If you have not used Blackboard before in another class (recently)*, you must do the following to log in to Blackboard for the first time:
If you have never used Blackboard before, you should read through the "Getting Started with Blackboard" page.
*If you have used Blackboard in some previous course at ACC, probably your name and personal information are already in the system. So just log into the system in the same way you had always done.
Every time you log into Blackboard, be sure to check for any new announcements related to the course. (Click on "My ACC", then choose "My Announcements". If you are already logged into this course, you can just click on "Announcements" in the menu bar on the left.) It is VERY important that you check the announcements at least every 2 or 3 days.
In general, grades will be posted within a week of the deadline for each assignment/test. Quiz grades will not show up here; you can check those from your PLATO (may also be called "Academic Systems") software. Grades may be available earlier than this, but please do not ask me about your grades until after this one week time period. If I am running behind on grading something, I will post a note on the "Announcements" page.
To find your grades for this course:
(You should also be able to get there by clicking on "My Grades" on the "My ACC" homepage, and then choosing this course.)
To get to the discussion groups for this course:
Before you post to the message boards, be sure to read the instructions here about use of the message boards and what I consider appropriate behavior. You will only receive credit for posts that follow these guidelines.
The best place to start when looking for help with Blackboard is at http://itdl.austincc.edu/blackboard/ There is also a help button within Blackboard you can push (at the top of the page), though you have to sign up for an account (for free, but still a pain) to use it. If you have tried this and still can't figure something out, contact me and I will see if I can help.
IMPORTANT NOTE: According to the Blackboard system, you can send your instructor an email message from within it. But that doesn't work. You can send one, but I might not receive it. So please don't use that feature. If you want to send me a message, send me an email message in the normal way.