Below are the basics for using MathFacts in a Flash

Below are the basics for using MathFacts in a Flash. For a complete manual, choose “Download Manuals” from the top of the home page when logged in as Teacher/Administrator.

Hardware: For the latest MathFacts in a Flash RP system requirements, visit http://www.renlearn.com/requirements. System requirements are subject to change.

Software: To find out if a specific computer has the software needed to run MathFacts in a Flash RP, click “Check Software Requirements” on the Welcome page before you log in. Load any software indicated as needed.

Starting the Software and Logging in

Before you begin, make sure that you have your user name and password.

1. Start your browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, or Safari).

2. In your browser window, go to https://hosted4.renlearn.com/1611044/default.htm. The Welcome page appears.

3. Click “Teacher/Administrator.” Note: Parents log in as Teacher/Administrator, NOT Parent

4. At the Teacher/Administrators login page, follow these steps:

a. Click in the User Name field (blank) and type your user name.

b. Click in the Password field and type your password.

Note: If you want to change your password, check the Change Password box before you log in. Click in the box to check it or to remove the check mark.

c. Click the [Log In] button.

5. If the user name and password you entered are valid, either the Change Password page or your Home page appears. If the program notifies you that you have entered an invalid user name or password, try again to make sure that you did not type the information incorrectly. If the user name and password still don’t work, contact mailto:cmoretto@connectingwaters.org. Important: If you enter an incorrect password too many times, the software may tell you that your account has been locked out. If this happens, contact cmoretto@connectingwaters.org to request that your account be unlocked.

How to Go Back to a Previous Page

The program keeps track of each page you have visited since the last time you left your Home page. To go back to a previous page, click one of the links in the yellow bar at the top of any page in the program. Do not use the Back button in your browser window.

Logging Out of the Software

When you have finished working in MathFacts in a Flash RP, you should log out to keep the data secure. To do this, click “Log Out” in the upper right corner of any page. The program will log you out and go to the Welcome page. If you do not log out, and you do not work in the software for about 20 minutes, you will be asked to log in again when you return to the software. After you log out, you can close the software by closing your browser.

Setting a Level for One or More Students

Before your students begin working in the program for the first time, you should decide what level you want each of them to start at and set those levels for them to work on. After you set a level, the program automatically tracks the progress of the student and you can view that progress in the Assignment Book. At any time, you can set a new level for the student to work on; the student doesn’t have to master the previous level first.

With default capabilities, district administrators, school administrators, and teachers can set a level for students in classes they have access to.

Note: When students are enrolled in a MathFacts in a Flash class, the program automatically marks (sets) the first level in the Assignment Book as Ready to Work for the students. Also, when a student masters a level, the program automatically marks the student’s next open level as Ready to Work.

Follow these steps to set a level for students:

1. After you log in, you will see your Home page. If you’re already using the program, you can go to this page by clicking “Home” at the top of any page.

2. Click “Assignment Book” under MathFacts in a Flash. Note: If the tasks aren’t listed, click “Show Details” next to MathFacts in a Flash.

3. The Assignment Book page appears. If you see a School drop-down list, click it and choose the school you want to work with. Then, click the [Set] button.

4. If you see a Class drop-down list, click it and choose the class you want to work with. Then, click the [Set] button.

5. Check the box by each student for whom you need to set a level. Click in a box to check it or to remove the check mark. Check the box by the Student column heading to choose all the students on the page. Note: Even if you choose multiple students, you can set different levels for each one.

6. Click “Set Level” under Activities along the left side of the page.

a. The Set Level page opens and lists the levels available to the student. Some levels may show a symbol that indicates the working state; hover your mouse over any symbol to see what state it represents. Find the level you want to assign to this student. If the list is longer than the limit set in the General preference, click “Next” or “Previous” to move through the list. When you find the level, click the circle for it in the Select column.

b. Click the [Save] button. If you don’t want to save your changes, click the [Cancel] button instead. Note: If you assign a new level and the student already has one in the Working state, the program will put the old level on Hold (the student’s work on the old level is not lost when a level is on Hold).

