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Blake Bass Middle School Infinite Campus Training for New Teachers

Amanda Pack

Department of Instructional Technology, Kennesaw State University

ITEC 7500: Capstone Experience & Portfolio

Tracy L. Borup

August, 2023
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Blake Bass Middle School Infinite Campus Training for New Teachers

The overall purpose of this capstone project is to alleviate new teacher confusion about

essential features of the learning management system used by Blake Bass Middle School by

establishing a training program through research completed between Specialist Candidate

Amanda Pack and mentee teacher Anna Hagan. This project came to fruition through my

experiences with novice academic team members’ questions about the LMS Infinite Campus.

These teachers were asking the same questions about IC in weekly team meetings and displaying

surprise when features of the LMS were highlighted. It became evident that the training

resources for IC lacked the desired specifics for BMS teachers. Through capstone research and

proposal, the primary goal became to create, distribute, and evaluate feedback of a Blake Bass

Middle School Infinite Campus Teacher Resource Guide.

As development of the project progressed, I discovered that the company that created

Infinite Campus has done a great job at providing “how-to” and “where-to” videos that provide

some training on their system. However, these training courses are not always specific to what

we at Bass or in Coweta County are using. Additionally, teachers often have trouble navigating

to the video help functions or simply do not have the time to peruse the video library. This

capstone addresses these issues through the implementation of a multimodal training manual for

novice teachers for Infinite Campus that directly targets our needs at this school and at the

district level in order to pull data, enter grades, and communicate with parents in the most

effective and efficient ways possible.

Description of Capstone Experience

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My original capstone proposal divided the project into three phases: identify, create, and

evaluation. The first phase consisted of identifying and documenting specific Infinite Campus

needs, requirements, and usage. Phase two consisted of the creation of training materials:

sample reports, navigation tutorials, and presentation materials. However, it was in this phase

that the scope of the project was altered. After several informal interviews with teachers in

various grades and contents, I decided that rather than hold an official required professional

learning session, a manual and a request for additional training form would be sufficient for our

needs. Phase three included a mentee teacher who was to participate in the training of the LMS

and provide a post training reflection. Since the alteration of phase two was significant, the

mentee teacher did not participate in the training session but instead evaluated the manual on her

own and sent the feedback to me.

Since the major objective of my capstone was to create a Blake Bass Middle School

Guide to Infinite Campus that will serve as a “how-to” manual, phase one was reliant on my

personal experiences with infinite campus and the requirements of our building administrator. I

identified several important features of the LMS and several documents that needed to be

featured in the manual. Among these are grades reports, rosters, blank grade sheets, etc. I also

discussed these important features with team leaders and content guides and included the

requested items. One of the main reasons I spoke with leaders was to create an additional layer of

buy in. According to Sandler.com, in the article Invaluable Insight from Top Leadership and

Management Experts, “Excitement is contagious, and your employees will follow your example

of a positive attitude” (Farrington, 2015). Overwhelmingly, leadership mentioned that many new

teachers, and a surprising number of veteran teachers, did not know how to send and/or print
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missing assignment reports for their students. I decided to add that report to the how-to manual

as well.

It was important to me that the manual be something that teachers actually used so during

Phase Two, I took my time to make sure that both the digital and printed versions were user

friendly. For each report or feature, I included screenshots and a step by step click guide. I did

assume that all teachers knew how to login to Infinite Campus and that they could navigate to the

dashboard without assistance. I put hyperlinks in the digital manual to allow for quick navigation

to needed tutorials as well as included a section titled “Descriptions of Included Reports and

Features.” This section gives a brief description of the report and how BMS teachers are

expected to use the report. The final product left me with ten essential functions and reports that

teachers could access as needed.

Phase Three included a review of the manual by Anna Hagan, ELA teacher at BMS and a

post-use reflection. Ms. Hagan has been teaching for 2 years. She had not previously been

trained in how to use Infinite Campus. During her internship, she used Infinite Campus but not to

the extent that a certified teacher is required to use the program. Ms. Hagan had previously

expressed frustration with the LMS and often asked for help. During her initial county

orientation, there was no attempt made at training. Instead, the district relied on building level

training and corporate tutorials. Due to the adjustments to Phase One, Ms. Hagan did not

participate in a live training of Infinite Campus but instead reviewed and evaluated my training

manual. During her reflection, Ms. Hagan indicated that she learned new tips and tricks and

some “how-to’s” that she had not known before. She also provided feedback about the aesthetics

of the manual. The original draft was bland, sterile, and did not encourage one to use it. After

some editing, this issue was corrected and received the stamp of approval from Ms. Hagan.
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Additionally, during this time, I decided to send the manual to the entire school along

with a simple survey that requested feedback from all teachers, not only novice teachers. I

received four responses, and all were very positive and required very little editing of the manual

itself. The administration was very supportive and encouraged this pursuit. Once all necessary

parties evaluated the manual, it was then determined that the Infinite Campus manual would be a

staple of training materials linked and shared during annual preplanning meetings.

