December 14, 2001 - Grades are posted! Remember how that works? Check out the grade page.

December 6, 2001 - One more announcement... Don't forget to complete an evaluation of me and the course. It should attached to your final exam.... if it isn't be sure to ask for one. I'll put some extra ones in the folder. Thanks.

December 4, 2001 - Two announcements:

• Bring back those cyberbiology bags (neat and all contents accounted for... see Cyberbiology bag link to double-check). Return to me (J111) or leave it with the nice ladies in the Biology Prep room.
• Lecture final exam. I will place your lecture in the learning lab which is located on the second floor of the Houff Student Center (upstairs, next to the library). You may take the exam from Thursday (December 6, 2002) to Thursday (December 13, 2002). Their hours of operation are 8:30 AM - 9:00 PM Monday -Thursday and  8:30 AM - 4:30 PM on Friday. Make sure you arrive early to take the test because they will blow the whistle and collect the exam promptly at closing time. The exam consists of 50 questions (7 from respiration + photosynthesis; 9 from molecular genetics; 15 from biotechnology; and 19 from cell reproduction). Good Luck.

November 29, 2001 - I've activated the link to your last on-line lab for the semester (you will see a lot more of these labs next semester). No test/quiz questions assigned. You will be doing an assignment that will show you how some of these biotechnology tools you have been learning about can be used to study genetic disorders. See your schedule for the link. If you haven't taken the Molecular Genetics test yet... what are you waiting for? The link can be found when you log onto BlackBoard.

November 21, 2001 - Two announcements:

• I've posted your Molecular Genetics Test. It consists of 50 questions. It will be timed (60 minutes) and should be taken with closed books and closed notes. You a week to take this test (Nov. 21 - 29).
• A lot of last minute interest in mulching for extra credit. Please try to contact me and arrange something for next week if you're interested. 

November 18, 2001 - Remainder of the lecture questions for the week have been posted. Realized that Thanksgiving is at the end of this week... so when I post your next test I will spread it out over the entire Thanksgiving break. Check the calendar for due dates. 

November 14, 2001 - The on-line Translation Lab has been scratched. I still encourage you to attempt it (Assignment #1 and #2 for non-majors), but I will not have a quiz for this particular investigation. Why? Dr. Wolfe and myself really don't have enough background information for you to complete the assignment. (Welcome to the first year of a new course :-) Next year, I will shift around some of the lectures and have a special unit about the history of how the structure of DNA was discovered and then how the codon table was figured out. We will do the hemoglobin on-line... and I think you will have fun with it. The hemoglobin lab will again give us a chance to do translation. 

November 11, 2001 - Updates!

• Your grades have been updated. Remember how that works? Check out the grade page.
• Your schedule has been updated (A quiz has been announced (DNA-RNA-Protein Synthesis)).
• Did you sign-up for classes for the spring? Only a few spots left in this cyberbiology section.

November 1, 2001 - Your next test "Respiration and Photosynthesis" will be available from November 2 - November 5, 2001. 34 Questions in 45 minutes. Closed Notes. 

October 29, 2001 - Three announcements:

• The extra credit page is up and running.  
• Be sure to check your schedule page - your LeafLab quiz begins on Tuesday and ends on Friday.
• EARLY REGISTRATION - I think some traditional students will be snooping around for the biology cybersection... better sign-up as soon as possible (starting November 5) or else you will be stuck taking it on campus. 

October 25, 2001 - I haven't forgotten about you guys. This week is capping off one of the busiest (and most productive months) in my life! I have one day this weekend (all day bus trip on Sunday) to work on cyberbiology stuff and then most of next week. I should be able to spring ahead of y'all and have lecture notes ready far in advance. 

• Another reminder... if you're going to sign up for the second semester of cyberbiology you better do so on the first day of early registration - November 5. Work with your advisor (schedule an appointment) or work with an advisor in the counseling center (again, schedule an appointment). I've been hearing some of my traditional students muttering stuff about how they would like to take the on-line biology class. Most of you guys had really good reasons for taking this class on-line... I think that some of my traditional students are just excited by the opportunity of not having to wake-up early. It's a free market... and you have been warned... now it's time to execute! 

October 16, 2001 - Well.... let us see if it works...the grade page. 

October 15, 2001 - Ouch! My eyes are crossed! I've posted your overall interim (as of October 15) in your on-line grade book. These grades include your lowest test and lab investigation being dropped. Should you score something lower than the grade that has been dropped, then the new lowest grade will be dropped. I'm not sure how to display the breakdown of the grades to you... perhaps I'll make a web page for each of you (although the logistics of doing that scare me). I'm going to go for a ride and think about it. 

