Overview of Software

SUMS software is designed to be small in file size, so can safely be installed to the eeePC/Minibook's local memory. It then runs in the inbuilt Firefox browser. Note that there is no need to download plugins or to do any other preparatory work. SUMS runs on the eeePC/Minibook 'out of the box'.

2. First steps with SUMS Maths. There is a separate guide to using SUMS Maths once installed, but you probably won't need it as the interface is intuitive. Some good games to get started on are River Racing, Tangram Teasers and Fraction Monkeys. The initial menu you will see is as below.

There are more than 80 games/activities in the SUMS Handheld set. To get started, click on Shape and Space and you get the screen below. The set of games is used thoughout Primary Schools, in the lower end of Secondary school, and by adult learners and struggling pupils of all ages.

An example game is shown below. Tangram Teasers is a great game to use with pupils of all ages when starting maths on the eeePC/Minibook. Why not have them start a league table of the fastest to complete shapes? The winner gets points, the losers get to nominate their own favourite shapes next.

3. First steps with SUMS Phonics. SUMS Phonics has both an 'adult led' element and student games. Clearly there needs to be an adult helping the student in the first instance, but they should then be able to work with the games on their own, providing that a little encouragement and support is given.

The Guide for Teachers is available as a pdf from the opening page of the software (see below).

When you click on any picture on the opening page you get to the main page of the software (see below). Though this is very intuitive, you should read the Guide for Teachers for a full description of how to use it.

4. INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTALLING THE SUMS SOFTWARE PACKAGES

We supply our software on SD card so that it is easy to install. It is a two stage process. Stage 1 is copying the files from the SD card to the device. Stage 2 is setting up the bookmarks that will be used to start the software. After that, the software is ready to be used by students.

Note that we have broken the process into lots of small steps to make it easy for you to understand on the first eeePC you install to. If you have multiple devices you will soon find that the whole process takes only a few minutes per device.

Definition. SD Card.

Secure Digital (SD) is a non-volatile memory card format developed for use in portable devices, including digital cameras, handheld computers, PDAs and GPS units, and now the ASUS eeePC/RM Minibook. You can get them in many storage sizes, from 512MB upwards to 32 GB and beyond.

STAGE A.

Copying files from the SD card to the memory of the eeePC/minibook.

Step A1. Turn on the eeePC and you get this page.

Step A2. Put the SD card supplied into the ASUS eeePC (copy the files onto an SD card first if you were not given the software on SD card). The ASUS eeePC automatically opens the following "removable device" dialogue box. Click OK to select "Open in File Manager".

You should now see this less than helpful page within File Manager. You can see from the very top line that File Manager is looking at the MMC-SD card, which is what it calls the SD card you inserted.

Step A3. Double click on the 'partition 1' folder to see the folders for SUMS Maths and SUMS Phonics. You now see the screen below.

You are going to copy these folders onto the internal memory of the device. If you are just using SUMS Maths, or just using SUMS Phonics, then copy just the folder you need throughout the following screens.

 

Step A4. We now COPY the folder(s) for Maths and/or Phonics as required. If you need both, you can do this in two stages, or you can select both by clicking on Maths to highlight it, then pressing Shift (the up arrow) while clicking on Phonics. Now go to Edit at the top of the screen and down to Copy (see screenshot below). You can also copy by holding down the Control key and pressing 'C'.

Step A5. Nearly there. We now have to find where to copy the files to. At the top of the screen, just under Edit, there is an 'up arrow'. This moves us up in the folder structure one level at a time. Press it twice to arrive at the page shown in the screenshot below. You can see the My Documents folder on the device, and your SD card.

Click on My Documents, which is a folder on the eeePC/Minibook, and you will see a folder containing folders like My Ebooks, My Music, My Videos etc.

Step A6. Click on Edit then Paste and thereby copy the Maths and Phonics folders into My Documents. You should now have a screen looking like the one below. The SUMS Maths and the SUMS Phonics folders are in place.

Step A7. Close down File Manager, and remove the SD card to a safe place. All software is now on the eeePC/Minibook and you won't need the SD card for that particular device again. You have finished the first (and hardest) stage of installation.

STAGE B.

Setting up the Bookmarks that point to the software.

 

Remember - by this stage the SD card should have been removed to a safe place, and File Manager should be closed.

Step B1. Return to the main home page of the eeePC/Minibook as below, and click on Web to open the Firefox browser.

Step B2. When Firefox, opens, you will either see the normal Home Page that you have already set up on your browser, or possibly a page like the one below - which is only telling you that an internet connection has not yet been set up. Don't worry if the latter is true, we don't need the internet to use SUMS software.

Step B3. Go to the Firefox FILE menu and select the Open File option as shown below. The screen shown under the menu is what you get if you do have an internet connection and have left the default home page.

Step B4. THE BOOKMARK FOR SUMS MATHS. We will do SUMS Maths first. Remember that we put the software into the My Documents folder. That is now showing, as in the screenshots below. Highlight My Documents and then click on Open at the bottom of the page.

Step B5. You should now be inside the My Documents folder, where you can see the SUMS Maths folder. Highlight it and again click Open.

Step B6. You should now be inside the SUMS Maths folder. Highlight start.htm and click open. The software will start.

IMPORTANT. Please don't start playing with the software yet. There is one very important step left to do, which ensures that the pupils can start the software for themselves easily. Read Step B7 below.

Step B7. As on the screenshot below, go to Bookmark then Bookmark This Page. This adds a bookmark that pupils can go to directly without any of the trouble you have had. It will automatically be called SUMS Maths.

On the screenshot below we show the completed Bookmarks at the bottom of the list. Of course, they won't be there until you have put them there.

Step B8. THE BOOKMARK FOR SUMS PHONICS. Now we will do the SUMS Phonics bookmark if required. As before, remember that we put the software into the My Documents folder as in the screen below. Go back to Step B1 if you can't remember how to get there. Click Open to go inside the My Documents folder.

Step B9. This time highlight SUMS Phonics and click Open. See screenshot below for the screen before you click open.

Step B10. Now highlight the file phonics.htm and click Open. See screenshot below for the screen before you click open.

SUMS Phonics will now open. See below however before you do anything else. You need to set the Bookmark so that you never have to go through this process again.

Step B11. IMPORTANT. Please don't start using the software yet. You need to set up the Bookmark to make the software easy for the student to use.

As before, click Bookmarks, Bookmark this Page to add SUMS Phonics.

SUMMARY

You have copied the software package(s) to the eeePC and added a Bookmark for each one. Now students only have to start the device, open the browser, and go to the Bookmarks, and they are able to start working (or playing, as they will probably think of it).

SUPPORT. We are always happy to give telephone support to users of licenced software. Just call 01454 853539 or email support@sums.co.uk