ClassTools Training Outline

Total Time: 45–90 minutes

Quick Intro (5 minutes)

Digital Learning Commons Homepage

• Introduce staff to the website and show them how to access resources.
• Point out the Search box (appears on every page) and the About section.
• Explain differences between Students, Educators, and Parents sections.

Apex ClassTools

AP ClassTools, English ClassTools, Math ClassTools, Science ClassTools, Social Studies ClassTools, and World Languages ClassTools can be used to supplement a curriculum or as the primary source of content in your classroom. Each subject is developed by experienced instructional designers and subject matter experts to align to state and national standards.

Intro Activities (15–30 minutes)

My School Page: This is the default homepage. It includes three areas: Tools, Announcements, and Current Enrollment. To return to this homepage, click on the Go To My School icon at the top of the page.

• Tools includes classroom set-up and orientation information.
• Announcements are used to communicate with students.
• Current Enrollment is where the classrooms are listed. Each classroom can contain more than one ClassTool, and students can be enrolled in more than one classroom.
  • Click on a ClassTool to access the content. A new window will open. Use the outline on the left-hand side of the window to navigate through the course content by unit (e.g., 1: Getting Started). Use the up and down arrows to access the entire outline.
  • ClassTools are broken down by units, lessons, and activities. To access all of the content within this frame, use the scroll bar. The top of each content page shows where you are within a ClassTool. Example:
    
    UNIT 7 > LESSON 5 > ACTIVITY 2 : Comparing the Early Colonies
  • The appendix, which links to additional student resources, is listed after the final unit in the outline.

Digging Deeper (15–45 minutes)

Tools

Walk participants through the Tools section, which is very important for the management of ClassTools classrooms.

• Set Up Classroom: A classroom can be a single ClassTool or several. Students are enrolled by classroom. When setting up a classroom, give it a name and specify a time period (not required). Then check off the ClassTools you would like to include in this specific classroom.
• Set Up Announcements: Announcements are a simple way to communicate with your classrooms. You can specify specific classrooms or all classrooms.
  • Announcements have a shelf life, so you will need to specify the duration of time for which you want students to be able to view them.
  • Use Post To to specify which classrooms should receive the announcement. Click Select All if you want all the students in all your classrooms to see the announcement.
• Reports: In this section, you can view various reports by classroom content area. The Student Progress and Due Dates reports are not enabled for ClassTools (reminder: this is the same interface used for online classes through Apex). Select a classroom to view reports. If using the demo account, choose a classroom to view reports.

Manage Classroom: Access the Manage Classroom section by clicking on the Pencil next to a classroom in the Current Enrollments area. In this section, you can add students to your class, view the roster, and configure the classroom by adding or taking away ClassTools.

Additional Resources (5–10 minutes)

Orientation: Located in the Tools box on the My Schools page. This orientation is available for both students and educators and is a helpful tour for new users.

• AP Exam Review/Mentor Teacher Guide: Provides tips for teachers using AP Exam Review in the classroom. Located within Orientation.

Assessments (2–5 minutes)

Return to the Digital Learning Commons website. Click on the Training Evaluation link, which appears at bottom of every page on the site.