Introductory Unit

Goal-Setting Activity (20 points)

Goal setting is extremely important in an online course. As Mr. Moore pointed out, your
teacher is not standing over you or collecting assignments each day along the way. It is
important for you to set your own due dates to make progress in your course. Your
teacher has sent you four possible calendars with due dates for each unit in your
course. Now, you need to sit down with the calendars, make some decisions, and set
due dates for individual assignments in your course.
First, decide if you are going to complete your course in 6 weeks, 9 weeks, 12 weeks,
or 18 weeks. Then, look at the target completion date for each unit in your course. Your
pacing calendar includes a suggested number of days for completion of each unit based
on the amount of work required.
Now, click on the Assignments tab and open the Assignment Checklist. Add the unit due
date in the Due Date Column next to each unit name.
Next, open the syllabi for each unit and scan through the assignments. What will you be
expected to read? Articles? Chapters? Short stories? Novels? How much time will this
take YOU? What kind of time do you need to build into your calendar just to complete
reading assignments? What else is expected of you? Scan the assignments and make
some judgment calls on how long YOU will need to complete each one. Can you
complete several assignments in one sitting? Will other assignments take several days?
Do you need time to do research for an assignment? Do you need to submit an
assignment and then wait for feedback from your teacher before proceeding?
Using your Assignment Checklist, add due dates for each assignment to the Due Date
column for each unit assignment. Remember, the assignment due dates cannot exceed
the unit due dates set by your teacher.
Keep in mind that your teacher needs time to grade your coursework before giving you
a test or exam password. It may take 24 hours to obtain a test or exam password from
your teacher.
When you have added all due dates, submit the completed Assignment Checklist to
your teacher. He or she will have insight as to whether you have given yourself too little
time to complete a particular project or assignment and may encourage you to make
some changes.
In the meantime, get started! Once your Assignment Checklist is approved, print it, and
check it daily. This will help you stay on track!

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