New to ManageBac+? Top 10 tips for getting your school started

At a glance

Getting started

Tip 1: Get students started with the ManageBac+ app

Students can see their tasks and discussions, and add to their portfolio, from a phone or tablet. This is a good option for students without a computer at home.

1. Download the appStudents download the app from the ManageBac+ mobile page.
2. Sign inThey enter the email address linked to their ManageBac+ account, then their password, and select Sign In.

More: Using the ManageBac+ mobile app.

Tip 2: Save time with the Quick Add button

The + Quick Add button at the top of the page, next to the search box, takes you straight to common actions. For teachers and admins these include starting or scheduling an online lesson, creating a unit planner, adding an assessment task, adding a lesson experience, creating a discussion, adding resources and adding a goal to a student's portfolio.

Choose an item, then select the class from the list of classes you belong to.

More: Using the Quick Add and Lite Menu tools.

Tip 3: Find anything with search

The search box at the top of every page searches your whole account. You can find year groups, classes and groups, the units you contribute to, and anyone in your school directory: students, parents and teachers.

Communicating with your community

Tip 4: Post class and year group discussions

Class discussions

Use class discussions to message a class, its students' parents, or both.

1. Start a discussionGo to the class, open Discussions and select Create Discussion.
2. Write itAdd a Topic, choose a Category if you use them, and write the body.
3. Choose who is notifiedUnder Additional Options: Notify members via E-mail emails the class's students and teachers, Notify parents via E-mail emails their parents, and Private Discussion makes it visible only to teachers and the author (with no email).
4. Post itSelect Create Discussion.

Year group discussions

Use year group discussions to reach every student in a grade or programme. Go to Year Groups, select the year group, open Discussions and select Create Discussion. The options are the same as for a class, plus Additional Year Groups, where you can also post to other year groups or whole programmes.

Tip 5: Message parents through the Parents Association

For parent-only messages, such as newsletters and school-wide announcements, post in the Parents Association.

1. Start a discussionGo to Parents Association > Discussions and select Create Discussion.
2. Write itAdd a topic and use the editor to add text, files or images.
3. Choose the audienceUnder Additional Year Groups, tick whole programmes or single year groups.
4. Choose the optionsNotify members via E-mail emails the parents and teachers in the group. Private Discussion makes it visible only to teachers and the author.
5. Post itSelect Create Discussion.

Teaching and learning

Tip 6: Add tasks for students

Tasks let students review what they have learned or work on new content on their own. Go to the class, open Tasks and select Add Task.

• Task Details: the title, the unit it belongs to, the due date and time (which decides early or late submissions, where the task appears on the class calendar and which gradebook term it falls in), the category, the type (for example Summative or Formative) and instructions for students. Admins set up categories and types in programme settings; teachers can adjust categories for a class.
• Assessment Options: these depend on the programme.
• Submission Type: choose Coursework Submission to collect students' work on the task.
• Additional Options: save the task as a draft, or tick Notify via E-mail to email students.

Select Create Task, or Create and Add Another Task to start the next one. Published tasks show for students and parents straight away.

Students open the task from their class's Tasks tab, or from My Workspace > Tasks & Deadlines, then upload their work in the Dropbox.

• Adding, sharing and grading tasks
• Viewing tasks and submitting coursework (students)

Tip 7: Share resources in units

Each unit has a Lessons & Resources tab where teachers build a bank of learning resources for students. You need to create the unit first.

• Add Resource adds files, links, videos and more. Use Link with Lesson to attach a resource to a lesson.
• Add Lesson (Add Lesson Experience in Quick Add) plans daily or weekly lessons, so students can find the resources for each one. Import Lesson(s) brings in lessons you have already made.

Students and parents see shared resources in their own accounts, so there is no need to send them separately.

More: Sharing unit resources with students.

Tip 8: Give feedback on students' work

1. Open the taskGo to the class, open Gradebook and select the task. The Task Gradebook shows every student, and changes save automatically.
2. AssessGive feedback using the assessment set for the task, such as points, criteria, comments or binary. Options vary by programme.
3. Choose what families seeStudents and parents see results as you enter them. Use Show Task Results to control whether results are visible, and Send Grades Notification to email them once you have finished.

For detailed feedback, open a submission in the Annotation Tool. It shows the students on the left, the student's file in the middle for annotating, and the assessment and comment on the right. Students see your annotations and comments on the task.

More: Annotating student work.

Tip 9: Connect home and school through portfolios

The Portfolio is a timeline of each student's learning: task submissions, photos, videos, files and websites. Teachers, students and parents can like and comment on items, so everyone can see what has been looked at.

1. Open the student's portfolioGo to Portfolio, select the student and open the Goals tab.
2. Add a goalSelect Add New Goal, add a title and description, and set the dates. Use Add to Multiple Students to set the same goal for several students.
3. Choose who sees itUnder Privacy, choose Students, Parents & Teachers, Parents & Teachers or Teachers. Tick Notify Parents & Students via E-mail if you want to tell them.
4. Save itSelect Add to Portfolio.

Tick a goal when it has been achieved. Select Show Completed Goals to see them all.

More: Adding coursework, goals and reflections to student portfolios.

Tip 10: Find help

Select the ? (Help) button at the top right of any page. It shows what's new, your QuickStart checklist, and links under Explore Additional Faria Services, including Help & Support (this help centre's step-by-step guides and videos), the mobile app, events and FariaLearn courses.

You can also join free online webinars and professional development with best practice and the latest updates to ManageBac+.