School Wires--My Training notes

John's notes:

http://wsfcs.schoolwires.net/wsfcs/site/default.asp

http://wsfcs.schoolwires.net/jms/site/default.asp

Training docs on the webportal:

Non-negotiables:

• School logo only in the welcome section
• new district font standard:  trebuchet
• no more than 1 animated gif per page.
• open in a current window for links to pages with in the district
• Do NOT highlight large amounts of information--maybe a word or two..
• background colors in sections minimal
• Teachers will have the same suggestions to sign off on
• You will be able to add items of your own under each channel bar..
• Spell check it is there
• avoid anchors...and longer pages
• Pages used for business only...no vacation pictures/personal blogs/recipe pages, etc.

School wires training: 

From Pennsylvania:  Vikey Jacobs  & Mike Garner

Applications are very similar to word/pp/excel

Sign in under:  user options on the right

channels broad categories followed by sections

then the pages of the "folders that live in that filing cabinet drawer"

 When there are 15 or more sections it creates a directorye get asked about often

lunch, announcements,

 Welcome area with basic eye catching information with cool stuff you are doing

 Headlines:  a little longer than announcements, teacher of the month, new grant, date driven appear and disappear according to dates

 Events will pull from the calendar...no need to update.

 District will push all the regular dates to school calendar...

 5 times entering your user name and password incorrectly you will be locked out, and you will have to contact an administrator...

 Always logout to protect yourself...

 Access my info, add your zipcode so that maps and things will automatically work, verify e-mail address

 e-alert/content alert:  need to turn on for people to be able to sign up to get alerts

 rss feeds,  all over the place...

 4 levels of editorial

 Binders are on the webportal:

 Site director:  Marlo Gaddis

 Subsite directors:  "Mayors of the town"  can fix anything on the school level

 Section editors,  only have access to individual pages...

 Home page editor:  can access headlines/events/welcome/

 Will see site manager under user options when you are on your school's page and signed in...teachers will need to be in "their section" to get site manager rights.

 Available Page types:  page 13:

 Most popular is a "Flex Page"

 Article library pages:  for lots of information--for FAQ's for meeting minutes, agendas, homework, highlighting sporting events, newsletters

This lets you categorize links...
File Libraries:  Try to keep between 8 and 10 mb, comes down to bandwidth realities...
District has overall a certain amount of space, so no limit for individuals for now...
For example, don't upload pictures from past years
They accept about every file type, keep in mind file types, save it as a PDF

Assignments page is also available: 

Students can upload assignments...

 Maps and directions pages,  good for field trips, choral concerts,

You set up the map page...can put directions about arrival and pickup, directions to the office, etc--under details.  Other sites open in a new window.

 Blog pages: 

can allow comments or not...with approval settings...

 Pod cast pages:  audio, video, u-tube, teacher tube,

 Photo Gallaries:  can go on any page, can choose how wide, how long, what order, captions

Calendar Pages:  Only 1 calendar within section/person...

Google docs will do that for you...with forms send direct event to a calendar...
color will only print if you have a color printer, or check their settings maybe set to gray scale.
Colors are based on a legend

 Categories:  standard colors across the board...

 SHARE with parents:  the ability to RSS feed/e-alerts

You only see titles in the calendar view,  there is a check box in assignments that allows you to automatically add assignment to the calendar.

First four events are shown for any one date and for more than that there is a "more"

For Jeff:  page 37, is "my events"

 Back end is called syntricity:

Channels:  you will not see on the front end until you add at least one section under neath them

orange is channel level

And add sections to those channels and pages within a section.  There is a limit to the number of sections you can add

Teachers already have sections:
Section Levels are Green

Be careful working on same page at same time...

Top school level is Blue

We will add sections...

Marlo:  chart out your page

Under departments we can add employees and site protect it (see manuel for more info)

Add my first section

New Section
for a teacher,  drop down shoule be last name, first name
When you create a section, default includes three things, calendar, something, something
Can move a teachers page if they are changing roles at the school.
can move sections or channels location.
HR should drive the ticket...

Page 39 editor items...

Paste from word will keep your editing

Full screen mode takes away your save button...

Suggest copy and paste to a new word document...if your save goes away...

Tutorial button is in the editor

Don't forget Trebuche font default for the district

Size 2 = 10 point font
size 3 = 12 point font for titles

Images "already uploaded to site" are for the area you are in...

shared library controlled by the district

School wires clip art: over 2000 for school wires....

Alternative text is needed because of requirments for americans with disability act.

When you change height in step 3 or 3 of inserting the image, it changes it proportionally
You have to place cursor in the box to insert image
Look at the Help Cards in the back of your binder

Documents/outside links open in a new window

Verify all links and be sure they are age appropriate.

Shortcut to links:  cntrl-K to set up a link...

We are currently in the incubatuion stage, we can't be googled, etc.

Tables page 42

Copying and pasting notes:
Images:
Save images as:  can not bring school center images:

Make sure you check link properties--how it opens and whether the link works

F-5 is a refresh key to refresh the browser...
Consider a fresh set of eyes to check out all your links.
Make sure links to documents are uploaded to the new link

You can get a shared folder for your school, and Marlo could add pictures etc for everyone at your school to have access

On each page, create Alert to alert people that you have updated your page...

Iin your section, in the tools tab, you can access a report to see who is subscribing to your e-alert or rss feeds.
Question from Jeff:  globally when the last time people updated their webpage,
Go to the Main school lever, go to tools and site reports, last modified report ("spy" report")
Also, section editors by section to see who is responsible by section.

Back to the channel and into the section, tools, and you can assign editor (you will not see your name)

Have to be in IE 7 or better for the good images to show up...IE 6

User options

sign-in:  Your active directory user name
change"who?"

Maybe have one section under each channel and then create more pages

No recovery...so encourage teachers to only Delete as a final resort..
Hold off on Media Center stuff...