If you prefer a printable version, here is the PDF file.

How to record your Audio Homework ONLINE (Oct 10, 2010)
 
In the old days, teachers assigned reading homework, but there was no way of knowing if their students completed it. Class time is just too short for giving every student enough time to read or speak, and correct their pronunciations. Well, this is why online audio record can help. With this function, students can speak to the microphone on the computer, and once the recording is finished, it just takes a click to transfer the audio homework to the teacher.

Before you use this function, make sure to:
1.       Use student’s account instead of parent’s account. Student’s accounts are automatically created when the parent adds students into the family profile. The username of students account are usually looks like [yourusername]_1, [yourusername]_2, etc. The password is randomly created so parents SHOULD assign a password for them.
2.       Must have a Microphone
3.       Suggested to use Windows OS instead of MAC, etc.
 

Simple steps:
1.       Login as STUDENT, click on the class, and then the lesson in which the homework is assigned:
              

2.       Click on the homework
             

3.       You will see this:
            

4.       After clicking on “Allow”, you will see this:
             
        There are four buttons:
         -            : Record
         -           : Stop
         -          : Play (so you know the quality of the recording is, and decide if you want to record again J)
         -           : Submit button. Before you record, the button is grey. After record, it will turn yellow, which means the audio is ready to send.

5.       After you click the “Submit” button, you can wait for an email notice saying that the teacher has reviewed your homework. The next time you go back to the homework page, you can see “Homework Finished” and the teacher’s comments:
                 

6.       You can read teacher’s comments.

7.       Teachers can leave you a voice comment too!
           In that case, you will see . Simply click on it, and listen to what teacher has to say.

Online Audio Homework开始使用3个月后，不少班级的完成率已经比较稳定持续在50%，这得益于老师们的辛勤劳动和家长们的大力配合。同时我们注意到高年级的完成情况和作业的布置情况相较低年级来得差些。通过和老师们的交流，大概看到有这些几个想法：
1. 高年级的课本很长，读一遍文章需要很长时间，孩子们不喜欢
2. 高年级的训练重点是写作，口语是低年级和中年级的训练重点
3. 老师们已经在高年级课堂中增加了不少的口语的训练，交互式的课堂管理中引入大量的学生的参与和发言机会，这些是不是已经足够了。

我想从这样几个方面说明一下：

盛萌高年级的教学的目标（Grade5 + )

按照教材的设计，在五年级以前学生们掌握的汉字的数目已经是接近800字，在此基础上展开语言的运用。运用不仅仅是指写作，我们还看重（可能更看重）学生们的口头语言表达和组织能力。这是基于我们对于学生整体能力的掌握和针对学生DailySchool中的不足设计出的目标。
中文学校教学除了教中文外，应该还可以覆盖Daily School中的一些不足，例如给学生更多的口头表达上的训练，并让学生们学会如何改进自己的语言组织能力。

学生们的口头语言能力

我们使用的马力平老师的课本中并没有非常强调读和说的能力，是基于教材的设计对象为有中文背景的家庭。但是即便是在这样的家庭中，学生们的语言表达也还是不可能由家庭的环节去辅助完成，尤其是进入高年级后，学生们将完成从字，词，句到章节，文章的升级。更何况所有的学生的语言的大环境还是英文。对于口头表达的训练事实上在高年级只会是更有必要。

Online Audio HomeWork的作用

- Online的AudioHomework可以是课堂讲演的延伸。可以要求学生们将课外的准备录下来。培养他们的Professional的做事意识。
- OnlineHomework可以要求学生限定时间，从而使得他们可以思考如何在有限的时间内将一个问题讲清楚，讲明白。
- 课堂时间有限，课外的Homework的录音可以使更多的孩子得到训练的机会。老师们应该坚持对孩子们的Audio作业评判，从而激发学生们的持续完成作业的热情和习惯

To write a blog is very easy. Here you will learn how to write, and how to include a picture into your blog.

You need to log into school web site first.

Part I: Write Blog ABC

1. Select "Write Article" from "MyTools"
2. Select "Add Blog"
3. Make sure to select the name of the Blog
    We have 3 Blog categories:
    - School Blog: Mainly by teachers and school admins
    - Parent Blog :
    - Student Blog : You will see some students post homework here.
4. Make sure to write a title
5. Write and Save

    

Part-II Advanced knowledge:

1. How to Post a Picture

   1.1 Find the "Insert Pitcure" Button from the toolbars
       

    1.2 Upload a picture, please notice you need to select "Upload" first, and then browse and select file, and "Send to Server"
         

   1.3 Simply click on "OK", you will see the pciture in your Blog.
         

2. How to move, adjust the size of picture:

    Select the picture in the edit window, and do whatever you used to do in Microsoft Wrod, resize it, or drag-and-drop the picture to a new position.

3. Move a blog from one category to another:

    First, please read the FAQ #1 below and understand the differnce between a blog and an article.
    Notice that youcan only move from one blog to another, you can not move the articles from one category to another.
    Go to "Article Mange" under "MyTools". All files you wrote should be there. Click on the one you want to move and enter into edit mode. There you can change the category.
   
     

4. Modify my Blog

    Go to "Article Mange" under "MyTools". All files you wrote should be there. Click on the one you want to edit.
    Make sure to save your blog or article before you leave.

FAQs:

1. What is the difference between "Write Blog" and "Write Article"?

    Blog once is saved, will be published online immediately so every visitors to school web site will see it.
    Article, will be reviewed by school first before publish.

2. Can not find my article

    PLease go to "Article Manage" under "MyTools". All files you wrote should be here, click on any of the article to edit them.