OnCourse

== =Parent Portal:= The district has a some guidelines on getting up and running to open the parent portal. [|You can find them here]. (http://cx2720vmimsprd2:8001/sites/Info/DCPSapps/Pages/ParentPortal.aspx). This is an intranet site the district operates and you will be asked to re-enter you dcps network username and password, perhaps multiple times.

Please, don't let this stress you. Get started on your web site and calendar and we will be here in the library workroom to support and help you and answer your questions.

Click on the discussion tab to ask questions now and view questions and answers already under discussion. = = =Sign up here: Teacher Webpage Checklist = See “Anatomy of a Teacher Webpage” for complete descriptions Homepage School Name Teacher Name School Phone Number General Information Teacher Phone Number Teacher Email Address Class(es) Name

Announcements Other Links Content or Subject Link Links to Support Pages Link to Compass/Odyssey (High School) Link to FCAT Explorer. Link to DCPS Home Page Link to School Web Page

Link to Events and Homework Calendar.

Making a Tiny URL point directly to your web page. (Thanks to Jessica Cumber)
This information might be useful to many faculty members. I discovered last night that our OnCourse websites are active right now, even though the parent portal is not. My husband showed me a website that would change our big, long OnCourse website url into a much smaller, more manageable url that can easily be given to the kids and parents. 1. go into OnCourse under the "My Website" Tab. There is a link in the top of the page next to the Design Assistant that says "Your website address (URL): http://dcps.oncoursesystems.com/school/webpage.aspx?id=782680" (this one is actually mine, yours will be slightly different). Right-click on the url (it's blue and underlined) and click on "Copy Link Location" in the menu. 2. go to tinyurl.com and paste the url into the box on the page. Click "Make TinyURL" and it will give you a new, shortened address that points to your OnCourse website. (for example, mine is http://tinyurl.com/lcmn67 ) The website design has been fairly painless, but if there's anyone that needs a little help, I can do it!

--Jess Cumber National Board Certified Chemistry Teacher Stanton College Preparatory School #153 Jacksonville, FL 32209 (904)630-6760 extension 178 cumberj1@duvalschools.org

=Browsers:= I tried to login to OnCourse today using the Internet Explorer browser and it wouldn't let me pass the dcps login screen. I have seen this problem with many of you, but it almost never happens for me. I usually use Firefox and realized that today I was using the Explorer browser for some reason. I opened up my FireFox browser and went to dcps.oncoursesystems.com, put in my username and password and it worked just fine !

If you would like to install Firefox as your browser you can do that on your own. I put the software (FireFox Setup.exe 3.5.2) in the S: share drive in a folder called "Software Library). Double click on it and choose run to install.

Saving Grades:
Janet Hall and others have mentioned that they would like to see a save feature for adding grades. Currently, there is no option to do that. Now, after you enter and grade and press tab or enter the grade is automatically saved.