MyFirstPlace

Steven ThreadgoldChief Technical Officer

Training SessionDr Yasmin Bailey and Virginia Tatlioglu

Netmedia Training and Knowledge Exchange.

Training Agenda

Introduction:-

What is MyFirstPlace and who is it for?

Hands on Training session:-

• Overview of Desktop• Training scenarios exploring functionality

1. Guided set up for a Reception (Foundation) pupil

2. Developing a project for Year 1

Discussion:-

1. What are the key areas within the Early Years Foundation Stage and KS1 curriculum where MyFirstPlace has a leading role?

1. MyFirstPlace road map: Guiding development through the pilots.

Feedback QuestionairesTraining and Functionality

MyFirstPlace

• MyFirstPlace is an space for younger users to experience some of the tools, functionality and ideas within of Merlin.

• It provides creative tools that enable pupils to work as a group or independently.

• Use of MyFirstPlace is within the hands of schools/teachers. They can decide based on local needs.– For example, schools can use MyFirstPlace with the

very youngest users while older pupils use the Merlin Portal.

– Pupils could use MyFirstPlace for the first year of school, then move up to Merlin Portal.

– Pupils could use it right until year 3 if deem appropriate by the school.

MyFirstPlace

Merlin and MyFirstPlace

Accessing MyFirstPlace

• All teaching staff and pupils in Reception, Reception, Year 1, Year 2 or Year 3 have access.

• Any user who have been provisioned into, and accepted the AUP will have MyFirstPlace accounts waiting for them.

• MyFirstPlace Desktops are set-up automatically the first time the user visits the site.

• If your schools does not want to use MFP, they simply never visit the MyFirstPlace URL.

Training Agenda

• Hands on Training session:-• In this session, in order to experience the

range of functionality of MyFirstPlace and explore how it can deliver components of the EYFS and KS1 curriculum, we will be working as both a teacher and pupil, to deliver two projects within a school.

• The scenarios will cover:-– Delivering the foundation topic of “Animals

and Homes” – Delivering the Year 1 topic of “The Seaside”

Logging in: What do you see?

We will first explore the teacher access to MyFirstPlace.

• Type in the URL in your browser.

http://mfp.approval.merlin.swgfl.org.uk

• Work in pairs per training school account.

Dorset staff accounts

Name Username Password

Linda Duffy alana.9445004 Training1914

John Foot barbaraa.9445004 Training1886

TBC alana.9445005 Training2270

Anthony Pinnock barbaraa.9445005 Training2277

TBC alana.9445006 Training3839

TBC barbaraa.9445006 Training3552

Graham Sims alana.9445007 Training4724

John Pering barbaraa.9445007 Training4638

Stuart Lees alana.9445008 Training5324

Ian Southwell barbaraa.9445008 Training5386

Keith Ansell alana.9445009 Training6716

MyFirstPlace Desktop

Desktops

When a user logs in for the first time to MyFirstPlace they will see the generic default desktop set up as the School desktop.

If and when a teacher creates a Year Group Desktop, this desktop can be set as the default for any users in that year group and any new users logging on for the first time within the year group.

Setting individual (user) desktops can be set to “overide” the Year Group Default.

In our training we will look at setting both year group and individual desktops.

Scenario 1: Working with Foundation Pupils

You are a foundation teacher and you have been given your account and a manual to tell you how to use the MyFirstPlace functionality.

Step 1 - You login

Step 2. You decide to set up a Desktop for your R

( Foundation 2) pupils. The focus of the topic is “Animals and Homes”

The first ideas you may have are that you want to create your own “Activity” boxes and customise the Creative Tools areas for your pupils.

Where do you go to do this? Admin area 

Creating Activities

Step 3. Click on “Admin” in the bannerStep 4 .

Customising the “Activity” boxes in for the Reception Group Desktop

1. Under Activities in the left menu, click on the Activity Library

2. If activities have been created, you can see a list and a drop down for creating new activities.

3. Explore the activities type in the drop down list and create an activity for each type of resource.

4. We have provided a set of resources in the “Reception Desktop folder” on the shared Network.

What type of content can I use?

Discussion:What activity type will create the following:-

1.You want to add a notice about a trip to the nature centre. This is text information.

2.An RSS feed to the CBBC animals pages3.An image that links to an activity website4.A flash activity that allows the children to work

in MyFP on a Bitesize activity 5.A Webcam link to africam

Creating the Activities

Using the resources provided, have a go at creating at least one of the following activities.

1.User Content -You want to add a notice about a trip to the nature centre. This is text information.

