Re: [TechRhet] talking to students

[Tari Fanderclai <tari@nwe.ufl.edu>]

I wonder how DE teachers are handling this question.  My class never meets
face to face (we're not even in the same state), and we only just started
class.  Last week, though, they were pretty active on their discussion
board, and then yesterday and today, of course, nothing.

Today I moved some due dates back a couple of days, and put up a "Current
events" discussion folder and told them that they can talk there if they
need/want some conversation while we also resume our topics.  I made 
clear that they can ignore the folder if they'd rather.

In some ways this seems a lot easier than having a face to face class
right now:  we can define a space for this topic and only those who want
to step into that space have to do it.  In other ways, it seems kind of a
lame gesture.  But I couldn't think of anything else to offer, and I
definitely didn't want the class members to feel required to say
something, or, conversely, to think I want them to pretend nothing's
happened. 

Tari