ShmoopTube

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We speak student!

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How to Use Shmoop Courses [image of an apple on a book]

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For Teachers

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All right, if you've looked out your window recently,

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you've probably noticed that the world's gone a bit digital. [a man looking at a window]

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You've probably also noticed that there are some

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foreboding clouds overhead,

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so, well, you might wanna pull in your patio furniture.

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But back to the digital thing. [a man carrying a chair]

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While education will never outgrow real life

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physical teachers, we know that online tools

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can help you do a better job in your classroom.

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Heck, that's why we're in this business [a man smiling and a woman using a laptop]

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in the first place. Heh.

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That and, well, the cool perks.

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So, suppose you're considering relying on the ol' internet

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to help you administer an entire course to your students. [a man with white beard and a beret cap looking at the computer]

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How would that work exactly?

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Friends, teachers, administrators, lend us your ears.

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The first thing you'll wanna do is log onto Shmoop, [image showing how to log in to Shmoop website]

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your online course headquarters.

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There, you'll see your name at the top of the screen

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and if you're not sure, well, it should match

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that thing on your birth certificate. [image of a birth certificate]

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Click on your name and you'll be taken to your personalized

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Shmoop dashboard where you can manage

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your classroom. [image showing how to manage your classroom]

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Well, within each classroom, you'll see a few tabs:

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overview, manage,

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gradebook, e-mail, and so on.

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Our virtual classrooms offer a variety

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of bells and whistles. Ding ding.

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Even more than you might find in a bells and whistle shop [ man wearing a superman suit and ringing the bell in a store]

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and definitely not as noisy.

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From the overview tab, you'll be able to click

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directly to the course content in the classroom resource area,

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post classroom announcements, [image showing how to post in classroom announcement]

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and even set test dates for some of the full-length tests.

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The manage tab allows you to edit due dates,

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see standards, and add or remove students. [image showing how to add or remove students]

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But the gradebook is the real meat and potatoes here.

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Or soy burger and snap peas if you're looking to cut back. [image of soy burger and snap peas]

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All right, well this is where the student data lives,

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breathes, and needs to be graded.

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It's something like a real life gradebook

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only you don't have to worry about getting ink on the side of your hand. [a woman with ink on her face]

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From the gradebook manage tab,

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you can invite students to join your classroom

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and then manage your student roster going forward.

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On the gradebook tab, you'll see your students' overall [image showing grade book tab]

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progress at a glance, or you can click on specific assignments

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to better nail down the stuff that's giving them fits,

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or apply other filters to pinpoint [image showing how to apply filters]

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whatever info or analysis you're looking for.

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You can grade assignments online here,

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and quickly and easily navigate from one student to another

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or within one student from one assignment to another.

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The overview tab will let you go directly to the Shmoop [image of overview tab]

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course content area.

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And, of course, you'll be able to send e-mails

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and announcements to students, as well as

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engage in discussions on anything that gets those noggins whirring.

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So, yeah, pretty much anything you wanna do - the gradebook's your oyster, [picture of appetizing oyster]

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or something less slimy.

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Now onto the good stuff -

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the courses themselves.

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First of all, you won't ever have to worry that we don't have you

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covered, no matter what the subject. [scrolling the screen showing all details]

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Shmoop offers full courses in a wide variety of content areas,

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including math, ELA, life skills, writing,

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PBIS, and oh so much more.

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Once you've selected the course you're interested in, [image showing selecting the course of your interest]

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Shmoop will help you tailor it to your specific needs and desires.

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Wanna tag the course to the Common Core

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or to state-specific standards?

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Done.

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Wanna program the course to set off an actual

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fireworks display any time one of your students [image of fireworks on screen]

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aces a quiz? Eh, well, we're working on that one.

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As soon as the technology's here,

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we'll be all over it like bees on honey. Promise.

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So you probably wanna know what you're getting into. [image of many bees together]

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What do these courses consist of?

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Well, good question.

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Every one of our courses is relevant, engaging, [image of an apple on a book]

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challenging, and totally comprehensive

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with a focus on technology-based learning.

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In addition to a virtual textbook

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consisting of in-depth readings and lessons,

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you'll find activities and assignments [image showing activities and assignments page]

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complete with grading rubrics

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and unit and final exams

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for full semester courses,

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as well as informative and entertaining videos that lend assistance [image of a question mark wearing a headphone]

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to your more visual learners.

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You know, videos like this one you're watching right now

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with my charming voice. Or not.

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All right, there's also the opportunity for credit recovery [a room with a mike]

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so that if a student fails a course,

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they won't necessarily be totally dead in the water.

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Instead, you'll be able to reel them in

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and give them another chance by tossing them back into the ocean. [two men fishing together]

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Heh. Metaphorically, of course.

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We can't in good conscience recommend

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ever throwing any of your students overboard

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much as you might like to. [two men standing in a small ship]

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We know you don't want your students falling behind

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or having to repeat an entire semester,

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so credit recovery is a big thing for us.

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Our courses are adaptive,

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so that if a student tests out of a unit,

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i.e. scores 70% or higher,

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they can move on to the next level.

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As far as credit recovery options go, [a man in a library with some pennies in his hand]]

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ours are by far the most affordable you can find.

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We're more up to date with Common Core

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and we place more of an emphasis on critical thinking

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and project-based assignments [image of screen scrolling]

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that don't let students' brains go on any early vacations.

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And of course, as with all Shmoop projects,

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we're hipper, we're funnier, and dog gone it, people like us.

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Really, you like us? [image of a man with his fingers interlocked]

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Yeah, sing it, Norma.

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Shmoop knows that not everyone learns in the same way or at the same speed,

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which is why you'll find plenty of

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remedial help on the site as well.

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You can use these resources to tutor

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a particular student who could use a helping hand [a teacher and a student in a classroom]

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or even create a different version

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of an existing course specifically designed for them.

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And then there are life skills

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courses which can expose students to a variety of

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valuable life lessons to help them

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better navigate the rough waters of the real world. [a man showing off his muscular body]

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Uh, different real world. Yeah.

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Get that MTV thing out of there.

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Shmoop wants to be there for you and for your students.

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We wanna be that mysterious fella behind a curtain who whispers, [a man and a student in a classroom]

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"psst" whenever you're faltering

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and is right there to hand you whatever you need.

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If something isn't quite working for you,

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our ears are always open. [a body with an elephant head and a woman in a room]

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Honestly, we never close them.

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Ears. Yeah.

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So take Shmoop courses for a spin

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and we promise you won't be disappointed. [scrolling through Shmoop courses]

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Once you've taken the plunge,

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you'll feel like a self-assured captain

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on board the ship of knowledge.

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Seriously, does anyone have the number for Royal Carribean? [image of a huge white cruise ship]

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Come on, let's just go out there.

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Doo doo.

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[ child's evil laugh ]

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