Your Oceanography Professor’s Welcome Message
Hi and
Welcome to MiraCosta’s OCEA101-TuTh Oceanography Lecture Course!
My name is Ray Rector, your oceanography lecture instructor. Congratulations for enrolling in this introductory
oceanography course here at MiraCosta College this Spring 2020 semester – you
picked a great marine science program!
Here’s the general overview of this course:
1) Over the next 16 weeks, you will be studying all
the major
aspects
of oceanography, including the
origin of the ocean,
plate tectonics,
seafloors,
marine sediments, seawater properties, atmospheric
and ocean circulation,
waves, shorelines,
marine
life, marine resources,
and marine environmental concerns. To successfully complete
this
course, you must actively participate in two 1.25-hour
lectures each week, take a set of quizzes and exams, and complete a
research writing assignment. The information (course content)
that you need for successful learning in this course
is found in several places: a) your free and/or pay textbook,
b) instructor’s PowerPoints and lecture notes
found at my website, c)
the college’s online electronic
oceanography
textbook, d) other instructor-
directed website
links, d) numerous website and
online article links
that
will be given in class and in the assignment instructions, e) the
college Canvas course
site, and f) direct personal
communication with me during class
time, office
hours, and on
fieldtrips. You may also do a
variety of extra credit work for additional
course points by going on voluntary weekend field
trips and doing supplementary research assignments.
2) I am primarily your course
content
facilitator and learning outcome assessor – I’m here
as
your guide to the
wonderful world of ocean science. As your instructor,
I will do my best to
present the
course curriculum to you, lead in
thought- stimulating class
discussions, help you to successfully complete all the
course activities,
and finally, assess your assignments and tests. My goal and hope is that you achieve all the student learning outcomes in this
introductory oceanography
course and successfully (hopefully) get a good
grade for doing it.
You can always reach me by email at
oceanprof@seascisurf.com
3) There is a course website - maintained by the instructor for maximizing your learning outcomes. This
website is found
at:
http://www.seascisurf.com Once there, click on the
button to
access our classroom web page.
Here you will find a plethora of helpful information,
including course syllabus, schedule, lecture
notes, PowerPoints, test and fieldtrip information, and
numerous resource
links.
4) This course also has a Canvas webpage which is at the
following URL: http://www.miracosta.edu/instruction/distanceeducation/index.html
5) Note that this
course does NOT require you to purchase a textbook. The optional, but highly recommended hardcopy oceanography textbook
- or eText
- can be purchased
online. Below is
the text info:
OPTIONAL, BUT HIGHLY, RECOMMENDED
TEXTBOOK:
Essentials of Oceanography, 12th or 11th Edition; Authors: Trujillo & Thurman
Publisher: Prentice Hall
12th
Ed: ISBN-13 9780134073545
or
11th Ed: ISBN-13: 9780321814050
The eText version of this book is
fairly inexpensive and handy with electronic devices. Directions for access to Pearson eText
for Essentials of Oceanography,
12 edition are found below. This eTextbook is simple to use
on computers or iOS and Android mobile devices (even offline). You can take
notes and highlights within the eText; they are added to your virtual notebook,
where you can organize them for the way you study.
1) Go to: https://console.pearson.com/enrollment/vzjfcf;
2) Create a Pearson Account or
sign in if you already have one; and
3) Purchase instant access online
or redeem your access code (temporary access is also available).
6) There is also another electronic oceanography textbook made available
through the college
– FOR FREE!! - that closely mirrors both the optional
hardcopy textbook and
the
course schedule of study. This website is
titled “Oceanography 101” and
its
found at:
http://gotbooks.miracosta.edu/oceans/index.html
Please make the most of
this very
valuable learning
resource.
7) Your typical academic work
agenda for each week will include: a) reading a
chapter or two in your hardcopy textbook
(and/or electronic textbook; b) viewing an “Endless
Voyage” streaming video lesson; c) reviewing my lecture
notes and PowerPoint presentations;
d) visiting and browsing
several educational websites; d) working on your
written research assignment,
e) attending two lectures on campus,
and f) taking a
quiz on the Canvas course web page.
8) The course Syllabus
- an
Important Must-Read Document
- is
basically the official course contract
between me (the instructor) and you (the student). This is where all the
course information and logistics are found. Things like textbook information, enrollment,
attendance, and grading policies,
are all found in
the
syllabus. The
syllabus
also includes the course Schedule which is important for keeping your studies on a timely track – things like assignment, tests, and fieldtrip due
dates are all there.
9) Contacting me: Don't be shy when it comes to communicating with
me
or your fellow students. There are several means of communication:
1) during class, 2) email, 3) discussion board,
4) phone, and 5) fieldtrip meetings. As
a general rule, I can be quickly contacted by email through the
“Mail” link, or via my personal
email at oceanprof@seascisurf.com (I check for messages at least once
a day,
typically several times).
I think that you will enjoy this
course this
semester, and that you will learn
a lot
about our ocean. Let’s make the most of it! Look
forward
to meeting you in
class.
Aloha,
Ray Rector