EdGate Training: Part 3 - SchoolNotes
Empowering the Education Community
to Improve Student Performance through
the Intelligent Use of Practical Data
What is SchoolNotes?
1. The most widely used, web-based communication tool for educators to
communicate with parents, students and other educators (70 million
hits/month during school year).
2. Administrators and Teachers can easily and quickly create and edit their
own web page associated with their District or School’s Education Gateway.
3. Educators can post homework assignments, upload documents (quizzes,
spreadsheets, Word files, school forms, etc.), and create calendars and
schedules.
4. Parents and students can check homework assignments and get
automatic notification when a SchoolNotes page has been updated.
5. Educators can improve inter-departmental/district communications,
reduce forms and paperwork, and save time.
6. Teachers, PTO officials, administrators, transportation coordinators,
and various calendars, etc. can have their own page.
What does SchoolNotes Look Like?
The heading for each SchoolNotes
Page provides:
1. Title: Teacher, Department or
Organization Name (“Mr. Kenny
Morrison”)
2. Description of Page (“Physical
Education”)
2. School or District Name
3. Address
4. Date last updated
5. Email button
6. “Notify Me” button for parents
and students for automatic email
notification if SchoolNotes page is
updated
The Main Body of a SchoolNotes
Page can contain assignments,
activities, events, schedules,
internet links, etc.
Calendar Function - click on Month
name to get an expanded view
Expanded View of Calendar
• Post Assignment Due Dates
• Post Test Dates and Times
• Post Athletic Events and Times
• Post Personnel Assignments and Times
Click on
number to
view details
Listing of events
Click “Account Management”
to change your SchoolNotes
profile (Title, Description of
Page).
Click “Edit Notes” to edit your SchoolNotes Page
Example of another
SchoolNotes Page
Homework
Assignments
Links
How Do Teachers, Parents and Students
Access SchoolNotes?
• Type in your District’s Gateway Web Address
• Click the “Find Your School” Icon
• Click on “Find Your Class” Icon
• Click on the appropriate Educator’s Name
District
Website
Click Here to
Find your
School
District Site
Choose Your
School
School
Website
Click Here to
Find your
Class
Choose the teacher,
administrator, calendar, club,
etc. to access their
SchoolNotes page
How Do I Set Up a SchoolNotes Page?
1. Go to your District Gateway website
2. Go to your School Gateway website (if applicable)
3. Click “Create/Edit SchoolNotes”
4. Click “Teachers Register Here”
5. Complete the Account Registration Form
School
Website
Click Here to
Create or Edit
a SchoolNotes
Page
Click Here to Register
for SchoolNotes
Read the information and scroll
down to complete the form
1. Enter your school’s ZIP Code
2. Enter an account name: keep simple,
lowercase, no spaces, numbers and letters
only. This will be the end of the URL for
your SchoolNotes page. Example:
www.schoolnotes.com/75230/tjones4
Each SchoolNotes page must have a
unique account name!
3. Choose a password. The password can
be the same for all the SchoolNotes pages
you create. Use numbers and/or letters,
but no spaces. This is case sensitive.
4. Reenter the password.
5. Choose a password reminder (phrase to
help you remember your password) or type
“none.”
6. Click “Continue.”
You have already entered a Zip
Code, so your School or District
Name should appear on the drop
down list. Select your School or
District and click “Continue.”
Note, if your school is not listed in
the drop down menu, then click “Not
Listed” and complete your school’s
information in the blanks provided
and then click “Continue.” If your
District is not listed, click “District”
and complete your District’s
information in the blanks provided
and then click “Continue.”
Complete this form if your
District or School wasn’t on
the drop down menu. It will
be submitted to EdGate and
your District or School will
be set-up in 2 business days.
Note, this is District form and
School form will look similar.
Review your school or district information, if correct,
click “Continue.” If the information is not correct then
click “Report Incorrect Information” button and complete
form and then click “Continue.”
1. If you are employed within a School
District, select “Teacher.” If not, select
“School Organization.”
2. Select “Title” only if you are using a
person’s name.
3. “First Name” and “Last Name” is the title
of your SchoolNotes page. You must fill out
both. If the page is for the “Math Club”, put
“Math” under “First Name” and “Club” under
“Last Name.”
4. Provide the School Telephone and Fax
number (can be filled out at anytime).
5. Provide the School or District web site (can
be filled out at any time).
6. Scroll down to complete rest of form.
Note: This section can be edited at any time.
7. You must provide your email address.
This is not posted anywhere. You can
decide whether you want people to be
able to email you from your SchoolNotes
page. They will not get your email
address.
