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ActiveLearn Primary Getting Started Guide
ActiveLearn Primary Getting Started Guide
Welcome to Heinemann Active Maths and ActiveLearn Primary!Heinemann Active Maths is a unique activity-led maths subscription service for schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
It’s been designed by an expert author team, led by Series Editors Lynda Keith and Lynne McClure and Northern Ireland consultant Siobhan O’Doherty to provide active learning experiences, active teaching and real progression.
It’s powered by ActiveLearn Primary, a powerful teaching and learning platform, that allows you to quickly and easily search for resources to match your chosen learning outcomes, and allocate resources to pupils.
This Getting Started Guide has been created to help you familiarise yourself with the features of ActiveLearn, so that you can get going as quickly as possible.
Don’t forget to visit the ActiveLearn Primary support site: https://support.activelearnprimary.co.uk.
All the best,
The Heinemann Active Maths Team
What’s inside?Setting up your account in four easy steps 4Activate your account 4Log in 4Check that you have everything you need to use ActiveLearn 5Create your teacher and pupil accounts 5
ActiveLearn admin 6Home screen 6Setting up pupils 7Setting up cohorts 8Setting up classes 9Setting up groups 10
Heinemann Active Maths resources 11Browsing resources 11 Filtering by Level 13 Filtering by Maths Area 13 Filtering by Outcomes 14 Filtering by Type 15Heinemann Active Maths resource types and components 16Selecting resources 17Allocating resources 18Adding resources to My Files 19Quick search 19
The ActiveLearn pupil world 20Home 20My Stuff 20My Library 21My Rewards 21
Troubleshooting 22Further help and support 24
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Setting up your account in four easy stepsIf you are new to ActiveLearn, here are four easy steps to set up your new account.
1. Activate your account
You should by now have received an email from us ([email protected]) asking you to activate your subscription.
To do this, you simply need to accept our terms and conditions – follow the instructions in the email if you haven’t yet done so.
This will generate a second email (from [email protected]) with your login details, including username, school code, and a link to set a password.
2. Log in
Visit www.activelearnprimary.co.uk to log in. You may want to bookmark the site.
Enter your username, password and school code into the login box. You will have received these details as part of step 1 above.
Still waiting on your activation email, or having trouble activating?Give us a call on 0845 313 88 88 or email [email protected]
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3. Check that you have everything you need to use ActiveLearn
We strongly recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.
If you prefer to use Internet Explorer, you will need at least IE9 in order for everything to work as it should.
Whichever browser you are using, you need to make sure it is set as your default browser. This will ensure that resources always open in the same browser. You can set your default browser by going into the ‘settings’ area within your chosen browser.
To check you have everything you need to run ActiveLearn, click on the ‘Run a quick test’ link on www.activelearnprimary.co.uk.
4. Create your teacher and pupil accounts
The first teacher to log in can add teacher and pupil details in order to set up accounts and logins, although most schools usually arrange for their administrator to support with this. The good news is this can be done as a bulk import. Go to Admin in the top right-hand corner of ActiveLearn, click the Import tab and follow the instructions on the screen. Any teacher with an account can add user details for new accounts or edit existing ones.
For more help on how to add teachers, pupils, classes, groups and cohorts take a look at the Administration section in ActiveLearn’s Help section.
We can help! We make setting up our programmes as simple as possible so you and your colleagues can get started independently. If you would like a little support setting up teacher and pupil accounts across your school, our
Digital Account Consultants can help.
Email [email protected] or call 0345 478 8802.
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ActiveLearn adminHome screen
This is the first screen you’ll see when you log in.
On this screen, you will see buttons for all the ActiveLearn Primary services your school subscribes to.
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Setting up pupils
The Import feature is the most efficient way to set up your pupil accounts when getting started with ActiveLearn. Step-by-step instructions on how to perform the import are available online once you have logged into ActiveLearn. However, here are some quick instructions to help you get started.
