MyAccess+Student+Instructions+Handout

= Student MyAccess Instructions Handout = These instructions are for students (teacher should edit, as needed). ** MyAccess Instructions **

(Remember—you can do this from school or home!)

1. Start web browser program and type in this address: [|www.myaccess.com]

2. Your log-in = your first name + student ID number (no spaces and first name is as it appears on official school records).

3. Your password = 999 + your last name (no spaces and last name is as it appears on official school records).

4. When you try to log-in, you will be presented with a screen confirming that it is really you. Check and make sure it is, then click the “YES, this information is CORRECT” link.

5. Click on the word “assignments” (located in the upper left-hand area of the screen).

6. Choose the correct assignment (if there is more than one). Click the “Start” button.

7. Carefully read the prompt to know what you need to accomplish for this piece of writing. It is important to pay attention to how your paper will be graded (scroll all the way through to the bottom on the prompt to see this information).

8. When you are ready to write, scroll down to your “Writing Place.” Begin typing in your essay. (You can make the font larger or a different type, if you wish, but don’t spend a lot of time deciding. You have a paper to write!)

9. Note: if you are copying and pasting your story, insert your flashdrive (or your e-mail) and call up your story. Copy it, and paste it into the MyAccess “Writing Place” box.

10. Once you are finished typing in your story, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click the “Submit Writing” button. 11. You will now see a screen that says, “Review Your Essay.” When you are finished reviewing, scroll to the bottom and click the “Final Submit” button.

12. You will now see the scores the computer has given your paper in five different areas, plus a holistic (overall) score. You will see a graph and underneath the graph; there will be comments by the computer.

Note: If your paper isn’t very long, the computer can’t score it. You will get a mess age indicating that it can’t score your paper. Make it longer.

13. Take a look at what the computer is telling you. (Copy down your scores below.) First score: Final score: Holistic

Focus and Meaning

Content and Development

Organization

Language Use, Voice, and Style

Mechanics and Conventions

What is the computer telling you that you need to improve? Write it down. Note: the goal is to get at least a 4 (preferably a 5) in each area. (But see note at the very bottom of this paper.)

14. When you have finished writing down your responses above, click the “Assignments” button (located in the upper left-hand area of the screen).

15. Click the “Start Revision” button.

16. Click “My Editor” tab (and select “English”).

17. The computer has identified things it thinks might be errors. The truth is, the computer doesn’t “think” at all, but it has been programmed to identify possible errors. If the computer has identified something that is not an error, __ignore it__. If you are unsure whether or not it is an error, get some advice from someone who knows.

18. As you click on each link, the computer will tell you what it thinks is wrong. If you agree with the computer, fix the problem on your paper. (If you don’t agree with the computer, __ignore it__!)

19. If you would like to some information about each of the scoring categories, you can click the tab that says, “My Tutor.” This will help you get a deeper understanding of the areas the computer is scoring. This will give you additional ideas of how to strengthen your paper in each of the areas.

20. Once you have made the revisions the computer is suggesting (plus, hopefully, some other revisions you figured out you need to make, you can re-score your paper. (Re-do instructions 10 and 11).

21. You can work through this process as many times as you want to until you are satisfied with your score.

Note: the computer is not a human being! The computer scores should be taken with a grain of salt. A human reader might not agree with the computer. The computer might give a score of “6” but the human reader would give it a lower score. Or the computer might give a score of 4 and the human reader might give it a higher score. Remember--this program is a tool to help you. It is not perfect. Far from it. Use your common sense.