Creating and Managing Class Lists

Creating and Managing Class Lists

Overview

If LanSchool is going to be used in a 1:1 environment, where every student has their own device and is moving from class to class, it is recommended to use LanSchool Classic's Class List feature. The feature allows teachers to quickly load students into their class for that class period. It also prevents teachers from seeing student devices that are not in their class. See Planning Your Implementation for more details.

Prepare a Class List Implementation

Before beginning to create class lists, the channel assignment must be determined first. 

  1. Set up all student computers with a default “home” channel that is not used by any teachers. For instance, in a middle school you could assign the 7th graders to channel 7, 8th graders to channel 8, and 9th graders to channel 9. Alternately, you could assign a single channel to the entire student body.

  2. Set up each teacher on their own unique channel. Using the teacher’s classroom number works well for many schools. If you are using an LCS, consider using the auto-assignment feature.

  3.   Install the student computers with the default option not to change channels.
    If students are using Chromebooks, all class lists must be created by using Student Login Name.

Creating Class Lists by Searching on the Network

A teacher can complete the option to create class lists. This option is recommended for smaller schools and classrooms.
Before browsing for the students, every student required for the class must be logged into their device.

  1.  On the Teacher Console, from the Class List menu or toolbar menu, select Manual Class Lists...



  2. The Manage Manual Class Lists window and Load Manual Class List window display. Determine which method below to use to select students, and then select the appropriate radio button:
    1. Student Login Name (required for Chromebooks)
    2. Student Machine Name
    3. Student Full Name (from Active Directory in Windows environments)




  3. Select Add... under Search network for students :



  4. Select the check box(es) next to the appropriate students for the class, and then select Add.



  5. Select Save As, enter a name for your class, and then select Save. Class Lists are saved with an .lsc extension.



  6. Close the Manage Manual Class Lists window. The Load Manual Class List window displays the newly created class list.

  7. Select the appropriate class list. You can choose to have the class automatically dismiss by selecting Automatically dismiss class.
    1. Select Dismiss at default end time: to end your class at a specific time. This will become the normal end time every time the class is loaded.
    2. Select Dismiss __ minutes from now to specify a certain number of minutes from start time to dismissal time. 



  8. Select Start Class.   The class is now loaded, and a list of students who are are logged into their devices displays. Any student who is not logged in will appear as a "Missing Student."

  9. To manually dismiss the class, select Dismiss Current Class from the Class List menu or toolbar menu.



  10. If auto dismissal was chosen, a countdown displays at the bottom of the Teacher Console. When the countdown reaches one minute, it starts to flash at the bottom of the Teacher Console. A dismissal warning dialog displays, showing that the class will be dismissed.



  11. If desired, select Dismiss class now to dismiss the class or Add 2 minutes to class to delay the automatic dismissal.

Creating Another Class List by Searching on the Network

  1. To create more than one class by searching on the network. Click on Class List>>Manual Class Lists...
  2. Click on Edit...
  3. Click on New... and name your new class.
  4. You can now create a new class list following the previous steps from Creating Class List by Searching on the Network.
  5. Once you add the students select Save.

Editing Class Lists Created by Searching on the Network

  1. To edit already created class lists, click on Class List>>Manual Class Lists...
  2. Select the class you want to Edit.
  3. Click on Edit...
    1. Removing a Student- Select a student you want to remove from the class list and click on the minus button at the bottom of the window.
    2. Adding a Student- To add a new student to the class you can click on Add... and add them from the network or you can click on the plus button at the bottom of the window and enter their login name, machine name or Active Directory name. 



  4. Once you class has been adjusted. Click Save.

Deleting Class Lists Created by Searching on the Network

To delete a class list that was created by searching on the network, locate the class .lsc file on your device and delete the file.
Next time you go to Class List>>Manual Class List you will be prompted that the file cannot be found and if you would like to remove the class from the list. Click Yes.

Creating a Class List from a CSV File

Either a teacher or the school's IT support can create a class from a static CSV file.

  1. Create a CSV file that lists the students by one of these:
    1. Student Login Name
    2. Student Machine Name
    3. Student Name (from Active Directory in Windows environments)

  2. On the Teacher Console, select Manual Class Lists from the Class List menu or toolbar menu.



  3. The Manage Manual Class Lists and Load Manual Class List windows display.



  4. Select one of these options, depending on how the CSV file was created:
    1. Login Name
    2. Machine Name
    3. Active Directory Name

  5. Select Import.

  6. Select Save As, enter a name for your class, and then select Save. Class Lists are saved with an .lsc extension.

  7. Close the Manage Manual Class Lists window. The Load Manual Class List window displays the new class list.

  8. Select the appropriate class list. You can choose to have the class automatically dismiss by selecting Automatically dismiss class:
    1. Select Dismiss at default end time: to end your class at a specific time. This will become the normal end time every time the class is loaded.
    2. Select Dismiss __ minutes from now to specify a certain number of minutes from start time to dismissal time. 



