SMART Sync User Guide: Getting Started. School District of Palm Beach County

Transcription

1 SMART Sync 2009 User Guide: Getting Started School District of Palm Beach County Revised: August 8, 2011

2 Table of Contents Overview... 4 Getting Started... 5 Logging In as a Teacher... 6 Logging in to SMART Sync... 6 Changing a Class after Logging In... 7 Viewing Options... 9 Left Side Navigation Bar... 9 Main Toolbar and Menus Groups and Group Tabs Students List Customizing SMART Sync Interface Customizing Thumbnails Changing Thumbnail Size Changing the Thumbnail Names Rearranging the Thumbnails Groups and Group Tabs Creating a Group Editing the Members of a Group Delete a Group Selection Options Standard Selection Sticky Selection Monitoring and Controlling Desktops Monitoring Desktops Monitoring via Thumbnails Monitoring a Student Desktop Capturing an Image of the Student Desktop Controlling Desktops Taking Control of a Student s Desktop Locking Student Desktops

3 Power Control Internet and Application Blocking Internet Blocking Rules Complete Internet Blocking Implementing Internet Blocking Rules (selective blocking) Application Blocking Rules Implementing Application Blocking Rules Broadcasting and Sharing Broadcasting via SMART Sync Broadcasting the Teacher Desktop Writing over the Broadcast Sharing via SMART Sync Sending Videos to Your Students Sending Web Pages to Student Desktops Communicating and Voting Communicating via SMART Sync Writing on a Student s Desktop Sending Announcements Voting via SMART Sync Conducting a Vote

4 SMART Sync 2009 Overview SMART Sync 2009 is the replacement for SynchronEyes. SMART Sync allows teachers to view and control student computers, block applications and websites, chat and interact with students via SMART Sync, to send and collect assignments via SMART Sync, and more. If the students are using individual network log-ins, then the student names will now appear in the Teacher Client under the thumbnail of the student s computer. Two or more teachers or teacher aides, paraprofessionals and media clerks can now view a class in SMART Sync at the same time. 4

5 SMART Sync 2009 Getting Started Logging In Changing a Class after Logging In Viewing Options 5

6 Logging In as a Teacher If you are a Teacher who has a class schedule in TERMS, you will be able to log in and select your class schedule in SMART Sync. The classes are arranged by Period Number TERMS Course Name. If you have two or more course/section numbers meeting during one class period you will have an option to pick a combined roster for that period. Please note that you cannot open more than one roster at a time, so if you have two or more course/section numbers meeting during one class period you will most often want to open the combined roster for that period. Any teacher, paraprofessional, media clerk, school tech, or other personnel can log into SMART Sync and choose to view a class lab that has been created in SMART Sync by your SMART Sync administrator. Any teacher, paraprofessional, media clerk, school tech, or other personnel can log in to SMART Sync and use the program as a Teacher s Aide. As a Teacher s Aide you can help monitor a teacher s class. If this is your intent in using SMART Sync, please refer to the Teacher s Aide section in the Advanced User Guide (a separate document). The directions below are for logging in to SMART Sync as the role of a Teacher (although you don t have to be employed as a teacher), which gives you complete control of the class. Logging in to SMART Sync 1. Double-click the SMART Sync Teacher 2009 icon. 2. At the log in screen, for the username: a. If you are a teacher with a schedule on TERMS, select your name. The names are alphabetized by first name, therefore you can type the first letter of your first name to quickly advance to your section of the list. b. If you are the school tech, select ####admin or sysop####. c. If you are a media clerk select Media Center1 or Media Center2. d. If you are a paraprofessional or other personnel who does not have a class schedule in TERMS, select one of the ten generic paraprofessional accounts. It is suggested that these accounts be assigned to individuals on campus. 3. At the log in screen, for the class: a. If you are a teacher: 6

