Ning upgrade. Since there were not any assignments due on Monday, I'm guessing people may not have noticed that the Ning site was up and down for a software upgrade. Based on the information that Ning has supplied, it sounds like the software upgrade should now be complete. If you have any trouble logging on to the Ning on Tuesday, let me know! (There is a long list of small changes that they have made to the software, but I don't think you'll notice anything in particular that's different from before.)
Week 15: Last week of class! Yes, this is the last week of class and there are a few things that are different about this week because it is the last week of class. There are no "Early Bird" extra credit points this week because there are no Week 16 assignments for you to turn in early. Likewise, you need to get your Week 15 Storybook assignment turned in on time - which means, at the very latest, by Monday at noon. There is no partial credit available for late Week 15 Storybook assignments. So, for those of you who have been in the habit of turning in your Storybook late, keep that in mind this week!
Tips for next semester's students. I've created a simple blog - Online Course Lady - where you can leave a comment at the blog (including anonymous comments. if you prefer). The idea is that you can share some tips and tricks with next semester's students. So, think about what you WISH you had known in starting out the semester, so that the students in Spring can benefit from your experience! I'll share this blog with them at the start of the next semester... and thanks in advance for your input there!
Storybook stack. I've been working through the assignments with a focus on those people whose Storybook assignment points will allow them to finish up the class - so if you find yourself in that situation, let me know and I'll move your assignment(s) up to the top of the stack. If you turned in your assignment on or before Sunday at 10PM, you should have comments back from me; if you turned something in later than 10PM on Sunday or on Monday, your assignment is probably still in the stack. You can check the contents of the stack to make sure I have received your assignment.
December 9: Webster's Minerva. Today, December 9, is the anniversary of the founding of the very first daily newspaper in America in the year 1793. The paper was called the American Minerva, and it was edited by Noah Webster... and yes, this is the same Webster who published "Webster's Dictionary" - that is, the American Dictionary of the English Language which was first published in 1828. You can read more about Noah Webster in this Wikipedia article, and below you can see a stamp issued in Noah Webster's honor:
