1. Will this software work on a Mac, PC, or other platforms?

   Yes, as long as the computer has Macromedia Flash Player version 8 installed. Because the software is web-based and uses Macromedia Flash technology, the program will work on any computer with the Macromedia Flash Player installed. There are no other particular system requirements needed by your computer.

2. How do I know if I have the Macromedia Flash Player installed on my computer and how will I know if I have the correct Flash Player version installed?

   The program will do an automatic check for you to see if your computer has the Macromedia Flash Player and, if your computer does, the program will detect the version you are using. If you do not have the Macromedia Flash Player installed, or you do not have the correct version of the Macromedia Flash Player installed, then you will be directed to a site where you can download the player for free.

3. Can my students use the software at home?

   Absolutely, as long as the student’s computer is connected to the Internet and they know their username and password.

4. I have logged onto the website, and some portions of the graphics and text are missing.

   Your computer may not have Macromedia Flash Player installed on it. Go to http://www.adobe.com and download Macromedia Flash Player, version 8 by following the instructions. This is free software that is available on most computers for running programs such as I Can Write Online.

5. The student screens are not fully visible. Each student must scroll down to see all the text and graphics. Why is that?

   Your screen may have several menu bars that are blocking your view of the software screen. To see the entire screen, click on “View” in your browser’s menu bar. Scroll down to “Full Screen” and click on it. The extra menu bars should disappear. Later, when you want to undo the “full screen” view, click on the restore button (the one with two overlapping boxes) in the top right of your screen.

   You may have your screen resolution set too low for this software.

   For PC users, click on the Start button at the bottom left of your screen. Choose “”Control Panel”. Then choose “Display”. When the Display Properties window opens, select the “Setting” tab. Drag the “screen resolution” slider all the way to the right. This will set your screen resolution to the highest number of pixels for optimal viewing of the I Can Write Online program.

   For Macintosh users, click on the blue apple at the top left of your screen. Choose “System Preferences”. In the second row, choose "Display". The Display window will pop up. Choose the highest resolution (1680 x 1050) for optimal viewing of the I Can Write Online program.

6. What is your privacy policy?

   Please see our Privacy Policy page

7. What happens if I forget my username and password?

   There is a place on the log in screen for you to retrieve your lost username and/or password.

8. What if a student loses a username or password?

   When you assign usernames and passwords to the students initially, it would be a good idea to keep a copy for your files in case a student forgets.

   To add a new student click on Add Students on your Home Page and you will be taken to your list of students. Click on the Add Student icon at the top right corner of the screen. This will take you to the Add Student screen where you input information about the new student.

9. What happens if a student moves during the school year?

   You delete that student’s name from your list.

   When a new student enters your classroom, you can enter the new student’s username and password in place of the former student’s.

10. Is this software correlated with my state’s writing standards?

    The software is correlated with writing standards from all 50 states as well as National Writing Standards of The International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English.

11. Must a student move through every step in the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing and publishing)?

    Yes, the student may not skip a step, unless the program allows it. For example, the student who has a topic choice in mind may skip the screen that gives assistance with topic choice.

12. How many documents can a student save to his list or his portfolio?

    There is no limit to the number of documents saved to the portfolio. When a student clicks on Open the Portfolio, his document is automatically saved into the portfolio.

13. Can a student’s writing portfolio be saved from one school year to the next?

    As long as the student has a license which your school purchased, that student's work will be saved on our server. That means the student's work does not get deleted at the end of the school year unless you delete it.

    Since the student's portfolio could become unmanageable if he saved all work to the portfolio, you should periodically have the student look at his writing list and tell you which pieces he wishes to save and which he wishes to delete. This could be done in a writing conference with you.

    At the end of the school year, many teachers have a conference with each student to discuss which pieces to leave in the portfolio and which to delete. Since schools and classrooms have different portfolio requirements, this process will vary from school to school. See Question 14 about transferring a student's username, password and writing to another teacher.

    We recommend that you use a three ring binder that is separated by tabs for the different kinds of writing. You can add other kinds of writing that are not included in this software, such as poetry writing, etc.

14. What happens if my school renews each student’s license? Does the student’s username and password move up with the student to his next teacher’s class?

    Yes, but only if your School Coordinator or a designated teacher makes the transfer. If you have a School Coordinator for I Can Write Online, that individual can transfer students from one teacher to another. It is your task to request that transfer. By default, the student's username, password and writing will be transferred as well. This transfer can happen any time during the year, at the end of the year or at the beginning of the next school year.

15. I tried to print my piece with the borders around it, but they disappeared.

    You may not have told your printer to print background images and colors. There are two ways to do this:

    If you have a PC, choose Tools in your menu bar. Then, click on Internet Options. Click on the "Advanced" tab. Then scroll down the menu that pops up until you get to "Printing". Check the box beside "Print background images and colors". Then try printing the document again.

    If you have a MAC, in the "File" menu, click on "Print". Choose "Copies and Pages". In the drop down menu, choose "Safari". When the dialogue box pops up, click on "Print backgrounds". Then click on "Print" and you should see the borders.

16. I tried to use the print preview option, but nothing seems to be happening.

    If you are having problems with the print preview, please make sure popups are enabled for this site. If you are unsure how to do this, please seek your technical director or computer specialist to help you enable this option.

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