AAC Staff Members: Procedures

 

      Only AOL Clients (not those with Internet access) can join the AAC Staff.  A formal application is required, including references. Online interviews may also be requested with AAC Management and Department Chairs.  Applications are provided by AACCoord.  The following requirements have been established:

      1.  A teaching certificate, current enrollment in college (Junior or higher), or a minimum of three years experience in the subjects being offered by that staff member
      2.  A minimum of 20 years of age
      3.  Agreement to provide answers to Teacher Pager questions
      4.  Agreement to provide a minimum of 30 minutes a week in the Rooms. 
      5.  Use of an accepted "professional" name
      6.  At least one month's membership on AOL prior to acceptance

      AOL reserves the right to use items in our Teacher Pager Archives or the Academic Assistance Rooms for publicity or similar purposes.  Teachers do not lose their copyright protection, but agree that AOL has limited permission to utilize them.  Teachers should be familiar with the copyright section in the TOS area on AOL.

      AAC Staff members are representatives of AOL and the AAC (whether using the "professional" name or not).   Teachers must follow these guidelines:

     1.  Remain professional and formal, but friendly in the Rooms and when using e-mail.  Use the same approach when dealing with other Staff members.  A little extra kindness is never a bad thing.
      2.  Provide accurate answers, avoiding opinion where possible.  When expressing opinion, teachers should so state.
      3.  Do not openly disagree with another AOL Staff member in the Academic Assistance Rooms .  Should the need arise, write a private IM or e-mail to the party involved, sending an e-mail carbon copy (CC) to the Department Chair or Dean of Staff.  Include the logs or IM segments in question.
      4.  Avoid discussing students or making comments about them or their assignments and questions except with the Department Chairs and AAC Management.
      5.  Do not discuss AOL compensation.  Evade the question where possible.  Replies may mention that we are volunteers or "America Online does not permit us to discuss this matter."  Nothing further is permitted.  Refer additional questions to AAC Coord.  Staff members are not to ask for or receive financial compensation from AOL clients for their activities, nor may they use their position for financial gain.  Those who teach IES Online classes will receive compensation based on their individual agreement with AOL.
      6.  Teachers may not use their "professional" name in Chat areas, message boards, or on Internet correspondance (except on official AAC busiuness) outside the Learning Division without prior permission from AAC Management. Permitted areas include  TIN, PIN, NEA, AFT, IES, AAC, ERIC, ASCD, NCTE, NAESP, NSDC. 
      7.  Teachers are to create a "Profile" for their professional name (keyword PROFILE), whic indicates AAC Staff member and the subjects areas in which they assist.  For personal security do not list your full name, phone number, or the city you live in, only the state or region.  No not give such information to any student for any reason.  Profiles are to reflect your professionalism.
      8.  Teachers may not give formal interviews about AOL, IES, or AAC.  Refer these to AAC Coord.  You may discuss your role with AOL on job applications or resumes.
      9.  Teachers are trusted to act like professionals.  Submitting credit requests for work not done will result in immediate dismissal from all duties.  While this is rarely a problem, the Room logs are reviewed and the Teacher Pagers replies are monitored when such behavior is suspected.
     10.  Compliments received by teachers are filed.  Forward them to TeachTLW.
     11.  Teachers represent AOL and the Learning Department and are expected to act in a professional manner, following AOL's Terms of Service, no matter which screen name they are using or where on AOL they may be.  Violation may result in disciplinary action

 

     New AAC staff shall serve a period of probation not to exceed 30 days in order to receive assistance and gain knowledge of the AAC program(s) as well as to provide a platform for AAC staff judge the probationary teacher's affinity for the program.  During this thirty day period, the new teacher will receive support services directly from the Mentoring program via a personal mentor.  AAC Mentors are staff volunteers who mentor new teachers to assist their confidence in room protocol, pager response, and moving about AOL.  An AAC Mentor:

     1.  volunteers by contacting the Mentor Coordinator realizing that at least one new teacher may be assigned per month in the department of that Mentor's choice;
     2.  is selected by virtue of performance in the room, quality and freqnce of pager answers, and familiarity with AOL services;
     3.  receives the name of the teacher from the Mentor Coordinator and initates  contact setting up an online meeting and reviewing the probationary requirements;
     4.  takes the new teacher to the room and demonstrates proper procedure via im for the first period not less than 30 minutes;
     5.  works with the new teacher in the Academic Assistance Room(s) for at least two hours at varying times during the 30 days to observe, critique, and comment;
     6.  receives a bcc of ALL pagers answered by the new teacher during the thirty day period:  ctitiques and gives feedback to the teacher on these pagers;
     7.  meets with the mentor and two members of AAC Management prior to the expiration of the probationary period to evaluate performance and potential.

