The Education Cents Groups functionality is a learning management system platform to communicate with your groups and track their progress in the courses and results on the assessments. The groups functionality creates a relationship between a group facilitator and the group members.
This video will show you how to create a group, invite members to join your group and manage your group.
To learn more about the Education Cents program, check out our Get Started with Education Cents video available on our home page.
To create an Education Cents group, simply log into EducationCents.org and visit the groups page. As an Education Cents group facilitator you will be able to create as many groups as you would like.
Next, Click on “Create new group” and choose a name for your group. The group name should be unique and we recommend that you choose a simple name because in many cases your students will be typing the name into the website. Choose a name that’s specific to your group so that it will be easy to identify each group that you create. For example: P2EconSpring11, for a period 2 economics class during spring 2011 semester; or, 2011GreatScholars for the 2011 group in the Great Scholars program.
A description is not required. If you choose not to create one now you will have another opportunity later.
Now your group is created!
Click on your group’s name to go to the home page for your group. You can return to this page any time by clicking on the “Home” link under your group.
Individuals must have an Education Cents account to join your group.
There are two ways to invite people to join your group.
The first is to provide your group name to them in person. For example, you might write it on the board if you are in a classroom computer lab. After logging in to Education Cents, direct them to visit the “Groups” page and type your group name into the “join group” box.
The second way to invite individuals to join your group is to send them an “invite to group” email.
Click on “Invite to group” in the right navigation and enter the e-mail address and any personal message you would like to include . An email will be sent to your invitees instructing them to click a link to join your group.
The group management pages are where you’ll manage your group members as well as your group page, your forums and your media libraries.
On the general tab you can provide a group description and upload an image.
When members request to join your group, you’ll approve, reject or delete them on the members tab.
Our forums offer an opportunity for conversations and learning outside of in-person group meetings.
You can upload files to share with your group on the media libraries tab.
Other tools and resources in our learning management system include reports, where you can learn about your group’s activity on the website and scores on the assessments, right down to the individual question.
In our facilitator resources section you’ll find great presentations, worksheets and quizzes as well as information on the Colorado Department of Education’s personal financial literacy standards.
To learn more about Education Cents and the Groups learning management system, we hope you’ll join us for an upcoming train-the-trainer event. You’ll find information about these events, and online learning opportunities, offered free-of-charge throughout Colorado, on the training opportunities page. If you’d like to invite us to provide a train-the-trainer event in your computer lab or if you are outside of Colorado, contact us at info@educationcents.org.