  9.  Select Start Class. The class is now loaded, and you should see your students that are logged into their devices. Any student that is not logged in will appear as a "Missing Student."

  10. To manually dismiss the class, select Dismiss Current Class from the Class List menu or toolbar menu.



  11. If auto dismissal was chosen, a countdown displays at the bottom of the Teacher Console.



  12. When the countdown reaches one minute, it starts to flash at the bottom of the Teacher Console. A dismissal warning dialog displays, showing that the class will be dismissed. If desired, select Dismiss class now to dismiss the class or Add 2 minutes to class to delay the automatic dismissal.



Editing Class Lists Created by a CSV File

To add or remove students to class lists that were created using a CSV file you will first need to edit the CSV file that was used and then reupload the file following the steps from Creating Class Lists from a CSV File.

Deleting Class Lists Created by a CSV File

To delete a class list that was created by a CSV file, locate the class .lsc file on your device and delete the file.
Next time you go to Class List>>Manual Class List you will be prompted that the file cannot be found and if you would like to remove the class from the list. Click Yes.

Creating Dynamic Class Lists from a Student Information System (SIS)

The school's IT support should complete this option. This is recommended for large school districts where browsing for students can cause issues due to the large amount of students appearing in the Teacher Console.

Due to the complexity and number of different Student Information Systems that exist, LanSchool takes a generic approach to utilizing these tools. It is recommended to contact your SIS vendor for information about exporting data in the format described in the Dynamic Class Lists Implementation Guide .

Prerequisites

To prepare for implementing dynamic class lists, create two files by exporting the required data from your SIS software. Your SIS should have an export option to save as CSV, but if not, a plain text file is also acceptable.
  1. Generate two comma-separated values (CSV) files either manually or by exporting the data directly from your Student Information System (SIS) CSV format.
For more information and examples on creating Dynamic Class Lists with CSV files, please see our complete implementation guide .
  1. When you have exported this data to the files and named them appropriately, copy them to any network location that your teacher machines can access. Most SIS tools allow you to schedule this type of data export and automatically copy it to the correct network file share.

Loading Dynamic Class Lists

  1. On the Teacher Console, select Dynamic Class List from the Class List menu or toolbar menu.



  2. Select Options, and then select Comma-Separated Value (.csv) Exported Files.  

  3. Browse to the location where the teacher and student CSV files are saved.
    1. If they are stored on a central file share, ensure that the local drive is mapped. For example: H:\Server\LanSchoolFolder\.
    2.   If they are stored on an internal web server, enter the path. For example:  http://internalweb/LanSchoolFolder.

  4. Select the appropriate class. You can choose to have the class automatically dismiss by selecting Automatically dismiss class:
    1. Select Dismiss at default end time: to end your class at a specific time. This will become the normal end time every time the class is loaded.
    2. Select Dismiss __ minutes from now to specify a certain number of minutes from start time to dismissal time.




  5. Select Start Class. The class loads, and students who are logged into their devices display. Any student who is not logged in will appear as a "Missing Student."

  6. To manually dismiss the class, select Dismiss Current Class from the Class List menu or toolbar menu.



  7. If auto dismissal was chosen, a countdown displays at the bottom of the Teacher Console.



  8. When the countdown reaches one minute, it starts to flash at the bottom of the Teacher Console. A dismissal warning dialog displays, showing that the class will be dismissed. If desired, select Dismiss class now to dismiss the class or  Add 2 minutes to class  to delay the automatic dismissal.


Whenever the centrally located CSV files are updated, the teacher will automatically see those updates when loading a new dynamic class list.

Pre-Populate Dynamic Class List file location for Teachers

Instead of having teachers browse to the location of the dynamic class list CSV files, you can pre-populate the location of the files. This can be useful if the .csv files are stored in a network directory that may be hidden from the teacher's view. This location is stored in the registry on the Teacher Console.

Create the following two registry keys:
  • The first registry key is a REG_SZ and must be a single line string that contains the path.
                  32 Bit Windows: HKLM>>Software>>LanSchool>DynamicClassListCSVFolder
                  64 Bit Windows: HKLM>>Software>>Wow6432Node>>LanSchool>DynamicClassListCSVFolder
  • The second registry key is a DWORD32 with the Value set at 1.
                  32 Bit Windows: HKLM>>Software>>LanSchool>DynamicClassListInterface
                  64 Bit Windows: HKLM>>Software>>Wow6432Node>>LanSchool>DynamicClassListInterface

Clever Class Lists

If your school uses Clever, your Clever district admin can initiate the process of sharing your schools' rosters with LanSchool. Integration with Clever provides a quick and easy way to create dynamic class lists for teachers.

