Activity: Facilitating FLO - Week 1 (checklist)

Week 1 Tasks

How you could try this in FDO
Note: There is a FLO Sandbox for you to play in

Post welcome message first thing into the Open Forum to all participants. Possible inclusions:

• tell them to check the schedule and use it as a guide
• let participants know Weeks 2-4 will be open in a couple of days if you have decided to hide them
• tell them how to find our office hours and also when we each expect to be active in the course as facilitators (time of day)
• indicate some of the first activities they should be working on this week
• draw attention to Collaborate session date/time and point to instructions

Post facilitator introductions by Monday AM (if you haven’t posted them already)

Make sure the facilitator team planning forums are set properly in the Facilitation Teams Workspace tab:

Initially auto-subscribe (not forced subscribe) everyone to the team planning forums so they get an email when someone posts there, and they can find it.

By mid-week (or before) connect with first mini-session facilitators on the Week 2 Diversity of Learners team about their facilitation in Week 2 (whichever facilitator is supporting this team). Remind them about their activity plan in their Facilitation Team Workspace.

Hold Blackboard Collaborate kick-off session with participants and record for the others who weren’t able to be there.

Content for Collaborate session:

• show them briefly around Collaborate and some of its functions and features
• explain that FLO is a sampler of different activities; tell them they’ll be busy and later will have time to reflect on it, but it’s a starting point;
• explain that there are planning forums for each facilitation team in the Facilitation Teams Workspace; their teams are noted in the HUB
• focus on why feedback and FLIF pieces are important (it’s like the ISW, you get feedback and reflect in person - so too for online);
• give them an indication of the hours they should spend on the course and that it’s SO important to set aside time every day if they can;
• go over how the facilitation teams work (there is a team facilitating in each week between Weeks 2 and 5)
  
• note that an activity plan for each team's mini-session has been written for them but there is some choice in how you further design/facilitate it. They should draw upon their support facilitator's assistance as necessary to plan to facilitate their activity
  

FDO Note: this is a repeat from the pre-course checklist, where the item was to "work on the slides" for this presentation

Check the sample materials for the Week 1 live session(s) in FLO Facilitator Resources. Update these slides to suit yourself.

You could take it a step further and go beyond "work on" preparing the slides...you could go into the Collaborate Room, upload your slides, hit "record" and talk through the slides as though you were leading the presentation. Then, review the recording and see if there is anything you would like to change.

Mid-week check in post in Open Forum:

Some examples of what to remind participants about:

• to participate in the Building Online Community forum 
• announce where Collaborate recording is from the kick off session (This can go in the end of week wrap up, if timing is better)

Respond to forum posts in the Building Online Community forum in a way that models good facilitation

Connect with the Week 3 Responsive Facilitation team via their planning forum (whichever facilitator is supporting this team.) Encourage them to begin planning. Remind them to review their activity plan in the Facilitation Teams Workspace.

Write end of week post on Friday:

• do the readings AND participate in the discussion - if you don’t discuss you’re missing out on half the learning
• heads up to week 2 topic being facilitated by peers. 
• they may want to begin the Week 2 readings over the weekend

Work very closely with the upcoming facilitation team for Week 2 (Diversity of Learners). They may well need help over the weekend to be sure they are ready.