Mastery Criteria for Levels

Each level has its own set of mastery criteria—that is, a set of requirements that students must meet before the program marks the level Mastered. Students must meet both of the following requirements during a single test to master a level:

• 100% accuracy

• A time score that is at or below the mastery time set for the level

You can’t change the accuracy requirement. However, you can change the mastery time. The default mastery time goal is two minutes on tests at all levels. Research shows that three seconds per fact (two minutes on a 40-problem test) is the benchmark for mastering math facts in the elementary grades. Students in 5th grade and above may be able to average two seconds per fact on a 40-problem test. You can adjust the mastery time goal at each level so that it matches your students’ capabilities. As you decide on the mastery time goal to set, you should keep in mind that if you measure the total time it takes a student to complete a practice or test, you may notice a difference between your time measurement and the reported time score. That’s because the reported time score is the sum of the problem response times rather than the overall elapsed time. As a result, a test that actually takes the student 3 minutes to complete could be reported as 2 minutes 20 seconds. The program is designed to measure only the time it takes a student to respond to a problem. Therefore, the time it takes to display the problem and the answer has no effect on the time score the student receives.

Editing the Mastery Time for a Level

With default capabilities, district administrators, school administrators, and teachers can change the mastery time for students in the classes they have access to. You can change the mastery time for specific levels for individual students, or you can change the mastery time for all the students at one or more levels.

Note: If a student has already worked on a level you’re editing, your changes could affect the status of his or her work. For instance, if you increase the mastery time, a student whose time for completing a test at that level now falls within the mastery time limit will have the status of that level changed to Mastered. No other work will need to be completed. Conversely, if you decrease the mastery time, a student who had previously mastered that level, but whose time is now greater than the new mastery time, will have the Mastered state removed and the level will still be considered Working.

Follow these steps:

1. After you log in, you will see your Home page. If you’re already using the program, you can go to this page by clicking “Home” at the top of any page.

2. Click “Assignment Book” under MathFacts in a Flash. Note: If the tasks aren’t listed, click “Show Details” next to MathFacts in a Flash.

3. The Assignment Book page appears.

4. If you see a Class drop-down list, click it and choose the class you want to work with. Then, click the [Set] button.

5. Check the box by each student for whom you want to adjust the mastery time. Click in a box to check it or to remove the check mark. Check the box by the Student column heading to choose all the students on the page. Note: Even if you choose multiple students, you can set different times for each one.

6. Click “Edit Mastery Time” under Activities along the left side of the page. Follow the steps below or on the next page for the number of students you chose.

a. The Edit Mastery Time page opens and lists the levels available to the student. Some levels may show a symbol that indicates the working state; hover your mouse over any symbol to see what state it represents.

b. If you want to set the same mastery time for all the levels, type the minutes and seconds in the appropriate fields (blanks) at the top of the page and click the [Set All] button. If you want to change the mastery time for one or more individual levels, click in the Minutes and Seconds fields for a level, delete the existing numbers, and type the mastery time you want used

for that level. Repeat this for each level you want to change. If the list is longer than the limit set in the General preference (see page 49), click “Next” or “Previous” to move through the list.

To return to the default times for all the levels, click the [Default] button.

c. Click the [Save] button. If you don’t want to save your changes, click the [Cancel] button instead.

Printing Practice Materials for Students

MathFacts in a Flash offers flash cards, worksheets, and charts that you can print and reproduce for your students to use for additional practice. The following table explains each of the items:

Addition to 10 Chart: This chart can help students practice and learn their addition facts from 0+10 through 10+10.

Count by Fours Worksheet: This worksheet can help students practice and learn to count by fours from 4 through 100.

Count by Threes Worksheet: This worksheet can help students practice and learn to count by threes from 3 through 99.

Teachers can print materials for the students in the classes they have access to. Follow these steps:

1. After you log in, you will see your Home page. If you’re already using the program, you can “Home” at the top of any page.

2. Click “Assignment Book” under MathFacts in a Flash. Note: If the tasks aren’t listed, click “ MathFacts in a Flash.

3. The Assignment Book page appears. If you see a School drop-down list,

click it and choose the school you want to work with. Then, click the [Set] button. (Choosing a school is necessary because the school name appears on all of the materials except for the flash cards.) You do not have to choose a class.

