School Networks

The School’s Network - A Support to Assist in the Integration of Technology
by Jenni Donohoo

Technology can be used to assist teachers in creating a collaborative environment in their classrooms. Shared workspaces on networks allow teachers to easily set up folders where students can share files or resources while working together on projects. School networks provide opportunities for the teacher to share useful resources including web links and templates with groups of students. The network also allows for collaboration and sharing among teachers through common workspaces where files or discussion forums can be accessed by all staff.

Windows Users - SchoolConnect

The first step in managing your students is to set up a Class Group.
This function allows you to add individual members and choose which pieces of software you would like your students to have access to. Double click on the ‘Teacher Tools’ icon on your Desktop. A window will appear requiring you to re-type your login and password. The IBM TLC SchoolConnect screen will appear with a menu on the left of the screen.

Creating Classes or Groups
a) Select ‘Classes and Groups’ on the left of the screen.
b) Select ‘Create/Remove Classes/Groups’.
c) Enter a new class or group name in the field provided.
d) Select an icon for the class (optional) or use the default one on the screen.
e) Click ‘Create Class’.

A confirmation message will appear stating that your class was successfully created.
Two choices will be available: ‘Add Class Members’ or ‘Return’.


Add Class Members


a) Click ‘Add Class Members’.

If the ‘Add individual students’ radio button is selected, a list of all available students will be displayed.
(You could also display students by class or grade).

b) Select the name of the student and click the ‘Assign’ button.
(Multiple students could be selected by holding down the shift key when clicking the mouse).

Notice that ‘Unassign’ is also available.


Using the Tools

Students who have been added to classes will now have the class icon appear on their desktops. The class icon contains items specific to a class such as Members, Assignments, Groupwork, Homework and Custom Courseware Applications.

Members: Each student will have their own folder within the ‘Members’ area. Within this folder there are the ‘Hand-In Folder’ and the ‘Graded Folder’. A teacher has access to all students’ personal folders in that class. Students have access only to their own folders. The ‘Hand-In Folder’ is where students could place their work and the ‘Graded Folder’ is where teachers could return graded assignments.

Assignments: Assignments can be created using an application of your choice. Save a copy of your assignment to ‘My Documents’ folder before placing it in a particular class assignment folder. Assignments can be ‘dragged and dropped’ into folders.

Groupwork and Homework:
Students have access to save or retrieve work in this area. It may be used to assign work or for students working in groups that may need access to file sharing.

Teacher's Community:
 This space allows teachers to share information and files with other teachers as well as with the school administrator.

DeskTools:
Contains Applications that are available to all users.

Macintosh Users - Mac Manager

The School Support Technicians (SSTs) in the Macintosh schools set up work groups and assign software that groups can access from their work panels. If there is a specific piece of Ministry Licensed software that you would like your students to have access to that is not currently assigned to a work group, be sure to place a Call Log with the Help Desk through your Computers in Education School Contact (CIESC).

Giving your students access to handouts electronically is possible in Mac Manager. The first step is to create the document or file using the software of your choice (e.g. Appleworks or Geometer's Sketchpad). Save the document in your 'Documents folder'. Close the application.

At this point, make sure that your 'User's Panel' (Teacher's Panel) is selected. Click on the File Menu (or click on the file while pressing the 'Ctrl' key) and choose 'Hand Out'.

A window will appear displaying the contents of the User's Panel. Select the document you wish to distribute and click OK.

Notice in the example, the Appleworks file entitled 'Egyptian Civilizations' is being handed out to all users in '5G'.

 

When students who belong to the work group '5G' log in they will see this file inside the 'Handouts' folder within their 5G panel.

URLs can be placed inside student handout folders as well to enable one click access to Internet sites. This allows students to avoid typing in lengthy addresses. To do so, when you access the Internet, be sure that you are doing so from your Class Panel. Open Internet Explorer and load the site you would like to share with your students. Click on the File Menu and choose 'Save As'. Save the webpage to your Documents folder. Close Internet Explorer. You will notice a link to the website will appear in your Documents folder. While holding down the Ctrl key click on the link. A small menu will appear. Choose 'Hand Out'. Click on OK. This procedure will place the direct link to the Internet site inside the Handouts folder of the Class Panel you had originally accessed the Internet from.

Now students can open the Handouts folder and have access to handouts, resources, pictures, multimedia projects, templates, etc. The possibilities are endless!

 

 

 

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