Part of the BrainCogs Cognitive Strategy System Installation Guide
The Essay Express Team * * * * * * * * * * This interactive CD-ROM was developed by The Institute for Learning and Development/ResearchILD and FableVision, Inc. The FableVision Team: Peter H. Reynolds Karen Bresnahan Noah Jones Kelly Fischbach Toby A. Smith Matt Smith John Lechner Andy LaMora The Institute for Learning and Development Team: Project Directors: Lynn Meltzer, Ph.D. and Bethany Roditi, Ph.D. Project Coordinator: Susan Taber, M.Ed. Leta Kniffin, M.Ed. Judith Stein, Ph.D. Joan Steinberg, M.Ed. Kathleen Boyle Caron, Ed.M. Irene Papadopoulos, M.A. Keith Lindenboom Keiko Satoh Tony Lechner Aziza Mercher Dawn Haley Jane Reynolds Gary Goldberger Paul Reynolds The Star Schools Team: Bill Norris Nichole Downes Michele Bouchard Kalyani Krishnan, M.Ed. Laura Sales Pollica, M.A. Cynthia Kingsford, Ed.M. Wendy Stacey, M.Ed. Dana Lorway, Ed.D. Voices: Maya Parra (Narrator) Jack Clancy (Narrator) Gareth Reynolds (Samson, Pax) Vincent Siders (Emale) Wendisue Hall (Inez) Joy Lamberton (Keisha) Funded in part by USDOE Star Schools, Grant #R23A700004 Transitions Through Telecommunications Copyright 2005 FableVision.All rights reserved. Essay Express is a Trademark of FableVision, Inc., and part of the BrainCogs Cognitive Strategy System
Essay Express Installation & Networking Guide * * * CONTENTS Welcome..................................1 Technical Specifications.......................2 Getting Started For Educators: Easy Steps to Installation...................3 Getting Started For Students..................6 Behind The Scenes: Administration Tool......................8 Please note: the Essay Express Educator s Guide can be found in your Essay Express folder as a PDF document, once you install the program. If you prefer a hard copy of the guide, it is available for purchase. Visit us online at www.fablevision.com/shoppe for more information
Welcome to Essay Express Essay Express is the newest member of the BrainCogs Cognitive Strategy System. Like BrainCogs, its companion product from Emmy Award Winning FableVision Studios and the Institute for Learning and Development, Essay Express is the very best mix of great research, media, storytelling, and technology. In this highly engaging, musical, and animated software, students learn a range of strategies for successful essay writing. Using the BrainCogs approach, the program helps students to understand the rubrics of the simple essay. Essay Express teaches specific skills that allow students to write what they are thinking and to understand the complexity of essay questions. This easy to use program enlightens students to the power of expression through story, humor, music, and interactive activities. This Installation Guide provides information regarding installation on your computer or network. It also explains how to use the Essay Express Administration Tool for assessing student progress and customizing essay questions for your individual students and/or classrooms. Essay Express truly is the gateway to the Power of Expression for you and your students! 1
Operating System Chip TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS PC Windows 98, 2000, Me, XP Pentium II 300Mhz or higher Mac Mac OS 9.2.2, Mac OS X 10.1.5, 10.2.8, 10.3.9 or later, including 10.4 Tiger 233 MHz G3 chip (imac, G3 desktop, G3 Powerbook) or higher RAM 128 MB RAM 128 MB RAM For Mac OS 9.2.2 64 MB RAM Hard Drive 640 MB free space 640 MB free space Display (color & resolution) High Color at 800x600 Thousands of Colors at 800x600 Audio 16 Bit Sound blaster compatible sound card. Standard audio Software QuickTime 6.03 QuickTime 6.03 For Mac OS 9.2.2 CarbonLib v.1.4 Server Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server, Mac OS X Server 10.2.8, Mac OS X Server 10.3.9, Mac OS X Server 10.4.x 2
Getting Started: For Educators Installation 1. If the CD does not auto-run, then locate and open the Essay Express CD files. Inside you will find the Essay Express installer. 2. Click on the Essay Express Installer Icon: a) If installing on student computers only, with no Administration Tool access needed, select the TYPICAL (PC) or EASY (Mac) install. b) If installing on computers for all users (students and educators), select the CUSTOM install. Select Administration Tool. If you are using Essay Express on a Network, also select Server Setup Utility*. The software will then install the necessary files on the computer. Please do not rename or move these files. 3. The installation has now created the following Essay Express (EE) Icons on the desktop of your computer: a) student computers only green EE icon (program) b) educator & students green EE icon (program), purple EE icon (Administration Tool) c) educator & students - Network - green EE icon (program), purple EE icon (Administration Tool), blue EE icon (Server Setup Utility). If the icons do not appear, open your applications/programs folder and look for FableVision folder and the Essay Express application folder, all the necessary folders are located here. * After install set up, see instructions for Network Version Server Installation on next page. 3
4. Open your applications/programs folder and look for FableVision folder and the Essay Express application folder and open the Educator's Guide. This guide contains lesson extension activities that are necessary to experience the full benefits and activities within the program. Please print the Educator's Guide. If you do not have access to a printer, you can purchase a soft cover version of the guide from FableVision. Visit www.fablevision.com/shoppe for more information and prices. 5. It is recommended that you log in as a sample student and go through the Essay Express student program first so that you better understand the activities. 6. After exploring the software, read the Educator's Guide, and explore the Administration Tool and Notebook functions. Once these steps are taken you will be able to make the most of your new Essay Express experience! Network Installation (For Network Version Only) Follow instructions for Stand Alone Version Installation on previous page. Then do the following: 1. Check that you are connected to the network. 2. Open the Essay Express application folder and then click on the Server Setup Utility. You will be directed to a Server Setup Utility screen. Make sure your system is setup to connect with a server. 3. Once connected to the server, click 'Begin' in the bottom left of the setup screen to begin the server setup. 4