7 i. If you are working with a class that is scheduled on TERMS, select your class. The classes are arranged by Period Number TERMS Course Name. If you have two or more course/section numbers meeting during one class period you will have an option to pick a combined roster for that period. Please note that you cannot open more than one roster at a time, so if you have two or more course/section numbers meeting during one class period you will most often want to open the combined roster for that period. ii. If you are working with a class, after care program, tutoring program, etc. that is not scheduled on TERMS. select the lab option for the room you want to monitor. This should appear after all your classes. If you do not see a lab option for the room you want to monitor, see your School Tech. b. If you are the School Tech, you can select the class TECH SUPPORT or select one of the labs. c. For anyone else, select the lab option for the room you want to monitor. If you do not see a lab option for the room you want to monitor, see your School Tech. 4. The class will now open and you will see thumbnails for each student in your class or for each computer in the lab. 5. You may receive a prompt to Transfer a student to your class. If your class period has begun and this student belongs in your class, then transfer the student. If your class has yet to begin, then do not transfer the student. Changing a Class after Logging In Once you are logged in to SMART Sync, you can easily change from viewing one class to viewing another, without having to exit the program. 1. Click File. 2. Click Change Teacher or Class. LAB MANAGEMENT STRATEGY It is recommended that you exit and restart SMART Sync every 2-3 hours. Using SMART Sync for extensive periods of time, without restarting the application, may cause SMART Sync to behave erratically and may cause your computer to slow down. 7

8 3. Select another class. 4. Click OK. 5. You may receive a prompt to Transfer a student to your class. If your class period has begun and this student belongs in your class, then transfer the student. If your class has yet to begin, then do not transfer the student. NOTE: You may find that after 2-3 hours of use, SMART Sync may need to be shut down and restarted; consequently you may want to occasionally restart SMART Sync between classes rather than using this feature. 8

9 Viewing Options Left Side Navigation Bar Thumbnails View When you start SMART Sync, you will see thumbnails (miniature images) of the connected students desktops. These thumbnails change in real time (though slightly delayed) with every instance of student input. You can customize the appearance of the Thumbnails view by editing thumbnail names, changing thumbnail sizes and rearranging the thumbnails. In the Thumbnails view, you can: Monitor the class. Monitor and take control of a student desktop. Broadcast your desktop. Broadcast a student's desktop. Capture an image of a student desktop. Broadcast media files. Open a Web page (with Internet Explorer) on students computers. Shut down, log off or restart a student's computer. Collaboration View* Using the Collaboration view, you can organize and monitor collaborative assignments. You can randomly separate your entire class into groups of two or three, distribute an assignment for them to complete as a group and view their progress. You cannot select the students to be assigned to each group. Unfortunately, if your class does not evenly divide by two or three, you may end up with a student working alone. Questions View* Using the Questions view, you can view, respond to and save your students questions. This feature is most effective if the student client is viewable on your students desktop. If your students do not see the student client on the desktop, then you may want to speak with your school tech to have the student client made viewable. Chat View* Using SMART Sync, you can chat with your whole class, a specific group or selected students. The Chat view displays all the chat messages, including messages between students. This feature is most effective if the student client is viewable on your students desktop. If your students do not see the student client on the desktop, then you may want to speak with your school tech to have the Student Client 9

10 student client made viewable. In the Chat view, you can: Chat with your students (either the entire class or selected groups). Control student chat. Save the current chat session as a text file. Clear the chat history File Transfer View* You can use the File Transfer view to send files to your class, a group or selected students, and receive files from them. The view is divided into Files Sent, which lists the files you ve sent to students, and Files Received, which lists the files you ve received from students. This feature has added benefits if the student client is viewable on your students desktop. If your students do not see the student client on the desktop, then you may want to speak with your school tech to have the student client made viewable. In the File Transfer view, you can also: Cancel a file transfer. Open a sent file. Open a received file Clear a file from the list Applications View Within the Applications view, you can block applications on your students computers, which gives you complete control over the applications your students can use at any time. You can also remotely launch and close applications on your students computers. The applications list includes district standard software as well as software that is widely implemented in the district, though not necessarily a district standard. You may also add your own rules to this list, and then share those rules with other teachers; both are explained in the Advanced User Guide. Internet View Using the Internet view, you can block students from using specified websites and pages. The Internet list includes district purchased web resources as well as web sites that are widely implemented in the district, though not necessarily purchased by the district. You may also add your own rules to this list, and then share those rules with other teachers; both are explained in the Advanced User Guide. * Collaboration View, Questions View, Chat View, and File Transfer View are all discussed in the Advanced User Guide. These features are not discussed in this guide. 10

