1. How to write a good forum post

2. How the forums work  You will read the question/topic  You will write a response and post your ideas  More ideas to come about this  You will reply to 2-3 (or more) other classmates  Minimum of 2-3 sentences  This is basically and online discussion

3. Posting expectations/reminders  Be kind and professional when replying and use complete sentences.  Finish responses with questions to keep the conversation going.  Write the paragraph in the proper format  Remember the rules of your AUP as they apply here

4. Set up of a forum post  See Moodle for example

5. Sample response for Intro forum post My name is Mrs. Bartley and there are many different things to know about me. First, I use technology every day. I use it to take attendance, create projects, check assignments, and to learn about what is going on in the world. Secondly, I really like to read, which might not be surprising as I am also an ELA teacher. Finally, I like to bake sweet treats. I love anything with chocolate like cake, cookies, and candy. I am a busy person but when I get time I like to relax with a good book or make a yummy treat.

6. Rubric  See Word Doc  We will break down the rubric in the remaining slides

7. 5-7 quality sentences  5-7  Need at least 5 but may go longer if needed.  You can even go more than 7 sentences if you need to in order to fully explain your idea  Quality  Not short and choppy.  Have compound/complex sentences (combine ideas)  Example:  I like cake. Cake is good. Cake is sweet. Cake is chocolaty.  I like cake because it tastes sweet and chocolaty which makes it so good to eat.

8. Topic sentence  1 sentence that tells me what the paragraph will be about.  You can usually echo part of the question in your response.  It needs to be broad enough to cover everything you will discuss in the paragraph.  If you make it too narrow, your paragraph will be off topic.  My name is Mrs. Bartley and there are many different things to know about me.  Too narrow: My name is Mrs. Bartley and I use technology in a lot of different ways.  Doesn’t include the idea that I will discuss reading and baking.

9. Supporting details  Be sure to clearly answer all questions asked.  Give examples and explanations to support yourself.

10. Concluding statement  One sentence that wraps up your ideas.  It sometimes echoes your topic sentence. It can also sum up your ideas almost like a mini summary.  I am a busy person but when I get time I like to relax with a good book or make a yummy treat.

11. Questions answered  Did you clearly answer all the questions?  Did you explain your ideas?  Ties in with supporting details

12. Grammar/Mechanics  Correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, etc.  Common mistakes:  Capitalizing “I”  Capitalizing the start of sentences  Check spelling  Using punctuation  Clear ideas