October 14, 2001 - Starting this evening and continuing until late on the 17th (Wednesday evening) your microscopy quiz will be available. You may use your notes, but there will be a strict time limit of 15 minutes for 15 questions (some of which require the use of a calculator).

October 13, 2001 - Thanks for coming today :-) Here's some things on my "to do" list:

• I'll grade those midterms very soon (probably early Monday morning) and post your grades later that day. I'll try and have one posting with just your midterm and another posting for your interim. 
• Put together an extra credit page explaining how you can become involved in the Urban Tree Planting Project and earn extra credit in the process.
• Work up lab quiz (microscopy) and announce due date early next week.
• Tonight and tomorrow I'll work up the questions for the next unit. These will be sporadically posted through early next week.
• Send this picture to George Wolfe.

October 12, 2001 - Not that it should change the way you're studying... but I'm adding more questions to your midterm from Cell Biology. The test will be 58 questions long (10 from Evolution + 10 from Biochemistry + 38 from Cell Biology). See you guys tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM sharp!

October 11, 2001 - I'm scratching The Evolution of Metabolic Functions. From the Cell Biology unit. It will not be on the midterm. I will see you guys on Saturday at 9:00 AM in J105.  

October 4, 2001 - Sometimes, you just have to see things from a different perspective... http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/pale_blue_dot.html

October 2, 2001 - Midterm announcements  (click on it for more information). Did you know that today was a palindrome? 10-02-2001 Cool Beans! This kind of palindrome hasn't occurred since some date in the 1300's.

September 28, 2001 - Couple of announcements:

• I've tried posting your current grades. This is a static number... meaning that I'm keeping your grades on another spreadsheet and will periodically post them on BlackBoard in the grade book. Look for your most current grade under "As of September 28." Pay no attention to any other drivel that BlackBoard may attempt to provide with respect to calculating your grade. I'm still working on a mechanism that will allow you to see how I'm calculating the grades (for now, just check out the syllabus for a description).
• I've archived some of our old discussions on BlackBoard. If you want to go read them again just click on the archive button.
• I'm a tad bit angry at the folks hosting the on-line lab. There a couple of errors (relatively minor) on their program/instructions. I'm putting together a "rough and ready guide" to help you through the rough spots (link provided on my enzyme page). 

September 26, 2001 - Okee Dokee... I've posted dates and have provided additional information concerning two things on your schedule:

• Your on-line Enzyme Lab (remember that lab manual you bought?). I suspect some of you guys will find this activity pretty challenging the first time through... Fire away with your questions on the BlackBoard Discussion site so that everyone can see our question/answer sessions.
• Your next test (Biochemistry)
• Your grades... I'm experimenting with BlackBoard. If you click on your grade you will probably find a really low percentage... DON'T PANIC!  I'm still fiddling with the knobs ;-) If I can't get BlackBoard to do it my way I'll just manually figure out your grades and figure out a way to post them. Check back for an update in several days.

September 23, 2001 - Sorry for not making more announcements last week. I think everyone was just a little numb. I was also involved in the early stages of a long research project on campus (here are some images  http://www1.br.vccs.edu/murray/Arboriculture/research/planting/default.htm). 

Your Molecular Model Quiz is on-line starting today at 8:15 AM and will stay on-line until Tuesday evening (Sept. 25). It consists of 12 questions on the monomers and polymers of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins. 

September 17, 2001 - No real outstanding announcements today. I'm still working on your interims. Perhaps by mid-week I will have all of the scores entered and averaged.

September 11, 2001 - Couple of announcements. 

• Paul and Laura pointed out a couple of incorrect/misleading questions on the test (hybridization question) and Natural History Museum Quiz (location of the Burgess Shale). Since you guys took different tests (randomly selected from a "pool") I'm reducing the total number of possible points from 44 to 42 (I through in one since it was our first test together:-). I'm also reducing the total number of possible points on the quiz from 20 to 19. To see how this improves your grade simply divide the number you got correct by either 42 (test) or 19 (quiz). Y'all owe a big thank you to Paul and Laura! 
• I'm not using BlackBoard to keep your grades. It's too inflexible. I'm keeping them on my computer and I will periodically post them (starting in a couple of weeks).

September 9, 2001 - It's time to move into Biochemistry. That means it's time to come to campus (my office) to pick-up your Cyberbiology Bag (follow the link for details).

September 7, 2001 - (7:50 PM) I'm back in town and I'm totally jazzed about the future of our nation's urban green infrastructure (i.e. I think we're going to be planting a lot of trees in the U.S. in the very near future :-). Fire away with questions on our BlackBoard discussion page and I'll do my best to answer in the evenings.

