Hey folks! So, here’s where you can ask questions and find answers. If you have a question for me directly, just use this form (also at the bottom of this page).
You’ll also find a ton of resources on this page to help you through this experience. I will do my best to provide as much help as possible directly, but know that there is also a lot of really valuable and useful information on this page as well. I will be updating this throughout the quarter whenever it’s helpful.
General Course Questions
- Will the course be conducted during the scheduled time?
- Will there be office hours? How will they work?
- How will class participation be factored in?
- What technologies will we be using for the course and why?
- What should I do if I have other questions?
Resources for Technology
Resources for Studenting
Resources for Humaning
- UCSB Student Wellbeing
- Resource Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity
- Student Health
- Counseling and Psychological Services
Getting Going on Google
Everyone who is enrolled in the course will or should have received an invitation to be added to our respective Shared Class Folders on Google Drive.
Once you accept the invitation, you should then create a new folder in our shared class folder. If you aren’t familiar with this already… once you are in the Shared Class Folder, do the following:
This folder is where you’ll be doing the majority of your work and writing for this course.
Once you have the folder created, open it and create a new document. This is a similar process to adding the folder, but here are the more detailed directions:
An important note I want to emphasize, though, is to do what you can to ensure your documents and folders are clearly titled/labeled. This will make it so much easier in the long run, for you, your classmates, and me.
Using Zoom
Fortunately, Zoom is extremely easy and user friendly. However, as we all know, sometimes internets can be difficult and unpredictable, so as long as we are all patient with one another and have a sense of humor about things, we should all be fine here. (This is especially the case in our situation because I don’t think we’ll ever have a circumstance where more than 4 or 5 people are trying to hold a Zoom meeting.)
You can also find support directly through Zoom by going here: Zoom Help Center. We will primarily be using Zoom just to have conversations and collaborate, so there’s no real need to know all of the features from the get-go.
Will the course be conducted during the scheduled time?
The simple answer to this is: yes.
*Note: you cannot be enrolled in another class that happens at the same time as our class.
Will there be office hours? How will they work?
So, the short answer here is: yes. I will be holding scheduled office hours weekly in my office and via Zoom on Thursdays from 12:00-1:30pm. If that time doesn’t work for you or if you’d like to meet in person, please don’t hesitate to reach out and we’ll schedule another time to chat.
I cannot tell you how much I value conversations about writing. I find them extremely productive and engaging. I will do my best to make these happen in ways comfortable for everyone… Along these lines, you will also be scheduling individual chats with me throughout the quarter (this will be reflected on the course schedule accordingly).
How will class participation be factored in?
As you’ll see on the syllabus and schedule posted on the course website, we’ll be using Google Drive and Google Docs for the majority of the work you’ll be doing in this course. This, in addition to regular small group sessions and the subsequent “participation journals,” will all factor into your class participation.
What technologies will we be using for the course and why?
So, as you might imagine, this is a big question for educators across the nation. Let’s just say… a whole lot of us are thinking about this and doing our best to make good decisions. Taking everything into account, here’s how I plan to approach this class and why:
- Google Drive/Google Docs
- I find that the collaborative options that it offers are extremely helpful when it comes to writing, especially with regard to group work and peer response, but it also has additional benefits: you don’t need to worry about saving anything, you won’t need to worry about submitting anything, and it is extremely user friendly. Similar to how I have approached courses in the past (for several years now, actually), we are using a class “Shared Drive” (in which each of you have an individual folder to complete your work).
- Zoom
- So, this has definitely been a “new” addition to my typical pedagogy, and I think the reason for it is pretty straightforward: I believe that what can be gained from talking about our writing is invaluable. I also think that collaborating can open up new ideas and having a conversation about those ideas can be generative, engaging, and fun, and any way we can make that more accessible for everyone is a good way to go. So, with all of this in mind, I find that holding conferences and office hours via Zoom to be a great option.
What should I do if I have questions?
- Please know that you are welcome to email me (esaur@writing.ucsb.edu) at any point throughout the quarter, regardless of the time or day.
- You can also used the form below to reach out to me directly.
- Typically, I will get back to you within 24 hours (if not sooner). If you don’t hear back from me within 24 hours, please follow up. (I mean this.) This is my standard policy, and I think it applies even more so now, given how many emails we will all be getting over the next few months.