11 Main Toolbar and Menus You can access some buttons and menu options regardless of the current view. For example, you can lock out student desktops, block Internet access, send an announcement and conduct a poll in all views. However, some buttons and menu options are specific to a particular view. For example, the Shut Down button appears only in the Thumbnails view. When you select a view, the toolbar buttons and menu options automatically change to the buttons and options appropriate for that view. Groups and Group Tabs If you want to interact with some students but not with the entire class, you can use SMART Sync to create groups. When you select a group s tab, you can interact with the members of that group. For example, you can lock the group s desktops, broadcast your desktop to the group, chat with the group, send a file to the group, and conduct a poll of the group and more. Students List The students list appears on the right side of the interface when you re in the Questions, Chat, File Transfer, Applications or Internet view. The students list includes: All the currently connected students (if you re viewing the All Students or All Computers tab) All the currently connected students in a group (if you re viewing a group s tab) When you select one or more students from the student list, you can interact with the selected students using SMART Sync features, including locking students desktops, broadcasting, chatting, sending and receiving files, conducting polls and more. The symbol next to each student s name indicates each student s status. The following symbols are displayed in order of priority from the most important status (Disconnected) to the least important (Connected). When more than one status applies to a student, the most important symbol appears. For example, if a student is both connected and locked out, the Locked Out symbol displays beside the student s name. 11

12 12

13 SMART Sync 2009 Customizing SMART Sync Interface Customizing Thumbnails Groups and Group Tabs Selection Options 13

14 Customizing Thumbnails You can change the size of the thumbnails in the Thumbnails view. You can also rearrange the thumbnails and edit the display names. Changing Thumbnail Size There are advantages and disadvantages to increasing the size of the thumbnails. If you make them larger, it s easier to see details, but you ll have to scroll to view some of the thumbnails. If you make them smaller, you can view more of them without having to scroll, but it s difficult to see details. 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. Select View > Thumbnail Size, and then select one of the following options: Very Large (two thumbnails wide) Large (three thumbnails wide) Medium (four thumbnails wide) Small (five thumbnails wide) Very Small (six thumbnails wide) Best Fit (automatically adjusts the thumbnail display to the best arrangement) Changing the Thumbnail Names When you re monitoring a class or group in the Thumbnails view, you can edit the name displayed below each thumbnail. The Collaboration view also displays this name below its thumbnails. 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. Select View > Thumbnail Name/Description. 3. Select Logon ID, Student ID or Student Name. For more information about your choices here, please see the lab management strategy in the text box to the right. Rearranging the Thumbnails By default, the student thumbnails are arranged alphabetically in the Thumbnails view. However, you can rearrange the thumbnails in any way you like. For example, LAB MANAGEMENT STRATEGY It is suggested that you set your thumbnails to show the Student Name, which unfortunately is not the default. This will make it easier for you to know which student you are viewing. - View -Thumbnail Name/Description - Student Name Of course, this will only prove beneficial if your students are logging in with their student IDs, rather than a generic network log-in (cai or gs1 type accounts). 14

15 you can rearrange them to more closely reflect the room s seating plan for all students or groups. The new thumbnail arrangement becomes part of the group information and remains in effect for subsequent sessions. However, you can easily restore alphabetical order. NOTE: The arrangement may be lost when a roster update is run by your school tech. 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. If you want to rearrange the thumbnails for the whole class, click All Computers or All Students. If you want to rearrange the thumbnails of a group, select the group s tab. 3. To arrange the thumbnails in a customized pattern (perhaps to reflect the class seating plan), make sure View > Thumbnail Arrangement > Alphabetical Ordering and View > Thumbnail Arrangement > Align to Grid are not selected, and then click and drag the thumbnails vertically or horizontally. If a new student joins the class or group, that student s thumbnail appears at the end of the thumbnail arrangement. 4. To rearrange the thumbnails alphabetically, select View > Thumbnail Arrangement > Alphabetical Ordering. The thumbnails are rearranged in alphabetical order starting at the upper left corner. If a new student joins the class or group, that student s thumbnail appears in alphabetical order in the thumbnail arrangement. 15

16 Groups and Group Tabs If you want to interact with some students but not the entire class, you can use SMART Sync to create groups. When you create a new group, SMART Sync creates a new tab for the group. Depending on your viewing options, the default group tab is named All Computers or All Students. When you select a group s tab, you can interact with the members of that group. For example, you can lock the group s desktops, broadcast your desktop to the group, chat with the group, send a file to the group, and conduct a poll of the group and more. By creating groups, you can tailor specific actions to a certain section of the class. For example, you can create a group made up of students who are easily distracted, and then monitor the computer screens of that group. You can also edit the members of existing groups and delete groups that you no longer need. NOTE: Groupings may be lost when a roster update is run by your school tech. Creating a Group 1. Select Edit > Add Group. The New Group dialog box appears. 2. Enter a group name. 3. If you want to allow students to join or leave this group, select Allow students to join this group on their own. If you don t select this option, you re the only person who can add or remove students from this group. 4. Click OK. 5. The new group appears as a new tab in the main SMART Sync window. Editing the Members of a Group 1. Select the group s tab. 2. Select Edit > Modify Group. The Edit New Group dialog box appears. 3. If you want to, edit the group s name. 4. To add a student to a group, select the student s name in the Students list, and then click Add. 5. To remove a student from a group, select the student s name in the Group Members list, and then click Remove. 16

