The eClassRoom Bulletin Board (BB) is the place we will have class discussions.
Click on the hotlink below and explore our BB. Try everything out and become familiar and comfortable with this site. Its important, you will be reading, and posting, class messages here every week. This part of the course is a big part of your final grade.
The first thing you should do there is LOGIN. You will have to specify a USERNAME and a PASSWORD. Remember both for future reference, even if you opt for logging in automatically every time you visit.
Once you have registered, go to the FORUM and post a message. Tell the class who you are, your background, why you are taking the course, and what you hope to get out of this class this semester. We all want to know who each other is, so don't be bashful. If you are, I may ask for more.
WARNING: When posting a message, whether a reply or comment or discussion,
ALWAYS USE "NEW TOPIC"
DO NOT USE "POST REPLY"
Why?: If you use "POST REPLY" your comment gets buried under the first comment, and no one will see it when they look at the index (the front page of each question).
Give it a try:
Take me to the Agronomy 317 eClassRoom Bulletin Board
Excellent.
Return to Getting Started for more things to
do.
How the Agron 317 eClassRoom will run.
Each day of each week of the semester new things will appear on the discussion board. I will ask weekly questions that you are required to respond to, and the WHATSUP? section is the place to ask questions about course material, bad links, exams, anything you would ask in a on-campus classroom.
You must check frequently to see what is going on, to enter your contributions, and to read what others in the class have contributed to the eClass discussion promptly. I will make all assignments for discussion during the appropriate week.
Your weekly discussion grade will be cumulative for all your activities in eClass: answering specific questions, asking questions, discussing exams, promptness, etc. One cumulative weekly discussion grade.
Any questions you have about the course should be made in the eClassRoom WHATSUP? so everyone can share in the question and the response. Chances are if you are wondering about something, another (or many) student has the same question. You will be positively rewarded in your weekly discussion grade by asking questions.
I discourage you from sending your questions to me at my email address. I want you to use jdekker@iastate.edu for only personal or private matters, but you will not be penalized..
I think you will see as the semester begins that if everyone knows what everyone else is saying in the eClassRoom we will soon develop a group identity, a group or classroom discussion dynamic that will be kind of like an on-campus classroom discussion. It could be even better in some ways because it is internet, because you have time to think about what what you want to say exactly, and because you don't have the scary part of having everyone looking at you as you talk that can be so inhibiting in a classroom. I really hope we all get to know each other well this semester as we learn about the coolest organisms of all: the weeds. Its all up to us and is in our hands (actually our fingers on the keyboard).
