Getting the most from Kaleidos VTLE

1. This presentation will focus on two important areas to enable you to get the best out of Kaleidos: Getting the most from Kaleidos VTLE • Content • Synchronisation

2. Content for Kaleidos VTLE Content is key to making Kaleidos VTLE both useful and useable Content needs to be exciting, and engaging to appeal to students

3. RM-produced Content Content Partner Programme Other 3rd Party Content Web-based Resources Home-grown Resources Content for Kaleidos VTLE The content you use in Kaleidos can come from a number of sources:

4. RM-produced Content MathsAlive DiscoverAlive Easiteach

5. Approx 30 signed Partners Over 65 released Content Packs, including: Boardworks: KS3&4 cross curricular Channel 4: KS3 science and geography Helicon Publishing: KS1-4 reference material Hodder Murray: KS3&4 maths and science Immersive Education: KS2&3 Kar2ouche content Oxford University Press: KS3 science Nelson Thornes: KS2&3 cross curricular Sunflower: KS3 science Content Partner Programme Content Packs

6. Content Examples Please visit www.rm.com/kaleidos/content

7. Should load and play in some form May not display user friendly structure e.g. simple collection of resources, or … one resource per pack May not allow full searching of resources will not be tagged to curriculum objectives keyword searching may be limited These issues apply to all VLEs Therefore, we recommend content from Publishers with this logo: Content - Other Published SCORM Content

8. A Kaleidos VTLE resource can be built around a URL Can still be tagged, assigned, searched for Changes made to the website will be reflected in Kaleidos The resource will be accessible out of school Learning Object Repositories Available in the next Kaleidos VLE version 3 3rd party web-based subscription services, eg BBC Jam - RM is working to make about 250 packs freely available to schools Content - Web-Based Resources

9. A Kaleidos VTLE resource can be created from any existing file Powerpoint, Word, Easiteach, HTML, … (NB: viewer software needed on each PC) As much or as little tagging as desired Resources can be: Structured in folders Shared between users Searched for Built into courses Assigned to students Content - Home-Grown Resources

10. A Kaleidos resource can link to a file on a school network - to use a large multimedia file (eg DVD) - to access a file that is frequently updated - avoids duplicating the resource (NB this type of resource cannot be accessed across the internet) Content - Home-Grown Resources

11. Importing home-grown resources one at a time can be very time-consuming Therefore, it is recommended to download and use BITT (Bulk Import & Tagging Tool) Content – Getting theBest out of Kaleidos

12. Allows users to import a number of resources in one go Import a complete folder or folders You may retain or discard the folder structure Users can automatically create a course Full tagging capability Tags applied to multiple resources at once No tagging option Users can elect not to add tags Keywords are created from file, and folder names, as well as the Kaleidos importer’s username Needs only 30 secs. of user time Content - BITT(Bulk Import & Tagging Tool)

13. Teachers resources already sit in folders on hard drive

14. BITT – screen shots Step 1 of 3

15. BITT – screen shots Step 2 of 3

16. BITT – screen shots Step 3 of 3

17. The folder structure and resources are imported into Kaleidos and a course created

18. The course is ready to use

19. BITT has now started to be rolled out Check the RM website for details of its availability: www.RM.com/support Select: “Knowledge Library”. Open the “Educational Software” directory, then “Kaleidos”, finally select “Utilities for Kaleidos VTLE v2.1” for an update Recommended Best Practice with BITT: Break down importing resources into small chunks to avoid lengthy synchronisation This will benefit both the BITT user and other users when they next logon. Content - BITT

20. Bought-in content: meets the needs; is professionally produced; has far more time spent on it than teachers can spend; costs money; teachers have to get to know the product Home-grown content: already exists; costs less; teachers are familiar with it; requires time to create VTLE resource with tagging etc for sharing; does not have the professional finish Content - choices

21. To get going use bought-in content gives a quick start, with early ‘wins’ helps you understand what works and what you need Then import your own resources use familiar resources don’t import everything make use of your existing resources Content - Recommendation

