2 Getting Started. Chapter

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1 Chapter 2 Getting Started What do I need on my computer? SEMSNet requires only that your computer and some of the programs on it meet some minimal specifications. Before starting SEMSNet you should check these items. First, you must have a connection to the internet to use the program. SEMSNet will work on dial-up connections, cable, DSL, and other types of internet connection. You can even use SEMSNet within your AOL browser by typing the SEMSNet address into the URL Space. Next, you need a current Internet Browser. If you are using a Windows computer, you must have Internet Explorer Version 5.5 or higher or Netscape Version 7 or higher. If you are using a Macintosh computer, you can only use Netscape Version 6.2 or higher. Don t try using Internet Explorer to access SEMSNet on a Macintosh you won t see the menu and lots of other information! You can check the version number of your browser by opening the browser s Help Menu and selecting About Internet Explorer or About Netscape. If your browser is older than the required versions, you can download a current browser at no cost from or Lastly, SEMSNet prints each report as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file. You must have a PDF reader installed on your computer in order to view the reports. The most common PDF reader is Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have a PDF reader installed on your computer, you can go to and download Acrobat Reader at no cost. Are there any settings on my computer that I should check? After ensuring that you have a compatible internet browser, the only other setting that you should check is your Screen Area (also known as Screen Resolution). SEMSNet is designed to work with screens set to any size from 800 X 600 on up; however, the program is much more attractive and much easier to use if your monitor is set for Screen Area of 1024 X 768. To adjust your Screen Area on a Windows computer: Click your START button, then choose SETTINGS, then choose CONTROL PANEL, then choose DISPLAY. When the Display properties screen appears, click the last tab (usually called Settings). Find the item for Screen Area and move the slider over until it displays 1024 X 768. Save your settings and follow the instructions provided by Windows (if any) about resizing the screen and restarting the computer. To adjust your Screen Area on a Macintosh computer: Click the Apple menu, then choose Control Panel, then choose Monitors. Click on the 1024 X 768 setting. Save your changes. These steps may vary depending upon the version of Windows and the version of the MacOS that you are using. 4

2 Changing the Screen Area will modify the screen for all programs, not just SEMSNet. Ultimately, the Screen Area setting that you choose is a matter of personal preference. It is also a good idea to check the Text Size setting in your browser. To do this: In Internet Explorer, open the View menu, select the Text Size selection, and be sure the size is set for Medium. In Netscape, open the View menu, select Text Zoom, and be sure it is set for 100%. You can select smaller fonts if you wish, but larger fonts may distort the page arrangements in SEMSNet. These settings must be set in a browser window; they cannot be set with in SEMSNet How quickly does SEMSNet work on the Internet? SEMSNet is designed to be amazingly fast, usually displaying a complete page of information in less than three seconds. It is easy to forget that the information you are working with is located outside your hard drive! There are a couple of issues that will impact the speed of the program: The speed of your internet connection is the most important item. Even when SEMSNet is running on a 56K dial-up modem it is fast improve that connection with a high-speed internet cable or DSL mode and your speed improves dramatically. Use a T1 or T3 line, which is available in many school buildings, and you have immediate response. The speed of your computer and the amount of memory it has also impact the speed of SEMSNet. While SEMSNet forms can zip into your computer in an instant, if your computer is old, slow and memory -bound, SEMSNet cannot display its full speed. While SEMSNet will work on any computer that meets the minimum browser specifications, we suggest the follow for optimal performance: o On Windows computer a Pentium 3 processor; Windows 98, Windows XP or Windows 2000; and a minimum of 64K or memory o On a Macintosh computer, OS 8.2 or better with a minimum of 128 K of memory. 5

3 How do I start SEMSNet? To start SEMSNet, open your browser and type in Our introductory window will appear. Click the SEMSNet button (circled in red above) to open the program. When SEMSNet opens, you will see a menu option at the top of the screen. 6

4 Click the triangle beside the menu to view the choices. You can click on the triangle beside any of the section titles (with the blue background) to contract or expand that section. Click on one of the menu choices to open add, edit, print or delete information. In this example, we have selected the Active Students. 7

5 As soon as you try to look at any SEMSNet information, you will be asked for a User Name and Password. If you do not already have a User Name and a Password assigned, you cannot view any information. How do I get a User Name and Password? User Names and Passwords are assigned by the SEMSNet administrator in your district. This may be a member of the Special Education central office staff, a member of the technical staff, or anyone who has been assigned this role. You should check with your Special Education administrator to locate the person in charge of SEMSNet. The SEMSNet administrator will add your information to the staff database, assign you a unique User Name and Password, and indicate the level of access you will have to the program. Once this information has been added, you can access the program. When your information is added to the Staff information, you will be assigned to a home school. (That school could also be the Special Education Office.) In most instances, when you log into SEMSNet, you will only see those students who are assigned to your home school. If you work in more than one building, you should be assigned to the building where you see the most students. There is an easy way to find the information for students in your other school(s) see the information on the Search page in this manual. 8

6 How do I close SEMSNet? You should always exit SEMSNet by opening the menu and clicking the Log Out option. This is important for a couple of reasons: It makes sure that all of your files are closed on the web server and that your data is safely tucked away until you need it again. It makes sure that all confidential information, including your password and login, are erased and not available to the snooping eyes of people with nefarious plans to steal your SEMSNet identity. It frees up the resources of the web server you are using so that other staff can have unfettered access to their important information. Can I copy and paste information into SEMSNet? Yes. However, there are no copy and paste buttons on SEMSNet. To copy information from SEMSNet into the computer s clipboard, highlight the text that you wish to copy and press the CONTROL and the C keys on the keyboard. To paste information from the clipboard into SEMSNet, place your cursor where you would like the text to appear and press the CONTROL and V keys on the keyboard. So, if you have some great text in a word processing document that you want to include in an IEP, just copy the text from the document and paste it into the appropriate section of SEMSNet. It is just that simple! How do I get additional Help? There are several different avenues for additional help to deepen your understanding of the many facets of SEMSNet. The first place to look for help is the help button on each screen on the program. If your question is still not answered, you should check the appropriate section of this manual. If you have further questions, you should Eutactics at annjo@eutactics.com. Eutactics also conducts on-site training classes at the request of the school district and conducts regular web-conferencing based training classes. Check our web site at or your central office, for a schedule of upcoming web-conferences. On-site training and web-conferencing are billable. Often, you may find the answers to your questions simply by asking a colleague in your school district. Within each district there are staff with varying levels of computer expertise and usually those staff comfortable with a program are happy to share their knowledge with other staff. Using any or all of these available resources, you can quickly become comfortable with SEMSNet. 9