please send me an email at selia.karsten@utoronto.ca right away in case your name has not been entered correctly. I will check it out and reply as soon as possible.

When you get in to the course site, you will find a few of the discussion forums (topics or headings) are already set up.

WELCOME - This forum is to introduce each participant. I ask that each of you post a note there telling about yourself. It is helpful to know what brings you to this course, for example, if you are teaching, what subjects and what age groups. What is your focus at OISE? Is this your first online course? What experience do you bring related to holistic concepts and/or using computer technology?  You will all be sending me the answers to a survey so that I can help you to better reach your objectives and as a warmup to this Introduction View. Remember that the information you share will be helpful in determining learning partnerships and teams. You are also asked to upload a small digital picture of yourself or at least, an image that you wish to be identified with. It is also important that you check to make sure I have the correct information on the Class Chart. We need to know where you are located this summer to determine your time zone for chats.

If you have questions, please ask!  Anyone in class can answer. More advanced users are requested to please act as mentors to those new to technology. You'll note that each member of the class has the level of expertise and what platform (MAC or PC) by their name in the class chart.

Other Forums:
There are also Forums for discussions of the readings and for commenting on the weekly discussion topics. You are not required to comment on EVERY single posting - one thoughtful response to each topic is minimum though you may want to get more involved in those topics that you are particularly interested in. It is important to keep up as the volume of postings can be quite overwhelming if you are not vigilent. Note where you have unread messages. As you read messages, note the posting number, name of author and subject line for postings you plan to respond to later. The forums for this summer may vary slightly from last summer as I update and change the assignments.

Top of Page

The course uses the BlackBoard Learning Management system. A few of the course activities will be done with this system so that you can become familiar with the way it works.  For this, as well as the C2C access, you will need to have a utor account - normally this is part of your registration process. If you have an active utor account you can easily log in to your course with your user name and password. Also it makes it easy to send email to individual class members as well as to teams.  Please go to this page - http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ec/getting_access.php to read about Getting Connected.  Here you will find information on OISENet, the T card and on your utor ID and Blackboard.

Step-by-step instructions to create a UTORid to access Blackboard are available
                                        at: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ec/academic_computing/bb_get_started.php

PDF Files - From time to time during the course, you go to specific sites on the Web or do some exploring for sites. I may also post some files for you to look at and read.  Some files may be in a format called PDF. If you are an Ontario teacher and have visited the Ministry of Education site for curriculum or other documents, you are likely familiar with this format. These files cannot be read by regular word processors and you need a PDF file reader. This program is called an Adobe Reader and is available free of charge in many places (including the Ministry site I believe). If you do not have the Adobe reader and wish to get it, you can also go to Adobe Reader on the web and download it free of charge.

Chat - In this course, it is necessary to be able to "chat" in real time, synchronously. This can be a challenge if you and your learning partner or memebers of your team live in another time zone.  With careful planning, you can schedule your chats so all can participate as needed. In order to use the chat program in C2C (one has been promised for this summer), instructions will be given. You may also use the tool called Type With Me. http://typewithme.com  - if you do use this tool, please let us know the link.

Web 2.0 Resources
We will be exploring Web 2.0 tools and social networking programs such as Facebook - http://astralsite.com/1799/web2.0.html

Top of Page

You will be taking part in sub-conferences in the Holistech2011 Conference set up in BlackBoard.

Sub-Conferences have been created for the following topics:

Cafe - this is for our informal use and can be used to visit with each other, talk about things that are not course related.  It's a place where we can be informal and kick back and talk about anything we would like (usual rules of propriety of course).
Tech Stuff - this is where questions and answers related to computer technology will go, monitored by coach/mentors - those with more advanced skills.
Tips - this is where ideas for doing things can be posted by "those in the know"
Resources - this is for sharing URLs for useful sites or for downloading software or links to helpful articles. you are required to post at least one resource to this subconference giving an annotation as to why this resource is useful.