What’s happening at Hāpara? Product updates, new initiatives and more! (August 2021)

Product Manager, Erin Harding and VP of Sales Robert Bailey led an informative discussion on the latest product updates that are happening at Hāpara. These updates include: Introducing Digital Backpack, updates for admins and updates for everyone!

Click on the chapter cards on the video to jump to the segment you want to see!
0:00 – Introduction
2:24 – Introducing Digital Backpack
3:15 – Demonstrating Digital Backpack
4:18 – Where to access Digital Backpack
12:35 – Details on Digital Backpack
16:45 – Introducing the new updates in the Hāpara Admin Console
18:30 – Updates in Highlights
22:53 – Updates in Dashboard
28:15 – New onboarding experience
31:15 – New look on “manage classes” page
37:41 – Updates in “current screens”
40:00 – Questions from audience
Introducing Digital Backpack: Hāpara’s Product Manager, Erin Harding, begins by updating us on the newest product at Hāpara, Digital Backpack (2:24). She clarifies that this is an add on to the Hāpara Instructional Suite. Erin explains what Digital Backpack is stating, “Digital Backpack gives students access to digital resources on any device in any browser so no matter where they’re learning, they have access to the materials that they need to get that learning done” (2:50). Erin goes on to demonstrate how exactly Digital Backpack works from a student account and shows how learners can access the digital resources (3:15). Robert Bailey, Vice President of Sales at Hāpara goes on to describe how Digital Backpack was brought on as an add on explaining that with so many digital resources available, students will benefit from Digital Backpack because Hāpara puts them all in one, easily accessible place (4:00). Erin then shows us where students can access Digital Backpack within Student Dashboard providing easy access on an interface that students are already familiar with (4:18). Robert and Erin clarify to listeners that Hāpara currently has over 300 resources added so far and we are continuing to add more (5:57). Robert also points out that the resources added are not only U.S. based but also Canada based and eventually New Zealand and Australia as well (12:35).

To learn more about about Digital Backpack head to: https://hapara.com/digital-backpack/

Updates for Hāpara admin: Erin introduces the new updates in the Hāpara Admin console (16:45). She begins by demonstrating how schools now have the option to make Highlights the first screen that pops up when you click into a class. She shows how you can change Highlights to be the main landing module (18:30). Robert then inquires about how an educator would be able to implement this change. Erin then explains that this is something that would change for the entire district at once, it’s not individual so the school’s Hāpara admin would need to make the change from the Hāpara admin console (20:06). “It was just released this week so it may take a while to show up for some people,” (21:13) Erin explains. She then moves on to introduce another new feature. No folders? No problem. Erin goes on, “If your school chooses not to set up folders for your school, when you go into Dashboard you will see a tab called ‘all docs’ that means you’ll have visibility into all of the documents in your students’ Google Drive so you don’t have to worry about going between different folders looking for documents” (22:53).

Additional updates: Those are what represent the optional changes, however there are also permanent changes as well. There’s now a new onboarding experience to help orient a teacher to Hāpara. This is a feature that is available to everyone (28:15). Erin then demonstrates how to access this tool. She also goes on to show the new look of the “manage classes” page (31:15). With updated technology comes updated interfaces. Another update is that now when you are in “current screens” it used to be that you would have to close the tab that you saw on current screens then you would have to go back to the browser tabs, but we’ve added a simple little edition to the student tiles that allows you to now close the tab directly from current screens (37:41).

Guests

Erin Harding, Product Manager at Hāpara. Erin brings her experience as a curriculum writer and edtech marketer to her role at Hāpara. She’s passionate about literacy development and using technology to enhance learning. Erin lives in Brooklyn but loves getting out of the city to go hiking and camping.

Moderator

Robert Bailey, VP of Sales at Hāpara. Robert brings years of successful sales, marketing and entrepreneurial experience to his role as VP of Sales at Hāpara. Outside of Hāpara, you may find him playing tennis, working through his bucket list, painting his face for Seahawk games or traveling the world.