Scheduled Chat Times

(Tip: hit reload or refresh whenever you open this page to see if changes have been made. The last change occurred at 05 Nov 2009 06:11 PM -0500.)

Please note in blue above that I've added AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) user names. Check to make sure yours is there. If it isn't, email me your AIM user name, in case we need to move to IM if Angel goes down. Mine, by the way, is profdan1032. I'd also suggest you add class members to your buddy list, especially those in your group.

See http://www.aim.com.

Explanation for the "Scheduled Chat Times"

As you recall from our attendance policy, "attendance will be based on your participation with the rest of us" in online activities.

• As part of your attendance in this class, you need to meet with your group in chat when assigned on the Online Activities/Writing Exercises pages that I post each week.

• Plan on meeting at least once a week, though the weeks we have audience response sessions, we will likely not have chat.

• Based on your introductions, above you will find the session you are assigned to.

The sessions are scheduled for an hour, but that doesn't mean you have to stay in chat that long, as long as you fulfill effectively the required activities described in the Online Activities/Writing Exercises pages.

• If during a week you miss the scheduled chat or the required participation in Writer's Café, then you will be considered "absent."

• And with chats, you have to participate fully. It's not enough simply to show up, wave, and then leave.

Why are we doing online activities?

Here is the reasoning behind both the Angel discussion forum online conversations and chat activities: The audience for your four essays is not just me, but all of the members of this class. That's why we had introductions, to get to know each other a bit. The purpose of these chats, and the whole class discussions in the Writer's Café forum, is to become more familiar with your audience, members of this class, so that as you work on your essays, you will have some sense about what our attitudes are about the subjects we deal with. So the discussion is not only to express your position about a topic (which can often help you figure out or clarify what you think), but to listen carefully to what the members of your audience are saying, giving you a sense of what they do and don't know, of what they do and don't care for.

Changing session times

• If you need to change because the time doesn't work for you, email me which session better suits you. However, do note I will not increase any session beyond five members.

  • Thus, session 2 (Thursday evening) is full--you would only be able to join it permanently if you found someone in the session to trade with you.

• However, for an occasional situation where you can't meet with your scheduled time, feel free to participate with another group.

• But remember that you may be letting down those in your scheduled time, so I suggest you not make a practice of it.

• And do email the group in your scheduled chat session to let them know.

• You can email through Angel>Communication>Course Mail>Quick Message and just choose the names of your chat partners (by clicking on To:).

And of course, you can attend more than one chat, plus any of you can choose to use chat on your own with each other.

Moderators

I will soon ask a member of each group to be a moderator, based on his or her computer competence and responsible completion of the work for the first few weeks. I will identify moderators soon.

• The moderator will

1. Start the chat on time.

2. Generally keep the discussion on task, based on the instructions I give in the Online Activities/Writing Exercises pages.

3. If Angel is down, move to AOL Instant Messenger chat, save the chat transcript and email it to me.

   • To start a chat in AIM, after signing on, click on the Chat icon below your buddy list and then invite the users from our class that are online. (For AIM 6.0--the chat command is found under Actions below the Buddy lists.)

     • Of course, you'll need to make sure class members are in your buddy list--which is why it's important you all let me know what your user name is so I can include it above.

   • To save a chat transcript in AIM, before closing the chat, just click on File>Save.  (For AIM 6.0--you can have it log automatically by clicking on Edit>Settings>IM Archives and check Archive chats. Do so, though, before you start a chat!)

Moderators will earn some extra points for these duties well executed.

Why am I here?

Some of you gave times in your introductions that did not fit with other class members. And some didn't note times you were available in the first week online activity letter. I tried to put you into sessions that were closest to what you noted.

However, if you cannot regularly make the sessions you're assigned, let me know which you can work with and I'll move you. However, again, do note I will not increase any session beyond five members.

And if you don't see your name up here at all, you haven't been attending class and/or haven't been active in Angel (which means you may soon be dropped from the class). Or I made a mistake.

Contact me if you don't see your name, as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call me or e-mail me. My phone number and office hours are right above the Table of Contents on the Online Syllabus. I do have voice mail for my phone if I'm not in.

[Calendar] [Syllabus] [Angel] [What's New]

[Explanation] [Why?] [Changes] [Moderators] [Why Am I Here?]

© by Dan Holt, 2009

Created 6/15/1998
Revised: 05 November 2009 06:11 PM -0500