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Telling a teacher how we feel bulletin board/petition?

Forums: Questions and Answers About Building Your Site
Created on: 08/11/13 10:52 PM Views: 1333 Replies: 16
Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 10:52 PM

Hi, I am looking for some helps/tips on an idea I have for my classmates.

We recently had our reunion. A teacher we had was not able to attend the reunion but sent me an email and letter to the class. I am going to post that on the website home page as a link.

This is where my idea comes into play. I was thinking it would be nice if the classmates could comment on his letter and I could copy and send it to him. He is not a social media person and the only way to contact him is thru his email.

I was imagining sort of a "sign and comment" bulletin board type of thing. Or it could be just a way for them to sign and comment like a petition.

Anyone have any clever ideas, links that would accomplish what I am thinking?

I hope I am making sense. Thank you for your feedback!

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Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 11:09 PM - Response #1

Meg, How about using the Message Forum on the site. It would have the yearbook photos with the names and messages to the teacher, which may help him remember them as students.

While this is not a clever idea... and I am all about doing something different, this might be it. I'll be watching for other ideas to follow.

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Edited 08/11/13 11:09 PM
Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 11:16 PM - Response #2

That would be a great idea, Gwen...if he went on the site. He will not go on any internet sites! That is why I would like a platform that the classmates could give their feedback. I am dreaming of a link of some sort at the bottom of his letter, that maybe says...
Talk to Mr. Bill or write your message to Mr Bill here and it would open up to some sort of petition style thing and they would comment. I then would take that link and send it to him in an email.

I am sure the classmates will want say something back in response to his letter. I would like to provide that platform for them and make it visible to the other classmates. Sort of like what we do when we leave a rose/message on the memorial wall.

Hope you see what my vision is!! Very Happy

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Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 11:16 PM - Response #3

I'm thinking the same thing as Gwen. You could then copy and paste everyone's comments from the Forum into a Word document and mail it to him. You'd have to do some editing with the paragraph spacing etc., but it would work. The photos wouldn't copy, but if you have the time, could copy, save and then paste them into the document by each classmate's name . . . if you already have a forum set up, you could copy and paste from it just to test it out and see if that would work for you.

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Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 11:22 PM - Response #4

Would this teacher be receptive to students having his email address, and they could email him directly?

If not, Rhonda hit the nail on the head - - have students sent YOU an email, you could copy & paste into a Word Doc., then at some point, copy the Doc to an email, and send it to him.

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Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 11:24 PM - Response #5

I did something like what you want with the In Memory section. We had posted the obit of class member and I had posted a announcement requesting people to write a note of the memories and other thoughts. I copied and pasted the notes in a booklet format and sent to her husband. It included the today pictures of class members, for the class had just had their 5oth reunion. Also, what was on her page before death, and school logo, picture of Reunion committee, since she was a member of it, and some of the pictures on the website that included her.
The Forumn would be the same thing I believe. You would need to pull up the senior pictures if you have class members using another picture.
Good luck!
kk

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Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 11:38 PM - Response #6

I would offer the online postings as it would be great to see what everyone says... and for those not sure what to write it may give them the nudge they need. You could offer the Message Forum (copy/paste into an email or DOC is what I was thinking... thanks, Rhonda and Steve!) AND your email address for those not comfortable posting for all to read.

The reason I would not give his email address is simply the ability to surprise him with a number of them at once. I've done this and it was definitely welcomed.

About the LINK, Meg... You could copy/paste the replies to a NEW PAGE that is not active and link to that. As he will not be registered and have a password, you should not password protect it, which leaves it open to bots and public view.

All this shared... I'm wondering if this will work:
Ask him if you may add him as a GUEST member on the class site. Add his email address and give him a password easy for him to remember. Now...he does not need to be social online saavy... he just needs to know his email address and password to get to his profile.... why? Because IF you post the letter ON his profile, classmates can reply under his profile and he will receive an email notification with a link each time someone posts. Suggest he use the email sign in and password each time but offer the fact he can choose not to sign out after his first log in and he will not need to log-in again. Then one more time note that logging into the site is recommended. He has email... he can do that. The link in the emails will get him right where he needs to go.