Implementation

Implementation of the capstone project deviated from the original proposal for the

project. The original plan had teachers participating in a 30-minute in person training of the

program. However, after conversations with teachers revealed that in person trainings would not

be desired by participants, the goal shifted away from providing training and towards provided

material references. I decided to adjust the objectives of the project to reflect the changes.

Another variation from the original proposal was in Phase Three of the project. Instead of

including only novice, new, and first year teachers, I disseminated the manual to the entire staff

and requested feedback. It was important to me to have full representation in the evaluation since

my in-person training was no longer included and therefore my personal observations could not

lend to the validity of the project. The changes in the implementation of this proposal ended up

creating a more versatile and universal training manual. It allowed me to focus on the manual

itself rather than stretching my focus between training and the creation of the manual.

Project Outcomes

Changes in the planning, execution, and implementation of this capstone drastically

altered the original five objectives. The changes to these objectives are noted in the chart below.

Despite the changes in the proposal and the adjustments of the objectives in the middle of the
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process, the project is decidedly positive. The survey results and reflection were encouraging.;

the consensus is that giving this manual on day one would be of benefit to the teacher and the

school. It would be “a time saver” and would help with time management for new teachers. It

also gave veteran teachers a refresher course on Infinite Campus and showed them a few things

that are new to the program. I extended the invitation to an informal Q & A during preplanning

for the school year. Two teachers attended and both left with their problems addressed and

solved. I also offered a printed copy but had no requests.

Original Objective Revised Objective

Project Leader will identify five important Project leader will identify ten important

features of Infinite Campus specific to features of Infinite Campus specific to

Bass Middle School by November 10, 2022 Bass Middle School.

Project Leader will provide a step-by-step Project Leader will provide a step-by-step

guide to each of the identified features guide to each of the identified features

in Objective 1 by February 10, 2023 in Objective 1.

All teachers new to BBMS will receive the All BBMS teachers will receive the “Blake

“Blake Bass Middle School Guide to Infinite Bass Middle School Guide to Infinite

Campus” at the conclusion of its creation. Campus” at the conclusion of its creation.

80% of first year teachers will participate in a Informal Q & A sessions will be offered

30-minute Infinite Campus during August preplanning in service dates.

coaching session during the first 4 weeks of

the 3rd grading term.

Feedback and reflection from 80% of newly Feedback and reflection from selected
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trained teachers will be obtained by teachers will be obtained.

April 30, 2023

Barriers Encountered

During the creation of deliverables and through the implementation of this capstone

project, I encountered several obstacles. Some common obstacles encountered were scheduling

challenges and design trouble shooting. The scheduling challenges ended up being the bigger

barrier than I originally predicted. So large in fact, that the in-person training sessions for the

manual were completely cancelled. I did not anticipate the level of resistance I would receive

from teachers about this training, nor did I realize the general negativity towards follow -up

surveys. I was able to overcome both of these issues by limiting my test pool to only volunteer

teachers. I spoke with colleagues that I have built a good repertoire with to build the

relationships I needed. Then, I sent the survey to all classroom teachers with a personal message

asking for assistance with the survey. I was able to secure about a 33% return rate.

I was able to overcome the design challenge by using an online editor that made it easy to

manipulate the size of images without having to crop or give up clarity on. I used Canva to

design the training manual. This program enabled me to guarantee that the images were clear,

and that the layout was aesthetically pleasing.

Follow-Up 

This capstone project will require periodic follow-ups to maintain its effectiveness and

reliability. To begin with, the company that owns Infinite Campus will release updates that may

alter the click trail used to access various reports. Additionally, features may receive a new look

or a new title. These issues are out of my control, but I feel confident that now that the bulk of
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the work is done, updates will be easily maintained. Two ways to address the need for new

manual editions are to release addendums or to release a new edition entirely. The plan I will

proceed with however, is to supply new editions to new teachers as they enter our school. I

believe that once teachers get into the program, they will see the updates in real time and adjust

accordingly. The continual nuisance of sending out emails for updates would not be appreciated.

