I don't know about you, but I wouldn't repeat that year for anything. I made so many mistakes. I'm not sure who learned more, the students or me!

If you can't remember that far back (or you'd rather block it from your memory), perhaps you can remember some topic or unit you taught for the very first time. You learned as much as the student, you made revision and improved the lesson, maybe even the very next day or next period.

That's sort of where we are with FOR-PD. Although we had a pilot in the fall, we only piloted three lessons, and those folks probably wouldn't recognize those three lessons today.

So if you are currently facilitating the course, consider yourself a true pioneer! You're really out there on the cutting edge (maybe even the bleeding edge)--and so are your participants. We appreciate the emails and discussion postings in FOR FACILITATORS ONLY asking for clarification, pointing out errors and inconsistencies, and providing constructive comments. The nicest part is that we have great facilitators with LOTS of teaching experience who have jumped in to work with participants to make this all work.

As I mentioned to someone recently, you probably won't recognize this course by fall. It will be completely different--better--thanks to you and your participants!

So if we're listening to you, why don't we change things? Well, we are making changes each day, but for the most part, you can't see them.

Think of each course lesson as a page that can be photocopied. If there's a mistake in the original, there's a mistake in the copy, too. If you make changes in the original, FUTURE copies will show it, but those other copies won't.

That's what's happening. When we find things that need changing, the changes are made in the "Master Course" and when a new section starts, it is copied from that. So sections starting today benefit from the work of those who started yesterday!

Could we go back and change each existing section? Yes, but...

• There are now over 70 sections. Each change would take about 20 minutes to locate, download, fix, and upload. 70 X 20 = almost 24 hours per change!
• Each time a page is downloaded and uploaded again, there is a risk that, although the change is made, other things may also change (because of the course delivery software). Links may not work, the entire page may not load, etc. A small problem could become a bigger one.
• If changes are made in a quiz, we run the risk of erasing or altering the scores of those who have already completed it.
• Similarly, changes in rubrics may also impact those who have already completed assignments.
• Participants who spot changes are often confused when changes happen mid-lesson. Despite the warning in lesson 1 that things MAY change, many are concerned when they see change-even when the changes are minor.

Teaching reading to people who hate books is like teaching swimming to people who hate water.

--David Eskey, Reading Researcher

Need a little more room when working with the gradebook part of the course? Click on HIDE NAVIGATION BAR just under the WebCT logo at the left and you'll gain a little space. It is also easier (meaning less scrolling) to click on EDIT and enter grades for as many participants as possible for one assignment at one time than it is to enter by clicking on a participant's name and scrolling to fill in a single score.

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

Toni Christopher, Seminole County Schools, recently shared the following:

Just to let you know something fun that happened last weekend that you may be interested in hearing about.

Last Sunday, I had suggested to my participants that we have a voluntary chat session. I'm finding that the participants (like the facilitators) can answer each other's questions without me becoming involved at all. However, I need to leave that window open for the ideas to flow. So, I emailed everyone in mass last week telling them that I was going to have a chat session, meeting them in Room 1. It had dawned on me that we were not utilizing all of the tools in which FOR-PD had given us. It was completely optional of course, obviously no points could be added/subtracted from their scores; however, it was really a treat to get in there and discuss issues with them.

Unfortunately, it was bad timing on my part because it was the same night as the Grammy Awards! :( But, I learned from my mistakes.

It became such a success that certain participants decided to carry on their own conversations in different rooms, allowing them to focus more so on specific issues. What fun! You should try it sometime!

Want to chat with your fellow facilitators? We're scheduling a chat for Tuesday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the FOR FACILITATORS ONLY chat room 1. FOR-PD Staff and Dr. Vicky Zygouris-Coe, FOR-PD content expert, will be online to take your comments and questions.

Barbara Cavanah (Monroe) and Toni Christopher (Seminole) for their help with directions for posting the SUNLINK bibliography in Lesson 4. Barbara shared her email to participants and Toni posted a message showing how one participant jumped in to help the others.

Margaret Kinslow (Brevard), Toni Christopher (Seminole), and Vicky Zygouris-Coe for their discussion to help clarify phonics, phonemic awareness, and phonological awareness.

Sharon Reynolds (Brevard) and all who have taken the time to tell us you think this FFF* Newsletter is a good idea. (Sharon was first!)

The FOR-PD technical Help Desk recently received the following message: "I don't know what I have done wrong." Yes, that was the total message! Matt Renfroe, FOR-PD tech support, guessed correctly that the participant was having trouble logging in and helped her! And you thought the FOR-PD staff was made up of mere mortals!

When we recently commented on the good work of an online course facilitator, she replied:

"Facilitating [online] is a breeze next to face-to-face with everyone clambering for attention all at the same time." :-)

FOR-PD FACILITATOR'S MANUAL (version 1.4) is currently online at /facilitators/manual.html

Dear Felicity,

It seems like participants are very impatient. They post an assignment at 10 in the morning, and by noon I have an email asking why their grade isn't showing up! I want to be responsive to their needs, but I have a day job, too!
--Sincerely, R.U. Crazy

Dear R. U.,

Sometimes people confuse online classes that are available 24/7 with facilitators who are NOT available 24/7! It's important to let your participants know when you are available, when assignments are due, and when you will grade them. I find it easier to wait until the day after assignments are due and grade them all at once while I have the rubric in my head, so I tell them not to expect to see a grade posted until about 72 hours after the assignment deadline. Usually I complete the grading before that time, so it's a nice surprise for them! BTW, it is also important to tell them when you are NOT going to be available because you are on vacation or away at a conference.

Fondly, Felicity

Send us your success stories and good ideas you've tried. We'd also love to hear any stories about how teachers are using FOR-PD content and strategies in their classrooms. Do you have any "funny" stories from your FOR-PD classes? Send your contributions to fff@orion.itrc.ucf.edu.

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Last updated March 13, 2003
Contact us at forpd@mail.ucf.edu

A project of the Instructional Technology Resource Center at the University of Central Florida.
Funded by the Florida Department of Education and Just Read Florida!