Introduction to myclasses

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Introduction to myclasses
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Overview
myclasses is a Virtual Learning Environment
(VLE) which enables teachers to find, assemble,
schedule and use online resources to facilitate
online learning effectively and easily. It
enables teachers to provide all students with a
structured, clear and easily accessible learning
experience which addresses the specific needs of
the learner.
myclasses
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Overview

• The essential learnings are not spreadsheeting,
  powerpointing and mouse movements of a
  technology-driven program or culture. They are,
  instead, the communication, problem-solving,
  decision-making and teaming that good schools
  have stressed for half a century or more.
• Jamie McKenzie Just in Time Technology

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Overview

• 1st Law of Human Communication
• Its not what our information does to the
  student, but what the student does with the
  information, that determines our success as
  communicators.
• Students are not blank slates on which we write
  messages. They are a pulsating bundle of
  attitudes, values, prejudices, experience,
  feelings, thoughts, sensations and aspirations.
• Hugh Mackay The Good Listener

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Begin with the end in mind Steven Covey
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Overview
myclasses
What Will Teachers Do?
1. Search
The teacher uses the federated search facility
and associated metadata (i.e. Category, Audience,
Source etc) to find resources most suited to the
activity.
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Overview
myclasses
What Will Teachers Do?
2. Assemble
From the list of related resources the teacher
then chooses the suitable items and adds them to
a container (e-Learning Folio) for class
activities.
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Overview
What Will Teachers Do?
3. Deliver
The e-Learning Folio appears within the Class
Pages it has been made available to and the
resources are then available to students ready
for use.
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Class Foyer
myclasses

• The Class Foyer is the entry point for all users
  of myclasses. The Class Foyer consists of
• A welcome banner with links to information about
  the users privileges
• A list of all of the users classes
• Access to a set of Flash tutorials to provide an
  easy method of learning about the various
  elements of myclasses
• A navigation bar
• A side tool bar giving access to a variety of
  tools.

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Class Foyer
myclasses
Navigation bar
Side tool bar
Welcome banner
myclasses tutorials
Class summary
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Class Foyer
myclasses

• The navigation tabs at the top of the page allow
  users to access all of their myinternet tools
• School website
• mydesktop
• myclasses
• mymail
• SINA Administration if you are the administrator

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Class Foyer
myclasses
Teacher Menu
Student Menu
The side tool bar allows the user to access and
utilise tools supporting the use of myclasses.
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Class Foyer
myclasses
Teacher Menu
Student Menu
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Class Foyer
The subjects/year levels chosen in the
Profile will appear as defaults within the Search
Resources options.
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Class Foyer
myclasses
Teacher Class Summary- All Classes the teacher
has created.
Student Class Summary- Classes of which the
student is a member.
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Class Foyer
myclasses
The Tutorials Property on the right-hand side of
the Class Foyer contains links to animated help
modules on various topics to help teachers get
the most out of myclasses.
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Class Pages
myclasses
Create a new Class Page via the Side Tool bar..
or the Class Summary Property in the Class Foyer.

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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Properties appear differently within the Class
Page for teachers and students, as illustrated in
this example
Teacher, or Manage view
Student view
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
E-Learning Folios Property -comprises
online resources for a lesson.
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Class Files Property A repository of relevant
files and resources made available to your class.
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Class Calendar Property -enables you to view and
schedule events for your class in a calendar
format.
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Class Journal - Provides a Journal Property for
students to record journal entries.
Shared Journal
Private Journal
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Class Notice Board Provides a place to
post messages to your class.
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Class Image Property Can be used to display
photos or work on the Class Page.
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Text and Images Property- The Text and Images
Property can contain text, images or hyperlinks
relevant to your class.
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Desktop Properties
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Creating a Class Page
elfs
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Scheduling
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Creating a Class Page

• myclasses

Tracking
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Add Class Members and Maintainers
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Creating a Class Page
Adding members by uploading a file
myclasses
Select file and click upload
and click Add. The names now appear in the
Current Students list.
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Creating a Class Page
myclasses
Adding members by searching for users
highlight names and click Add. The names now
appear in the Current Students list.
Select group and sorting option
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Creating a Class Page
Adding maintainers
myclasses
and click Add. The names now appear in the
Current Maintainers list.
Select maintainers from the list
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Viewing a Class Page
myclasses
Teacher View of the Class Page
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Viewing a Class Page
myclasses
Student View of the Class Page
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Class Manager
myclasses
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Overview
myclasses
Evidence indicates that when used effectively,
"technology applications can support higher-order
thinking by engaging students in authentic,
complex tasks within collaborative learning
contexts" (Means, Blando, Olson, Middleton,
Morocco, Remz Zorfass, 1993).
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Overview
myclasses
"....Computers are not rescuing the school from a
weak curriculum, any more than putting pianos in
every classroom would rescue a flawed music
program. Wonderful learning can occur without
computers or even paper. But once the teachers
and children are enfranchised as explorers,
computers, like pianos, can serve as powerful
amplifiers, extending the reach and depth of the
learners. Dr. Stephen Hepple