Welcome to our discussion forum! This is a great way to reflect on what you’ve learned and relate that to your classmates. In the classroom, you’re accustomed to having a lot of other people around you. Maybe you don’t ever know how to respond but you have a lot to say? This is a great place to feel like you’re part of a group, learn from your classmates, and present your ideas in an uninterrupted environment. Here are a few guidelines to make the discussion forum a positive learning environment.
1. Make the discussion board a priority. Respond early! This allows everyone to be involved and makes for a lively board. This is the preferred environment just as active classes are more fun than passive ones.
2. Reply. A discussion board is supposed to be a DISCUSSION! You can’t do that if all that you see are initial responses to the thread. In the classroom, responding, “I agree/disagree” or “you’re right” doesn’t further the discussion; it doesn’t do much in the online environment, either. Explain WHY you agree or disagree. Ask the poster a question or bring up other things for them to think about. Also, make sure everyone is getting replies so everyone can get the benefits of the online discussion forum.
3. Be brief. You know how it feels when you get to a huge reading passage you have to tackle? Well… it’s the same thing in a discussion board. Long posts can be daunting to read and then respond to. You only need to make your point once. You can re-iterate it in replies.
4. Stay on topic. This ties in with number 2. Feel free to further the conversation by bringing up new thoughts related to the topic; your personal experiences can be used to craft a response but don’t carry on. Talking about what you did over the weekend is not appropriate but briefly explaining a personal experience that crafts your ideas is fine.
5. Be thoughtful. Make sure you are really considering the question. A good rule of thumb is to practice your post in a word document first so you can edit it so it’s saying what you want. It allows you to edit it to the right length. This also helps you check spelling and grammar. (Spelling and grammar is important!)
6. Cite. Make sure you credit any sources you use to craft your post.
7. Be kind. Classmates in the virtual world may not seem like real people- but they are! Make sure to be considerate while posting. Keep in mind, these are other student’s in Mrs. Wright’s Astronomy classes! Be respectful and respond to them the way you’d want to be responded to.
Note, humor, sarcasm, and writing in all caps can be easily misunderstood. Try to avoid these.
Have Fun!