     Upon the successful conclusion of the thirty day period, the new teacher is admitted to full status and the mentor goes back on the list for reassignment.   The list of mentors, assignments, reports, and other recordkeeping duties of this program shall be the responsibility of the Mentoring Coordinator who reports directly to the Assistant Dean for Administration.

 

      AAC Associate Members are non-teaching staff who assist with the Archive editing or are AOL program specialists who assist with the smooth operation of our area.  Associate members do not answer Pagers nor do they assist in the Academic Assistance Rooms. 

 

       The IES Forum area, Scholars' Hall, managed by BillTur, is available for Staff use.  Teachers interested in making presentations, individually or in groups, should contact Bill four to six weeks in advance.  The AAC will be pleased to provide publicity.

      Staff members are welcome to use the AAC on personal resumes.  Notify AAC Coord when doing so.  Formal letters of recommendation may be provided by AAC Management for those on the Staff for at least six months.

 

<< ( Return to Page Index ) >>

Teacher Pager Procedures

 

      (Keyword TEACHER PAGER.  Also accessible from the AAC and IES menus.)

      The Teacher Pager is an electronic paging system whereby students can access the expertise of the AAC Faculty.  When a student "sends" the Page, it is converted into an e-mail and forwarded to the IES Cd address.  The Pager Forwarders ("IES Cd" screen name) choose to which speciality the question is sent.   Questions are sent to as many as 15 teachers, or as few as three.  If a category (such as "Algebra" or "American History") has a larger list of teachers, 15 are randomly selected.  A teacher in these groups will not receive all questions sent on that topic.  Teachers can select or change the type of questions they would like to answer by notifying AAC Coord.  Forwarders receive changes every Monday.

 

      In addition to the Pager, questions may come from other parts of AOL including the MiniLesson Library, ExamPrep Center, Learning Suggestion Box, the Reference Desk, Smithsonian, and from message boards. Homework24, the Internet Pager access system, is available for questions through the Internet.  AACWorld and AAC IEP are addresses used bu our International Education Program.  Questions from these areas are considered Pages.  As our staff's expertise expands, additional access areas will be provided. 

 

      Replying to Pages:  The "Subject" line of the Teacher Pager will indicate the origin of the page in addition to the student's name. This subject line should never be altered.  In additional to providing vital information, it is used by the Archive Editors for matching questions and answers (see Chapter 8).   The AAC guarantees Pager replies within 48 hours.  Please try to assist with this policy.  Department Chairs may resend questions that are not answered within 24 hours.

 

     You will recognize a Teacher Pager since it will be sent directly to you from the IES Cd (or IESCd2, IESCd3) screen name.  During busy periods, managers may send Pager questions directly from theor own names.  Questions from other sources are covered below in the section entitled "Replying to Non-Pager Questions"  This includes questions from the Message Boards, directly from students, or from any other source.

 

      1.  Receiving.  Pages are sent to you directly from IESCd as e-mail.  Before replying, teachers should check through their mailbox to see if other teachers have already replied or if the student has sent additional information.  If so, please do not repeat the information already sent.  Additional facts may be sent as available and desired.

 

      2.  Replying.  (See below <<Additional Information>> for specific policies.)  Teachers can compose their replies either online or off.  If mail is composed offline, please save the original mail by selecting "Keep As New" from the mail box.  When ready to reply, open the letter again and select "Reply to All."  Then copy your reply onto the new e-mail form.

 

       3.  Teachers are to be familiar with areas on AOL where facts may be found, and should suggest such areas to the student. Always recommend the Knowledge Database (once it is released to the public).  When suggesting online resources, be specific: "Use Comptons" is unacceptable, but mentioning an exact article in Comptons is satisfactory for elementary or middle level students.  Be sure that you have actually checked that article for substantive relevance.   Do not copy and forward online resources, rather explain to the student how to access such information.  If an online source is available it is to be recommended before a non-AOL source is mentioned.  A list of AOL keywords for you to be familiar with is located in the Appendix C.