22. This is at the heart of one of the key features of Kaleidos: the ability for users to work offline. Anytime, anywhere without internet or network connection This feature distinguishes Kaleidos from other similar products. The following diagram shows how the various options link together… Synchronisation

23. Kaleidos: how different computers exchange data RM Datacentre Must be connected to the internet to work. Synchronises with RM Synchronises with RM through the Internet Synchronises with RM when connected to the Internet School Server Student Thin Client Must be connected to the Internet to work (also applies to student use at home) Mobile Client (laptop, home PC) Can be used anywhere without any internet or network connection. (also applies when Mobile Client is used at school) School Network Clients Data available across network instantly

24. Synchronising - Scenarios Teacher on a Mobile Client Teacher on a Network Client Changes to Shared Area Changes to My Area For work to be available on other Network Clients For work to be available on Mobile/ Thin Clients Synchronises with RM Datacentre when connected to the internet All work is immediately available Synchronisation takes place on log out Students can now access assignments from home Available on N/wk Client: When this teacher logs in on a Network Client Available on N/wk Client: When next user logs in on a Network Client All work is now available remotely No synchronisation required

25. Recommended Best Practice: If teacher and students are on Network Clients no synchronisation is necessary. So, to assign work to be done in school, it is better for the teacher to be on a Network Client. Always put courses or resources that need to be shared with any other teachers or students in the Shared Area rather than My Area. Get into the habit of logging on to Kaleidos on a Network Client PC as soon as possible after having worked on a Mobile Client. This will force synchronisation of My Area to occur. Synchronisation for Mobile Clients

26. When a new mobile client is added to an existing installation there could be a lot of material to be synchronised, eg resources, tests, tasks etc. This means the very first logon can take a long time. Recommended Best Practice: For new mobile clients perform their first logon well before they will be used. First Logon to a New Mobile Client

27. The first Kaleidos logon of the day is sometimes slower than subsequent logons because changes to the Shared Area made by Mobile Client users since the last synchronisation have to be synchronised. This may noticeably affect only the first user in the whole school to log on, especially after weekends or holidays. Recommended Best Practice: Perform a Kaleidos logon as early in the day as possible, so that any synchronisation of the Shared Area will complete before Kaleidos is used in a classroom. First School Logon of the Day

28. When a resource is copied to My Area or Shared Area, a duplicate of that resource is created and the link to the original is broken. This applies to: resources copied from My Area or Shared Area; resources copied from the Search results pane. This means that if large resources are copied, disk space will be consumed and synchronisation will take longer. Adding a resource to a course does not make a copy. A course is not like a folder holding lots of files – it is a list that points to the required resources. Recommended Best Practice: Only ever have ONE copy of a resource in Kaleidos. Use courses to employ the same resource for multiple purposes. Synchronisation – Copies of Resources

29. How much of a school's digital resources should be imported from the network file system into the Kaleidos VTLE datastore? Recommended Best Practice: Files from the school network system should only be imported into Kaleidos when it is certain that they will need to be delivered and assigned using Kaleidos. Only add resources you know you will use in courses. This helps to minimise the time for synchronisation. Synchronisation – Copies of Resources

30. If teacher and students are on Network Clients no synchronisation is necessary. So, to assign work to be done in school, it is better for the teacher to be on a Network Client. Always put courses or resources that need to be shared with other teachers or students in the Shared Area rather than My Area. Log on to Kaleidos on a Network Client PC as soon as possible after having worked on a Mobile Client. This will force synchronisation of My Area to occur. Perform a Kaleidos logon as early in the day as possible, so that any synchronisation of the Shared Area will complete before Kaleidos is used in a classroom. For new Mobile Clients perform their first logon well before they will be used. Files from the school network system should only be imported into Kaleidos when it is certain that they will need to be delivered and assigned using Kaleidos. Only ever have ONE copy of a resource in Kaleidos. Use courses to employ the same resource for multiple purposes. Recommended Best Practice: