Expectations

A collaborative relationship involves is people providing help and support in a non-threatening way. The group members act as a guide, advisor, and mentor, empowering the other member(s) to move forward with confidence to proving their competence. The teacher(s) serves a coach – observing on the side and intervening only when necessary. To be an effective group member, one must:

Set the Norms
To maintain a healthy colloaborative relationship, give some consideration to the following suggestions:

• Provide frequent and regular communication with mentees focused on content and the essential questions.
• Prepare for insightful and supportive communication.
• Fulfil responsibilities within the time agreed.
• Guide and probe for more information, rather than being dictatorial.
• Maintain confidentiality; do not share others’ thoughts without the group member's consent.
• Adhere to the rules for blogging etiquette as provided by your teacher.

  

Monitor the Discussion
After the group member’s initial post for each lesson has been posted on The Holocaust - In Our Hands blog, other group member(s) should respond in a timely manner and confine comments to the essential questions: The following are ways in which the group members can reply to a post.

Recognition

Recognizing group membersconsists in referring explicitly to their posts to assure them that their contribution is valued and welcome, or to correct misapprehensions on their part about the context of the discussion.

Prompting
Prompting mentees consists in requesting additional information to further the conversation or probe for deeper insight. Asking a question about the material or asking a group member to comment on another’s ideas are forms of prompting.

Referring

The conversation may be enhanced by referring to content-related materials available on the Internet, for example, by hyperlinking, or offline materials.

Meta-Commenting

Meta-comments are remarks directed at the context or norms of the posting; or at solving problems such as lack of clarity or irrelevance, and information overload.

The role of each member plays an important role in essential to the vitality of any meaningful online discussion and engaging one in understanding the Holocaust.