Teachers
When the Overseer applications are fully implemented in a school, teachers should be the major beneficiaries.
Student Information System
Teachers can use Overseer LAN to directly access information on any of the classes or students that they teach. They also have indirect access to family information, work contact information for parents of students, and other relevant information. The student and class detail screens within Overseer LAN are the primary screens available to teachers. Other information is available through the Family and Child buttons on the General tabsheet.of the Student detail screen.
GradeBook
Software
During each term, teachers must keep track of student marks from tests, assignments, projects etc. These marks have to be averaged at the end of each term, then transferred to report cards. This averaging task, together with generation of personal comments on the progress of each student, can be a stressful challenge for teachers at report card time.
Once an Overseer master database has been set up correctly by the school office, Overseer Grades may be used by teachers to log student marks and comments during each term. Marks may be captured and reported in any approved marking scheme which has been predefined by the school office. Notes may be accumulated independently for each student in each subject area as their work is marked by teachers. These (internal) notes can then be gleaned for suitable comments to report at the end-of-term. Similarly, (internal) comments may be accumulated during each term by home room teachers for each student, as a basis for term summary comments at report card time.
Overseer Grades makes use of a personal Grades database for each teacher which may be created and managed independent of the school’s master database for the duration of each term. Overseer LAN may be used by teachers to create a Grades database at the beginning of each term. It may also be used to periodically synchronize the Grades database with the master database, as required. Finally, it may be used to import final term marks and comments at the end of each term.
Although each Grades database contains personal information for one teacher, mechanisms are provided by which teachers may pass copies of individual database files to subject area heads and/or home room teachers for the purpose of integrating marks and comments form all teachers of each class.
Editing
and Printing Report Cards
Two methodologies are provided for designing and using report cards via Overseer. Both the default design methodology within Overseer Admin and the custom design methodology provided by Overseer Reports require that all details of the report card templates be fully specified prior to use by teachers. Also, both methodologies are fully supported and integrated with Overseer Grades.
Besides being the application through which Grades databases may be created, synchronized or imported, Overseer LAN may also be used to perform final editing of term marks and comments prior to printing of report cards. It also supports printing of report cards, either for individual students, or for an entire class at one command.
If a teacher is not using Overseer Grades, then he/she may directly enter all term marks and comments, then print report cards, via Overseer LAN.
Teachers’
Responsibilities
Teachers have a major stake in the design of report cards and the definition of suitable marking schemes for use within the Grades application. Their preferences need to be shared at staff meetings with a view to achieving early consensus. They will need to co-operate in sharing available computer resources and agree on dates for sharing copies of final term marks with subject area heads and home room teachers for each class.
