BIO 109 ANNOUNCEMENTS
(in reverse chronological order)

Jan 24, 2007

• My Office Hours are Wed 1-4pm in 419-024 (first floor Science Building).  If you need help with WebCT, come by or call 714-992-7095. 

Oops, I forgot to post this information earlier.  If you want to do activity two -- the deadline will be next Wed.

Activity Two : Genetic and Biotechnology Career Exploration

• Are you interested in a job or career in this field someday?  Where would you go to find information about training and jobs?

1. Search the internet for a job in the field of genetics, biotechnology, bioinformatics, or related field.  Copy the ad (including job description, education requirement, job skills required, agency/company and contact information).  Include the specific web address link to the job ad.
2. Find a professional agency (hopefully, in your region) that provides science students career resources. List some of the services that they provide (career info, workshops, etc.)  The agency can be a head-hunting group or association of professional geneticists (or related).
3. Find a course that teaches lab skills needed for working in the genetics, molecular biology, biotechnology field.  Include the college name, adddress, and web address of the course information page.

Jan 21, 2007

• I hope everyone had a chance to go into WebCT course server and explore all of the links and buttons this first week. 
•  
• The first couple of lecture topics (Chemistry and Cells) can be read from any general biology textbook or the online Biology textbook.  So don't panic if your book has not arrived yet. 
•  
• Activity 1:  Student Learning Styles and Introductions will be open until Wed, in case people had trouble getting into WebCT last week.   I am impressed - your class has followed directions well so far.
•  

A few reminders:

1.  YOUR EMAIL -- If you will not be coming into WebCT everyday, go to "message options"  and have your WebCT emails forwarded to your regular email address.   If I know that WebCT has having problems, then I try to write you at your regular email address (which you should have already sent me).
   
   
2. MY EMAIL --  It is helpful if you have a specific title on your email subject line, in case I ever need to go back to a previous question.  If I do not return your email question within 1 day (except on weekends), then write me again at jowu109@cox.net. 
   
    
3. QUIZZES -- All of the quizzes for Unit 1 are due by Feb 11, Sunday night.  But it is best to follow the course calendar and try to do one chapter per week, instead of waiting to do everything the last weekend.  Also make time to learn from your mistakes on the first quiz attempt. 
    
4. ACTIVITIES -- You only need to choose to do 7 activities from the entire course.  Each Monday a new activity is available for that week only.  You can browse through the "Puzzles and Activities" link, and choose which activities you want to do.  Reserve as early as possible for the Forensics tour.
   
    
5. WEBCHAT -- You can always contact me by email, which I try to answer each evening.  On Monday nights 8-10 pm, you can chat with me ("drjowu") on AOL Instant Messenger.  If East Coast folks need a different time, let me know.  There is also a Chat function on WebCT - so a group of you can make your own times to get online to chat/ study together (I do not need to be at these chat sessions, just use any of the available chat rooms).

Textbook on Library Reserve

• My office hours are Wed 1-4 pm in my office 419-024 (first floor science building 400).
• There are two sixth edition textbooks at the Library Reserve desk for 7-day loan. I do not have extra copies of the seventh edition text. You should be fine using the 6th edition --- just know that there are some quizzes taken directly from the publisher testbank in the later chaptters, so there may be a few questions that are specific to the new edition. Seventh edition has updates on stem cells, genetic technology, testing, comparative genomics.
• You can use any general biology textbook to learn about the early lecture topics of basic chemistry, cell structure, mitosis and meiosis.
• This week everyone should browse through the Bio 109 course on WebCT and do the first activity - Learnng Styles and post your Student Introduction (photo is optional).

Jan 15, 2007:  Welcome to Bio 109 online!

• Hope you explore WebCT today and get comfortable with the course server. If you want hands-on help, come to my office 419-024 Mon 11am-1pm and Wed 11am-noon (Science building, first floor, right hall, first door on left).
• If you have not taken an online course before, try to plan a certain time to work on this class on a very regular basis and keep to that routine! This week's activity is to take the Learning Styles Survey and then write a paragraph about yourself in the Student Introductions Discussion Forum.
• On the course calendar, you will notice that each unit covers 4 weeks. I strongly suggest that you do the chapter readings, puzzles and quizzes during the specific weeks indicated on the Course Calendar. But if you look at the individual Quiz deadlines, you really have 4 weeks to work on that material.
• Just make sure you keep track of the Quiz deadlines!! There will be no make up quizzes. Since you have two chances at a quiz, I suggest that you take one quiz attempt earlier than the last due date (just in case something happens to your computer/connection). Or know how to get to a backup computer (friend's house, school computer labs, college or public libraries, internet cafe...)
• I usually only release one unit at a time (which is why the lectures and quizzes of the later units are not available yet).
• The Email on the WebCT server is where I will send class announcements and keep track of your homework submissions. I try to combine answers to several student questions into one email announcement. If you do not plan to enter WebCT everyday, then I would highly recommend that you have your WebCT email forwarded to the email account that you do check
  daily.
• Hope to hear from you soon! Remember that first WebCT email should include your regular email address and phone number. If you are out of state or country, please indicate.