Your behavior and productivity are important paths to your success in my class. Following the rules listed below, behaving and being productive will positively affect your grade -- especially those that need that extra half of a point to get to the next letter grade. These are easy points and all it takes is dedication and respect toward me and your fellow students.
Consequences of failing to follow rules:
1st: Let student know he/she is disrupting the class and ask student to stop.
2nd: Ten point deduction
3rd: Disciplinary action and no extra credit possibility. I will be in direct contact with his/her counselor and the assistant principal.
These rules and their consequences are not up for discussion. If a student regularly breaks the rules below, the student is fully responsible for the consequences.
The image above is the simplified version of the class rules. Students must take their time to read the detailed version below.
CLASS RULES:
THE CLASSROOM:
1) When students enter the room, computers will remain shut down until I give permission to turn them on. If the computer you work on is accidentally already on, shut it down immediately.
2) Students will turn off computers and tuck in their chairs every time he/she leaves the room.
3) Students will not use their cell phone in class for any reason -- this includes phone calls, texting, taking pictures, using cell phone as mirrors, listening to music, charging, internet, games. In rare occasions students will be allowed to use their cell phones with my permission. If I grant permission, student will step outside and briefly use the phone. If students are using their cell phones without my permission, I will collect them and hold them until the end of class. There are no exceptions. The cell phone will remain on my desk and I will have no responsibility if the cell phones are are stolen.
4) Students will sit in their assigned seat every day. Seats will be assigned on the third week of school. Seats could change according to how students are behaving.
5) Be sure you are on time. I will be taking attendance in the beginning of every class. Being late is a way to disrupt the class. If you are over 15 minutes late, it is a school policy that I should mark you absent.
6) There will be absolutely no food allowed. You may have a bottled water or drink and can step outside the computer area for a moment, to refresh yourself. When leaving the classroom, take the bottle with you or throw it in the trash.
YOUR PROJECTS:
7) Late assignments will be automatically reduced a letter grade (even if it is only a few hours late). Students will have plenty of time to complete their assignments. If students are having problems with a deadline due to something reasonable, students are encourage to talk to me two days before the due date. I will only extend the project if students show evidence of a real exception.
8) You will need a flash drive to save all your projects. Students must have a flash drive by the second week of class. If students do not save project in their flash drive and only save on the desktop (Macs) and Thaw drive (PCs), they run the risk of losing their projects. I will not be giving extra time for students that lose projects in this case.
9) Students can use headphones to listen to music in my classroom but cannot use their cell phones or any other device to listen to music. Students also cannot listen to music without headphones. The only way students can listen to music is by using iTunes or Windows Media Player Internet Radio. Headphones cannot be on while I give lectures or demos -- only when I give students permission to work on their projects. (I will have classical music daily -- after I take attendance -- to inspire an environment of tranquility and learning).
10) Students will remain completely quiet while listening to demos, lectures or when I am talking to the class. While working on their projects, students will be able to talk quietly. If this rule is broken and a student is disrupting the class, I will change the student's seat. Be advised that regular classroom conversation will inevitably draw my attention -- it is up to me to decide whether this conversation is disruptive to the learning environment. If a students next to you is disrupting the class and you don't want to be involved, you can ask me to change your seat.
11) Since this is a computer class, I want to make sure students are aware that they cannot use the computer to procrastinate in my classroom -- no games, random YouTube videos, Craigslist/ Ebay/ Amazon, social media, clothing store, etc. I understand that students will google search, and sometimes, when/if projects allow, use YouTube to research videos about Photoshop or Illustrator. Students will be able to access their emails since you will have to turn in all assignments via email. I will be aware of what each student is working on, since I have a software on my computer which allows me to see the screen of every computer in the classroom.
A VERY FUN RULE:
12) Free days are a rule in my class. Why? Because there is time to concentrate in doing work and there is time to get to know each other and learn in other ways. For free days, we will have activities that are not graded like watching a movie related to the class or playing a game. In these days you are welcome to talk in a reasonable level and interact with other students. If students want to use that time to do an extra credit or catch up on an assignment, they are welcome to do so.
