Blackboard Basics, Part 1

1.  Getting Started! (Course = Web Site)

A.  Starting Blackboard

  1. Sign on to the network
  2. Start Internet Explorer
  3. At the Reedy Creek website, click on the blackboard icon.

B.  Signing on to Blackboard

  1. At the Welcome screen, type your Username: (email ID)
  2. Type your password
  3. Click Login or press Enter.

C.  Changing your password

  1. Click on the Course Sites tab before you enter your course.
  2. On the left hand side, under Tools, click Personal Information.
  3. Click on Change Password
  4. Type your new password in the Password box.
  5. Type your new password again in the Verify Password box.
  6. Click Submit
  7. Click OK to return to the Course Sites page.
  8. Click on the Blackboard 7.2 at WCPSS tab. This is the screen you will see when you login to Blackboard.

2.  Accessing your Course (Web site)

A.  My Courses

1.  Scroll down the right side and look for My Courses.

2.  Look under Courses you are teaching for your course name.

3.  There should be a course named, New Blank Course. (Don’t worry about it being available). Click on it to open it.

4.  You are now looking at your Blackboard site (course). Your site opens up automatically at the Announcements page.

3.  Control Panel, Course Options, Settings

A.  Course Name and Description

  1. Click on the Control Panel
  2. Look under Course Options
  3. Click on Settings
  4. On the Settings page, click on Course Name and Description.
  5. Type a Course Name and Description (Example: Technology Tidbits)
  6. Subject Area: Education
  7. Discipline: General

viii.  Click Submit

  1. Click OK

B.  Course Availability

  1. Click on Course Availability
  2. Make Course Available: Yes
  3. Click on Submit.
  4. Click OK.

C.  Guest Access – Control Panel, Settings

  1. Click on Guest Access
  2. Allow Guests: Yes
  3. Click on Submit
  4. Click OK

D.  Course Duration – Control Panel, Settings

  1. Click on Course Duration
  2. Click Select Dates, (Enter Start and End Dates)
  3. Click on Submit
  4. Click OK

E.  Skip Enrollment Options! WCPSS does not want you to make any changes to the Enrollment options.

F.  Categorize Course - Control Panel, Settings

  1. Click on Categorize Course
  2. Add category: Choose Reedy Creek (under elementary schools) and a subcategory such as 3rd Grade or Specialists.
  3. Click OK

G.  Set Course Entry Point – Control Panel, Settings

  1. Click on Set Course Entry Point
  2. Notice the entry point is set to Announcements. That’s what you want people to see when they enter your site.
  3. Click Submit.
  4. Click OK.

4.  Let’s Change Your Menu Buttons!

A.  Course Design – Control Panel, Course Design – Here is where you will set your button styles.

  1. Click on Course Menu Design
  2. Select your choices.

iii.  Click Submit

  1. Click OK.

5.  Control Panel, Course Tools

A.  Announcements – Announcements are the messages that someone sees when they open your course (web site). Make sure you are on the Control Panel page.

  1. Look under Course Tools. Click on Announcements.
  2. Click Add Announcement.
  3. Type the Subject
  4. Type the Message
  5. Select your Options. (You will most likely select Yes to Always show this announcement, because you can delete it off your announcement page when you no longer want it to be posted.)
  6. Leave Course Link and E-Mail Announcement blank.
  7. Click Submit
  8. Click OK.

B.  Staff Information – If you are creating a Web page for your entire grade or department, you might want to create a folder and then place your individual staff profiles in the folder.

  1. Click on Staff Information
  2. Click on +Profile
  3. Profile Information: Complete the desired sections. Under notes is where you’ll type your message about yourself.
  4. Options: Make the Profile Available: Yes.
  5. Click Submit.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Click Modify if you need to change your staff information. Otherwise, click OK to return to the Control Panel page.

6.  Control Panel, Course Options, Manage Course Menu – This allows you to customize the navigation menu area of your course site. For example, you may only want the following navigation buttons to show and in this order: Announcements, Assignments, Handouts, Book Lists, Web Sites, and Staff Information.

A.  Manage Course Menu

  1. Under Course Options, click Manage Course Menu
  2. First remove the navigation buttons you don’t want. Click Remove. OK.
  3. Next modify any navigation buttons you don’t want. Click Remove, make your changes, OK.
  4. To add a Content Area navigation item, click +Content Area
  5. Type a Name in the box under the box with the drop down arrow.
  6. Click in the box to place a check in Allow guest access.

vii.  Click in the box to place a check in Available for Student/Participant Users.

  1. Click Submit.
  2. Click OK.

********* To create a navigation button with the Reedy Creek Elementary Web Site:

1.  Click Control Panel, Manage Course Menu

2.  Click +External Link

3.  Name: Reedy Creek Elem.

4.  URL: http://reedycreekes.wcpss.net/

5.  Click in the box to place a check in Open in a new window.

6.  Click in the box to place a check in Allow guest access.

7.  Click in the box to place a check in Available for Student/Participant Users.

8.  Click Submit.

9.  Click OK.

B.  Ordering your Navigation Buttons

  1. Click Control Panel, Manage Course Menu
  2. Your navigation buttons should be listed in numerical order. To change the order, click on the navigation item’s down arrow and select the number of the order you want it to appear. It automatically re-arranges the other navigation buttons.
  3. Click OK.