17 6. If you want to allow students to join or leave this group, select Allow students to join this group on their own. If you don t select this option, you re the only person who can add or remove students from this group. 7. When you ve finished editing the group, click OK. Delete a Group 1. Select the group s tab. 2. If applicable, deactivate any rules applied only to this group. 3. Select Edit > Remove Group. 4. A message appears asking for confirmation. Click Yes. 17

18 Selection Options You can change SMART Sync s selection method to suit your preferences. The two available methods are Standard and Sticky. Using the sticky selection may be more beneficial than the standard selection if you are using an interactive whiteboard or an Interwrite Pad or Mobi. Standard Selection If you click two items, you select only the second item. If you hold the CTRL key and click two items, you select both items. If you hold the SHIFT key and click two items, you select both items and every item listed between the two items. To set the selection method to Standard: Select Options > Selection Types > Standard Selection. Sticky Selection If you click two items, you select both items. If you click a previously selected item, you clear the selection. Holding the CTRL or SHIFT keys has no effect. To set the selection method to Sticky: Select Options > Selection Types > Sticky Selection. If you re using an interactive whiteboard or Interwrite Pad or Mobi, it s easier to select and clear selections using the Sticky selection method. 18

19 SMART Sync 2009 Monitoring and Controlling Desktops Monitoring via Thumbnails Monitoring a Student s Desktop Capturing an Image of a Student s Desktop Taking Control of a Student s Desktop Locking Student Desktops Power Control 19

20 Monitoring Desktops You can monitor images of your students screens using the Thumbnails view, enabling you to determine at a glance whether everyone is focused on the assigned task. When you re monitoring a class or group you can: Lock students out of their desktops Block your students access to the Internet Conduct a poll Broadcast your desktop Broadcast media files Shut down, log off or restart your students computers Monitoring via Thumbnails 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. To monitor the whole class, click All Computers or All Students. To monitor a specific group, select the group s tab. The Thumbnails view displays the thumbnails of the class or the selected group. The symbol in the top left corner of each thumbnail indicates the student s current status. When more than one status applies to a student, the symbol with the greatest importance is displayed. For example, if a student is both blocked from using the Internet and locked out, the Locked Out symbol is displayed. The symbols appear below in order of priority from most important (Locked Out) to least important (Active Application). 20

21 Monitoring a Student Desktop You can view a student s desktop in Full Screen mode (the student s desktop fills your screen) or Window mode (the student s desktop appears in a resizable window, with the Thumbnails view open at the same time). Window mode lets you switch between the live image of your student s desktop and the other parts of SMART Sync, such as the Chat, Quiz and File Transfer views. When you re monitoring an individual student, you can also take control of the student s desktop, broadcast the student s desktop to the class, capture images of the student s desktop and write notes over the student s desktop. 21

22 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. Double-click the student s thumbnail or select the thumbnail and click Observe. 3. You can view the student s desktop in either Full Screen or Window mode. a. To change from Window to Full Screen mode, click Full Screen or select Menu > View in Full Screen. A full-screen view of the student s desktop appears. The Student s Desktop toolbar also appears. b. To change from Full Screen to Window mode, select Menu > View in Window Mode from the Student s Desktop toolbar. A window view of the student s desktop appears. 4. To stop viewing the student s desktop and close the window, click Stop or select Menu > Stop. 5. To stop viewing the student s desktop and close the full screen display, select Menu > Stop Observing. Capturing an Image of the Student Desktop When you re monitoring a student, you can capture an image of the student s desktop activity for your records and save it as a.jpg,.bmp or.png file. 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. Select the thumbnail of the student whose desktop you want to capture. 3. Click Capture or select Actions > Capture. a. The Save As dialog box appears. b. The default file name contains the student s name, followed by the date and the time of the screen capture. The default graphics file type is.jpg. The default location is My Documents. 4. If you want, type a new file name. 5. If you want to change the graphics file type, select Bitmap files (.bmp) or Portable Networks Graphics (.png) from the list. 6. Browse to the folder where you want to save the file, and then click Save. 22

