Welcome!

Hey there! You found our class blog - or as I like to call it, our interactive textbook!

This is the place where we will share and combine our knowledge throughout the course.  A large part of learning involves working with and discussing new ideas with other people -- THIS is the place to do just that.  Throughout the semester you will be responsible for a variety of posts to the blog.  You will also be able to comment on other students posts and interact with the information you learn in and out of class.

You might be wondering..... WHY? What is the point of the blog?  Why not just use our eCampus website? Or why even do create the blog at all?  

Well, I could give you a million reasons for this assignment, but I will limit it to 4:

1. The blog will help you think deeply about your learning.  As you are asked to post to the blog, you will be able to reflect on what you have learned.  Reflection creates deeper learning.  You will also be teaching others, and the greatest learning comes when you teach someone else a subject.
2. The blog will allow you to take responsibility for your own learning.  I am not in charge of the blog - YOU ARE!  It will be up to you (the entire class) to ensure it stays up to date and to know who is responsible for what, you will have to check the blog regularly.  (More about this in the Blog Organization & Responsibility post)
3. The blog provides a compilation of all the class notes for everyone.  If you miss class you don't have to worry about finding out what you missed - just check the blog.
4. Finally, the blog will be around FOREVER!  That's right - forever!  Unlike your actual textbook (which you will probably sell back at the end of the semester) or the eCampus website for the course (which will be disabled when the course is over), the blog will be here for you to reference for many years to come.  

Contribute to the conversation because this text is only as rich as each of us make it!

To begin, take some time to read the following introduction posts: (You may need to respond to these posts.)

• Blog Organization and Responsibility
• Digital Ethics

I can't wait to see how exciting our interactive textbook will be!!

Blog Organization & Responsibility

BLOG ORGANIZATION

There are 4 types of posts each student will create throughout the semester:

1. Scribe Posts:  These posts are a daily summary of what was discussed in class each day. After each class meeting the 'scribe' will write a brief summary of what was discussed in class.  Be sure to include enough detail so that someone who missed class can catch up on what they missed.  Over the course of the semester the scribe posts will grow into our interactive textbook for the course - written by students for students.  Remember, as you write your scribe post to ask yourself, "Is this good enough for our textbook?  Would a graphic or another example help illustrate this information more clearly?"  On the second day of class I will ask for a volunteer to be our first scribe, after that, the responsibility of who is to be the next scribe is determined by the previous scribe.  Each scribe will end their post by selecting the next class scribe.  I will keep an ongoing post - The Scribe List - up to date with all possible scribes.  Once a student has been a scribe their name will be crossed off the list.  Depending upon class size, all students may or may not get to create a scribe post, and may or may not be asked to be the scribe more than once.  These posts are labeled: Scribe Post.
2. Reflections Posts: One week prior to each exam each student will publish a brief post outlining their reflection of the course information thus far.  What has been interesting?  What has been confusing?  What do you find significant? Each student will be responsible for 4 Reflections posts. These posts are labeled: Reflections.
3. Connections Posts: These posts will allow us to relate the information learned in class to the real world.  Throughout the semester, each student will publish several brief posts explaining a connection they have made between the course information and the real world.  This connection could be to something in their own life - a job, another class, an experience - or it can be a connection to a relevant news event.  Students are encouraged to watch the news, read relevant magazines and newspapers to find connections.  Students are responsible for a minimum of 3 connections posts.  (These posts are not the same as the Article Discussion Assignment in class!)  There is no specific due date for these posts; they must simply be published prior to the last week of the semester.  These posts are labeled: Connections.
4. On My Mind Posts:  Students are free to post anything they would like - information, thoughts, questions - as long as it is related to the class, at any time.  There is no minimum or maximum On My Mind posts for each student. These posts are labeled: On My Mind.

Students may at any time comment on other students posts with thoughts or questions.  It is up to the post author to respond when necessary. 

POST PUBLISHING GUIDELINES

Anytime a student publishes ANYTHING on the blog, you must include exactly three labels:

1. The type of post: Scribe Post, Reflections, Connections,  or On My Mind.
2. The title of the chapter (not the chapter number) the post relates to (all are listed below):
• Business Overview (ch 1)
• Ethics & CSR (ch 2)
• Business Ownership (ch 4)
• Small Business & Franchises (ch 5)
• Management Process (ch 6)
• Flexible Organization (ch 7)
• Attracting Employees (ch 9)
• Motivating Employees (ch 11)
• Customer Relationships (ch 12)
• Pricing Products (ch 13)
• Distribution (ch 14)
• Marketing Communication (ch 15)
• Accounting (ch 17)
3. Your name (first name only)

If you do not label your post properly, you will not receive any credit for it.   

Students are expected to follow all rules of the classroom when publishing.  If it is not appropriate to be said in class, it is not appropriate to be published on this blog.  This goes for all posts and comments.  If I have to remove any of your posts or comments, you will no longer be able to contribute to the blog and will not receive credit for this assignment!  Please keep in mind Digital Ethics!

Digital Ethics

Blogging is a very public activity. Anything that gets posted on the internet stays on the internet FOREVER. Deleting a post simply removes it from the blog it was posted to. Copies of that post may exist scattered all over the internet and can not be removed.  Once you put information out on the internet, it will forever be linked to you.  Here are a few videos that illustrate these points:

There are several guidelines you will be expected to follow when publishing on this blog. (These are guidelines that you should keep in mind for everything you publish online.)

1. You may only use your first name and the first name of other students publishing.  Your blogger name should be set up as your first name only.  (If there is another student with the same name, use a nickname, however, never use your first and last name.)  When you are commenting on other student's posts, be sure to only use their Blogger name.  
2. Do not use a picture of yourself to link to your blogger name.  If you really want a graphic image associated with your posting use a picture of something that represents you, but IS NOT OF YOU.
3. Never EVER give out or record personal information on our blog.  Our blog exists as a public space on the Internet.  Don't share anything that you don't want the world to know.  For your safety, never give out your phone number or home address.  
4. Treat this blogspace as classroom space.  Speech that is inappropriate for class is not appropriate for our blog.  While I encourage you to engage in debate and conversation with other students and bloggers, I also expect that you will conduct yourself in a manner reflective of a reprentative of this school.  Treat everyone with respect.
5. Never link to something you haven't read.  While it isn't your job to police the Internet, when you link to something, you should make sure it is something that you really want to be associated with.  If a link contains material that might be viewed as inappropriate or may make someone uncomfortable, you should probably try a different source.
6. Student should take note of all copyrights that exist on material on the internet.  It is illegal to reprint someone's words, pictures, or music that is protected by copyright.  It is also inappropriate to pass off anyone's thoughts, words, pictures or music as your own - regardless of a specific copyright.  (Students should make use of websites such as Flickr: Creative CommonsJamendo - which gives you access to free pictures and music without worrying about copyright infringements.) and
7. If I have to remove ANY of your posts or comments that are inappropriate or contain copyrighted information, you will no longer be able to contribute to the blog and will not receive credit for any part of this assignment! 

After you have watched the videos and read and understand all the publishing guidelines for this blog, please respond with a comment to this post stating that you agree to the guidelines.

The Scribe List

Once a name has been crossed off, they may not be selected as the next scribe.

Aaron
AdamBlinn
Peru
Ally M.
Danielle
Dee
Drew
Michelle
Justin
Kelsey
Marie
Robert
Ronpph
Sean
Steven
Alexa
Eric
Chris T.
Tim
Courtney