The Learning Company 2Simple Modelling Toolkit User Manual

User Guide

2Simple Modelling Toolkit

v2

2003 The IT Learning Exchange

©

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form (including photocopying and recording) without the written permission of the
copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency
Ltd, 33-34 Alfred Place, London WC1E 7DP. Applications for the copyright holder's written
permission to reproduce, transmit or store in a retrieval system any part of this publication
should be addressed to The IT Learning Exchange at the address below.

The IT Learning Exchange
Department of Education
London Metropolitan University Tel: [phone]
Shoreditch Building Fax: [phone]
35 Kingsland Road E-mail: [e-mail]
LONDON E2 8AA Website: www.title.londonmet.ac.uk

2Simple Software
Enterprise House Tel: [phone]
2 The Crest Fax: [phone]
Hendon E-mail: [e-mail]
LONDON NW4 2HN Website: www.2simple.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The IT Learning Exchange would like to thank the following for invaluable help and
feedback:

! St. Michael’s Primary School, NW1, Camden

! Primrose Hill Primary, NW1 8JL, Camden

! New End Primary School, NW3 1HU, Camden

! Elizabeth Selby Primary School, E2, Tower Hamlets

! Columbia Primary School, E2, Tower Hamlets

! Sudbourne Primary School, SW2, Lambeth

! Stoneydown Park Primary School, E17, Waltham Forest

! Camp Primary School, AL1 5PG, Herts

MOD_UG_2.0.0_005

Contents

2Simple Modelling Toolkit

2Simple Modelling Toolkit................................................................................................. 2

Minimum System requirements ...................................................................................... 2

Installing 2Simple Modelling Toolkit .............................................................................. 2

Overview of the software ................................................................................................... 3

Organisation of tasks ...................................................................................................... 3

The bin........................................................................................................................... 3

Snapshots .......................................................................................................................4

Getting started.................................................................................................................... 6

Exiting 2Simple Modelling Toolkit ..................................................................................... 7

Option 1: Exit using the Exit button ................................................................................ 7

Option 2: Exiting after a task is complete........................................................................ 8

Option 3: Exiting before an activity is complete.............................................................. 8

Activity 1 ........................................................................................................................... 9

Activity 2 ......................................................................................................................... 10

Activity 3 ......................................................................................................................... 11

Activity 4 ......................................................................................................................... 12

Activity 5 ......................................................................................................................... 13

Teacher options ............................................................................................................... 14

Saving your settings ...................................................................................................... 14

Controlling access to activities...................................................................................... 15

Controlling Print options .............................................................................................. 15

Disabling the Exit button/Goes per task ........................................................................ 16

Audio help on Intro ...................................................................................................... 16

Auditory/language Support ........................................................................................... 16

Currency ...................................................................................................................... 17

Settings for activity 2 .................................................................................................... 17

Settings for activity 3 .................................................................................................... 17

Settings for activity 4 .................................................................................................... 18

Settings for activity 5 .................................................................................................... 18

Keyboard shortcuts........................................................................................................... 19

Using the Support materials ............................................................................................. 20

Installing Adobe Acrobat Reader .................................................................................. 20

Uninstalling 2Simple Modelling Toolkit ........................................................................... 21

The IT Learning Exchange 2003 not to be reproduced without permission

©

page 2 2Simple Modelling Toolkit

2Simple Modelling Toolkit

Minimum System requirements

PC

Multimedia computer

Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP or NT

Keyboard

Mouse

Printer

64MB RAM

285MB Hard Disk space

Adobe Acrobat Reader 3

Whilst 2Simple Modelling Toolkit can be installed on a Network it is advisable to install
the software locally on individual machines.

Mac

Multimedia computer

OS 8.1 to X

Keyboard

Mouse

Printer

64MB RAM

250MB Hard Disk space

Adobe Acrobat Reader 3

Installing 2Simple Modelling Toolkit

Place the CD ROM in the CD drive of your
computer

The installation process should begin
automatically

• Click on: ‘Install Modelling Toolkit’

and follow the on-screen instructions

If the installation process for 2Simple Modelling Toolkit does not automatically start when
you put the CD into the CD-ROM drive of your computer, carry out the following:

• Click on: ‘the Start

button’

• Select: ‘Run’

• Type in: D:\Setup.exe

(Where D:\ is the location of your CD­ROM drive)

• Follow the on-screen instructions

not to be reproduced without permission

©

The IT Learning Exchange 2003

2Simple Modelling Toolkit page 3

Overview of the software

2Simple Modelling Toolkit is aimed at the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. It consists of
a suite of five core modelling activities, each with three differentiated levels, known as
tasks. Each activity has been designed with opportunities to support core subject areas. It
can be used to teach ICT or as a resource to support Literacy/English,
Numeracy/Mathematics and Science. 2Simple Modelling Toolkit has been developed for
use in classrooms and incorporates a simple options utility that allows teachers to direct
tasks and adopt flexible and creative approaches to support teaching and learning.

