How to Repair Permissions on a Mac

Watch this video to see how to repair permission on your Mac computer.  Permissions is the tool your computer uses to know which programs are allowed to (or have permission to) access which files on your computer.  When an update to your operating system is installed, these permissions can get out-of-whack.  Therefore, after every large update, you should repair permissions.

How to Update your Software on a Mac

Watch this video to see how to update the software on your Mac computer.  Updates are available from software developers who have made their programs better in some way, which can lead to improved efficiency and faster speeds.  Software updates should be done at least once a month.

Create a Dropbox Account

Dropbox is a very useful tool for sharing large files.  It is a free service that allows you to upload and access files from any computer, anywhere, through your personal username and password.  In addition, if you install the app on your mobile device (phone, touch, iPad) or your laptop, Dropbox will keep all files synchronized.  Every change made in the file on your iPad will be automatically updated to your laptop and every other device.  

This sounds a lot like Google Apps, right?  Well there is a big difference.  The maximum size of any file you want to upload to Google Apps is 2MB.  The file size you upload to Dropbox is only limited to the amount of space you have in your Dropbox account.  You begin with 2GB of free storage and can get more space by inviting other people to get an account.

Here is a link to a handout on how to accept an invitation from someone to get a Dropbox account.

How to Configure Dropbox

Hiding Old Pages from Your Class Website

At this time of the year, it can be very helpful to simply hide the pages you used last year on your class website that either are obsolete information, but a useful reference for your planning for this year's site.  Keeping a page connected to your site, yet making it invisible to visitors is not as hard as you might think.  What you really need to understand is the way websites and all of its pages are organized and how a Navigation Sidebar works.

Here is a link to a document that shows you using text and static pictures how to see and understand your site's pages and how to manually manage the Navigation gadget in your website's sidebar.

Managing a Sites Pages and Navigation Gadget

If you would rather watch a screencast of me demonstrating the process, play the video below.

This is the video on how to set navigation to manual and choose which pages are accessible to the public on your site:

Click on this link to the YouTube video for a larger view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8seio7UeTsg

This is the video that demonstrates how to add a newly created page to the sidebar when automatic navigation is turned off.  Follow these directions to add links to pages and change their position in the list in the sidebar.

Here is the YouTube video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aj7KZZPNCk

I hope this helped.

Print a Class List with a Blank Grid from PCR

This screencast demonstrates how to access and print one of the multitude of pre-configured reports available to teachers in the Reports section of the Teacher Portal.

Again, I started talking before the computer could catch up!  Drat!  I'll get it right next time.

Send Emails to all Parents of Your Students from the Teacher Portal

This video demonstrates how to access all parents' current email addresses and send bulk emails, with or without attachments, through the Teacher Portal.

Sorry about the first couple of words being cut off!  Still fine tuning how to use Quicktime to record these screencasts.

How to Edit a Document When You Only Have VIEW Permissions

Sometimes documents are shared with you in Google Apps that you need to fill in and make the information available to others.  An example of this is the Google Doc that was shared with you for Summer Stipend Requests.  


To many people's surprise, they discover that they can not edit the request form and they find themselves scratching their head about how to fill it in.  If you have only been given "View" permission, then you must make a copy of the document so you can edit it.  By forcing you to make a copy of the document (giving you only "view" not "edit" permissions), the original document is maintained intact and other people cannot inadvertently change the form.


This is how you can make a copy of a view only document and then submit it by sharing your completed copy:

How to Arrange 2 windows side by side

This movie shows you how to arrange a window with the Teacher Portal Report Card window on the left side of your screen and put the Google Doc with the narrative comments on the left, each taking up only 1/2 the screen.  Click on the link below or hit play on the miniature movie.

Arranging Two Windows on a Screen

Make formatting in a Google Doc the same in a snap.

This video will show you how to use the Paint Format tool in Google Docs.  It allows you to visually pick a word or paragraph that is formatted the way you like and, using your cursor to highlight the other paragraphs or words, apply the same formatting to text in a variety of places in a document.

How to Use the Paint Format Tool

Log in to the Teacher Portal for Report Cards

The following video explains how to get to the Teacher Portal, from on-campus or off-campus, to work on student report cards.  This video focuses on:

• the web address and logging in as a teacher
• selecting Report Cards from the left sidebar
• setting the correct course so you can enter marks

Click on this link and watch the video:

Report Cards in LS: Logging in and Getting to Report Cards