My Alternative High - A Learning Community for Alternative High School Students

If it's not working, you did not follow these step by step directions written at a 3rd grade reading level!

That means no bullets, numbers, font colors or sizes, centering text, tabs… nothing; words and punctuation only. Do all your formatting in the message board or you will not be pleased with the results. Thank you.

Adding a new topic

Message Board Posts

There are two types of posts. You can create a new topic, or you can reply to a topic. You will use both of these, in a variety of ways. Which one you choose and how you use it will depend on your agenda instructions.

New Topic

Creates a new topic in the forum. You will need to fill in the following:

1. Name: Use your first name and last initial unless instructed otherwise

2. Topic title: Enter a name for your topic (sometimes you will put the class name here)

3. Description: Enter a short description for your post

4. Body: Enter and format text, images and links.

5. Security code: This is very important! If you don’t enter it or if you enter it wrong you may lose your work! Unfortunately, we need the security code to protect us from spammers, so you will just have to get used to it.

Replying to a topic

Message Board Posts

Add reply

Creates a reply to an existing topic. You will need to fill in the following:

1. Name: Use your first name unless instructed otherwise

2. Body: Enter and format text, images and links.

3. Security code: If you don’t enter it right you may lose your work!

Inserting images

Note: This only works when the picture has its own web address. If other stuff is on the page with the picture, it will not work.

Insert image

1. Click the icon on the far right of the toolbar that resembles a picture. If a dialogue box opens that says, You must enter a URL”, do this:

a. Click “OK” on the message

b. Locate the pale yellow message bar at the very top of the screen that says: “The website is using a scripted window to ask you for information. If you trust this website, click here to allow scripted windows…”

c. Click on the message and select “Temporarily Allow Scripted Windows”

d. The message will go away.

2. Click on the picture icon again

3. Notice the gray box that appears in the top left corner of your computer screen that says: “Script Prompt: Enter a URL for this image

4. Go back to the page that the picture is on

5. Copy the web address of the picture

6. Paste the web address into the link window you opened (be sure to remove the extra http:// from the window first. Your picture will not work if you have two http://’s).

7. Click “OK”

8. A link will appear in your message. It will not look like a link; it’s not supposed to. Do not mess with it. Your picture will show up when you post your message.

9. Repeat steps 1-8 to add more pictures.

Inserting links

Insert link

1. Click the “Link+” icon on the right side of the toolbar. If a dialogue box opens that says, “Enter a URL”, do this:

a. Click “OK” on the message

c. Click on the message and select “Temporarily Allow Scripted Windows”

d. The message will go away.

2. Click on the “Link+” icon again

3. Notice the gray box that appears in the top left corner of your computer screen that says: “Script Prompt: Enter a URL for this link”

4. Go back to the page that you want to make a link to

5. Copy the web address of the page

6. Paste the web address into the link window you opened (be sure to remove the extra http:// from the window first. Your link will not work if you have two http://’s).

7. Click “OK”

8. A new gray box will open in the same spot that says: Script Prompt: Enter in the text you wish to have show up in the link”. This is so you can name your link.

9. Type or paste a descriptive name for the link.

10.Click “OK”

11.A link will appear in your message. It will not look like a link; it’s not supposed to. Do not mess with it. Your link will show up when you post your message.

12.Repeat steps 2-10 to make additional links.

Creating bullet and number lists

Bullets and Numbered Lists

1. Click either the bullet or the list icon

2. If a dialogue box opens that says, “Enter a URL” do this:

a. Click “OK” on the message

b. Locate the pale yellow message bar at the very top of the screen

c. Hover your mouse over it and right click on the message

d. Select “Temporarily allow scripted windows

e. The message will go away.

3. Click on the bullet or number icon again

4. A gray box will appear in the top left corner of your computer screen

5. Paste or type the first item of your list into the blank

6. Click “OK”

7. Repeat steps 5-6 for each item on your list

8. When you paste or type the last item, click “OK” one last time, then click “Cancel”

9. A set of links will appear in your message. Do not mess with them. Your list will show up when you post your message.

10. Repeat steps 1-8 to make additional lists.

Changing text color and other formatting

Font Color

1. Use your mouse to highlight the text you wish to color

2. Leave the text highlighted

3. Click the colored “A” symbol in the toolbar

4. Select your color from the palette that opens

5. Click “OK”

6. Your text is now colored. Don’t mess with it. The color will show when you post your message

Other Formatting

1. Use your mouse to highlight the text you wish to format

2. Leave the text highlighted

3. Click the desired icon

4. Click “OK”

5. Your text is now formatted. Don’t mess with it. The formatting will show up when you post your message

Beware: It Could Happen to You

Dawn did everything right that morning, from getting to class early, to checking the agenda, to working steadily all period. By the end of class, Dawn was feeling pretty good about all she had accomplished—about a page of writing, several pictures, and about a half a dozen links. Noticing it was almost time to leave, Dawn added some finishing touches, looked everything over, put the code in the box and hit the submit button. Then she waited to see her work, but it wasn’t there! She refreshed the screen, but it was still gone! All her work for the whole period! Disappeared! It was like she hadn’t done anything at all! She may as well have skipped class! She put her face in her hands and sighed. The moral of the story: Save everything before you post!

Glossary

Message Board

This is like a house for all the subjects (forums) on a message board. A message board has different forums. You will find message boards on many of the pages on this site. You are always encouraged to participate in them!

Forum

These are all the rooms that the message board has. By clicking on a forum, you can see what different discussions are going on about that subject.

Topics

These are like the people standing in groups in a large room. Each group is talking about something different, but everything is related to the forum. Use the buttons above and below the board to respond to a topic or start your own.