 

     4.  Citations:  Replies with substance shoud include a citation message at the end as follows: 

    "Be sure to cite this material.  When citing AOL, the following is the accepted MLA style: Name of Teacher.  "Subject."  America On Line (Electronic Communications Network).  Vienna, Va: AOL, 1095." 
     Somehow "America On Line" should be underlined.  Place your AAC Name as "Name of Teacher".  For specific citation styles see Appendix D or use keyword AAC, select "AACNews" and "Citations". 

 

     5.  Sending.  To send a reply, select the "Reply to All" icon from the original message.  This will send the answer to the student, the Pager forwarder (for a procedure check), and the other teachers.  It also maintains the proper subject line.  By sending replies to the other staff members, we avoid repetition, yet it gives others the opportunity to provide supplemental information. 

 

     6.  Always use copy/paste when you use screen names.  It is hard to differentiate between a capital "i", and a lower case "L" or the number "0" and a capital "O" for example.

 

     Replying to **Non-Pager** Questions:     A question received directly from a student, or other non-Pager source, should be copied  onto the reply above your answer.  Forward your answer to the student and (AAC4).  The subject line should read: "Reply: Student Name" (place the student's name on the line).  Encourage the student to use the Teacher Pager rather than writing directly.

 

      The (AAC4) address is where the non-Pager questions are counted.  Nothing else happens there.  No mail or messages are read.  Items here are logged once a week and sent through an automatic counting program.  By placing parentheses around the name, you are sending it as a "blind copy".  The student, using "reply to all", will therefore not be sending a message to AAC4.

 

  <<Philosophy>>
 Each Department has specific philosophies that will be explained by the Department Chairs.  In general, though, the following policies are always in effect:

 

     1.  The AAC discourages teachers from doing extensive research for the students, but personal knowledge and experiences can be forwarded as can specific facts at the discretion of the teacher.  Examples may be included.  Each teacher may determine how much or how little assistance to provide.  There are times when teachers may have resources not available to the students.

 

     2.  The AAC discourages verbatim rewriting of a student's work, but encourages commentary about writing styles, grammar, presentation, and other skills. 

 

     3.  If a teacher suspects the question is a take home quiz or feels that it would be improper otherwise to respond, this should be stated in the reply to the student.  The teacher may agree to review a student's answers, but ethics prevent teachers from doing the assignment.  Discretion should be exercised at all times.

 

     4.  AOL policy specifically states that Staff may not do online counseling nor present legal, medical, religious, or sexual assistance or beliefs.   Staff may discuss topics in generalities, present current issues and beliefs, or recommend local or state services or AOL forums that address such issues.  The Staff may "listen to" and comfort students by e-mail or in private.  A disk log of such contact should be maintained for at least a month.   Teachers who provide guidance risk personal liability, even if such action is done in their "social" (non-ACC) screen names.  Accepted disclaimers are available from Department Chairs.

 

     5.  Teacher replies will not violate Copyright laws.  Do not send verbatim excerpts from CD-ROMs or other sources without giving a complete citation and telling the student to do so as well.  Limit such excerpts to no more than 10 lines and address only the issue being discussed. 

 

     6.  Where possible, refer students to places online where they may do their own research.  Before referring, teachers should ascertain that the material mentioned is available and applicable to the student's question.

 

     7.  Teachers and students are not to send questions to the IESCd address.  Encourage the actual use of the Teacher Pager.  NOTE: the Teacher Pager form has the capacity to hold 32K information.

 

  <<Additional Information>>
     1.  Teachers are asked to check their mail once a day if possible.

 

     2.  Students should receive guidelines, sources, resources, and advice from this staff.  Teachers should avoid answering the question(s) for students.  By doing this, teachers enable the student to avoid doing his/her own work putting themselves in the position of allowing students to plagiarize answer(s);

 

     3.  When a teacher gets a question about which personal knowledge is limited, refer students to other resources (e.g.- Online AOL resource or an atlas, encyclopedia, guidebook, etc. that may/should be available at a public library).  Do not reply with: "I don't know..." or, "I have no knowledge in this area,"  or "Check Comptons."

 

      4.  If a student's address does not accept mail, forward the original to TeacherPat (Teacher Pager Manager) and write- "Student is not a known user."  

