SynchronEyes: Instructions for Teachers

SynchronEyes allows you to monitor activity on your students’ computers, project a student’s computer display onto the Smart Board screen in front of the room, take control of a student’s computer to show em how to do something, respond to questions students ask through SynchronEyes, and so on.

Getting Started

Double-Click the SynchronEyesTeacher icon on the desktop.

File, Change Teacher ID. Enter (or select) your Teacher ID, OK.

Observing and Controlling Student Computers

Under Thumbnails you view the screens of all students who have connected. Point your students to my Student Instructions, which will show them how to connect.

View, Thumbnail Size allows you to change the size of the displayed student screens.

When you double-click one of the screens (or select it and click Observe), it is displayed full size, along with a command box. The leftmost icon in that command box returns you to the thumbnails. You and the student how share control of the student’s computer. Use your keyboard and mouse to make changes on the student’s computer.

Student Questions

If a student initiates a question from the command box on e’s desktop, a big raised hand appears on that student’s thumbnail on the teacher’s screen.

View, Questions allows the teacher to see the questions.

Select a question and click Chat. Enter a reply and hit Enter.

Locking Out Students

For that student who is more interested in surfing the net than in paying attention to your lecture, a lock-out is in order. Simply select the student’s thumbnail and click Lock. If you click Lock without selecting a thumbnail, all students’ computers will be locked. While locked, their computers will display a black screen with a lock-out message. To unlock them, just click Lock again.

Chat

To send a message to all students, click the Chat tab. Clicking the Enable button will allow them to respond. Type a message and hit Enter.

Polling Students

Click Thumbnails, Vote. Enter a questions that can be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ OK. In addition to a tally of the votes, each student thumbnail shows thumbs up (yes), thumbs down (no) or clenched fist (no vote). Select Clear Hands to reset the thumbnails.

Broadcasting

You can broadcast your screen or that of a selected student to all, but with the Smart Board available, I see no need to do this. If you want to try it, just click the Broadcast button in the thumbnails screen, which will send your screen to all student computers. If you first select on of the thumbnails, it will be that student’s screen which is broadcast. Clicking the pen icon on the My Desktop toolbars allows you to annotate the broadcast screen with your mouse. Click the cursor icon to restore left-mouse click. To stop the broadcast, click the leftmost button on the My Desktop toolbar.

Online Quizzes

SynchronEyes can be used to create and administer online quizzes. As I have no interest in this feature, I have not tried it out. If you are interested, check the online help or borrow the user’s manual from Karl.

Creating Groups

You can create groups of up to ten students, if you wish. Thumbnails, Groups, New, Group Name, OK. You can (check) allow the students to join groups on their own or you can assign them to groups (Groups, Edit).

Inform Karl

If you find any errors in this document or have suggestions on changes or additions that should be made to it, please let me know. Thanks.