Warren County
Countywide Technology Project

Migratory Birds

 
 

Welcome to Ask An Expert

Ask An Expert connects you with real birding experts. These experts have volunteered to answer your questions for FREE!

Here’s how to make it work for you:

Step 1: Think of a question.

Step 2: Create a new e-mail message to:

AskAnExpert@warrennet.org

Step 3: In the subject type:

County-Wide Migratory Bird Project

Step 4: In the body of the email:

type your question.

Then click SEND. Your e-mail will be posted to the listserv. Our panel of experts will review questions and reply at their earliest convenience. Always be sure to use proper etiquette.

Step 5: Have fun learning the answers to your questions!

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top Tips for Using Ask An Expert

  • Read the directions below on Ask An Expert Etiquette.
  • Send your questions!
    As participants ask questions we will create an FAQ page. Please check the FAQ page prior to sending questions. If you don't find the information your looking for on the Ask An Expert FAQ page, send your question according to our instructions. Be sure to write your question clearly and include as much information as you can including:
    • Grade level or professional position - This will help the expert write the response in a way that is most useful and understandable for you. Since the expert can't see you or speak to you in person, the information provides a "picture" of you for the expert.
    • Reason for asking the question - The expert may answer a question differently if he or she knows that you are using the information for a particular reason. For instance, if you need the information for a school assignment, explain the assignment in as much detail as you can.
    • Research you've done already - Include information on what you've already done to try to find an answer to your question, so that an expert will know where to start. For instance, if you include in your question that you've already looked in an encyclopedia and didn't find enough information, the expert will know not to refer to back to the same encyclopedia.
    • Write question in complete sentences - A question that simply reads "canadian geese" will not get as complete an answer as "What do canadian geese eat?" or "What is the average life span of a canadian goose?" Students can ask a teacher or parent to help them write the questions.

    The more information you can include about your question, the better. It may help to imagine yourself discussing your question or topic with someone you've never met before (or try talking about it with someone know). What kind of information do you think that person may ask of you in order to understand your question better?

    Although you should include as much information as you can about your question, you should avoid sharing any personal information that you do not want others to know.

  • Wait for your answer - Keep in mind that it often takes more than a day or two to receive a response, and sometimes an expert is unable to get back to you as soon as you'd like. The best advice is to send your question as early as possible, so that you receive your response in plenty of time for any deadlines.
  • Send a "Thank You" note - Our experts are real people who enjoy sharing their expertise and ideas with others. Since they can't give you an answer in person, it's often hard for them to know if you've received it al all and whether or not the answer was helpful. A quick thank you note lets experts know that their hard work was appreciated and would allow you to explain whether or not the answer was what you had expected.
 
 
 

Ask An Expert Etiquette:
Do's and Don'ts
of Using Ask An Expert



Our Ask An Expert volunteers are eager to help students, teachers, parents and others with the questions, but there are a few general rules that should be followed in order to get the most out of the experience.

PLEASE DO.....

>>Use our service to supplement a lesson - Students and educators send questions to Ask An Expert during different points during lessons and projects.

>>Submit questions to Ask An Expert only after consulting Ask An Expert FAQ.

>>Write questions clearly using proper grammar and punctuation. It is often more difficult to express ourselves electronically than it is face-to-face or over the phone. Writing clearly helps to get our point across and increases the chances of receiving a useful response from Ask An Expert.

>>Include information regarding the context of the question (e.g., grade/age of student, subject, type of assignment, other resources consulted).

>>Send a "Thank You" message to the Ask An Expert volunteer who answered your question. It helps the service to know if you found the information helpful or if you were looking for something different.

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top PLEASE DON'T.....

<<Have students use Ask An Expert solely for e-mail practice. Many experts of Ask An Expert volunteer their time to answer questions, and they take their responsibilities seriously. Students can practice using e-mail programs by sending messages to each other or a teacher.

<<Don't rely on Ask An Expert to serve as the only information resource for a project.

<<Include homework questions word for word in your message to Ask An Expert. Ask An Expert will be able to help you with part of an assignment (whether it involves pointing you to a web site or explaining scientific theory), but will not do your assignment for you.

<<Ask questions that are impossible to answer or are otherwise inappropriate. Try to ask questions that you truly believe can be answered or can be researched to some extent. Young students should have a teacher or other adult look over their questions before they are sent to Ask An Expert.

  
 

Project Coordinator:
Becky Snyder

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