 

     5.  Only trained Pager Forwarders are given and permitted to use the weekly Staff lists to forward mail.

 

     6.  If a teacher is known who is a specialist and can answer a question you receive, but who is not on the question's address list, please "forward" the question.  Do not change the subject line.

 

     7.  Since we frequently get repeated questions, teachers are encouraged to make disk files of their answers so that they can be personalized and reused at a later date.

 

     8.  Pagers should not be signed with just a first name.  We are professionals, and if a signature is needed, a professional name must be used.  This may either be the teacher's screen name, or other name that represents one in a professional manner.

 

 

     Any teacher not on formal vacation or leave (see Chapter 13) who fails to respond to Pager questions for a period in excess of two weeks may be dismissed from the Staff ("inactivity").

 

<< ( Return to Page Index ) >>

AAC Rooms

 

      (Accessible from the AAC, IES, KOOL, ExamPrep, and other menus.  No keyword for direct access.)

 

      At the moment there are four Rooms available: the main Room: Academic Assistance, the Math & Science Room, Humanities, and Scholars' Hall.  The Academic Assistance Rooms serve several functions. The primary function is to assist students with "live" academic questions and with questions about IES Online Classes.

 

      Teachers are welcome to assist at any time; they need not be on the Weekly Schedule.  We insist on professional conduct that produces proper behavior and learning from the students. When teachers chat or act unprofessionally in the rooms, the students misbehave.

 

           <<General Information>>
      1.  The maximum capacity for each Room is 48.

 

      2.  Teachers may only assist using their "professional" names.  (Teachers joining the staff after November, 1993, must use a name easily recognizable as a tutor and approved by the AAC Coordinator. Those who joined prior are exempt from this, but it is still recommended.)

 

      3.  Teachers are not to enter the Rooms unless they either spend at least 15 minutes there, or if they are going to place themselves "on call" for a minimum of 15 minutes while on line in another area of AOL.  To be on call, notify the Host (or other teachers if no Host is present) of availability to assist with <subject> for <length of time>.   We encourage teachers to be in the Rooms, even if they are browsing other areas AS LONG AS THEY MONITOR THE ROOM CHAT AND ASSIST WHEN NEEDED. By doing so, the teacher makes availability online obvious.  Teachers are expected to respond to IM's immediately to assist students as quickly as possible.  As long as you remain out of other chat areas your name remains listed in the Academic Assistance Room; thus teachers on duty or on call may not enter other chat areas.  Teacher may never enter non-Learning Department chat areas using their professional names unless given specific permission by the AAC Coordinator.
     Teacher Pager mail demands considerable attention.  Work on your mail outside of the room and when not on duty.

 

      4.  No personal chat between Staff is to occur when students are present, use IM's for this.  Keep any personal chat in the Room itself on a professional, polite level.  Students can arrive just as you hit the enter key to send your message.  If the Hosts (or acting Host) asks for chats to end, please cooperate.  Except in emergencies, DO NOT IM the Host unless they initiate the contact.  Each Host has a style that should be respected.

 

      5. The Weekly Schedule is publicly listed on all AAC Menus. Teachers are required to sign up for a minimum of 30 minutes at least once a week.  To change your scheduled time or subjects listed, notify AACCoord.  Staff members with less common subjects (sports, crafts, video, or transportation for example), those with long distance access fees, Department Chairs, Hosts, Forwarders, and AAC Managers may request an exemption from the weekly schedule, but are encouraged to participate.  Chairs are to spend time in their appropriate "subject" room (Humanities or Math & Science).

 

      6.  The Help & Info icon in each Room provides access to the Academic Assistance menu and thus to the other Rooms.  You can not easily access this icon if using supplemental programs like "C-Room."  (Appendix E)

 

      <<Using Multiple Rooms>>
      1.  Our main Rooms are Academic Assistance (AA), Humanities (HR), and Math & Science (MS).  Scholars' Hall is utilized by our staff but is operated as a separate entity by the Scholars' Director, BillTur.  If you would like to reserve time here contact Bill.

 

      2.  To get to the Rooms, use keyword AAC, then select the "Academic Assistance" icon.  The next menu is called "Academic Assistance" and should be kept live on your monitor to access the various Rooms rapidly.