23 Controlling Desktops When you re monitoring a student, you can take sole control or share control of the student s desktop. Taking Control of a Student s Desktop You can take control of the student s desktop, and any changes that you make are visible to the student in real time. 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. To take control of a specific student s desktop, select its thumbnail and click Control, or select the thumbnail and select Actions > Control. 3. You can view the student s desktop in either Full Screen or Window mode. a. To view the desktop in Full Screen mode, click Full Screen or select Menu > View in Full Screen. A full-screen view of the student s desktop appears. The Student s Desktop toolbar also appears. b. To view the desktop in Window mode, select Menu > View in Window Mode from the Student s Desktop toolbar. 4. To stop controlling the student s desktop but continue monitoring only that student s desktop, click Observe or select Menu > Observe. 5. To stop controlling the student s desktop and to return to the thumbnails of all desktops, click Stop or select Menu > Stop Controlling. Locking Student Desktops You can get the attention of your class, a group or an individual student by locking their mouse devices, keyboards and desktops and presenting them with a simple message. The message is Eyes to the front, please. When you place a temporary lock on students computers, you don t delete any of their work, however videos, animations and music may continue to play. When you remove the lock, the students desktop views and control are completely restored. 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. If you want to lock all of your students desktops, click the All Computers or All Students tab. If you want to lock a group s desktops, click the group s tab. If you want to lock an individual student s desktop, click the student s thumbnail. 3. Click Lock or select Actions > Lock. 23

24 A lock symbol appears over the locked desktops in the Thumbnails view. Lock symbols also appear beside locked-out students in the students list. The lock-out message appears on the selected students desktops. The message will be Eyes to the front, please. NOTE: To cancel the lock, click Lock or select Actions > Lock. Power Control Students may leave their computers in a variety of states at the end of the day. Some students may log off and shut down; others may leave all their applications running. Using SMART Sync, you can remotely shut down, log off or restart the computers of your entire class, of a group or of a selected student. CAUTION: Shutting down, logging off or restarting a computer can result in the loss of unsaved data. Advise students to save their work before you perform any of these actions. 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. If you want to shut down, log off or restart all of your students computers, click the All Computers or All Students tab. a. If you want to shut down, log off or restart all of a group s computers, click the group s tab. b. If you want to shut down, log off or restart an individual student s computer, click the student s thumbnail. 3. Click Shut Down or select Actions > Shut Down. The Shut Down Students dialog box appears. 4. If you want the students computers to disconnect from SMART Sync and shut down Windows, select Shut Down from the list. OR If you want the students computers to end the current Windows session, leaving Windows running and the Enter Network Password dialog box open, select Log Off from the list. OR If you want the students computers to end the current Windows session and restart, select Restart from the list. 5. Click OK. 24

25 SMART Sync 2009 Internet and Application Blocking Complete Internet Blocking Implementing Internet Blocking Rules (selective blocking) Implementing Application Blocking Rules (selective blocking) 25

26 Internet Blocking Rules You can block your students access to the Internet. When a blocked student starts the Internet Explorer browser, a message appears indicating that access to the Internet is restricted. When a blocked student starts any other Internet browser, the pointer takes the shape of an hourglass on the current browser page, and a connection timed out message may appear. You can also give your students limited access to the Internet by blocking their access to specific Web pages. Complete Internet Blocking 1. Click Internet Block in the main toolbar (so it appears with an orange background) or select Actions > Internet Block. This will block the most common Internet browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox and others. 2. To block Alternative Browsers, less popular browsers that students may try to use to bypass the Internet block, on the left side of the screen click Applications and then click the check box next to the rule Block Internet Browser 2 Alternative Browsers or click on the name of the rule and then click the Apply button at the top of the screen. 3. If a student starts Internet Explorer and you ve blocked their Internet access, they receive a message informing them that Internet access is restricted. When a blocked student starts any other Internet browser, the pointer takes the shape of an hourglass on the current browser page, and a connection timed out message may appear. If you have enabled the Block Internet Browser 2 Alternative Browsers rule the student will get an orange application not allowed message. 4. To remove the block, Click Internet Block (so it doesn t appear with an orange background) or clear the selection of Actions > Internet Block and then click the Apply button. 5. To remove the block of the Alternative Browsers, click Applications and then uncheck the rule Block Internet Browser 2 Alternative Browsers. Implementing Internet Blocking Rules (selective blocking) If you don t want to block your students access to the Internet, you can still block your students access to specific Web pages using customized Internet blocking rules. Rules for web sites and web services which the district has purchased or are widely used in the district have already been preloaded. These rules will allow the students to only visit the web sites in the title of the rule, along with the district site and the Learning Tools site, which is necessary so the students can navigate to the web site of choice without receiving the SMART Sync web block message. You can also create your own rules, which is explained in the Advanced User Guide. WARNING: Internet Blocking Rules can be challenging to create and maintain due to the very nature of the Internet websites are constantly changing. Consequently, rules created today could easily be 26

