Schoolwires Manual For Department Web Editors Georgetown ISD

Transcription

1 Scho oolwires Manual For Department Web Editors Georgetown ISD

2 Schoolwires Manual for Department Web Editors Table of Contents I. District Web Publishing Guidelines for Departments Site Administration & Technical Support Content Requirements Style & Template Requirements Student Safeguards II. III. IV. Schoolwires Overview & Terminology Sites, Channels, Sections, Pages & Apps Shared Content Site Manager Login Section Workspace Overview Managing Content Through Apps Navigating Between Apps & Pages App Names Using the Flex Editor App Using the File Library App Using the Minibase App (Staff Directory) Adding Apps to a Page Managing Pages & Files Creating a New Page Sorting Pages Nesting Pages Page Display Duration Mapping a Page to a Website Link Copying Pages Moving Pages Deleting Pages & Recycle Bin Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 1

3 I. District Web Publishing Guidelines for Departments The complete district web publishing guidelines can be found on the technology department website. The following are some guidelines that apply to department web editors. Site Administration & Technical Support The Georgetown ISD district website is a collaborative effort. With the implementation of Schoolwires, departments will now have a more direct role in that collaboration. All district-level departments, programs, and services must be represented on the official GISD website. District departments and programs are responsible for designating a contact person in their department or program who will maintain the section of the district website. The department web contact is responsible for ensuring that the section is updated on a regular basis and adheres to district web publishing guidelines & requirements. Department web editors work under the direction and supervision of the School/Community Relations office and are supported by the Technology Department. Content Requirements Required Content Departments are required to maintain the following content on their section of the district website: Standard department overview page containing contact information for the department Staff directory with names, official titles, addresses & phone numbers for all staff members in the department Frequently used forms, files, or reports used by the staff or general public Any content required by local, state, or federal requirements Subject Matter All subject matter on web pages must relate to the mission and objectives of the GISD web site. Staff or student work may only be published if it relates to these objectives. Personal web pages (i.e. pages primarily devoted to a staff member or student s non-educational interests, activities, etc.) are not permitted and should not be posted on District web servers. In addition, the following types of material are specifically prohibited on any GISD web page: Commercial or advertising material, with the exception of lists of sponsors or fundraising efforts that support schools, or other material specifically approved by the Superintendent. Political material, unless related to student body campaigns, bond elections, or school board elections. Content or links to inappropriate material, including obscene or explicit materials, or material that is disparaging of others that may create a hostile work or educational environment based on race, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion or political beliefs. Content or links to unlawful or unethical material. Content Quality Web publishers are responsible for ensuring the quality and accuracy of their work before publishing it on a district server. All web pages must be free of spelling and grammatical errors. In addition, web publishers must ensure that their web sites are updated regularly. Routine maintenance includes: Timely updating of information Removal of outdated or inaccurate pages Periodic checks of external links Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 2

4 Pages should be previewed and tested BEFORE they are published. In addition, pages and links to pages under construction should not be posted until the content or page is completed. Copyright Issues Electronic transmission of materials is a form of copying. No unlawful copies of copyrighted materials may be knowingly produced or transmitted via the District s equipment, including its Web servers. Web publishers must observe copyright and trademark law when using the work of others, including text, graphics, sound, and video. Copyrighted materials may not be used on web pages without the written permission of the copyright holder. Graphics obtained from other web pages without the permission of the owner are specifically forbidden. Web publishers should assume that all work by others is copyrighted and protected by law, even if it is not labeled as such. Style & Template Requirements Standard templates, font types, colors, and sizes have been established for all district & campus websites to ensure consistency throughout the website. Web editors should ensure that their section of the website adheres to the standard templates and style of the designated campus or district site and is professional in appearance. In addition: District department & program websites are required to use the official GISD district web template and logo. Consistent fonts, font sizes, and colors should be used throughout the district & campus websites. In order to ensure consistency, font sizes and colors for heading & default text are specified in the template and restrictions on use of fonts & colors will be set at the section level. Section editors should use the default/normal font for text and ensure that text copied into the website matches the default. Photos, graphics, and clip art should be professional in nature and adhere to copyright restrictions as outlined in this policy. Maximum image sizes will be set at the district level on graphics uploaded to the district web server. Web publishers should ensure the ability of visitors to easily access content by using images sparingly to ensure pages load quickly. Scrolling, blinking, or flashing text or marquees and animated graphics should not be used on GISD web pages. Student Safeguards To protect the privacy and safety of GISD students, personal information about students such as student birthdates, addresses, schedules, home addresses, or phone numbers may not be published on any GISD web page or approved web service under any circumstance. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 3

