Virtual Meeting Logistics
Step by Step: Working Your Shift
Here's how it all works.
Step 1: Set Up
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Side Note
To manage all the different docs and websites that makes online instruction work, I set up a Chrome browser with bookmarks bar shortcuts to all of the relevant pages:
If you want help setting up something like this, let me know!
- WC Online
- Google Drive
- Virtual Meeting Handbook
- Weebly
If you want help setting up something like this, let me know!
Step 2: Contact Students
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Step 3: Meet with students
- Take the first five minutes of the session (7:00-7:05) reading the student's writing.
- Then get started! Just like an in-person session, get some background information on your student. Ask about the course, what year in school they are, etc. Beyond this, ask about their day, about how they like the course, etc. Remember that it sometimes takes a little extra effort to develop rapport with students over Virtual Meetings. (More on tips for Virtual Meetings in the pedagogy section of this handbook.)
- Repeat with remaining students
- At some point during your shift, you'll want to tweet one more time--either listing remaining open slots or announcing that we're full.
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How do I know if a student has already had a VIRTUAL MEETING this week?
Before your sessions, please take a brief moment to review previous records from that student.
Record Keeping
Again, you record Virtual Meeting records in the same manner that you would record Main Center or Written Feedback meetings, via WC Online.
Entering Your Records
Step One
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Adding a Student to the Client List
If a writer is not registered as a user of WCOnline, you can email the receptionists at [email protected] with the writer’s first name, last name, and Wisc email address. When a receptionist has added the student(s), go on back to WCOnline and finish your records.
If you don't want to wait, you're also welcome to add a student to the client list yourself!
If you don't want to wait, you're also welcome to add a student to the client list yourself!
What to Do with an Empty Session
No one signed up for a session?
Step One: Check the instructor queue
If you have a spare 45 minutes to an hour, check the email queue. Responding to an email draft should take about 30 minutes. There is a separate tutorial for picking up email drafts here: Picking up an email draft.
Step Two: Check the waiting list
If there aren't any drafts in the email queue, check the waiting list at WCOnline.
1. Log in to WCOnline 2. Navigate to today 3. Click on the clock icon (pictured right) 4. Choose "Manage waiting list" 5. Click on a student name 6. Locate their email and/or phone number 7. Email or text the student (your choice) inviting them to join a Virtual Meeting. Here's a sample message: "Hi Garrett! I'm Maggie from the Writing Center at UW-Madison. I noticed you're on the waiting list and was wondering if you'd like to meet via Virtual Meeting tonight? Virtual Meetings are very much like main center appointments except we're both at home! 8. Repeat with the other students on the waiting list. |
Step Three: Help with Outreach
Providing services that include a Virtual Meeting option is crucially important to the writing center's mission because online instruction has been shown by so many studies to be crucial for "non-traditional" students: parents, those who work full time, those who live off campus, etc. We are, therefore, working to connect with programs that serve these kinds of students especially.
If you have spare time in your shift and there are no emails in the email queue and no one has responded to you from the wait list, the next step is to do some research.
If you have spare time in your shift and there are no emails in the email queue and no one has responded to you from the wait list, the next step is to do some research.
Look for UW programs that might be a good fit for Virtual Meeting instruction.
Once you find a program, try and locate a point-person and an email address to contact that person.
Some examples of programs we reach out to now include online and part-time programs:
Some examples of programs we reach out to now include online and part-time programs:
- The BSN@Home program (our online nursing bachelor degree program)
- The Part-Time Social Work Master's Program
Share other ideas for Virtual Meeting instruction outreach.
Have other ideas for how to increase the use of Virtual Meetings, especially by students who don't live on campus? Email [email protected] to let us know about your ideas!
Mentorships
Beginning Fall 2019, instructors will be able to have ongoing appointments with students (which we're now calling "mentorships" at the Writing Center). Your mentees will be able to meet with you during a designated and pre-booked time every week for the entire semester.
During your first mentorship appointment, be sure to:
- Clarify what a "mentorship" is. A mentorship is a formal relationship between a writing instructor and student that allows a student to pre-book appointments.
- Determine how often you'll meet. The default assumption is that you'll meet with your mentee every week. If your mentee does not want to meet every week, that's fine, but there should be some pre-arranged schedule (i.e., every other week or every first Monday of the month). If your mentee does not want to meet every week, please let me know because I might assign you another student who wants to meet during the weeks that you're not seeing your first mentee.
- Discuss what you'll work on during the semester. You'll want to make sure that the student's writing needs would work well for the appointment frequency they've selected. Also, please let your mentee know that the expectation is that they'll be writing in between your appointments. A mentorship can become a bit stagnant if you're just working through a long pre-written draft during your appointments and they're not actually making edits and producing new writing throughout the semester.
- Talk about our attendance policy. Since mentees are essentially booking appointments for Virtual Meetings, the attendance policy that applies in the Main Center applies here. If your mentee needs to miss a week, please tell them that they need to notify you at least 24 hours in advance (so that you can open their appointment slot to non-mentee students). If they don't notify you, that will count as a late cancellation. Students are allotted 2 No Shows/Late Cancellations (less than 24 hours’ notice) per semester. Please let them know that more than 2 will affect their ability to continue to have a mentorship.
- Last but not least, build rapport! A "mentorship" implies that you'll be in your mentee's corner and supporting their writing throughout the next semester. As much as possible, start building this relationship during your first meeting by asking about their life in general and showing empathy.
Last steps: Finishing up
After you're finished meeting with your mentee, you'll complete the other steps for your Virtual Meeting session (i.e. filling out a record in WConline).
I'm here for you. Anytime. Seriously. |