Directions: For this activity, please suggest a community agreement that you think would be helpful in creating an inclusive online learning environment for our course. Please feel free to pick from one below, refer to the McGee-Cooper & Trammell article, or to develop your own idea from your experience in past online courses. It may help to ask yourself what did I find MOST and LEAST inclusive in past online discussion environments in which I have participated? Then explain in 100-300 words, why you feel the community agreement you have suggested is important for having difficult discussion in an online course. Please note that the suggestions may be directed towards yourself, towards peers, or towards the instructor.
Suggested Community Agreement Items:
Be present, participate actively, and be engaged.
Strive to gain perspective and suspend judgments.
Ask questions, namely exploratory or clarifying questions.
Experiment with new ideas and take risks.
Balance voicesstep up/step back: If you find you are speaking too much, take a step back. If you find you arent speaking enough, take a step up.
Confidentiality:
Tell your own story, not someone elses.
Share without using names.
Own and talk about your feelings that came up when someone elses story was shared.
Meet new people, create connections, and build support networks/spaces.
Speak from the Ihave mindfulness about generalizations or speaking for others.
If conflict surfaces, engage with care.
Exercise patienceacknowledge that people will be at different places in personal experience and understanding.
Take care of yourself and communicate your needs.
Challenge and educate yourself and otherswork with learning edges and comfort zones.
Have fun!