5 The following student information may be posted on official GISD web pages or GISD approved web services, with parent permission required as indicated in the chart below. Category Description Parent Permission Required Student Names First Name or Initials Only No Student Work Student Photos, Audio & Video Full Name Posted with first name or initials only Posted with student s full name Large group photos or audio/video recordings such as performances, athletic events, or other public events Individual or small group photos or audio/video recordings of students, with or without student names Yes No Yes No Yes Web publishers wishing to post student information requiring parental permission must verify in the student information system that permission has been given on the student registration form or maintain a copy of the parent s written permission provided at the time of posting using official GISD release forms. Parent permission is automatically implied when a parent provides the photo, project, or audio/video via or other submission, such as in response to a request for first day of school photos. A parent s verbal or written request to remove a student photo or name from a website should be complied with as soon as possible. The parent who wishes to revoke name or photo release permission should also indicate this on the student registration form release section and the change should be documented in the student information system. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 4

6 II. Schoolwires Overview & Terminology Schoolwires is a remotely-hosted content management system that allows all editing to be done online in your browser from any location, without the need for special software. If you have been assigned rights to edit a section of the department website, you can access it from any computer with Internet access. Sites, Channels, Sections, Pages & Apps The following are some commonly used Schoolwires terms and an explanation of how they relate to the district website. Sites & Subsites The Georgetown ISD website is a site, and all campuses are subsites of the district website. They share security, templates, and other features, such as a web address. Channels In Schoolwires, the primary navigation categories of any site or subsite are known as channels. If Schoolwires were a library, the channels would be like book titles on a shelf. Channels can only contain a home page and a calendar. All other content must be contained within a section of the channel. This is similar to how books usually only have a title page and table of contents, and all other pages are contained within a chapter. Channels Sections Sections are containers used to group together one or more pages (like the chapters in a book). By default, each new section added to a channel will automatically show up in the channel drop-down. Each district department or program has a section of the district website to maintain. For this reason, department web editors are also known as section editors in Schoolwires terminology. Sections You can have up to fifteen sections in a channel before the drop-down menu then becomes a directory page instead. The Department & Programs channel is an example of this there is no drop-down menu because there are more than 15 sections. We are limited to 100 sections per site and subsite, so careful planning is necessary to ensure that all section editors can access their own sections, especially at the campus level where multiple teachers & programs may need sections. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 5

7 Pages Pages are also containers within a section but they are used to contain one or more types of content, which are called apps in Schoolwires, depending on what type of content they contain. The names of pages provide the navigation listing within a section. Pages Apps Last but not least, apps are the final building block in Schoolwires, and they are containers for the actual content on a page. You can have one or more apps on a page, depending on what type of content you will be maintaining on that page. The most commonly used department app types are: Flex Editor App text editor like Microsoft Word can be used to contain text, images, etc. File Library App used to contain lists of uploaded files Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 6

8 Minibase App contains lists of records, like a database table. All department staff directories are minibases Additonal App Types are listed below: o Link Library o Photo Gallery o Map & Directions o Blog o Discussion Board o Article Library o Announcements o Headlines & Features o Upcoming Events o Calendar o Assignments o Podcast Shared Content Any content stored in an app can be shared, and when it is shared it can be added to more than one page. Because departments maintain content within their department sections that may need to also be posted in other areas of the site or campus websites, most departments will have at least one shared piece of content or app. Example of shared content: Facilities Rental Information The Business Office has a page for Facilities Rental information. The Fine Arts department and Athletics department also maintain information on facilities rental specific to their departments. So their information is posted on their own department pages and SHARED on the Business Office page. When they update their information, it is also updated on the Business Office website. Athletics Facilities Rental page Fine Arts Facilities Rental page Business Office Facilities Rental page Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 7

