TIPS Volume 3, No. 7
March, 2003

     Grade Level Key 
     = Elem, = Middle
     = High, = Teachers

The Fayette County School Forms

After laying dormant for a half-dozen months, the Fayette County School Forums has taken off! In this month's Connections are examples of threads (called "topics" on the forums):

On Your Mark (from the CVE - Read 180 forum) - This thread is from a forum hosted by Cardinal Valley Elementary School for 4th-grade students enrolled in the Read 180 reading program. There are three classes at that school currently participating. Threads are books and stories that all of the students are following. This forum has been offered to four  Read 180 classes at two other schools.

Ramona (from CME - Cindy VanDyke's Classroom Forum) - this general forum is, for the most part, run with a minimum amount of adult participation, and is also concerned with reading assignments. You'll note that, true to adult forums, students are beginning to comment on the forum use itself! (See 12sewebb's contribution towards the bottom.)

Instructional Uses (from the For Teachers Only forum) - This topic and forum is for the teachers who are using this environment. There are teaching ideas and links to materials and helps.

See this month's Into the Classroom for examples of how these forums are being integrated into classroom instruction, how they're being assessed, and for ideas on how else they might be used. For more information on the Fayette County School Forums environment, see its home page at http://itech.fcps.net/forum/.  Remember - this capability is available to any Fayette County Schools entity (classroom, school, department, club, committee, team...), with a variety of security and control options!