4. The Step 1 screen will direct you to connect to the server. Make sure this is done, and click Continue. 5. On the Step 2 screen click Select Folder to select the destination folder on your server for the setup files.you will be directed to choose a folder. Select the folder where you want to install your Essay Express Database and click Choose. 6. On the Step 3 screen click 'Install Files and Folders' and the setup folders will install onto the chosen folder in your server. Once everything has installed correctly, click Exit to quit the server setup program. 7. Launch Essay Express with either a serial number or for a 30 day trial. 8. On the Welcome screen, click on the icon showing three computers. 9. In the Open dialog box navigate to the file server.key located in the Essay Express Server folder that was installed in the folder you chose as a setup location on the server. 10. Click Open to open the file. 11. Click the 'Save Settings and Begin' button to run the application.the screen will show as connecting to the server, and will then direct you to continue onward after Essay Express has connected to the server. Once installed as a network version, the program will automatically launch using the network. 5
Getting Started: For Your Students Using The Software Step 1: The program begins with a Log-In screen. Students will need to enter their full name and create a password. Student data can be recorded and stored on the hard drive of the computer or on your school s server. Step 2: Immediately after logging in, students will see an animated movie introducing the program. This movie provides an overview of the objectives and concepts of Essay Express. Then on the main screen (shown here), click on The Rock Band Challenge to introduce the students to a five-member band,the Rotten Green Peppers, who will guide them through the software. 6
Step 3: After seeing the Rotten Green Peppers movie, students should click on the word Before written on the main screen. Students are then presented with four strategies for learning what to do before writing an essay. Click on one of those strategies and begin. Step 4: When all four strategies are completed, go back to the main screen and complete the activities under During and After. Students can use the SNAPSHOT button on the main menu screen to see their progress. Students can either navigate to new sections using main menus, or use SNAP- SHOT as a hyperlink or organizer to explore the strategies. For additional strategies, be sure to visit the Extras section, found on the main menu. 7
Behind the Scenes: Administration Tool Note: In order for students names to be listed in the Administration Tool, each student must Log In to Essay Express with his/her first and last name. Step 1: Click on the purple EE icon to enter Administration Tool. Step 2: For your first Log In, click on New Teacher Account and the program will take you to Teacher Log In Step 3: Teachers must enter a classroom name, user name, password, and full name.the classroom name will be used by students to identify the correct notebook question sets, so you might use something like Mrs. Smith s Language Arts. 8
Step 4. What can you do with the Administration Tool? See Student Information such as password, progress, scoring, and notebook answers Create question sets for students to answer Create Class to assign questions to multiple students Step 5: See Student Information By clicking on a name from the students list, you can view the student s password, and click on any of the buttons to the right to see information about that student. The information includes progress for sections of the program that have been completed, results on the scoring of each activity, and essay answers. You ll be able to print the students results, as well as the essay answers. 9
ALL teachers have access to information for ALL students, EXCEPT essay answers.you can only view essay answers from students who have chosen a set created by you. Step 6: Create Questions Each teacher can create several sets of questions for students to answer and practice their essay writing skills. Be sure to enter a unique name for each set, so it is obvious to your students which set they should select. I.E. Mrs. Smith s 4th Period. Once you have created a name for a question set, the next step is to write individual questions for students to answer. Essay Express allows you to create one question for each strategy.the students will be able to access one question at the end of every strategy section under the Notebook Icon, for a total of nine questions.this way Essay Express allows you to customize what the students are learning in the CD to your specific lesson plans. ***Note: Be sure to hit save each time you add a new question! 10
To create a new set of questions or edit a question set, click on the set name in the Question Set Field, and click Edit. Once you have created the set of questions, you can assign it to one or more students by clicking the Assign to Students or the Assign to Class button. Click on each strategy in the left hand box and create a question for that strategy. Step 7: Create Class Teachers can create as many different classes by selecting students names from the Student Pool Box and moving them using the arrow keys into the Students In Class Box. 11
* * * * * If you have further questions, be sure to consult the Educator s Guide, which is installed onto your computer when you install the program. For technical support, call FableVision at 888-240-3734, between 9 AM and 6 PM (EST). Or send an email to shoppe@fablevision.com, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Be sure to visit our website for further tips and strategies for using Essay Express: www.fablevision.com/essayexpress * * * * *