Hi! I am already confused...

So here I go on my online learning experience.  I'm ready armed with emails from my advisor, CN, and ready for whatever I need to learn.  The first email comes in.  It's easy enough a list of all the things I have to do before I start the course.  So off I go ready and able to surf the online classroom and post what I need to, etc., etc., as the King of Siam would say...

And then before I know it, I am confused.  There is an assignment that is clearly posted in the demonstration student portal classroom (by the way portal is what they call - I thought that was cool and the site is called Constellation - even cooler!)  and all these students are talking.  Saying 'Hi', 'Hello', 'I'm so-and-so', 'Hi', and on and on it goes.  I mean, on and on.  Over 300 posts or more.  So I thought it all started, I'll get involved.  Unfortunately none of them are doing the assignment -- Introduce yourself.  Not hard, mind you, but there is no adherence to the clearly defined rules of the assignment listed at the top of the page!  Now, I'm confused and slightly worried.  Could they all be wrong?  Are they using the discussion threads for chatting?  Confusing, right? 

So I did what any good student would.  I downloaded all my material, including the book.  Read Chapters 1 and 2 about how to learn and what learning is.  Didn't know there could be so much written word about learning.  Believe me, there is (and there are still chapters 3, 4, and 5 to read).  It wasn't uninteresting I can say, but as it got deeper into 'how we learn', 'what activities we do to learn', and such, I realized there really was a lot to this learning thing.  And I started thinking about that first assignment - Introduce myself.  Well, I did and I answered the four questions posed on the assignment (there were about 10 to choose from) and I posted.  Excited I was embarking on a new journey with others like me ready to learn.  Still the thread continued.  'Hi', 'Hi so-and-so', 'Hello. New student', etc.  Confusion hit me like a ten ton truck (well maybe not that hard, but certainly enough to take the wind out of my sail).  I mean, I want to start, get going and post and respond to others as is required for the first assignment, and here they are talking on a chat room.

After going back to the materials and reading and re-reading, I realized I needed help.  I did post that introduction, by the way, and my subsequent first assignment (How I learn), and then I emailed CN.  Unfortunately, she told me that was a demo student portal and I shouldn't post on there.  Ok, that made more sense.  But I worried...I had already posted.  OMG!  Now what?

Luckily, it was fine and CN said since I saved it just re post on the classroom portal when I receive my password next Friday.  I thought next Friday ---  I read all the assignments.  I have a list of all the papers due.  Ok, maybe this will work.  Just keep my work and post as needed.  No problem.  Right?

Actually, absolutely right.  Well, I survived first day (that wasn't really a first day).  Hopefully, I will learn how I learn and remember not to jump into things too quickly.  Though, in my own defense, CN said she was completely impressed with my enthusiasm so I've got that going for me...and yea, and she also gave me three more documents on how to navigate through the student portal and constellation (love those names!).  So I have more reading material...YEA!

When I get to the actual class, I think I'll be exhausted (and that is twelve days away!)  Good grief!

Bye for now...off to read some more.