Ground Rules

All of us in the class, you, me, your peers, have a responsibility to create an environment in which we can all learn from each other. I expect everyone to participate in class so that we can all benefit from the insights and experiences that each person brings.

In this class, we learn together as members of a community. In an effort to ensure our community develops, thrives and sustains, the following ground rules will be in effect at all times. By participating in our community, you agree to be familiar with and abide by these groundrules.

A community is a group of individuals who work together in support of a common goal or interest. We are working together to support the successful achievement of our learning outcomes.

As a community member, you agree to:

Treat contributions made by other members of the class with respect and understand that differences in opinion are not only natural but encouraged and supported.

Have patience and a sense of humor with technology.

Keep an open mind.

Ask for help when you need it and assist others when possible.

Contribute regularly to collaborative activities to ensure other members of the community have ample opportunity to read/listen, reflect, and respond to your ideas.

Respect the diverse opinions and viewpoints of each member of our community.

Understand that communications shared through text have a higher likelihood of being misinterpreted than the spoken word. Therefore, when you type a thought or a comment, read it carefully before you submit it. If you question the way it is worded, read it out loud to yourself. If you still question the way it's phrased, re-write it.

Contribute regularly to group dialogue, including blog posts and comments. The contributions of each individual plays a role in the collective strength and diversity of our community.

Who is eligible to be a member of our community?

Only enrolled Architectural Freehand Drawing students are eligible to be members of our online community. This is to ensure we maintain a safe, trustworthy discussion environment.

What images and videos am I permitted to share in our network?

All image and video content you share within this community will directly relate to the topic of our course in some way. You are expected to use discretion and, if asked, you will be expected to demonstrate how your content supports the curriculum of our course.

You are welcome to share personal photographs of yourself, family, and friends on your page. Many of my former students convey this adds to a personalized learning experience and helps students get to know each other, more as they would in an offline class. However, you are not required to share personal images.

What happens if someone violates a ground rule?

If, at any time, you feel that any of these ground rules have been violated by a member of our community, you are encouraged to bring your concern directly and immediately to Beth Abels our community leader, via email at abelsbh@laccd.edu. In your email, clearly identify which groundrule has been violated and include specific evidence of the violation in your email. Your concerns will be addressed promptly with careful consideration in an individualized manner.

All students will be held accountable for the LAPC Student Code of Conduct, Links to an external site. including disciplinary actions. If you are unfamiliar with the Student Code of Conduct, please read it here. Links to an external site.

What happens to this network after our class is over?

After this class is over, the content you’ve shared in this network will be deleted. If you wish to save anything shared here, it is your responsibility to duplicate the content and save it elsewhere before the end of our class.

Listening. Deeply listening to what others say and to the feelings, experiences and wisdom behind what they say.
Humility. Recognizing that, however passionately we hold ideas and opinions, other people may hold pieces of the puzzle that we don’t.
Respect. Trusting the integrity of others, believing they have the right to their opinions (even when different from your own) and valuing others enough to risk sharing ideas.
Trust. Building a brave space to explore new ideas and work through conflicts, controversy and painful moments that may arise when talking about issues of injustice and oppression.

Voice. Speaking the truth as we see it and asking questions about things we don’t know or understand, particularly on topics related to identity, power and justice.