SOS Teachermedia.glnsrv.com/pdf/sos_manual/SOS_ReferenceGuid… · · 2011-06-27Class Setup ... Teacher’s Assignments Screen — T-47 ... SOS Teacher Quick Reference Guide (cont.)

Getting Started

Classroom

Lesson BookMessages

Resource CenterApplication

Reports

SOS Teacher

© 2011 Alpha Omega Publications, Inc.

Switched-On Schoolhouse®, Switched-On®, and their logos are registered trademarks of Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

All trademarks and/or service marks referenced in this material are the property of their respective owners. Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. makes no claim of ownership to any trademarks and/or service marks other than their own and their affiliates’, and makes no claim of affiliation to any companies whose trademarks may be listed in this material, other than their own.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means–electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise–without the prior written permission of Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. Brief quotations may be used in literary review.

ISBN 978-0-7403-1072-0

Welcome to Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition (SOS) is a powerful educational tool that has been designed to engage students in learning and enhance the educational experience. It combines a traditional approach with multimedia, allowing students to build a solid educational foundation while interacting with the curriculum in a dynamic, hands-on way. It also uses a Christian curriculum that integrates Scripture and a biblical worldview throughout the activities and assignments.

As a teacher, you’ll find that SOS has been designed to be your lesson book, resource center, and teaching assistant all rolled into one. With a grading system that automatically grades and records most scores, it will greatly reduce your administrative workload, giving you more time with your students. It also offers you the ability to customize SOS to best fit your students’ needs–you’ll be able to create new units, design your own projects, rearrange the order of assignments, and even set different grading scales.

How to Use This GuideThis reference guide has been designed to help you quickly and easily find what you need. Each module has a list of objectives that will give you a clue as to what you will learn in that section. As you thumb through it, you will see pictures and buttons along with quick explanations and handy tips. You will also be able to walk through step-by-step instructions that show you how to accomplish different tasks. Keep this guide bookmarked or next to your computer, using the organized table of contents to skip ahead to the pages you need.

This reference guide is divided into five separate modules:

INSTALLATION — Find out how to get everything up and running

SOS ADMIN — Find out what administrative tasks need to be done and how to do them

SOS TEACHER — Understand how to be the “teacher”: set up subjects, give out assignments, and communi-cate with your students

ASSIGNMENTS — Learn about your student’s assignments: how they should be done, how they are graded, and the different types they (and you!) will encounter

DISTANCE LEARNING — Find out how to install and use SOS’s two distance learning features: remote access and synchronization, as well as the DL Parent application.

If you need help, you can also contact Alpha Omega Publications Technical Support team by calling toll-free 1-800-735-4193 or visiting www.aopschools.com /sup-port to access our Technical Support site.

T-4

Table of Contents

SOS TEACHERTeacher Quick Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T-7

Just for Teachers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-10

Getting Started — T-10 LOggINg IN — T-10

SOS Teacher Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-10SOS Teacher Homepage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-11

Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-14Class Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-14Class Setup/Assignment Settings Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-14 CUSTOMIZINg ASSIgNMENT SETTINgS FOR YOUR CLASS — T-17

Class Setup/Quiz/Test Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-18 CUSTOMIZINg QUIZ/TEST SETTINgS FOR YOUR CLASS — T-19

Class Setup/Grade Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-19 CUSTOMIZINg gRADE SETTINgS FOR YOUR CLASS — T-21

Class Setup/Homepage Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-22 CUSTOMIZINg HOMEPAgE SETTINgS FOR YOUR STUDENTS — T-23

Class Setup/Audio Feedback Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-23 CUSTOMIZINg AUDIO FEEDBACK SETTINgS FOR YOUR STUDENTS — T-24

Curriculum Setup T-26

ASSIgNINg DEMONSTRATION LESSONS — T-26

POPULATINg THE CURRICULUM SETUP SCREENS — T-27

Curriculum Setup Screen — T-28

The Curriculum Review Window — T-31

Editing a Subject — T-33

EDITINg A SUBJECT ICON — T-33

ASSIgNINg A SUBJECT — T-33

INSTALLINg CURRICULUM REvISIONS — T-35

CREATINg YOUR OWN SUBJECT BY USINg AN EXISTINg SUBJECT — T-35

CREATINg YOUR OWN SUBJECT FROM SCRATCH — T-36

ADDINg CURRICULUM TO A SUBJECT — T-37

EDITINg A SUBJECT TITLE — T-37

REMOvINg CURRICULUM FROM A SUBJECT — T-37

DELETINg A SUBJECT — T-38

CHANgINg THE ORDER OF CURRICULUM — T-38

PREvIEWINg AN ASSIgNMENT FROM THE SUBJECTS WINDOW — T-39

PREvIEWINg AN ASSIgNMENT FROM THE AvAILABLE CURRICULUM WINDOW — T-39

Lesson Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-41 At A Glance Screen — T-41

SORTINg STUDENT ASSIgNMENTS — T-43

Assignments Screen — T-43

POPULATINg A BLANK ASSIgNMENTS SCREEN — T-43

Assignment Types — T-46

T-5

Teacher’s Assignments Screen — T-47

OPENINg AN ASSIgNMENT — T-50

gRADINg AN ASSIgNMENT — T-50

CHANgINg A STUDENT’S gRADE — T-51

vIEWINg AN ANSWER KEY — T-51

PRINTINg AN ASSIgNMENT — T-52

REASSIgNINg PROBLEMS STUDENTS HAvE SKIPPED — T-52

REWORKINg PROBLEMS — T-53

Edit Student Subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-54 Edit Student Subject/Curriculum Settings — T-54

ASSIgNINg ALTERNATE TESTS — T-56

Edit Student Subject/Assignment Settings — T-56

CUSTOMIZINg ASSIgNMENT SETTINgS FOR YOUR STUDENT — T-58

Edit Student Subject/Quiz/Test Settings — T-59

CUSTOMIZINg QUIZ/TEST SETTINgS FOR YOUR STUDENTS — T-60

Edit Student Subject/Grade Settings — T-61

CUSTOMIZINg gRADE SETTINgS FOR YOUR STUDENTS — T-62

BLOCKINg AND UNBLOCKINg AN ASSIgNMENT FROM THE ASSIgNMENTS SCREEN — T-63

CLEARINg STUDENT WORK FROM THE ASSIgNMENTS SCREEN — T-63

Lesson Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-64 POPULATINg A BLANK LESSON PLAN SCREEN — T-64

The Lesson Plan Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-65 PRINTINg A LIST OF STUDENT ASSIgNMENTS FROM THE LESSON PLAN SCREEN — T-66

gETTINg TO THE DAY DETAIL WINDOW — T-67

CHANgINg AN ASSIgNMENT’S DUE DATES — T-68

BLOCKINg AND UNBLOCKINg AN ASSIgNMENT FROM THE LESSON PLAN SCREEN — T-69

CLEARINg STUDENT WORK FROM THE LESSON PLAN SCREEN — T-69

CHANgINg A SUBJECT’S START AND END DATES — T-70

CHANgINg DUE DATES FOR AN ENTIRE CLASS — T-70

Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-72 Inbox Screen — T-72

Sent Items Screen — T-74

Messages Screen Tasks — T-75

SENDINg A MESSAgE — T-75

READINg A MESSAgE — T-75

MARKINg A MESSAgE AS UNREAD — T-75

COPYINg AND PASTINg A MESSAgE — T-75

PRINTINg A MESSAgE — T-76

DELETINg A MESSAgE — T-76

SORTINg MESSAgES — T-76

REPLYINg TO A MESSAgE —T-76

PRINTINg A SENT MESSAgE — T-77

RESENDINg A SENT MESSAgE —T-77

Archived Items Screen — T-77

Resource Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-78 Periodic Table — T-78

Calculator — T-81

Dictionary — T-81

T-6

Application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-82 Change Password — T-82

CHANgINg YOUR TEACHER PASSWORD — T-82

Change School Year — T-83

Check for Updates — T--83

Check for Curriculum Revisions — T--83

Archive Login — T--84 Change Theme — T-84 MISOS HOMEPAgE — T-91

MISOS CUSTOM HOMEPAgE SETTINgS PANEL — T-92

Logout — T-93

Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-94 CREATINg AND PRINTINg A gRADE REPORT — T-95

CREATINg AND PRINTINg A CLASS LIST — T-96

CONNECTION REPORT —T-97

INACTIvITY REPORT — T-98

SHUTDOWN REPORT — T-98

UNIT REPORT — T-99

DAILY WORK REPORT — T-100

PASS THRESHOLD REPORT — T-101

ATTENDANCE REPORT — T-101

DAILY HOMEWORK REPORT — T-102

PAST DUE REPORT — T-103

TODAY’S QUIZ AND TEST REPORT — T-104

Using the SOS Electronic Help File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T-105Exiting SOS Teacher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .T-105

APPENDICESAppendix A: Keyboard Shortcuts in Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-107

Appendix B: Making Your Keyboard Bilingual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-108

Appendix C: Activities Away from the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T-109

T-7

SOS Teacher Quick Reference Guide

Assigning a Subject

Creating a Custom Subject

Creating a Custom Subject from an Existing Subject

Step 1 Start from your Homepage. Start from your Homepage. Start from your Homepage.

Step 2 Click the Classroom Click the Classroom Click the Classroom button. button. button.

Step 3 Click the Curriculum Click the Curriculum Click the Curriculum Setup tab. Setup tab. Setup tab.

Step 4 Double-click Default Click the Create button. Click the Create button. Subjects.

Step 5 Double-click the school Click the Ok button when Click next to Use Existing year folder. the Create Subject pop-up Subject when the Create box displays. Subject pop-up box displays.

Step 6 Click the desired subject. Click the Edit Title button Using the drop-down arrow, to change the name of your click the existing subject “New Subject.” you want to use.

Step 7 Click the Assign button. Type your subject’s new name Click the Ok button. and click anywhere when finished.

Step 8 Using the Class: drop-down Double-click the appro- Click the Edit Title button menu, select the class in which priate school year folder in to change the name of your the subject is being added. the “Available Curriculum” “New Subject.” window.

Step 9 Check the students you want Drag the units you want to Type your subject’s new name to assign to this subject or copy from the “Available and click anywhere when click Check All to assign Curriculum” window over to finished. the subject to all of the your newly-created unit. students shown.

Step 10 Click the Next button. Click the Save button. Click the Save button.

Step 11 Click any unit and drag it to the desired quarter.

Step 12 Click the Next button when all units are in the correct quarter.

Step 13 Change the auto-generated dates by clicking either the Start date or End date.

Step 14 Click the Finish button.

T-8

SOS Teacher Quick Reference Guide (cont.)

Adding Curriculum to a Custom Subject

Changing the Order of Curriculum

Customizing Assignment Settings


Step 2 Click the Classroom Click the Classroom Click the Classroom button. button. button.

Step 3 Click the Curriculum Click the Curriculum Using the Class drop-down Setup tab. Setup tab. menu, select the class you are editing.

Step 4 Double-click the custom Double-click the custom Choose which Lesson Options folder. subject. apply to your student.

Step 5 Double-click the custom Click the name of the Choose which Quiz and Test subject. subject in your “Subjects” Options apply to your student. window that you want to edit.

Step 6 Click the Edit button. Click the Edit button. Choose which Resource Center options your student have access to throughout SOS.

Step 7 Click the subject you are Click the name of the unit Click the Save button. adding to your custom in your “Subjects” window subject. that you want to move.

Step 8 Double-click the school Click either the Move Up year folder in the “Available or Move Down button. Curriculum” window.

Step 9 Double-click the desired Click the Save button. subject in the “Available Curriculum” window.

Step 10 Double-click the desired unit in the “Available Curriculum” window.

Step 11 Drag the unit from the “Available Curriculum” window over to your custom subject.

Step 12 Click the Edit Title button.

Step 13 Type your new title and press Enter.

Step 14 Click the Save button.

T-9

SOS Teacher Quick Reference Guide (cont.)

Customizing Grade Settings

Grading an Assignment

Creating a Grade Report


Step 2 Click the Classroom Click the Lesson Book Click the Reports button. button. button.

Step 3 Using the Class drop-down Using the Class drop-down Click to select Grade Report. menu, select the class you are menu, select the appropriate editing. class.

Step 4 Using the Settings drop-down Using the Student drop-down Select a school term from the menu, select Grade Settings. menu, select the appropriate Term drop-down menu. student.

Step 5 Type the lowest acceptable Click the Subject name. Click the checkboxes next percentage for each letter to the classes for which you grade box in the Grading want to print grade reports or Scale section. the name(s) of the student(s) for whom you want to print grade reports. (Or click Check All to choose all the students.)

Step 6 Type the appropriate per- Click the Unit name. Choose one of the three centage in each assignment level of detail options. type box in the Assignment Weighting section.

Step 7 Choose the desired grade Double-click the Choose one of the three display option in the Grade assignment. grade display options. Display Options.

Step 8 Choose the desired report Locate the first problem you Click the Preview button. card settings in the Report need to grade. Card Options.

Step 9 Click the Save button. grade the problem and record Click the Print button. the score in the grade boxes in the lower left corner of the assignment’s screen.

Step 10 Click the Save button.

Step 11 Click the Next button to go to the next problem that needs grading.

Step 12 Click the Exit button when you are finished grading.

T-10

Just for TeachersThis section has been designed to help you find your way around SOS Teacher. Since SOS Admin addressed mostly “set-up” issues, SOS Teacher focuses on curriculum assignment, lessons, assignments, and activities that help your students experience learning in new ways.

Getting StartedThis section teaches you how to:

nLog in using your username and password nSet up your classes, curriculum, and students

Logging In Each time you start Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition, the Teacher Login screen displays, as shown below:

The SOS Teacher Login is the first screen you see. You will need to log in each time you open SOS. The teacher password secures all of your customized class and student subject settings, as well as confidential student information, such as grades.

To login to SOS Teacher:

Step 1: Type your username and teacher password in their respective textboxes. For security reasons, your password displays only as dots rather than letters.

Your username and password were setup by the school administrator. Contact him/her if you do not know your username or password.

Step 2: Click Login. (SOS gives you unlimited attempts to log in and does not lock you out after a certain number of failed attempts). SOS Teacher opens to your Teacher Homepage.

SOS offers 2 different formats, so you decide how SOS displays for you, beginning with your Homepage. The MiSOS format uses “widgets” to connect you to the features and functions of SOS Teacher. In the “Classic” view, you use the buttons down the left side of the screen to navigate to those same functions and features. Examples of both are shown on the next few pages.

SOS Teacher Screens

The remainder of the SOS Teacher portion of this manual is divided into six sections which correspond to the first six buttons or the default widgets on your Teacher Homepage:

n Classroomn Lesson Bookn Messagesn Resource Centern Applicationn Reports

T-11

Each of these sections walks you through how to:

n Access the screens that are linked to each Homepage button or link in a widgetn Identify the different parts of each screen and what function they performn Identify which tasks can be performed from each button and screen

The SOS Teacher Homepage

As soon as you click Login on the SOS Login screen, the SOS Teacher Homepage welcomes you. This screen is your map to SOS Teacher and serves as your starting point for everything you do.

Below is a picture of the ¨Classic¨theme SOS Teacher Homepage and a short description of each button. See the next page for a picture and description of the MiSOS theme Homepages.

1 — Teacher name — This area displays your name, showing that this is your SOS Teacher Homepage.

2 — Classroom button — Takes you to the screens where you set up your classes (lesson options, quiz and test options, and Resource Center access) and curriculum.

3 — Lesson Book button — Click this button to enter into assignments, grade student work, see how students are progressing, and have up-to-the-minute status on grades.

4 — Messages button — Click here to send and receive messages with the Admin and your students, as well as find out if any of your students have left you comments or questions in their curriculum notepads.

5 — Resource Center button — Click this button to access three very handy educational tools: the Periodic Table, calculator and dictionary.

6 — Application button — This button is used to change passwords and change school years.

7 — Reports button — This button provides access to your available SOS reports, This is where you choose the criteria for each, as well as view and print your students’ grades.

8 — Help button — Click this button to access the electronic help file and directly access the AOP Schools website..

9 — SOS icon — Click this icon (located below the Help button) to see specific product information about Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition.

All of the new MiSOS themes will be used throughout this guide, but much of the explanation is given using the “Classic” theme. “Classic” uses buttons, while MiSOS uses widgets and links. Just know that for each button in “Classic, there is a corresponding widget or link for the MiSOS Homepages.

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T-12

MiSOS offers a number of themes for you to choose how your SOS application displays. Each offers a series of individual “widgets”. Each also allows you to select a small picture, an “avatar”, that is placed in the upper right corner of your Homepage. An avatar generally represents something you enjoy or are interested in, think of it as an expression of who you are.

Note: You can use any pictures or graphics you want for your avatar. The image must be .jpeg format. Simply browse to the folder with the one you want to use and select it.

Note: A widget is the module or box holding the links you use to access functions and features for the various sections of SOS. Additionally, there are widgets you can choose to display containing such information as a daily Bible verse or some facts pertinent to a day in history.

Some widgets are always displayed, some you are able to select for display on your Homepage if you want. Caution, Origami Aviation, god Bless America, gummy gang, Prototype, Symphony, and Midnight Dream are a of the few themes SOS gives you. Each theme lets you choose the optional widgets to display and where you want to place each widget on your Homepage. This is the default MiSOS Homepage.

MISOS HOMEPAGE

Let's take a brief look at some of the differences between MiSOS and the "Classic" theme:

Title BarThe Switched-On Title Bar at the top of the screen includes a Google Search box, and several links; one for the Settings menu, one to Exit SOS and one to the About screen for your SOS installation. And all of the main functions from the "Classic" theme displayed above, in a "widget". You can click any of the underlined "links" in these widgets to directly access the forms and functions of Switched-On Schoolhouse.

T-13

Let’s take a closer look at the Title Bar on the top of the screen. To use the Google Search function, simply click in the Google Search box, type your query, and click the magnifying glass.

Settings

Click Settings to open the Settings Panel (as described on page T-92). This feature lets you change your Avatar (the small picture beside your name on the right side of the screen) select or remove your optional Homepage Widgets. When you click Widgets, the Homepage Widgets window (example on page T-92) appears so you can select the widgets you want displayed on your Homepage. SOS provides some widgets, like Daily Bible verse, Word of the Day, a Photo Album; but you can also select up to five RSS feeds to display. See page T-91 for directions on using RSS Feeds.:

The Exit link works like the Close button ( ). You are asked to confirm that you do want to exit SOS and then you are asked if you want to backup your database.

The Logout link allows you to logout of SOS Teacher without closing the application.

The About link displays the same screen you would see if you clicked the SOS Icon as described on page T-11. This page gives you information about your SOS installation, including your serial version numbers. It also provides information about all of the components used in SOS. It looks like the one below.

