• Every person who wants to post a message on a Cradleboard Discussion Board has to register. At that time you must also create a Personal Password. This is to identify the person posting the message. You only have to register once. You will need to use your Cradleboarder Password and your Personal Password each session to access the various Discussion Boards.
  
  
• Students and teachers also have the option of posting a Resume and Photo, but you can do this later if you prefer.
  
  
• The email address you enter in registering is very important. In case of a lost password, click on Lost Password and the correct password will be automatically emailed to whatever address you have entered here when you registered.
  
  
• Also, this is the email address to which a notification will be sent if the student or teacher wishes to receive an automatic email alert that a topic they have posted has received a response. To use this option, check the appropriate box at the bottom of the “Post Reply” page as instructed below.
  
  
• Teachers should choose the email address they prefer the student to use from the following options:

1. Teachers email address at school
   
2. Teachers email address at home
   
3. Teachers Cradleboard email address
   
4. Students personal email address
   

• Once registered, teachers can access all three Discussion Forums: Project Discussions, Partner Class Discussions, and Partner Teacher Discussions. Students cannot enter the Teacher Discussion areas.
  
  
• Project Discussions involve everybody in this year's Cradleboard Teaching Project.
  
  
• Class Discussions involve private discussions between you and your partner class.
  
  
• Teacher Discussions are reserved for teachers.
  
  
• Think of the Discussion Boards as bulletin boards. You arrive whenever you want to, you review the current Topics, you add your own comment to a topic. Or you begin a new Topic.

To enter and add to an ongoing discussion:

1. Click on the topic (At this point you can elect to read the responses without having to reply.)
   
   
2. To reply click on “Post Reply”.
   
   
3. Enter your name in the “Author” space exactly the way you registered, and your Personal Password.
   
   
4. Type in your message in the “Post block”.
   
   
5. Write in the email address you want your topic emailed to in the“ E-mail Post To” space (not required but handy if a person wants a copy of the topic at their personal email box).
   
   
6. Then click Post Reply.

To post a new Topic:

1. Click on “Post New Topic”.
   
   
2. Enter your name in the “Author” space exactly the way you registered, and your Personal Password.
   
   
3. Type in the title of your new topic in the “Topic” space.
   
   
4. Type your topic in the “Post block”.
   
   
5. Check the “Notify” preference box if you want to be notified via email that someone replied to your topic (not required but handy if you want to be notified that someone has responded.).
   
   
6. Then click “Post New Topic”.

• To see a resume of the person that started the topic or replied to a topic click on the person's name.