How to Change the Channel and Number on Clickers

Sometimes, you might need to change the channel and clicker number on the CPS Clickers. Here's how to do it:

1. Check what the clicker channel and number is. press the menu button and scroll through until you find the clicker number and channel.

2. To change the channel, press the two arrow keys simultaneously, then the plus button. This will present you with a screen where you can set the clicker channel and number. Hit return without putting in a number if you don't want to change it. It will then power cycle down.

Which CPS Report to Use

Hopefully this will help teachers use the reports offered by CPS.

I want to know which problems my class (as a whole) struggled with:

Use Response Report. This will give you a report with each question and the percent that each possible answer was chosen.

I want to know how each of students did on a test overall:

Use Instructor Summary. This will give you a whole class report, listing each individual students overall percentage correct on the test, but no information on specific questions.

I want to have something to give back to students with the test questions and their answers:

Use Study Guide. This will make a lot of sheets of paper, and only really works if you have the questions typed into CPS, not just the answers.

I want to give my students a sheet that shows which questions they got wrong:

Use Study Guide - Incorrect Answers which will give you a report with only a student's incorrect answer. Study Guide - Class Summary will create a single sheet for each student with the student's choice and the correct choice.

I want a graph of my students choices:

Use the Question Report. Be careful though, because it also includes a page for each question that has their answers on it.

I want to know which students got a question wrong:

Use Question Grid Export. It will automatically export the the student answers to excel. The file will look like the student managed mode answer grid. If a student got the question right, there will be a + in the column, otherwise it will tell you their incorrect answer.

This document will now be updated as a google doc. Find it here. Right now only SLP teachers and staff can access it.

Videos

All of the SLP Tech Videos will be uploaded to youtube from now on, for ease of use. Click the link below to see videos created by William Stenross

SLP Tech Videos: Created By William Stenross

How to Create Videos with Quicktime

Quicktime is a great resource for teachers. With the latest version of quicktime, you can create videos of your screen, videos using your iSight and audio recordings. I'm going to quickly explain how to use quicktime to create videos.

1. Open Quicktime. Most likely, you don't have Quicktime on your dock, so you will need to go applications (in finder) and open in through there.

2. On the menu bar go to File.

3. You will have the choice between New Movie Recording, New Audio Recording and New Screen Recording.

• New Movie Recording This will create a video with your iSight (the camera above your screen). A new window will open, showing you what your iSight is seeing. Press the record button in the bottom center of the window to start recording.
  
• New Audio Recording Please see Nate Tangen's document on how to use this feature.
  
• New Screen Recording This is the tool that I use to create my videos. It will make a video of what is on your screen and save it to your movies folder. Make sure you click on the down arrow to the right of the record button, and select built in microphone to record your voice.

Hope this helps you use Quicktime!

Screen Capture in Mac OS X

Here's a guide on how to capture screen shots in Mac OS X.

http://guides.macrumors.com/Taking_Screenshots_in_Mac_OS_X

What to do when the Screen is Garbled

On old MacBooks with the mini-DVI video output ports (currently used by teachers at the Junior High, Senior High and PSI, as well as some principals and TOSA's) the screen can become garbled at certain times while using the Projector. What causes this is that the a program wants to use "full screen mode". These Macbooks apparently can't support that, and the screen on the MacBook becomes garbled, while the projector continues to project correctly.

The programs that often will cause this include:
Powerpoint (slideshow)
Screensaver
SmartBoard Notebook (fullscreen)

You can continue using these programs without an issue, or you could try these fixes. None of these will permanently fix the problem, however.

1. Unplug the projector from your computer, allow the screen to reset, then plug the projector back in. Sometimes this works, sometimes not.

2. Quit out of the program. Restart the program, and do not use the settings that cause the screen to become garbled.

3. Go into Apple(in the upper lefthand corner of the screen)-->system preferences-->desktop and screensaver-->screensaver and slide the toggle under "start screen saver" to "never". This will prevent the screensaver from causing the problem.

Hope this helps!

Screen is messed up when I plug in my Projector

When we get questions like this there are two possible scenarios. If your screen is garbled, please read the guide here. That only seems to be a problem with the older MacBooks. If you can see your screen fine, but everything is too big, then it's because of the screen resolution. I have created a quick little video to show how to change your resolution when you plug in your projector, but I will also detail how to fix it below.

1. Go to the apple on your menu bar
2. Choose system preferences, and then select display.
3. With our projectors, you will want to select 1024 x 768 (stretched). It should save this setting.
4. Click the button that says "show displays in menu bar". This will add a icon near your wireless icon that you can use to change the screen resolution on your computer and on your projector.

Hope this helps!

Sound isn't working with Projector System

So, your sound isn't working.

Here are the steps that you should try to get the sound to work.

1. Are the audio cords plugged in? Try unplugging and plugging them back in. (Check the wall and your computer. Use Wall Unit Quick Start Guide to make sure you have the cords plugged into the right place.)

2. Is the sound on your computer turned on/up? (check in the upper right corner, on the icon that looks like a speaker) Sometimes, the sound will mute because of a bug with a sensor in the headphone jack. You need to unplug the audio cord, wait 10 seconds, then plug it back in. This should unmute the sound and it should work.)

3. Is the sound in the program turned on/up? (some programs, like iTunes or youtube have separate volume controls. Make sure these are turned on/up.)

4. Is the volume turned up on the wall unit? (See the Wall Unit Quick Start Guide for where the volume controls are located)

5. Is the mute on the wall unit on? (See the Wall Unit Quick Start Guide for where the mute button is located)

6. Is the sound amplifier in the ceiling set to video input? This can happen if the power goes out in the building. Press the PC1 button on the Wall Unit to switch to the correct input. (See the Wall Unit Quick Start Guide for where the PC1 button is located)

Hopefully this will fix your sound issues!

How To Export Lessons to CPS

This video will show you how to export your lesson so that you may share it with other teachers.

How to Export Lessons to CPS

Making the CPS Clickers work when they stop sending

Sometimes, and it seems to happen predominantly with the new gray receivers for the CPS Clicker system, a class will try to enter an answer into their clicker, and it won't get sent.

The problem? The receiver's cache is full. You have to go to the eInstruction device manager, select the receiver and then go to help --> clear device properties, then click ok in the next window that pops up. You can do this while a test is going on.

You might also need to turn off and then back on the clickers that are affected.

There is an update to the software that should get rid of the problem, but it breaks other things about CPS so we are avoiding the update for now.

Why does my SmartBoard have a green blinking light when I connect it?

So, your SmartBoard isn't working? And you are getting a green blinking light?

The most likely culprit is that when your hard drive goes to sleep it breaks the connection with your smartboard. The only way to make it work in this case is to restart the computer.

This information is from SmartTech. Apparently there is a problem with Mac OS 10.6.3 which causes this problem.

You can also avoid it by unplugging your SmartBoard from your computer when you are not using it, rather than leaving it plugged in all day. Also always leaving the power to your computer plugged in at all times when you are using the SmartBoard.