2.RSS feed - An RSS feed to the CBBC animals pages3.Image Link - An image that links to an activity

website4.Embedded content - A flash activity that allows the

children to work in MyFPB bitesize activity 5.Embedded Content - A Webcam link to africam

How to create the Activity

1. In the Drop down menu on the left, select the type of Activity you want to create.

2. Click on the “Create button”3. Add your Title for the Activity e.g. Animals Bitesize4. You can choose whether to you want the title displayed on

the activity – tick the “Display on Activity”5. Add a Description (this only shows in the Admin area)6. Add your content e.g. HTML code from BBC Bitesize7. Choose whether you want to add an enlarge link.

– Tip: Very useful when working with embedded activities.

The characters remaining will count down as you add content. There is a fixed limit of 500.

1. Now that you have created the Activities, take a moment to explore how you can edit, view and delete from the Activities page.

Changing the Desktop

Allocating the activities to the Reception group so that it becomes the default instead of the School Desktop.

1.In the admin section, click on the homepage icon and go to return to the Admin Homepage.

2.Click on the link to Desktop settings3.You will see three tabs…..4.The School tab will be highlighted and you will

see in the display below the Activities set out for the desktop.

5.On the right you will see the settings for number of activities and the available activities.

6.Can you see the activities you created?

Customising the Desktop

1. Click on the Year Group button2. On the right hand side, click on the link to the Reception

Group.3. The page refreshes with this group checked and the boxes

on the left will show the default settings.4. Click on the Activities tab on the left hand side 5. Click on a box on the right to highlight it and then click on

an Activity from the left to select it. 6. The box should display the title of the activity if it has been

selected correctly. You will also see a preview of the Activity in the central pane. Add the Activities you created to the desktop.

7. You can also choose the number of Activity boxes from the drop down. You can choose from, 2, 4, 6, 8 boxes.

8. Click on Save to complete.9. If you need more help click on the “More Help” button.

Allocating Tools to groups.

• You have now changed the Activities on the Desktop.Click on the homepage icons to return to the Admin

Homepage.Discussion:-

What Tools do your Reception pupils need at this point in the project?

• Look at your activity sheet in the resources folder. • You want your pupils to create a picture of an animal

and its home within MyFirstPlace, which you will eventually display collaboratively. 

• You want the pupils to add an entry in the simple diary to represent the trip to the Nature Centre on Tuesday 3rd November.

Selecting Tools

What tool do we need to create a picture?

• MyArt (from the Creative Toolbar Area)

What tool will we need to view the collaborative work later on?

• Books (From the Storage Toolbar Area)

What tool will we need for the pupils to upload a sound file of animal noises?

• Sound and Video (From the Storage Toolbar Area)

Setting the Toolbars

• Under General Settings click on Toolbar settings• You will see three buttons,• The Default setting will be on School and as before we are

going to set up a selection for our Reception group.• Click on the Year Group button• On the left hand side, click on the Reception group to select

it.• With the Creative Tools tab selected, click on the icon in the

Available tools section on the left to move it to the selected tools section on the right.

• Click on the MyArt and the Simple Diary icon• In the Storage tab, click on the Books and the Sound and

Video icon.• Click on Save to finish.

• Now lets test these set ups!

Work as a Reception Pupil

Log out from your teacher account and login as a Reception pupil to test the settings.

• Can you see the new Desktop layout?• Can you see the Tools you selected for this

group?Lets do the pupil activity,

• Go to the My Art tool and draw a picture of an animal in its house.

• Go to the Simple Diary and add an entry for the 3rd of November – Trip to the Nature Centre.

• Explore the features available to you • Save your work and log out.

Dorset Reception accounts

Name Username Password

Linda Duffy tracyj.9445004 training1193

John Foot moh.9445004 training1831

TBC tracyj.9445005 training2276

Anthony Pinnock moh.9445005 training2350

TBC tracyj.9445006 training3806

TBC moh.9445006 training3571

Graham Sims tracyj.9445007 training4625

John Pering moh.9445007 training4618

Stuart Lees tracyj.9445008 training5715

Ian Southwell moh.9445008 training5961

Keith Ansell tracyj.9445009 training6903

Viewing the pupils work as a teacher

Viewing the pupils work as a teacher• Login again as a teacher

• Go to the My Art tool. Lets look through the pupils work. Using the browse buttons. You now have access to all the pupils work and can make changes if you wish to.

• Discussion – what are the benefits and disadvantages to be able to change work for this age group?

If you would like to, add a gold star the work. And save.

• Logout.

Storage Tools

We have explored some of the creation tools. • What are the storage tools?

MyFirstPlace and Merlin Portal

• Although MyFirstPlace can be used • Files uploaded to MyFirstPlace are stored in

the pupil’s Portal and count towards their quota.

Storing Files

Abc...

Abc...

Abc...

