WEB BOARDS FOR NETWORKING:
TIPS FOR MODERATORS

Tracy Snow, Communities In Schools regional coordinator, demonstrates how the CIS web board works.


CIS has been using a web board since 1998 and it seems to work as a networking tool. Why?

1. The CIS regional coordinator moderates the board. She catalyzes discussion and genrally ensures each message has a response.

2. The board is only one of the networking tools. The CIS coordinators also communicate (and report) by email and telephone.

3. The participants have all met each other at orientation and training sessions. Dormant web boards sometimes seem to take off after participants have met each other in a real (as opposed to a virtual) space.

4. People are encouraged to use the board as part of their job description :)>

5. The web board is also used for social chat.

6. Utilization of the web board is included in CIS training sessions.


NETWORKING:
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS NEWFOUNDLAND


Effective networking is essential within a regional Communities In Schools (whole school model) program.

It's important to monitor the progress of the program through scheduled reporting. It also helps to learn what's happening at other sites, as well as sharing your own experience as site coordinator. But, more importantly, it's not always easy trying to facilitate a community process; sometimes it helps just to know that somebody else cares.

The best networking, of course, is face-to-face meetings. The CIS program includes group sessions for training and networking purposes.

But in rural Atlantic Canada it's not always possible to meet because of the climate, distance and expense. Fortunately we live in a time when computer communications provide an alternative. And CIS will provide training to make sure it works for you.


E-MAIL


It's important for all CIS site coordinators to have access to electronic mail and the internet. The CIS district coordinator will try to arrange for you to have access at the school.

You don't have to pay a fee to have e-mail. If you have access to the internet, fire up the browser (Netscape or Explorer) and go to the site - http//www.hotmail.com - and follow the directions to get your own free e-mail account. There's lots of access to free email acounts; try yahoo.com if hotmail is too busy for you.

It's a good idea to check your mail each day and send a quick message to your district co ordinator. Also use e-mail to send your regular reports.



DISCUSSION BOARD


CIS Newfoundland has established an internet discussion board to encourage dialogue between its site coordinators.

The WEB board was originally on a private site but we changed it so it can be reached from the Communities In Schools Newfoundland site. Actually there isn't any private communication; e-mail, telephone calls or snail mail - can be accessed by those who know how.

Once you fire up your browser, type in the address -
www.glinx.com/~ryakuga/chat/chat.html
When you arrive at the page, simply follow directions to post your message.

A discussion board is set up in threads. That is, you can either post a new message on a new topic - or you can post a follow up and follow the thread of a previous message.

If the line goes dead while you are writing your message, simply finish writing and then go online again to post your message.

You can also paste and copy larger messages in the window.

When you post a message and go back to the main page, you may not see your message there. Don't re-post the message. Instead press the RELOAD button in your browser's menu bar.

The discussion board will work best if everybody picks a time each week to post a message. Don't worry about being too serious; it's your forum. Use it socially and then when problems do arise, it will be more likely to be of use.

Bookmark the page in your browser so it's less work to access.


WEB PAGES


CIS Newfoundland does have it's own web page and you're invited to check it out whenever you like.

www.ryakuga.org/cis

But it's not that difficult to set up your own page for your CIS site.

If you fire up your browser (again) you can go to - http://www.geocities.com - and follow directions to register for your own site. It's free although you will have to display advertising banners on your page.

Geocities has its own dedicated software so all you have to do is follow directions. And, if you have any problems, your district coordinator will be glad to help.