Create your data set
You will probably already have a list of pupils in a suitable format (Excel, CSV, Word or textual list). The ideal data set would include the following columns:
ActiveLearn will generate usernames automatically, and give all children a default password (you can set this to whatever you like).
Classes and groups can be set up manually later on. But if you can import all of this information at once it will be much quicker!
Copy and paste your list into the import wizard
Go to your spreadsheet or table and select all the users you wish to import, including the column headings.
In ActiveLearn, go to Admin and choose the Import tab. Paste your pupil list into the box. You should now see your list of users as plain text. Click Next.
Check columns and data
Check that the column headings match up with the data shown. If you see an error or missing data, you can click on a cell to edit it. When you are happy with your data set, click Next.
If you have specified any classes, cohorts or groups that do not exist in the system already, they will be created at this stage.
On the next screen, click Import users.
First name Last name Cohort Class Group
For more help with Import, go to Help > Teacher Help > Bulk Import.
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Setting up cohorts
If you haven’t set up your cohorts as part of your bulk import, here are step-by-step instructions on how to do this manually.
Creating a cohort
Go to Admin, select the Cohort tab and then click New Cohort. This will create a new, empty cohort.
Cohorts are always named after an academic year. For example, the new intake of pupils in 2016–2017 would be placed in the cohort ‘2016’. This cohort label then stays with those pupils as they progress through the system so they can always be identified together.
Adding pupils to a cohort
Go to the Pupils tab. Select the pupils you want to place in a particular cohort, or click the checkbox at the top left of the list to select all pupils. Click Bulk Edit Options then choose Set cohort. Choose the cohort you want to move them to.
Viewing cohort membership
When you open the Cohorts tab in Admin, all the cohorts in your school are displayed in order.
It is possible to edit individual pupil data from here by clicking the “Edit pupil profile” icon next to a name. Clicking the “View site as this pupil” icon will take you to that pupil’s account.
For more help with Cohorts, go to Help > Teacher Help > Cohorts.
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Setting up classes
If you haven’t set up your classes as part of your bulk import, here are step-by-step instructions on how to do this manually.
A pupil can only be a member of one class at any time. They can be moved between classes at any time, and their allocations will ‘travel with them’ when they are moved.
Creating a class
Go to Admin, select the Class tab and then click New Class. This will create a new, empty class. Give it a name and click Create class.
Adding pupils to a class
Go to the Pupils tab. Select the pupils you want to place in a particular class, or click the checkbox at the top left of the list to select all pupils. Click Bulk Edit Options then choose Set class. Choose the class you want to move them to.
Viewing class membership
Go to Classes. To see a list of pupils for a class, find your chosen class and click on the number of pupils shown to the right.
It is possible to edit individual pupil data from here by clicking the “Edit pupil profile” icon next to a name. Clicking the “View site as this pupil” icon will take you to that pupil’s account.
Linking teachers to classes
A teacher can only be associated with one class at a time, but has access to data about other classes in the system. More than one teacher can be associated with a class.
Go to the Teachers tab. Select one or more teachers, then click Bulk Edit Options and Set class.
For more help with Classes, go to Help > Teacher Help > Classes.
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Setting up groups
A pupil can be a member of any number of groups. For example, groups might be used to link pupils by maths attainment. This makes it simple to assign resources by ability.
Creating a group
Go to Admin, select the Groups tab and then click New Group. This will create a new, empty group. Give it a name and click Create group.
Adding pupils to a group
Go to the Pupils tab. Select the pupils you want to place in a particular group. Click Bulk Edit Options then choose Set group. Choose the group you want to move them to.
Viewing group membership
Go to Groups. To see a list of pupils for a group, find your chosen group and click on the number of pupils shown to the right.
It is possible to edit individual pupil data from here by clicking the “Edit pupil profile” icon next to a name. Clicking the “View site as this pupil” icon will take you to that pupil’s account.
Linking teachers to groups
A teacher can be associated with multiple groups.
Go to the Teachers tab. Select one or more teachers, then click Bulk Edit Options and Set groups.
For more help with Groups, go to Help > Teacher Help > Groups.
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Heinemann Active Maths resourcesBrowsing resources
You can get to the Heinemann Active Maths resources in two ways:
1. From the Home screen, click on the Heinemann Active Maths button, then select Resources.
2. From any screen, click on Resources at the top of the screen, and select Heinemann Active Maths in the drop-down menu.
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When you arrive at the Resources screen, you will see a list of all the Heinemann Active Maths resources. You can now start filtering to find what you want. There are four filters you can use:
1. Level2. Maths Area3. Heinemann Active Maths Outcomes4. Type
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Filtering by Level
You can narrow your search to Early, First or Second Level. You can select one, two or all three Levels. (NB you will only see all three of these options if your school subscribes to all three Levels).
Filtering by Maths Area
If you haven’t chosen a Level, you will see a full list of all of the Heinemann Active Maths Maths Areas. Once you have selected a Level, the list of Maths Areas will reduce to show you only the Areas for that Level. You can only select one Maths Area at a time.
Early Level = FoundationFirst Level = Key Stage 1Second Level = Ket Stage 2
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Filtering by Outcomes
Once you have selected a Maths Area, you can then choose to narrow your search down to individual Heinemann Active Maths learning outcomes.
Click on ‘Select Outcomes’. You will then see a list of all of the Heinemann Active Maths outcomes for your chosen Maths Area. Select as many outcomes as you like, then click Search.
You’ll see that each outcome number has a colour. These match the colours used in the Teacher Activity Cards to indicate the stage of development / engagement level:
Colour Early Level: stage of development First and Second Levels: engagement level
Green Early Understanding Experiencing
Yellow Building Understanding Understanding and Explaining
Purple Extending Understanding Applying and Using
Red - Making Connections
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Filtering by Type
Another way you may wish to search for resources is by type. This is the full list of Heinemann Active Maths resource types:
You can select as many types as you like.
There are a small number of resources that are specific to Northern Ireland. E.g.
• Matching charts for the NI Curriculum• Levels of Progression charts• Lines of Development charts• Activity Cards for the Foundation
maths area ‘Sorting’, which is specific to NI.
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Heinemann Active Maths resource types and components
The table below is intended to help you to find the specific components you are looking for.
Resource type Components Early First Second
Activity Photocopiable Master • Activity Photocopiable Masters (APM) ✔ ✔
Activity Sheet • Activity Sheets (AS) ✔
Additional Resource • Resource Checklists ✔ ✔Assessment • Assessment Teaching Notes
• Record Sheets• Context Assessments• Question Banks• Question Bank Answers and Info
✔ ✔
Book • eBooks ✔Gameboard/Activity Board • Activity Boards
• Gameboards✔ ✔ ✔
Homework • Homework Sheets ✔ ✔
Individual Practice Game • Individual Practice Games (IPG) ✔ ✔
Interactive Group Activity • Interactive Group Activities (IGA) ✔
Interactive Whiteboard • Interactive Teaching Resources (ITR) ✔ ✔
Learning Log • Learning Logs ✔ ✔Northern Ireland Additional Resources
• NI Matching Charts• NI Levels of Progression• NI Lines of Development• NI Teacher Activity Cards (EL Sorting)
✔ ✔ ✔
Practice Photocopiable Master • Practice Photocopiable Masters (PPM) ✔ ✔Problem-Solving and Reasoning • Real-Life Problem Solving (RLPS)
• Solve the Problem (STP)✔ ✔
Resource Sheet • Resource Sheets (RS)• Online Resource Sheets (ORS)
✔ ✔ ✔
Speaking and Listening • Talking and Listening (TL) ✔ ✔Teaching Card • Activity Cards
• Teacher Activity Cards (TAC)✔ ✔ ✔
Teaching Guidance • Outcome Maps• Optional Year-by-Year Progressions• Progression Toolkits• Progression Pathways• Matching Charts• Transition Advice
✔ ✔ ✔
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Selecting resources
Once you have narrowed down your search, you can see information about each of the resources in your results list, to decide which ones you want to use.
