Michael Fournier

I've found that I'm most effective in all aspects of my life when I block off time for specific tasks -- doing so allows me to complete many tasks a day. This semester's ground schedule isn't conducive to doing so, so I've been having a tough time achieving balance -- my writing and exercising have been suffering the most, unfortunately, as they get juggled to the bottom of my list in favor of school obligations. Next semester promises to be better. Does anyone else find the blocking schedule effective?

Does anyone else incorporate process into their grading rubrics? I do so to emphasize the work required to write multiple paper drafts.

While its the students' responsibility to engage in connections, the playing field, so to speak, is not always even -- non-traditional students, for example, don't always feel as comfortable engaging in discussions as their younger counterparts because of their unfamiliarity with computer chat rooms. So, any help we can give to connect students socially is appreciated.

I do think so -- the online environment makes these issues more pressing because of the distance.

Different students have different needs, so it's vital that instructors be able to wear all four pair of shoes: *Instructor. Some students are fully capable and have no questions, and are thus just looking for straightforward instruction. *Social director. Some students are in the online environment to meet people and make connections, so we should be available to facilitate such activity. *Program personnel. It's out job to provide feedback in a timely fashion, and *Technical overseer. Students must feel comfortable with the technology we use to facilitate classes.