Parents and students may use phones, tablets or PCs, and some with limited internet capability making it hard to download large file or videos. Also sending large files via email may result in slowness and the possibility of email not getting delivered due to recipient's domain server not accepting huge files etc.  To tackle such incidents we recommend below best practices:
  • To share files via email – Upload the file to Announcement/Webpage etc. as a post in SchoolSpeak and share the link via email.
  • To share a video – Upload the video to a platform like YouTube, Vimeo, dropbox etc. and share the link with the students/parent via email.
 
Additionally, add admin@schoolspeak.com to your email application as a safe contact to continue receiving emails and notification from SchoolSpeak.
 
--------------------------- Below will cover detail instructions on ------
 
1. How to add a link to an email to an attachment/external website
2. How to link to a video 
 
Please scroll down to locate the section that you are interested in learning more about. 
 
 
How to add a link to an email to an attachment/external website
Before we can send a link to an attachment, we need to add the attachment into SchoolSpeak.  If you are linking to an external location on the web, please skip this step.
 
1. Let's add the attachment to an Announcement (bulletin resource) or Web page (Webpage resource)
   a. Add a new announcement or a webpage to 'hold' the attachment you would like to link to your email
                 In the new announcement/web page, scroll to the bottom of the page and locate Add Attachments
                 - Click Select File 
                 - Locate the file on your computer, click on the file and then click Open 
                 - The file name will appear in the announcement or web page. Click Upload
                 - Click either Add or Upload 
 Now you are ready to link to the resource that holds the attachment via your email. 
 
2. Get ready to add the link to an email.
    If you added the attachment to SchoolSpeak 
       a. Click to the announcement or webpage. Look at the top of your browser and locate the address bar.    
       b. Highlight the whole address and then click your right mouse button to copy it.  
 
   If you are linking to an external site, go to the site where the information is listed. 
        a.  Look at the top of your browser and locate the address bar.
        b. Highlight the whole address and then click your right mouse button to copy it.
 
3. Add the link to the email (Option 1)
      a. Begin a new email
      b. In the text box of the email, paste the URL that you copied in the above step. 
      c. Complete the email as usual 
 
 
3. Add a link plus text to the email (Option 2)
   a. Begin a new email
   b. In the text box, write the text you would like the reader to see (ie here is the attachment, click to view) 
   c. Highlight the text you just wrote
   d. Click on the  
   e. Click in first field and click Paste to add the URL you copied.
   f. Click OK
   g. Complete the email and send it to the recipients 
 
Good job!! 
       
 
How to link a video 
Videos are a fantastic way to share information with people. Teachers can make instructional videos or perhaps point to videos on the web to supplement their instruction. Schools may want to share videos of events that occurred in the school, or of important topics on the web. The biggest issue with sending a video is the size of the video. Many people use their phones/tablets as their primary mode of contact using cell service. Sending a large file through the cell network can result in non-delivery, email errors or extreme slowness. The best way to share a video is the post it on a website like Youtube, Vimeo or another location that can hold large files - sites that are specifically created to work with large files. Once the video is posted, it is a simple link in an email or an announcement - people can then stream the video just like any other video on the internet. (Don't worry, students are very skilled at this part!)
 
1. Upload the video to a location of your choice
2. Some services like YouTube will allow you to copy the link URL . If you are linking to a video on the internet, copy the URL in the address bar.
3. Where should you add the URL? You have two options, you may include it in an email or add to an attachment.