Netbook Controls
Power on/off
Hold the Fn key in the bottom left corner for all of these commands:
Fn + F3 = disable touchpad
Fn + F4 = lower brightness
Fn + F5 = increase brightness
Fn + F7 = decrease volume
Fn + F8 = increase volume
Fn + F9 = mute
Fn + F11 = wireless on / off ( should always be on )
Single Key command:
F11 = full screen mode in Internet Explorer
Sleep Mode
The netbook will look like it has shut off after 5 minutes of inactivity. It is not off,just sleeping. To wake up, run finger over the touchpad. If that doesn’t wake it up press the power button. Students will need to re-enter their password.
Basic Troubleshooting
- Netbook won’t connect to network: Is green light on for wireless?
If light is not on press Fn + F11 to turn wireless on.
Make sure switch on left side is set to wireless on.
Still can’t connect – make sure workstation only is not checked on log in screen.
- Netbook will not power on
Make sure battery is secure
( flip over, check that latches are in locked position )
Was the Netbook plugged in
to charge correctly?
Cart Management – To Do List:
Make sure cart is plugged in to recharge. Cord is underneath the cart.
Students should each be assigned a number. They should always use that number from the cart. If there are more than 15 students, assign two students to each number.
Example: Joe Smith – 15
Jen Smithers – 15* ( the * means that if another cart is used in the room, Jen will take thenetbook from the other cart. )
List of students should be kept by the teacher.
Have an orderly way for students to get their netbook and to put it away. Avoid a mad rush to the cart.
Students should check that the number on the netbook matches the shelf they return it to.
Check that all netbooks are plugged in when they are returned to the cart.
Count that all netbooks are in the cart before dismissing class.
Lock cart when room is unattended and at the end of day.
So what programs are on these things?
Microsoft Office – Word, Power Point, Excel, Publisher
Internet Explorer – use for web sites, Study Island, Wikispaces, Moodle
Audacity – students record narration, can be used for podcasting( use an external mic )
Photostory – arrange images, record narration with images( use an external mic )
Windows Movie Maker – record and edit video ( can record with webcam )
General Tips
- Wireless is slower to log in on
This is going to be the case. Wired computers will have a stronger connection to the network. When 15 netbooks log on to the wireless, the 15 netbooks divide the wireless signal equally. Which means they get less of a connection than the computers in the computer lab.
What to do to help:
-Try to have the students log on at different times. Logging in requires a lot of info transfer with the network. Have students log in when they get their netbook back to their desk, instead of waiting to have the class all log in at once.
-Have students do something else while the netbooks log in ( SSR, problem of the day, check HW etc. )
- A few students get a message that says “ Tree can not be found”
The netbook did not find the wireless signal yet. When the computer powers on, it has to scan for the wireless network.
What to do to help:
-When students power on the netbooks, they should wait 20-30 seconds before logging in. This will give the netbook time to find the network.
- Some students don’t have access to the internet or the student work folder
You may have a student log in and it looks like they are logged in but when they start Internet Explorer the message “ Cannot display the webpage” comes up. The only thing to do is have the student restart the computer ( not a log off – shut down and restart ).
Basically, the computer did not load all the info needed from the network to access the internet or their student drive.
What to do to help:
-The student desktop will give you an indication if a restart is needed. All student machines should have a blue background for the desktop. If a student has a desktop that shows green hills, tell them to restart. The green hills on a student login is a sure sign that the computer did not connect correctly to the network.