A Place for Collaborative Online Discussion

An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages.

Configure the Forum

As will other web-parts, you must click the Settings() button to configure this web-part.

There is a good amount on on-page Help () content to assist you as you configure the web-part.

What Exactly Does One Do with a Forum?

This web-part will allow you, the moderator, to create areas (forums) in which to discuss specific topics. It operates in a manner similar to a bulletin board wherein someone can post a new topic (or "thread") to which visitors can post responses.

Responses display in a tiered fashion which allows you to intuitively tell the difference between the main topic, responses to the main topic, and responses-to-responses.

Example Forum Uses

Your forum can be used for any purpose--

• Collaboration/Discussion Amongst Teachers/Staff
• Collaboration / Discussion Amongst Students in a Class or Club
• Share and Discuss Teaching Best Practices
• Share and Discuss Problems and Solutions to Technology Issues
• Debate Threads
• Pre-Test Question & Answer (Q&A)

Here are some specific examples to get you thinking:

A Teachers-Only Forum

• Area/Forum 1: Curriculum
  • Topic Example: Curriculum Mapping Tips & Tricks
  • Topic Example: Competency/Mastery-Based Formative Assessment vs. Traditional Testing/Scoring
• Area/Forum 2: SchoolFront Teacher Forum
  • Topic Example: Gradebook Setup Tips & Tricks
  • Topic Example: Using SchoolFront to Do Standards-Based Grading
  • Topic Example: Mark Grades (Report Card Prep) Question
• Area/Forum 3: Professional Development
  • Topic Example: Your Favorite Professional Development Workshops
  • Topic Example: Professional Development: What Works?
  • Topic Example: What Are Other Schools/Districts Doing?

An English Literature Class Forum

• Area/Forum 1: Native Son (Independent Novel)
  • Topic Example: plot, point of view, diction, tone, faulty reasoning
  • Topic Example: Racism, Anti-Semitism, and Individual vs. Society
• Area/Forum 2: Oedipus Rex
  • Topic Example: irony, classical tragedy, Greek drama
  • Topic Example: self-knowledge, pride, arrogance
• Area/Forum 3: Canterbury Tales
  • Topic Example: The General Prologue
  • Topic Example: Structure, diction, symbolism, imagery
  • Topic Example: Thematic Focus on chivalric values, love, human idealism
  • Topic Example: Setting