About This Course

MUSIC 1, or Exploring Music, is taught in person on Mondays and Wednesdays. Course content and blogs, however, are posted on this Commons site, while Blackboard is used for sending out course announcements and submitting assignments.

Blackboard Layout

To acquaint yourself with how to use Blackboard, you can view this video tutorial or visit the How to Use Blackboard tab on our Blackboard course. All of my email communication with the class can be viewed on Blackboard under the Announcements tab. At the beginning of each week, I will update the Weekly Folders tab with instructions, reading, listening, and assignments for that week. All assignments with descriptions can be viewed and submitted on Blackboard via the Assignments tab; likewise, all quizlets will be available via the Quizlets tab. You can access your grades on Blackboard under the My Grades tab.

Commons Layout

To use one of your late passes (see syllabus for details), you need to fill out the Late Pass Form, linked under the Late Pass tab on the Commons site. The syllabus, schedule, and other important information for the course are under the Start Here (Course Info) tab, which is where you are right now.

A complete list of all assignments and reading for the semester are available under the Schedule tab. You can download your OER textbooks under the Readings tab. You can find Youtube and Spotify links for each unit’s music under the Listening tab. Blog prompts and blog posts can be viewed under the Blogs tab. The Music and… Playlist tab includes information on each stage of the assignment.

Weekly Structure

This class is organized by usually week-long units that begin on Mondays and end on Sundays). Links and instructions for each week’s assignments, reading, and listening will be posted every Monday morning on Blackboard under the “Weekly Folders” tab. I will also post important class information via Blackboard announcements, so make sure that you connect your preferred email address to Blackboard and check that email address regularly (but especially Mondays!).

Each week is generally structured as seen below; most weeks feature a quizlet and a blog, and some weeks include deadlines for the Music and… Playlist or other small assignments (see syllabus for a full breakdown).

Blogs are due on Sundays at 11:59pm via the Commons site. All other assignments are due via Blackboard on Sundays at 11:59pm.