Project RITE

Fun, fun, e-mail was down this week for 2 days.  Messages requesting participant photos and meeting times did not go out until Wednesday - 2 days before the registration deadline. I had to send them from a google account - which wil lonly consude everyone… sigh.

We chose to use Doodle for scheduling. I really liked the time zone feature - it is usually a real confusing factor in setting up meetings accross TN. it is also pretty simple for novices to use.  We combined the request for phots with a “confirm your intent to participate in the course” e-mail. This is when we find out folks overcommitted, or their e-mail address is wrong, etc. here’s the text of our early contact e-mails below:

Email #1:

Thank you for registering for the online course ESOL Basics. PLEASE READ the TWO Items requested below and respond by January 20, 2009. You may contact us by replying to this e-mail or calling Sandra toll free via 877-340-0546.

1)      Please confirm your intent to complete the course by replying to this e-mail. This course will be held from Jan 26 – March 09, 2009; with a Tech check week from Jan 20 – 23^rd, 2009.   PLEASE if you are no longer interested in taking this course let us know asap – there is a waiting list of course ready to take any openings.

2)    Please send us a photo of yourself.  In an effort to “bridge” the facelessness of online learning, we would like to create a “photo-page” of all course participants. This page would be shared ONLY with course participants, and would contain your name, program and e-mail address, along with whatever photo you send.  *You* choose what photo *you* like and send it either:

a.       By e-mail – if you have a digital photo, or a scanned photo, you can attach it to an e-mail and send it to sfugate1@utk.edu or duren.thompson@utk.edu .  If you have a photo in digital format, but aren’t sure how to attach it, contact Duren – she will be happy to assist.

b.      By US mail – if you have a hard copy photograph, and aren’t easily able to scan it, just pop it in an envelope and send it to Sandra Fugate, Center for Literacy Studies, 600 Henley St, Suite 312, Knoxville TN, 37996-4135. We will scan it here and mail it back to you – be sure to include a return address.

We would like to have received your photo by the course start date – January 26th – 2009.  Read below if you want to know more specifics about how this photo will be used within the course and/or if you wish to put your authorization in writing.  Replying to this e-mail with a photo will also confirm your intent to complete the course.

 If you have ANY questions – contact….blah blah blah

Email #2:

Course participants – you are invited to an online “get together!”

In addition to asking everyone for a photo, we also invite everyone to a “meet and chat” via an introductory online “meeting.” We’d like to schedule a meeting with as many course participants as possible – the more folks we have, the stronger a class “community” we can build!

In order to participate in the chat, you will need to tell us 2 things:

1)     Do you have access to a set of computer headphones with microphone?  Please reply to this e-mail with your answer – and if you are not sure, or the answer is no, please include a good time to call you (and the best #) so we can problem-solve this issue. If necessary, we will mail you a set.

2)   When might you be available for a 30 minute meeting on January 27^th, 28^th or 29^th?  We know everyone’s schedules are different, so we’ve set up a way for everyone to tell us when they can meet.  Please read the directions below (you may want to print them out before you start) and participate in the “Doodle” scheduling page to tall us when you CAN meet.  If you have any trouble – call or e-mail us and we will follow up with  you!  877-340-0546 toll free or reply to this e-mail.

Directions for telling us your schedule via Doodle: (etc.)

Because this project requires participants to e-mail us a photo  and participate in an “introductory” UT Live Online meeting (synchronous audio via the web),  I want to contact the course participants earlier than we usually do. Normally, we set a registration deadline of 9-10 days before the start of the course, and then send out Technical “check” instructions one week before the course starts.

But if I wait that long, I am SURE we will have trouble getting the necessary information  from the participants by course start.  So I want to start contacting them earlier.  Problem is - the courses aren’t full yet.  We have not yet even met our minimum of 10 per course!  This is common in January, however, as folks are not yet back from C’mas break, and generally don’t register before the holidays for a course ending in late January.  So this week was one of planning and marketing.  Both Sandra (the ESOL facilitator) and I send out e-mails advertising the courses, and checked in with our registration database regularly.  [Folks can only register online - it is one way we try to make sure they have the Tech savvy to be successful in the course.]

Sandra FILLED her ESOL course over the course of the week and had to send out a waiting list e-mail (yea!)  My LD online course is now over minimum, and next week we can start sending out messages!  Sandra and I worked together this week to plan what needed to be done when, and by whom in order to be ready for the course.  We determined which Discussion Boards would be modified (with some idea of how), and began planning a “get to know each other” activity for the online meeting.

Because our participants are NOT UT students, but instructors accross the state, their internet access is often spotty and they often don’t have simple tools like headsets with microphones.  Sandra and I order several headsets in anticipation (we will use the grant $ to provide these to those who need them - as a loan, hopefully we will get them back).  I also draft the Photo requirements and permissions letter to be sent out to participants.  I’m hoping that they can all get us a digital versioin of their phots - sending a pic USmail WILL slow things down!