Instructions for Software and Goodies

Teachers are encouraged to print copies.

Bigchalk

• Bigchalk is research database available to teachers and students at school or home via the Internet. Please see your LITE Tech for the at home password.
• The Quick Start Guide to using bigchalk offers detailed instructions on conducting a search.
• Classroom bigchalk "how-to" poster.
• Provide your students with a preselected list of resources = Make a Bookcart
• Sign-up for the bigchalk e-mail newsletter.

ClassroomXP (SASI)   

• Attendance: A quick checklist for daily attendance.   
• Emergency Card codes: this is helpful for determining Internet permissions.
• Export class lists from Class XP and import them into GradeQuick.
• For instructions on entering grades or accessing personal information see your LITE tech.
• eFACTS - click here for instructions on using Extended Test History.

GradeQuick

• Getting Started: setup a grade book spread sheet customized to your grading system.
• Reports: In 3 easy steps have GradeQuick print out a report for every student with a percentage below x. Customize a message to appear at the top of the report with check box or a spot for parent signature.

Gizmos and Gadgets

• Box Light, LCD projector: Setup and operation.
  Digital Cameras:
• Using Dana's Sony Mavica FD92 Digital Camera; it doesn't get any easier than this!
• Using Dana's Casio Digital Camera, download your images to the faculty lounge computer, and save them for your use.
• Dana also has a Kodak digital camera
• Burning a CD = saving files to a CD.

Graphics   

• Printing Digital Images from the Mavica Camera.
• Scanner: instructions for using the tech center scanner or Precession Scan software.   
• Digital Camera Applications: Once you have your photos in your classroom, what are you going to do with them? You could print them out and post them in a bulletin board display. Students could paste them into reports. How about making a slide show in Power Point. Students love to look at themselves at Open House and the end of the year.

GroupWise   

• Web Access : How to set up your E-mail to receive it at home.   
• Updating your address book. Try this if someone who moved within the district is not receiving your e-mail.   
• Personal Groups, Attachments, & Cleanup: set up group lists for department meetings, send a colleague a document or photos, save the important stuff.
•  Dana Master Calendar Instructions on how to view the Master Calendar in Groupwise
• Groupwise Tidbits (Archive, Web Access, Edit Groups, etc..) designed by Coyla Grumm
  

Internet   

• Conducting effective searches.   
• Evaluating the information found.    
• Web Page Scorecard:  Have your students print out the pdf version of this page to determine if the quality of information they found on the Internet is worthy of their report. This scorecard goes with the "Driver's Ed for the Internet tutorial".   
• WebQuests: Take advantage of WOW lessons incorporating technology, and already prepared for you!

AUSD NET

There are 2 Internet servers we can post our web pages on. One server is the www.ausd.net server. Only the LITE tech can post web pages to this server. The other is the teachers.ausd.net server. Teachers and students can post web pages to this server from home or school. There are different methods of loading web pages to this server. One method is through a web page interface. This works find for simple web pages with few graphics. However, if the user is loading an entire web site, then the FTP method is preferred.

Getting started:

1. Setup your AUSD NET account. Your LITE tech can help you with setup user names and passwords.
2. Setup your FTP account. See your LITE tech for this application. Fill it out and send it to the TIS office. Your LITE can also give you instructions for setting up you FTP connection with CUTE FTP.
3. Make your web page
4. Load your web page the the Internet server.

Here are instructions for loading your files to the teachers.ausd.net server with the web interface method. This is best for single web pages with not too many graphics. The loading method depends the HTML behind the web page. Follow these instructions for Netscape Composer. Follow these instructions for Microsoft Publisher.

Here are instructions for loading your files with the FTP method directly from Microsoft Publisher.

Publisher 97
Publisher 2000

InteGrade Pro

InteGrade Pro is an optional program now available to ease your grade book needs. InteGrade Pro is a grade book, like the GradeQuick program. However, InteGrade Pro is created by the SASI people so it will talk to the SASI database. This offers a few advantages. When you start a new grade book for the semester, InteGrade Pro automatically imports student names. As students add and drop you class during the term your grade book roster will reflect these changes. At the end of the term it can input the letter grades from your grade book onto you semester grade sheet (report cards). You can work on filling in your term grade sheet from anywhere. You can install InteGrade Pro at home.

• Installation instructions at school and at home.
• Do the on-line training tutorial
• Get started by importing your rosters at school.
• Setup your grading system.
• Importing tasks - don't setup the same assignments more than once.
• At the end of a term, export your grade sheet to SASI.
• Adjust your grade book for the second quarter of the semester.
• Issues that came up in training Spring 2002.
• Import spreadsheets when setting up your gradebook for the second time, to bring in grade tables and tasks.

Microsoft PowerPoint

• Photo Slide Shows for Open House - These instructions explain how to insert photos and videos into a Power Point slide show, and then set it to automatically run.
• PowerPoint Basics: Katie Warren and Suzanne Phan of Longley Way did a great job of explaining the steps to setting up a presentation, with graphics to help you along the way.
• Advanced PowerPoint Region 20 of Texas' Education Service has a detailed manual for most of PowerPoints advanced features available in pdf format.
• PowerPoint in the classroom tips.
• PowerPoint Tips & Tricks.

Microsoft Word   

• WordArt

Netscape Composer

• Netscape Composer HTML Editor These are instructions for getting started in Netscape Composer, provided by Region 20 of Texas Education Service.

SRI- Scholastic Reading Inventory

• Instruction for administering the SRI test.

Steaming Video -LACOE-RETAC

Windows Management   

• Learn the file system of Windows; how to save files/images and then find them later.   
• Learn how students should login and save their files. 
• Backing-up files to the server and which files to back-up.
• Windows routine maintenance requires annual Scan Disk and Defragmentation to improve computer performance.

Created by Genna Helmberger

last updated on 03/17/06