Building
Learners
Project

Over the summer, we created a powerful new set of tools for managing student and school accounts. You can access them by clicking on the “Userlist” button in the workBench, or by going to http:tf.trintuition.com/mypage and logging in. Even if you haven’t added students, you can see the data for your own account. In additing to being able to see, sort, and edit all kinds of information, the new tools enable you to access and open all student projects.

On the TR blog, there’s a new post about workBench projects as reading lists, logs, and reviews ( http://blog.trintuition.com/?p=143 ). If you’re interested in trying out one of the options, mention it in a comment or post here, and we’ll give you more details and any support you need.

To make getting started with the workBench as easy as possible, we’ve begun creating video tutorials. Nothing quite matches actualy seeing something done. It’s a new initiative for us, so we would appreciate any comments you might have about what’s helpful in the videos and what mght be improved.

If you have a moment, take a look at several. They’re at the top of the Canvas Tutorial menu page  ( http:www.trintuition.com/tutorial/tools ).  By Wednesday (10/8), we should have two more videos up about linking.

I was finally able to get my students signed up, and they had a great time experimenting with how they could create a page! Now we need to get serious, but I think I did not really understand how this will work.

My original plan was this: I set up a site with a blank page for each student, thinking they could each create their own page. But when I shared the site I realized they could not edit my site, and if they put it into their own resources (so they had a copy), they would each be editing a separate copy and everything would not be in one place.

So if I understood what I read in the help, they each need to create their own project, send me the link to it, and I set the links in my project to connect with their work. Is this correct? Or is there a better way to do this? I’d hate to get too far into the process before I find out I’m on the wrong track!

Thanks for any help you can give. It’s taking a while, but I’m still hopeful I’ll get this figured out!
Jane

I received this email and am sharing the exchange for the benefit of all:

Candace, I don’t know how it happened but I lost all my bookmarks and history…i am sure i will fix it, but I also can’t seem to get into either of my sites I made here. Can you help? http://tf.trintuition.com/slafaso/wes  is my computer lab page http://tf.trintuition.com/slafaso/gifted  is my Gifted and Talented website… and I want to share them with my students asap.  also, i couldn’t log into the whole site…said it didn’t recognize my name????

 My response: 

Do not panic. I think this is a combination of errors. I believe the address for your gifted page as you shared it on the blog ishttp://tf.trintuition.com/slafaso/GATEIt is working. I would double check that you are accessing trintuition from the special TF address  they set up for this project (linked from the sidebar of  the BLP blog for your convenience—click on “Launch the workbench” at the right or bookmark this link: http://tf.trintuition.com/

I suspect that you were trying to log into TRintuition with the www address (which would not “know” you). If you log into the workbench from the link above/at the right of the BLP blog, you can check on the URL for your computer lab again. I suspect that your recollection of the URl may be slightly off. 

FYI to ALL: We tried to make this blog your entry point for everything you do so you will see any new messages as you “pass through.” The link to the workBench from here is a special area of the workBench specifically for this project! NO www.

Candy

I am new to this project and need to get started.  I would really like to print out the step by step instructions in your tutorial.  Is there a way to do this?

Thank you

KH 

I just tried to have a class sign up so they could begin working on pages for our project, but when I click on “Have your students join you”, or when we go to trintuition.com/apply all we get is a message that says “oops . . . Sorry. There is no such group.” I guess I missed something in how to get students involved. I would appreciate any help you can give, as the students were all excited to get started and very disappointed when things didn’t work. Thank you.

I have started building my project called Project Pumpkin Power.  I want to add a data page that each of the 5 classes can add their data.  Can I add a table?�

I just read and approved a new application for this project, and it pointed out something all of us should “talk up” as we tell folks around our schools what BLP is doing. One very helpful feature of this project is the SAFETY of it. Since the workBench is designed for education and TeachersFirst is a non-profit here to help teachers, we are able to offer this collaboration without interference or concerns about “bad guys.” You are free from concerns about filtering in your school blocking the tools or violating policy by using student email access. And you will always know what students are doing (and WHICH student did what).

In researching for our recent article on web filtering (also created using the workBench- check it out as an example!), TeachersFirst’s editorial staff confirmed what we knew to be true: many schools simply do not allow access to some very powerful online tools. They are not being cruel (though the results may seem that way). They are simply interpreting laws and local concerns very protectively. There are varied philosophies about how to handle web safety concerns, and many U.S. schools come down on the more conservative side. In five years, who knows…

So it is gratifying for TeachersFirst to be involved with a positive group of teachers who do not need to worry, even under the most restrictive policies. So welcome to all of you…we truly are glad to see you here! Check out the project members page to see who else is among us.

I went as far as I could until school starts with my first website for my Gifted and Talented Classes website so I began a second one. This is for the kindergarten to third grade computer classes I teach. I hope to communicate with the parents and let the kids show off their work.

On each grade level page I put a link to website games that they may use in class if they finish early and at home.

I put the links in a word document but I don’t seem to be able to make a link to it.

Any advice?

Thanks, Susan

I have just posted a comment to a frustrated member of our project who cannot receive our emails. If you have not received your confirmation email with log-in information and/or a recent (Aug 4) mass email to project members, please check to be sure YOU have taken these steps to allow email through:

1. Check your OWN email “Junk Mail” or “SPAM” folders for mail from any of the following and tell your email program to “trust” these addresses:

cshively(at)sflinc.org
accounts(at)trintuition.com
wordpress(at)blog.teachersfirst.com
servers(at)teachersfirst.com

Note that the (at) is printed here instead of @ so bad web spiders do not find our addresses and spam them! The addresses SHOULD really have the @ symbol!

2. Turn this same list of addresses into your tech administrator/network person at your school and request that our emails be allowed through the SPAM filter. Explain that you are receiving email about an instructional project via these addresses. If they have a question, show them this post!

Only if these two steps do not solve it, you may email me directly at the address above (cshively). Once you have emailed my address, your system should allow my responses back through the SPAM filter. Please do not use my email as a primary contact. This blog gets more immediate attention from more people than my swollen mailbox does, so posting on the blog is “the way to go” with any question, no matter how minor. Benefit from the “wisdom” of this “crowd”!

I have signed up for the Building Learner’s Project twice but I have never received the welcome e-mail and password for the Workbench.  Can anyone advise me on this problem?

Thank you!

S. Ryall