Orientation to USA Learns
Title: Orientation to USA Learns
Length of lesson: ~1 hour
Northstar Digital Literacy Standards:
Review: Log on to computer, demonstrate knowledge of keys on keyboard, appropriate use of mouse clicks
New: Register for a new email account
College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) and/or Transitions Integration Framework (TIF) Standards addressed: TIF Standards - Effective communication skill 3: Utilize a variety of technologies for communication, Self management skill 1: Set realistic goals and work independently to achieve them
Lesson Objective(s): At the end of this lesson, students will be able to understand student/teacher expectations, create individual study plans, create email accounts, and register for USA Learns
Assessing Mastery of the Objective(s): At the end of this lesson, students will show mastery of the objectives as evidenced by logging in to USA Learns account independently, signing class agreement, and identifying places to access USA Learns.
Materials/links:
Intake forms printed for all students, Login sheets printed for all students, Projector, Students’ smartphones, usalearns.org
Lesson Outline:
Agenda
1. Welcome
2. Go through the intake/goal-setting form as a class
a. Have each student think about and record some personal goals for the class.
b. Talk through student/teacher/staff expectations (expected number of online hours per week, setting and working towards learning goals, computer lab rules).
c. Remind them that the bulk of their class work will be done online outside of school. Ask them to think of times/place they could do their class work. Mention any local libraries or organizations with public computer access as places where students can work on lessons.
d. Tell students that they can use USA Learns on their phone for free by simply signing in on their phone’s internet browser.
e. They should sign the bottom of their form as a way to formally acknowledge that you have discussed program expectations.
3. Create student email accounts
a. Have students log on to their computers and open their internet browser. Some students in the class will already have email accounts. If possible, have these students sit near students who do not have email accounts so that the students can help each other.
b. Have the students go to gmail.com and walk them through the process of creating an email address. Using the projector, demonstrate how to get to the website, and where to click from there. Be prepared to help students individually as issues occur.
c. Have students open the Notes app on their phone. Direct students to type their Gmail username and password into their Notes app in order to save them for future use.
4. Create a USA Learns account
a. On the projector, show all the students how to navigate to usalearns.org and click on “Start now.”
b. Using their email address, have students create a USA Learns account. Their email address will be their username. Create a standard password for all students to streamline the login process.
c. Have all students write down their username and password for the email account and USA Learns account on a student account information form. If a student already had an email address they were able to access, then they can just write down the address and they do not need to record their email password.
d. Have students use their phone cameras to take a photo of their account paper so that they have a copy of their USA Learns login information readily available, even outside of class. Then collect students’ account papers.
e. The student should log in to their account. On the right hand side of the screen, click “Enroll in my teacher’s class” and enter your class code.
5. Closing activities
a. Once students have enrolled in the class, have students log out of their USA Learns account and practice logging back in.
b. Remind students when their first DL class will be meeting and to continue their work online outside of class time.