BB-03 - How To Take "Stewardship In Scripture"

First, although we will provide more details below, the basic formula for a successful participation in this class is simple:

• View each video-on-demand session as scheduled in the Class Calendar. Early completion and viewing multiple time for retention is okay! 
• Do the assigned reading for each session.
• Participate in the Class Forum. There will be assigned discussion topics for each video-on-demand session and reading assignment.
• View the one video-on-demand session, one reading assignment and at least one online discussion in the Class Forum each week of the four week class. You can work at your own pace from week to week.
• Participate in the live sessions for conference calls, AS THEY ARE SCHEDULED in the course calendar. 

Prepare For Class

As soon a you register for this class, we recommend you do the following steps immediately to get ready for your participation in this class:

• Review this page to know what is expected of you.
• Confirm the bandwidth available for viewing our videos using our Bandwidth Check and that you can transit any firewall in your network by using our Port Tester. Take any remedial action needed or contact us for support and assistance. Please do this early to cure any issues before the class starts.
• Make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Flash installed, if supported by your operating system and browser. Also, make sure you have the latest version of Java installed. Update if needed.
• Review the "Entry & Navigation Tutorial" so you know how to get around in the Virtual Classroom. On your registration receipt, a large red link connected you direct to the home page of this Virtual Classroom. You can bookmark the link to the class home page or enter through various vectors. The "Entry & Navigation Tutorial" will show you various ways to enter and re-enter the Virtual Classroom and navigate through its pages once you enter.
• Review all of the Features and Function available to you in the Virtual Classroom via the buttons in the sidebar on the right side of the pages in the classroom.
• Post your information in the Class Roster. Be sure to add a photo of yourself. Be sure to update any of your information if it changes during the class. Your contact information and photo will be private and will only be seen by members of the class. Note also that there may be students from academic institutions other than your own; indeed, there may be students from anywhere in the world.  Keep this in mind as you make decisions about the information you wish to include in your visible profile. You are always at liberty to make direct connections with any other student(s) in your cohort by contacting them directly.
• Purchase the class textbook. Our Online Bookstore is provided for your convenience.
• Review the Class Syllabus and Class Calendar. Make note of any scheduled events.
• From time to time, we will send various notices and updates to you via e-mail. Be sure that e-mail from "transformingthechurch.org" is whitelisted and allowed so our e-mail to you isn't caught in your SPAM filter.

Complying with the steps listed above will insure you have the best possible experience in this class.

Watch to the Media-On-Demand Sessions

This course contains four audio-graphic video lectures for approximately 30 minutes each. Please watch the videos as many times as you wish for full comprehension. The video-on-demand media are available to you at any time, typically 24x7. If we have to do technical maintenance of the media or media servers, we typically do this work between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. so to be minimally disruptive to our students.

Do the Assigned Reading

The course textbook is important and is considered an integral part of the course. Do the assigned reading as the course progresses. You can purchase the book online in our Online Bookstore or acquire it from any source you have available to you. Each weekly reading assignment won't be too long and can be easily accomplished.

Post Into the Class Forum

The Class Forum is the cornerstone of our interactive features. In the Class Forum you can open new threads of conversations for discussions or questions on any topic you wish. Also, you can read the threads of your classmates and instructors/mentors/teaching assistants and post comments, if you wish, expanding the discussion.

After you view each video session, enter the Class Forum and either start or continue discussions of the material just covered in the video you just finished viewing. There will be assigned discussion point that you should participate in. Also, please feel free to expand any point or start entirely new threads on any topic you wish. The Class Forum is asynchronous which means your colleagues in the class won't have to be on-line together; you can post your new thread or comment and come back later to read replies and enter additional responses. Again, remember that your online forum discussions are not in “real time” either; therefore, you may be reading comments which were made days prior to your participation. This does not mean that you are “behind”; it simply means that your schedule is different from your classmates.  Each student studies and completes assignments at his or her personal pace (within the maximum time permitted). Each session is scheduled to keep the class more or less on the same pace from week to week but each student may vary their participation.

Repeat For Each On-Demand Session in the Course

Each lesson process is the similar to the others.  For some lessons, there are more documents to review. At a minimum, PDF for the PowerPoint slides used in the video-on-demand sessions will be posted in the Class Materials page. There are variations in the amount of reading from the required textbook, and there are different assignments for each content area.  Be sure that you are familiar with the SPECIFIC requirements for each session.  Viewing the video-on-demand sessions are only one part of the class experience.  Interaction with the instructor and other students is a continuous process, and completion of assignments is periodic.

Participate in the Class Conference Call

There will be one conference call scheduled with the instructor during the fifth week after the class starts. Check the Class Calendar for any scheduled date(s). The access number and codes can be found on the Live Audio Conference Calls page. Viewing all video-on-demand sessions, assigned readings and postings to the discussion boards should be completed by the end of the fourth week prior to the conference call. It will most beneficial to the student to post after viewing each segment and thus giving the instructor more time to respond individually to each participant as the class progresses.

Complete the End-of-Class Survey

At the end of the class, please complete the End-of-Class Survey to give us feed back about your experiences in this class. These surveys are important and we pay close attention to what you say. Your responses will be confidential. The information you provide will help us improve the total experience for future participants.