To be able to attend class, students must sign a contract, in which he/she and his/her guardian state that they are aware of my classroom rules of conduct and policies.
Consequences of failing to follow rules:
1st: Let student know he/she is disrupting the class and ask student to stop.
2nd: Ten point deduction
3rd: Disciplinary action and no extra credit possibility. I will be in direct contact with his/her counselor and the assistant principal.
These rules and their consequences are not up for discussion. If a student regularly breaks the rules below, the student is fully responsible for the consequences.
The image above is the simplified version of the class rules. Students must take their time to read the detailed version below.
CLASS RULES:
THE CLASSROOM:
1) When students enter the room, computers will remain shut down until I give permission to turn them on. If the computer you work on is accidentally already on, shut it down immediately.
2) Students will turn off computers and tuck in their chairs every time he/she leaves the room.
3) Students will not use their cell phone in class for any reason -- this includes phone calls, texting, taking pictures, using cell phone as mirrors, listening to music, charging, internet, games. In rare occasions students will be allowed to use their cell phones with my permission. If I grant permission, student will step outside and briefly use the phone. If students are using their cell phones without my permission, I will collect them and hold them until the end of class. There are no exceptions. The cell phone will remain on my desk and I will have no responsibility if the cell phones are are stolen.
4) Students will sit in their assigned seat every day. Seats will be assigned on the third week of school. Seats could change according to how students are behaving.
5) Be sure you are on time. I will be taking attendance in the beginning of every class. Being late is a way to disrupt the class. If you are over 15 minutes late, it is a school policy that I should mark you absent.
6) There will be absolutely no food allowed. You may have a bottled water or drink and can step outside the computer area for a moment, to refresh yourself. When leaving the classroom, take the bottle with you or throw it in the trash.
YOUR PROJECTS:
7) Late assignments will be automatically reduced a letter grade (even if it is only a few hours late). Students will have plenty of time to complete their assignments. If students are having problems with a deadline due to something reasonable, students are encourage to talk to me two days before the due date. I will only extend the project if students show evidence of a real exception.
8) You will need a flash drive to save all your projects. Students must have a flash drive by the second week of class. If students do not save project in their flash drive and only save on the desktop (Macs) and Thaw drive (PCs), they run the risk of losing their projects. I will not be giving extra time for students that lose projects in this case.
9) Students can use headphones to listen to music in my classroom but cannot use their cell phones or any other device to listen to music. Students also cannot listen to music without headphones. The only way students can listen to music is by using iTunes or Windows Media Player Internet Radio. Headphones cannot be on while I give lectures or demos -- only when I give students permission to work on their projects. (I will have classical music daily -- after I take attendance -- to inspire an environment of tranquility and learning).
10) Students will remain completely quiet while listening to demos, lectures or when I am talking to the class. While working on their projects, students will be able to talk quietly. If this rule is broken and a student is disrupting the class, I will change the student's seat. Be advised that regular classroom conversation will inevitably draw my attention -- it is up to me to decide whether this conversation is disruptive to the learning environment. If a students next to you is disrupting the class and you don't want to be involved, you can ask me to change your seat.
11) Since this is a computer class, I want to make sure students are aware that they cannot use the computer to procrastinate in my classroom -- no games, random YouTube videos, Craigslist/ Ebay/ Amazon, social media, clothing store, etc. I understand that students will google search, and sometimes, when/if projects allow, use YouTube to research videos about Photoshop or Illustrator. Students will be able to access their emails since you will have to turn in all assignments via email. I will be aware of what each student is working on, since I have a software on my computer which allows me to see the screen of every computer in the classroom.
A VERY FUN RULE:
12) Free days are a rule in my class. Why? Because there is time to concentrate in doing work and there is time to get to know each other and learn in other ways. For free days, we will have activities that are not graded like watching a movie related to the class or playing a game. In these days you are welcome to talk in a reasonable level and interact with other students. If students want to use that time to do an extra credit or catch up on an assignment, they are welcome to do so.
To be able to attend class, students must sign a contract, in which he/she and his/her guardian state that they are aware of my classroom rules of conduct and policies.