 

      3.  All Teachers are to report to the Academic Assistance Room first.  Upon entering indicate your subjects:   (example)    <---  Literature, History 
This should be repeated if a Host requests it, or approximately every half hour.   Even if there are no other teachers in the room, this is still done if students are present.  It is recommended that macros be used (see Appendix E).

 

      4.  If a teacher is assigned to a specific Room, this information is given along with the length of time available:
(example)   <--- Literature, History.  In Humanities until 8:30 ET
Eastern Time is always used.  The teacher can then go to that room after the Host acknowledges (if one is present).

 

      5.  If not scheduled for a specific Room, teachers should stay in the Academic Assistance Room unless reassigned by the Host or an AAC Manager.  The other Rooms may be utilized for teaching sessions but not for teacher gatherings and chatting.  If there are sufficient teachers in Academic Assistance and none in the other Rooms, TOS-Trained teachers may move to another Room as long as Staff presence is maintained in Academic Assistance.  (See Chapter 10 for TOS.)  To request a specific Room assignment contact AACCoord.

 

      6.  No more than 5 teachers will be scheduled for a Subject Specific Room at any time, but more than 5 teachers may be in the Room.  Teachers with a regular group of students may request privacy.  Where possible this will be provided. 

 

      7.  When a teacher is available in another Room, explain to the student how to access the Room using the Help & Info icon, or ask that teacher to contact the student by IM.

 

            <<Assisting in a Room>>
      1.  Every student is welcomed upon entering the Room.  New teachers should not do this during their first month unless no one else is available.  (See Chapter 6 for Hosts.)  Acceptable welcomes include:  (examples)
            Hi, welcome to the Academic Assistance Room.  How can we assist you?
            <Name>, welcome to the Academic Assistance Room.  Can we assist you?
            Hi, <name>.  The teachers are busy right now, but someone will help you in a moment.
If necessary, ask the person whom you are assisting if you can chat with the new person for a few minutes. (see Appendix E for Macro use.)

 

      2.  Students are never to be ignored, they get frustrated easily and this leads to room disruption.  If no help is available suggest one of the following:   (examples)
            <teacher name> will be here to assist with Math in 15 minutes.  Please return then.
                  (Teachers must be familiar with the Weekly Schedule.)
            There is no teacher available to assist with that right now.  Have you looked......
Suggest elsewhere on AOL, especially an area dedicated to that topic or the Knowledge Database.  Do not recommend Comptons or Gopher without first seeing if information is available (ask if they have used such resources already).  You might say.... "Please wait a minute while I try to find a place where that information can be found."  (See Appendix D for suggested areas.)   As a last resort recommend the Teacher Pager,  If necessary, explain what it is and how to use it.  Do not send the question to IESCd.  (See Chapter 4.)

 

      3.  Teacher Pager rules apply in the Rooms: no copyright violations, give as much or a little detail as you personally feel is warranted, recommend other online areas for further information.  Accuracy is important,  most students will be patient if asked to wait a minute while you look up the answer.  Where possible we guide, teach, and instruct.  There are times when we must provide answers.  Usually the students do not have the resources available, and we might.  Controversial or personal items are to be discussed by IM only, if at all.

 

      4.  If meeting a student (prearranged), be sure the time zone differences and meeting location are understood.  You should meet in Academic Assistance and, if necessary, proceed further from there.  Tell the student to notify you by e-mail if he/she can not make the appointment.  Arrive 5 minutes early and remain for 10 minutes past the set time.  Even if the student does not show you can "bill" the AAC for this time (see Chapter 9). 

 

      5.  If a question comes up in the room and the student has been tossed offline or must leave, follow Teacher Pager procedures.  If you can reply, copy the question then the answer onto an e-mail form.  Send it to the student, IESCd and (AAC4).  If you can not provide an answer, use keyword Teacher Pager, or access the Pager from a menu, and send it that way.   Include the question and the student's screen name.  Indicate it was "from the AAC Room."  At the same time write to the student (and AAC4) stating that you have sent in the question as a Teacher Page, and a reply will be received by e-mail within 48 hours.  Questions may not go directly to the IES Cd address. 

 

      6.  Sound files are not to be used by teachers at any time in the Room. Persistant use of sounds or failure to stop using them when asked, is considered Room Disruption, a TOS violation (see Chapter 10).