The information about each resource may include:
• Thumbnail: every resource has a thumbnail image.• Title: the titles will always have EL, FL or SL at the start, to indicate which
Level they belong to.• ‘Format’ icon: in the top right-hand corner, you’ll see an icon that tells you
whether the resource is a PDF, a Word document, an Excel spreadsheet, a SWF (Flash-based interactive activity), or an iPad/tablet-friendly interactive activity.
• Outcomes: most resources are tagged to learning outcomes. The exceptions are resources that apply to a whole Level, such as matching charts. If a resource is tagged to more than four outcomes, you’ll see the words ‘This resource covers many HAM outcomes’.
• Suggested for: Early Level, First Level or Second Level.• Description: these are included for the interactive activities – Individual
Practice Games, Interactive Group Activities, Interactive Whiteboard, Problem-Solving and Reasoning games, and Speaking and Listening games.
• Type: this shows you the ‘Type’ that is shown in the Type filter menu, but it also shows a more specific component name in brackets, e.g. HAM Context Assessment.
• Linked Resources: these are teacher notes and photocopiable masters, and they only appear for the Problem-Solving and Reasoning and Speaking and Listening games.
• Link: this URL is specific to that resource. If you want to link to a resource from your planning, you can copy and paste the URL from here.
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When you click on a resource title, you will see some options:
Allocating resources
Click on Allocate. This will open a list of the pupils in your class.
You can allocate the resource to the whole class, or individual pupils.You can also allocate to pupils in other classes at your school: click on the name of your class to open a drop-down menu containing the names of the other classes. You can also allocate to a whole cohort, or to a specific group of children within your class or someone else’s: click on the word ‘Class’ to reveal the options ‘Group’ and ‘Cohort’.
Only resource types that are suitable for pupils can be allocated.
To see an overview of the resources you have allocated, click on Resources in the top menu bar, then select Current Allocations.
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Adding resources to My Files
Click on a resource title, then select Add to My Files.
To see your files, click on Resources in the top menu bar, then select My Files.
You can create your own folders and organise your resources as you wish.
Quick search
To quickly search for specific resources, type a keyword in the search box at the top of the screen. As you type, suggested searches are shown.
To start searching, click ‘Enter’ or choose a result from the suggestion list. Your results will then be shown in a pop-up window.
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The ActiveLearn pupil worldOnce the accounts have been set up for your class (see page 7 of this guide), you will have logins for all of your pupils. Pupils log into ActiveLearn in the exact same way as you, via www.activelearnprimary.co.uk.
Home
Once a pupil has logged into ActiveLearn, they’ll arrive at the Pupil home screen.
Pupils can personalise their home screen by choosing a world. The worlds differ depending on age but include Bug World, Race World, Skate World and Future World.
On the home screen they can see how many coins they have earned so far.
My Stuff
My Stuff is where pupils can access their allocated resources.
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My Library
This is a store of old resources. It is where resources will go when you de-allocate them. Individual Practice Games will go here automatically as soon as they have been completed.
My Rewards
My Rewards is where pupils go to select their rewards after completing sessions. Here they can customise an avatar in the Skate Shack, decorate a Tree House, create stickers at the Sticker Factory, or visit the Game Zone. The more resources the pupil completes, the more coins they earn, and therefore the more rewards they can unlock and buy.
For more help with the ActiveLearn pupil world, go to Help > Pupil Help.
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TroubleshootingTrouble accessing ActiveLearn Primary?
If you are having trouble accessing ActiveLearn or viewing and downloading content, try these steps.