27 outdated tomorrow, so use these rules with caution and understanding that the rules may not be foolproof. By default, the rules will appear in no particular order, which can make it difficult to find the desired rule. Click the sorting header that says Rule Name to alphabetize the rule. To Apply the Rules 1. Click Internet on the left side of the screen or select View > Internet. The Internet view appears. 2. If you want to apply the block to all of your students, click the All Computers or All Students tab. If you want to apply the block to a group, click the group s tab. 3. Select the Internet blocking rule you want to activate by clicking on the name of the rule. 4. Click the check box next to the rule, or click Apply or select Actions > Apply. The Internet Block symbol appears beside the selected students in the students list. To Remove the Rules 1. Click Internet on the left side of the screen or select View > Internet. The Internet view appears. 2. If you want to remove a block from all of your students, click All Computers or All Students. If you want to remove a block from a group, click the group s tab. If you want to remove a block Select the Internet blocking rule you want to deactivate by clicking on the name of the rule. 3. Click the check box next to the rule, or click Apply or select Actions > Apply. 27

28 Application Blocking Rules SMART Sync comes with blocking rules already defined by SMART for applications common to Windows. Rules have also been created for district standard and widely implemented software used in the district; these rules are denoted by two stars **. The starred (**) rules will include all the application rules necessary to allow the application to run. For example, the Adobe Creative Suite (CS) applications would also include Bridge, Extension Manager, and other necessary applications necessary to run Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Photoshop, etc. You can also create your own rules, which is explained in the Advanced User Guide. Implementing Application Blocking Rules NOTE: If you apply a Block rule SMART Sync will close the application if the student already has it open. If you apply a Block All Except rule SMART Sync will NOT close the application if the student already has it open. Multiple Block All Except rules can be applied at the same time. Multiple Block rules can be applied at the same time. However, mixing the two types of rules can be problematic. By default, the rules will appear in no particular order, which can make it difficult to find the desired rule. Click the sorting header that says Application Rule to alphabetize the rule. To Apply the Rules 1. Click Applications on the left side of the screen or select View > Applications. The Applications view appears. 2. If you want to apply the block to all of your students, click the All Computers or All Students tab. If you want to apply the block to a group, click the group s tab. 3. Select the application blocking rule you want to activate. 4. Click the check box next to the rule, or click Apply or select Actions > Apply. 5. If you activate a Block rule, a message appears asking for confirmation. Click Block Applications. If one of the selected students is running a LAB MANAGEMENT STRATEGY To gain control of a lab: It is suggested that you first apply the rule BLOCK ALL STARRED ** APPLICATIONS LISTED plus Office, Internet, Windows Accessories. This will shut down any district standard application listed (**) plus some alternative web browsers, media players and other software. You should warn students to save any work prior to applying the rule. While this rule is applied select the application blocking rule you want to activate; then deactivate the BLOCK ALL STARRED ** APPLICATIONS LISTED plus Office, Internet, Windows Accessories rule. 28

29 restricted application, the application closes automatically and any unsaved work is lost. Advise students to save their work before you complete this step. If one of the selected students tries to open a blocked application, a message appears, advising them that the application is restricted. If you activate a Block All Except rule, the rule activates without asking for confirmation. If one of the selected students is already running an unlisted application, the application doesn t close. If one of the selected students tries to open an unlisted application, the Application Blocked message appears, advising the student that the application is restricted. Sometimes the blocked application may initially open, but will then close after a few seconds. 6. Look next to the rule name, the word Activated now appears. The Application Block symbol appears beside the selected students in the students list. To Remove the Rules 1. Click Applications on the left side of the screen or select View > Applications. The applications view appears. 2. If you want to remove a block from all of your students, click All Computers or All Students. If you want to remove a block from a group, click the group s tab. If you want to remove a block from specific students, select their names in the students list. 3. Select the application blocking rule you want to deactivate. 4. Click the check box next to the rule, or click Apply or select Actions > Apply. 5. Look next to the rule name, the word Activated should no longer appear. 29