 

      7.  When possible, assist the student privately by IM.

 

           <<Additional Information>>
      1.  Do not openly disagree in the Academic Assistance Rooms with another AOL Staff member.  In such cases write a private e-mail or IM to the party involved, sending a carbon copy the Dean of Staff.  Include the logs or IM segments in question.

 

      2.  IESCoord, IESCoordin, MarkAHulme, MarkHulme4 are names used by the IES Coordinator.  Hal Rosengarten uses AACCoord, AACHal, or PrfHenry.  Both have other names as well.  They frequently "sit" in a Room to read mail and to be available if needed.  Do not IM them unless there are questions about AAC, IES, or AOL that you can not answer.

 

            <<Online Class Help Room>>
      The Academic Assistance Room formally was called the IES Help Room since we answer questions about IES online classes.  These are held four times a year.  Registration and information about classes is found at keyword SIGNUP.  Preregistration begins about three weeks prior to the start of classes and registration is accepted during the first week.  Most classes last 8 weeks and have a tuition fee of between $15 and $60.  Tuition goes to the teacher, AOL receives only a $5 processing fee (part of tuition) and its normal on-line time charges.  The first time a teacher offers a course, there is no fee.  Most of the teachers for these classes are members of the AAC Staff.  Those interested in teaching a specific class should contact Mark Hulme at IES Coord.

 

      Staff members must be familiar with the IES system so that they can answer basic questions about the program.  Hosts and IESCd's receive specific training along with a list of current classes, instructors, and fees.

 

      1.  The class description at SIGNUP will list the teacher and cost.   Most questions can be referred to the instructor.  General questions can be sent to IESCoord.  During registration the IES Coord mailbox (the registration address) is filled and some answers are delayed.

 

      2.   Online classes are paid through monthly billing.  Students are not charged immediately; if they drop out during the first week or if the class is canceled there is no charge.  The "drop" area on the SIGNUP menu.

 

      3.  Registration may not be acknowledged until a few days prior to the start of class.  A client can see if he/she is registered by going to the proper location (keyword CAMPUS) and trying to enter the class.  If access is permitted then registration is complete.

 

     4.  Classes are for "self-enrichment" not for college credit.  College credit classes are found at keyword EUN and are considerably more expensive.

 

<< ( Return to Page Index ) >>

Room Hosts

 

      The AAC Staff Host greets every student, and direct them to teachers who  might be able to assist.  If no such teacher is available, the Host searches for teachers or directs the student to a place online where the information might be available and/or suggests the Teacher Pager.

      Hosts are responsible for all three Rooms when on duty.  Host requirements include::
      1.  A minimum of 25 hours of actively assisting in the Room
      2.  Successfully completion of the TOS training session
      3.  Successfully passing the Host training program, including a probationary observation period

 

      Hosts are currently being scheduled between 4 p.m. and midnight, ET.  They will always have a name prefixed with AAC (i.e. AACMark, AACDuck).  Hosts will only use these names when actually Hosting.  The "AAC" prefix is restricted, only the AACCoordinator can approve such names.  On occasion one of the AAC Managers might act as Host.

 

      When a Host is "on duty," it will be announced.  Teachers will be asked to list their subjects.  Hosts will also formally sign off duty at the end of their shift.  On occasion two Hosts might share a busy shift.  When on duty, the Host (and only the Host) is responsible for:
      1.  Welcoming students.
      2.  TOS situations
      3.  The professionalism of other staff members.

 

      Hosts remain in the Academic Assistance Room and appoint liaisons to be responsible for the other Rooms. They are required to "Log" all sessions, and if there are any difficulties with students or Staff members, significant segments of these logs are forwarded to AAC Coord.

 

      Teachers who enter the Room announce their subjects:    (example)    <---  Literature, History.   Do not send an IM to the Host unless replying to one.  Hosts can frequently be very busy, even if they look inactive in the Room.  Teachers must notify the Host when leaving.

 

      Hosts have "management" authority in the Rooms.  If you disagree with a Host's actions, please contact the Host Supervisor and the Academic Assistance Manager by IM or e-mail.  Include a copy of the IM or Room log.

 

      If no Host is on duty, the person acting as Host will be one of the teachers listed on the Weekly Schedule. In other situations, if the Room is busy enough to warrant one, a teacher willing to act as Host can greet students and perform Hosting duties.  This should be discussed by IM with the other teachers in the room first, and announced by IM to new teachers who enter the Room.
     <------  Acting Host.  What are your subjects please?

