Welcome to the GALE Chatroom. If you haven't used a chatroom before (and even if you have) we'd like to ask you to follow these simple protocols when joining a discussion session.

These guidelines will help to keep the flow of conversations much more manageable.

When there is a Facilitator logged on, that person will be guiding the discussion, calling on individuals to "speak", i.e. add their comments or questions. It is important to wait until you are called on to send any comments or questions. IF you have something you would like to say, please send the following:

+ (this is when you have a comment to make on the discussion)
? (this is when you have a question)

It is the job of the Facilitator to make a note of who is in line to speak next, who has questions, etc.

When you type several words...
you can send just that portion with three dots...
to show that you have NOT finished your turn...
This way, others do not have to wait for you to finish and send all of your message, but can follow along with you.

When you have finished writing your comment or question, please type two slashes // at the end of the sentence to show you are done.

To save time, you can also send "A" if you agree with a speaker, or "D" if you disagree.

So, here's what a sample discussion might look like:

Facilitator: So tonight we're discussing Ch 9 of bell hook's Engaged Pedagogy...
Facilitator: I'd like to start out by asking how you all...
Facilitator: would define "politics of domination" (p.139)...
Facilitator: and whether you think it is possible to teach...
Facilitator: without any degree of it in your own classroom.//
Sarah: +
James: +
Facilitator: Go Sarah//
Sarah: I would say that P of D is the structure or controls...
Sarah: that a teacher uses in the c.r...
Sarah: it could be anything from the teacher deciding...
Sarah: the seating charts to having complete control over...
Shizuka: + Sarah: the homework assignments, course material, and so on//
Facilitator: Hmm, so classroom management and curriculum controls. Go James//
James: That's part of it, but I also think that it has to do with control over not only...
James: what the students study, but also...
James: who gets to speak in the c.r. - the time each student has...
Kenji: ?
Shizuka: A
James: because teachers often dominate the time...
James: in the c.r. and the students don't have a "voice"//
Facilitator: (I see your question, Kenji - hang on a sec.) Go Shizuka//
Shizuka: well, I know that in my own experience in Japanese classrooms...

Please observe these basic rules of courtesy in the classroom.
Thanks and enjoy!

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This page last updated January 30, 2003

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