Introduce Yourself

Student Learning Outcomes:

Be able to signon to the board and be familiar with using the Class Forum (aka Message Board or

Learn to the use WebBoard and WebBoard help for future assignments.

	Understand the importance of a good Topic.
	Be able to select the correct conference
	Select Post or Reply correctly
	Use a signature
	Search for for posts

Students will locate other students with whom they want to work with throughout the term (build community).

Procedure:

Be sure your profile is correct
Make a new post in the "Introduce Yourself" folder of the message board with your something interesting about you as the subject.
Then read the introductions of ALL other students and comment (reply) to at least 3 of them.
Modify your own introduction if you're inspired by what a fellow student has said

Compose and post your introductory essay

	Write your introduction using MS Word.
	Highlight it and copy it to the clipboard
	Select Post on the webboard
	Create a very interesting Topic
	Paste the words you composed in MS Word that are now on the clipboard into the Message

In the message tell us about yourself. For example (these are just ideas as starters, but be creative):

	What is special about you?
	Where do you live?
	Have you always lived there or where did you come from?
	Do you work? What do you do? Where?
	What to you want to do?
	Do you have a family? So, tell us about them. Wife, kids, parents, other strange people you live with.
	What is your major? Why?
	How long have you been at UCC? Did you attend other colleges before? Do you plan to continue after UCC? Where?
	What are your hobbies?
	What are your Favorite sports?
	What are your Favorite TV shows? Music Groups? Websites?
	What do you hope to get out of this class?
	What is you prior background with computers?
	Do you have a computer? What do you do with it beside schoolwork? Chat??

Your "composition" should contain a minimum or 15 phrases/sentences.

Be sure to start with a creative topic that summarizes who you are. For example I would be "Professor with 20 year teaching experience". Good topics I've see include "I am going to be a teacher" and "I am from Brazil" and "Third yr business major".
Here are some poor topics for an introduction: "A little about myself", "psttt", "About me" "I obviously need this class".
If you can't summarize, pick the most important point or points you made and make them the topic.

Like the subject of an email is the most important part, the topic of a message board post is the most important part because:

	it determines if the post will be read
	and then it provides that only way to return to the post sometime in the future.

Read the introductions of ALL students.

Find 3 (three) or more students with whom your have something in common. For example you live in the same town. Have the same majpor. Like the same sport team....
REPLY to their posts (do NOT start a new thread) and tell them what you two have in common.
Ask them a specific question or more.

Make connections. If you read sometime that reminds you of something you want to include in your introduction, go back and edit your introduction You can revise it as often as you want. You can even revise your topic to improve your post.