Directions for WebBoard
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To join the WebBoard:
Only I can add you to our class WebBoard. If you were not added the
first day of class, contact me ASAP.
To get to the WebBoard:
- Go
to http://online.parkland.edu:8080/~eng102fa03/
- Use
the login and password sent to your email to log in.
- To
change your password, go to "More" (across the top of the page).
Select "Edit Your Profile."
Delete password (the password that is shown is your
"starter" password). Type in your own personalized password, and
then click SAVE at the bottom of the page. This will be your new password
each time you visit the WebBoard. You can log off at the top or continue
using the web board.
To Use WebBoard
I'm not going to give a lot of super-detailed directions, since mostly you
will learn this by doing. However,
some basic tips:
- “Conferences”
are a group of posts dedicated to a single topic.
You might also think of them as “threads,” since the posts are
arranged in threads of replies. If
I reply to your post in a conference, my reply will appear under your
post. This helps the reader
navigate discussions. A few
notes on conferences:
- Only
I can create new conferences. If
you feel there’s a need for one, let me know.
I may create one, or I may suggest an existing conference.
- To
post in a conference, you must first click on the conference heading
(the title in bold type).
- To
determine if you are posting in the correct conference (which is kinda
sorta important), look at the title.
The title will usually be in the form of “Group Name; Week
Number.” So, if you are
(a) in the Imladris group, and (b) posting your response to Unit
Three’s discussion prompt, you would do so in the conference labeled
“Imladris; Unit Three.”
- To
post a message, you must first do the following:
- Enter
a conference by clicking on the title.
You cannot post a message until you enter a conference.
- MAKE
SURE you’re in the right conference.
- In
the very top left hand corner is the “post” command.
Click on “Post.”
- This
will bring up the posting window. Once
you’re there:
i.
MAKE SURE you’re in the right conference (sensing a theme, here?).
The first sentence in the window will say “Post
a New Topic in "Conference name.”
ii.
Enter a Topic title. Choose
something that reflects what your message is about.
If, for example, you are responding to a discussion prompt about “The
Fall of the House of Usher,” you might want to call it “Usher.”
iii.
Ignore everything between the topic and the large box.
Really. Don’t mess with
it.
iv.
Type your message in the box. If
you are familiar with basic HTML commands, you can use those.
v.
Click on “Post.”
- Reading
messages is pretty simple: you just click on the message.
To see the messages in a conference, click on the little plus-sign
(+) by the conference title. To
hide the messages in a conference you are not reading, click on the little
minus sign by the conference title.
- To
reply to a message, first click on the message to display it.
In the window with the message, click on “Reply to:”
- To
automatically quote the message you are replying to, click on
“Reply/Quote.” Note: if
you do this, please, please, please trim the quotation by deleting
everything but exactly what you are responding to.
And that's your basics. If you have any problems, there are three steps
you can take.
- Read the screen. Seriously, most information about how to use a
computer program is on the screen. Think about what it is you want to
do, and look on the screen for a word or command or picture that seems to
reflect that. Give it a try.
- Read the Help file. Click on "Help, and look at the table of
contents. Browse through.
- Call/email me. I'm happy to answer questions, but please try
the other two options first.