Current News
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Aug. 17 - Deadline for registration confirmation
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Aug. 18 - New student orientation begins
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Aug. 25 - First Day of Semester
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Sep 2 - Deadline to drop classes with full refund
Oct. 20 - Spring registration for gate 1 students (18+ credits)
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Oct. 24 - Last day to withdraw from a course
Oct. 27 - Spring registration for gate 2 students (9+ credits)
Nov. 3 - Spring registration for all students
Dec 13 - Graduation (semester ends Dec 11)
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Jan 12 - Spring semester begins (orientation begins Jan. 5)
New Version of Blackboard for Fall 2008
For Fall you will notice some changes to our Blackboard course management system. The changes aren't too monumental, so you won't need to re-learn how to use it. Most significant to the upgrade from version 7.0 to 7.3 are improvements to discussion boards (forums). Also, the visual editor, for creating discussion postings and for faculty to create content, is now compatible with all major browsers, on both PCs and Macs (and Linux too for the adventurous among you). Stay tuned for an email from Larry about changes.
As a result of the editor upgrade we now request that you upgrade your web browser to a current version for best results (the old editor only supported Internet Explorer 6.0, which is very obsolete and problematic for modern web pages and applications). We strongly recommend all students and faculty use either Firefox 3.0, Internet Explorer 7.0 (version 8 is coming soon), or Safari 3. Other browsers may work, but not as reliably.
If you are unsure of your browser information try our new Troubleshooting page. Upon landing on the page a table automatically displays technical information about your web browser and computer (the page is still a work in progress).
Praxis Study Guide Available Online
Students studying for the Praxis II Library Media Specialist exam can now "check out" the official ETS study guide in e-Book form from NetLibrary. If you do not have an MU account you'll need to login to our library's Setup page with your student ID to create an account. We also have additional tips and links on our own unofficial Praxis Study Guide (linked from the Portal, under the Resources tab).
A close look at WebAdvisor for the fall term will reveal new course numbers for the non-core courses.
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The Introductory Seminar has been permanently numbered LSC 5500
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The number for the culminating Seminar has changed to LSC 5564
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Seminar II, which replaced Residency (LSC 5563) until we could officially remove it from the catalog, is now integrated with the new Seminar, LSC 5564. Residency and Seminar II no longer exist.
The Practicum remains the same (LSC 5562)
Note: If you see any references to LSC 5561 or 5563 that information is now outdated.
New Continuous Enrollment Policy
Whether you knew it or not, the university has a policy that all students who drop all of their class work or sit out a semester are automatically withdrawn from the university. This requires students to reapply for admission and lose privileges to the library and WebAdvisor. After much advocating for a better deal, the university is now offering a continuous enrollment option for students who need to take a semester or two off. You will need to contact your adviser, who will enroll you in a special course (ED 5600) that costs nothing and exists merely to allow you to maintain active status. You won't actually show up to class or do any work.
Video Tutorials via Atomic Learning Now Available
To help strengthen technology skills we have subscribed to a web service called Atomic Learning. This resource provides dozens of video tutorials and curriculum materials on a large variety of software products and technical skills. To login enter your 7-digit student ID from the link above. Links are also available from the Portal, under the Help or Resources tabs.
Besides helping all of us learn new software skills, Atomic Learning provides a treasure trove of ideas for projects that integrate technology in your own K-12 curriculum. Check out their Workshops and Lesson Accelerators, tutorials that show how to create classroom technology projects that align with state or NETS-S standards. You can even browse for standards by state. As we stress in the Intro course, regardless of your skill and comfort level with technology you can always learn something new or improve existing skills (or perhaps just learn to work faster or more efficiently).
If you wish to learn some tricks in Microsoft Word, you may also find helpful Larry's series of Video Tutorials. Though based on the older Word 2003, these videos demonstrate various formatting features of Microsoft Word that work in most versions. Part One consists of one 23-minute video on margins and basic formatting, and Part Two (43 minutes) consists of four videos on page setup and layout, section breaks, headings (levels), and tables of contents.
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