HISTORY V111
Section 001
Dr. Powers
Fall, 2008
COURSE MATERIALS AVAILABLE
THROUGH COMPUTERS
Aside from the textbooks, most of
the essential course material usually provided in workbooks and handouts is
provided through computers. If you don't know how to use a computer, you'll
need to learn the basics right away. This guide is intended to inform you just
what materials are out there, and then to provide basic information on how to
get them. If you've already been here at least one semester, you shouldn't even
need the second part. If you need more than this guide, see me.
I.
THE H:\TPOWERS\HIST111\SECTION 001 FOLDER
ON THE LAB SERVER
Each networked computer in the USC
Sumter main computer lab is connected to a directory on a server (in addition
to those on the individual computer's hard drive and on any external sources
such as floppy disks and CD's). That directory is designated as the "H
drive." In that folder is a
subdirectory named TPOWERS. Under that folder is another folder named HIST111.
Beneath that is a folder called "Section 001" Using "My
Computer," "Windows Explorer," or a word processor (WORD is the
standard word processor on the lab computers) or any file management system you
prefer, go to HIST111 (please be sure you go to “Section 001,” and not “Section
801.” Which is for another class) and here's what you should find:
TPOWERS\HIST111\SECTION001
ADMIN folder, containing documents of an
administrative nature. (These are in WORD format.)
GUIDES folder contains guides to writing abstracts,
writing evaluations, interpreting grade marks on papers, etc. (These are in
WORD format)
HANDOUTS folder, containing course materials which
supplement textbooks, lectures, etc. Most of these are WordPerfect 5.1 or 6.1
files.
OUTLINES folder, containing nothing at the beginning
of the semester. We'll be developing outlines for the course as we go along,
and copies will be posted here.
FILELIST ("List of Computer Files") is a
computer file (in the ADMIN folder) which lists each file on the server, the
folder in which it appears, a brief description, and the point in the course at
which you need to read it.
Sometimes, in WORD, it's difficult to get to the H:\
drive, because it doesn't appear to come up when you do a "File,
Open." What probably WILL appear is a line saying "Labs on 'USC
Sumter\home\… [H:]" The screen may cut off the last part of the line, not
permitting the reference to the H:\ drive to appear. If you can't find a way to
the H:\ drive, look for that line.
There's one more thing to be careful about when
you're accessing the server: The standard word processor on the computers in
the USC Sumter main computer lab is Microsoft WORD 2007. I have converted many
of the HIST 111 files to WORD format, but there are many more which remain in
the format in which they were originally written, usually WordPerfect 5.1. The
WordPerfect 5.1 files carry a non-standard extender rather than one which
identifies them as WordPerfect files. (For example, most handouts contain the
extender .HO rather than a program-specific one like .DOC or .WP5.) For this
reason, WORD and other Windows-based word processors may not display these
files when you do a "File, Open" command. When you go looking for any
HIST 111 files, please be sure that your word processor is set to show ALL
files, and not just WORD files or those of your own word processor.
For this same reason, you cannot launch some of
these files from "My Computer" or "Windows Explorer."
Double-clicking on them, if they appear at all in those windows, will not
normally invoke the proper application to open them. If you're trying to open
and read a file, it's best to do so through a word processor.
Since these files are in several formats, please be
sure that the word processor you're using can handle them. WORD, the program on
the lab computers, can translate any of them, but WORD sometimes has a problem
translating certain characters, lining up columns, and handling certain codes.
This should not make any files unreadable, but you may find that fonts, formats,
margins, symbols, etc. do not always convert properly. If this results in your
being unable to use a file, please contact me, or see any of the people in the
Computer Services Division. If you download these files to a disk and take them
to use on another computer, please be sure that the other word processor can
read the files. Almost any modern program can convert WordPerfect 5.1 files.
Most Windows-based programs should be able to handle WordPerfect 6.0 or 6.1
files (which can be identified with ".wpd" at the end of the file
name.) WORD can convert files to a number of formats. Just set the "Save
As Type" box on the "File, Save As…" screen to the program you
need. See me if you have any question about what any of this means.
Remember that if you're going to use the computers
in the Main Lab, you'll need to bring a 3.5" floppy disk or a pen drive
(or “flash drive” or “USB drive” or whatever) with you and insert it in the
computer. You'll also need to have your USC Sumter I.D. card with you, or you
won't be permitted to use the lab computers.