30 SMART Sync 2009 Broadcasting and Sharing Broadcasting the Teacher Desktop Writing over the Broadcast Sending Videos to Your Students Send Web Pages to Student s Desktops 30

31 Broadcasting via SMART Sync You can broadcast your desktop to the entire class or to a group. You can broadcast a web page or a video to your entire class or to a group. NOTE: You may run into issues if your students monitors are set to varying resolutions. Broadcasting the Teacher Desktop You can broadcast your desktop to the entire class or to a group in either Full Screen or Window mode. In Full Screen mode, your broadcast fills the students screens, and they can t view or use other applications during the broadcast. In Window mode, your desktop appears in a window on the students desktops and they can switch between this window and other applications. Make sure your GradeQuick and are closed (preferred) or minimized prior to using this feature. 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. If you want to broadcast to all of your students, click the All Computers or All Students tab. If you want to broadcast to a group, click the group s tab. 3. Click Broadcast or select View > Broadcast. 4. A message appears, asking if you want to broadcast your desktop. Click Yes. 5. Your desktop appears to the selected students. The My Desktop toolbar appears on your desktop. NOTE: Your desktop is surrounded by a blue border for the duration of the broadcast. 6. To stop the broadcast, select Menu > Stop Broadcasting from the My Desktop toolbar. Writing over the Broadcast During a broadcast, you can write over your desktop and the digital ink is displayed on the desktops of everyone receiving your broadcast. This is a great way to direct your students attention and make helpful notes for them. The digital ink is temporary and the underlying application is unaffected by your notes. If you want to save your notes, capture the screen before you clear the digital ink. 1. Broadcast your desktop or broadcast a student s desktop. 2. Click Pen on the My Desktop toolbar. 3. Click and drag your mouse across your desktop to write in digital ink, or use your Interwrite Pad, Mobi or interactive whiteboard pen. 4. When you finish writing, click Select on the My Desktop toolbar to make your notes disappear. 31

32 Sharing via SMART Sync Sending Videos to Your Students If you are showing the video to an entire class or the video file extremely large, using an LCD projector is a better method than SMART Sync. With SMART Sync you can show video files on your computer and broadcast the video to the entire class, to a group, or to an individual student. The video is actually copied to each student computer, which can take several minutes, and then all are started simultaneously. So, if the video file is rather large, you will need to plan accordingly, allowing time for the transfer of the file, which could take several minutes. In addition, because the file is sent to each student, it is saved in each student s personal folder on the server. Consequently, if you send one 10mb file to a class of 30 students, you will be consuming 300mb of server space for this one video. Please be conservative when using this feature and use your projector instead, whenever possible. 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. If you want to play the media file to all of your students, click the All Computers or All Students tab. If you want to play the media file to a group, click the group s tab. 3. Click Show Media or select Actions > Show Media. The Send Media File dialog box appears. 4. Browse to and select the media file you want to play. Click Send. The Sending Media dialog box appears. This dialog box displays the estimated time it will take to send this file to the selected students. All of the media file controls, such as the Play and Stop buttons, are disabled until all the students have received the file. When all students have received the media file, it starts playing automatically. NOTE: If you decide that you don t want to play the media file (for example, if the Estimated Time is too long or you decide to play a different media file), click Cancel. When the message appears asking for confirmation, click Yes. 5. When all the selected students have received the file, you can control the media file as follows: a. Click Play or select Control > Play to play the media file b. Click Pause or select Control > Pause to pause the media file NOTE: If you click Pause and then click Play, the media file restarts from the point at which you had paused it. c. Click Stop or select Control > Stop to stop the media file NOTE: If you click Stop and then click Play, the media file restarts from the beginning. Whenever you click a media control button, the action affects the display of all the students. All the students see the same segment of the media file. 32

