Discussion Forums

One of the primary places where you will communicate and interact with others is in the Forums. Participating in the various discussion forums will contribute significantly to your learning and is the primary way we'll build our online learning community. Discussions are available to everyone in the class, although there may be times throughout the course when the discussion will be most meaningful if it is focused by grade level. Please make your postings to the forums as early in the week as possible and check the forums throughout the week to give and receive replies to posts.

Included in Forums are different forums for each Module, plus a general forum for the class as a whole. Within each forum are topics. Each topic contains multiple threads but focuses on a different activity. Throughout the course, topics are lettered and numbered; for example, 1-B-1: Introductions is in Module One, and the first learning activity for Topic B.

There are three general discussion topics within Forums:

• The Facilitator Forum is where your facilitator posts comments about the upcoming week's topic, provides helpful tips, and responds to questions.
• The Questions forum is a place where you can post a question or a comment — think of it like you're raising your hand in class. Chances are if you have a question, at least one other person has the same one. Check this forum often, especially at the beginning of each week.
• The Break Room is a place for you to just hang out and chat about anything and everything. When you want to talk about something that isn’t specifically course-related, this is the place go. Please visit the Break Room often throughout the course to have casual conversations with classmates.

Note: The Forums area may also be referred to as Class Discussions, Discussion Forums, or Discussion Board.