1. Make sure you’re using an appropriate browserWe strongly recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers with Heinemann Active Maths in ActiveLearn. If you prefer to use Internet Explorer, you will need at least IE9 in order for everything to work as it should.
2. Are you using Internet Explorer?• If you are using IE9 or above and are still having trouble, you may
need to turn on Compatibility View: with ActiveLearn Primary open, go to ‘Tools’ (if the Tools tab is not visible, press the ‘Alt’ key on your keyboard)
• Select ‘Compatibility View Settings’
• Copy and paste https://www.activelearnprimary.co.uk into the box and click ‘Add’ then close the window.
3. Have you set your ‘default browser’?See note above on our recommended browsers. Whichever browser you are using to access ActiveLearn Primary, you need to make sure it is set as your default. This will ensure that resources always open correctly, and prevent you from being logged out of ActiveLearn Primary.
You can set your default browser by going into the ‘Settings’ area within your chosen browser.
4. Do you have everything you need to run ActiveLearn?To check that you have everything you need to run ActiveLearn, click on the ‘Will it work on my computer?’ link on the ActiveLearn login page: www.activelearnprimary.co.uk.
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5. Are pop-ups being blocked?When using some resources, Pop-up Blocker will need to be turned off, as the resources open in a new window.
To change Pop-up Blocker settings, please follow the below instructions:
In Internet Explorer, go to Tools (if the Tools tab is not visible press the Alt key on your keyboard). Select ‘Pop-up Blocker’ then ‘Turn off Pop-up Blocker’.
In Chrome, go to the following web address: chrome://settings/content. Scroll down to ‘Pop-ups’ and select ‘Allow all sites to show pop-ups’.
In Firefox, go to Tools (if the Tools tab is not visible press the Alt key on your keyboard) then select ‘Options’. Click on ‘Content’ then untick ‘Block pop-up windows’.
6. Try clearing your browser’s cacheOnce you have disabled the Pop-up Blocker, you may find that resources are still not opening.
Firstly try a forced refresh, by pressing Ctrl+F5, to see if this makes any difference. If not, it may be necessary to clear the cache:
• To clear the cache on a Windows PC, simply press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to bring up the Delete Browsing History option in the browser. From here you can delete the appropriate history files.
• To clear the cache on an Apple Macintosh machine when using Safari, click the Safari menu and select ‘Empty Cache’, then click ‘Empty’.
• If you are using any other web browser, the command is Shift+Command+Delete (to bring up the Delete Browser History option) where you can then delete the appropriate history files.
7. Is ActiveLearn Primary a trusted site?Check that https://www.activelearnprimary.co.uk has been added to your school network list of trusted sites. To do so, contact your school’s network technician or, if your school’s internet connection is provided by your LA, get in touch with your LA ICT contact.
Note: You may require admin rights to edit browser/computer settings. Your network technician should be able to apply these changes on the school network. However, some settings might still be controlled or overridden at a Local Authority level.
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Forgotten your password?
From the ActiveLearn Primary login page, click on ‘Forgotten password?’ and enter the email address associated with your account. If you don’t have an email address associated with your account, you can always ask another teacher in your school to change it for you. For help on how to do this, ask your colleague to go to ‘Changing a teacher’s password’ in Help.
Forgotten your school code?
School codes are the same for all teachers and pupils in your school so if you can’t remember yours, try asking another teacher.
If no one has the school code, call our Digital Support team on 0845 313 8888 who will be able to help.
Further help and support
If you need any more help or support don’t forget we also have:
• A detailed Help Section - just click on ‘Help’ at any point once you’re logged in.
• A friendly Digital Support Team - email [email protected] with your query or call 0845 313 88 88 between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
• Help videos and free support on https://support.activelearnprimary.co.uk.
• Professional Development, to help you get to grips with your Heinemann Active Maths resources – contact your local sales consultant for information.
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