T-14

Classroom The Classroom section teaches you how to:

nAccess and use the Class Setup/Assignment Settings screennAccess and use the Class Setup/Quiz/Test Settings screennAccess and use the Class Setup/Grade Settings screennAccess and use the Curriculum Setup screen

The Classroom screens, Class Setup and Curriculum Setup, perform actions very similar to the School Setup screen options in SOS Admin with one major difference: the settings you establish in the Classroom screens affect all of the students in a class, not the entire school.

GETTING TO THE CLASSROOM SCREENS

To get to the Classroom screens, Click Classroom on your Homepage. The Class Setup screen displays with three tabs at the top:

nHome — Returns you to your Homepage.nClass Setup — Using the Class: drop-down menu, this screen displays the settings for the

selected class.nCurriculum Setup — Using the various buttons at the bottom of this screen, you can

install, create, assign, and customize curriculum to meet your class’s needs.

Class SetupThis section teaches you how to:

nAccess and use the Class Setup screennAccess and use the Assignment Settings screennSet up assignment options for your class

The Class Setup screen allows you to set up your students on a class level. Be sure you choose these settings wisely; they affect all of the students in your class. There are two settings screens via the Class Setup tab:

n Assignment Settings screen — establishes how assignments are presented to the studentsn Grade Settings screen — sets up how students are graded

Class Setup/Assignment Settings ScreenThe Assignment Settings screen displays automatically when the Class Setup screen displays. This screen allows you to decide how you want assignments presented to all of the students in your class and how they will interact with their assignments. On the next page is a picture of the Class Setup screen with Assignment Settings chosen and a short description of each section.

T-15

Class Setup/Assignment Settings Screen

1 — Home tab — Returns you to your Homepage.

2 — Class Setup tab — Indicates you are on the Class Setup screen.

3 — Curriculum Setup tab — Click to go to the Curriculum Setup screen to set up your students’ curriculum.

4 — Class drop-down menu — This drop-down menu lets you select which class you want to access.

5 — Settings drop-down menu — This drop-down menu tells you what part of Class Setup you are currently editing. Assignment Settings let you decide lesson options, games access, and Resource Center access in lessons and projects. Use this dropdown menu to access quiz/test settings, and grade settings as well.

6 — Save — Click this button to save any changes you have made on the screen.

7 — Use Default — Erases any customized settings and reverts back to the previous level’s settings (for example, Class settings revert back to School settings), even if they have already been saved.

One click of this button resets the Assignment Settings, Quiz/Test Settings, and the Grade Settings.

8 — Cancel — Click to cancel any changes you have made, but not yet saved.

Lesson Options

Lesson Options allow you to choose which features you want each student to have access to, how to handle problems (skipping, penalties), and printing capabilities.

rInternet access — Allows students to click www links in lessons. Removing the check from this box blocks student access to the Internet through the curriculum.

rLeave skipped problem message — Allows students to skip problems in lessons if they provide reasons for skipping. Although the skipped problems are not factored into the grade at that time, you may later choose to reassign them to the student.

rAccess answer key — Allows students to see correct answers to problems which they have already worked and had graded. They are not able to see answers until they have used up all of their attempts at answering.

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rEasy spelling — Easy Spelling affects answers that are seven characters or less in length. When this option is selected, students are given partial credit for correct, but misspelled, answers, according to the percentage entered in Spelling penalty. When this option is not selected, misspelled words that are seven characters or less are marked wrong, even though the answer may be correct.

rSpelling penalty — Allows you to enter a percentage that is automatically taken off the total score of a problem whenever students answer with misspelled words. To require exact spelling in all student answers, regardless of the length of the word, set the spelling penalty to 100%.

Percentages you set here may not always apply, since in some units such as Language Arts, the curriculum requires exact spelling and punctuation.

rMaximum problem attempts box — gives you the maximum number of chances students have to answer problems correctly. Students may repeat a problem consecutively until they answer correctly or their number of attempts runs out. After they have used up all of their attempts, they receive scores based on their final answers.

rUnlimited problem attempts — Enables students to rework problems as many times as necessary until all problems are answered correctly. This is like a teacher who hands back assignments to students, allowing them to correct their answers and learn from their mistakes. This feature also acts as a sort of built-in tutor, working closely with students, helping them to practice certain skills and focus in on their weaker areas before moving them on to new lessons.

If students cannot advance to the next lesson because they are unable to answer all problems correctly, you may need to allow them to skip problems.

r True/False problem attempts —You determine if students are allowed multiple attempts to answer True False questions correctly.

rPass Threshold notification — Allows the application to send a message to the teacher if the student finished a lesson with a score less than the percentage you set in the Pass Threshold box.

r Pass Threshold — Enables you to enter a percentage students must achieve to successfully pass a lesson.

rStudent printing — Allows students to print in SOS Student. Leaving this blank students are blocked from printing and cannot click the Print button anywhere in SOS Student.

Games Access allows you to choose the learning games your students are able to access. When the box beside the Game name is checked, students are allowed to access that specific game type within their lessons.

rVocabulary/Spelling — When checked, this allows students access to the arcade of vocabulary and spelling practice games from within their lessons.

rAll Right / Farmer Frank /Quiz Bowl— When checked allows students to access the Farmer Frank, All Right, and Quiz Bowl vocabulary, spelling, and content reinforcement games from within their lessons.

Resource Center Access

Resource Center Access allows you to determine which resources the student(s) have access to while in various lessons and projects. You may choose your own settings or utilize the default settings that have already been established.

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rCalculator — allows students to use the SOS Calculator while in this part of SOS Student.

rPeriodic Table — permits students use of the SOS Periodic Table while in this part of SOS Student.

rDictionary — allows students to use the SOS Dictionary while in this part of SOS Student.

CUSTOMIZING ASSIGNMENT SETTINGS FOR YOUR CLASS

You decide how you want students to interact with their assignments. Use SOS’s default settings or follow the steps below to customize assignment settings for your class:

Step 1: Click Classroom on your Homepage to open the Class Setup/Assignment Settings screen.

Step 2: Using the Class drop-down menu, change the selected class to the class you are editing.

Step 3: Using the checkboxes, fill-in-the-blank boxes, and drop-down menu in the Lesson options section, choose what you want the students to see and do while they are working in lessons, affecting the way they learn the material

Step 4: In the Games Access section, click the checkbox next to the games you do not want your students to access, removing the checkmark.

Step 5: Using the checkboxes in the Resource Center Access section, choose whether you want the students to be able to use their SOS Periodic Table and calculator in lessons, projects, quizzes, and tests.

Step 6: Click either Save to retain any of your changes or Cancel to cancel any changes you have not yet saved. When your Class settings have been customized from the School’s settings, a message, “Settings have been customized” appears on your screen.

Even if you have already made changes and saved them, you can come back at any time, click Use Default, and return to the School’s settings. Remember, this button resets the Assignment Settings, Quiz/Test Settings, and the Grade Settings.

Anything you establish on a Class Setup screen automatically applies to every student in this class. To customize settings for an individual student, use the Student Setup screen instead.

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1 — Home tab — Returns you to the Homepage.

2 — Class Setup tab — Indicates you are on the Class Setup screen.

3 — Curriculum Setup tab — Click to go to the Curriculum Setup screen to set up your students’ curriculum.

4 — Class drop-down menu — This drop-down menu lets you decide which class you want to access.

5 — Edit: Quiz/Test Settings — This drop-down menu tells you what part of Class Setup you are currently “editing.” Quiz/Test Settings let you decide quiz options, test options, and Resource Center access while taking quizzes and tests in this class. Use this dropdown menu to access Assignments, and Grades.

6 — Save — Click this button to save any changes you have made on the screen.

7 — Use Default — Automatically sets all the options on the Class Setup screens to the school default settings, those set by your school administrator. Even if you have already made changes and saved them, you can click this button and be returned to the original default settings that came with SOS.

Once click of this button resets the Assignment Settings, Quiz/Test Settings, and the Grade Settings.

8 — Cancel — Click to cancel any changes you have not already saved.

9 — Resource Center Access — Check each option in this section that you want your students able to use while taking quizzes and tests in this class.

Class Setup/Quiz/Test Settings Screen

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CUSTOMIZING QUIZ/TEST SETTINGS FOR YOUR CLASS

You decide how you want students to interact with their quizzes and tests. Use SOS’s default settings or follow these simple steps to customize quiz and/or test settings for your class:

Step 1: Click Class Setup on your Homepage to open the Class Setup/Assignment Settings screen.

Step 2: Using the Class drop-down menu, change the selected class to the class you are editing:

Step 3: Using the Edit: drop-down menu in the upper left corner, select Quiz/Test Settings. The Class Setup/Quiz/Test Settings screen displays, as shown on the previous page.

Step 4: Using the checkboxes in the Quiz Options section, choose how you want students to view quizzes.

Step 5: Using the checkboxes in the Test Options section, select how you want students to view tests.

Step 6: Using the checkboxes in the Resource Center Access section, choose whether you want the students able to use their SOS Periodic Table and calculator while taking quizzes and tests.

Step 7: Click either Save to save any of your changes or Cancel to cancel any changes you have not yet saved. If you save the customized options, a message, “Settings have been customized” appears on your screen.

Even if you have already made changes and saved them, you can come back at any time, click Use Default, and return to the original School default settings.

Anything you establish on a Class Setup screen automatically applies to every single student in this class, unless otherwise customized. To customize settings for an individual student, use the Student Setup function (Edit Student Subject/Quiz/Test Settings on page T-59) instead of Class Setup Quiz and Test Settings..

Class Setup/Grade SettingsThis section teaches you how to:

nAccess and use the Grade Settings screennSet up grade options for your class

Grade Settings

The Grade Settings screen allows you to decide how SOS scores assignments. The options you set are important because they affect the way all of the students in your class are graded and evaluated on what they learn.

To get to the Class Setup/Grade Settings screen:


Step 2: Using the Class drop-down menu, change the selected class to the class you are editing:

Step 3: Using the down arrow, choose Grade Settings from the Settings drop-down menu (shown below).

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Class Setup/Grade Settings Screen

Below is a picture of the Class Setup screen with Grade Settings chosen and a short description of each section.

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2 — Class Setup tab — Click to go to the Class Setup screen to set up how assignments are presented to your students.

3 — Curriculum Setup tab — This tab indicates you are on the Curriculum Setup screen.

4 — Class drop-down menu — Lets you select which class you want to access.

5 — Settings drop-down menu — Tells you what part of Class Setup you are currently editing. Grade Settings lets you determine how SOS scores various assignments.

6 — Save — Saves any changes you have made on the screen.

7 — Use Default — Erases any customized settings and reverts back to the previous level’s settings (for example, class settings revert back to school settings), even if they have already been saved. .

Once click of this button resets the Assignment Settings, Quiz/Test Settings, and the Grade Settings.

8 — Cancel — Cancels any changes you have made, but not yet saved.

The Class Setup/Grade Settings screen is divided into three sections:

ngrading scalenAssignment weighting ngrade display options

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Grading Scale

grading scale options allow you to decide how you want students’ subject, unit, and assignment scores to be calculated. As students go through assignments, SOS automatically calculates and keeps track of their scores according to these settings. To set the ranges for each letter grade, enter the lowest acceptable percentage for each letter grade box.

Assignment Weighting

Assignment weighting (shown at right) allows you to decide how much different assignment types should affect students’ total grades. As students go through assignments, SOS automatically calculates and keeps track of their scores according to these settings. To set how much you want each type of assignment to be worth, type the appropriate percentage in each assignment type box. The total percentage for all the assignment types (lessons, projects, quizzes, and tests) must add up to 100%.

Grade Display Options

grade display options (shown at right) allow you to decide how you want students’ grades displayed on the screen, as well as printed in reports. You may display/print letter grades only, percentage grades only, or both. Click the appropriate circle to set the desired option.

CUSTOMIZING GRADE SETTINGS FOR YOUR CLASS

You can decide how student work is graded and displayed. You may use the school’s settings or follow the steps below to customize grade settings specifically for your class:


Step 2: Using the down arrow, choose Grade Settings from the Settings drop-down menu The Class Setup/Grade Settings screen displays:

Step 3: Using the Class drop-down menu to change the selected class to the class you want to edit.

Step 4: Type the lowest acceptable percentage for each letter grade box in the Grading scale section.

Step 5: Type the appropriate percentage in each assignment type box in the Assignment weighting section. The total percentage for all the assignment types (lessons, projects, quizzes, and tests) must add up to 100%

Step 6: Click the appropriate circle in the Grade display options section to set the way you want grades displayed: letter grades only, percentage grades only, or both.

Step 7: Click either Save to save any of your changes or Cancel to cancel any changes you have not yet saved. If you save the customized options, a message, “Settings have been customized” appears on your screen.

Even if you have already made changes and saved them, you can come back at any time, click Use Default, and return to the original School default settings. Anything you establish on a Class Setup screen automatically applies to every student in this class. To customize a setting for an individual student, use the Student Setup screen.

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Class Setup/Homepage SettingsThis section teaches you how to:

nAccess and use the Homepage Settings screennSet up Homepage Settings Panel access for your students

Homepage Settings

The Homepage Settings screen allows you to determine if a student or students may access the Homepage Settings Panel. This setting is different than the rest of the Class Settings because even though it appears as part of Class Setup, it does NOT apply to an entire class. Homepage Settings are linked to either the entire school or individual students only.

To get to the Class Setup/Homepage Settings screen:


Step 2: Using the Class drop-down menu, change the selected class to the class with the student you want to edit.

Step 3: Using the down arrow, choose Homepage Settings from the Settings drop-down menu (shown to the right).

Class Setup/Homepage Settings Screen

Below is a picture of the Class Setup screen with Homepage Settings chosen and a short description of each section.

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5 — Settings drop-down menu — Tells you what part of Class Setup you are currently editing. Homepage Settings lets you determine which of your students may access the Homepage Settings Panel.

6 — Homepage Settings Panel Access — Lets you change if a student may access their Homepage Settings Panel along with who changed this access most recently (if the student has multiple teachers) and when the change was done.


8 — Use Default — Erases any customized settings and reverts back to the previous level’s settings (for example, class settings revert back to school settings), even if they have already been saved. .

Clicking this button resets ONLY the Homepage Settings. It does NOT affect the Assignment Settings, Quiz/Test Settings, and the Grade Settings.


CUSTOMIZING HOMEPAGE SETTINGS FOR YOUR CLASS

You can decide which students in your class may access their Homepage Settings Panel. You may use the school’s settings or follow the steps below to restrict or permit specific students:


Step 2: Using the down arrow, choose Homepage Settings from the Settings drop-down menu The Class Setup/Homepage Settings screen displays:

Step 3: Using the Class drop-down menu select the class with the student(s) you want to edit.

Step 4: Click the checkbox next to the name of the student. A checkmark in the box indicates they may access the Homepage Settings Panel. Removing the checkmark restricts their access.

Step 5: Click either Save to save any of your changes or Cancel to cancel any changes you have not yet saved.

Even if you have already made changes and saved them, you can come back at any time, click Use Default, and return to the original School default settings. Anything you establish on a Homepage Settings screen automatically applies to this student across all classes, regardless of teacher.

Class Setup/Audio Feedback Settings Screen

This section teaches you how to:

nAccess and use the Audio Feedback Settings screennSet up Audio Feedback Settings for your students

Audio Feedback Settings

The Audio Feedback Settings screen allows you to determine if a student or students hears the audio feedback messages when submitting problems in their lessons. This setting is similar to the Homepage Settings because even though it appears as part of Class Setup, it applies to individual students. Audio Feedback Settings are linked to either the entire school or individual stu-dents only, not classes.

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To get to the Class Setup/Audio Feedback Settings screen:


Step 2: Using the Class drop-down menu, change the selected class to the class with the student you want to edit.

Step 3: Using the down arrow, choose Audio Feedback Settings from the Settings drop-down menu (shown to the right).

CLASS SETUP/AUDIO FEEDBACK SETTINGS

Below is a picture of the Class Setup screen with Audio Feedback Settings chosen and a short description of each section.





5 — Settings drop-down menu — Tells you what part of Class Setup you are currently editing. Audio Feedback Settings lets you determine which of your students hear the audio feedback messages.

6 — Student List — Lets you change if a student hears the audio feedback messages along with who changed this access most recently (if the student has multiple teachers) and when the change was done.


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8 — Use Default — Erases any customized settings and reverts back to the previous level’s settings even if they have already been saved. .

Clicking this button resets ONLY the Audio Feedback Settings. It does NOT affect the Assignment Settings, Quiz/Test Settings, Grade Settings, or Homepage Settings.


CUSTOMIZING AUDIO FEEDBACK SETTINGS FOR YOUR CLASS

You can decide which students in your class will or will not hear the audio feedback messages when submitting answers to problems in lessons. You may use the school’s settings or follow the steps below to change specific students:


Step 2: Using the down arrow, choose Audio Feedback Settings from the Settings drop-down menu The Class Setup/Audio Feedback Settings screen displays:

Step 3: Using the Class drop-down menu select the class with the student(s) you want to edit.

Step 4: Click the checkbox next to the name of the student. A checkmark in the box indicates they will not hear the feed-back messages. Removing the checkmark resets it so they do hear the messages.


Even if you have already made changes and saved them, you can come back at any time, click Use Default, and return to the original School default settings. Anything you establish on an Audio Feedback Settings screen automatically applies to this student across all classes, regardless of teacher.

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Curriculum Setup

This section teaches you how to:

nAccess and use the Curriculum Setup screenn Edit a subject iconn Assign a subject, including the Demonstration Lessonn Delete a subjectn globally block all quizzes and/or tests in a subjectn Install curriculum updatesn Create your own subject by using an existing subjectn Create your own subject from scratchn Add curriculum to a subjectn Edit a subject titlen Remove curriculum from a subjectn Delete a subjectn Change the order of curriculumn Preview an assignment from the Subjects window n Preview an assignment from the Available Curriculum window

Before students can begin work in SOS, you need to first set up your curriculum and then give out assignments. SOS makes it convenient for you to build, edit, and assign curriculum to your students. Before you get started, you may find it useful to take a look at the building blocks of the SOS curriculum, and see how it all fits together. The Curriculum Setup screen allows you to decide what you want to assign to your students.

SOS curriculum consists of three levels:

n Subject — This is the broadest level. (Math, for example.)n Unit — This is a slightly more specific level. (There’s unit called “Decimal Numbers” within

math.)n Assignment — This is the most specific level. (There is an assignment called “Rounding

Decimals” in the “Decimal Numbers” unit within math.)

While each unit varies in length, each one will consist of lessons, projects, quizzes, and tests. On average, most units have 5—12 lessons, 2—5 projects, 2—5 quizzes, and 1 final test. There are also alternate projects and tests you may choose to use either in place of a default assignment or as a supplemental assignment.

ASSIGNING DEMONSTRATION LESSONS

SOS provides two demonstration or practice lessons for you to assign your students. One is appropriate for students in grades 3—5; the other is more suitable for students in grades 6—12. These lessons let you and your students experience a lesson to learn about each feature and how to use it. The demonstration lesson also offers the opportunity to “try out” the various problem types without concern for any impact to grades. You can assign this lesson using the same instructions you use to assign any other subject to your students. These instructions can be found in “Assigning a Subject” on page T-33.

