Setting up a Message Board page
(for teachers)


Example of a Message Board pageIf you want students to be able to post their own replies online, you can try a message board, or forum, page. Forum pages allow visitors to the page to post replies to discussions, with multiple discussion threads taking place at the same time. 

Policy: Students can't make themselves personally identifiable, so they can't use their full names. An employee (you) must approve each post before it is made public.

 

 

Create a new forum page

  1. Log in and open any page on your website.
  2. Open the Edit toolbar at the top of the page.
  3. Choose New Page from the Edit toolbar.
  4. In the new window that appears, choose Forum and click the Add Page button.
  5. You should now see the Page Settings window for your new Forum page. If you want, change the Page Title to something like "Mrs. Smith's Message Board".
  6. Fill in your @hebisd.edu email address in the Email Address blank.
  7. Make sure that the box labeled "Manually Approve Posts" is checked.
  8. Click the Done button when you are finished.

You've setup the page, but you must now add a "Board" to the page before any discussions can be created.

 

Add a "Board" where discussions can go

A forum is usually made up of several boards that each contain discussion threads on a specific topic. For example, you might setup a separate board for each class or subject, or you could just have one board where everyone can discuss together. To add a board:

  1. On the black Edit toolbar at the top of the page, click New Board.
  2. In the window that appears, change the Title of the board to describe the discussions you expect in that board. You can be specific, like "2nd Period Algebra II", or generic, like "Student Discussions".
  3. Click on the Options tab, and make sure the first two options are checked.
  4. Click the Done button to save the new board. (You'll then need to click Done in two more windows that SchoolCenter will show you.)

Back on your Forum page, you should see your board listed. If you click on the name of your board, you'll be taken to a page that lists all the discussion threads on that board (currently none).

 

Approve posts your visitors have submitted

When visitors to your page reply or start a new discussion thread, their comment will not be posted until you approve it. If you are on your forum page and logged in to SchoolCenter, the current number of "Unapproved Posts" is listed on the black Edit toolbar. To read and approve the not-yet-approved posts:

  1. On the black Edit toolbar at the top of the page, click Unapproved Posts (#).
  2. In the new window that appears, all of your not-yet-approved posts will be listed. Choose one of the posts and click the corresponding pencil icon in the Edit column.
  3. You'll then be shown the contents of the post. Make sure that the contents are acceptable and that the student hasn't used their full name!
    • If you approve the post, click the Done button.
    • If you do not approve the post, you can click the Delete button to permanently remove the post, or you can click the Cancel button to save it as a not-yet-approved post.
  4. Repeat steps 2-3 as necessary for each not-yet-approved post.

Note: Once you approve a post, you can't change it back to not-yet-approved. You can edit or delete it, but you can't change it back to not-yet-approved to hide it from view.