September 3, 2001 - Howdy! Well, that's one quiz under your belt. A couple of students missed it... a couple of students got zeros. Contact me if you're not sure what's going on. I'm going out of town Wednesday afternoon, and won't return until late Friday night. I'm going to the National Urban Forest Conference in Washington, D.C.  Check your schedule... I have scheduled a couple of activities for you while I'm gone. Here we go...

• Natural History Museum Investigation Quiz - will be available on BlackBoard from September 7 (6:00 AM) through September 9 (around midnight). It is un-timed and open-notes to show my appreciation for you guys going the extra mile (actually several hundred extra miles) to complete that investigation.
• Evolution Test - will also be available on BlackBoard from September 7 (6:00 AM) through September 9 (around midnight). Closed-notes. Timed (44 questions in 45 minutes). This test will assess your knowledge of evolution based on material presented from the ThinkWell CDs. Click on Test #1 (on your schedule) for more information about number of questions on the test. Better get all jazzed for this test. Your Test average will determine 75% of biology grade (quizzes only account for 25%). 

August 30, 2001 - Your quiz will be located inside of a folder called "Course Documents" (a new button located on your BlackBoard page). I have it set to go on around 6:00AM Friday (August 31) and to turn off around midnight on Sunday (September 2).

August 29, 2001 - Hi folks! I'm glad the madness associated with the first week is over ;-) Here's just a few announcements.

• First quiz is on your Investigation - Science and the Scientific Method (not the Thinkwell lessons). I will make the first quiz available on BlackBoard starting  early in the morning on Friday (August 31) and I will turn off the quiz on Sunday evening (September 2). It will be timed. You will have 10 minutes to answer 12 short multiple choice questions. You only get one shot at taking it so be prepared. 
• I like the way the discussions are evolving on the BlackBoard site. Feel free to pepper me with questions. That way everyone can benefit from our exchange. 
• I just received the same collection of CDs that you guys purchased in the bookstore. Thinkwell sent me an "early version" last spring so I could prepare for this course. Imagine my surprise when I found that your CDs are not the same as my "early version. I'm a bit flustered, perturbed, and generally bummed that the questions I've been preparing for you guys may not be matching the same headings on your CDs. I'm going through it now. The first topic (Evolution) seems to be the same... but I have some serious re-construction to perform on the future topics. Don't go printing off stuff from the Biochemistry topic for at least another week. Thanks. 

August 24, 2001 - Here's the second announcement.... Where should you be at this point in time? You should of

• purchased your Thinkwell CDs + BiologyLabs Online.
• answered the questions to the first four lectures (Early Perspectives in Science through Fossils and Evolution)
• started working on your first investigation (Science and the Scientific Method)
• reserved a day (or two), on that calendar hanging in your kitchen, to travel up to D.C. to perform the Natural History Museum investigation (Traveling Page)
• thoroughly investigated my web sites for resources and suggestions
• jumped into the the cyberbiology student discussion board and say howdy and maybe provide enough information about yourself so that potential cyberfriends will know you exist (on BlackBoard, under "communication")

August 24, 2001 - This is the first of two announcements I will be making today. 

• Just rec'd the following phone message from the Thinkwell technical help department. Apparently some computers make the Quicktime program go to the wrong default sound setting. He said it is an easy fix and really wants you to call him if you're having problems at 1-888-416-8880 and select option 3 for technical help. This is what he left on my answering machine... Click Start, go to control panel, open Quicktime, on the Quicktime Settings go to sound options (it said Sound Out on my computer) and change the sound from "direct sound" to "wave out." Let me know if it works.

August 21, 2001 - This announcement might be premature... but I've worked out a deal with Thinkwell so you can access some of their resources (animations, notes, sample questions, etc). Perhaps a few of you could attempt to access the page on the Thinkwell site by "signing-up" on their main page. You'll need that authorization code that came with your CDs. I know what you're thinking... ah geez, a third web page? This is only being provided as a resource. Not as a required portion of the course. I will probably strongly encourage you to access this site in the next couple of weeks to view some animations - so you'll want to eventually sign-up.

August 21, 2001 - The bookstore is making me nervous... has everyone purchased the required materials for the class (Thinkwell CDs and the Biology Labs online)? Do so ASAP. Contact me immediately if there are problems.   

August 20, 2001 - Having trouble loading the Thinkwell CD on your computer? Contact them directly at 1-888-416-8880 and select option 3 for technical support. 

August 20, 2001 -  Welcome. In addition to taking your quizzes and tests on the BlackBoard site I've started a discussion group too. Click on "Communication" to see the discussion thread that has already been started. Check it often for useful suggestions to help you in this course.

August 19, 2001 - Everyone read the FAQ page.

August 19, 2001 - There will be a Blackboard Student Training August 21, 29, or 30 on campus. Plan on attending one of those! I will have you guys taking your tests, and most lab quizzes, on Blackboard.