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GETTING TO THE CURRICULUM SETUP SCREENS

To get to the Curriculum Setup screen, click Curriculum Setup on your Homepage.

Below is a picture of how the Curriculum Setup screen displays. Notice that only the Install and Create buttons are enabled.


2 — Class Setup tab — Click to go to the Class Setup screen to set up specific class information, such as assignment settings and grade settings via the Settings drop-down menu.

3 — Curriculum Setup tab — Indicates you are on the Curriculum Setup screen.

4 — Default Subjects — Default subjects are ready-made subjects you have installed straight from SOS using Install. Clicking the plus sign located to the left of Default Subjects displays the school year(s) associated with the default subjects.

5— Default Subjects by year — To see all of the default subjects for the year displayed, click the plus sign located to the left of the appropriate year. All default subjects for that school year display.

6 — Subject Assignment — This area gives you brief instructions about how to assign a subject.

7 — Install — Click to install SOS curriculum updates to your computer.

8 — Create — Click to create your own custom subjects by drawing from curriculum already installed in SOS. Subjects you create yourself may be edited or deleted at any time.

POPULATING THE CURRICULUM SETUP SCREEN

To see what subjects and units are available, you may need to click the + that is located to the left of Default Subjects or the Curriculum year folder (2011).

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All available subjects display on the left side of the screen, as shown above. Continue clicking the plus signs to see what each subject and unit contains.

As stated previously, the only two buttons on the Curriculum Setup screen that are automatically available are Install and Create. Clicking one of the Default Subjects activates Assign. To activate the remaining two options at the bottom of the screen, click a customized subject (as shown on the next page) and then Edit Title. Edit and Delete are then enabled.

If you find you are unable to click a button, it probably is not enabled during that stage of the setup process. Don’t worry–the buttons you do need are always enabled for you at the appropriate time.

Curriculum Setup Screen

On the next page is a picture of the Curriculum Setup screen with all five options enabled.


2 — Class Setup tab — Click to go to the Class Setup screen to set up specific class information, such as assignment settings and grade settings via the Settings drop-down menu.

3 — Curriculum Setup tab — Indicates you are on the Curriculum Setup screen.

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4 — Subjects window — The Subjects window on the left displays school subjects you can assign to your students. It contains ready-made subjects you have installed straight from SOS as well as custom-subjects you have created.

5 — Install — Click this button to install SOS curriculum updates to your computer.

6 — Create — Click this button to create your own custom subjects by drawing from curriculum already installed in SOS. Subjects you create yourself may be edited or deleted at any time.

7 — Edit — This button allows you to edit any subject you created.

8 — Delete — This button allows you to delete a subject you created.

9 — Assign — This button allows you to assign subjects to one or more students. When you do this, your students see their assigned schoolwork appear in their to-do lists and know that this means they should begin working on assignments.

This button is enabled only after you have clicked the actual subject title. Clicking just below the subject title (on a unit or assignment) does not activate the Assign button.

10 — Edit Icon — Click this button to change the existing icon to one of your choice.

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After clicking Create, most of the nine buttons in the center become enabled. Clicking Edit enables the Review button. Below is a picture of the Curriculum Setup screen after the button has been selected and you have chosen to either create a new subject from scratch or use an existing subject in the Create Subject pop-up box, which is discussed later. The Available Curriculum window is now populated.

1 — Available Curriculum — The Available Curriculum window displays all available curriculum you can edit and use to create a custom subject. You can click assignment titles that appear in this space, allowing you to preview actual assignments.

2 — Save — Click here to save any changes you have made to your school’s curriculum.

3 — Cancel — Click to cancel any changes to your school’s curriculum that you have not yet saved. Doing this tells SOS you no longer want to edit the subject you have been working with in the Subjects window.

4 — Add Unit — Click to add new units to subjects that appear in the Subjects window.

5 — Edit Title — Click to change the names of units or subjects that appear in the Subjects window.

6 — Remove — Click this button to remove units or assignments from the custom-made curriculum in the Subjects window.

7 — Move Up and Move Down — These buttons allow you to control the order in which units and assignments are presented to students. Highlight the name of a unit or assignment in the Subjects window and click the Move Up or Move Down buttons to move the unit/assignment either up or down in the list. This allows you to easily adjust when your students ncounter the different units/assignments in your curriculum.

8 — Block — Click this button to block an individual assignment. Click this button a second time to unblock the assignment. A blocked lesson displays like this: .

9 — Edit Icon — Click this button to change the existing icon to one of your choice.

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The Curriculum Review WindowThe Curriculum Review window allows you to preview assignments. Previewing an assignment lets you view any part of an assignment, including the problems and answers. There are two places on the Curriculum Setup screen you can preview an assignment: first, in the Subjects window in the list of subjects you have already selected for your curriculum and second, in the Available Curriculum window in the list of available curriculum you can choose to add to your own curriculum. Both of these options open the Curriculum Review window.

Below is a picture of the Curriculum Review window and a short description of each section.

1— Curriculum review title — This bar at the top shows that you are in the Curriculum Review window.

2 — Section guide — Often, when there is a lot of information for students to cover, it is easier for you and the students to see new information if it is broken up into smaller, bite-sized pieces. The Section Guide in the upper left corner tells you how many sections a presentation has been divided into. Click any section number to see its information displayed. Click the left arrow to see the previous section of an assignment; click the right arrow to see the next section of an assignment.

3 — Presentation area — The presentation area, located in the top half of the screen, is where the assignment material is presented to your students. You are able to not only click text and look at pictures, but also watch videos and play games in this area.

4 — Problem area — The problem area, located in the bottom portion of the screen, is where studens find questions related to the lesson. They can see the presentation section related to the problem while working through the questions.

PROBLEM TOOLBAR

At the top of each problem area is a problem toolbar. This toolbar helps you move around through the problems and under-stand how your students performed on certain questions. On the next page is a picture of the problem toolbar and a brief description of the different areas it contains.

1 — Problem numbers — Every presentation area in a lesson has some problems that go with it, making sure that your students understand what they have been learning. This area on the problem toolbar tells you how many total problems an assignment has and displays them in batches of 10. Click any problem number to display that problem.

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2 — Problem colors — Problems in the problem toolbar are color coded so that both you and your students can distinguish the status of a problem. The colors and their corresponding meanings are:

n gray — problems not yet completed

n green — problems answered correctly

n red — problems answered either incorrectly or problems receiving only partial credit

n blue with a line through it — problems you had your students skip or problems your students skipped with your permission via the Problem Helps window

n black — ungraded problems (such as teacher-graded problems or certain quiz/test problems you have not graded yet), problems your students skipped with your permission via the Problem Helps window.

3 — Arrows — Click either of these to go from one problem to another.

4 — Upward-pointing arrow — At the far end of the problem toolbar is a small arrow pointing upward. Click this “up” arrow to make the problem section automatically fill the whole screen. It also changes into a “down” arrow, allowing you to make the problems small again with just one click.

5 — Window resizing line — Place your cursor anywhere over the colored line that separates the presentation area from the problem area. When it changes in appearance, you can click and drag your cursor upwards or downwards, changing your window sizes and allowing you to see more or less information.

6 — Problem area — The problem area, located in the bottom half of the screen section under the problem toolbar, is where the problems display.

7 — Red Question Mark — If you click this button, a description of the problem type is displayed in a small pop-up box. This box also contains instructions on how to work this type of problem.

8 — Show Answer — Click this button to see the answer key for the problem that is selected.

9 — Exit — Click this to return to the Curriculum Setup screen.

10 — Print — Click to print the assignment. A small print options box displays, asking you how you want to print and if you want to preview your print job first.

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Editing a Subject

SOS is a powerful educational tool, enabling you to customize your own curriculum. But because of this, it’s important to be very careful when you are moving around units and assignments. Since learning is cumulative and students must often learn concepts in a certain order, it may be risky to take units and assignments out of the order SOS has provided without understanding the big picture. A rearranged quiz, for example, might ask questions based on information in assignments that have also been moved or rearranged, making it impossible for a student to be able to answer. Unless you are able to put a lot of emphasis into looking through the assignments and problems you want to rearrange, it may be a good idea to not move things around too much. If you do rearrange a lot of units and assignments and need help going back to the original format, refer at any time to the SOS curriculum you installed on the Curriculum Setup screen. The pre-packaged SOS curriculum cannot be edited and will show you what the curriculum looked like in its original form.

EDITING A SUBJECT ICON

Fun little icons are placed to the left of each subject name so that students can associate an image with a subject. To change the existing icon, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Click the subject you want to change.

Step 2: Click Edit Icon. A small Pick Icon window displays, as shown to the right.

n Globe — history-related subjectsn Bible — Bible-related subjectsn Dialog Bubble — language arts-related subjectsn Beaker — science-related subjectsn Apple — custom-made subjectsn File Folder — any subject you choosen Pi Symbol — math-related subjects

Step 3: Click an icon to select it. The icon immediately changes to reflect your new choice.

ASSIGNING A SUBJECT

Follow the steps below to assign a subject to one or more students:

Step 1: Click Curriculum Setup on your Homepage. A mostly blank Curriculum Setup screen displays

Step 2: Click the Plus Sign next to the Default Subjects folder to see all available subjects.

Step 3: Click the Subject you want to assign to your students. The Subject name highlights and Assign becomes active.

Step 4: Click Assign. The right side of the screen now displays a list of students assigned to the class shown in the Class: drop-down menu.

Step 5: Using the arrows on the Class: drop-down menu, select the class you want to change.

Step 6: Check the students you want to assign to this subject, or click Check All to assign all of the students shown in the window (shown on the next page).

Step 7: Click Next. The right side of the screen now displays the various units in that Subject.

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Step 8: Click any unit or assignment and drag it to the desired quarter (quarters are not populated automatically in SOS.) Any units that follow the moved unit are automatically placed in that quarter.

Once you have assigned subjects and units to a quarter and clicked Save, the subjects or units cannot be moved at the Class level. To move a subject or unit at the student level, you must use the Edit Student Subject screen.

Step 9: You have the option of blocking all quizzes and/or tests, or the first assignment of each unit in this subject at this time. Simply click the box next to Block all quizzes, Block all tests, and/or Block first assignment in all units. To remove these blocks, see pages T-41-42 or page T-69.

Step 10: Click Next when you have all of the units in the desired term. The right side of the screen now asks you to specify a date range for each term, determining the number of school days a student has to complete the subject(s). This generates due dates for individual assignments that automatically go into a student’s calendar and list of things to do.

Step 11: Click either the Start date or End date to change the auto-generated dates. Once you click the date, you can change the date by manually typing in your change or clicking the drop-down arrow, bringing up a small interactive calendar (shown at right) you can scroll through. Use the left and right arrows to see other months. You also have the option of assigning coursework in each subject by day of the week. Simply click to ensure there is a checkmark next to each day of the week you want coursework assigned in this subject.

Some of your school terms may be structured around time and have calendar dates associated with them, while other school terms may not be structured around time and calendar due dates at all. If you choose a term that does not have calendar dates, you see a note reminding you that subjects in this kind of term cannot be assigned to students who do have calendar dates.

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Step 12: Click Finish when you are satisfied with the subject(s), student(s), and term you selected. (However, if you are assigning a subject to a student who has Advanced Lesson Planning enabled within a calendar term, you have one final step and see the Next button to click instead.) A small pop-up box similar to the one shown at the right displays, indicating the subject(s) were assigned successfully.

If the subject has already been assigned to this student, a pop-up box similar to the one shown below displays, asking if you want to continue assigning this subject to this student.

INSTALLING CURRICULUM REVISIONS

Curriculum Revisions are automatically downloaded and installed for you. Please see the Application section of this guide on page T-82 for further information.

Curriculum revisions can be accessed from the Curriculum Setup screen. Expand the 2011 subjects folder. The first item listed is the Revisions 2011 folder. (There is one in each subject year folder.) After revisions have been downloaded and installed, you can open this folder and double-click to view a list of the installed revisions.

CREATING YOUR OWN SUBJECT BY USING AN EXISTING SUBJECT

You can create your own subjects in SOS, customizing the curriculum you assign to your students. Follow the steps below to learn how to use the subjects that are already installed in SOS as a foundation for building or editing subjects of your own.


Step 2: Click Create. A small Create Subject pop-up box (shown at the right) displays.

Step 3: Click next to Use Existing Subject.

Step 4: Using the drop-down arrow, click the existing subject you want to use.

Step 5: Click Ok. Your new subject, along with all of its existing units and assignments, appears in the Subjects window on the left side of the screen; all of the available curriculum you can use to edit your new subject appears in an Available Curriculum window on the right side of the screen.

Step 6: Click Edit Title, or right-click the Subject name, backspace to erase the old name and type in a new name. Click anywhere when finished.

Step 7: Click Save. A new Curriculum Setup screen displays, showing the new subject that was created.

Only the teacher who created a subject, whether from scratch or from an existing subject, can edit or delete the subject. Default subjects cannot be edited or deleted.

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CREATING YOUR OWN SUBJECT FROM SCRATCH

Creating your own subject from scratch allows you to create a subject by building upon an already-existing SOS subject. Follow the steps below to create your own subject from scratch:


Step 2: Click Create. A small Create Subject pop-up box (shown at right) displays:

Step 3: Click Ok. appears in the Subjects window; all of the curriculum you can add to your new subject appears in the Available Curriculum window, as shown on the following page.

Step 4: Click Edit Title, or right-click the Subject name, backspace to erase New Subject and type in a new name. Click anywhere when finished.

You can add units to your new subject either by dragging entire units from the curriculum listed in the Available Curriculum window to your new subject folder or adding a new unit and populating it with individual assignments from multiple units. When you are ready to drag items over to your new subject, just hold the Ctrl or Shift key down while clicking the assignments or units you want and then drag them over in one step.

Step 5: Click Add Unit to add new units.

Step 6: Click Edit Title, or right-click New Unit, backspace to erase the old name and type in a new name. Click anywhere when finished

Step 7: Drag the units you want to copy from the Available Curriculum window over to your renamed New Unit folder. Be sure to drop the unit on the new folder’s name. Dropping the unit on to another unit is not recognized.

You can also drag any specific assignments you want to copy from the Available Curriculum window into the units themselves.

Step 8: Click Save when you are finished creating your new subject. A new Curriculum Setup screen displays, showing the new subject that was created, and under which teacher it is assigned.

Only the teacher who created a subject, whether from scratch or from an existing subject, can edit or delete the subject. Default subjects cannot be edited or deleted.

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ADDING CURRICULUM TO A SUBJECT

Any curriculum you drag over from the Available Curriculum window becomes curriculum you can make changes to before assigning to your students. Double-clicking the assignment title lets you preview an assignment before adding it to your curriculum. To add curriculum to a subject::


Step 2: Click the Curriculum Setup tab to go to the Curriculum Setup screen. The Curriculum Setup screen displays, showing previously created custom subjects by Teacher, similar to the one shown above.

Step 3: Click the: Plus Sign to next to the folder with your user name that contains the custom subject to which you want to add curriculum.

Step 4: Click the subject to which you want to add curriculum. All five buttons on the bottom of the screen become active, allowing you to now edit and delete the custom subject to meet your needs.

Step 5: Click Edit. The Default Subjects, which are not editable, disappear from the left side of the screen. All available curriculum that you can add to your custom subject appears in the Available Curriculum window on the right side of the screen

Step 6: Click the subject to highlight it. You can now change the name by clicking Edit Title.Step 7: Click Add UnitStep 8: Click Edit Title or right-click New Unit and type in a new name. Click anywhere when finished.Step 9: Click the Plus Sign next to the Subject in the Available Curriculum from which you want to copy. A list of units

for that subject displays.

Step 10: Click the Plus Sign next to the unit containing the assignment(s) to open. The assignments for that unit displays.

Step 11: Drag the units or individual assignments you want to copy from the Available Curriculum to your renamed new unit folder. Be sure to drop the unit on the new subject’s name. Dropping the unit onto another unit won’t work.

Use your Ctrl key to select and drag multiple units or assignments at once. Hold the Ctrl key down and select the units or assignments, they should all be highlighted at this point. Now, drag all of the high-lighted items to the new subject or unit.

Step 12: Click Save when you are finished creating your new subject. A new Curriculum Setup window displays, with the new subject you created in a folder with your name as the title.

EDITING A SUBJECT TITLE

When creating new subjects, you need to rename the subjects to fit your needs and to distinguish them from SOS defaults. To edit a title:

Step 1: Double-click tthe folder containing the custom subject you want to edit on your Curriculum Setup screen.

Step 2: Click the Subject in your Subjects window that you want to rename.

Step 3: Click Edit.

Step 4: Click either the subject or unit that you want to edit.

Step 5: Click Edit Title.

Step 6: Highlight or backspace to erase the name you want to replace and type the new name.

Step 7: Press Enter or click anywhere when finished.

Step 8: Click Save button when you are finished. A new Curriculum Setup screen displays, showing your changes.

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REMOVING CURRICULUM FROM A SUBJECT

Besides adding curriculum to a subject, you may decide at some point to remove curriculum from the program. To remove curriculum from a subject:

Step 1: On your Curriculum Setup screen, select the name of the unit or assignment in your Subjects window that you want to remove.

Step 2: Click Edit.

Step 3: Click the unit or assignment you want to remove.

Step 4: Click Remove or right-click the unit or assignment name, and click Remove. Depending on whether you are deleting a unit or an assignment, a pop-up box displays asking if you are sure you want to remove this particular unit or assignment.

Step 5: Click Save when you are finished. A new Curriculum Setup screen displays your changes

Removing units or assignments from curriculum does not automatically delete all references to the units or assignments in quizzes or tests.

DELETING A SUBJECT

In addition to adding curriculum to a subject, you may decide to delete entire subjects that you previously created. To delete a custom subject:

Step 1: In the Subjects window of your Curriculum Setup screen, select the name of the subject, iyou want to delete.

Step 2: Click Edit.

Step 3: Click Remove or right-click the subject name, and click Remove. A pop-up box displays asking you to confirm that you do want to remove this subject.

SOS Default Subjects cannot be edited or removed.

CHANGING THE ORDER OF THE CURRICULUM

You can also change the order that curriculum is presented to your students. This makes it easy to adjust when your students encounter the various units/assignments in a subject.

Remember, quizzes and tests are based on cumulative subject matter in the default order presented. If you move an assignment to a point after a quiz or test, it may affect the student’s grade on quizzes and tests that follow.

To change the order in which curriculm is presented to your students:

Step 1: Click the name of the subject you want to edit in the Subjects window of the Curriculum Setup screen.

Step 2: Click Edit.

Step 3: Click the name of the unit or assignment you want to move.

Step 4: Click either Move Up or Move Down to adjust the location of the unit/assignment in the list.