33 6. Select View > 50%, View > 100% or View > 200% to change the size of the media window. This change is mirrored by the media window on each student s screen. Click Full Screen or select View > Full Screen to display the media file on the full screen on both your screen and your students screens. To return to window mode, click Back to window mode. NOTE: If you play the media file in full screen, the Playing Media toolbar appears. You can use this toolbar to play, pause and stop the file. If you want to prevent students from using other applications during the broadcast of the media file, display the media file in full screen. 7. To leave the media window open and play a different media file, select File > Open. Browse to, and then select, the media file you want to play, and then click Send. 8. To close the media window, select File > Exit. Sending Web Pages to Student Desktops Using SMART Sync you can remotely launch Internet Explorer and open a specific Web page on the desktops of your whole class, a group or selected students. You can also launch a Web page on your students computers directly from the Internet Explorer on your computer. Launching a Web Page from SMART Sync 1. Click Thumbnails on the left side of the screen or select View > Thumbnails. The Thumbnails view appears. 2. If you want to display the Web page on the desktops of all of your students, click the All Computers or All Students tab. If you want to display the Web page on the desktops of a group, click the group s tab. If you want to display the Web page on the desktops of selected students, select their name in the students list. 3. Click Send Web or select Actions > Send Web. The Internet Share Web Address dialog box appears. 4. Enter the Web page s URL. NOTE: You can only send one web page at a time. However, you can send web pages in rapidfire succession and Internet Explorer (version 7 or later) should open a new tab for each page you send. 5. Click Send WWW. Internet Explorer starts and opens the Web page on both your desktop and the desktops of the selected students. 33

34 Launching a Web Page Directly from Internet Explorer Using this method, you automatically display the Web page on the desktops of all your students. You can t display it solely for a group or individual students. 1. Open Internet Explorer. 2. Browse to the Web page that you want to display to your students. 3. If you do not see the Send to Students button near the top of the Internet Explorer window, select View > Toolbar > SMART Sync to display the SMART Sync toolbar. 4. Click the Send to Students button. 34

35 SMART Sync 2009 Communicating and Voting Writing on a Student s Desktop Sending Announcements Conduct a Vote 35

36 Communicating via SMART Sync SMART Sync makes it easy for you to communicate with your students. Whether you need to communicate with the entire class, a group or an individual student, you can use a variety of methods: Write notes over a student s desktop Sending announcements View and respond to a student s questions (discussed in the Advanced User Guide) Chat with students (discussed in the Advanced User Guide) Writing on a Student s Desktop If you re monitoring a student or controlling a student s desktop, you can write over that student s desktop. Your notes are visible only on that student s desktop. The digital ink is temporary and the underlying application is unaffected by your notes. If you want to save your notes, capture the screen before you clear the digital ink. 1. Click Pen on the Student s Desktop toolbar. 2. Click and drag your mouse across your desktop to write in digital ink, or use your Interwrite Pad, Mobi or interactive whiteboard pen. 3. When you finish writing, click Select on the Student s Desktop toolbar. When you click Select, your notes disappear. Sending Announcements You can send an announcement to your whole class or if you want to send a message to only a few select students, you can send an announcement which is only visible to the selected students. 1. If you want to send an announcement to all of your students, click the All Computers or All Students tab. If you want to send an announcement to a group, click the group s tab. If you want to send an announcement to selected students, select their names in the students list. 2. Click Announce or select Actions > Announce. The Announce dialog box appears. 3. Type a message in the Announcement box at the bottom of the dialog box, and then click OK. Your message appears on the students screens. The students click OK to close the message. 36

37 Voting via SMART Sync You can send a Yes/No question to your class or a group for the students to vote on. SMART Sync automatically tallies the responses and displays the results at the bottom of the window. Please note, SMART Sync does not retain a permanent record of the results, nor does it allow for write-in answers. Conducting a Vote 1. If you want to conduct a poll of all of your students, click the All Computers or All Students tab. If you want to conduct a poll of a group of students, click the group s tab. 2. Click Vote or select Actions > Vote. The Vote dialog box appears. 3. Type the question. The question must be able to be answered as Yes or No. 4. Click OK. On each student s computer, a Quick Response for Vote dialog box appears. Students select Yes or No, and then click Submit. On your desktop, a response symbol appears over each thumbnail in the Thumbnails view. The three response symbols are as follows: Student has yet to respond Student voted Yes Student voted No A response symbol also appears beside each student s name in the Students list. The three response symbols are as follows: Student has yet to respond Student voted Yes Student voted No The result of the vote appears at the bottom of the SMART Sync interface. To clear the responses, click Vote or select Actions > Vote, and then click Yes. 37