For more information on setting up Clever and LanSchool and integrating Clever rosters in the Teacher Console can be found here: Setting up the Secure Sync between Clever and LanSchool

Troubleshooting Class Lists

Missing Students

If your students are logged into their devices and the thumbnails are still appearing as "Missing Student:"
  1. Confirm that the correct class list loaded.
  2. Confirm that the syntax and spelling for the login names, machine names, or student AD names are correct.
  3. Check your network connection for the teacher, students, and LanSchool Connection Server. For more information on troubleshooting network issues, see Troubleshooting Missing Student Thumbnails.

Dynamic Class Lists - Missing Class Lists

If you're trying to load a dynamic class list but do not see your classes listed.
  1. Confirm with your IT support that your teacher computer can access the location where the dynamic class list CSV files are located.
  2. Verify that your teacher console is pointing to the correct location of the dynamic class list CSV files.
  3. Confirm with your IT support that your login name, machine name, or AD name is listed in the teacher CSV file and that the spelling and syntax are correct.
  4. Confirm with your IT support that the spelling and syntax of the names in the CSV file is exactly what is required.
  5. Confirm with your IT support that the CSV file information is correct in spelling and syntax. 



    • Related Articles

    • Clever Secure Sync Integration FAQ

      Overview This article contains information pertaining to Clever Integration with LanSchool Classic. For information on connecting Clever to LanSchool Air, see Setting Up Clever Secure Sync with LanSchool Air. How do I setup Clever Integration in ...
    • Setting Up Clever Secure Sync

      Overview LanSchool Classic supports using Clever as a source for class rosters. With Clever integration, instructors will not need to manually create classes and manually add students to their class rosters. Instructors can still create their own ...
    • Dynamic Class List Implementation Guide

      Overview Instead of requiring each teacher to manually create and manage each class list on their own, many organizations opt to build centrally managed class lists, typically generated by a scheduled export from the district's Student Information ...
    • Technical FAQ

      How do I gather logs from the teacher? LanSchool Support may require logs from the teacher console to help troubleshoot an issue. For instructions, please see Collecting Logs from Teacher Devices. How do I gather logs from the student? LanSchool ...
    • Installing the LanSchool Connection Service

      Overview The LanSchool Connection Service is based on client-server architecture. The LanSchool Connection Service reduces the need for configuration changes to routers and wireless access points to support wired/wireless environments and VLANs. The ...
    • Popular Articles

    • Limiting Website Use

      Overview To block troublesome or distracting websites or limit students to a select few websites pertinent to the class, use the Limit Web feature in LanSchool Classic. The teacher can choose to restrict all web activity, allow only certain websites, ...
    • LanSchool Classic Teacher Guide

      LanSchool Classic Teacher Console The LanSchool Teacher Console is the interface teachers will use to manage their classroom and students. It contains all the tools necessary for a teacher to effectively interact with students and create a ...
    • Installing LanSchool Teacher for Windows

      Overview The following instructions will assist you with manually installing LanSchool Classic Teacher Console on a single Windows device. For information on installing the student client or mass deploying LanSchool throughout your organization, see ...
    • Latest Release Notes

      LanSchool Classic Release Notes Customers with an active LanSchool subscription will have access to download the latest version from the LanSchool Classic Portal. For instructions, see Downloading LanSchool Installers. LanSchool Classic 9.3.0.12 ...
    • Blanking Student Screens

      Overview Blank student screens on your channel and disable student keyboards and mice. This feature is useful when you want to lecture without the distraction of students playing with their computers, or you need to quickly gather their attention. ...
    • Recent Articles

    • Using Assessment Mode

      Overview Assessment Mode allows an Administrator or Teacher to put student devices into a secure, locked mode in order to take a test or exam. When applied, the students devices enter Assessment Mode. During this mode the Teacher can't interact with ...
    • Downloading LanSchool Classic Installers

      Overview LanSchool Classic Downloads are accessed in LanSchool Air. Classic customers will see all their information, expiration and licensing keys in LanSchool Air. Admins who use both LanSchool Classic and LanSchool Air only need to manage one ...
    • Configuring LCS Redirection

      Overview In multiple LanSchool Connection Service scenarios, LCS Redirection allows administrators to set a default student LCS configuration where a MASTER LCS will send students to their correct LCS. The choice of LCS is configured based on the IP ...
    • Deploying LanSchool Classic Using Jamf Pro

      Update March 26, 2024: Release of macOS 14.4 has broken the ability to use SSID Whitelisting. Anyone currently using SSID Whitelisting, it is recommended to delay updating to macOS 14.4 until this issue has been fixed. Overview The LanSchool Classic ...
    • Disabling Fast User Switching

      Overview LanSchool Classic does not support Windows Fast User Switching feature. The student client will not function properly when the computer is switched to a second user account. It is recommended to disable Fast User Switching in order for the ...