Discussion and Reflection

The creation of the Blake Bass Middle School Infinite Campus Training Manual I was

able to develop essential skills and dispositions needed of a technology facilitator and leader.

One such disposition is the need for expertise in the educational technology field. Developing the

manual necessitated a deep understanding of IC, which demonstrates my ability to effectively

support and guide others in using similar technology. I learned through trial and error the need to

be user-centered when creating the manual. It was important to keep in mind not only who would

be using the manual but also who in the end would benefit from its creation. The manual allowed

me to create a digitally rich learning resource that addresses adult learning and professional

learning needs (PSC-IT 8.2).

Developing this training manual involved articulating a vision for how effective use of

Infinite Campus can enhance education and promote effective teaching and learning. The

capstone process reinforced for me the importance of visionary leadership in the field of

instructional technology. I learned how important the role of technology facilitators and leaders

are in setting a clear vision and inspiring others to adopt and embrace technology. Despite the

reticence in attending an in-person learning, I was still able to encourage colleagues to expand

their knowledge base of how the LMS operates and how it can help them do their job more

efficiently (PSC-IT 8.4).

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Another significant disposition that I learned during the implementation of this capstone

is the importance of being able to recognize technical issues. Many times, during the creation of

the training manual, I came across several instances where I had to adjust both the delivery and

the visuals of materials due to size, pixels, or angles of a screenshot. This experience highlights

the need for strong technical support skills, including problem-solving, troubleshooting, and the

ability to maintain and optimize technology solutions in an educational context. (PSC-IT 8.3)

The troubleshooting skills used in this project were crafted after online and blended learning

experiences taught the skills needed to approach projects with the confidence and flexibility

needed of a technology facilitator or leader.

As long as our district is using Infinite Campus, there will be a need to train teachers in

learning management systems. It is my hope that this project continues to provide the support for

new teachers at Blake Bass Middle School for many years. The Infinite Campus training manual

encourages continuous learning by both new teachers and veteran alike. Optimistically, this

project inspired others to stay current with evolving technologies and pedagogical practices

(PSC-IT 8.1). Through this experience, I was able to gain self-awareness by recognizing my own

strengths in the areas of technical troubleshooting and in the relationships I have with colleagues.

I also was able to see some of the areas for me to grow in my quest to become a technology

facilitator and leader. For example, I was able to see the importance of creating clear and concise

documents- a place that I struggled with initially.

This capstone experience contributed to my understanding of the needs of others in two

ways. Firstly, the interactions with educators during training provided valuable insights into their

needs, challenges, and aspirations. Educators expressed a major desire that training and

professional development not only contribute to their job duties but also be respectful of their
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time. Teachers needed to feel like the training contributed significant knowledge; which overall,

feedback was good in this regard. This experience enhanced my already present empathy and

understanding of teachers’ perspectives and struggles in adopting technology and training

courses. By creating this training manual, this experience contributes to the field by sharing best

practices, fostering collaboration, and promoting effective technology integration in K-12

education.

Recommendations

Other educators attempting to create their own training manual should be mindful of

several important factors. First, know your audience. Creators should tailor the content of the

manual to the expertise and needs of the people using it. Next, creators should use clear and

concise language, avoid technical jargon, and include screenshots and click trails. Be sure to

break down tasks into simple step-by-step instructions and easy to follow directions. A person

trying to duplicate this capstone should also be able to test the manual before disseminating it.

Decide how the manual will be distributed. Will it be available online, as a downloadable PDF,

or in print? How ever it is delivered, make it easily accessible to the target audience.

Additionally, make note of copyright and licensing issues if using images or content from other

sources; always provide proper citation. Remember that creating effective professional learning

opportunities is an ever-evolving process. Use proven methods of creation, feedback, revision,

and reflection. The goal is to empower users to make the most of the app and of their time while

providing a valuable resource they can refer to whenever they need assistance.
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References

Farrington, J. (2015). Invaluable Insight From Top Leadership and Management Experts.

Retrieved from Snadler Training: https://www.sandler.com/blog/invaluable-insight-from-

top-leadership-and-management-experts/