9 Site Manager Login To begin managing your section(s) of the district website, you will need a login assigned by the district technology department, and security access granted to your section. Each department will designate one or more section editors, and only those designated contacts will have access to edit the site. To login to Schoolwires, click on the Sign In button located at the top of any district web page. The login screen will appear. Use the user name & password you were assigned by technology and click Sign In. After you sign in, you will still be viewing whatever page of the district website you were on. You must now click on the Site Manager button that appears after you login to begin editing. It is located at the top left corner of the screen by the search box. Navigation in Site Manager After you click on the Site Manager button, you will be viewing the Section Editor workspace. This screen displays the names of all the pages in your section, a summary of visitor traffic statistics, and more. You can click on any page name to begin editing a page. Use the View Website button at the top of the screen to preview your changes, and use the Sign Out button in the top left corner when you are done. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 8

10 III. Managing Page Content through Apps Apps are containers for different types of content. They are placed on a page. Each page can have one or more apps depending on what type of content is needed on that page. If a page has only ONE app on it, when you click on the page name you will go directly into the app editor window. If a page has two or more apps on it (usually the case for the department overview page), then you will first be asked to select the app you want to edit. Apps on existing department web pages should have a name as shown below (Business Office Overview) and a description of the type of app (Flex Editor App). You can click on either box to begin editing that type of content. Navigating Between Apps and Pages After you click on one of the gray boxes that indicates an app on a page (or if you have clicked on a page that contains only one app), you will be in the app editor. To return to the page level, use the navigation links at the top of the editor window. BE SURE YOU SAVE YOUR CHANGES FIRST! Clicking on the Page Name will return you to the page information, where you can then edit another app on the page or use the preview button. Clicking on the Home icon will return you to the list of all your pages. (NOTE: you can also click on the Summary tab to return to the list). App Names Most apps on department web pages have been given custom names, such as Business Office Overview. These appear as headers on the page. To modify these headers in any app, use the Options button in an app. The options window will open and you can update the app name, and also the header displayed on the page. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 9

11 Using the Flex Editor App The Schoolwires Flex Editor app works like a word processing tool. When you open a content area that is contained in a flex editor, you will see the flex editor toolbar and a page area that you can type into and insert images, links, etc. You can type directly into the white area and use the toolbar buttons like you would in Word to align, indent, or add bold, italic, or underline text. Note that due to formatting restrictions there are no font choices or font color menus on department web sections. This is because all department web pages inherit the standard fonts and font colors set at the template level. Pasting Text into the Flex Editor When you are inserting content from a Word or other document, please be sure to paste it in using the Paste Plain Text button. This clears any Word-specific formatting so that the text matches the rest of the website. The Paste plain text button is a clipboard icon immediately to the left of the green arrows in the toolbar. Linking to Another GISD Web Page To create a link to another GISD district or school web page, first highlight the word or phrase you want to turn into a link (i.e. District Calendar), then choose the Insert Link button that looks like a little chain in the toolbar. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 10

12 The Insert Link window will open. You should see Your Site listed on the left. Use the drop-down menus to select the Site (Georgetown Indendent School District), the Channel (District Information), the Section (Calendars) and the page (District Academic Calendar). Then click Insert Link and your link will be created. Linking to an External Website When you need to create a hyperlink to an external website or page, first go to the website in Internet Explorer. You will need to copy the web address as shown in the top bar by right-clicking on it and choosing Copy. Next, return to your Schoolwires flex editor window. Highlight the word or phrase you want to turn into a hyperlink to this external website (example: TEA website), and choose the Edit Link Properties button that looks like a chain with a pencil on top. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 11

13 The Edit Link properties window will open. In this window, right click in the top box labeled Url and choose Paste. Some other options you can set in this window are whether the page opens in a new window. To choose this, set the Target drop-down to New Window. Then click OK and your link will be created. Linking to an Address To create an address link that will automatically insert the address into a person s mail program when clicked, just type the address correctly into the Flex Editor (example: lastnamea@georgetownisd.org) and click Enter. The address will be hyperlinked automatically. Linking to a File or Document If you have many documents or files you need to create links for, the File Library app is by far the best option for creating those links. However, you may sometimes need to link to an individual document within a flex editor. Insert your cursor in the flex editor where you want the file to be linked, and then click the File button on the toolbar that looks like a paper clip. The Insert File window will appear. You can then click the Browse button to find the file on your computer. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 12

