Getting Started
Welcome
Congratulations and welcome to Gifted LearningLinks at Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development! Your acceptance into this program is an indication of your high abilities and past achievements. You should be both proud and confident of the choice you have made.
Gifted LearningLinks (GLL) will be an opportunity and a challenge for you, and your success will require diligence, self-motivation and careful organization. As a Gifted LearningLinks student, you must make a personal commitment to your course. You must use your independent study skills and time management skills to complete your course work in a timely fashion.
Though many Gifted LearningLinks courses allow for some degree of self-pacing, you are expected to adhere to assignment deadlines that the course instructor has set. However, you can decide if you want to do your course work daily or spend part of your weekend completing assignments. If you will be away on vacation or have other conflicts that will cause you to be unable to work on your course during that time, please discuss your schedule with your teacher as soon as you have this information. Communication is key to a successful experience.
Things to Do
This will seem like a great deal of information, but once you have done the items below, you will be all set to take the course and will not have to do these things again.
1. Print and save NetID e-mail.
You recently received an acceptance e-mail with your NetID and temporary password. (Your NetID is a username assigned by Northwestern that allows you to access your course site.) Please print out this e-mail and keep it in a safe place, as you will need it every time you access your course site. Your NetID will always remain the same, but you will need to change your password every 90 days.
2. Change temporary password.
The password you received in your acceptance e-mail is a temporary one. You will need to go to Northwestern University’s Online Passport within the next three days to log in with this password and then to change your password to a permanent one of your choosing. If you do not do so, your account will be locked.
3. Acquire necessary texts and/or supplies.
You can find information regarding any texts, books or online lab subscriptions that may be required for your course at the Center for Talent Development Bookstore. If you do not find information about your course at this site, it may be that your course does not require a textbook. Please refer to the course syllabus posted on your course site or contact your instructor to confirm. (See Item #6 below for instructions on accessing your course site.)
4. Log in to the Blackboard Course Management System.
Once you have changed your password, log in to the Blackboard Course Management System by entering your NetID and password. In the unlikely event that you are unable to successfully log in to the Blackboard site, please go to the course management help and support site. Tutorials and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) are also available on our Gifted LearningLinks web site.
5. Begin the Gifted LearningLinks Orientation to Online Learning.
Once you have successfully logged into Blackboard, you will see a link to the “Welcome to Gifted LearningLinks” online orientation site listed under “My Courses.” Here, during the first few days of the session, you will participate in an orientation to online learning, which will provide you with the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the Blackboard system, submit practice assignments and quizzes, interact with other GLL students and ask questions of GLL staff.
A real-time orientation session will be held during the first couple days of the session. Please see the schedule posted on the Gifted LearningLinks Orientation site on the Blackboard Course Management System (click on the "Course Timeline" menu item) for specific times and dates. Parents and school liaisons are also welcome to attend the orientation session.
While the orientation will not begin until the start of the session, in the meantime you are encouraged to browse the “Welcome to Gifted LearningLinks” site, as there are resources permanently posted on this site that will give you and your parents an overview of Gifted LearningLinks policies.
6. Connect with your instructor, and begin your course!
At the start of your Gifted LearningLinks session, you will see a link to your individual course site on the “My Courses” page after you have logged into Blackboard. All materials required for your course, including your instructor contact information, syllabus and assignments, can be found there. Your instructor will call and talk with you and your parents within the first week of the session. At this time, you should be familiar with your syllabus and ready to ask any questions or express any concerns. Also, this will be your opportunity to establish the optimum time and manner in which to interact with your instructor during the course. You may also want to download our Tips for Preparing for Your Instructor's Initial Phone Call.
Reminders and Technical Assistance
We can’t emphasize enough how important effective communication is for a successful online learning experience. While instructors initiate contact with students, it is each student’s responsibility to contact the instructor with questions and concerns and to maintain a stable e-mail address that does not filter GLL e-mail or instructor e-mail messages.
Finally, we have created a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and some helpful tutorials on our web site to assist you with the start-up process. We highly recommend that you try these in the next few days to avoid any technical difficulties once your course begins.
The FAQs quickly answer the most common technical problems you may encounter, so refer to this first if you think something is wrong.
Again, welcome, and enjoy your Gifted LearningLinks course!
