6 cups of java in 12 weeks

My name is Cristian and I am the author of the blog “6 cups of Java in 12 weeks”. This blog is the tool used during the second semester of the blended learning module Development of Functions in the Computer System in the I.E.S. El Caminàs secondary school.

My task during the course is trying to guide your learning process, working and help you to resolve any questions or doubts you have.

The blog will help us to get the goals of the course in a convenient and simple way.

All the material of the quarter -tutorial, user guide, basic materials, supllementary materials, lesson plans, labs, practice assessments and documentaries, are available in digital format on the blog and you can reach them with a click of your mouse.

Now I am going to tell you some things about the use of the blog…

Tutorial shows you the main stuff of the module description: objectives, materials, tutorials, timing, contents, working system and module assessment.

It is highly recommended to start the course with a careful reading of this tutorial. It reflects all the key points to be developed during the course.

In case you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

As you can see, the blog is organized into 6 teaching units, which is how the module is structured. Thus, the course content is based on several posts on the blog grouped by teaching units: each unit have three posts, one with the materials needed to work on the unit and two more posts to explain the theoretical content. These last two posts offer you some basic and fundamental content using a simple language appropiate to the knowledge you have so far, with the intention of making easier the understanding and maintaining your motivation throughout eash task.

To begin working, you must read the “User’s manual” where you have instructions on how to work with the blog and its contents:

All work along the course is based on the blog, which develops all teaching activity and the communication between teacher-student and student-student.

Obviously, you can also use e-mail to do that communication.

Let me explain something more:

STUDY. As the author of this blog, I have based the development of the course in five main axes:

USE OF FREE LICENSE. The user’s manual, the tutorial, the basic material, supplementary materials, teaching units, laboratoriesa and practice assessments are licensed under Creative Commons license. And free software is also used for course development.

INTEGRAL TUTORING. You have a tutoring service almost permanent. I will answer to any question within 24 hours later. You also have the opportunity to communicate on a face to the individual and group tutorials.

COLLABORATIVE COMMUNICATIONS. You can use the blog to leave your comments, answer questions or make suggestions. And you can also use email to contact me. In distance education, communication is essential, take advantage of it.
Regulary, I send messages to inform you of weak dates or to warn you of special events.

DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT OF THE COURSE. On assessment, I will not test your knowledge in a single exam. You will do a work in progress and I will try to correct your mistakes on time, that’s what we call formative assessment. Obviously, at the end of the course, there will be a final assessment , but if you have passed all the practices every two weeks, you will not have a problem, because this final assessment is completely based on what you’ve done in those practices. That’s what we call summative assessment.

And tha’ts all, now start browsing the blog and learning about the different sections, resources, … that they’re available.

From this moment, it would be desirable that you planning your work, that will allow you keeping an appropriate pace for the course and avoiding to leave all the work for last. In the Tutorial you have the timetable so that you could organize properly.

Remind overcoming all assessment practices is essential to overcome the module. You must take each practice before its deadline and get a grade higher than 2.

Let’s start the course. Have a good study.

Cristian Jorge Garcia Marcos
Development of Functions in the Computer System
I.E.S. El Caminàs