14 Click Continue after you have located the file you want to upload. You will then see a window where you need to type the Link Text (words to describe the file). Set the Target drop-down to Open link in a new window, then click Insert File. Your file will be uploaded and linked to the web page. NOTE: Documents meant for external web visitors should be Adobe PDF files and not proprietary formats such as Microsoft Word, Excel, or Powerpoint, because not all visitors will have these programs available. Contact technology if you do not know how to create a PDF file from an Office document. Inserting a Table When possible, tables should be avoided in Schoolwires. They can be difficult to manage. However, if you do need to insert a table, you can do so by using the Insert table button. When you click on the Insert table button, you ll be asked to select the number of rows and columns needed by highlighting them on the grid that appears. The table selected will then appear in the Flex Editor. You can type into the cells as needed. To change table properties, or insert additional rows or columns, rightclick anywhere on the table and the following menu will appear: Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 13

15 Additional table properties can be found under Properties. Inserting an Image To insert an image (either picture or clip art) into your web page, first please verify that the image is free of copyright restrictions, does not violate student safeguards as outlined in district web policy, and that it is professional in nature. Insert your cursor in the place where you want the image to be inserted, and click the Image button in the toolbar. Next, choose the image type you want to insert. You may choose between pictures you have previously uploaded, the Schoolwires clip art gallery (not recommended), or a picture or image on your desktop. If uploading an image, the following steps apply. Use the browse button to select the image. Select the image size and click Continue. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 14

16 On the next screen, enter the Alternative Text (this is a description of your picture that will be displayed for visitors if they cannot see images), and select alignment and border options. Then click Insert Image. After a picture is inserted, you will notice that it appears to be directly next to the text around it. To add spacing, double-click on the image. The Image properties window will open. In this window, enter a 5 for Horizontal and Vertical Spacing, and additional spacing will then appear around the image. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 15

17 The image with spacing will appear like this: Spell-Checking Your Flex Editor Content Use the spellchecker to verify your flex editor content is error-free. The SpellChecker will run through your document, highlight each work it is checking in red. Choose Ignore or Change to and select the correct spelling from the list, or manually type in your corrections. Click Finish Checking when done. NOTE: Schoolwires will not automatically underline your typos like Word! Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 16

18 Using the File Library App File library apps can be used to upload groups of documents or files. They are highly recommended for this purpose, although you can also upload using the flex editor app. When you click on a content area that is contained within a file library app, you will see the following screen. Adding a File To add a file to a file library, click the New File button. The File window will open. Type in the File title, a description, and use the Select File button to upload the file. After you see the file name listed under Uploaded File, click the Save button (if you click Save before the file name appears, the document will not be attached!) Editing a File To edit an existing file, you can click on the Edit button in the file list. If the file has been updated, choose the Select File button to replace it with a newer version from your computer. You can also edit title or description. Activating/Inactivating Files If you need to temporarily remove a file so that it does not display for website visitors, but you do not wish to delete it because it may be used again, use the Activate on my Page check box on the file edit window. When you uncheck this box, the file disappears from the public website but can still be viewed in the file library when you are in Site Manager. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 17

19 Deleting a File Use the Delete button in the File Library to delete a file you no longer need completely. Setting File Display Durations You can assign files to display only during certain date ranges. For example, if you have a file library that contains files that will no longer be valid after a certain date, or if you have a file that can only be posted starting on a certain date, you can upload the file and use the Display Duration tab to set those dates. You will always be able to see the file when using Site Manager, but website visitors will only see it during the date range you set. Access the Display Duration for a file by using the Edit button on an existing file and choosing the Display Duration tab, or select this tab when adding a new file. Sorting Files Use the Sort Files button to sort your file library files. You can drag a file up or down in the list as needed, or use the Sort A-Z button to sort them all alphabetically. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 18

20 Using the Minibase App (Staff Directories) The minibase app is used to manage department staff directories. ALL department staff directories are SHARED with the main district staff directory page, so that they can be viewed on both your department website and on the main directory listing page. Please be sure to keep phone number formatting consistent for this reason. Also, please note that official titles may cause word-wrapping in the directory, so abbreviations may need to be used. To maintain your staff directory, in the minibase app, click on any record to edit it. It is recommended that as staff come and go you edit the existing record rather than add a new one. This is because the staff directory cannot be sorted but appears in the order shown on the screen. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 19

