Class Orientation

Class Hours.  This class meets only twice a week.  One absence trans-lates into 2 1/2 hours of class time being missed; therefore, please schedule doctors' appointments and other prescheduled appointments on other days/times just as you would if you had a paid job on these two days.  Please be in your seat ready to begin at 12:10 p.m.

Preparation for Class.  Assignments are due at the end of each class meeting.  You will be able to complete all production assignments (preparation of letters, memos, tables, reports, etc.) by the end of the class period if you come to class on time and if you are prepared.  "Being prepared" means knowing beforehand (before coming to class)  what it is you must accomplish (the assignments themselves) and how to accomplish the work (knowing how to use your computer software--in this case, Word 2007 and the GDP skill building program--to do the work).  Please refer to the class assignment sheet and Homework Review Sheet to determine class activities.  Students should do the review activities in the Microsoft Word 2007 Manual before coming to class so that all assignments can be completed on time during class.  All word processing documents are due at the end of each class meeting; no late assignments will be accepted. If you encounter difficulties with any of the Word features, please see your instructor immediately at the beginning of class (or during her office hours), and I will be happy to give you further explanation.  Doing so assures that you know precisely how to use the Word features required for each assignment. 

Demonstrations.  Your instructor will frequently demonstrate during class time how to use Word features to create desired formatting (e.g., how to create a  résumé using the table feature) and how to use various Word features to best advantage (using keyboard shortcuts in lieu of pointing and clicking with the mouse) to increase productivity.  Watching and participating in these demonstrations should help you to work quickly and efficiently in Word.  Keyboarding technique demonstrations will be done early in the semester in small groups of five or fewer students to help you improve your keyboarding speed and accuracy.

Class Folders.  Each student will be given an individual class folder containing an assignment sheet.  The folder is the property of the CAOT Department and should never be removed from the class room.  It will be available for student use during class time only to submit  completed assignments to your instructor for grading.  Daily assignments will be completed during class time, and printouts should be submitted at the end of the class period.  Assignments will be graded and returned at the beginning of the next class period.  Please verify that grades for returned assignments have been recorded on the assignment sheet in your folder; if not, please bring the graded printout to your instructor immediately.  All graded, returned work should be kept at home and disposed of only after completion of this course.

Grading of Production Assignments.  Error-free documents (in terms of both content and formatting) will receive an "A" grade because they are considered to be "mailable" as submitted on the first attempt.  A document containing one very minor error, but still of "mailable" quality, will receive a "B" grade.  A document with one serious error or more (typographical or formatting errors) which render the document "unmailable" will receive a temporary grade of "Unmailable."  The student is given a second try at  making the document mailable by editing the document (not recreating it) and making all needed corrections outside of class time as homework and submitted at the beginning of the next class meeting).  If all necessary corrections have been made and the document is considered "mailable," the "unmailable" grade is replaced with a grade of "C."  (The unmailable is considered an "F," and the "mailable" redo considered an "A," which averages to a "C" grade.)  The ideal situation, of course, is to achieve "mailability" on the first attempt for an "A" grade.  Assignments are graded according to "mailability" because this is the standard applied in business offices. 

Redo's of Unmailables.  If you should receive a grade of "unmailable" on a production assignment, read all the markings on the paper so that you understand the corrections needed.  Remove the document from your class folder and place it in your own folder (the one you were asked to provide as a supply item for this course) to take home with you.  On your computer at home or after class in one of our computer labs, open your original file and edit it, making the necessary changes.  Be sure to proofread the entire document carefully in addition to doing a spell check before printing the edited document.  Place the new printout on top of the old "unmailable" and staple the two sheets together in the upper left corner. Neatly label the top printout with your name and the name of the textbook assignment on the lower left corner.  There is no class time available to redo old assignments; your class time is valuable and your full attention should be devoted to the new assignments for the day. 

Submitting Redo's of Unmailables.  Redo's of unmailables are due at the beginning of the next class meeting before 12:15 p.m. When you arrive in class, quickly retrieve your class folder from the desk nearest the door as you enter the classroom.  Go to your seat and study the graded production assignments being returned to you.  Verify that your grades were recorded by your instructor onto the assignment sheet in your folder before removing the printouts from your folder.  This is the time to place all redo's of unmailables from the previous class into your folder.  Hand the folder to your instructor before 12:15 p.m.  If all corrections have been made and the document is of mailable quality, a "C" grade will be recorded for that assignment.  Redo's will not be accepted anytime thereafter, and the temporary grade of "unmailable" becomes an "F" grade on your assignment sheet.  On the rare occasion when you are absent, redo's of unmailables will be accepted before 12:15 p.m. on the day you return.     

Skillbuilding Assignments.  All typing exercises and drills that develop faster and accurate keyboarding are considered skill building assignments.  These assignments are done in the GDP program.  "Language arts" (punctuation, grammar, and word usage) exercises are also considered a part of skill building because they enhance one's ability to recognize and correct errors while keying documents.  The GDP program maintains a student's record (portfolio) of all exercises completed in GDP.  At the end of the second class meeting of the week (every Thursday),  students should print their individual portfolios (for only the skill building lessons done that week) and submit the printouts in their folders for instructor review.