Working with Storage Tools

Downloading school files that you wish to distribute.• You want your Reception pupils to download a

sound files, you have collected, of animal noises.

Login as a teacher to your this URL – you are now in the teacher’s MyPlace account.

Click on eportfolio Click on shared filesOpen the MyFirstPlace folder and upload a sound file

from your resources folder, e.g. “sheep.mp3”

Logout of the teacher’s account.

Uploading files within MyFirstPlace

Login as a Reception pupilIn the Sound and Video area, click on My Files.

Upload an animal sound file from the resources folder.

Once your file is uploaded, explore the drag and drop functionality of within the folders and the delete option.

This part of the Reception project is complete.

Downloading school files

Login as a Reception pupil to MyFirstPlace and click on the Sounds and Video icon in the storage area.

Click on the school files tab.

Can you see your animal sounds file. Click on the file to download and play.

Creating a Year 1 Project

• You have been given a folder of resources on the Network or you can find your own from the internet.

• Project outline

As a Year 1 teacher, you want to create a customised desktop for your year group with Activites related to the “Seaside” topic you are studying.

In the resource folder, “ Year 1 project” there is an activity sheet with the outline of the project you need to complete.

Work through these activities with your trainers support. Tips:-• Create a Year 1 Desktop with activities related to the seaside.

– Create a user content area describing to the pupils what they need to do in MyFirstPlace to complete this activity.

• Provide the All tools for Storage and Creation including the Standard Diary and Books!

• Upload the Year 1 activity document to the school files area.• Test your settings!

Working as a Year 1 pupil

• Login as a Year 1 pupil.

• Open the Year 1 Activity.doc and complete the tasks.

• Once you have completed the tasks, log out.

Dorset Year 1 accounts

Name Username Password

Linda Duffy isabellef.9445004 training1218

John Foot joshr.9445004 training1551

TBC isabellef.9445005 training2322

Anthony Pinnock joshr.9445005 training2282

TBC isabellef.9445006 training3290

TBC joshr.9445006 training3820

Graham Sims isabellef.9445007 training4809

John Pering joshr.9445007 training4269

Stuart Lees isabellef.9445008 training5226

Ian Southwell joshr.9445008 training5419

Keith Ansell joshr.9445009 training6509

Creating Books

We are now going to create to areas to display the work done in our two projects. One book will be seen by our Reception pupils, and one by our Year 1 pupils.

• Login as a teacher and navigate to the admin section. Click on Book creator.

• Reception– Follow the onscreen instructions to create a book

for the Reception pupils displaying their animal pictures. Include comments and share with the Reception group. (Tip: Click on the Options tab)

• Year 1– Repeat for the Year 1 pupils and share with Year

1.

Viewing Books

• Login as a Pupil in either Reception or Year 1 and click on the Books icon in the storage area.

• View the books,

• Can you see the different pictures and comments?

• You can test the edit function of the books by logging in again as a teacher, going to Book creator, editing your books and rearranging the work, changing who can see the books and choosing not to display the teachers comments!

Differentiation

What if you have an individual that you want to give specific activities to!

You can set individual desktopsActivity• Log in as a teacher and go the admin section, and

set an individual desktop for the user account that you have been using for either the Reception or Year1 pupil.

• Click on the Homepage button and click on Users• Find the pupil user and click on edit, you can

choose the homepage settings from the drop down list. Pick the option for a “User” settings.

• Test the settings by logging in as a pupil.

What are the key areas for use in the curriculum?

Discussion

• Early Years Foundation Stage • Key Stage 1.• Key Stage 2 – Year 3

• Why not create a space in MyPlace where you share these ideas for use!

• Review of School Task booklets for MyFirstPlace pilots.

Roadmap

Start of Service December ‘08

Additional Interoperability Feb ‘09

Additional Icon Sets June ‘09

Roadmap Additional Featuresat Start of Service

• Pupils can add comments to Books (under teacher control).

• Access to school files shared in SWGfL Merlin Portal.

• More how to guides (based on pilot feedback).

• Rude word filterer.• Set user’s default by year.• Usability tweaks to Book Creator.• General interface improvements.• Updates based on pilot and training

feedback.

Roadmap Additional Featuresfor Feb 2009

• Additional icon set (look and feel).– To be built with SWGfL

• Move pupil diary/art to Merlin SWGfL Portal eportfolio.

• Minor interface improvements.• View of school links/calendar from

Merlin SWGfL Portal.

Roadmap Additional Featuresfor June 2009

• Two new icon sets (look and feel).– To be built with SWGfL

• Possible other developments to be agreed with SWGfL.

Feedback

• Please visit this URL to complete the survey.

http://www.mysurveys.netmediaeducation.com/go/myfirstplace

Thank you for completing the survey .