Just some thoughts.

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Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 11:42 PM - Response #7

Oh Meg... I read your reply a second time... "He will not go to any internet sites."

Scratch the other ideas. Stay with the copy/paste and run with it!

I like how Karen put everything together. It would be nice to include his photo from the yearbook on the page with his letter, Meg.

I'm laughing while writing this. I have a neighbor who will allow her checks to be scanned at the grocery but will not input her debit card password and will not do anything on websites that require her email address and a password. It is an ongoing topic that makes both of us laugh.

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Monday, August 12, 2013 at 2:40 PM - Response #8

THANK you for all your replies/suggestion!!

Gwen, I have already put his picture(s) up on the link. I have 4 of him, 3 from HS and 1 current. I used the embed feature from cc create galleries!
Great minds think alike..eh?

Okay, I like the suggestions here but not sure how they would work. I really wanted to have something linked within my main link at the bottom of his letter, which would bring the classmate right to the spot they would write back to him. I didn't want to have them leave that area to go to another area, which is the feeling I am getting when you mention forums.

I don't seem to have forum option on my website. I guess I would need to upgrade the plan for that option.

The announcement suggestion sounds good but am I able to establish a link for them to write their message within that announcement?

Maybe I am missing the obvious to this idea I have..which I seem to be doing a lot lately!!

Thank you!!

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Monday, August 12, 2013 at 2:46 PM - Response #9

Maybe, the CC guys would know of a platform like I am trying to come up with!!?

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Monday, August 12, 2013 at 2:50 PM - Response #10

Bummer that you do not have the Message Forum, Meg.

IF you make an announcement on the home page, I wonder if using the survey option with a comment box works.

SCOTT (CC): Is there a character limit in the survey comment (text) box? And do you think this would work for Meg?

QuestionQuestionQuestionCoolQuestionQuestionQuestion

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Monday, August 12, 2013 at 2:52 PM - Response #11

Meg Davis wrote:

Maybe, the CC guys would know of a platform like I am trying to come up with!!?

Looks like we are on the same page again and writing our posts at the same time, Meg! Very Happy

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Monday, August 12, 2013 at 11:21 PM - Response #12

I am thinking....and it probably would be a programming issue for CC...but you know how when you go to a funeral website and they give you the capability to put a message there. THAT is what I am sort of looking for. It would be easy for them to use, others can read and then I would have the capability to print/save and send it to the our Dear Mr.Larsen!!

Maybe there is an app for something like this....I will be back!! Going hunting!

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Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 6:07 AM - Response #13

Hi Meg,

I read this post when it first began and when I saw the first few posts in the morning considered it answered. However, when I was talking to Gwen on the phone tonight, she mentioned that you thought you did not have the forum option on your website. I double checked the options of Premium and Platinum and unless something has changed since I have been here (2010) all class sites on Class Creator have the forum option, in fact there are TWO "FORUM" options.

WHAT: The first is called Message Forum and the second is called Member Forums (at least I hope those are the original names of the FORUM options, as they can be renamed). The difference between the two options is... the first (Message Forum) is one continuous page where messages posted by members are from beginning to current and only option you have is to reverse that order. The second (Member Forums) is several individual message forums organized by topic from beginning to end.

HOW & WHERE: I checked out your home page of your site and you show neither of those TABS listed, therefore, you have simply not yet turned them on. To turn one or both of them on... please go to EDIT SITE PAGES and read down the list until you find the names: Message Forum and Member Forums. Which by the way you can change the NAMES of the FORUMS to whatever you like. Make active whichever one of those Forums you choose (or both if you choose) by clicking on the EDIT LINK and check the box next to the word ACTIVE. Rename them here also if you desire.

MY SUGGESTION: If you only want to use one of the Forums, I would suggest you choose Member Forums, as you can create as many different forums there you would like and there are more options such as moderating postings and forum photos on or off.

TO DECIDE: Go see the difference in appearance now (to help you decide)... go to TAP - The Admins Place, then click on Message Forum (one continuous message forum) and then click on TAP Forums (several forums listed by topic).

