Frequently asked questions

We have gathered some of the frequently asked questions that have been raised by students, staff or parents. If you don’t find your query here, please do contact the school.

• I don’t have access to a computer to work on.

If you have no device in your house, we can help organise one. Please email Mrs Kemp at maria.kemp@mascallsacademy.org.uk and let her know that this is the situation.

• We don’t have the internet in our house so I can’t access the work.

Email Mrs Kemp at maria.kemp@mascallsacademy.org.uk who will be able to organise a paper based work pack for you.

• I find it hard to get my work done as we are sharing computers and laptops and I can’t log on when my actual lessons are.

Don’t worry. We understand the difficulties of sharing technology at home. Teachers will set work ahead of the lesson to give you plenty of flexibility to complete it.

Try to organise a timetable in the house for who will use the computer and when. Try to get at least 30 mins near the start of the day so that you can see what needs doing and can be working on any tasks that do not need the computer while others are using it. You can then do the tasks needing the computer when it is your turn to use it. Email teachers if you are struggling to meet a deadline.

• I don’t know how to access the Google Classroom

Students: please watch this short instruction video https://youtu.be/qSxNLaWm74g

Parents: there is a powerpoint to assist with this on our website https://mascallsacademy.org.uk/2020/03/19/google-classroom-codes/

All codes needed to log into Google Classrooms can be found on our website.

• I can’t find the work that teachers are setting.

Once in the Google Classroom, you will need to look in both the ‘Stream’ and ‘Classwork sections of the site. You should also be able to see a notification box that tells you what work is approaching a deadline.

• I don’t know how to insert an image into a document.

There are lots of ways to do this. The following are instructions for Google Docs/Slides.If you need further assistance for other documents, please email catherine.root@mascallsacademy.org.uk

1. Select ‘Insert’ on the toolbar

2. Select ‘Image’

3. You will then need to decide where you are wanting to get the image from.

If you want to look for one on the internet select ‘Search the web’. Put what you want into the search bar that appears. Click on the image you want to use. Click on the blue ‘insert’ bar that will appear. It will put the image in your document.

If you want to use one that you already have saved on your computer, select Upload from computer or Drive depending upon where the image is saved. This will then take you to your computer files and drive. You will need to select the image you want and then press Open/Insert. This will insert it into your document.

4. Once you have the picture in the document, you may want to move it, make it smaller or manipulate it in some way.

Right click on the picture- select Image Options- You will then find a range of things that you can do. I suggest you play around and experiment with them all.

• I am struggling to download, upload and print all the work.

You do not have to. If teachers have shared a google doc with you, you should be able to open it as a version that is just for you. As soon as you open it, it opens, it does not need downloading.

You can then work on it. It saves as you go, you do not have to make it save! Once finished you select the ‘Hand In’ button and your work will be sent.

• I don’t understand the instructions the teachers give

Read the instructions slowly and try to do each thing as you read it a step at a time.

Read instructions more than once.

Teachers may add videos of them explaining things which will help. Watch/listen to these.

Contact a friend who might understand.

Email your teacher and ask but only after you’ve tried the above!

• My teacher has given me a file that is not a Google one to look at e.g Powerpoint/ Word/PDF, but I don’t know how to download it.

1.Click on the document and it opens.

2. Click on the 3 vertical dots on the right of the screen and select ‘Open in New Window.

3 When this opens you will see an arrow that points downwards on the right hand side of your screen. Click on this and the file appears at the bottom of the screen.

4. Click on the file and it should open. If you want to save it, click on ‘File’ on the tool bar at the top. Select ‘Save as’. Check the name of the file is what you want and make sure you are saving it to ‘Documents’. Press ‘Save’.

• Is it ok to email work back to teachers?

Please hand in work via the Google Classroom as the main way to submit work. However, if this is impossible, then yes you can email it.

• My teacher says I have not done the work but I have.

You must select ‘hand in’ when you have finished the task otherwise your teacher does not receive your work.

If you have done work by hand, please scan/photograph it and upload evidence via the Classroom or email.

• My teacher has said that I need to ‘read their comments’ but I don’t know what this means.

Teachers can add comments in the document that you have written on. Go into the document and the comments should appear at the side.

• Is it ok to email my teachers?

It would be better to make a comment in the Google Classroom but yes you can do this. However, do not put the whole email in the Subject Line. Put the topic of your question in the Subject Line and then write what you want to say in the big box that appears below it.