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Perhaps you're joining us for the first time and need a little help finding your way around. Or maybe you're a Teachers' Lounge veteran and would like to review some of the discussion tool's features. Whatever the case, the following information should be helpful. Our posting area has been designed to be as straightforward and uncomplicated as possible. The best way to get to know the system is to simply jump in and explore. Each forum includes its own "help" section in case you have a question while exploring. This page should answer any additional questions you might have. If for any reasons you're lost or confused or have suggestions on improving the ITJ Teachers' Lounge, please send us an e-mail message. Fora Topics If you hang around on commercial online services or Usenet newsgroups, you're probably already familiar with using this discussion tool. The ITJ Teachers' Lounge is presently divided into four conversation areas (referred to as fora topics). As more people start participating in Lounge discussions, ITJ staff will start new fora topics that teachers request. Getting Around Each of the Teachers' Lounges are divided by adjustable frames into three windows. The left-hand window contains the different commands and menu items you can use to manage the discussion tool. The top window is used to display the different postings in an outline structure. The bottom window is used to display the contents of any posting. The two frames can be moved to make a specific window larger or smaller. Simply "grab" the frame with your mouse when the cursor changes shape and drag it to a new position on the screen. Discussion items are organized in a tree hierarchy. You can move "up" or "down" the tree at any time by clicking on the navigation bars at the top and bottom of each page. You can also simply select a specific item in the list to display its contents. Posting a Message To post a message, just select the "New Message" button or on the "Reply to" button. A new window will appear on your screen. Fill in the form, and then select the "Post Message" button. Posted messages are automatically listed in the forum. Remember, to view your new listing, you must select the "update listing" button. Starting a new conversation Anyone can start a conversation within a forum. If you've got something to talk about, feel free to post a New Message. Obviously, it's a good idea to check the listing of current conversations to make sure that your topic isn't already being talked about. After clicking on the New Message button, fill out a form with the title and any opening comments for the conversation. It's a good idea to write a few lines in the subject area clarifying the subject to help get the discussion rolling. Look at some of current conversations for examples and inspiration. Checking for new messages The tool automatically keeps track of messages as you view them. When you see a conversation in a topic list, the listing includes how many messages are in the conversation, and how many of them are new. This means that you can browse through a conference and check for new messages as you go. You can also sort the messages by various categories including "New Messages".
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