Wiki Skins and Templates – 14th November 2012Objectives :1. Create a community using the class community creator2. Using the new wiki editor to create communities3. Adding media to community pages 4. Enter advanced editing mode5. Add additional pages to a community 6. Add navigation to a community

Objective 1: Create a community using the intuitive class community creator

Step 1: Log in as a teacher and click on the Administration tool box.

Step 2: Click on the ‘+’ of the Pupil Accounts file to open the sub-groups.

Step 3: Click on the [Actions] link on that row.

Step 4: Click on the ‘Create Community’ button.

Step 5: Select the theme of the community and the skin.

The class community has been created. The children have been added as members to the community and the teacher that created this community has automatically been added in as a leader.

Objective 2: Using the new wiki editor to create communities

Step 1: Click on the white box that says ‘Click to start designing the page.

Step 2: Select the type of skin you would like to use for your community.

Step 3: Select the layout of the community

• Blank – allows you to design your own layout for the community

• 1 Column - places all text, headings and pictures into the centre of the screen

• 2 Column – allows the user to place pictures/texts or any other piece of media either side of the screen

• 3 Column – the screen will be split into three columns allowing either pictures/texts or another piece of media to be placed into the community page

• Gallery – will allow the screen to display up to 4 images across the screen in a thumbnail format. This also allows the user to produce captions underneath the pictures as well.

• Newspaper – Creates the layout of a community to resemble a newspaper

Step 4: Using the templates that have been created, you can drag and drop the different fields into place making it very easy to select the appropriate layout for the information.

Underneath the text and photo fields you will be presented with the following icons.

Objective 3: Adding media

Add photosAdd media

Browse server

Insert content box

Step 1: Hover over the wiki area and click on the icon with the spanner.

Objective 4: Enter Advanced Editing Mode

Step 2a: To enter the advanced editing mode click on the ‘Advanced Page Design’.

Step 2b: To enter the page properties and set the navigation click on the ‘Page Properties’.

Step 2c: To clear the page quickly you can click on the ‘Clear Page’ button.

Objective 5: Add additional pages to a community

Step 1: Click on the spanner icon and then click on the ‘Page Properties’ button.

Step 2: To add pages click on the green + button.

Step 3: Type in the name of the page you would like then click on the green tick.

Objective 6: Add navigation to a community

Step 1: Click on the ‘Home’ button again and then select the ‘Centre’ from the drop down list on the Navigation field.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Breadcrumb’ drop down list and select Top.

Navigation set to the centre of the screen on the main page of your community.

Navigation set to the left of the screen on the sub-pages as well as the breadcrumb navigation.

Repeat steps in objective 2 to design this page.

Sports Clubs

Using the new ‘Sports’ wiki skin you can create a community for every sports clubs.

Set calendar reminders for upcoming sporting events, create a school blog detailing the results of school games or create a survey to gather pupil suggestions for future clubs and events.

Stars of the Week

Using the new ‘History’ wiki skin you can create a community to celebrate all pupil achievements over the week.

Add photographs, videos or examples of good work to encourage the children to achieve an award for the following week.

Astronomy Club

Using the new ‘Space’ wiki skin you can create a community to encourage extended learning at home by getting your pupils to analyse the night sky.

Adding photographs, videos or blogs allows pupils to record their ‘Star Watch’. This enables members to share and comment on each others findings.

Adding in pictures of the stars, nebulae and galaxies allows the children to confirm their findings in the blog.

Film Club

The new ‘Under the Sea’ wiki skin can be used in many ways. One example is for a school Film Club.

Pupils can blog their thoughts on the film (just like a book review) which acts as a perfect introduction to becoming a Film or TV Critic.

The calendar feature in this community can be used to inform pupils of the upcoming film titles which they will be reviewing.

School Newspaper

Using the new ‘Newspaper’ wiki skin and community template pupils and staff can report the news within the school and present it as a newspaper article.

With this community it may be an idea to set up a newspaper club with the pupils working as reporters and editors. Meaning that pupils can be responsible for managing the schools’ online newspaper.

The newspaper skin could also be used to encourage children to write creative newspaper articles in their Literacy topics. For example: • Writing for different audiences• Report writing • Reluctant readers and writers using our Dex & Becks

Community (available in the DB Hub package)