Step 5: Click Save when you are finished. A new Curriculum Setup screen displays your changes.

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PREVIEWING AN ASSIGNMENT FROM THE SUBJECTS WINDOW

To preview an assignment from the Subjects window:

Step 1: Click Curriculum Setup on your Homepage. The Curriculum Setup screen, similar to the one to the right, displays, showing both default and custom subjects.

Step 2: Double-click a subject or click once on the Plus Sign beside the subject in the Subjects window. All units for that subject display beneath the subject name.

Step 3: Double-click a unit or click once on the Plus Sign beside the unit title in the Subjects window. All assignments for that unit display beneath the unit title.

Step 4: Double-click an assignment title in the Subjects window. The Curriculum Review screen opens as shown below.

PREVIEWING AN ASSIGNMENT FROM THE AVAILABLE CURRICULUM WINDOW

To preview an assignment from the Available Curriculum window:

Step 1: Click Curriculum Setup on your Homepage. The Curriculum Setup screen, similar to the one on the next page, displays, showing both default and custom subjects.

Step 2: Click Create at the bottom of the screen. This Create Subject pop-up window displays.

Step 3: Select the options in the window and click Ok. All available SOS curriculum displays on the right side of the screen.

Step 4: Double-click a subject or single-click the Plus Sign next to the subject containing the assignment. All units in that subject display.

Step 5: Double-click a unit or single-click the Plus Sign next to the unit containing the assignment. All assignments in that unit display.

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Step 7: Double-click the assignment title in the list that you want to preview. The Curriculum Review screen opens as shown below.

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Lesson BookThe Lesson Book is a valuable teacher tool. You can use it not only to view and grade schoolwork, but also to keep track of student progress. When you open it, you immediately see a to-do list of teacher grading tasks and assignments to review. You are also able to edit subjects in the curriculum or change the status of assignments. If you have students working within time frames you have set, the Lesson Book offers a specially-designed calendar for managing their schoolwork and activities.

GETTING TO THE LESSON BOOK SCREENS

To get to the Lesson Book screens, click Lesson Book on your Homepage. The Assignments screen displays and you see four tabs at the top:

n Home — Takes you back to your Homepage.n At A Glance — gives you an overall picture of the class you selected in the Class drop-down box, as well as

any outstanding grading tasks that need to be done for that particular class. n Assignments — Allows you to view student assignments and grades, and enter into assignments.n Lesson Plan — Allows you to access student schoolwork and activities through an easy-to-use

calendar.

At A Glance Screen

The At A Glance screen gives you a quick glance of each student’s assignments, including what has been blocked, skipped, and unassigned for that class. This screen is also important because it indicates what needs to be graded by you, the teacher. It is easily sorted by either student or subject. The At A Glance screen derives information from other parts of SOS Teacher and SOS Admin and is not editable.

GETTING TO THE AT A GLANCE SCREEN

To get to the At A Glance screen, click At A Glance in the Lesson Book widget on your Homepage to see the screen display. (See an example of the At A Glance screen on the next page.)

1 — Home tab — Takes you back to your Homepage.

2 — At A Glance tab — Indicates you are on the At A Glance screen.

3 — Assignments tab — Click this tab to go to the Assignment screen to see your student’s current schoolwork.

4 — Lesson Plan tab — Click this to go to the Lesson Plan screen where you can see your student’s lesson plans.

5 — Select School Year drop-down menu — Allows you to select the school year you want to access.

6— Select Class drop-down menu — This drop-down menu lets you decide which class you want to access.

7 — Filter Choice bar — This bar offers you options for the type of information about your students’ current schoolwork to display. You can choose to view all assignments needing grading, blocked assignments, skipped problems, working assignments, completed subjects, or assignments not meeting the pass threshold, by clicking the circle next to your choice.

8 — Teacher to-do list — The space between the Student column and the left margin is known as the Teacher To-Do List area. This area is important for two reasons. First, if you decide you do not want to do the task, remove it from the list by clicking the checkbox located to the left of the task. When you have completed a necessary task, it is automatically taken off your to-do list. Second, notifications that one of your students is behind or past due in his/her schoolwork appear here in the form of a red exclamation point ( ! ).

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To resize a window, place your cursor anywhere on the colored bar in the middle of the screen that separates the top and bottom windows. When your cursor changes in appearance, click and drag it either up or down to adjust the size of the windows.

9 — Student column — Indicates to which student the information belongs.

10 — Subject column — Indicates to which subject the assignment belongs.

11 — Unit column — Indicates to which unit the assignment belongs.

12 — Assignment Title column —Indicates the current assignment to which the student is assigned.

13 — Type column — Indicates the type of the assignment.

14 — Status column — Indicates the status of the assignment. This is tied to the selection you made on the Filter Choice bar. For example, if you selected Working, that is what appears in the Status column; or if you selected Needs Grading, that is what you see in this column.

15 — Due Date column — Indicates the date the assignment is due.

16 — Sorting arrow — Found to the right of the header, in each column, indicates that particular column has been sorted in either ascending order (lowest to highest — a to z) or descending order (highest to lowest — z to a.)

17 — Status bar — This bar at the very bottom of the screen indicates the teacher and the current term.

Use your Ctrl key to select multiple items on the At A Glance screen. Select any item, hold the Ctrl key down and select any other items for which you want to perform the same funtion. For example, if you want to block a certain assignment for several students, hold down the Ctrl key and click each student whose assignment you want to block.

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SORTING STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS

You can sort any of the information beneath an assignment header either alphabetically or numerically, in ascending or descending order. This includes sorting by student, subject, unit, assignment, type, or any other category that helps you organize and view the items. To sort assignment information, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Click At A Glance in the Lesson Book widget on your Homepage to see the screen display.

Step 2: Using the Select Class drop-down menu, select the appropriate class.

Step 3: Click next to your choice on the Filter Choice bar. The assignment details for that choice display.

Step 4: Click to the right of the column heading by which you want to sort. Each time you click, you see a small arrow pointing either up or down, indicating whether you are sorting in ascending or descending order. Click a second time to sort in the opposite direction (i.e., changing from ascending to descending.)

Assignments ScreenThe Assignments screen is the first screen that displays when you click Lesson Book. This screen is a snapshot of all of your students’ current schoolwork and where you enter into student assignments so they can be graded.

GETTING TO THE ASSIGNMENTS SCREEN

To get to the Assignments screens, click Assignments in the Lesson Book widget on your Homepage. The Assignments screen displays.

POPULATING A BLANK ASSIGNMENTS SCREEN

When the Assignment screen initially displays, the screen is mostly blank. Follow the steps below to populate the Assignment screen so that you can see specific class, student, and teacher information.

Step 1: Click Assignments in the Lesson Book widget on your Homepage. A blank Assignment screen displays.

Step 2: Using the Class drop-down menu, select the appropriate class.

Step 3: Using the Student drop-down menu, select the student whose assignments you are interested in seeing. A list of every subject the student is enrolled in displays.

Step 4: Click the Subject name(s) that you want to open. A list of units belonging to that subject display beneath the unit name.

Step 5: Click the Unit name. A listing of the assignments belonging to that unit displays on the right side of the screen.

Step 6: Click the Assignment Title in the right screen. Notice that all of the buttons on the bottom are now active.

After you have selected a class, student, subject, unit, and assignment, the Assignment screen is fully populated. On the next page is a picture of a populated Assignment screen and a short description of each section.

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2 — At A Glance tab — Click to go to the At A Glance screen to see which assignments your students are working on, and see which grading tasks you need to complete.

3 — Assignments tab — Indicates you are on the Assignment screen.

4 — Lesson Plan tab — Click to go to the Lesson Plan screen to see your student’s lesson plan.

5 — Select School Year drop-down menu — Allows you to select the school year you want to access.

6 — Seleclt Class drop-down menu — Lets you choose which class you want to access.

7 — Student drop-down menu — Allows you to pick which student’s assignments you want to access.

8 — Student Schoolwork — The left side of the Student Schoolwork area displays the subjects and units you have assigned to the selected student in this school term, while the right side displays all of the student’s past due, current, and upcoming schoolwork. You can also see grades for subjects, units, and assignments that the student has already completed.

9 — Subject icon — Click the subject icon to view the subject’s introductory video at any time.

10 — Subjects — The Subject side of the screen allows you to see a list of all the subjects you have assigned to a student. If the student has completed any work in a subject, his/her grade for that subject is also displayed.

11 — Units — Clicking a Subject name lets you view all of the units assigned to that subject. Unit names display immediately below the subject name.

Unit names appear in a smaller font than subjects, enabling you to quickly and easily see the difference between subjects and their units. grades for any completed student work show up here. When you no longer want to display units, click a subject name and the units disappear.

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12 — Assignments — Clicking any unit name on the left side of the screen displays all of the assignments for that unit on the right side of the screen. At the same time, the unit name is highlighted on the left, indicating that you are looking at the assignments for that particular unit. To view an assignment, click the assignment title.

13 — Assignment Title column —Indicates current assignments to which the student is assigned.

14 — Type column — Indicates the type of the assignment.

15 — Due Date column — Indicates the date the assignment is due. (The Due Date column is visible only when the Advanced Lesson Planning option is enabled.)

16 — Score column — Indicates the grade the assignment earned. Use the grades you see on the screen to help you keep track of how a student is doing in his/her subjects.

To resize a column, place your cursor where a column seems to begin or end. This is usually just to the left of a column heading. When you see the cursor change in appearance, click and hold your left mouse button down, dragging the cursor to the left or right. Make your columns wider or narrower any time you need to adjust what you can see.

17 — Edit Subject— Click to open a window that allows you to customize learning for your students at the subject level. Click this button to edit individual subjects you have assigned.

18 — Unit Details — Click this button to see the details of the highlighted unit. A window displays similar to the one shown at the right. The Unit Details window shows you general information about how a student did on an assignment such as, what type of lesson did he/she complete, how long it took him/her to complete the lesson, the overall score earned, and the completed date.

19— Clear Unit Button — Click this button to erase all of the work the student has completed in this unit.

20— Zero Unit Button — Click this button to erase all of the work the student has completed in this unit, give all assignments a grade of zero and mark the unit as complete.

21— Journal Button — Click this button to open a window to read or enter your teacher notes for this student.

22 — Assignment Details — Click this button to see the details of the highlighted assignment. A window similar to the one at the right displays. The Assignment Details window shows you specifics about how a student did on an assignment such as: what type of lesson was completed, how much time was spent on the lesson, how many points were earned, how many attempts were used, and if any problems were skipped and why. A link is provided to each problem in the lesson.The amount of time spent playing Spelling Bee and Alpha 14, along with the number of times played and won are also displayed.

23 — Block — Click this button to block an assignment, preventing a student from working on it until you unblock it. Block a quiz, for example, making sure a student has done enough review before he/she takes it. When an assignment is blocked, you see a small red X next to it. To unblock an assignment, click Block a second time to remove the block and re-activate the assignment for your student.

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You can also globally block or unblock all quizzes and/or tests in a subject or unit using this screen. Right-click any subject to see the small menu displayed to the right, highlight block or unblock, then select quizzes, tests, or quizzes and tests. To globally block or unblock all quizzes in a single unit of a subject, simply click the subject to display the list of units in that subject, right-click the unit title, then select either block or unblock to display your choices. Left-click to select Quizzes, Tests or Quizzes and Tests.

24 — Clear and Reassign — Click this button to clear the work a student has done in the selected assignment, eras-ing all answers and all points. The changes are applied immediately and the assignment appears as if the student never worked in it.

Just like with the Block function, you can Clear student work by right-clicking the unit or assignment to be cleared and left-click the Clear Unit or Clear Assignment choice.

Clear Unit really does remove everything the student has done in the entire unit. Since you can do this in one step, use it with caution!

When a teacher clears a student assignment, using either method, that teacher’s userid is logged. In the event there is a question of when an assignment was cleared and by whom, you will have a record.

25 — Zero Assignment — Click this button to grade an assignment zero and mark it complete. The changes are applied immediately.

Assignment Types

Think of an assignment as any type of schoolwork you assign to your students. It offers them new information as well as providing ways to practice using the information. There are four different assignment types used in SOS:

n Lessons — consist of sections that teach new information and offer problems for students to work on

n Quizzes — provide a set of problems for students to do after every few lessons, assessing how much they have learned

n Tests — ask students to do problems in order to demonstrate what they have learned overall

n Projects — offer creative ways for students to use the information they have learned in lessons

Certain assignment types are worth more than others; tests, for example, usually make up a bigger part of students’ overall grades than lessons. Keep in mind that students usually need to do many assignments in order to complete a unit. And they need to do many units in order to complete a subject. It is a good idea to remind students that their scores for assignments affect their unit grades and ultimately, their overall subject grades.

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Depending on what type of assignment you are viewing, the information in the presentation and problems sections may vary slightly :

n Quizzes and tests, for example, do not usually display a lot of text or graphics in the presentation area because they are testing students for already-learned information. Most of the content will be found in the problems section instead.

n Projects are dynamic and can consist of reading/writing activities, hands-on experiments, library research, interviews, artwork, or anything else you decide to assign. Because of this, their presentation area may display instructions and background information students will need in order to complete them, offering not only text but also graphics, videos, or web links. Their problems sections may also display more instructions or provide links for students that open up writing space.

Quizzes and Tests do appear differently on the screen in one special way. They have a yellow bar across the bottom of the screen so you can easily see that the student is taking a quiz or test and respond accordingly.

Teacher’s Assignments Screen

The Assignments screen you see looks a lot like the type of Assignment screen your students see when they are working in assignments. Like the student Assignment screen, your Assignments screen is divided into two sections: one for presentations that present the actual material students see in their assignments, and one for problems that display problems and answers to already-completed problems. Several buttons and features are specialized, however, allowing you to perform any number of teacher tasks from within the assignment.

1 — Section guide — Sometimes, when there is a lot of information to cover, it is easier to see new information if it is bro-ken up into smaller, bite-sized pieces. This area in the upper left corner tells you how many sections a presentation has been broken up into. Click any section number to see its information displayed. Click the left arrow to see the previous presentation; click the right arrow to see the next presentation.

If a section number is highlighted, you are looking at the information from that section.

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2 — Assignment Notepad — The Assignment Notepad is a handy notepad where your or your students can jot down thoughts about an assignment. It can also be used to ask questions or to send notes about something in the assignment. Checking the box to in the lower right corner notifies you that there is a message. If there is more than one teacher assignedto the class, you both have the option to select the teacher who should receive the note, when Save is clicked. There is also the option to send the message to all teachers. A completed Assignment Notepad, with the Notify Teacher option selected, is shown to the right.

3 — Teacher Notes Journal Button — The green Journal Button opens a box for you to enter or read teacher notes about this student for this class.

4 — Presentation area — The presentation area, located in the top half of the screen, is where the assignment material is presented to your students. You are able to not only click text and look at pictures, but also watch videos and play games in this area.

5 — Problem toolbar — At the top of each problem area is a problem toolbar. This toolbar helps you move around through the problems and understand how your students performed on certain questions.

6 — Problem numbers — Every presentation area in a lesson has some problems that go with it, giving your students a chance to practice what they have been learning. This area on the problem toolbar tells you how many total problems an assignment has and displays them in batches of 10. Click any problem number to open that problem.

As your students work through their problems, the presentation area that introduced the information stays at the top of the window and can be referred to at any time for help.

Problem colors — Problems in the problem toolbar are color-coded so that both you and your students can distinguish the status of a problem. The colors and their corresponding meanings are:

n gray — problems not yet completed n green — problems answered correctlyn red — problems answered either incorrectly or problems receiving only partial credit n blue with a line through it — problems you have had your students skip or problems

your students have skipped with your permission via the Problem Helps windown black — ungraded problems (such as teacher-graded problems or certain quiz/test

problems you have not graded yet)

7 — Arrows — Click these to see either the previous or the next problem.

8— Problem Notepad — The Problem Notepad works (and looks!) just like the Assignment Notepad, except students access it from a problem, rather than an assignment. The Problem Notepad has the same uses as the Assignment Notepad– to jot down thoughts about a problem or ask questions about a problem. In the bottom right corner is a box to check if students want to notify you that there is a message. If there is more than one teacher assigned to the class, they have the option to select the teacher to whom they want to send the note, when they click Save. They also have the option to send to all teachers.

9 — Upward-pointing arrow — At the far right end of the problem toolbar is a small arrow pointing upward. Students can click this “up” arrow to make the problems section automatically fill the whole screen. It also changes into a “down” arrow, allowing them to make the problems section small again with just one click.

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Problem Window

Directly below the problem toolbar is the problem area, where students see the problems they need to complete. Above, is a picture of the problem area as you see it. See below for a brief description of the different features it contains.

1 — Problem area — The problem area, located in the lower half of the screen, is where problems for each lesson display.

2 — Window resizing line — Place your cursor anywhere over the colored line that separates the presentation area from the problem area. When it changes in appearance, you can click and drag your cursor upwards or downwards, changing your window sizes and allowing you to see more or less information.

3 — Red Question Mark — This button opens a pop-up box with information about this problem type and instructions on how to work this particular type of problem.

4 — Score/comment bar — This displays the students score on a problem. Click any completed problem to see what grade was earned. (This area remains blank until the problem has been completed.)

Message in score/comment bar — Sometimes, instead of a score, you see a message, “There are no items that require teacher grading.” This is also where you are notified if one of your students skipped this problem.

5 — Grade boxes — Click any of these boxes (shown at right) to manually type in the score you want a student to receive on a problem (or change the score for any already-graded problem). You can type in the number of points, the percentage, or the letter grade. When you type in one of these boxes, the other two adjust automatically. Make sure to click Save when you are done.

6 — Skip — This button allows your student to skip a specific problem in an assignment and not have that problem considered as part of the assignment grade. To do this, select any problem number and then click this button. The number is crossed-out, appearing gray in color. Once a problem is skipped, the Skip changes into Assign, enabling you to click if you want to reassign the problem.

7 — Rework — Select any problem number, then click this button to “erase” the grade, allowing the student to rework the problem one more time. The number appears as gray in color, meaning that it has been reassigned.

8 — Show Answer — This button displays the correct answer for any problem.

9 — Save — Click this button to save any changes you make to the selected problem’s grade.

10 — Next — Click here to advance to the next problem.

11 — Resource Center — Click this button to access the Periodic Table, calculator, and dictionary.

12 —Messages — Click this button to send or receive messages to and from your students.

13 — Print — Click this button to print out an assignment.

14 — Exit — Click to exit the assignment and return to your previous screen.

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OPENING AN ASSIGNMENT

To open an assignment from the Assignment screen:

Step 1: Click Assignments in the Lesson Book widget on your Homepage to see the Assignments screen display.

Step 2: If necessary, use the Select School Year drop-down menu to select the appropriate school term.


Step 4: Using the Student drop-down menu, select the student whose assignments you are in interested in seeing. A list of every subject the student is enrolled in displays.