If you have any problems getting to any files, or if
you still need a quick lesson on how to turn on the computer, load a word
processor, and read, copy, or print files, just let me know.
II.
THE WEB PAGE
I've got a World Wide Web page for
my courses. The URL is:
http://www.uscsumter.edu/~tpowers/
Once you're there, just follow the
links to “Courses for Fall, 2008, and from there to History 111-001. Again, be
sure you go to the proper HIST 111 course. This is section 001, not Section
801.
Don't ignore the other materials of
a general nature on the entry page. The readings aren't long, but you might
find some of them very useful. The essay on plagiarism, for example, is there.
The web page is organized just like
the server, with the same files under the same categories. Be aware that the
process of converting text documents to a format usable by web pages sometimes
affects the structure of the document. Those on the web page may not look like
those on the server. You'll still be able to read everything, but the format
may be different. The best formats are in the documents on the server, but that
probably won't make any real difference.
There's something on the web page that's not on the
server, in addition to the articles of general interest referred to above.
There's a page called "
I will be making selective use of the BLACKBOARD site for
this course. Most of what can be done in BLACKBOARD can be done through the
website or server, but as many students are now accustomed to BLACKBOARD, or
will need to become accustomed to it, I’m going to use some of its features. I
do not at this time plan on using BLACKBOARD for everything, but I will use it
for providing you with course information and materials and generating the
class e-mail list.
To get into BLACKBOARD in the first place, you’ll need
your userid and password. These are the same as those you use to get into your University
E-Mail account. If you don’t have them, there’s a guide on how to get them in
the following section. Once you have them, goto http://blackboard.sc.edu or just go to the
USC Sumter home page (http://www.uscsumter.edu),
go to the bottom of the page, and click on “Blackboard.” At the BLACKBOARD
welcome page, click on “Login.” Enter your userid and password where indicated
on the login screen, and click “login” or hit the <enter> key. This
should bring you to your personal BLACKBOARD welcome page. Find the list of
courses you’re enrolled in, and click on HIST 111.
The BLACKBOARD site is organized differently from the
server or the website.
·
To get to
materials stored under ADMIN and GUIDES on the server and website, click on
“Course Information” on BLACKBOARD.
·
To get to
materials stored under HANDOUTS, OUTLINES, and
I
will post grades on BLACKBOARD for your information, but will not use
BLACKBOARD’s gradebook to compute them. In part, this is because BLACKBOARD
cannot now accommodate a grading system such as mine, in which, for example,
you have six homework assignments, but only the highest four grades count
toward your final grade. Thus, you’ll be able to see what you’ve earned so far,
but nothing will be calculated.
E-mail is another thing. See the next section.
I will be using the course e-mail
list which BLACKBOARD generates automatically.
UNLESS YOU GO IN AND CHANGE IT, BLACKBOARD
AUTOMATICALLY SENDS ALL E-MAIL TO YOUR UNIVERSITY E-MAIL ACCOUNT! Check that
account daily, or change your address in BLACKBOARD so that the e-mail will be
forwarded to an address you use regularly. I often send out class information
on e-mail, so it’s important that you check it.
To change your BLACKBOARD e-mail address, just go
into BLACKBOARD, then click on TOOLS, then on “Personal Information,” then on
“Edit Personal Information.” Just below your name will be a box for your e-mail
address. Remove the address that’s in there (unless that’s the one you want to
use) and enter your preferred one.
In case you’re new, or for some
other reason didn’t know, USC provides all registered students with web-based
e-mail accounts. This is University E-Mail. The class mailing list which
BLACKBOARD constructs automatically uses your University E-Mail address, unless
you set it otherwise as mentioned above. The University E-Mail accounts need to
be activated before they can be used. Here's how you do that:
1. If you don't know your PIN,
go by the Office of Records and Registration in the
2. Get on the internet and go
to USC's VIP page (http://vip.sc.edu).
Enter your USC I.D. number (usually your Social Security number without the
dashes, but that’s beginning to change as USC tries to get away from using
Social Security numbers as ID numbers) and your PIN as required. (If you used
your initial PIN to get in here, the first thing the system should do will be
to make you change your PIN.) Click on the "Technology" tab. From
there, you should be able to retrieve your user identification number (userid)
and password. If you already know your userid and password, skip to the next
step.
3.
Go to http://webmail.sc.edu. Enter your userid and password and
follow the instructions for activating your account. Take a few minutes to
become accustomed to the way the system works, so you'll know how to read or
send mail.
My address is tpowers@uscsumter.edu.