How do I use Teacher Dashboard?
For the teachers, the Teacher Dashboard is simply a “view” over the class Google Apps environment. As a teacher or a student you continue to use Google Apps as you have before, there are no changes to any aspect of Google Docs or Sites.
You will receive the URL to your school Teacher Dashboard as part of the setup process.
How does Teacher Dashboard set up and manage the class environment?
Teacher Dashboard automates many aspects of Google Apps configuration, including:
- Creation of student accounts
- Update of student accounts (i.e. create, rename, suspend based on current student enrollment)
- Creation of a consistent folder structure for class documents
- Creation of subject folders for each student
- Automatically sharing the student subject folders with the teacher(s) and admins
- Creation of personal Google Sites for students (e-Portfolios for example are created as personal sites owned by each student)
- Automatic changes to Google Sites permissions to ensure that teachers and admins retain full (“owner”) access
- Creation of shared folders for whole class (read-only “Room 9 Shared Docs” for example)
- Creation of a Google Apps group for each class
- Ongoing updates to group membership (for class groups and “year” groups – year6@mydomain)
What do you need to use Teacher Dashboard?
Teacher Dashboard requires Google Apps for Education or Google Apps for Business domain.
We have already been using Google Apps, can we still use Teacher Dashboard?
Teacher Dashboard can be set up “alongside” any existing domain configuration, and will not interfere with any existing domain configuration.
Is Teacher Dashboard compatible with Google Single-Sign-On (SSO)?
Yes, Teacher Dashboard does not interact with your authentication systems. Access to Teacher Dashboard requires that OpenID is enabled for your domain.
We have separate domains for students and teachers, is that OK?
Yes. Teacher Dashboard will manage student content in the student domain, and ensure that content is shared with the teacher’s account in the primary domain.
If I want to stop using it, what happens?
You lose access to the Teacher Dashboard Console (data loading) and Teacher Dashboard (birds-eye view) interfaces. Any content, folder structures, Google Sites, sharing rights, etc. created using Teacher Dashboard remain in place.
How do parents access information?
Teacher Dashboard includes Parent Portal component. Parent Portal allows parents to access their child’s Google Docs without the need for setting up sharing rights or Google logins. Student can also share content with their parents using existing Google Apps collaboration facilities.
Do I have to use it for whole school or can I use it for just one classroom?
Teacher Dashboard is available on a class by class basis, or for the entire school.
Can i have different folders for different classrooms?
Yes. Subject folders can vary from classroom to classroom.
Can multiple classrooms have the same subject folder?
Yes. The same student “Maths” folder can be accessible through the Y9-Maths class Dashboard and the Y9-Maths-Extension class Dashboard, i.e. when the same subject folder is used by multiple classes, the student will have just one subject folder.
Can we have a trial?
Yes, please contact us and we will be happy to set you up for a 30 day trial.
Is there a free version available?
Not at this time. Having seen the impact Teacher Dashboard has in the classroom, we’d love to make it more readily available to schools worldwide; we simply cannot fund such access. If the fees are an insurmountable problem for your school please let us know.