Home Room
Your Home Room provides an informal, open forum for you to build relationships within a group of 15-30 Texas K-2 teachers. Only Home Room members choose discussion topics.
When you register, the system initally assigns you to a Temporary Home Room with other new members. The system automatically transfers members to a permanent Home Room after the third login within 21 days.
From anywhere in the site, you can return to your Home Room by clicking "Home Room" on the side bar.
Temporary Home Room
Everyone learns more when they are free to explore and ask questions in a comfortable and safe environment. This freedom comes from using the tools within the Community. Your Temporary Home Room (THR) provides a safe place to learn and become acquainted with the tools of the Community.
Notice on your temporary home room page, there is a link "Sign up for upcoming workshops!"
Click this link to see what workshops are available to you.
Choose the workshop you wish to attend.
Enter your e-mail address.
Enter your password.
Click "Sign me up."
The next page is your confirmation of registration. Make a note of the date and time, and follow the instructions to attend. The system will send a confirmation e-mail to your e-mail address.
Your Temporary Home Room Host
The THR host can answer your questions about how to get the most out of the Community. By posting your questions within the Temporary Home Room discussion, you help other members benefit from the exchange between you and the host. Often, that exchange encourages other questions, and the benefit of your original question increases exponentially.
Moving on to a Permanent Home Room
After you register and receive assignment to a THR, if you log into the Community two more times within the next three weeks, the system automatically moves you to a permanent Home Room.
If you do not log into the Community two more times within the next three weeks, the system automatically places you on inactive status.
Once on inactive status, if you log into the Community, the system automatically places you in a new THR.
NOTE: Once you move to a permanent Home Room, you no longer have access to your THR, including any and all postings made in that THR.
Things to Do While in a Temporary Home Room
Ask questions and actively participate in the discussions. The temporary home room helps you learn the mechanics of the Community well enough to devote your time to teaching-related topics instead of community-related topics.
News
- Community-wide news.
- Current and relevant articles from news organizations.
- Announcements (i.e. Open Houses, etc.)
Community Activity Summary
The community activity summary shows the current activity of all communities that you have joined as well as a summary of Home Room activity. The activity summary provides you an overview of all activity, including any new topics, responses, etc. posted since you last logged into the Community.
Discussion
Discuss topics that are important to you. In the Home Rooms, there are no restrictions on the topics. Get to know the other members in your home room by sharing information about yourself and your classroom.
Topics
Adding a Topic
Click on the "add topic" link.
Type your title in the "Title" text box.
Type your message in the "Message" text box.
An optional "Link to URL" space is provided if you would like to direct your readers to a specific location/site for further information.
Type or copy/paste your URL in the "Link to URL" text box. Make sure to preface your URL with "http://."
Click "Submit."
The system automatically adds your topic to the list. You may edit your topic as long as there are no responses by clicking on the "edit" link below your topic in the list.
Responding to a Topic
Click on the title of the topic.
Click on "respond."
Type your response in the "Your Response" text box.
Type or copy/paste your URL in the "Link to URL" text box. Make sure to preface your URL with "http://."
Click "Submit."
The system automatically records your response and updates the number of responses to that topic.
Editing a Topic
Click on the "edit" link under your topic.
Make your changes.
Click "Submit."
NOTE: Once your topic receives a response, the edit link disappears.
Viewing Unread Topics
Unread topics are indicated by a "NEW" icon. "NEW" icons appear next to topics and responses that have been submitted since your last login.
Click on the title to view any new topic or response.
NOTE: Once you have viewed a topic, that "new" icon disappears from the topic, and the topic disappears from the unread list.
To view all unread messages, click on the "unread" link located directly below the page heading as shown in the picture above.
Members
You may view a list of members in a particular Home Room or Community of Practice by clicking on the "Members" link in the topbar of a community homepage.
Click on "Members."
The next screen shows the number of members and a list of those members. An asterisk to the left of a person's name indicates that person is currently online.
You may view any members profile by clicking on that member's name.