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Tutorial
for using iEARN's WWW-based Forums
Posting
Responses to Discussion Topics
We will introduce
the process for posting messages in theTeachers' Lounge, part of the
iEARN Interactive Discussion Forums. If you are able and would like
to actually work directly on the forums during the tutorial, place your
mouse/curser over this address http://foro.iearn.org
and a window will open automatically. You will need to Register and
log-in before this will be possible. If you have not yet Registered,
see www.iearn.org/tutorial/database.html
We will start
with the Teachers Forum. Click on Teachers Forum on the main iEARN
Forums Page:
You will see
a list of discussion topics similar to the one below:
At the top (and bottom)
of the window is the navigation line to indicate where you are in
the forums.
Below is a sample
Discussion Thread in
the Teachers Forum.
Each item
in this list is a "Discussion Topic," followed by the date
on which it was last updated and the User Name of the person who posted
the topic originally. Under the Discussion Topic is the number of responses
that have been posted to the topic.
To Read the
topic, click on it (the blue text). You will see the topic and a
list
of responses to it (if any).
As you can
see from the picture above, the author of this topic
is identified along with the date/time of his posting. By clicking
on his name, you can send an e-mail message directly to him. HOWEVER,
we
encourage you to respond to the forum instead.
To reply
to the Topic, click on "Reply." Two windows open, one for
the "title" or "subject" and one for the text of
your message. You can type in any title/subject. Click in the larger
box to type your response. When you are finished typing, you can check
the spelling and "post" your message by clicking on the buttons.
You will then return to the message to which you have responded. As
you can see, below, after posting your message, you have 30 minutes
to "edit" it. After you post your message, you will see an
"edit" button next to your message.
We encourage you and your
students to post 3 RESPONSES for every
new TOPIC. Everyone is waiting for
a response to their topic. Similarly, your students will also
want to receive responses.
So, the key to a successful interactive network is for everyone to
post
RESPONSES! The responses can be as simple
as "I have read your message and I like the issues you raise. What
did you mean when you wrote...?"
Everyone wants to know that their message has been read and answer
questions that people may have about it!
However, at times, you will
also want to post new discussion topics. Click HERE
for a continuation of the tutorial on how to post a new topic.
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