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FOR-PD Facilitator Frequently Asked Questions
The FOR-PD Facilitator FAQ page will continue to grow and change. Click here to submit a question to which you think others would like to know the answer.
General Questions
How
many facilitators does FOR-PD need?
We are only accepting facilitator application upon request from district
personnel as we currently have over 160 active facilitators. If you are interested
in becoming a FOR-PD facilitator, please contact your distrct to determine
if they need additional facilitators.
What
does a FOR-PD facilitator do?
The primary purpose of a FOR-PD facilitator is to interact
with FOR-PD course participants. This means encouraging
and replying to email messages, actively participating
in discussion postings, providing feedback on assignments,
and being the "point person" for answering their questions. You
will also need to be responsive to district requests and FOR-PD requests
as outlined in the facilitator training course.
How
do I delete a discussion posting?
Sorry, facilitators cannot delete a message from the discussion board, and
neither can participants. If the message is posted in the wrong discussion
board, email the participant and ask him/her to post correctly. If you feel
the information posted is wrong or inadequate, you can correct it in a reply
to the message posting. If the message contains something you feel should
not be seen by the group (unprofessional in some way), email forpdfac@mail.ucf.edu and
the course designer can delete the message. You should follow up with a strongly
worded email message to the participant.
How
do I "wrap up" the class?
Think about what you would do at the end of a workshop or the end of the
year with your participants! It is generally nice to send an email message
to the group summing up the experience and wishing them well. You will also
need to notify the project and your staff development office that the course
is complete and verify which participants have met the course requirements.
Technology Questions
What
do I do if the server crashes?
There's really nothing you can do but be patient. It will be back online
as soon as possible. While we have designed a back-up system for such an
event, there may be times when the server is unavailable due to a power-outage
or trouble between your computer and the server. Give it a couple of hours
and try again. If you continue to have technical difficulties, email us at forpd@mail.ucf.edu or
call us at 1-866-227-7261 to be sure we are aware of the problem.
Who
do I contact if my Internet service provider changes?
This should make no difference to the FOR-PD class. If you've also, as a
result, changed your email address, please notify the FOR-PD office as soon
as possible by email so we can correct our records in case we need to contact
you.
Questions Related to Participants
What
do I do if a participant reports that she/he cannot access
the class?
First, suggest that the participant try another computer. If the participant
is trying to access the class from school the computer may be behind a firewall.
Report the problem to your district technology office and suggest that the
participant use another computer in the meantime. If the student still cannot
log in, ensure they are using the correct login information. If problems
persist, refer the participant to the FOR-PD Helpdesk.
What
do I do if a participant reports that she/he cannot finish
the class before the deadline?
Depending upon your own schedule and flexibility and the wishes of your district
staff development office, you may want to give the participant a week or
two to finish. However, if the participant is too far behind, suggest to
them that they enroll in another section at a time that will be less busy
for them.
What
do I do if a participant never logs into the class?
It is good to try to contact them by email or phone to see if there is a
problem logging in or if the participant has decided not to take the class.
If they have decided not to take the class, you may delete them from the
gradebook, but please notify the FOR-PD
office.
How
do I know if a participant is making adequate progress?
Generally, participants should be on schedule in completing the assignments
and doing average (or better work). If a participant seems to be several
assignments behind, seldom completes assignments, does a poor job on assignments,
or fails to use the rubrics and directions provided, you might want to follow-up
with a phone call or email. If the personal touch doesn't help, suggest (or
insist) that they drop the class and enroll later when they can devote the
necessary time to the task.
What
do I do if a participant is falling too far behind?
It's always a good idea to see if you can determine what the problem is and
if there is anything you can do to help. People become ill. People have families
and family problems. School activities can eat up a lot of time, too. People
are people. Some procrastinate!! If you think a participant is too far behind,
contact the participant by phone or email. If you both agree that the participant
can catch up, great. If not, suggest that another section at a better time
seems appropriate.
What
are FOR-PD's accommodations for participants with disabilities?
FOR-PD has made every effort to ensure that the FOR-PD course is section
508 compliant and web accessible. If you or a participant have a disability
that may require reasonable accommodations to ensure that you have equal
access to this course, you or the participant are encouraged to self-identify
as soon as possible. Self-identification will allow FOR-PD to begin making
reasonable accommodations for you. Please contact the office with a description
your individual needs via phone (866) 227-7261 (FL only) or email at forpd@mail.ucf.edu.
For Facilitators Only
Who
do I contact if I have an emergency and cannot continue
as facilitator?
We certainly hope that won't happen, but if it does, please contact the FOR-PD
office by phone or email as soon as possible. You can always call the Facilitator
Support Specialist at 407-207-7295.
How & when
do I get paid for facilitating the class?
If everything is in order (class completed, grades recorded, district and
FOR-PD office notified) facilitators will be paid directly by the FOR-PD
office at the University of Central Florida within 4 weeks of submitting
an invoice. You may fax, email or mail your invoice. If there is a problem
with the invoice, we will get back to you by email as soon as possible. If
you are not paid within 4 weeks, please contact the FOR-PD office.
