Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Load work documents to one central
library, e.g., Personal Documents then
move files (or folders) to shared libraries as
needed for students/parents to see.
 Manage internal document operations such as moving and
copying via Manage Content and Structure.
Site Settings/Actions  Content and Structure
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Do not store multiple copies of the same
document on your site. Optimize
document management by having one
“master” of each document.
 This is where Manage Content and Structure is your buddy
– use it to move files within SharePoint.
Site Settings/Actions  Content and Structure
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Open SharePoint libraries in Windows
Explorer (WE) when copying or moving
large number of files.
 Open the SharePoint library in one WE window, then open
a second WE window for locally stored docs (e.g., c:drive,
u:drive). Now, drag and drop. Note: This only works when using
Internet Explorer as your browser!
Library  Library Settings  Open in Explorer
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Use picture libraries for pictures only;
place documents in document libraries;
place video and audio files in your teacher
site video library.
 Placing pictures in a picture library enables you to do simple
edits from within SharePoint if MS Picture Manager is installed.
Go to Picture Library, then select a picture (via check box
next to the picture)  Actions  Edit
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Use the Site Settings/Actions quick launch
item to manage your site, not the Site
Actions menu.
 We’ve condensed common site management actions into
one easily navigated menu, which has items that are “safe” for
you to click on. This page also gives information about space
used/available on your site.
On Quick Launch Bar, click Site Settings/Actions  Select
relevant item
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Keep web design, editing, and formatting
simple – no fancy graphics, avoid tables.
 Although SharePoint is a robust web design tool, 90% of
your site’s editing and formatting can be done using its simple,
familiar, Word-like interface. Use the SharePoint ribbon. And
don’t be afraid to use copy/paste to add content – most of your
formatting will be retained.
Copy shortcut key: control-c
Paste shortcut key : control-v
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
SharePoint has web parts (i.e., widgets).
When starting out, use only the Video and
Audio and Content Editor web parts.
 Web parts can be overwhelming and somewhat confusing at
first. Keep it simple. Later, when you have more experience and
training, you may want to explore them. Use the Content Editor
for HTML coding; use the Media web part for playing multimedia.
Edit the page  Insert  Web part (or click Video and Audio
for multimedia)  Edit Web Part for more options
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Use Internet Explorer v8 or higher on a PC
for best results. Viewing works in well in
most browsers, but editing and document
management are best left to IE.
 Make sure your browser has Silverlight installed. This is a
free MS add-in, which optimizes editing and viewing.
Download and install Silverlight at
http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
SharePoint is new, different, and can
sometimes be confusing. Either have
thorough training by central or school staff
or go through all eLearning materials.
 We’ll keep creating and revising training materials. Check
the intranet SharePoint training materials if you need help. If
you don’t see what you need, let us know.
 D11 SharePoint training materials can be found at
http://intranet.d11.org/sharepoint/
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Follow the D11 style guide and best
practices in web design (e.g., limit
excessive scrolling, ensure there are no
broken hyperlinks,…).
 Yes, D11 has a Style Guide produced by the
Communications Office. And it has a section on web design.
 The D11 Style Guide can be found at
http://intranet.d11.org/communication/Documents
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Monitor site size and perform
housecleaning to keep under your quota
(typically 2 GB when starting out).
 Your site quota includes the recycle bin, so do frequent
“housecleaning.” If you need more space, request it by emailing
Tom Hunt (hunttp@d11.org).
 To check site storage, click Site Settings/Actions on QL bar.
Your site size is in the lower right.
To request storage: http://intranet.d11.org/sharepoint
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Give your students basic training in using
the drop box, assignments, discussions,
etc.
 Keep it simple for them, too. For instance, use the drop
box associated with an assignment so they don’t have to pick an
assignment.
 We have student training resources, too. Check them
out at: http://intranet.d11.org/sharepoint
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
If your students, parents, or other users do
not see items on your site, the most likely
cause is that it is not publish. If you don’t
see all the right “buttons,” you probably
need to login.
 Take a look at your site from outside D11 (e.g., at home)
without logging in – now you see what the public sees. Check it!
Class pages do NOT have to be publish; just save them.
 When done editing, click Publish  Publish  Continue (it
takes 3 clicks to publish your homepage)
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
If not sure about what students see or to
help troubleshoot student errors, login as
the test student.
 This is a great way to check assignment/drop box
functionality, discussions, etc. All teachers have the same test
student loaded.
 Test student user ID: instructsec\spstudent1
Test student password: Passwordsp1
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Need to email all your students or just one
class? SharePoint makes it easy.
 Note: You can email one, many, or all your students very
quickly using SharePoint’s built-in user lists.
