I will try to answer your frequently asked questions here.
How do I add files to the Education Backpack?
Getting your work from school to home and back again has never been simpler. Just add your files to the Backpack following the steps below. Open the Education Backpack. Navigate through your backpack to the folder to which youd like to add a new file. Then, Click the Add File icon on the toolbar. A File Upload box will appear, asking you to select a file to upload to the Education Backpack. You will also see a yellow Final Destination box listing the folder to which the file will upload. If the destination is incorrect, click Cancel to return to the main Education Backpack screen. Click the Browse button to navigate to the file to be uploaded. Click Upload File, to begin uploading, or click Cancel, to stop the process and return to the Education Backpack screen. If you chose Upload File, the selected file will begin transferring to the Education Backpack. As the file is being uploaded, a moving white and blue bar graphic will chart the progress of your upload. When the transfer is complete, a copy of the file will appear in the Name column, along with its Size, Date and a blue circle R for renaming the file if you choose to. If you dont see the file in the list, click the Refresh button. Note: Wait until the file transfer is complete before closing the Education Backpack. If not, the file may not be loaded.Back to Top
Why did my file not change when I uploaded it?
You have to make sure you have saved you new file first. Let's say you opened your creative writing assignment to work on it at home. You finished it and want to save it for your teacher. You have to save the file AGAIN before you upload it. It is best if you save it to your desktop and rename it (I use 1, 2, 3, etc, to keep track).Back to Top
How do I "Save to the Desktop"?
Go to the Menu at the top of your screen. Select File and go down to Save As. When the window opens you need to select Desktop (you can use the drop down menu by the opening in the window). Give your file a new name. Now it is ready to upload to your Backpack.Back to Top
What do I do if I just can't get my Backpack to work?
1. You can save your project to a flash drive (see below). 2. Make an appointment with me and we'll go through it together. 3. Email it to your teacher. 4. Give me a call!Back to Top
A flash (or jump or thumb) drive is just like a 3.5 floppy only it holds a lot more information. Plug your flash drive into a USB port and wait for your computer to read it (Windows Xp computers work best). You can open My Computer to see it. When you see it you open it then you can copy things to or from it by dragging the file and "dropping" it into the window or on your desktop. I always test and open it from the flash drive before removing it.Back to Top
What kind of flash drive should I get?
If you are selecting a new flash drive you want to get one that is easy to use and is a large as you need. Some drives run $4.99 (Target, 64 MB, I think) and up to 1 GB, $75, You probably don't need more than 128 MB. Select one that has a long strap or keychain so you won't lose it!Back to Top
You may call 843-0109, ext. 316, or email me at dixon@saint-johns.net or technology@saint-johns.net.Back to Top
Why is my Photo Story text fuzzy?
Apparently the fonts are embedded in the photos. If your imported photo was small then there are not enough dpi (dots per inch) to create a clear photo and text. When you save a picture be sure to select a photo that is large enough. Open it before saving it.Try some of the sites on the Web Links page. (Look on the bottom right side.)Back to Top
How do I join the Technology Club?
Our Technology Club meets on Friday mornings at 7:30 in Room 201. All you have to do is turn in a ppermission form and come to Room 201! We will learn how to use all of the tech equipment we have.Back to Top
What new things are we going to learn this year?
My plans include photography, video taping, blogs, podcasting, wikis, web pages, PowerPoints, Photo Stories, and more. The sky is the limit!Back to Top