Step 5: Click the Subject name(s) that you want to open. A list of units belonging to that Subject display beneath the Unit name.

Step 6: Click the Unit name. A listing of the assignments belonging to that unit display on the right side of the screen.

Step 7: Double-click any assignment title to go into that assignment.

You are now able to view not only the presentation part of the assignment, but also any work a student has done on a problem. grades for completed problems are displayed as well.

GRADING AN ASSIGNMENT

Most assignments are automatically graded by SOS. However, some problem types such as writing paragraph responses or essays, need to be graded manually. To grade an assignment manually:

Step 1: Click Lesson Book on your Homepage to see the Assignments screen display.




Step 5: Click the Subject name(s) that you want to open. A list of units belonging to that subject display beneath the Unit name.


Step 7: Double-click any assignment title to be taken into that assignment.

Step 8: Locate the first problem you need to grade.

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Step 9: grade the problem and record the score in the grade boxes in the lower left corner of the assignment’s screen.

Step 10: Click Save to save your changes. All of your changes are automatically applied.

Step 11: Click Next to go through the other problems that need grading.

Step 12: Click Exit to return to the previous screen. Notice that the grading task is now removed from your to-do list.

CHANGING A STUDENT’S GRADE

As the teacher, you have the option, at any time, to change a student’s grade on a problem. This can be handy if you want to award your student with partial credit for difficult problems or if you do not agree with the answer SOS provided.







Step 7: Double-click the assignment title for the assignment in which you want to change the grade.

Step 8: Locate the problem for which you want to change the grade.

Step 9: Type the new grade in the grade boxes (shown at right) in the lower left-hand corner of the assignment’s screen. When you type in one of these boxes, the other two automatically adjust.

Step 10: Click Save to save your changes. All of your changes are automatically applied.

VIEWING AN ANSWER KEY








Step 8: Locate the problem for which you want the answer key.

Step 9: Click Show Answer. The Answer Key window appears, displaying the correct answer for that problem:

Step 10: Repeat this process to see answer keys for any problem.

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PRINTING AN ASSIGNMENT

To print an assignment:








Step 8: Click Print. A small Print Options box appears.

Step 9: Select the printer options that fit your needs.

Step 10: Click Print when you are ready to print.

REASSIGNING PROBLEMS STUDENTS HAVE SKIPPED

From time to time, a student may skip a problem. It is up to you if you want to reassign the problem immediately or wait until after you have discussed it with your student. To reassign a skipped problem:








Step 8: Locate any skipped problems in the assignment.

Step 9: Decide if you want to allow the student to skip the problem or you want to reassign it.

Step 10: Click Assign to reassign the problem. Your student sees it appear in his/her to-do list and know that it must be completed.

Step 11: Click Exit when you have viewed all of an assignment’s skipped problems and you are ready to return to your lesson book. Notice that the skipped problems are off your to-do list.

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REWORKING PROBLEMS

There may be some instances when it is necessary to have a student rework a problem. Reworking a problem allows a student to “erase” the original grade and try the problem again. Follow the steps below to assign a problem to be “reworked.”








Step 8: Locate the problems in the assignment that needs to be reworked.

Step 9: Click Rework. The problem number appears as gray in color, meaning that it has been reassigned. Your student sees the assignment appear in his/her to-do list and know that it is not considered complete until the assigned problems in it have been worked.

Step 10: Click Exit when you have viewed all of an assignment’s problems needing your attention and you are ready to return to your lesson book.

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Edit Student SubjectSOS allows you to customize learning for your students, setting options for your entire school, for individual students, or even for specific subjects that individual students are taking. The subject level is the most specific level for which you can set options. It allows you to not only meet the learning needs of an individual student, but also address his/her needs within a specific subject.

Suppose you have set options that allow a student to always have two chances to answer a problem correctly. You find, how-ever, that a particular student struggles with Math and could work better without the pressure of being given only two tries. At the subject level, you can set options in Math so that this student has an unlimited number of attempts at a problem. This means that the student can get the extra help he/she needs in Math but still continue to be challenged in other subjects. This is accomplished on the Edit Student Subject screens.

The Edit Student Subject screens allows you to set specific options for specific students. You can edit a subject in SOS according to:

n Curriculum — affects the units or assignments in a specific subjectn Assignment Settings — affects how information is presented in a specific subjectn Grade Settings — affects how a student is graded in a specific subject

GETTING TO THE STUDENT SUBJECT SCREENS

To get to the Edit Student Subject screen:

Step 1: Click Lesson Book on your Homepage. The Assignments screen displays.

Step 2: As necessary, use the Select School Year drop-down menu to select the appropriate school term.


Step 4: Using the Student drop-down menu, select the appropriate student.

Step 5: Click the Subject you want to edit.

Step 6: Click Edit. The Edit Student Subject/Curriculum Settings screen displays.

Edit Student Subject/Curriculum Settings

The Curriculum Settings screen displays automatically when you click Edit. This screen allows you to set up a particular subject for a particular student, letting you tailor the subject to his/her own needs.

When the Edit Student Subject/Curriculum Settings screen initially opens, only two actions can be performed; editing the settings via the drop-down box in the left corner, and adding a unit. To activate the other buttons, a subject must be selected in the Subjects area, and either the Move Up button or Move Down button must be selected to activate the Save and Cancel buttons on the Available Curriculum side of the screen.

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Below is a picture of the Edit Student Subject/Curriculum Settings window with all of the buttons active, except Messages, along with a short description of each section.

Edit Student Subject/Curriculum Settings Screen

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1 — Edit drop-down menu — Use the drop-down menu to access different settings screens such as Curriculum settings, Assignment settings, Quiz/Test settings, and Grade settings.

2 — Subjects window — The Subjects window (on the left) displays subjects that have been previously assigned and you are now editing.

3 — Available Curriculum — The Available Curriculum window (on the right) displays all available curriculum you can choose from to edit the student’s subject. You can click assignment titles that appear in this space, allowing you to preview actual assignments.

4 — Remove — Click to remove units or assignments from the curriculum in the Subjects window.

5 — Add Unit — Click to add new units to subjects that appear in the Subjects window.

6 — Edit Title — Click to change the names of units or subjects that appear in the Subjects window.

7 — Edit Icon — Click to change the Subject’s icon.

Edit is active only when a subject is selected.

8 — Move Up and Move Down — Allow you to control the order units and assignments are presented to students.

9 — Save — Click to save any changes you have made to your school’s curriculum.

10 — Cancel — Click to cancel any changes to your school’s curriculum that you have not yet saved. This tells SOS you no longer want to edit the subject you have been working with in the Subjects window.

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ASSIGNING ALTERNATE TESTS

From time to time, it may be necessary to assign an alternate test to a student. To assign an alternate test:

Step 1: Click Lesson Book on your Homepage. The Assignments screen displays




Step 5: Click the Subject in the Subjects window that needs to have the alternate test added. The units for that subject display.

Step 6: Click Edit. The Edit Student Subject window for the selected student and subject displays.

Step 7: Double-click the unit name to open the unit’s assignments. The assignments for the unit display.

Step 8: Double-click the appropriate year folder in the Available Curriculum window. All subjects assigned to that year display.

Step 9: Double-click the appropriate subject. The units for the subject display.

Step 10: Double-click the unit name to open the unit’s assignments. The assignments for the unit display.

Step 11: Click the alternate test.

Step 12: Drag and drop the alternate test in the Subjects window.

Step 13: Click Save. The Select Due Dates box displays.

Step 14: Click Ok. The alternate test is now available for the student to complete.

Edit Student Subject/Assignment Settings

The Edit Student Subject/Assignment Settings screen allows you to decide how you want assignments presented to a particular student. This Assignments Settings screen is very similar to the one you encountered earlier via the Class Setup screen.

GETTING TO THE STUDENT SUBJECT SCREEN/ASSIGNMENT SETTINGS SCREEN

To get to the Student Subject/Assignment Settings screen:






Step 5: Click Edit. The Edit Student Subject/Curriculum Settings window displays.

Step 6: Using the down arrow, choose Assignment Settings from the Edit: drop-down box, as shown above.

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Edit Student Subject/Assignment Settings Screen

Below is a picture of the Edit Student Subject screen with Assignment Settings chosen and a short description of each section.

1 — Edit: drop-down menu — The drop-down menu takes you to the settings you want to edit. Assignment Settings lets you decide lesson options and games access for this student only. You may also edit Curriculum Settings, Quiz/Test Settings and Grade Settings via this drop-down menu.

2 — Lesson Options — Lesson Options allow you to choose what you want a particular student to have access to and how to handle problems (skipping, penalties.)

qInternet access — Allows students to click www links in lessons. Unchecking this box blocks student’s access to the Internet website in the curriculum.

qLeave skipped problem message — Allows students to skip problems in lessons if they provide reasons for skipping. Skipped problems aren’t factored into the grade at that time, you may later choose to reassign them to the student.

qAccess answer key — Allows students to see correct answers to problems already completed and graded. They are not able to see answers until they have used up all of their attempts at answering.

qEasy spelling — Easy Spelling affects answers that are seven characters or less in length. When this option is selected, students are given partial credit for correct, but misspelled, answers, according to the percentage entered in Spelling penalty. When this option is not selected, misspelled words that are seven characters or less are marked wrong, even though the answer may be correct.

qSpelling penalty — Allows you to enter a percentage that is automatically taken off the total score of a problem if students answer with misspelled words. To require exact spelling in all student answers, regardless of the length of the word, set the spelling penalty to 100%.

qMaximum problem attempts — Tells you the maximum number of chances students have to answer problems correctly. Students may repeat a problem consecutively until they answer correctly or their number of attempts runs out. After they have used up all of their attempts, they will receive scores based on their final answers.

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qUnlimited — Enables students to rework problems as many times as desired until all problems are answered correctly. This is like a teacher who hands back assignments to students, allowing them to correct their answers and learn from their mistakes. This feature also acts as a sort of built-in tutor, working closely with students, helping them to practice certain skills and focus in on their weaker areas before moving them on to new lessons.

If students cannot advance to the next lesson because they are unable to answer all problems correctly, you may need to allow them to skip problems.

qTrue/False problem attempts —Allows you to permit the student more than one attempt to correctly answer True/False problem types.

qProblem attempts penalty — Allows you to type in the number of percentage points you want deducted each time students rework incorrect problems. This encourages students to answer to the best of their abilities the first time.

q Pass Threshold notification — Allows the application to send a message to the teacher if the student finished a lesson with a score less than the percentage you set in the Pass Threshold box.

q Pass Threshold — Enables you to enter a percentage students must achieve to successfully pass a lesson.

3 — Games Access —Allows you to block access to learning games in this subject by game type. Removing the checkmark in the box next to the game type blocks the student from accessing this type of game in the subject.

4 — Save — Click to save any changes you have made on the screen.

5— Use Default — This button erases any customized settings and reverts back to the previous level’s settings (for example, Class settings revert back to School settings), even if they have already been saved. You may use this button at any time.

Remember: this button resets the Assignment Settings, Quiz/Test Settings, and the Grade Settings.

6 — Cancel — Click this button to cancel any changes you have made, but not yet saved.

CUSTOMIZING ASSIGNMENT SETTINGS FOR YOUR STUDENT

You can decide how you want each particular student to interact with his/her assignments. Use SOS’s default settings or follow these simple steps to customize assignment settings for your student:







Step 7: Using the down arrow, choose Assignment Settings from the Edit: drop-down box .

Step 8: Using the checkboxes, fill-in-the-blank boxes, and drop-down menu in the Lesson Options section, (as shown on the previous page) select what students can see and do while they are working in lessons, affecting the way they learn the material.

Step 9: Using the checkboxes in the Games Access section, deselect games students may not access.

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Even if you have already made changes and saved them, you can come back at any time, click Use Default to return to the School settings.

Edit Student Subject/Quiz/Test Settings Screen

On the next page is a picture of the Edit Student Subject screen with Quiz/Test Settings chosen and a short description of each section.

1 — Quiz Options — Quiz Options allow you to control how the students take quizzes in this subject. To choose one of these options, click the circle beside it or check the box next to it.

Sets of options with circles next to them mean that you may choose only one option out of the group. Sets of options with boxes next to them mean that you may select as many of the options as you want to. Your students use similar types of buttons when they do multiple-choice (circles) and multiple-select (boxes) problems in assignments.

qImmediate answer feedback — Allows students to see how they score on each problem as they work through quizzes and tests. Students answer one question at a time and have only one attempt at answering.

qNo answer feedback — Does not allow students to see their scores to problems until an entire quiz or test has been completed. If, at that time, there are any unanswered problems, those problems receive a score of zero. Students answer one question at a time and have only one attempt at answering.

qOpen page — Allows students several attempts at answering problems, enabling them to review or change their answers until they choose to exit a quiz or test. Once they exit, indicating that they no longer want to continue working on problems, their quiz or test is graded, and they receive a score of zero for any unanswered problems. This option allows students to figure out answers based on clues they find as they cycle through other questions.

qOpen book — Allows students to exit and re-enter a quiz or test as many times as they wish until they say they are finished. Each time a student exits, the student is prompted to choose whether he/she plans to return at a later time. The quiz or test is scored only after the student has indicated there are no plans to return and all answers are con-sidered final. At this point, the student receives a score of zero for any unanswered problems. This option enables students to return to lessons to find answers to quiz or test problems.

qEasy spelling — Easy spelling affects answers that are less than eight characters in length. When this option is selected, students are given partial credit for correct, but misspelled, answers, according to the percentage established in the Spelling penalty. When this option is not selected, misspelled words that are seven characters or less are marked wrong, even though the answer may be correct. Words that are eight characters or more are auto-matically given partial credit by SOS.

qSpelling penalty — Allows you to enter a percentage that is taken off the total score of a problem whenever students answer with misspelled words. To require exact spelling in all student answers, regardless of the length of the word, set the spelling penalty to 100%.

qAutomatically Block Completed Quizzes (or Tests) — Lets you automatically block all quizzes and/or tests after a student has submitted them as complete.

2 — Test Options — Test Options allow you to control how the students take tests in this subject. To choose one of these options, click the circle beside it or check the box next to it.

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4— Use Default — This button erases any customized settings and reverts back to the previous level’s settings (for exam-ple, Class settings revert back to School settings), even if they have already been saved. You may use this button at any time.

Remember: this button resets the Assignment Settings, Quiz/Test Settings, and Grade Settings.


CUSTOMIZING QUIZ/TEST SETTINGS FOR YOUR STUDENT

You can decide how you want quizzes and tests in this subject presented to each particular student. Use SOS’s default settings or follow these simple steps to customize assignment settings for your student:







Step 7: Using the down arrow, choose Quiz/Test Settings from the Edit: drop-down box .

Step 8: Using the checkboxes and fill-in-the-blank boxes in the Quiz Options section, select how you want students to procede through quizzes.

Step 9: Using the checkboxes and fill-in-the-blank boxes in the Test Options section, select how you want students to procede through tests.



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Edit Student Subject/Grade SettingsThe Edit Student Subject/Grade Settings screen allows you to decide how you want assignments graded for a particular student. This Grade Settings screen is very similar to the one you encountered earlier via the Class Setup and Curriculum Setup screens.

GETTING TO THE EDIT STUDENT SUBJECT/GRADE SETTINGS SCREEN

To get to the Edit Student Subject/Grade Settings screen:







Step 7: Using the down arrow, choose Grade Settings from the Edit: drop-down box, as shown above.

Edit Student Subject/Grade Settings Screen

Below is a picture of the Edit Student Subject screen with Grade Settings chosen and a brief description of each section.

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1 — Edit: drop-down menu — This drop-down menu lets you decide which settings you are currently editing. grade Settings lets you decide your grading scale, assignment weighting, and grade display options for this student only. You may also edit curriculum and assignment settings via this drop-down menu. The Student Subject/Grade Settings screen is divided into three sections:

n grading scale optionsn Assignment weightingn grade display options

2 — Grading scale — grading scale options (shown at right) allow you to decide how you want students’ subject, unit, and assignment scores to calculated. As students go through assignments, SOS automatically does the math and keeps track of their scores according to these settings. To set the ranges for each letter grade, enter the lowest acceptable percentage for each letter grade box.

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3 — Assignment weighting — Assignment weighting options (shown at right) allow you to decide how much different assignment types should affect students’ total grades. As students go through assignments, SOS automatically does the math and keeps track of their scores according to these settings. To set how much you want each assignment type to be worth, enter the appropriate percentage in each assignment type box. The total percentage for all the assignment types (lessons, projects, quizzes, and tests) must add up to 100%.

4 — Grade display options — grade display options allow you to decide how you want students’ grades displayed on the screen as well as printed in reports. You may display/ print letter grades only, percentage grades only, or both. Click the appropriate circle to set the desired option. The grade display options are pictured to the right.


6 — Use Default — This button erases any customized settings and reverts back to the previous level’s settings (for example, Class settings revert back to School settings), even if they have already been saved. You may use the button at any time.

Remember: this button resets the Assignment Settings, Quiz/Test Settings, and Grade Settings.


CUSTOMIZING GRADE SETTINGS FOR YOUR STUDENTS

You can decide how a particular student’s work will be graded and displayed. Use SOS’s default settings or follow these simple steps to customize grade settings for your class:







Step 7: Using the down arrow, choose Grade Settings from the Edit: drop-down box.

Step 8: Type the lowest acceptable percentage for each letter grade box in the Grading scale section.

Step 9: Type the appropriate percentage in each assignment type box in the Assignment weighting section. The total percentage for all the assignment types (lessons, projects, quizzes, and tests) must add up to 100%.

Step 10: Click the appropriate circle in the Grade display options section to set the desired Grade display option: display letter grades only, percentage grades only, or both.



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BLOCKING AND UNBLOCKING AN ASSIGNMENT FROM THE ASSIGNMENTS SCREEN

Blocking assignments prevents students from starting work on them before you decide the time is right. To block and unblock assignments from the Assignments screen:




Step 4: Using the Student drop-down menu, select the student whose assignments you are interested in seeing. A list of every subject in which the student is enrolled displays.

Step 5: Click the subject in the Subjects area of the Student Schoolwork section. All of the units for that particular subject display.

Step 6: Click the unit which displays directly below the subject in the Student Schoolwork section. All of the assignments for that particular unit displays to the right.

Step 7: Click the assignment. This highlights the information for the assignment.

Step 8: Click Block to prevent the student from continuing with the assignment. A small red X appears beside the assignment title indicating that the assignment is blocked and the student cannot open it.

Step 9: Click Block a second time to unblock a blocked assignment. The red X disappears, indicating the assignment is now unblocked and the student is able to access it.

CLEARING STUDENT WORK FROM THE ASSIGNMENTS SCREEN

Clearing a student’s work gives the student another opportunity to complete the assignment again and score a higher grade. To clear a student’s work from the Assignments screen, follow the steps below:




Step 4: Using the Student drop-down menu, select the student whose assignments you are interested in seeing. A list of every subject in which the student is enrolled displays.

