NEW TO THE SEMINAR?

Start Here!

To get started with this seminar, please follow the required steps below. You will find it useful to print this page out first so that you can follow along with the directions!

We use a course environment called "ANGEL." ANGEL is the course management system (CMS) used by Penn State University. This online environment enables us to share course materials, such as a syllabus and weekly announcements and information, also includes communications tools, such as e-mail, chat, and threaded discussion forums called "message boards." A brief, narrated movie about ANGEL is available to orient you to this online environment. (That link will open in a new window. Feel free to resize that new window to optimize viewing.

1. Familiarize yourself with our "classroom" by taking a look around at the other resources linked to the yellow tabs above
   • Syllabus--seminar objectives and policies.
   • Calendar--assignment start dates and due dates.
   • Lessons--links to weekly seminar materials and other resources.
   • Class--a list of registered students, including links to their Web sites (if available) and e-mail addresses. Clever students even upload photos of themselves! (To add your own,
   • In Touch--access to our seminar e-mail system, message boards (threaded discussions), and chat rooms. In the Message Boards area you will notice that there are several general-purpose message boards we'll be using:
     • General Discussion - for general postings and questions (i.e. not lesson- or project-specific)
     • Technical Issues - for peer-to-peer technical support
     • Suggestion Box (see the last item below)
   • Tools--additional course tools, including access to electronic reserves for Penn State students.
2. Update your "Personal Information Settings" in ANGEL to make sure that the rest of us have current information about you. (If this is new to you, you will want to print out this page first so you'll have the following directions handy.)
   • Click on the Profile button at the upper-right of this window. (Or, if you use the default "frames" version of Angel, you can click on the My Profile link in the left-hand menu bar--they both lead to the same page.)
   • Under the My Toolbox section, click on My Settings.
   • Under My Settings, click on the Personal Information Editor link.
   • Fill in the boxes on the resulting page with your current information. You will see that you can include a URL for a personal Web site and even upload a photo.
   • Click on the Save button at the bottom of the form; you will return to the My Settings page.
   • Click on the Exit button at the upper- right to return to the course.
   • Click on the Class tab and you will see a summary of your personal information as part of our class list. (Details can be seen by clicking on the User Profile link under each entry on that page.)
3. Turn on the "My Announcements" and "What's New" alerts. On your Profile page you have the option of being alerted to any new items that have been added to the seminar, including announcements, message board postings, and e-mail messages. We recommend that you turn on the "My Announcements" and "What's New" (message board postings and e-mail) alerts to ensure you don't miss anything!
   • Click on the Profile button at the upper-right of this window. (Or, if you use the default "frames" version of Angel, you can click on the My Profile link in the left-hand menu bar--they both lead to the same page.)
   • From the My Profile page, click on My Settings under the My Toolbox section
   • From the My Settings page, click on My Profile Content
   • Check the box next to both "My Announcements" and "What's New"
   • Click on the Save button.
4. Set up your course e-mail preferences. You have the option of forwarding a COPY of your course e-mail to your personal e-mail address. You will NOT be able to reply to class e-mail that way, but it is a way to be notified of e-mail sent to you in the course. If you want your mail forwarded, follow the steps below. If not, you can skip these directions! (If this is new to you, you might want to print out this page first so you'll have the following directions handy!)
   • Click on the Profile button at the upper-right of this window. (Or, if you use the default "frames" version of Angel, you can click on the My Profile link in the left-hand menu bar--they both lead to the same page.)
   • Under the My Toolbox section, click on My Settings.
   • Under My Settings, click on the System Settings link.
   • Scroll down to the Mail Settings section.
   • Enter the e-mail address where you want COPIES of your course e-mail sent.
   • Click on the Save button at the bottom of the form; you will return to the My Settings page.
   • Click on the Exit button at the upper- right to return to the course.
5. Begin the seminar!. Follow the link for Week 0 under the Lessons tab.