2Simple Modelling toolkit does not require children to read large amounts of text and
where text occurs it is always supported by simple and clear illustrations.

Organisation of tasks

2Simple Modelling Toolkit has been designed to support classroom management and
access using a computer. It provides pairs and small groups of children with focussed
learning opportunities. In order to achieve this, specific constraints and task closure
opportunities have been built in.

Across the range of activities in 2Simple Modelling Toolkit the software can be set up to
encourage children to focus on a specific task, for example, in the Teacher options you
could set the program so that children will only be able to explore a task for a limited
number of ‘goes’ before being returned to the Activity menu screen. This is intended to
provide a prompt to the children to finish their computer based activity and create an
opportunity for other children to visit the computer. (For more information see the
‘Teachers Utilities menu’ section).

In summary, there are five core activities; each activity has 3 differentiated tasks. At each
visit to the computer the children can explore any selected task for a specified number of
‘goes’.

The bin

Within the activities the ‘bin’ icon has been used to allow the children to edit choices that
have been made. Within different activities the bin function varies.

Task 1 Task 2 Task 3

Activity 1 Bin Bin Bin

Activity 2 Wipe all Wipe all N/A

Activity 3 Wipe all Wipe all Wipe all

Activity 4 Bin Bin Bin

Activity 5 N/A N/A N/A

Bin: Select an object, move it over the bin icon and it is removed from the work area.

Wipe all:

been used this action cannot be undone.

The IT Learning Exchange 2003 not to be reproduced without permission

©

If the bin is selected the work area will be completely wiped. Once the bin has

page 4 2Simple Modelling Toolkit

Snapshots

Within 2Simple Modelling Toolkit there is no utility to allow the children to save their
work. It is intended that the children should choose to print one or more screens as they
progress through a task when appropriate. However it may occur that the children do not
print or accidentally fail to print a particularly interesting or noteworthy piece of work. In
such an instance the ‘Snap Shots’ folder will allow you to retrieve one or more pieces of
work and print them.

How it works

As the children complete work in the various activities and tasks 2Simple Modelling
Toolkit automatically takes a ‘snap shot’ image of completed work and stores it as a JPEG
picture file. (A JPEG is a picture file type commonly used by digital cameras and scanners).
These stored images can later be retrieved and printed using a painting program or graphic
editor eg. Paint, Colour Magic, PaintShop Pro.

To view a ‘Snap Shot’, start your painting program or graphic editor.

• Click on: ‘File’

• Click on: ‘Open’

• Click on: in the ‘Look in’ drop

down menu

• Select: C:\ (the hard disk drive of your

computer)

When you are able to view the folder
list on C:\

• Select: ‘Program Files’

• Click on: ‘Open’

• Select: ‘2Simple MT’

• Click on: ‘Open’

Inside the 2Simple MT folder

• Select: ‘Snapshots’

• Click on: ‘Open’

Note: You can through the Teacher’s Utilities change the location where Snapshot images
are stored

not to be reproduced without permission

©

The IT Learning Exchange 2003

2Simple Modelling Toolkit page 5

To view the snapshot files,

• If you do initially see any files

• Click on: in the ‘File of type’ drop

down menu

• Select: JPEG (*.JPG;*.jpeg) or All

Picture Files

A list of pictures file names will be
displayed, one for each of the last 45
completed tasks.

• Select: a picture file

• Click on: ‘Open’

Your chosen image will be displayed
and can be printed or saved in the
normal manner.

The IT Learning Exchange 2003 not to be reproduced without permission

©

page 6 2Simple Modelling Toolkit

How to guide

Getting started

Start 2Simple Modelling toolkit, from the ‘Start Menu’ or using an icon on your desktop,

Introducing the splash screen

Starting 2Simple Modelling Toolkit will
launch the splash screen which will remain
while the program loads.

When the program has finished loading you
will automatically be taken to the Activity
Menu screen.

Using the Activity menu you can select
which activity and task you wish to start.

To start an activity click on the appropriate
task button;

Splash screen

Activity Menu

Task 1 = Foundation stage/Reception

Task 2 = Year 1

Task 3 = Year 2

Whilst the different tasks of each activity
were developed with specific age groups in
mind, this does not preclude class groups
from exploring other program tasks.

not to be reproduced without permission

©

The IT Learning Exchange 2003