Step 5: Click the subject in the Subjects area of the Student Schoolwork section. All of the units for that particular subject display.

Step 6: Click the unit which displays directly below the subject in the Student Schoolwork section. All of the assignments for that particular unit displays to the right.

It is possible to clear all of the work a student has done in an entire unit. Right-click the unit name at this point and select Clear Unit. Be careful using this as it really does remove everything a student has done in all lessons, projects, quizzes and tests in the unit.

Step 7: Click the assignment. This highlights the information for the assignment.

Step 8: Click Clear and Reassign to remove all the work the student previously completed. This also clears any grades associated with it. The changes are immediately applied and the assignment appears as if the student never worked in it.

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Lesson PlanYour Lesson Book also allows you to view student schoolwork in calendar form. If you have assigned work to a student in a school term that is structured around due dates, use the Lesson Plan screen to keep track of his/her information. This screen simply takes all the same assignment information from the Student Schoolwork section of the Assignments screen and places it into an easy-to-use calendar.

If you have assigned work to a student in a school term that is not driven by due dates, his/her information does not show up on the Lesson Plan calendar screen. Simply keep track of this student’s schoolwork in the Student Schoolwork section of the Assignments screen instead.

GETTING TO THE LESSON PLAN SCREEN

To get to the Lesson Plan screens, click Lesson Book on your Homepage. When the Assignments screen opens, click the Lesson Plan tab. The Lesson Plan screen displays.

POPULATING A BLANK LESSON PLAN SCREEN

Like the Assignments screen, the Lesson Plan screen displays blank, unless a student and class have already been selected. It is up to you to populate the screen by choosing a class and student from the drop-down boxes. To populate the Lesson Plan screen:

Step 1: Click Lesson Plan in the Lesson Book widget on your Homepage. The Lesson Plan screen displays.

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Step 4: Using the Student drop-down menu, select the student whose lesson plan you are in interested in seeing. Notice that all of the buttons on the bottom are now active.

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The Lesson Plan Screen

After you have selected a class and student, the Lesson Plan screen is fully populated. On the next page is a picture of a populated Lesson Plan screen and a short description of each section.

1 — Home tab — Takes you back to your Homepage.

2 — At A Glance tab — Click this tab to go to the At A Glance screen where you can see which assignments your students are working on, as well as see which grading tasks you need to complete.

3 — Assignments tab — Click this tab to go to the Assignments screen where you can see what lesson your students are working on, as well as due dates and previous scores.

4 — Lesson Plan tab — Indicates you are on the Lesson Plan calendar screen.

5 — Select School Year drop-down menu — This drop-down menu lets you select the school term containing the class you want to access.

6 — Class drop-down menu — This drop-down menu lets you decide which class you want to access.

7 — Week date — The bar above the large calendar view shows the range of dates for the week displayed in the one-week view calendar. Click the left arrow to display previous weeks or the right arrow to display future weeks.

8 — Student drop-down menu — This drop-down menu lets you decide which student’s assignments you want to access.

Days with a gray background are non-school days. Days with a yellow background are school days. You can easily change school days to non-school days and vice versa.

9 — Selecting a calendar day — Click any date in either the small calendar section at the left of the screen or the large one-week view calendar section to select it. The selected date is highlighted, showing up in both calendar views.

10 —Calendar days with multiple events — When a day contains more events than can be displayed on the calendar page, a small displays, indicating that there is more to view.

11 — Present and future months — The calendars to the left of the larger calendar allows you to view consecutive months of a school term. Click the left-facing arrow to see previous months or the right-facing arrow to see future months.

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12 — Skipping to other months — To quickly skip to another month, click (and hold) the month’s name in one of the two smaller calendars. A small menu appears. Scroll down and/or click the month you want to view. The smaller calendars change (the calendar you clicked displays the month you selected and the other calendar displays previous or future months) while the larger calendar remains the same.

Click anywhere along the gray bar to expand your one-week view calendar so that it takes up the entire screen. When the calendar has been expanded, click the bar again to bring back the three-month view calendar.

13 — Assignment titles — Click any assignment title to be taken into that assignment.

14 — Project reminders — Project reminders (if any) appear only on regular school days. However, if a start or end date falls on a non-school day, such as a weekend or holiday, a project reminder appears on that calendar day.

15 — Regenerate — This button sets new start and/or end dates for any subject in a student’s curriculum.

Anytime you change your calendar, you must click Regenerate to avoid scheduling conflicts, such as lessons or projects being due on weekends or non-school days.

16 — Today — Click this button to go to today’s date on both the multiple-month-view calendar and the one-week view calendar.

17 — Print — Click this button to print a list of assignments that are due on different days. A small window appears allowing you to choose the start and end dates for the range of days you want to print. Use the Preview button in this window to see what your printed page will look like.

18 — Edit Event — Click this button to edit an event on the calendar.

18 —Attendance — Click this button to edit an event student attendance.

PRINTING A LIST OF STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS FROM THE LESSON PLAN SCREEN

Printing a list of student assignments is a great way of keeping track of who has what due and when. To print a list of student assignments:




Step 4: Using the Student drop-down menu, select the student whose lesson plan you are in interested in seeing.

Step 5: Using the large white arrows in the upper two corners, click until you find the date you want. If you already know the dates, or want to print the current date which automatically displays, click the Print button.

Step 6: Click Print to open up a small Print Options window (shown at right).

Step 7: Choose the start and end dates for the range of days you want to print.

Step 8: Click Preview to open up a window that shows you what your printed page will look like. It displays the range of dates you have selected as well as all the schoolwork assigned on any of those days.

Step 9: Click Print when you are ready to print the list of assignments.

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GETTING TO THE CLASS DAY DETAIL WINDOW

The Day Detail window allows you to edit the day’s schoolwork. To get to the Day Detail window:




Step 4: On any of the calendars you, double-click the date you want to view. A Day Detail window opens.

To print the Class Day Detail report for this date, simply click the Print button on the bottom of the screen and follow the usual instructions for printing from your computer.

GETTING TO THE STUDENT DAY DETAIL WINDOW

The Day Detail window allows you to edit the day’s schoolwork. To get to the Day Detail window:




Step 4: Using the Student drop-down menu, select the student whose lesson plan you are in interested in seeing.

Step 5: On any of the calendars you see, double-click the date that contains the assignment with due dates you want to change. A small Day Detail window opens (shown below).

1 — Date — The date centered across the top of the box tells you the day you have selected. Click the left or right arrow to view previous or future days.

2 — Assignment information — The assignments for the day display beneath the date and subject headers. This area gives you specific information about a student’s assignments, including grades the student has received on any already-completed assignments. Click any assignment title to be taken into that assignment.

3 — Move Up and Move Down — Change the sequence of assignments in the same unit on the same day.

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4 — Block — Click this button to block an assignment and prevent a student from working on it until you unblock it. Block a quiz, for example, making sure a student has done enough review before he/she takes the quiz. When an assignment is blocked, you see a small red X next to it. This button also unblocks assignments.

5 — Clear — Click here to clear the work a student has done in an assignment, erasing all the answers and all the points. The changes are immediately applied, and the assignment appears as if the student never worked in it.

6 — Add — Click this button to add extra assignments to a specific day. When you click this, a small Add Assignment(s) to Day window opens (shown at right). The student’s existing subjects appear on the left (in the Student’s Subjects area), and the assignments you can choose from appear on the right (in the Available Curriculum area). Drag any assignments from the right side of the window into a student’s units in the left-side of the window. Click Ok. Any assignments you have added to the day automatically appear in the existing list of schoolwork.

7 — Remove — This button removes assignments from a specific day. Click an assignment to select it, and then click Remove. All the work and grades for the assignment is gone.

8 — Change Duedate — This button changes the start or end date for any assignment in the day.

9 — Print — This button allows you to print the student’s details for this day.

Use any of the buttons and features on the Day Detail window to make changes to the student’s day. The changes are automatically applied in the student calendar.

CHANGING AN ASSIGNMENT’S DUE DATES

There are many reasons for an assignment’s due date to be changed. To change a due date using the Day Detail window:

Step 1: Follow Steps 1-4 as listed under Getting to the Student Day Detail Window section on the previous page..

Step 2: On any of the calendars you see, double-click the date that contains the assignment with due dates you want to change. A small Day Detail window opens.

Step 3: Click the assignment whose due date you want to change. This highlights the assignment.

Step 4: Click Change Duedate to change the due date of that assignment. A small Change Dates window appears.

Step 5: Either type in a new start and end date for the assignment, or use the tiny calendars that appear when you click the drop-down arrows to select the dates you want.

Step 6: Click Ok to confirm your changes. Your changes are automatically applied.

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BLOCKING AND UNBLOCKING AN ASSIGNMENT FROM THE LESSON PLAN SCREEN




Step 4: Using the Student drop-down menu, select the student whose lesson plan you are in interested in seeing. A list of every subject the student is enrolled in displays.

Step 5: On any of the calendars you see, double-click the day of the week that contains the assignment you want to block. A small Day Detail window displays:

Step 6: Click the assignment you want to block. This highlights the information for the assignment.

Step 7: Click Block to block that assignment. A small red X appears, indicating that the assignment is blocked and the student is not able to open it.

Step 8: To remove the block from an assignment, select the blocked assignment (making sure not to click the assignment title) and click Block. (Block performs both actions, acting as a toggle switch, similar to a light switch.) The small red X disappears, indicating the assignment is now unblocked and a student is able to access it.

CLEARING STUDENT WORK FROM THE LESSON PLAN SCREEN

You can also clear an assignment from the Lesson Plan screen. To clear an assignment:





Step 5: On any of the calendars you see, double-click the day of the week that contains the assignment you want to block. A small Day Detail window displays (see example above).

Step 6: Click the assignment you want to block. This highlights the information for the assignment.

Step 7: Click Clear to clear all the work the student previously completed. This also clears any grades associated with it. The changes are immediately applied, and the assignment appears as if the student never worked in it.

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CHANGING A SUBJECT’S START AND END DATES

To change a subject’s start and end dates:





Step 5: Click Regenerate. A small Regenerate Due Dates pop-up box displays.

Step 6: Remove the checkmark next to any subject for which you do not want to set new dates.

Step 7: Click any start or end date. To change one or both dates, either manually type in a new date or use the tiny built-in calendars by clicking either the start date or end date, and then using the drop-down arrow to open the interactive calendar.

Step 8: Click, to put a checkmark next to any day of the week you want coursework in this subject assigned. (If there is already a checkmark in a box beside the day of the week, you can click the box to remove it.

NOTE: It is important to note that all students in a class will have coursework scheduled on the same days of the week.

Step 9: Click Regenerate in this window. Any new dates you have set are applied, automatically appearing in schoolwork lists and on the Lesson Plan calendar screen.

CHANGING DUE DATES FOR AN ENTIRE CLASS

This changes due dates for all subjects for all students in the class. You can choose to exclude individual students in the class from the due date change.

To change due dates for an entire class:




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Step 5: Click Regenerate. A small Regenerate Due Dates (similar to this) pop-up box displays.

Step 6: SOS automatically selects all students in the class. Click the box next to any students for whom you do not want to regenerate dates.

Step 7: The start and end dates of the terms are displayed. Click the current End Date and select the new end date either by typing it in or using the tiny calendar that appears, if it is different from the one displayed.

Step 8: Click the current Start Date and either select the new start date using the tiny calendar that appears when you click the drop down arrows or type in the date you want, if it is different than the date displayed.

Step 9: Click Regenerate. You are asked to confirm that you want to complete the process.

Step 10: Click Yes to finish the regeneration procedure. Click No to cancel it.

Step 11: When you click Yes, a screen appears to confirm completion of the procedure.

Step 12: Click the Close button in the upper right corner of the screen to close the window when you are finished.

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MessagesThis section teaches you how to:

n Compose and send a message n Sort messagesn Read and reply to a message n Print a messagen Copy and paste a message n Delete a messagen Archive a message n Resend a sent message

Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition makes communicating with your students and fellow teachers a cinch. On the Messages screen, you can stay on top of your students’ assignments, helping them with their questions and thoughts. With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can organize and keep track of the messages you send and receive. You can even print messages for safekeeping.

GETTING TO THE MESSAGES SCREENS

To get to the Messages screen, click Messages on your Homepage. Your Inbox automatically opens.

Do You Have Mail?

There are two ways to tell if you have mail:

1. If you have any unread messages in your Inbox, a message appears in the Messages widget on your Homepage. If you are using the “Classic” theme, your Messages button looks like this: .

2. A small yellow envelope with a number beside it appears in the lower right corner of your screen (It appears on all SOS screens.) when you have a new message. Click the icon to go directly to your Inbox, so you can read the message or see who it is from.

Students see the envelope icon on the bottom right corner of the screen, but cannot access their messages by clicking it. They must use the Messages button, either on their Homepage or from within their lessons. The Messages button is totally disabled when they are taking a quiz or test.

Inbox ScreenThe Inbox allows you to look at messages you have received. Whenever the Inbox tab is highlighted, you know you are on this screen. A short description of the different sections of the Inbox begins below. (See the next page for a complete picture of the Inbox along with the continuation of the section descriptions.)

1 — Inbox — This tab indicates that you are in your Messages Inbox.

2 — Sent Items — Click this tab to view messages you recently sent to the Admin, your students, or other teachers.

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3 — Archived Items — Click here to view any messages you archived. (Lan and Remote teachers only.)

4 — Message window — Messages sent to you appear in the large window that displays as the Inbox screen. Click anywhere on a message in the top window to read the message. Just by glancing at the column headings, you can tell who sent the message (from), what the message is about (subject), and when the message was sent (sent).

5 — From — Displays the name of the student or teacher who sent you the message.

6 — Subject — Displays the title of the message your student sent you. A subject for a message might be: “Can you help me with some math problems I don’t understand?” Also, from time to time, you might see “Assignment Notepad” or “Problem Notepad” in your subject line. This means that one of your students is sending you a message from a particular spot in one of their assignments.

7 — Sent — Tells you when (date and time) your student sent you a message.

Messages you have not yet read appear in boldface.

8 — Print — Highlight the message you want to print and click this button.

9 — Reply — Click this button to reply to a message you have received from the Admin, another teacher, or a student.

10 — Delete — Click this button to permanently delete a message you no longer want in your Inbox.

11 — Compose — This button allows you to compose and send a new message to Admin, another teacher, or a student.

12 — Archive — This button allows Lan and Remote teachers to archive messages from their Inbox.


GETTING TO THE SENT ITEMS SCREEN

To get to the Sent Items screen in Messages:

Step 1: Click Messages on your Homepage to see your Inbox automatically open.

Step 2: Click the Sent Items tab. The Sent Items screen displays.

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Sent Items ScreenBelow is a picture of the Sent Items screen with a short description of the different sections.

1 — Inbox — Click this tab to view messages you have received from the Admin, your students, or other teachers.

2 — Sent Items — This tab indicates that you are in your Messages Sent Items window.

3 — Archived Items — Lan and Remote teachers may archive messages from the Inbox or Sent Messages.

4 — Sent Items window — You can find the messages you have sent in the large window beneath to and subject. There are three columns of information, each one telling you a little more about each sent item. Just like in the Inbox, you can sort your messages by clicking the column titles.

5 — To — Tells you to whom you have sent a message.

6 — Subject — Tells you the title you gave to a message you sent. It also indicates if you left one of your students a message in one of their assignment or problem notepads.

7 — Sent — Tells you when (date and time) you sent a message.

8 — Print — Highlight the message you want to print and click this button.

9 — Resend — Highlight the message you want to resend in your list of sent items and click this button.

10 — Delete — Click this button to permanently delete a message you no longer want in your Sent Items.

11 — Compose — This button allows you to compose and send a brand-new message to an Admin, another teacher, or a student.

12 — Archive — This button allows Lan and Remote teachers to archive messages from their Sent Messages.


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Messages Screen Tasks

SENDING A MESSAGE

To compose and send a message:


Step 2: Choose either the Inbox or Sent Items tab. (Both screens work equally well.)

Step 3: Click Compose. The Compose Message window opens.

Step 4: Make sure the To: menu displays the name of the person and/or class to whom you want to send a message.

n Click To: to display the list of available recipients.

n Click the box next to each person you want this message sent to.

n Click OK to return to the message.

Step 5: Type a subject in the Subject: box for your message. Use a subject to quickly tell your reader what the message is about.

Step 6: Type your message in the message window in the bottom half of the screen.

Step 7: Click Print if you want to print the message.

Step 8: Click Send when you are ready to send your message.

After you send your message, a record of it appears on your Sent Items screen.

READING A MESSAGE

Follow the steps below to read a message in either your Inbox or Sent Items:


Step 2: Stay on the Inbox tab if the message you want to read is new. Click the Sent Items tab if the message is one that you have sent in the past.

Step 3: Click anywhere on a message in the top window. The entire row–including from, subject, and sent informa-tion–is highlighted, and the content of the message appears in the message window below

You may not modify the contents of a message in this window. However, you may copy and paste it into a new message or another computer application.

MARKING A MESSAGE AS UNREAD

If you want a reminder to read a message again later, you can mark it as unread. The message appear s in bold text in your Inbox as if you had never read the message. To do this:

Step 1: Position your cursor over the message you want to mark as unread.

Step 2: Right-click anywhere on the row containing the message.

Step 3: Select Mark as Unread. The message now appears bolded, as if never read.

COPYING AND PASTING A MESSAGE

To copy and paste a message:

Step 1: Highlight the text you want to copy with your mouse.

Step 2: Press Ctrl+C (this copies the text you highlighted).

Step 3: go to where you want to paste the message.

Step 4: Place your cursor where you want to paste your message and click.

Step 5: Press Ctrl+V (this pastes your message).

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PRINTING A MESSAGE

To print a message you have in either your Inbox or Sent Items:


Step 2: Stay on the Inbox tab if the message you want to print is new. Click the Sent Items tab if the message is one that you have sent in the past.

Step 3: Highlight the message you want to print.

Step 4: Click Print. Your computer’s Print window opens.

Step 5: Print as you normally do from your computer.

DELETING A MESSAGE

To delete a message you have in either your Inbox or Sent Items:


Step 2: Stay on the Inbox tab if the message you want to delete is new. Click the Sent Items tab if the message is one that you have sent in the past.

Step 3: Highlight the message you want to delete. (If you do not first select a message to delete, nothing happens when you click this button.)

Step 4: Click Delete. The message is now permanently deleted from either your Inbox or Sent Items.

SORTING MESSAGES

Sort any of your messages according to sender, subject, or time sent. Doing this helps you organize your mail so you can easily find the messages for which you are looking. To sort your messages in either your Inbox or Sent Items:

Step 1: Click the name of the column heading by which you want to sort.

Step 2: Notice how each time you click, your messages are sorted by letter or number in ascending or descending order.

REPLYING TO A MESSAGE

To reply to a message:


Step 2: Select the message you want to reply to.

Step 3: Click Compose at the bottom of the screen. A Compose Message window appears.

