Coming soon

Last week we showed you how to use Exercises in Learn to create and manage homework assignments and more. These are a great tool, and using some basic built-in Jotter functionality, we’ll soon be able to extend it to make it even better. Note that, while you can set this system up now, it won’t be enabled fully until an update in a couple of weeks, which we’ll make you aware of!
First of all, for this to work best we recommend setting up a dedicated Learn page for homework and assignments – if all the objects are on the same page it’ll be easier overall to find and manage them. So, following the advice from last week, fill up a page with assignments.
Make sure the due dates are properly filled out!

Once you’ve filled out your page, it’ll look something like the above image. It’s a bit busy, and there’s the problem of students being able to submit homework before it’s even been properly set! We’re going to need to hide these, which Jotter can do automatically for us!
In Edit mode, click on the Exercise (this also works for any other object in Learn, Site or ePortfolio) and you’ll see three icons pop up in the top right. You’ll probably be familiar with these, as they let you move or delete objects.

Click on the cog in the middle to bring up the Advanced Settings – don’t worry, there’s nothing that advanced here! Choose the date you’d like the homework to be set and enter it into the “Date visible from” box. You can also set an expiry date if you want, but note that after this time students will no longer be able to see their feedback.
And that’s literally all there is to it! As the term goes on, the new items will appear for students to submit homework and exercises to, without you having to lift a finger.
Please note – this is a preview of an upcoming feature (time-sensitive content) not yet available in Jotter Learn.
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If you’re a School Jotter customer, or if you visited our stand at the BETT Show you may have already heard the news – or even seen an early mock up – but our flagship primary school product is changing.

School Jotter, currently on version 2, is used by more primary schools than any other school website system available. Teachers like how easy it is to use, and the attractive websites that we can create for them. Administering their website is simple and takes minutes, and means updating and maintaining the school’s website becomes a joy rather than a chore.

Because of this, we didn’t really want to change the way that the School Jotter system itself works. So, the changes that are taking place are more around the actual dashboard – the first screen you see when you log in.
Now, if you use School Jotter, your school’s website can integrate with your e-learning. The new dashboard – the Jotter Suite as it has been named – is now home to a range of apps, with more being developed all the time. The first apps, to be officially launched on Wednesday, 26th February, will be Jotter Learn and School Merits.
Jotter Learn allows teachers to create department and classroom websites – giving them a secure online location to assign work, and provide an information resource for pupils. These ‘learning sites’ can be created to support any subject or assignment.
Jotter Learn also allows resources and lesson plans to be shared between schools, with the aim of building a ‘School Jotter community.’
The School Merits app allows pupils to be rewarded online. Teachers can bulk assign classes and year groups with ‘merits’ – an online currency which pupils can use to build avatars and donate to charity. Teachers can track progress through online reporting and parents can see how well their child is doing in school.
Other, smaller apps that will be launched at the same time include Blog, and Messages; We’re expecting Blog to be particularly popular, as more and more schools are using blogs to improve written English skills.
Later this month, you could win the full Jotter Suite, including School Jotter, Jotter Learn, School Merits and Blog for one year! Every school that takes part in our launch event will be entered into a draw to win this prize, worth around £4,000. To stand a chance of winning, simply:

• Sign up to our launch webinar at 3.45pm on 26th February

Here, you’ll see the new Jotter Suite in more detail via an online presentation

Or:

• Attend our launch event at 4.15pm on 26th February at Webanywhere HQ, Keighley

Here, you’ll get to see the new Jotter Suite in more detail, enjoy an alcoholic beverage with us, and grab a bite to eat

For more information about the launch, to book a demo at your school, or to request a digital brochure, simply email info@webanywhere.co.uk.