TOPIC 1:  CONTACTING YOUR INSTRUCTOR

It is your responsibility to contact me before or during the first week of classes and to provide me with information on how to contact you.  You may contact me in the following ways:

1.        E-mail your instructor – Get into your e-mail account.  (If you do not currently have an e-mail account, you can get one free at Yahoo.com or Hotmail.com.  You may also use the college's e-mail facility, but this account will close after the semester ends.)  My e-mail address is:  lemasterson@swtjc.edu.  Other Online instructors can be contacted using the e-mail addresses posted on the Online Instruction web page .  In the Subject area you must include your name and the name of the course you are enrolled in.  For example:  Subject:  Abe Lincoln – ITSC 1301.  Using this format will allow my mail filter to recognize you and I will not have to sift through all of the messages to find your e-mail.  If you do not use this format in the subject line, the e-mail can either be sent back so you can try again or the filter might delete the e-mail without it having been opened.  Including your name in the subject line is important because some of you have e-mail addresses that do not identify you as the sender.  I will not know who curly@yahoo.com is.

2.        Call your instructor  You can use the number of the SWTJC office closest to you (Uvalde 830-278-4401, Eagle Pass 830-758-4100, Del Rio 830-775-1612).  Ask the operator to connect you to my extension (1573) or ask for me by name.  My full phone number is 830-703-1573.  If I am not in my office, you may leave a voice message.  When leaving a message please speak SLOWLY.  State your name, the name of the course you are enrolled in, give a phone number where you can be contacted, and indicate when it is best to call you back.  For example: My name is George Washington enrolled in Introduction to Computers.  My number is 830-555-1212.  Please call before 10:00am or call between 3:00pm and 11:00pm.

3.        Use Moodle – You can contact me through Moodle's Student Instructor Communication.

Here is a list of questions that you need to answer in your initial contact e-mail message that will help me respond to your questions better and allow me to get to know you.

a).        What is your name [the one you go by]?

b).        What is your mailing address?

c).        What is your e-mail address?

d).        What are your phone numbers?  Provide numbers that you would like me to use:  home, work, cell.

e).        Which SWTJC campus do you live/work closest to?

f).         How many class hours are you taking this semester?

g).        How many hours do you work each week?

h).        What is your major?

i).         Are you taking any other Online Instruction courses this semester?  If so, which one(s)?

j).         Have you taken any other Online Instruction courses before?  If so, which one(s)?

k).        What word processing program do you use?  [Most people use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, or Word Perfect]

l).         What Internet browser do you use?  [Most people use Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator]

m).       How would you describe your computer skills:  expert, pretty good, not so good, or beginner?

End of Topic 1.

Continue to Topic 2

Orientation Overview             Topic 2:  Email Basics and Netiquette

SWTJC's Moodle Home Page                             SWTJC's Home Page

Revised August 2011