Announcing Talking Shop , a networking website for adjunct faculty at Santa Monica College .
This tool facilitates idea sharing among part-time faculty...and only part-time faculty at SMC. Get to know one another in cyberspace, overcoming scheduling conflicts that inhibit our ability to meet and converse on campus.
Get to know other adjunct faculty at SMC. Share ideas about pedagogy, time management, our place in the SMC community, workshops, and share valuable resources with colleagues. All of this at your convenience…online.
To check out the site, go to http://smconline.org and Login by doing the following:
If you are already an Ecompanion User: Login as you usually do.
If you are new to eCompanion Login in by using the following procedure:
Once there, Look for Special Courses. Left Click on Talking Shop Talking Shop - A Network for Adjunct Faculty . Then Click on the Discussion link on the left side of the screen and read the introduction on the right side. You will find information about the site, basic instructions to get you started, and policy guidelines. Jump right in to join one or more Discussions, contribute your favorite websites to the Webliography, or Share Documents with colleagues.
Explore the site by clicking on Discussion topics to the left and tabs at the top of the page. The Discussion unit of the site functions like a bulletin board. Click on the bulleted link to the left to join in a discussion about the topic of your choice, then follow the directions on the screen. In some cases you will see a single discussion topic, in others you will find a drop down menu with multiple choices of subtopic. The Webliography page enables us to build a communal library of useful websites. The Doc (ument) Sharing page makes it easy to upload and share documents such as forms and assignments that enhance the effectiveness of our teaching. The Email page is a terrific tool for sending a message to an individual, a specific group, or all adjunct faculty. However, the mission of this site is to create and maintain open communication among all part time faculty, for the benefit of all. So, we encourage to communication mainly via Discussions, Document Sharing, and the Webliography.
Check back often to review contributions from colleagues and add your comments. Remember this is a dialogue...so revisit from time to time continue the discussion.
If you would like to engage in conversation about a professional topic that does not appear on the list, type up the beginning of the discussion and email it to the Site Administrator , who will create the item online. Ecompanion software restricts the establishment of new discussions to an Administrator rather than enabling all participants to begin a conversation about a new topic. However it does provide a convenient vehicle for exchange of ideas among Adjunct faculty.
Enjoy!