©2010-2011 Red Wagon Tutorials
Marine
Biology
Course
Agreement
2010-2011
School Year
Mr.
Rosenoff’s Class
Thank you for your interest in this Cleo’s
Classroom Marine Biology class. I am
excited about the new school year for two reasons: (1) our class will be live-feed Internet.
Unlike some Internet courses which require you to send in assignments which I
grade and then return, you and I will be communicating directly with each other
on at least a weekly basis. This
arrangement gives us greater opportunity to interact and learn from each other
because we will be together for ninety minutes each week; (2) our curriculum
will be challenging and exhilarating.
Sixteen major topics will be covered during the course of this
year. These units are all outlined in
the book Exploring Creation with Marine Biology, by Sherri Seligson, which
will also be our classroom text. As a
former medical and industrial research scientist, you can be certain I will
bring a depth of knowledge to the topics we will study together. I am eager to share my experience with you in
an educational capacity.
In order to start out with a firm
understanding of my expectations for this class, I would ask that you please
review the following requirements with your student:
1. Students entering marine biology
should be concurrently enrolled in or have
completed Algebra I prior to the start of the academic year. (Success in biology at this level and math
ability goes hand-in-hand, according to research.)
2. Incoming marine biology students
should have mastered the introductory concepts covered in a pre-college biology
course, including basic laboratory procedures and experiment report
writing. (Please see Exploring
Creation with Biology, 2nd Edition, by Dr. Jay Wile, for guidance as to
basic curriculum covered in these courses.)
3.
Students are expected to have a basic understanding of document citation
and have the ability to produce a two to three page laboratory experiment report
following a standardized documentation style I will provide.
4. Students or their parents should
have basic computer literacy, including knowledge of how to download files,
load web pages, open and create e-mail attachments in WordPad format, and how
to copy from a WordPad document and paste to a website template. (These are not skills I teach in class.)
5.
The text we will be using for our course, as stated earlier, is Exploring Creation with Marine Biology, by Sherri Seligson. You are also required to purchase the
textbook Solutions
Manual.
The textbook and manual or a complete CD-ROM version of the text and
other support materials are available through Apologia Educational Ministries,
www.apologia.com
at a reduced cost to you once your tuition is paid. The text is divided
into 16 modules. Unless otherwise noted
in the Marine Biology Course Schedule, (1) a parent-graded module study guide;
(2) a paper and ink informal report (following an informal format I will
provide) for each module experiment; and (3) an instructor-graded online module
test MUST be
completed for each module. Each student will also produce a formal lab report each
quarter following a formal report format that I will provide. There will also be
an instructor-graded semester exam given at the end of 1st and 2nd
semesters. I will also require that the
student maintain a penciled lab notebook of all lab experiment work completed:
I will post a list of the required experiments to be completed for each
semester. Remember - in general, these
assignments MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE DUE DATES LISTED in the course schedule
which I will post online.
6. Students
must complete the module test and the semester exam and post their formal
experiment report ONLINE on the course website.
Parents MUST post their parent notebook report on the Student Portal
site also. Completing this assignment
submission process provides the student/parent with a receipt for the
assignment which is time stamped and gives me a computer-stored copy to look
back on. There
is a link for posting each one of these assignments available on the site. Please note: I
require that you word process (WordPad, Times New Roman, 12 font) and spell
check the formal experiment report prior to its being posted to the Student
Portal site. I will provide you with a Steps to Success handout which will
detail the best method to accomplish all the assignment work once class begins
in September.
7. Laboratory work is an important
endeavor in your child’s overall grade and education and should be completed to
continue on to chemistry. A microscope is required for this course. Please, be sure to be diligent in completing
(Those of you living and working
overseas have special need regarding completion of laboratory work. Please feel free to contact me on an
individual basis so that I can help with any concerns you may have.)
8. Students should be disciplined
enough to submit required work on time.
As per stated policy, I will deduct 10% per day from the score received
on the assignment on all late work (including the parent notebook report), unless the lateness results from
personal illness, family emergency, or computer problem of a non-reoccurring
nature. In these instances, I will grant
full points. A schedule for the course,
providing due dates for all assignments for the entire year, will be posted
before the start of the academic year.
(If you are leaving on vacation or some other personal choice holiday,
please adjust your study schedule to submit the assigned work before
leaving. I will always accept an
assignment early. I am available during
my office hours to help you complete assignments before the due date, when and
if necessary, during the school year.)
All class assignments are due by 6:00
PM, Eastern Time, on the date indicated in the Schedule I will post.
(The Student Portal time stamp on your work is the final authority on
whether something is submitted on time or not.)
NOTE:
9. In order to begin class immediately,
students are expected to be signed on to their computers at the class start
time with materials ready. Technology is
often a fickle thing. Many students have
to log in several times to get a decent connection. Try to log into class five
minutes early to avoid being late. (This also provides the
student time to chat with classmates prior to the start of our session.) Those students who are habitually tardy for
no valid reason will be referred to the school administrator.
(Those of you living and working
overseas have special problems regarding absences and tardiness. Please feel free to contact me on an
individual basis so that I can help with your needs.)
10. Students are expected to come to
class prepared every day, which means all assigned reading, exercises, and labs
have been completed.
The following rules and procedures have
been established to create an environment conducive to learning:
a. Be Prepared -- have assignments finished
prior to class.
b. Be Prompt -- turn in all work on the date it
is due.
c. Be Respectful -- to yourself, other
students, and your tutor.
d. Be Involved -- daily participation is
required.
Those students who follow the rules
stated above will receive positive reinforcement through the use of
participation points. These points will
be given, at my discretion, to students who are organized, complete work on
time and to the best of their ability, and have behaved in an appropriate
manner.
11.
Daily participation in class is also required. Students are expected to ask questions,
participate in discussions, and generate and share ideas. Often participation is the deciding factor
when figuring grades (an ‘A’ vs. an ‘A-’ or perhaps a ‘D’ vs. an ‘F’). You need to do more than show up to class and
complete your assignments to succeed -- you need to be an active participant in
your education.
(Please note: I cannot and will not, in
good conscience, pass a student who does not participate in his or her
education.)
12.
The following grade scale will be used for the course:
A 93 - 100% C+ 77 - 79% F
59% and below
A- 90 -
92% C 73 - 76%
B+ 87 - 89% C- 70 - 72%
B 83 - 86% D+ 67 - 69%
B- 80 - 82% D 60 - 66%
The two, typewritten, formal,
laboratory write-up (one required each quarter) and the parent notebook report
detailing completion of all required experiment work comprise 25% of the
student’s semester grade, seven module tests each semester make up and an
additional 50% of the student’s grade, and the end of semester exam comprises
25% of the total score for each semester.
A perpetual grade report for each
semester for every student is available on the password protected course web
site for viewing at anytime during the school year.
If you have further questions regarding
course requirements, my e-mail address is rwt1@comcast.net.
Please
feel free to contact me on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday afternoons between
Looking forward to seeing you in
September.
God Bless,
Steve Rosenoff
Marine Biology Instructor
Cleo’s Classroom