Step 4: Make sure the To: menu displays the name of the person to whom you want to reply.

Step 5: Make sure the Subject: box displays the message title you want to use when you reply. Although this box contains the subject from the original message, you have the option to delete it and type in a new one.

Step 6: Type your message in the window in the bottom half of the screen.

Step 7: Click Print if you want to print the message.

The original message you received is below your reply, so you and your reader can easily recall what the original message was about. If you do not want to include the original message in your reply, highlight it and delete it.

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Step 8: Click Send when you are ready to send your message.

After you send your message, a record of it appears on your Sent Items screen.

PRINTING A SENT MESSAGE

To print a message that you have already sent and which is still in your Sent Items:


Step 2: Click the Sent Items tab.

Step 3: Highlight the message you want to print.

Step 4: Click Print. Your computer’s Print window opens.

Step 5: Print as you normally do from your computer.

RESENDING A SENT MESSAGE

Follow the steps below to resend a message that you have already sent and which is still in your Sent Items:


Step 2: Click the Sent Items tab.

Step 3: Highlight the message you want to resend in your list of sent items.

Step 4: Click Resend. A note at the bottom of your screen displays, letting you know that your message was successfully resent. This message also appears at the top of your Sent Items window, showing the date and time the message was sent, probably just a few seconds ago.

Archived Items ScreenYou can archive messages from either your Inbox or your Sent Items screen. All archived messages are listed on the Archived Items screen, independent of the original location. The Archived Items screen looks just like the Inbox and Sent Items screens. The primary difference is, in the place of the Archive button, you have a Restore button, as displayed on the following page.

To get to the Archived Items screen in Messages, click Messages on your Homepage and then click the Archived Items tab. The Archived Items screen displays.

To restore and view a message that you have archived which is still listed in your Archived Items:


Step 2: Click the Archived Items tab.

Step 3: Highlight the message you want to restore in your list of sent items.

Step 4: Click Resend. The message appears on either your Sent Items window, or your back in your Inbox, depending on it’s original location when you archived it.

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Resource CenterThis section teaches you how to:

n Find information and descriptions about each element in the Periodic Table of Elementsn Interpret the individual boxes that make up the Periodic Table of Elementsn Find a specific element in the Periodic Tablen Use the calculator

n Use the dictionary

The Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition Resource Center can be a popular hang-out for students and teachers. Forgot the atomic number of your favorite element? Check out the detailed Periodic Table of Elements. Want to add up how many days are left until summer? Quickly crunch some numbers using the calculator. Need to know the synonym of a particular word? Look it up in the dictionary.

If you are using the ‘Classic” theme, when you click Resource Center on your Homepage, three resource options appear in a menu off to the right. The Resource Center contains:

n an interactive Periodic Table of Elementsn a calculator

n a dictionary

Using a MiSOS Homepage? Click the specific resource in the Resource Center widget that you want to use.

GETTING TO THE RESOURCE CENTER SCREENS

To get to these screens, click Resource Center your Homepage and then select the resource you want from the small menu that appears.

Periodic Table

The Periodic Table is a resource that allows students to learn about the Periodic Table of Elements. Although this may only need to be used for Science, finding out about the histories of each of the elements can be interesting reading as well. It is up to you to decide when students can access the Periodic Table while in your class. For example, they may be allowed to use it during quizzes, but not during tests.

Notice as you click around that this resource is made up of four major screens, with each one linked to another in order to make navigating easy for you. The four major screens that will teach you more about the Periodic Table include:

n Periodic Table of Elements — Features an interactive Periodic Table of Elements. Because it is the first screen that pops up, think of it as the “Home” screen of the Periodic Table.

n Element Description — gives you specific information about any individual element that you click. Learn about an element’s use and properties, as well as how it was discovered.

n Key to Reading Element Cells — Shows you a diagram that illustrates how to interpret a typical cell in the Periodic Table. You will be able to easily read about the different parts of a cell and find out what they mean. A “cell” is an individual box containing an element on the Periodic Table.

n Table of Element Names — Lists all the elements in order of atomic number.

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Periodic Table of Elements Screen

The Periodic Table of Elements screen features an interactive Periodic Table of Elements. Below is a picture of the main Periodic Table of Elements screen and a short description of its features.

1 — Element cells — The elements and their atomic numbers are listed in individual element boxes. Click any element cell to view specific details about it on the Element Description screen.

2 — Key to Reading Element Cells — Click this to find out how to use the Periodic Table.

3 — Table of Element Names — Click this for a list of elements in order of atomic number.

4 — Sizing buttons — In the upper right corner of most of your screens, you see three buttons that look like this: . The button on the left is the Minimize button. Use it to “hide” the window you currently have open. what

really happens is it becomes a small bar on the bottom of your screen . Click it anytime to restore or close the window. The middle button is the Full Screen button. Click it to expand the Periodic Table window with which you are working to completely fill your monitor. Click the Close button (the last button or the X) to close the window when you are finished using the Periodic Table.

Element Description Screen

The Element Description screen gives you specific information about any element on the Periodic Table. Here is a short description of its features.

1 — Top right paragraph — The top paragraph on the right gives you some interesting information about how an element was discovered, who discovered it, and what it looks like.

2 — Bottom left paragraph — The bottom paragraph on the left usually offers details about how an element is commonly used.

3 — At-a-Glance chart — The small at-a-glance chart gives you details about the element, including the element’s symbol, atomic number, and atomic weight.

4 — Element cell — In the upper left corner is a picture that shows how the element is represented on the actual Periodic Table.

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5 — Key to Reading Element Cells — Click this link to go to the screen that tells you how to use the chart.

6 — Back to Periodic Table of Elements — Click this link to return to the main Periodic Table screen.

7 — Table of Element Names — Click this link to go to the Table of Element Names screen and see a list of elements in atomic order.

Key to Reading Element Cells Screen

The Key to Reading Element Cells screen tells you what the different numbers and abbreviations in element cells mean. Below is a picture of the Key to Reading Element Cells screen and a short description of its features.

1 — Back to Periodic Table of Elements — Click this to return to the main Periodic Table screen.

2 — Table of Element Names — Click to see a list of element names in order of atomic number.

3 — Credits — Click here to see who developed the Periodic Table resource.

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Table of Element Names Screen

The Table of Element Names screen is a handy list of elements by full name, in order of atomic number. On the following page is a picture of the Table of Element Names screen and a short description of its features.

1 — Element name — Click any of the individual element names to learn more about the element.

2 — Key to Reading Element Cells — Click here to learn how to interpret the different numbers and abbreviations in element cells.

3 — Back to Periodic Table of Elements — Click to return to the main Periodic Table of Elements screen.

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USING THE PERIODIC TABLE TO LEARN ABOUT ELEMENTS

To use the Periodic Table:

Step 1: Click Periodic Table in the Resource Center widget on your Homepage. The Periodic Table window opens.

Step 2: Click element names and links to navigate your way around the Periodic Table screens, using the information you see to learn about different elements.

Calculator

Everything adds up just right with the calculator tool. You can add, subtract, multiply, and divide both positive and negative numbers. Like the Periodic Table, you decide when students can access the calculator while in your class. For example, they may be allowed to use it during quizzes, but not during tests.

1 — Backspace button — Click this to erase one digit at a time.

2 — C button — Clears all the numbers on the display.

3 — +/- button (at bottom of calculator) — Click this once to create a negative number. Click it again for a positive number.

4 — Calculator buttons — Click the appropriate buttons to calculate what you need.

USING THE CALCULATOR

Follow the steps below to use the calculator:

Step 1: Click Calculator in the Resource Center widget on your Homepage. The Calculator window opens.

Step 2: Click the appropriate buttons or use the buttons on your keyboard to calculate what you need.

Dictionary

From the Resource Center, click Dictionary to open a blank screen similar to the one below. Type the word for which you want a definition, or other information in the Enter word to lookup: window. Click Lookup to search for the definition. Look for the definition(s) and other relevant information about the word in the main window. You can use the three buttons in the upper right hand corner to manage the screen size.

LOOKING UP A WORD IN THE DICTIONARY

Step 1: Click Dictionary in the Resource Center widget on your Homepage. The Dictionary window opens.

Step 2: Type the word you want to look up in the Enter word to lookup: textbox.

Step 3: Click Lookup . The definition for the word appears in the space below.

Not only can you choose if, and when your students use the dictionary tool, you can also filter words so they do not appear in definitions, synonym, and antonym lists. See your administrator to do this.

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Application This section teaches you how to:

n Change your password n Login to an Archive databasen Change your school year n Change your Homepage themen Check for Updates n Check for Curriculum Revisions

If you are using the “Classic” theme, you also see the Logout function on the Application menu. It is a link in the upper right-hand corner of all of the MiSOS theme Homepages.

GETTING TO THE APPLICATION SCREENS

To get to any of the Application functions, click the one you want in the Application widget on your Homepage. If you are using “Classic”, click the Application button to display a small submenu, like the one to the right. Use it to choose from among the options listed.

Change Password

The Change Password window allows you to change the password you log in with each time you start SOS. For security reasons, the characters you type appear as a series of dots. Because password settings control what both you and your students are permitted to access, it is important to know how the Change Password window works.

Click Change Password in the Application on your Homepage. The Change Password window displays.

1 — Current Password — Type your current password in the current password field.

2 — New Password — Type your new password in the new password field.

3 — Verify New Password — Type your new password a second time in the verify new password field to confirm the new password you just entered.

4 — Save — Click this button to save any password changes you have made.

5 — Cancel — Click this button to cancel any changes you have not yet saved.

CHANGING YOUR TEACHER PASSWORD

To change the password you log in with each time you start SOS, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Click Change Password in the Application widget on your Homepage. The Change Password window displays.

Step 2: Type your current password in the current password field.

Step 3: Type your new password in the new password field.

Step 4: Type your new password a second time in the verify new password field to confirm the new password you just entered.

Step 5: Click Save to save your changes. The pop-up window disappears and you are back at your Homepage. The next time you start SOS, you are required to log in using your new password.

Step 6: Click Cancel if you believe you have made an error or have decided against changing your password at this time.

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Change School Year

SOS gives you the option to have various school years set up at the same time. From time to time, you may want to change the school year in which you are currently working. To switch to another school year:

Step 1: Click Change School Year in the Application widget on your Homepage. The Change School Year window displays.

Step 2: Using the Select School Year drop-down menu, select the term that you want.

Step 3: Click Save to save your changes.

Step 4: Click Cancel to cancel any changes you have not yet saved.

Check for Updates

SOS automatically checks for application updates every 5 to 7 days. To check for updates sooner:

Step 1: Click Check for Updates in the Application widget on your Homepage. The Switched-On Schoolhouse® Update Service window displays.

Step 2: Click Ok to start the check or X to return to your Homepage.

Check for Curriculum Revisions

The next option available in the Application widget is Check for Curriculum Revisions. SOS automatically checks for curriculum updates every 7 days. To check for updates sooner:

Step 1: Click Check for Curriculum Revisions in the Application widget on your Homepage.

Step 2: Click Ok to see if there are any available updates.

Attention - this applies only to 2010 and 2011 curriculum: The first time you, as the administrator or one of your Lan or Remote Access teachers logs in and either manually checks or the automatic check runs; all available curriculum updates are downloaded and installed to your school datatbase. If a Sync teacher downloads and installs the cur-riculum updates, they are only installed to their local database, NOT the school database.

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Archive Login

The Archive Login window allows you to log in to the archive database. For security reasons, the characters you type appear as a series of dots.

Step 1: Click Archive Login in the Application widget on your Homepage. .

Step 2: Enter your Username and Password.

Step 3: Click Login. A Teacher Homepage displays, but where you usually see your username, you see “Archive” instead.

The most recent archived database displays. To view a previous database, select Application on the Homepage, then select Change School Year and enter the year you want to view.

While in the archive database, you have access to everything in Lesson Book, Resource Center, and Reports; as well as the Change Password and Change School Year functions under Application.

When you are finished viewing the archive database, you must exit SOS Teacher to log back into the current year database.

Change Theme

“Speed of Light” is the name of the theme that Switched-On Schoolhouse displays when you begin. You do have the option of changing the look and feel of your Homepage.

To change your theme:

1. Click Change Theme in the Application widget on your Homepage or click the Application button if you are using the “Classic” theme and select Change Theme on the menu that appears. (You can also click the Settings link in the upper right-hand corner of your Homepage.)

2. A menu of available choices displays. Select the one you want.

3. Click Save.

Any time you want to change your theme, simply repeat steps 1 - 3.

Note: If the only theme you can access is the “Classic” theme (example on the next page), you must upgrade your version of Internet Explorer to IE 7 or higher.

HOMEPAGE THEMES

MiSOS offers a number of themes for you to choose how your SOS application displays. Each offers a series of individual “widgets”. Each also allows you to select a small picture, an avatar, that is placed in the upper right corner of your Homepage. An avatar generally represents something you enjoy or are interested in, think of it as an expression of who you are.

You can use any pictures or graphics you want for your avatar. The image must be .jpeg format. Simply browse to the folder with the one you want to use and select it.

A widget is the module or box holding the links you use to access functions and features for the various sections of SOS. Additionally, there are widgets you can choose to display containing such information as a Daily Bible verse or some facts pertinent to a day in history.

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Some widgets are always displayed, some you are able to select for display on your Homepage if you want. Splash, Blast Off, vintage, Kingdom Under The Sea, Finish Line, Symphony, and Discovery are a of the few themes SOS gives you. Each theme lets you choose the optional widgets to display and where you want to place each widget on your Homepage. One of the themes, “Custom” also allows you to change the background color of the screen and the color of the widgets. It also allows you to change the style and size of the font. The Settings Panel is expanded for the “Custom” theme. See page T-91—T-92 for more information on the “Custom” theme.

EXAMPLES OF THE HOMEPAGE SCREENS.

Blast Off Circuit

Classic Custom

Daydream Dino Playland

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Discovery Finish Line

God Bless America Groovy

Kingdom Under the Sea On the Farm

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Pink Play Ball

SOS Blu Speed of Light

Splash Springtime

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Surfing Symphony

Techno Tunes

Vintage Caution

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Curious Cats Digital Rainbow

Gummy Gang Midnight Dream

Origami Aviation Pink Lemonade

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Prototype Sea Dreams

Ultimate Frisbee

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MISOS HOMEPAGE

Title BarThe Switched-On Title Bar at the top of the screen includes a Google Search box, and several links; one for the Settings menu, one to Exit SOS and one to the About screen for your SOS installation. And all of the main functions from the "Classic" theme displayed above, in a "widget". You can click any of the underlined "links" in these widgets to directly access the forms and functions of Switched-On Schoolhouse.

Let’s take a closer look at the Title Bar on the top of the screen. To use the Google Search function, simply click in the Google Search box, type your query, and click the magnifying glass.

SETTINGS

Click Settings to open the Settings Panel (as shown to the right). You see three buttons, first, to change your Theme, next, to change your Avatar (the small picture beside your name on the right side of the screen), the last button lets you select or remove your optional Homepage Widgets. You can then save any changes you made, or refresh your screen. (See page T-84 to change your theme.) To change your Avatar:

1. Click the Avatar button.2. Click the Pick Avatar button.3. On the Select an image for your avatar window, click the one you want, or to

use another .jpg image, browse to the folder containing the image you want. 4. Click the Open button when you have made your choice. A preview of the

image you selected appears in the area to the right of the buttons on the Change Avatar button.

5. Click OK if this is the image you want to use. When you click Widgets, the Homepage Widgetswindow (example on next page) appears so you can select the widgets you want displayed on your Homepage. SOS provides some widgets, like Daily Bible verse, Word of the Day, a Photo Album; but you can also select up to five RSS feeds to display. To add an RSS Feed:

1. Click the box next to one of the RSS Feeds in the list on the left side of the window

2. In the corresponding RSS Feed in the URL to RSS Feed column, enter the URL; for example here’s one from Christianity Today; http://feeds.christianitytoday.com/christianitytoday/ctmag

3. Select the number of entries from the RSS Feed you want displayed in the Items to Show at a Time column. Click the light blue bars to the right of the number in the box to change the number. To increase the number, click the lower bar, to decrease it, click the upper bar. (You can also click the number and type another number in. You can select up to 10 items for display.)

4. You have the option to enter a title for each RSS Feed widget you selected. Type the title you want to use in the Title on Widget box to the right of the Items to Show at a Time column.

5. Click Save.6. Click to return to your Homepage.

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WidgetsThere are default widgets that you cannot delete. These are the basic functions of SOS, Classroom, including all of your setup functions; Lesson Book, Messages, Reports, Application, Resource Center,and Help Center (See brief descriptions above). You can click any of the links in each widget to go directly to that function or form.

Optional widgets are ones you select to display on your Homepage. You can change these at any time. Most of the optional widgets are non-interactive. They are bites of information meant to enhance the MiSOS Homepage. and offer some possible topics for discussion or essay. The To Do List widget, however is interactive. It allows you to enter items, prioritize them by rearranging their order, change the color of the text for emphasis, strike-through the text, and delete the item completely. To enter a new item, simply click where it says “Add new task...” and start typing. Hover your mouse over an item to see the icons to the left and right of the task. Use the icon on the left side to move the item up or down in the list. Use the gray S to strike through the text. Click the color bars to change the color of the text and the red X to delete the item from the list.

If you have Sync and Remote Access students, those parents have access to the To Do List of their own student(s). They can add, order, emphasize,and delete items on the list.

Additionally, the “Custom” theme lets you modify the background of the entire page and the colors of the indi-vidual widgets. You also have options for the font style and size. Just like the MiSOS themes, certain widgets are always displayed (although you can move them around on the page). These widgets include the links to the same pages as the buttons in the “Classic” format; Classroom, Lesson Book, Messages, Application, Reports, Resource Center and Help.

MiSOS Custom Homepage Settings PanelThe Settings Panel enables you to select the background color of your entire screen, as well as the background color of the widgets (modules). It is also where you can change the font style and size of the text on the body of your screen. You can also opt to apply a Wallpaper as a background, choose to Tile your wallpaper or not, and select a different Homepage Theme or Avatar using the Settings link. Additionally, you see two more choices on the Homepage Settings Panel, Save any changes, or Refresh your screen. Be sure you click Save Settings when you are finished making changes!

You change your Theme, Avatar, and Widgets for the “Custom” theme just as you do forthe other MiSOS themes. (See the description above and on the previous page.)

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To select a color:

1. Click the white circle on the outer ring of either the Background Color wheel (screen background) or the Widget Color wheel and drag it around to the color you want.

2. Click the white circle in the square inside the outer circle and drag it until you see the exact shade you want to use.

To choose a wallpaper:

1. Click the Wallpaper button.

2. Click Pick Wallpaper. A Browse window opens to let you choose the picture you want to use as your wallpaper.

3. Locate the picture (.jpeg) you want to use and click Open.

4. Click the checkbox beside Stretch to fit if you want the picture stretched to fit your screen if it is not already sized to fit.