EXTRA SUGGESTIONS ON HOW: You could make a link for Mr. Larsen's letter on your home page in an announcement that links directly to the particular TOPIC of the Members Forum where you post his letter and all replies to his letter will be listed there by classmates responding to his letter. Once you have a few classmates that have posted, you could simply take screenshots of the pages and make an Adobe .pdf document (similar to the TAP chat log) and email to Mr. Larsen. As more posts are entered by classmates you could send him an updated .pdf document to Mr. Larsen via email.

PDF CREATOR: If you need a free pdf creator / converter there is one at pdfforge, although I do not have any experience with it, so be sure and read up on that particular 'free' one before using it. There may be other free ones out there to consider. That might be a good question to ask TAP members during a chat... if anyone has an experience based referral for a free pdf creator / converter.

OTHER OPTION (without using Forums on CC): Another suggestion Gwen remembered while talking to me on the phone tonight she asked me to share with you, was a website called JotForm.com which allows you to make about any form you can imagine. Gwen used it in the past to make a guest book for her site which would be similar to what you are wanting to do with comments from classmates to Mr. Larsen's letter. Go to JotForm.com create your form and then paste the code into a blank new page on your site. Copied directly from their site... "JotForm's form builder helps you create & publish online forms anywhere, anytime without writing a single line of code. Free without ads!"

Hope something here helps you find the ideal solution for what you want to create for your site! Thanks!

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Edited 08/13/13 6:29 AM
Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 9:49 PM - Response #14

WOW!! Thanks Marla!!

First of all when I read your message, I remembered that I did in fact have those forums available! I had turned them off when I created my website because the classmates that were on FB were "fighting" too much and I didn't want it to spill over to CC. Now that the reunion is over. I think I will turn on at least one of them and see how it goes.

What I experimented with was creating a survey and asked 2 questions with space for them to write their comments. I didn't turn the survey on but copied the url to the survey. I did a test run on myself and it did seem to work without having to turn the survey on. It doesn't show the other classmates what was written etc but I could always turn that survey on for them to see, right? I just need to flip flop the link I have to the survey and make that survey the main link..although it is not going to say it is a survey.

I did look at Jotform and that is something I was hoping CC would be able to provide for us in the near future without having to go to an outside source for this. It could be a turn on/off feature they could provide to us. I know they are super busy with the CC/FB application but I will submit a suggestion to them.

I can always count on you guys for some great ideas/tips!! Thank you so much. I will let you know if what I am going to do works out!

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Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 9:49 PM - Response #15

WOW!! Thanks Marla!!

First of all when I read your message, I remembered that I did in fact have those forums available! I had turned them off when I created my website because the classmates that were on FB were "fighting" too much and I didn't want it to spill over to CC. Now that the reunion is over. I think I will turn on at least one of them and see how it goes.

What I experimented with was creating a survey and asked 2 questions with space for them to write their comments. I didn't turn the survey on but copied the url to the survey. I did a test run on myself and it did seem to work without having to turn the survey on. It doesn't show the other classmates what was written etc but I could always turn that survey on for them to see, right? I just need to flip flop the link I have to the survey and make that survey the main link..although it is not going to say it is a survey.

I did look at Jotform and that is something I was hoping CC would be able to provide for us in the near future without having to go to an outside source for this. It could be a turn on/off feature they could provide to us. I know they are super busy with the CC/FB application but I will submit a suggestion to them.

I can always count on you guys for some great ideas/tips!! Thank you so much. I will let you know if what I am going to do works out!

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Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 10:46 PM - Response #16

Good memory, Marla! She missed one pdf program... CutePDF Writer. You can get it at www.cutepdf.com or find it on cnet.com. It is a a breeze to use! I started using is at least ten years ago. Need a bit more Meg, we have a thread in the TAP Forums that Marla started about pdf programs, under General Discussion.

Looking forward to the results! Smile

TAP - The Administrator's Place is open to all site admins. We've been having Live Chats every Wednesday evening. Join us!

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Edited 08/13/13 10:48 PM
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