Beyond the Mirage Teacher Instructions

Beyond the Mirage Teacher Instructions

Before you get started:

1. On each computer and in each browser (Chrome/FireFox/IE/Safari) you plan to use for the Event, navigate to the URL that we provide to you, it will be in the format:
   

This will store a cookie (HTML5 LocalStorage) in the browser that indicates that all Stacks created in that browser are associated with this APW Event and the specific school.

To remove this cookie, clear that browser’s cache by going to Tools/Settings > Clear Site Data. Note that this will also clear all History clips from the Timeline, and the current MyStack.

Create a mini-documentary by building your stack:

1. Click the “Create Stacks” icon at the top of the page,
2. Browse the clips, watching as many as you like. Your history will be saved in the Timeline below the clipgrid, making it easy to get back to a clip that you like, later.

HELPFUL HINT #1: the clip choices in the grid will change and the clip just to the right of the player (“What’s Next?”) will play automatically when the currently playing clip ends. To view a different clip next, either pause the current clip before it ends, or choose and click the play arrowon your next choice before the end of the one that you’re watching.

HELPFUL HINT #2: when selecting your next clip to view, if you click any of the top 3 grid clips you will find other themes or topics. If you click any of the bottom 3 grid clips, you will go deeper into the topic you’re currently watching.

1. When you have found 3 to 5 clips that you would like to use in your stack, scroll down to the Timeline just below the clip player/grid. You will likely have more than 3 to 5 clips in your timeline at this point.
2. Click the plus sign in the lower right corner of each clip that you wish to add to your stack. Don’t worry about the order at this point. You can reorder later. They will show up below the timeline.

Note: Use only 3 to 5 clips.

Things you can do while building your stack (located in horizontal toolbar menu for“MyStack”):

Save – clicking the “save” icon saves your stack information in your browser’s local cache. If you empty your cache (clear your cookies), your stack will be gone.

Transcript – click the “transcript” icon to show the text of the entire audio portion ofthe clip that you’re looking at.

Preview – click the “preview” button to see your stack play from beginning to end.

Re-arrange – Drag and drop clips in the stack to put them in a different order.

Delete – Click the big X on the upper right of any clip to remove it from your stack.

Publishing your stack – when you’re ready:

1. Click the “Publish” icon to begin the publishing process.
2. Enter the stack title. Keep it fairly short and interesting.
3. In the “Created By” field, enter: First Name Last Initial. -School Name
   (for example: Mary S. -University of Arizona)
4. In the “Description” field, first type the word THEME: and then enter the theme of your documentary in a single word. Follow that by a colon. Then type in a 3-sentence description of the message you are trying to convey via your documentary. This is called your Paragraph of Intent.
   (For example: THEME: scarcity: We have less water in Arizona now because we have less precipitation than in the past……)
5. Click the “Next” button.
6. You should see text here that says “You are publishing to the APW Portal.” If you see a radio button for “Privacy” (public/private), go back to Step #1 of “Before you Get Started,” above.
7. Do NOT click the “Create Stack” button. Have a buddy review your title, credits, and description. Look for spelling errors, typos, last names that aren’t supposed to be there, etc.
8. Click the “Oops” button and make corrections if needed.
9. When you are completely satisfied, click “Next” again.
10. Now click “Create Stack”.

Really helpful extra information for the teachers:

-Before publishing - the timeline and “saved” stack are stored in the browser’s memory cache, on the computer that is being used, on that specific browser (Chrome/FireFox/IE/Safari). If a student builds a stack without being logged into either Chrome or the computer, their work will be over-written by the next student who builds a stack on the same machine and browser.Protect students’ unpublished work by checking to see that they are logged in, or by ensuring that their device and browser are not used by another student until after publishing occurs.

-Before publishing – if a student does not log into Chrome or the device, you can still protect their unpublished work by ensuring that the next student using the same device uses a different browser (i.e. Student #1 uses Chrome; Student #2 uses FireFox).

-After Publishing – while the students need to be encouraged to pay attention to detail with respect to the work that they are publishing, we know that mistakes will be made, and new ideas will emerge. If a student publishes a stack, and then needs to change the stack for whatever reason, they can do so by viewing the published stack and “re-stacking” it, then making the changes that are called for. As long as the title and the credits remain the same, the re-stacked stack will over-write the original stack when published. If the title or credits need to be changed, a second, new stack will be created when published. If this happens, then take note of the original stack’s URL, title and credits; send this info to APW; we will forward the information on to the programmers who will delete the old stack.

Stack Sharing Event – Earth Day April 22, 2016

-WIP students will view stacks made by students from other schools. Teacher leaders and schools include:

• DinoraStanchik, Bethune School, Phoenix Ele. School District 1 (6th grade)
• Julie Wells, Desert Valley Elementary, Peoria Unified School District (6th grade)
• Steve Wallgren, Sunset Hills Elementary, Dysart Unified School District (7th grade)
• John Vasey, Orangewood Elementary, Washington Elementary School District (6th grade)
• Rachel Kissner, Copper King Elementary, Pendergast Elementary School District (8th grade)

-Prior to the stack sharing event, APW will assign each teacher a different school’s stacks to view. Students will choose stacks that have no views or the fewest number of views andwhich look interesting to them. (So early in the day, students will be reviewing stacks that have only been viewed 1 or fewer times, later in the day it may be 2 or 3 or fewer times.)

-Studentswill work in collaborative groups of 4-5 and view 5 to 8 stacks in a 50 minute period. Together they will evaluate each stack (APW will provide evaluation forms, 6per page):

• First, they will review the description or paragraph of intent and write a summary of it in less than a sentence, on the form.
• Keeping the intent in their minds, they will watch the stack.
• Afterwards, they will rate the stack on how well it met the goal of the film maker on a 10 point scale and write why they rated it as they did.

Viewing Tip: to return to the list stacks after viewing a student stack, scroll to the top and click the APW/Schoolname link in the upper left corner.

-A Press Release will go out advertising the Stack Sharing Event. Copper King in thePendergastEle. School District will be the location to which the press are invited. Superintendent DeBlieuxwill be there between 10:30 to 11:30, along with PrincipalJanine Ambrose, Teacher Rachel Kissner and WIP coordinator Holly Thomas-Hilburn to discuss use of the Beyond the Mirage Experience in the middle school classroom and the inspiration for and development of the Water Academy for next school year.

-APW coordinators, Tara Oakes, Julie Hasty, Mary Ann Stoll and TNC Americorps partner Sara Krznarich will be in the other four classrooms. They will Facetime or Skype to communicate with the APW Coordinator in the Copper King class showcasing a student’s assessment of the projectthus linking the students from 5 different districts in the Phoenix region.

What happens next?:

-APW plans to evaluate all students’ stacks and determine the top two stacks from each school by May 6th.

-The top ten stacks (2 from each school) will then be posted with paragraphs of intent on the APW Facebook page.

-Teachers and students will be tasked with getting the word out for people to go to the webpage and vote.

-The BtM marketing team will “boost” the voting post with their “influencers” to get more traffic to the site.

-First through fifth place “Oscar” awards will be presented at the STEM Symposia in May 2016 (starting May 13th).

-Schools will help boost attendance at the May LaunchEvents (TBD).

-Schools will help boost viewing of the 60 minute Beyond the Mirage documentary on HD 8.1 on May 16that 9 PM.