5. Click OK when you are finished or click Cancel to quit without saving your changes.

6. Click On. (If you decide you do not want to display the wallpaper, click Off to return to the solid color background. Your wallpaper remains, just not displayed. To return to it, simply click On again.)

7. Click Save Settings to see the change. (The wallpaper you just selected does not display on your screen until you click Save Settings.)

The picture you selected appears on the background of your desktop. Depending on the size of the picture, it may fill the entire background or not. If it does not, you may want to “tile” the picture. When you turn Tile on, the picture repeats until it fills up the background on your screen. To tile your wallpaper, click Tile. To display your wallpaper only once, click No Tile.

If you want to be able to quickly see what choices are available in each widget,you might increase the font size. To change the Font Style or Size, simply click your choice; Verdana, Times, or Silly for fonts; Small, Medium, Large for size.

Remember to click Save Settings when you are finished making any changes. Any changes you make to the “Custom” theme are retained if you change your theme. You can return to the “Custom” theme and your wallpaper, color, and font changes display again. Your Avatar and Widgets remain the same regardless of the MiSOS theme you choose.

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ReportsSwitched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition automatically records student scores and keeps up-to-date records of grades and activities. As students answer problems, their work is graded and their scores are recorded. When they finish assignments, their assignment, unit, and subject scores are computed and displayed on both the Schoolwork screens in SOS Student and the Lesson Book screens in SOS Teacher. This is designed so that teachers and students can easily see, at any given time, what progress is being made. SOS Teachers also have access to create attendance reports, a daily homework list to share with students and parents as desired, a list of all overdue schoolwork, along with a list of all quizzes and tests students have on their schedule for the day. SOS also provides management reports, Connection, Inactivity, Shutdown, Unit and Daily Work Reports, as well as a Pass Threshold Report.

The SOS Reports button or widget consolidates all this information, allowing you to view and print student grades. You have not only up-to-the-minute status on how students are progressing, but also the ability to print reports for your students’ records.

The available reports include:

n Attendance Report — Provides either a summary of the number of days a student was present in a month or you can pull a list of every date in each month the student was in attendance.

n Class List — Tells you which students are in which class and can be printed by name or username. A class list is very similar to a roster.

n Daily Homework Report —Shows you the specific assignments students have worked on during the selected timeframe, including the grade and current status of the assignment.

n Daily Work Report —Shows you the specific assignments students have worked on during the selected timeframe, including the grade and current status of the assignment.

n Grade Report — Tells you not only a student’s subject grades but also the individual unit and assignment grades within the subjects.

n Pass Threshold Report —Shows you any students have submitted assignments not meeting the pass threshold.

n Past Due Report —Shows you a list of all assignments students have which are currently past due.n Shutdown Report —Lists any students who have improperly shutdown SOS Student while taking a

quiz or testn Today’s Quiz and Test Report —gives you a list of all quizzes or tests your students have scheduled

for today.n Unit Report —Lists each student, their assigned subjects and all of the units worked on to this point

under the associated subject. Can be run for a class or individual students. n Connection Report — displays when Remote Access and Sync students last accessed the server.n Inactivity Report — Lists the students not working in SOS during the selected time period.

LOGOUTTo logout of SOS Teacher without exiting the application completely, click the Exit link is in the upper right corner of the SOS Title Bar, above your name and Avatar. You then return to the Login screen instead of completely closing SOS Teacher.

ABOUT

The About link displays the same screen as shown on page T-13.

To close SOS Teacher completely, see the Exit options on page T-105.

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To get to the Reports options, click the report you want in the Reports widget on your Homepage. If you are using the “Classic” theme click the Reports button. and select the report from the menu.

Grade Reports

CREATING AND PRINTING A GRADE REPORT

grade Reports can be run on multiple levels: at the Admin level in SOS Admin, which encompasses all students; at the teacher level in SOS Teacher, which includes the teacher’s classes and students only, and at the Parent level, which includes only the students associated with that Parent userid. At the teacher level, you notice that when you choose the “Class” option, only the classes that you teach display. Although you cannot see all of the classes in your school, you can see grades for all of the classes in which your students are enrolled by choosing that particular student from the student list. This allows you to see patterns of performance for an individual student across all classes.

Remember, to see how a student is doing in another class, he/she must be a student in at least one of your classes or he/she can-not be displayed in the student list.To create a grade report listing the grades your students are receiving in their subjects, units, and assignments:

Step 1: Click Grade Report in the Reports widget on your Homepage. The Grade Report window opens.

Step 2: Select a school term from the Terms drop-down menu. The grade report you create lists subjects, units, and assignments from within this school term.

Step 3: Select Report by Term or Report by Date Ranges. You cannot select Report by Date Ranges unless you chose a full year term in Step 3. If you select Report by Date Ranges, start and end date fields appear to the rightof the selection.

Step 4: Click the checkboxes next to either the classes or the name(s) of the student(s) for whom you want to print grade reports. As you make your selections, notice that the buttons at the bottom of the window become enabled, allowing you to click them. Click Check All to choose all the students or click Clear to erase your selections.

Step 5: Choose one of the two options below in the Level of work options section: - all completed work includes everything a student has submitted as complete and the teacher has graded. - completed units only includes only work if all work in the entire unit has been submitted by the student and graded by the teacher.

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Step 6: Choose one of the three options in the Level of detail options section:

Step 7: In the Grade display options section, choose one of the three available options:

Step 8: Click Preview to see a preview of the grade report you have created.

Step 9: Click Print to print the grade report. It will print exactly as you have set it up and just as it appears on the Preview screen.

Remember, only fully completed units are collected is you select completed units only in the Level of work options. If the student still has work remaining to be submitted or if you still have assignments to be graded in a unit, it is NOT considered complete and therefore, not included in the report. .

Class List

A class list, which is very similar to a class roster, tells you important class and student information at a glance. This comes in very handy when you want to know who is enrolled in a class, how many students are in a class, and or even what a student’s username is.

1 — Choose Class — Click the Choose Class: drop-down arrow to choose the class from which you want the student list.

2 — Report options — Choose between student names only and student names and user names.

3 — Name options — Choose how you want student names displayed: last name first or first name then last name.

4 — Sort options — Choose how you want the list organized: by last name, by first name, or by user name.

5 — Preview — Click this button to see a preview of the class list you created.

6 — Print — Click this button to print the class list. It prints exactly as you have set it up and exactly as it appears on the Preview screen.

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PRINTING A CLASS LIST

To print a class list:

Step 1: Click Class List in the Reports widget on your Homepage. The Class List pop-up window opens.

Step 2: Click the Choose Class: drop-down arrow to select the class.

Step 3: Choose one of the two Report Options (as shown to the right).

Step 4: Choose one of the two Name Options. (See screenshot to the right.)

Step 5: Choose one of the two Sort Options. (See screenshot below right.)

Step 6: Click Preview to see a preview of the class list you have created.

Step 7: Click Print to print the class list. It prints exactly as you have set it up and exactly as it appears on the Preview screen.

Connection Report

The Connection Report provides you with the following information about active Distance Learning (DL) students enrolled in your class(es):

• Dateofreport

• Studentname(lastname,firstname)

• StudentUsername

• LastconnectiondateforRemoteAccessstudentsordateoflastsynchronizationforstudentsusingSyncaccess

Sync teachers do not have access to the Connection Report.

To access the Connection Report:

Step 1: Click Connection Report in the Reports widget on your Homepage.

Step 2: Select the term with the class(es) and students you want to view.

Step 3: Click Preview to view the report on-screen or Print to print the report.

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Inactivity Report

The Inactivity Report provides you with the following information about active students enrolled in your classes:

• Datesyouselected

• Studentname(lastname,firstname)

• StudentUsername

To access the Inactivity Report:

Step 1: Click Inactivity Report in the Reports widget on your Homepage.

Step 2: Enter the Start and End Dates of the time period you want. You can either type in the dates or use the drop-down arrows next to each date and select the dates using the calendars that appear.


Sync teachers do not have access to the Inactivity Report.

Shutdown Report

The Student Shutdown Report provides a listing of all students who have improperly shutdown (closed out) SOS Student while taking a quiz or test during the selected term.

To access this report:

Step 1: Click Shutdown Report in the Reports widget on your Homepage.

Step 2: Select the term with the class(es) and students you want to view.

Step 3: To select all students, click Check All at the top of the Select Students box. Continue with Step 5.

Step 4: To select specific students, click the checkbox beside the name of the student(s) you want.


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Unit Report

The Unit Report enables you to pull a report whenever you choose. This report displays each unit selected students have worked on during the selected term and the amount of time spent on each unit. This report is organized by student. Below each student name you see the class, subject, and each unit in that subject with the time the student has worked on it. There is also a total amount of time listed for each student subject.

To create a report of the units students worked on during the specified term:

Step 1: Click Unit Report in the Reports widget on your Homepage. The Unit Report selection window opens.

Step 3: Select a school term from the Terms drop-down menu.

Step 4: Select Classes or Students

Step 5: If you select Classes, SOS automatically selects every student in the class. If you select Students, click the checkbox next to each student you want to include on the report or click Check All.

Step 6: Click Preview to display the report on your screen or Print and follow the normal print procedures for your computer.

A sample of the Unit Report is displayed below

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Daily Work ReportThe Daily Work Report enables you to pull a report whenever you choose. This report displays each assignment selected students have worked on during the date range specified by you. Each assignment displays only once, on the latest date in the range specified that the student worked on it. This report tells you what date the student submitted the assignment as complete, what grade was received and the status of the assignment. You can pull this report for a class or individual students.Status designations include:

n Complete - assignment is finished and fully graded n Needs grading - indicates the assignment is completed by the student, but some portion of the assignment that

requires teacher grading n Not Complete - an assignment where the student still has work to complete

For each student selected, the report displays every appropriate assignment listed under the associated subject and unit. To create a report of the assignments your students worked on during the specified date range:

Step 1: Click Daily Work Report in the Reports widget on your Homepage. The Daily Work Report selection window opens.

Step 2: Select the Term using the Terms drop-down menu..

Step 3: Select a Start Date and End Date (The default is today´s dates.) using the dropdown arrows as needed.

Step 4: Select Class or Student to designate the type of report you want.

Step 5: Select the student(s) you want the report to include or click Check All if you select a Student report.

Step 6: In Grade Display Options, choose one of three options. You can opt to create a report that displays only letter grades, only percent grades, or both.


Here’s a sample of the Daily Work Report.

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Creating A Pass Threshold Report

The Pass Threshold Report provides you with a list of students who submitted as complete, assignments that did not meet the pass threshold. The following information about these students is displayed:

• StudentName(lastname,firstname)

• StudentUserName

• Subject

• Unit

• Assignment

• Established Pass Threshold

• StudentScore

Step 1: Click Pass Threshold Report in the Reports widget on your Homepage.

Step 2: Select a school term from the Terms drop-down menu.

Step 3: Select Classes or Students

Step 4: If you select Classes, SOS automatically selects every student in the class. If you select Students, click the checkbox next to each student you want included on the report or click Check All.


Attendance Report

The Attendance Report allows you to create a report whenever ou choose. This report displays either each day a selected student was marked present for each month in the term orthe number of days per month the selected student was marked as present. This report is organized by student.

To create a report of the units students worked on during the specified term:

Step 1: Click Attendance Report in the Reports widget on your Homepage.

Step 2: Select the Term using the Terms drop-down menu..

Step 3: Select the three Level of detail option you want.

Step 3: Select the student you wish by clicking the checkbox beside the name of the student(s) you want.. To select all students, click Check All at the bottom of the Select Students box. Continue with Step 4.

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Step 4: Click Preview to display the report on your screen or Print and follow the normal print procedures for your computer. An example of a Summary Report is to the right. A Detailed Report example is below.

Daily Homework ReportThe Daily Homework Report enables you to pull a report listing all assignments selected students have in all of their classes for the day, regardless of the teacher assigned. This report is linked to student schoolwork and is not class dependent. You shouldsee the same list of assignments the student sees if they view their Today’s Schoolwork.

To create this report:

Step 1: On your Homepage, click Daily Homework Report in the Reports widget.

Step 2: The Daily Homework Report window opens. Select a Term, using the dropdown arrows as needed.

Step 3: To include an entire class on the report, click the checkbox next to the class name. To include only select students, click the + beside a class where the student is enrolled to display the list of students in that class and then click the checkbox beside the name of each student you want to include.

Step 4: Click Preview to display the report on your screen or Print and follow the normal print procedures for your computer. .

See the example on the next page.

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Past Due ReportThe Past Due Report is a report listing all assignments in the selected term that are past due effective the day you chose for the report. This report can be run by individual student(s) or by class.


Step 1: On your Homepage, click Past Due Report in the Reports widget.

Step 2: The Past Due Report window opens. Select a Term, using the dropdown arrows as needed.

Step 3: Select the Date using the drop-down arrow to display the calendar.

Step 4: Select Classes or Students.

Step 5: If you select Classes, SOS displays each class assigned to you. To include an entire class on the report, click the checkbox next to the class name. You can remove individual students by clicking the checkbox beside their names. The report then includes only the students with a checkmark beside their name.

If you select Students, click the checkbox next to each student you want to include on the report. To select all students, click the Check All link at the bottom of the box.

Step 4: Click the Preview button to see a preview of the Past Due Report you created. Click the Print button to print the Past Due Report.

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Today’s Quiz and Test ReportThe Today’s Quiz and Test Report give you a list of all quizzes and tests for the day you choose in the selected term .This report can be displayed by class, then student, if you choose the Class option; or alphabetically by student name if you choose the Student option. This report displays only ONE day per report.


Step 1: On your Homepage, click Today’s Quiz and Test Report in the Reports widget.

Step 2: The Today’s Quiz and Test Report window opens. Select a Term, using the dropdown arrows as needed.

Step 3: Choose the Date you want the report results to display.

Step 4: If you select Classes, SOS automatically selects every student in the class. If you select Students, click the checkbox next to each student you want to include on the report.


An example of the Today’s Quiz and Test Report is shown below

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Using the SOS Electronic Help FileIf you have questions or need help while you are working in SOS, open the easy-to-use electronic version of this reference guide:

Step 1: Click User Manual. This opens an electronic help file that enables you to find answers to your questions with just a few simple clicks of the mouse. If you are using the “Classic” theme, click Help, the bottom button on your Homepage. a menu displays to the right of the button. Either one opens an electronic help file that enables you to find answers to your questions with just a few simple clicks of the mouse.

Step 3: Click the relevant links to be taken to screens where you can learn more about the topics you are researching.

You can also access the help file by pressing F1 at any time while in SOS Teacher.

The other two options in the Help widget or the Help menu direct you to either our Tech Support main webpage or to a form where you can send us feedback on any curriculum issues you may find.

Exiting SOSOn your Homepage, choose any of the following options:

1. Click the Close button in the upper right-hand corner,

2. Click the SOS icon in the upper left-hand corner and select Close from the small menu that appears, or

3. Hold down the Alt key and press F4 on your keyboard.

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Appendices

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Appendix A

Here are a few shortcuts you can use right from your keyboard. All these shortcuts work in both SOS Teacher and SOS Student.

F1 Opens the Help? file. The Help? file appears in a separate window, so you never have to lose your place.

F2 grades the current problem & advances you to the next problem.

F11 Sends you back to the previous problem, without grading the current problem.

F12 Advances you to the next problem, without grading the current problem.

Most common keyboard shortcuts that are part of the Windows® operating system also work in Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition. Some of the most common ones are:

Ctrl-B Highlight your text and use these keys to make your text bold.

Ctrl-C Highlight your text and use these keys to copy your text. (Ctrl-V pastes copied text to another location.)

Ctrl-F Opens a small window to allow you to find the text you enter anywhere in the docu-ment. (This only works in SOS Teacher. It is not available in SOS Student.)

Ctrl-I Highlight your text and use these keys to make your text italicized.

Ctrl-P Highlight your text and use these keys to print your current lesson.

Ctrl-U Highlight your text and use these keys to make your text underlined.

Ctrl-V Highlight your text and use these keys to paste text that you’ve copied.

Keyboard Shortcuts in Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition

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Appendix BMaking Your Keyboard Bilingual

Entering Foreign Language CharactersUse the alternate keystroke combinations below to enter problem answers correctly.

All of these keystrokes are performed using a combination of the left ALT key and a series of keys on the Number Pad on your keyboard. The character appears when you release the ALT key. If you are using a laptop computer hold down the Fn and ALT keys and type the number code.

Suggestion: You might want to print this table and keep it by your computer for easy reference.

NOTE: Some characters allow more than one number code. You may use either number.

Press and HOLD the left ALT key while typing the numbers:

Character Number Combinations

á 160 or 0225

é 130 or 0233

í 161 or 0237

ó 162 or 0243

ú 163 or 0250

Á 0193

É 0201

Í 0205

Ó 0211

Ú 0218

ü 129 or 0525

Ü 154 or 0220

ñ 164 or 0241

Ñ 165 or 0209

¿ 168 or 0191

¡ 173 or 0161

¼ 172

½ 171

º 167

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Activities Away from the Computer

Appendix CSwitched-On School Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition also offers activities for students which encourage learning away from the computer:

Special Projects

Each unit contains an assignment called “Special Project.” This is a blank assignment that’s available to teachers who want to create their own assignments and incorporate them into the grading. Teachers can encourage artwork, model-building, map work, etc.

Experiments

Although science experiments are demonstrated for students through video clips, there’s nothing like hands-on learning. Students find that the materials and procedures required for various experiments are stated, enabling them to actually do the experiments at home.

Novels

Language Arts 900—1200 comes with paperback novels. Students can find unit lessons in Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition that guide them as they read and comprehend the novels.

Research

Sometimes, in order to most effectively do projects, students are required to go on field trips or make visits to a library or museum. They may also need to access other reference sources outside of Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition for their research.

Lesson Printouts

Printing out Switched-On Schoolhouse® 2011 School Edition assignments can be useful if there are several students sharing only one computer or if students want to work where there’s no access to a computer. Students can go through lessons on paper or even use the printed sheets to review for quizzes or tests. Printing vocabulary or spelling list words also allows students to study definitions and practice spelling away from the computer.

Handwritten Notes

Students, especially high school students, can practice their note-taking skills, something that will be important in college. They can also use their notes to study from while they are away from the computer.

Hands-On Experience

Teachers can take advantage of opportunities to make practical application of what students are studying. If students are tudying about measurements, for example, teachers can move the “classroom” into the kitchen and teach students how to bake cookies. If students are studying plants, growing an indoor or outdoor garden can help them to tangibly see the scientific principles. Teachers who are creative and involved in what their students are learning can come up with almost anything.

Documents

SOS Teachermedia.glnsrv.com/pdf/sos_manual/SOS_ReferenceGuid… · · 2011-06-27Class Setup ... Teacher’s Assignments Screen — T-47 ... SOS Teacher Quick Reference Guide (cont.)