21 Adding & Using Other Apps on a Page You can add file libraries or other apps to any page when you need them. You may also find other apps useful in managing your department website. Some of these additional apps include Headlines & Features, Upcoming Events, Photo Gallery, Article Library, Link Library. To add one of these apps to an existing page, make sure you are on the page level and not in an app. On this level, you can use the Manage Apps & Layout button to select an additional app to display on your page. The Manage Apps & Layout button will open the page editing buttons as shown below. Choose Add App to add an additional app to a page and you will be given a menu of choices to select from. After you ve added your app, you can sort the apps as needed by dragging and dropping them in the order you want them to appear. Click I m Done and you can then open the new app and begin editing or working in it. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 20

22 IV. Managing Pages & Files Within the Section Workspace, you can view your pages and files. To navigate to the Section Workspace when you have been working in a page, just click the Summary tab at the top of the screen. The following are some commonly used options and tools for managing your pages & files. Creating a New Page To create a new page, click on the New Page button that appears at the top of the page listing for your section. You will see a list of available page types. These are all pages with a single app or content type on them (although you can later add others to the page). Select the app type you will be using (such as Flex Page for a flex editor page, or File Library for a file library page). Next, you will be asked for a Page Name. Enter the page name and click Save. NOTE: THIS ONLY displays in the navigation, it does NOT add a title to the page itself. You will have to do that in a later step. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 21

23 The page will be added to your list of pages both in the Section Workspace and in the live website navigation. NOTE: It is good web publishing practice to HIDE your incomplete or in-progress pages while you are working on them. To hide your new page from website visitors until you are ready to publish it, click on the Actions drop-down button next to the page name and choose Set Options. The Page Options window will appear. In this window, check the box next to Hide this page in website navigation and click Save. You will then see the page slightly grayed out in the page list. You can edit it as needed and then return to Set Options and uncheck the hide option when you are ready for others to view it. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 22

24 Sorting Pages By default, any page you have newly added to a section will display at the bottom of the section page listing, both in the section workspace and in the public website. To sort your pages differently, click on the Organizee Pages button at the top of the page listing. The Organize pages window will appear. To move a page up or down, grab the page with your mouse by clicking in the areaa of the Page Name and drag it up or down until a green line appears, then drop it in that location. Then click Save. Your new sort order will be saved. Nesting Pages If you would like to organize your pages so that some are categorized under others, you can nest your pages by using the Organize pages button. Instead of dragging a page until a green line appears, drag it UNDERR another page until a plus sign appears and drop it. This will nest your pages under the other pages. A page with other pages nested under it will appear with a plus sign next to it in the website navigation. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 233

25 Visitors can click on the plus sign to see the nested pages. OR, optionally, you can have the nested pages automatically display in the navigation. To set this option, click on Actions > Set Options on the top level page (in this example, Benefits), and check the option to ALWAYS SHOW PAGES NESTED UNDER THIS PAGE. Page Display Duration If you have a page that is displayed only temporarily on your website (for example, a back to school information page), or you have a page that you want to publish automatically on a certain date, you can set the display duration of the page to show or hide the page on specific dates. You will still see the page in your site workspace regardless of the date, but website visitors will only see it during the date range(s) you specify. (NOTE: Apps also have the ability to set display durations). To set the display duration for a page, click on Actions > Set Options. Then click on the Display Duration tab. If you want the page to display immediately but disappear on a certain date, leave the start date blank and enter an end date. If you want the page NOT to display immediately but automatically appear on a certain date, enter a start date. You can also specify BOTH a start and end date. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 24

26 Mapping a Page Link to Another Website or Page You may have a situation where you need to link to another district web page or an external website (ex. Texas Education Agency) and you need to include the link in your side navigation. In general, it is good practice NOT to include external web links in your section navigation, but if you do require one, you can create a blank flex page, and then choose Actions > Set Options. In the Map Page to Web Address box, you can paste the full web address of the page to which you want to map visitors. Copying Pages To copy a page, click on Actions > Copy Page. Your page will then be copied in your section workspace with the title Original Page Name Copy. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 25

27 Moving Pages You can MOVE pages to another section of the website if you have access to more than one section by using Action > Move Page. You ll be asked where the page should be placed in the website. NOTE: This only applies to editors who manage more than one section. See the section on Sorting to change the order of your pages. Deleting Pages & Recycle Bin To delete a page, click on Actions > Delete Page. Your page is then moved to the Recycle Bin. To retrieve it, click on the Recycle Bin button at the top of the page listing. The pages that have been deleted from your section will be displayed, along with the date, time, and person who deleted them. You can then Restore or permanently Delete the page by using the buttons shown. Georgetown ISD Schoolwires Manual for Department Editors 26