USA Learns
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Information about USA Learns
Information for students that's also useful for you
Experience the USA Learns course as a student
Tips
How to correct student writing
Technical FAQs
Information about USA Learns |
Click for Resources for Teachers, including:
- An overview of USA Learns
- Curriculum Scope and Sequence document for Courses 1 and 2, and 43 stories in Course 3, including vocabulary and video scripts as available.
- Intake assessment - If you are not sure whether to have students begin with Course 1 or Course 2, this will help.
- Technical requirements
- Apps and "more practice" resources
Information for students that's also useful for you |
Click to visit the 'Help Using USALearns' page on the student Weebly site that includes:
- Course navigation
- A list of the number of writing activities for each lesson in Courses 1 and 2 (First and Second English Courses in USA Learns)
- The topics, vocabulary, and transcripts as available for each course
Experience the USA Learns course as a student! |
If you've never seen USALearns, we encourage you to create a student account and give it a try. Click to create a student account. Click the red 'Start Now' button to create an account, and try a little of each of the three courses.
Tips |
Remind students to reply to the teacher’s communications (email or text, as the student selected), starting with the welcome message. This is our only way of knowing that they read their messages and can communicate with the teacher.
When to give students your USA Learns class key
Course 3
Students begin Course 3 (Practice English and Reading) only after they have completed Course 2.
Students transitioning from one course to another
See 'Transitioning Courses' on the Policies page.
When to give students your USA Learns class key
- Course 1 students: after completing Units 1 and 2
- Course 2 students: after completing both writing assignments in Lesson 1
Course 3
Students begin Course 3 (Practice English and Reading) only after they have completed Course 2.
Students transitioning from one course to another
See 'Transitioning Courses' on the Policies page.
How to correct student writing (Write about it) |
Click the video for instructions:
PLEASE NOTE: A frequent problem for course two students is not saving or doing the “Write about it” activities. The most difficult aspect is making changes in the writing activity. You can find the process in the student directions or on the Help Using USA Learns page on the student Weebly site.
Technical FAQs |
Videos don't start
'Say It' microphone issues
Students cannot do speaking activities on many devices. If this happens, tell the students to click through the activities. This will indicate that the activity is completed.
The site will work on most tablets and cell phones.
- Depending on the browser, device, and settings, some videos may have this problem.
Fix: At the bottom of the video, click the blue bar to move the play button forward. Then click to rewind it back. The video will then play.
'Say It' microphone issues
Students cannot do speaking activities on many devices. If this happens, tell the students to click through the activities. This will indicate that the activity is completed.
The site will work on most tablets and cell phones.
- The “Say It” activity will not repeat the request to use the microphone if you right click on “settings” and then click on “remember settings". Sometimes Flash does not hold microphone “allow” settings. It usually works in Internet Explorer. If not, try these fixes:
- Fix 1: Make sure popups are not disabled.
- Fix 2: Go to the Adobe Privacy Setting panel online, select usalearns.org in the site list and “Always allow” - that may take care of it until the browser updates again.
- Fix 3: Use different browser, then go back to your preferred browser. It works!
- Fix 4: If you use Safari, you have to allow the plugin within Safari preferences.
- If none of the fixes is possible: The Say It activities will be marked incomplete until the student goes through the activity. They don’t have to do it, just click through…next…next…next… and then it will be complete.