Getting Started

This is a great page to print for future reference. The suggestions given here can be used all year long.

Before you start doing work...

1. Create a folder on your computer where you can save your assignments. If you do not know how to set up new folders on your hard drive, please ask the tech expert in your household or call your teacher.
2. There are two items you will want to always have at your fingertips. Keep a copy of your schedule for the course and a contact sheet for your instructor. These items will answer the most often asked questions, "Where am I supposed to be in the course?" and "How can I reach my teacher?"

The most common mistake of online students is to mismanage their time. When you are working independently, it becomes your responsibility to manage your learning. This is probably a new experience for most of you. Here are some tips for making the most of your time.

1. Make a schedule. This is particularly important if you are involved in a lot of school or extracurricular activities. You can plan that it will take you about five hours per week to do your required assignments. This can be managed in many ways.
2. The ADLC office is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday except statutory holidays. You can phone your teacher during those hours if you need help with the course. If the teacher is not available please leave a detailed message with your name, ADLC Student File Number and your phone number. You can also use email, Skype or instant messaging to ask your teacher for help.
3. Stay focused on the task at hand. Do not search the web, play games, chat with your friends, or watch TV while you are working. All of these activities may make it seem as if you are "working" on your computer, but in actuality you will not be getting anywhere in the course.

You probably were never aware of the "order of things" in your classroom. Since your teacher was doing the "guiding," you may not have realized that reviewing the homework came before a new lesson for a reason. There are ways to maximize your learning. Here are some tips:

1. Seek opportunities to use what you are learning by listening to Spanish online radio or watching your favourite video in Spanish. Talk to Spanish speaking people in your community or at your school.
2. Look at your reviewed work. Most work, particularly those with a low grade will have comments on how to make it better. Contact the teacher who corrected your work if you have any questions about your mark.
3. Look at your schedule and decide which lesson you want to complete during your work time. Go to the lesson. Call your teacher if you are not understanding it.
4. Once a week, you should check your marks. This will help you organize your completion of assignments. You should never take a test or move on in the course until you have completed all the assignments in the unit.
5. Self assessment activities are a vital part of the learning process. If you make yourself actually do them before you check your answers, learning and retention are enhanced.