8. This function can be turned on and off.
9. Use this box to describe your
SchoolNotes page. It will appear just
below title to your SchoolNotes page.
10. When finished, click “Continue.”
Note: Anything on this page can be edited
later.
10. When you are finished with the Account
Registration form, you will get a summary of
all the information you have entered. If it is
correct, print the page for your records and
then select “Submit Registration
Information.” If it is not correct, use the
“Back” button to correct the information.
11. Once you have submitted your
registration information successfully, this
page will appear. Please print this page for
your records. It shows the web address for
your SchoolNotes page.
12. Send this URL to your EdGate
Administrator so that others will be able to
access your SchoolNotes page through your
District and School Community Education
Gateway web sites using “Find Your Class.”
Note: You may provide the Web address to
students, parents or educators immediately
after you register and they can access your
page.
GROUP ASSIGNMENT (SchoolNotes):
Goal: Register your own SchoolNotes page
1. Go to your district EdGate Website
2. Click “Teachers Register Here”
3. Complete the Account Registration Form for one of your
classes/department
How do I Edit my SchoolNotes Page?
School
Website
Click Here to
Create or Edit
a SchoolNotes
Page
Enter Zip Code,
Account name and
Password and Click
“LOGIN”
•Use this section to create the text that goes on your SchoolNotes
page. You can do this by:
1. Using your keyboard and the SchoolNotes Text Editor;
2. Copying and pasting from a Microsoft Word or Excel
document; or
3. Using HTML coding (click on HTML view “<>.” before pasting
or typing in HTML).
•You can also copy and post a web-based image into this section
Use this section to enter your favorite
links that you want to appear on your
SchoolNotes page.
1. Type in the URL (complete web address
for the link).
2. Type in the title you want for your link.
3. Type in whatever comment (description
of link) you want or leave blank.
Note: You can type in links to other
SchoolNotes pages.
Here is an example of the links section
completed with 4 different links
You can upload 3 files:
1. Click the “Browse” button to
find a file on your computer.
2. Select the file and click on
“Open.”
3. Type in the file name as it will
appear on your SchoolNotes
page (does not have to be same
name as your actual file name).
To create flash cards, type
question, hit “Enter” on your
keyboard, then type the answer
and hit “Enter” on your keyboard.
Type as many as you want, but
don’t leave any blank lines
between the questions and
answers.
Edit the calendar associated with your
SchoolNotes page here.
This is the calendar edit screen
for your SchoolNotes page
which allows you to post a new
event to your calendar.
1. Select the date.
2. Select a title.
3. Enter a description (optional)
4. Select a start time and end
time (optional)
5. Click “Post” to post the event
to your SchoolNotes page
calendar or “cancel” to delete.
Edit the Teacher Plan Book associated
with your SchoolNotes page, click here.
Click arrow or “Week of
_____” to move calendar
backwards and forwards.
Click on small pencil icon to
add information to a
particular date
Note: The Teacher Plan Book is only
viewable when you are editing your
SchoolNotes page and is not published to
any SchoolNotes users.
“Edit Period” screen will pop up.
Type the event in the space
provided and click on “Save.”
Note, you can use the formatting
tool bar to format your text.
Event has been posted
To add a link:
1. If you prefer to have the web
address hidden, highlight the
text in the box.
2. Click on the “Link” icon.
-or-
2. If you want the link to show
up as an Internet address, place
your cursor in the appropriate
spot and click on the “link”
icon.
3. Either way, a pop-up window
will appear and you should type
in the URL (or copy and paste).
4. Type in what you want to
appear when the mouse is over
the link (web address or text
you selected.
5. Click “OK.”
6. Click “Save” in the “Edit
Period” pop-up box above.
The Link has been posted.
This is an example of a link
with a hidden URL.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! Make sure
you type in your password then click on
“Save” or “Save and Notify” before
exiting. “Notify” means send email
notification to anyone who has signed
up at your SchoolNotes page to be
notified when it is changed
GROUP ASSIGNMENT (SchoolNotes):
Goal: Edit your SchoolNotes page
1. Click “Edit Notes”
2. Complete the general information in the “Create/Edit Notes” Form and make
sure you also:
•
Provide a brief description about your class/school/department
•
Add two of your favorite links from your Gateway
•
Create at least two “Flashcards”
•
Add two items to your calendar
3. Individual Assignment: Based on your interest, select a curriculum topic
and build a resource area using SchoolNotes, specifically getting links from
the Curriculum Matrix and your Community Education Gateway. Share THE
results with your group.