4. Click “Print Practice” under Activities along the left side of the page.

5. The Print Practice page appears and lists the flash cards, worksheets, and charts you can print.

To print the Practice Worksheet, click the Level drop-down list and choose a level. Then, click the other drop-down list and choose a horizontal or vertical format for the problems. Finally, click “Level Practice

Worksheet.”

To print the Practice Flash Cards, click the Level drop-down list and choose a level. Then, click “Level Practice Flash Cards.”

To print any of the other items, click the item’s name.

6. The item is generated and displayed in the Adobe Acrobat Reader (or in Preview on certain Macintosh computers), either in your browser or in another window. To save or print the item, click the Adobe Reader Save or Print button (in Preview, click the File menu, then Save or Print).

Follow these steps to log in as a student and start working:

1. Start your browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, or Safari).

2. In your browser window, go to the address provided by your district or school. The Welcome page appears.

3. Click “Student.”

4. At the Students log in page:

a. Click in the User Name field (blank) and type the student’s user name.

b. Click in the Password field and type the student’s password.

c. Click the [Log In] button.

5. On the Home page, click “Start Working” under MathFacts in a Flash.

9. The test or the practice begins. Some things to be aware of:

• The screen shows the student’s name, whether the student is taking a practice or a test, and a count showing what problem the student is on versus the total number of problems in the practice or test.

• As each question is presented, the student must choose an answer (there’s no way to skip a problem). How the student inputs the answers depends on the settings in the Student Answer Input preference. The

student may need to click the answer with the mouse. Or, the student may need to use the arrow keys, type a letter, or type the answer itself, and then press the <Enter> key.

• During tests, if the student chooses the wrong answer, he or she can click the [Back] button at the bottom of the screen to go back to the question and choose a different answer. Notes: The student can only go back one problem. The additional time it takes the student to answer the problem the second time will be added to the total time for

the test. The student can still master the level if the total time is equal to or less than the mastery time goal for that level. This feature is not available during practices.

• Practices and tests are timed. If the student sees a clock begin flashing in the upper right corner of the screen, it means that the time limit is almost up for the problem, practice, or test. He or she should choose an answer quickly. (Teachers can use the Time-Out preference to set the time limits.) If the student does not select an answer before time runs out, the next question will appear. If the Student Answer Input preference is set to one of the keyboard entry options, the unanswered question will be marked as an incorrect answer unless the correct answer was already selected when time ran out; if the preference is set to mouse selection, unanswered questions are always marked as incorrect. If the student “times out” on a practice or test, the program aborts it. (Aborted tests are noted on the Student Progress Report.)

• Practices are varied in length and consist of problems that are considered more difficult for the level and problems that the student missed on the last test at that level. Tests always consist of 40 problems. The program lists the problem number the student is on and the total number of problems in the lower right corner of the screen.

• If the student chooses an incorrect answer on a practice problem, the program draws an X over the incorrect answer and circles the correct answer. The same problem is then presented to the student again so he or she has a chance to answer the problem correctly and commit it to memory.

• If you measure the total time it takes a student to complete a test, you may notice a difference between your time measurement and the reported time score. That's because the reported time score is the sum of the problem response times rather than the overall elapsed time. As a result, a test that actually takes a student 3 minutes to complete could be reported as 2 minutes 20 seconds. The program is designed to measure only the time it takes a student to respond to a problem. Therefore, the time it takes the program to display the problem and the answer has no effect on the time score the student receives.

Stopping a Practice or Test

Once a practice or test has started you can stop it at any time by pressing the <Ctrl> and <A> keys together (Windows) or the <control> and <A> keys together (Macintosh). Depending on the setting in the Monitor Password preferences, you may be asked to enter the monitor password to confirm that you want to stop the practice or test.

Closing the Program

Because students are automatically logged out when they click the [Exit] button at the end of a session, they don’t have to manually log out. However, after the last student is done working in the program, you can close it by closing the browser window.