Supervisors, View Staff Transcripts

If you supervise staff and need to see points transcripts, you have that option through the "Manager" section, now with added functionality thanks to Jim Mc.! (If you don't see "Manager" when you sign in but want that option, let us know.)

After you sign into your PDP Toolbox account, click "Manager," then click a School/Group, then click a staff name. You should see the "Staff Preferences" page. Look next to "Staff Preferences:" for the "View Transcript..." link. Click.

By default the Transcript page lists current, approved points. To see learning activities available for points, pending points, or old points, uncheck the "Approved" and "Current" checkboxes after "Show:" and click the "Update" button. (Look next to the "Transcript of Points:" label for these.)

Jay @ Greenbush.

Add Files to Group Activity Notifications

Do you set up Group Activities? Have you ever wanted to include an agenda or flyer? Jessica K. did, said she did, and now, you can!

What happens is, if you add a file to a Group Activity, a link to the file is added to the e-mail that goes out for that activity AND those invited to the activity can download the file from the Group Activity details page in their PDP Toolbox account.

To add a file to a Group Activity, first, sign into the PDP Toolbox and navigate to a new Group Activity.

New Group Activity

Scroll down a bit and look for the box labeled "Resources," right under the Staff box.

Mac Upload Resources

Here, on Mac, click the "Choose File" button to open a file browser dialog box.

PC Upload Resources

And on PC, click the "Browse..." button to do the likewise. Find the file, select it, and click "Open." When you Announce or save the Group Activity the file is uploaded and made available to invitees.

Hey, the thought occurs this is a great way to distribute professional development material, sort of a virtual in-service. Just make a new Group Activity, attach some reading material, give a couple weeks to accomplish, and send it out. After the "activity date" passes, the activity becomes an opportunity to request points. How's that?

Jay @ Greenbush.

Supervisor—Evidence/Reflection Overview Now Available

Supervisors now have the option to view their certified staff points activities, including evidence and reflection. Just ask, and once the role is added to your account, and after the next time you sign in, you should see the "Points Review" link among your other roles.

Administrative Roles Page

Click "Points Review" to load the Points Review page. (Brilliant.)

List of staff points activities including evidence and reflection.

You should see a list of approved points activities sorted by activity date. There may be more points activities than comfortably fit on the page. If so, click "Next >" in the yellow page navigation bar to view more activities. You can alternatively sort the list by staff, activity, or date requested if you like. (Click the column header.)

If, like Linda S., you think this will help, contact Ginger, the program coordinator, and ask her to add the "Points Review" role to your account.

Jay @ Greenbush.

Send Group Activity Reminders to Individuals!

When you view your list of Group Activities you now have the option to edit, remove and remind staff regarding a particular activity. Click the "Edit (#)" link under the "# Attend." column in the row of the activity you want to affect.

Group Activities List

You should see a page that looks something like the one below. Staff you've already included in this activity are highlighted in yellow, and if you roll your cursor over each row you will get the options to Remove this activity from, or send a reminder e-mail to, that particular account.

Group Activity Attendees Edit Screen

For example, as is depicted in the screenshot above, the cursor is highlighting "Wantsome Points." If "Remove" is clicked, then "Wantsome Points" is removed from the attendees list and this Group Activity no longer appears in that account under "Upcoming Activities" or, if the date of the activity has passed, under "Points" for a points request.

And here's a video demo:



Jay @ Greenbush.

Teaching License Term Not Set Alert

Krystal was the latest PDP Toolbox participant to report some people were not getting Group Activity requests in their PDP Toolbox Points list. Turns out they did not have their Teaching License Term set, so the points activity appeared to be outside the current period (0 in length). This was not the first time this happened and a quick database query showed there were many others that do not have their Teaching License Term set.

So, to help bring this to the attention of those who may not be aware of it, an alert was added to the PDP Toolbox Activities page in case the term is not set:

Notice the yellow box just below the "PDP Toolbox: Staff" header? In red is written, "Teaching licence Term not set!"

To remedy, go to "Your Preferences" and set the "Term" in the "Teaching License" box.

Jay @ Greenbush.

Manager—Printer Friendly Staff Transcript

In the Manager section, the staff transcript page now includes a "printer friendly" option. To use, click the "Printer Friendly" link in the upper right corner of the transcript page. A lean version of the page should load and open a print dialog box. When finished printing, click the "Return" link (where the Printer Friendly link was) to return the page to normal mode. Thanks, Dan D., for the trouble report and suggestion.

Jay @ Greenbush.

PE Standards Added to Points Request

A list of the 13 Professional Education Standards, shown here:

http://www.pdptoolbox.org/staff/common/category_definitions.html

...are now available for selection on a points requests. If you click the "Prof. Ed." option under "Category" a form select list element appears containing the standards.

After the request is submitted for approval, the selected standard shows up in the PDC Member section as "PE Standard:", followed by the standard # selected, along with the rest of the points request information.

Thanks, Dee, for bringing this to our attention.

Jay @ Greenbush.

Program Updates Here!

After several requests for program development "heads up"s (thank you all for your patience, and thank you Becky G. for the latest), the thought came to mind a blog may be an effective tool for keeping you up-to-date with tweaks, changes, additions, and major surgery. :)

It seems the blog will also provide a way to explain the purpose and how to use the announced update, and give you a feedback mechanism (your feedback drives the PDP Toolbox!).

So be it!

Jay @ Greenbush.