6.1. Welcome to Your Interactive Classroom

The information in Sections 6.1 through 6.7 details the additional administrative features which teachers have access to while using AUC.

As a teacher, you have access to a number of additional functions which your students do not; these functions allow you to manage the content and information in your Interactive Classrooms (iClassrooms) easily, through web-based forms and a graphical interface. As noted in Section 4.2, there are four main components to an iClassroom -- in a moment, you will learn how to add and modify content in each of these areas.

Before learning to use these features, however, you may wish to customize the Interactive Schedule which appears on your Start Page with a list of the iClasses that you are responsible for teaching. This will make it easier to access each of your classrooms quickly on a regular basis. For more information on Customizing Your Interactive Schedule, read Section 4.1.

Once your Interactive Schedule has been customized with the list of classes that you are teaching, enter one of your iClassrooms.

6.2. Using and Editing the Announcements

The iClassroom is composed of four components (described in Section 4.2). The first, and easiest of these, is the “Announcements” panel. Here you can provide students in this class with timely information and reminders, which they will see whenever they enter the classroom. The “Announcements” panel will automatically indicate the date and time that it is updated, which may provide some incentive for teachers to update them regularly.

To create or change the Announcements in your iClassroom, simply click on the link at the bottom of the panel entitled “Change Announcements.” Clicking this button will open a screen which allows you to edit the accouncements simply by typing the text you desire into a field. When you have finished, click “Save Announcement.” You will be returned to the main classroom screen automatically, and the announcements will be updated. You may change the announcements at any time.

NOTE: Only you (the teacher) have access to the classroom's administrative functions (those which allow you to add and change content, such as announcements and schedule items). If you wish to give certain students the ability to perform these functions, you may do so by selecting them as online student aides -- see Section 6.6 for more information.

6.3. Using and Editing the Schedule

The second component of your iClassroom is the Calendar/Log panel, which allows you to create a schedule of lessons, tests, assignments, and objectives for your class. The Calendar panel will automatically display any events taking place within the next five days, as well as upcoming tests/quizzes and long-term assignments. When items on the Calendar have passed, they are automatically entered into the Logbook, enabling absent students to find out what they have missed. Teachers who utilize the Calendar/Logbook panel may find it easier to organize their lesson plans, and most students will tend to feel better prepared.

To add items to your Class Schedule, click the “Add A New Date” link. This will bring you to the “Add New Schedule Item” dialogue, which asks you several questions. First, select the type of schedule item that you are entering from the drop-down menu -- Test, Quiz, Long-Term [Assignment], HW Due, Objective, and Other -- so that AUC knows how to classify the schedule item. You should then provide a brief description of the item, and any comments that may be useful to your class (eg, when announcing a test, suggest topics or readings for review). Then, select which classes this item should apply to, and click “Add Item.” You will be returned to the main classroom screen automatically, and the event will be added to the schedule automatically, in chronological order. If you wish to edit or delete an item on the schedule, simply use the links that accompany each (E for EDIT, D for DELETE). Note that you may have more than one item per date -- eg, a test and a HW assignment -- entered into the calendar.

NOTE: At present, AUC's iClassroom system only provides support for schools following a block schedule system, since this is the situation at Montgomery Blair HS, where AUC was originated and beta-tested. The upcoming release of AUC 1.0 will provide support for other schedules.

6.4. Creating and Using Discussion Forums

The third component of your iClassroom is the “Discussion Forums” panel, which allows you to create one or more discussion forums in which your students can discuss or debate the topics which you specify. To create a new discussion forum, click on the “Add Discussion” link. You will then be asked to provide a name for the forum, and any information which students should consider in the course of the debate. (Teachers should note that specific prompts and questions will evoke the best responses from students -- responses that can often be surprising and rewarding.)

Once you have created a forum, you will be returned to the iClassroom’s main screen. The title of the discussion will appear as a link; clicking on it allows you to view the forum. Next to the title you will see a date and time -- this is when the last comment was entered in the discussion. Beneath the title, you will see two numbers: the number of comments (messages) made in the discussion, and the number of hits which have been made (“hits” represent the number of times that the forum has been viewed, providing participants with a better sense of how many people are following the discussion). If you wish to change the discussion prompt or details, click “Edit.” You may delete a discussion forum by clicking “Del”.

When you enter a discussion forum, your specified prompt will appear at the top of the screen, followed by a submission field, which is followed by the comments and messages that students have posted. Submissions to discussion forums are posted in reverse chronological order, such that the newest message appears at the top -- therefore, when viewing a debate, be sure to scroll all the way down to the beginning.

To participate in the discussion, enter your thoughts into the field at the top of the page, and click “Post Comment” --- your submission will appear as the newest message in the forum.

Messages posted by participants will appear, and will indicate the name of the student or teacher, as well as the date and time that the comment was submitted. As the teacher, you possess the ability to edit and delete messages posted by students, a power which you should exert carefully -- messages with explicit or inappropriate content have no place in a discussion, certainly, but teachers should resist the temptation to edit or delete messages on a subjective basis.

6.5. Creating and Using Handouts Online

The fourth and final component of your iClassroom is the "Handouts and Documents" (H & D) panel. This area allows teachers to post assignments and handouts online which students can access at any time. In theory, this technology makes the paperless school possible for the first time, but the potential for learning is far greater than that offered by paper-based handouts alone: the H & D panel allows you to include music, movies, dynamic activities and learning simulations in your classroom, which all of your students can view simultaneously.

The "Handouts and Documents" panel functions in the same fashion as the personal File Manager which each student is provided with. For details on using this area, see Sections 3.1 through 3.5.

When looking for content to place in your iClassroom’s H & D panel, remember that the internet offers thousands of educational sites, full of lesson plans and online content. When you find content that you like, you can place it in your classroom by copy-and-pasting it into a new document.

6.6. Assigning Online Student Aides

While AUC is designed to be both intuitive and easy to use, many teachers will remain uncomfortable with the new world of internet technology. In such cases, teachers may wish to assign online student aides who will assist them in utilizing the iClassroom’s potential. Student aides, who must be specified by teachers, are given the ability to add, modify, and delete content in specific iClassrooms. To select an online aide for your classroom, simply click on the words “Online Aide(s)” in the grey panel at the top of your classroom. This will open a dialogue where you can specify the names of any students who you wish to make aides in your iClassroom. (Please note that you must enter their account names, not their full names. If you are uncertain of a student’s account name, verify it before entering.)

6.7. General Advice for Teachers

The final lesson we can offer about iClassrooms is this: while they offer fantastic (and almost infinite) educational opportunities, they are only as successful as teachers are willing to make them. When teachers neglect their iClassrooms, everyone will miss out. However, when teachers stock them their rooms with dynamic and innovative content, participate actively in online discussions and debates, and utilize the tools of the iClassroom to their fullest, everyone involved will benefit from the effort. Students will discover new ways of learning, teachers will discover new ways of teaching, and everyone will discover new ways of communicating. It is with this goal in mind that we have developed AUC, and nothing could reward us more than seeing AUC meet it. Invest yourself, and your class, in using an iClassroom -- it will redefine the educational experience as you know it.