Welcome
Congratulations and welcome to Gifted LearningLinks at Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development! Your acceptance into this program is an indication of your high abilities and past achievements. You should be both proud and confident of the choice you have made.
Gifted LearningLinks (GLL) will be an opportunity and a challenge for you, and your success will require diligence, self-motivation and careful organization. As a Gifted LearningLinks student, you must make a personal commitment to your course. You must use your independent study skills and time management skills to complete your course work in a timely fashion.
Though many Gifted LearningLinks courses allow for some degree of self-pacing, you are expected to adhere to assignment deadlines that the course instructor has set. However, you can decide if you want to do your course work daily or spend part of your weekend completing assignments. If you will be away on vacation or have other conflicts that will cause you to be unable to work on your course during that time, please discuss your schedule with your teacher as soon as you have this information. Communication is key to a successful experience.
Things to Do
This will seem like a great deal of information, but once you have done the items below, you will be all set to take the course and will not have to do these things again.
1. Print and save NetID e-mail.
You recently received an acceptance e-mail with your NetID and temporary password. (Your NetID is a username assigned by Northwestern that allows you to access your course site.) Please print out this e-mail and keep it in a safe place, as you will need it every time you access your course site. Your NetID will always remain the same, but you will need to change your password every 90 days.
2. Change temporary password.
The password you received in your acceptance e-mail is a temporary one. You will need to go to Northwestern University’s Online Passport within the next three days to log in with this password and then to change your password to a permanent one of your choosing. If you do not do so, your account will be locked.
3. Acquire necessary texts and/or supplies.
You can find information regarding any texts, books or online lab subscriptions that may be required for your course at the Center for Talent Development Bookstore. If you do not find information about your course at this site, it may be that your course does not require a textbook. Please refer to the course syllabus posted on your course site or contact your instructor to confirm. (See Item #6 below for instructions on accessing your course site.)
4. Log in to the Blackboard Course Management System.
Once you have changed your password, log in to the Blackboard Course Management System by entering your NetID and password. In the unlikely event that you are unable to successfully log in to the Blackboard site, please go to the course management help and support site. Tutorials and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) are also available on our Gifted LearningLinks web site.
5. Begin the Gifted LearningLinks Orientation to Online Learning.
Once you have successfully logged into Blackboard, you will see a link to the “Welcome to Gifted LearningLinks” online orientation site listed under “My Courses.” Here, during the first few days of the session, you will participate in an orientation to online learning, which will provide you with the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the Blackboard system, submit practice assignments and quizzes, interact with other GLL students and ask questions of GLL staff.
A real-time orientation session will be held during the first couple days of the session. Please see the schedule posted on the Gifted LearningLinks Orientation site on the Blackboard Course Management System (click on the "Course Timeline" menu item) for specific times and dates. Parents and school liaisons are also welcome to attend the orientation session.
While the orientation will not begin until the start of the session, in the meantime you are encouraged to browse the “Welcome to Gifted LearningLinks” site, as there are resources permanently posted on this site that will give you and your parents an overview of Gifted LearningLinks policies.
6. Connect with your instructor, and begin your course!
At the start of your Gifted LearningLinks session, you will see a link to your individual course site on the “My Courses” page after you have logged into Blackboard. All materials required for your course, including your instructor contact information, syllabus and assignments, can be found there. Your instructor will call and talk with you and your parents within the first week of the session. At this time, you should be familiar with your syllabus and ready to ask any questions or express any concerns. Also, this will be your opportunity to establish the optimum time and manner in which to interact with your instructor during the course. You may also want to download our Tips for Preparing for Your Instructor's Initial Phone Call.
Reminders and Technical Assistance
We can’t emphasize enough how important effective communication is for a successful online learning experience. While instructors initiate contact with students, it is each student’s responsibility to contact the instructor with questions and concerns and to maintain a stable e-mail address that does not filter GLL e-mail or instructor e-mail messages.
Finally, we have created a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and some helpful tutorials on our web site to assist you with the start-up process. We highly recommend that you try these in the next few days to avoid any technical difficulties once your course begins.
The FAQs quickly answer the most common technical problems you may encounter, so refer to this first if you think something is wrong.
Again, welcome, and enjoy your Gifted LearningLinks course!
