Spanish Course Technologies Web Calendar – middle school content supplement to the WVLearns online course. – web interface for access.k12.wv.us Voice mail (Wimba) – for use only with Spanish courses Java & Flash required throughout courses

Web Calendar – Starting Point Schedule of daily activities Link to WVlearns.k12.wv.us server Technical Information / Requirements Link to Web Mail for access.k12.wv.us Instructions for typing Spanish characters Password protected to prevent public access

Calendar URL Choose weekly calendar for 1a or 1b Several weeks view available to plan ahead Login username = spanish (lower case) Login password = hola

Web Mail for access.k12.wv.us accounts Link to this is on the Spanish calendar Students can use at school, home, anywhere No computer configuration required Messages can be saved as web page Saves outgoing messages in SENT folder. Manually delete unwanted messages 50 megabytes of message storage

USB Microphone High quality voice recordings are essential (Any microphone that records phone quality or better is sufficient. ) USB microphones work well on all computers, independent of the sound card Labtec Verse 704 produces the quality necessary on every computer tested No software drivers required for installation with Windows XP and Windows Vista.

USB Microphone in Windows XP Plug it in…The installation process usually produces no screens requiring user intervention. Installation is automatic. After hard drive activity stops, check the Sound and Audio Devices in the Control Panel Verify the USB microphone is successfully installed by the presence of AK 5370 voice recording device

XP Sound and Audio Devices In Control Panel When using the USB microphone, the default voice recording device must be set as shown. (Playback device will vary according to computer.)

To Get to Recording Settings, Double click the Volume Icon on the Taskbar. The volume control shows the playback settings by default. To see the settings for recording; Click Options Select Properties

Wimba Files Wimba consists of several Java applications. On the first access of each Wimba application, certain files are downloaded. Required files are stored at c:\wimba There is no installation process and Wimba does NOT appear in the control panel listing of software that has been installed.

Wimba Samples Select Technical Information Select Sound Tests Click on each Wimba sample to force copying of required files to c:\wimba DeepFreeze should be disabled during this initial Wimba configuration.

Check Always trust content from Wimba or click the Always button so this screen does not continually reappear.

Troubleshooting Java? Make sure Internet Explorer is checked here. Internet Explorer is the browser to use for the Spanish courses.

Voice Recording Students must speak clearly and with normal volume voice No mumbling Background noise is a greater problem when student speaks too softly Microphone volume tries to automatically adjust Dont cut yourself off at beginning or end Microphone 6-10 away and 1-2 to either side Listen to recording before posting, re-record if quality is poor

Voice Mail and Voice Boards Voice Mail is accessed from a link in the Spanish course.Voice Mail Voice Mail is for private teacher – student interacation

very good sound quality acceptable; can be better. poor, unsatisfactory absolutely unacceptable Examples of Sound Recordings

very good sound quality acceptable; can be better. More Examples of Sound Recordings

Links to sample Wimba applications are available on the technical support section at These samples are useful to test the ability of a computer to run Wimba applications and also to force the installation of some Wimba files when Deep Freeze is turned off. Click on every sample to make sure all required Wimba files are downloaded.

Recording on Voice Boards Do not attempt to login, leave these lines blank. Use your Spanish name and school as your screen name so you get credit for the recordings you post.

Steps for Voice Recording 1.Think about what you are going to say. 2.Position the microphone about 6 away and slightly to the left or right. 3.Click the round red record button. 4.Begin speaking. 5.Finish speaking. 6.Press the black square stop button. 7.Press the triangle playback button to check the sound quality. Record again if necessary. 8.Type a meaningful subject and any text. 9.Click the Send button to post to the voice board.

General Audio Troubleshooting Speakers plugged into audio output / headphone connection? Speakers plugged into power and turned on? Master volume and Wave volume turned up and not muted? Microphone connected correctly and turned on (if on/off switch is present) Correct recording (USB microphone) device is selected and not muted? Is the audio problem limited to Wimba only? Do other audio applications work properly?

Network Troubleshooting Can the Spanish calendar on the WVDE Web calendar be seen? Can the student get to the WVLearns web site? Are problems limited to one computer or affecting all Spanish students?

Quick Response This Virtual School course relies on computers and the network. There is no textbook alternative. Escalate problem to WVDE if not resolved quickly. No more than two consecutive classes can be lost to technological problems.