 From homepage (to email all students):
Site Settings/Actions  <Your Name> Students  Select
student(s) using checkboxes  Actions  E-Mail Users
 From class site (to email just members of that class):
Site Settings/Actions  <Your Name> Students <Class> 
Select student(s) using checkboxes  Actions  E-Mail Users
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO …
Call the support center (X-02211) with any
questions, especially if permission related.
 Your local expert, likely your LTE or webmaster or
SharePoint power user, is your first stop for support, but the
technology staff has experts waiting in the wings. Don’t hesitate
to call; always call if you are dealing with a permissions-related
issue.
Call the number above or email callcenter@d11.org
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Jump into SharePoint without training
specific for D11 sites. Technology Services
will gladly provide on-site training (contact
Tom Hunt at hunttp@d11.org).
 YouTube and SharePoint for Dummies are NOT enough
since our teacher sites are so highly customized. Use D11
training resources. Contact IT SharePoint support staff: we’re
here to help. Additional D11 training resources are located at
http://intranet.d11.org/sharepoint
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Display or post in any documents
confidential information on any student,
especially on the homepage, and never put
copyrighted materials on your homepage.
 Educationally “sanctioned” copyrighted material may, in
some cases, be placed on your class sites since they can be
accessed only by your students. Check with your
building/district media experts, however, before doing so.
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Change URLs (the web page address). As
site owners, you may be able to do this –
please DON’T!
 It’s generally OK to change names or titles but not URLs -doing so may “break” items such as site updates, loading Zangle
class/section data, etc.
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Click on anything that you’re not sure
about. It you are not certain what it does,
don’t click it!
 Remember, we created a “safe” place for you to customize
and manage your site: On the quick launch bar, click Site
Settings/Actions.
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Mess with permissions! Permissions in
SharePoint in general are tricky –
permissions with the highly customized
teacher sites are beyond tricky.
 Call the support center (X-02211) if/when you have
questions about permissions. The technology division has
experts that help – use them rather than risking “breaking” your
site.
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Speaking of permissions, never change
students permissions without expert
guidance from IT. Permissions for students
are set according to specifications and
should not be altered.
 When these sites were developed, we paid very close
attention to student permissions. We tested this extensively.
Students can only see the things they need to see and contribute
to libraries and lists according to teacher specifications.
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Modify permissions on lists or libraries on
either homepage or class pages.
 As with permissions, we have carefully specified and tested
permissions to lists and libraries, for students, visitors, and you.
Do not alter these settings without checking with D11 SharePoint
support staff.
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Use any special characters in filenames
because SharePoint restricts their use. This
includes characters such as the pound sign
and even hyphens.
 In general, there is one "safe" special character: the
underscore. If you need to set words or number apart, insert an
underscore between them rather than a hyphen; therefore, use
homework_1.docx rather than homework-1.docx.
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Add documents to the Pages library. The
Pages library should ONLY be used for
pages, not any other type of content.
 If you create a new page it's stored in the Pages
library. This is OK and how SharePoint is designed to
work. Adding items other than pages to this library may cause
problems down the road.
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Remove the SharePoint service accounts.
These include svc_spinstall and accounts
labels as with the verbiage “Service …”.
 The service accounts are your safety net. If you do happen
to break you site, the service accounts can typically restore it.
Don’t ever delete these!
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Delete or modify classes (applies to users
with classes scheduled in Zangle only). If
you do so, you will not receive updated
class rosters 
 Zangle class/section info is updated nightly. You don’t have
to worry about students coming and going – our IT staff has got
this covered!
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Modify the page layouts of the homepage
or class pages. These pages use specific
templates to render specific functionality –
changing the layouts will impact the
functionality.
 If you add pages and other sub sites, feel free to use other
page layouts. If you need to modify the look of your homepage
or class pages, do so by hiding items. Contact D11 SharePoint
support for help in customizing these pages.
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Delete customized web parts. This
includes calendars, discussion tool,
assignments, drop box, etc. Rather than
deleting, you can “hide” things you don’t
need.
 You, the teachers, have spoken and we’ve configured web
parts according to your input. Deleting or customizing our
customizations will wreak havoc (possibly irreversible) on your
site! If you don’t want users to see something, the SharePoint
support group can help you “hide” it. Call us.
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Add third party web parts unless certain
about what they do. As you already know,
installing third party apps can be
dangerous – use extreme caution!
 This applies to SharePoint’s standard web parts, too.
Don’t add things unless you are certain what they do!
Teacher Sites – Best Practices
We recommend that you DO NOT…
Use Site Settings (Site Actions  Site
Settings). Instead, use the condensed and
SAFE Site Settings/Actions at the top of the
quick launch bar.
 You can also get to this menu by selecting Site
Settings/Actions (minimal) from the Site Actions menu.