Configuring and Managing Classrooms

Classwize Classes can be set up and managed in School Manager by users with the Classroom Ed-Tech Manager roles. Teachers may also have permission to modify classes in Classwize depending on your school's setup. This article explains how IT Administrators can set up and manage classes using different methods such as syncing classrooms, importing a CSV or manually creating classrooms. This article also discusses naming convention recommendations and troubleshooting steps.

Naming Conventions

Before creating or importing any classrooms, we recommend agreeing on a standardized naming convention. This can help easily identify each classroom, especially in larger schools. We recommend using a format similar to the one below:

[Year] - [Term] - [Grade] - [Subject Name] [Class Number]

2021 - Term 1 - Grade 5 - English 2

Creating Classrooms in School Manager

You can create a classroom in four ways:

• Syncing with a Student Information System (SIS)
• Syncing with a Provider (Google, Azure AD, Clever and LDAP)
• Importing a CSV 
• Manually Creating a Classroom

Syncing Classrooms with a Student Information System (SIS)

School Manager allows you to use an aggregator such as OneRoster, Wonde or ClassLink to integrate with School Information System (SIS) like Powerschool, Ellucian, eSchoolPlus, Illuminate Education, or Unit4. This means you will be able to sync your existing classrooms from the SIS into School Manager and Classwize. Once the groups have been synced, they can be used as classrooms in Classwize.

Syncing Classrooms with a Provider

School Manager also allows you to use providers such as (Google, Azure AD, Clever and LDAP) to sync your existing groups/classrooms from the providers into School Manager.  Once the groups have been synced, they can be used to limit teachers to access only their own classrooms in Classwize. 

Sync frequency

Google Classroom automatically syncs with School Manager once a week on the weekend, between 12:01AM Saturday and 11:59PM Sunday in your devices' timezone. You can also manually run a sync by navigating to Configuration > Authentication > Google and clicking Sync. Finally, you can enable teachers to manually sync their Google Classrooms from within Classwize.

Syncs for all other SIS and classroom data services run overnight, every night, in your device's timezone.

Importing Classrooms with a CSV file

You will need to create a CSV using the format in the table below.

• user: Needs to match the names in School Manager (steve.johnson)
• class: This is the class name. (room 1)
• is_owner: False is for a student and True is for a teacher.

1. Go to Configuration > Classwize > Classrooms.
2. Select Import CSV.
3. Select Upload Classrooms.
4. Select Import.

Importing Classroom Schedules with a CSV

You will need to create a CSV using the format in the table below.

• class: This is the class name (room1)
• day: The day of the schedule (mon)

1. Navigate to Configuration > Classwize > Classrooms.
2. Select Import CSV.
3. Select Upload Classroom Schedules.
4. Select Import.

Manually Creating a Classroom

1. Go to Configuration > Classwize > Classrooms 
2. Select Add Classroom.
3. Select a Name, then select Add.
4. Select the classroom that you've just created. If you have made a mistake with the classroom name, delete the classroom and create it again.
5. Add a Teacher (Required). This will allow the teacher to see the classroom on their Classwize Dashboard.
   NOTE: If you don’t add a teacher, they will not be able to see the classroom in Classwize.
6. Add the Students (Optional). If you don’t add students here, the Teacher will be able to add them in Classwize manually or using invite codes.
   NOTE: You will be able to see THE Schedules or Policies created but will not be able to edit them from this page. These can be edited within Classwize.
7. When you are ready, select Save

Editing Classrooms

Synced Classrooms

If a classroom is synced with a School Information System (SIS), you should make the changes within the SIS tools first and then sync them into School Manager.

Troubleshooting

The CSV imports are not uploading 

Please ensure you have uploaded a CSV with the correct format.

I can’t edit the classroom Schedules or Policies within School Manager  

You can only edit the Teachers and Students for the classroom within School Manager. To edit the Schedules or Policies you must open the classroom in Classwize or upload a CSV file with a schedule to School Manager.

 I can’t change the classroom name from School Manager.

• If you are manually creating a classroom, delete the class and remake it.
• If you have imported a CSV, rename the classroom in the file and re-upload it.
• If you are syncing with a SIS, make the changes within the SIS and re-sync.