 

       Hosts are to receive a TOS training updates every six months.

 

<< ( Return to Page Index ) >>

Message Boards

 

      Throughout the IES and AAC areas, there are Message Boards on which students may post questions.  These are monitored daily by the Pager Forwarders and other trained and authorized Staff.  All AAC Staff members are welcome to respond to questions posted on such boards as long as they follow this procedure:

      1.  Look further in the folder to see if the question was already answered or forwarded to the AAC Staff.  Do not answer questions more than 4 days old.

      2.  Post the answer on the message board

      3.  Open a new mail form.  Address it to the student and IESCd2.  Include a BCC to (AAC4).  The subject line is to be "(student name): Message Board."  Copy the question, followed by a copy of your answer.  Send

      4.  Look for empty folders.  On occasion students create a folder and post the question as the folder title, but post no messages within the folder.  These should be answered simply by posting a reply in the folder

      Work here is to be listed in your credit report as "Message Boards..."
      Do not forward the questions from the Boards to other teachers unless authorized to do so.  

 

If any Staff member discovers an inappropriate or inaccurate message on any of the IES or AAC Boards, please notify AAC Coord immediately.  Include the Board, folder, date, and client's name.

 

<< ( Return to Page Index ) >>

Acedemic Archives

 

     Mark Hulme started the Mini Lessons as a way of archiving teachers' answers for students' use.  These will eventually be converted to the searchable Knowledge Database.  Student questions and teacher replies are forwarded to the Archive storage areas where they are retrieved, edited so that all the answers are matched with the question, and placed into the Database. 

      Editing and placement is the responsibility of Archive Management.  The Department Chairs review all items listed in their fields for accuracy.  Any teacher who notices an error (accuracy, grammar, etc.) should note the exact data file where the error is located and inform AAC Editor of the specific mistake(s).

     We will archive anything that a student could successfully search for in the database.  This *does* include "Who was the first president of the USA?", and "Who wrote The Sun Also Rises?"  It also includes conceptual math questions like, "What is a hyperbola?", and conceptual science questions like, "Explain photosynthesis" and "What are elements?"

 

It will NOT include...  "Solve the following problem for me...   x3 + y4 = 36" or science problems such as "What would you get if you combined O2 with NaCl4?" for the simple reason that the search function of the database cannot successfully search for these questions, and because it's going to be *far* easier for math and science teachers to simply answer the question, than to keep a list of what may be in the database, and then have to explain to the child *how* to find the database,  *how* to use the database, and then *how* and *where* to fine a *specific* file name. 

 

In addition, answers to the students which arrange private tutoring or similar meetings, answers directing them to online resources, answers which are verbatim quotes from another source with no original teacher input, foreign language translations, and answers providing no factual information that would benefit AOL's clients are not archived.

 

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Terms of Service

 

      Teachers should read and be familiar with AOL's Terms of Service (keyword TOS).  The rules apply equally to students and Staff.  Since this is a free area, do not submit a credit request for reading TOS.

      The AAC offers monthly 2 to 3 hour TOS training sessions that specifically addresses recognition of violations, reporting, and avoidance of such problems.  This is recommended for all Staff members and is reimbursed on credit reports.  The session is taught by a Guide instructor and the AAC Management.  If a Host is present, only the Host reports violations.

      If a student is rude, disruptive, or is otherwise violating TOS, and no one is clearly in charge of the Room, one teacher should assess the situation and inform the other Staff members in the Room by IM that he/she is taking action.  Action should end when the student's behavior becomes acceptable, when the student leaves the Room, when an AAC Host or Manager takes over, when a Guide enters, or when a TOS report has been submitted.

