Course Expectations
Estimated Time: 15 minutes
Using Technology
This course will require you to complete a lot of reading and writing, and there are now a lot of tools that you can use to support you in refining your skills.
Discussions: Padlet
To create a Padlet account:
- Go to https://padlet.com/auth/signup and Sign Up for a Padlet account using your Kibo School email address.
- Since you have already created a Kibo School Google Account, you can click "Sign Up with Google" and follow the instructions to link your Padlet account to your Google account. This will mean that you don't have to create a new username and password for the Padlet account.
Word Processing: Google Docs
From previous assignments that Kibo students have turned in, it is evident that you are currently using a variety of tools when creating your written assignments (e.g. Notes, Notion). However, for C4S you should use Google Docs when completing all of your writing assignments because it contains a lot of useful tools that will improve your writing process. If you don't have experience using Google Docs, you can watch the video below to learn about its key features and how to get started quickly.
📺 Watch the following video on how to use Google Docs.
🛠Here is a link to a longer, more detail Google Docs tutorial.
Speech-to-Text: Google Docs Voice Typing
If you usually have trouble getting started with writing, a helpful technique is to turn the thoughts in your mind into concrete words on a page by just saying them aloud using a speech-to-text tool. One of the benefits of using Google Docs is that it has a built-in speech-to-text tool.
You can supercharge this process by creating questions that you want your writing to answer and then use the voice typing tool to interview yourself in order to capture your thoughts to these questions down in written word. This can be an excellent way to kick-start your writing, if you tend to suffer from writer's block. You can learn more about how to use Google Doc Voice Typing by watching the video below.
📺 Watch the following video on how to use voice typing in Google Docs.
Google Docs Grammar and Spelling Checker
It is important to use a spelling and grammar checker when writing because it can help you catch typos and grammatical errors and will improve the overall quality of your writing. Spelling and grammar mistakes can be distracting for readers and can make your writing seem careless or unprofessional. A spelling and grammar checker can help you identify and correct these mistakes, improving the clarity and credibility of your writing. In addition, using a spelling and grammar checker can help you improve your own language skills. By highlighting errors and suggesting corrections, a spelling and grammar checker can help you learn from your mistakes so that you can become a better writer.
📺 Watch the following video on how to use the spelling and grammar checker in Google Docs.
AI Writing Assistants: Grammarly, Wordtune, Quilbot, etc.
There are now a number of AI-powered tools that you can use to help with rewriting your sentences for clarity and impact. These work by reading the sentences that you have written and suggesting re-writes to improve how your message is conveyed, which you have to review and decide on whether to accept or not. These tools are a powerful support to improve your writing, but they can't write for you. Nor should you just accept all their suggestions without thoroughly evaluating them. Most of these tools will only allow you to access their full features if you pay. However, they all provide some sort of limited free version.
Note: You should only be using these tools to improve the quality of your own writing. Copying the writing of others and passing it off as your own is called plagiarism, and this is a violation of the Kibo Student Code of Conduct and will result in disciplinary action.
All of your submissions will be checked using a plagiarism tool that will be able to compare your work to writing found online. If you want to incorporate the writing of others into your work, be sure to quote, paraphrase, and cite your sources appropriately to avoid any plagiarism issues.
AI Writing Assistant: Hemmingway Editor
Hemmingway Editor is like the other writing assistant tools mentioned above, however, it is specifically useful for re-writing long, complex hard to read sentences into clear and bold sentences. It has a free online text editor that allows you to check a limited number of words at one time.
Plagiarism Checker: Plagium
If you want to check your writing for plagiarism before you submit, there are a number of free tools like Plagium that will allow you to check a limited number of words to determine how similar your work is to writing that can be found online.
Text-to-Speech
A text-to-speech app is a useful tool when working to improve your writing. The most obvious use for this tool is to allow you to "read" a large amount of text. However, there is a secondary use for such a tool that is actually more powerful. Text-to-speech apps are useful when proofreading your writing because it is often easier to hear the mistakes in your text than to see them. Sometimes when we read, we are not actually reading, but instead remembering what we think the text says. Therefore, it can be hard to catch typos. However, when we listen to our writing, we are processing the words in a new way, and typos are far easier to identify.
There are a number of text-to-speech tools that have Chrome browser extensions. Two good ones that I have used in the past are:
Attendance and Engagement Policies
Please make sure you have reviewed all the Kibo Academic Policies that are found in the Catalog.
The general Kibo attendance and engagement policy is as follows:
Students are expected to remain academically engaged in all classes. The requirement for satisfactory academic engagement is to submit all assigned work by the published due date.
You will be deemed academically disengaged in a class if you have an assignment that is 7 or more days late. Academic disengagement carries with it a number of possible penalties, including and up to dismissal from Kibo.
In addition to meeting the requirements for academic engagement, students are expected to actively participate in learning activities. Learning at Kibo involves a variety of experiences including:
-
Attending scheduled sessions (e.g., live class or office hours) where there is opportunity for interaction with the instructor and/or peers
-
Submitting academic assignments, quizzes, or projects
-
Taking exams, or engaging in online tutorials and instruction
-
Attending a study group that is assigned by the instructor
-
Participating in an online discussion about academic matters
-
Initiating contact with an instructor to ask a question about the class
You should inform your instructor if personal emergencies arise that prevent satisfactory academic engagement. If you are ill for more than a week and/or expect to not remain academically engaged due to personal, family, or other emergency, you should also contact your advisor and the Dean.
**For this course specifically, you are expected to engage in the online discussion and reflection questions and activities that are embedded throughout the online lessons. You are also expected to attend the weekly 90-minute live class. If you are unable to attend the live class, you are required to notify the instructor at least 24 hours in advance of the live class that you will be missing and watch the recording of the live class that you have missed and submit your class participation reflection.
If you have any questions, please be sure to post them in the #help-c4s channel in Discord, and the instructor will be able to answer your question there.
Academic Integrity
This course is run in accordance with Kibo School's Academic Honesty and Integrity Policy, which can also be found in the Catalog. We have a zero tolerance policy towards all forms of academic misconduct, including cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication. If you are found to be in breach of the Academic Honesty and Integrity Policy in any of the assignments that you submit, you will be subject to disciplinary action.
Note that assisting another student in the violation of this policy also constitutes a violation of academic integrity (e.g. letting someone copy your assignment counts as a violation for both the person that copied the work and the original owner of the copied work).
Communication Expectations
The most effective way to communicate with the instructor for this course is through posting a message in the #help-c4s channel in Discord. All questions posted there will receive a response within 24 hours.
All course announcements from the instructor will also be posted to the pinned announcement in the #help-c4s channel in Discord.