1) Your name online must be your actual first and last name in order to be admitted to any online meetings. If you sign up for an account ahead of time you can change your name permanently so that your name is correct every time you login. It is preferred that your last name be first in the online classroom software to minimize attendance errors.
2) Your camera must be on and your teacher must be able to see your face (do not aim your camera at a window, ceiling fan or bright light. You should be looking at the strongest light source in the room to illuminate your face while providing the least distracting image).
3) Be ready to enter the waiting room before the scheduled class time. If you know you are going to be late or you are having trouble logging in please e-mail your teacher immediately, if possible, so that they know you are trying to log in but are having technical issues. E-mail provides a time stamp for your message and can be taken into account when determining your tardiness.
4) Put away all other electronic devices and stay focused and engaged while the instructor or other students are speaking (cell phones/gaming consoles/etc.).
5) Be sure to be set up in a quiet area of your house away from pets, siblings, loud parents, distractions if at all possible. Set yourself up for success and be ready to focus. Do everything you can to ensure you can use your mic without the class hearing other people in your home.
6) Be prepared to answer using your mic if you are called on. You must be present with your camera on unless your teacher indicates otherwise. If you are called upon when your camera is off and you do not respond it will be concluded that you are not there and you may be docked for time with our attendance clerk. You will be given breaks and time to work on your own and you may be instructed during this time that it is OK to turn off your camera if you choose but you will always be given a time to turn your camera back on and you must be present to receive full credit for the class period.
7) Be Dressed - no PJ's/observe dress code including no hats, hoods or headwear.
8) No eating while on camera (cameras can be turned off briefly if your home schedule for sustenance does not coincide with the school schedule to finish a meal/snack but students should not be off camera for an unreasonable amount of time and students should alert their teacher in the chat of the online class system for the reason that their camera is turned off).
9) If you need to use the restroom you do not need to ask for permission. Simply put in the chat that you need to use the restroom and either leave or turn off your camera if you choose. Please do not abuse this privilege and try to plan to use the restroom during breaks or time it so that you are missing as little as possible. Try not to go right in the middle of important instruction.
10) When your camera is turned off your screen should be a clear, well lit, appropriate picture of you, or your name if your device does not allow pictures. No other pictures are allowed. Make sure your Google Classroom Icon is also a clear, well lit, appropriate picture of you and not an animated gif of any kind or a picture of anything else.
11) Please do not distract others or your teacher by changing your camera setup or background while in session. Get setup before entering the online classroom environment and leave it alone if possible.
12) Be patient, this technology works great if your connection and bandwidth are great. Try to make sure there is no one in your house trying to stream a movie while you are in class. Check your connection speed and be sure to have a school issued Chromebook to use for meetings and school work at the very least. A number of Internet hotspots are available through the school site for those with insufficient home connection speeds.
13) Use online system chat to ask questions, not to troll your classmates. Much like Google Classroom the comments is enabled for the teacher only but you may, on occasion, be allowed to chat with your classmates. Please do not abuse this privilege so that it might be used to facilitate discussion or social interaction. It will be turned off or not used if it is abused.
14) When e-mailing your teachers, please follow e-mail etiquette and be sure to include your period and your first and last name. Do not put your message in the subject line and be sure to write coherently and professionally when addressing your teacher.
15) All efforts will be made to grade in Google Classroom if appropriate for the assignment. If there is a discrepancy between the grades in Google Classroom and the Aries grading system please alert your teacher by e-mail. If you submit your assignment late, after grading has already taken place, please be patient and keep in mind that special efforts have to be made in order to update your grade and it might take some time. Grades do not update automatically between the two software systems and may be counted late (graded down) if not turned in on time.
Maturity
Student Maturity can be measured three ways that matter when it comes to being a good student
1) Can you see past today? - Students that are only concerned with how things feel right now are often short-sighted and unable to see how the work done today will benefit them in the future. Mature students understand the consequences of not learning and falling behind their peers. Immature students often choose not to do work because intellectual pursuits are boring or do not feel as good as passive pursuits such as playing video games and watching TV. Maturity is the ability to see past how something feels today so that those feelings to not prevent you from learning and moving towards your short and long term goals.
2) Are you discouraged by effort? - Students that are short-sighted are often discouraged by anything that requires effort or does not come easy. Immature students are afraid to try any task that has multiple steps and can't see the benefit of their actions. They can't see that completing assignments earns them good grades. The connection between work and success eludes them. Learning can feel confusing, complicated, and discouraging. Maturity is having the vision to see that feeling uncomfortable temporarily is often what makes us grow intellectually. Working past those feelings, using problem solving and even help from others, to arrive at a solution in spite of complications that arise, is what helps us to feel successful and develops confidence.
3) Can you do as well as your peers? - If you are not able to complete work that other students your age are able to then either you lack maturity or there is something inhibiting your success that makes comparison to your peers unrealistic. Their are many different kinds of maturity including physical and emotional that we use to compare students. Maturity, in general, is defined as behavior that is appropriate to someone younger. If you can't compete with your peers and produce work commensurate with your grade level then it could be due to your immature attitude towards school in general, or a specific subject.
There is no shame in trying an elective class and not being interested. We call them electives for a reason and have a variety to try and cater to your interest. However, maturity is the ability to recognize that a particular subject does not ignite any interest in you. If not, you need to communicate this to your teacher, your counselor and your parents so that we can work together to either see the relevance or get you into a class that best suites you. In some cases maturity is recognizing that a certain course of study is not your first choice but you can find an interest in it for a short period of time in order to take classes that you are more interested in.