      1.  Politely notify the student onscreen or by IM of a potential violation and ask for a behavior modification.
      2.  If your message is not acknowledged within one minute and the behavior continues, try to work with the student in the class.  Do not threaten or chastise in public.  Do not use capital letters.  Defuse situation where possible.  Most of our TOS violations are children showing off to other children.
      3.  Notify child that the actions are being logged and that a copy of this log will be "attached" to his/her master account unless the action is stopped.
      4.  You may contact any of the Management team by IM.  They will assist if available.
      5.  If it becomes obvious that student intends to continue disruption, and no AAC Manager or Host is available, use keyword GUIDE PAGER (or GP- do not reveal this to the general public) and fill out form as completely as possible.  Only send it once.  Guides are not always on duty, but they are very good at replying to our area if they are available.
      6.  If a Guide is summoned, a TOS report must be filled out.  Copy the offensive part of the Room log onto an e-mail (do not exceed 20 lines unless necessary), add the date and time, student (students) involved, and mail it to the responding Guide, AACCoord and ArtE5.  Do not edit the log in any way.  If the offense was on an IM or e-mail, these can also be forwarded to the AAC Management.  Those TOS trained may send in a formal TOS Violation.
      7.  If student continues to be disruptive, suggest by private IM to others that the learning should be continued in a different Room, and inform other students how to go there.
      8.  AAC Coord always contacts the student and sends a copy to all the teachers involved.  Students who are disruptive are listed and repeaters are banned from AAC services in the future.  In the 1994, only two students, of 128 reported, ever repeated the violation.

           The AAC TOS Training Supervisor is responsible for::
    1.  working with the Guide Liaison to provide TOS training and refresher classes for the AAC Staff
    2.  taking reservations for TOS sessions, arrange for room locations and dates that do not conflict with other AAC activities, and notify the Activity manager of such events.  TOS Training Supervisor will be the TOS Class moderator, arranging for AAC managers and assistant managers to be present on a rotating basis.  A follow-up letter will be sent to all those who successfully pass each class, with a CC to the senior AAC Managers.
    3.  arranging for a one hour practice session with actual violations, to be reported as OSW's and e-mail (to the AAC TOS Training Supervisor only).  This will give emphasis to avoiding and diffusing potential TOS situations and determining just what items necessitate TOS reports as opposed to personal letters to the violator.
    3.  reveiving TOS violations and maintaining a listing of those who have violated TOS.  Personal letters will be sent to the Student, Guide Liaison, teachers involved, and AACCoord within 48 hours of the violation.  This includes not only OSW's, TOS reported violations, but also those whose behavior has been unacceptable, but not warranting a TOS report.

   4.  maintaining a list of those Staff members who are TOS trained and circulating this list to the AAC Managers the first week of each month.

 

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Citations

 

Students should cite the ACC according to the style guide mandated by their school according to the following:

 

MLA - TeacherName.  "Subject Discussed."  Academic Assistance Center.  America Online.  (Electronic Communication Network.)  Vienna, VA: AOL, 1994.           

      (In MLA, America Online needs to be underlined.)  

 

APA - TeacherName. (Teacher).  (1995). Subject discussed  (Electronic Communication). Vienna VA: America Online's Academic Assistance Center.     

                              (In APA, the subject needs to be underlined.  The lowercase "discussed" in APA is not a typo.  For more information about Citations see the posting in the AAC News or contact TeacherPat.)                         

 

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Using Macros and "Add-ons"

 

          Macros are a device for putting text on to the Room line.  They are not available for all AOL accesses.  Teachers may use Macros or copy/paste files that do not exceed one line in length.  Managers, Chairs, and Hosts or acting Hosts only may utilize Marcos up to two lines long.  Repeated use of the same item is discouraged.  Greeting Macros are only to be used by Host or acting Host.  Other teachers may use informational Macros as long as they do not interfere with the Host's duties.  If the Host asks that macros not be used, Staff must comply.

    While there is no "approved" format, the following examples have been commonly used:  (frequently the student's name is added)

 

   >Welcome to Academic Assistance.  Can we assist you?
   >This room is for homework questions or questions about online classes.
   >Use keyword Teacher Pager and type out your request. Do you know how to use keywords?
    >We offer tutoring, online classes, and research assistance. 

                > <--- History, Literature.  Humanities room until 8:00

   
   Add-Ons

                        An "Add-On" is a program not created or guaranteed by AOL but available as a download file.  These include spell-checks, Room enhancements, macros, and others.  When adding such a program try it in a private room to be sure you understand how it worked before using it in the AAC areas.

 

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On this Page:

(click for quick access)

 

AAC Staff Procedures

 

Teacher Pager Procedures

 

AAC Room Procedures

 

Room Hosts

 

Message Boards

 

Academic Archives (KD)

 

Terms of Service

 

Citations

 

Macros and Add-ons