Help with ORBIT!

[mumofone]

Calling all ORBIT users! Ive added a child, and invited their parent (not accepted yet as far as i know? when will i know??).
Ive done some observations on them which are showing but now I am stuck.
When I generate a LJ for them nothing appears in it, how do i generate any kind of report for them or learning journey?
Thank you! :-)

[mama2three]

You can see if the parent has linked when you click on the chld. underneath the childs details it says this childs parents are linked to their orbit record.
when you click on stream can you see the obs youve put on in order?

[mumofone]

You can see if the parent has linked when you click on the chld. underneath the childs details it says this childs parents are linked to their orbit record.
when you click on stream can you see the obs youve put on in order?

Ah ha, i see thank you.

Yep with the most recent at the top..........

[mama2three]

After you go on the report page and click create new learning journey and put in the dates it should say processing learning journey? It does take a while sometimes.

And go off that child then back on , no idea why but when you go back on the journey often says ready for download

[mumofone]

After you go on the report page and click create new learning journey and put in the dates it should say processing learning journey? It does take a while sometimes. And go off that child then back on , no idea why but when you go back on the journey often says ready for download

That's what I've been doing (just done it again now) but when I click on the download it's just blank, it does me a nice cover page but nothing else??

[mama2three]

Ooh I dont know then , sorry. I just did a download to check the steps and it worked for me. Maybe do another or change the dates slightly and try again?

[mumofone]

Ooh I dont know then , sorry. I just did a download to check the steps and it worked for me. Maybe do another or change the dates slightly and try again?

Maybe the parent needs to join first before I can do it?

[mama2three]

no, i used to have a child whose parent never joined and I could still print off ljs

[BallyH]

Have you put in the correct date? My automatically comes up with a 2014 calendar and I have to manually put in a start date and end date. Plus try not to do loads at a time. I tend to print mine off monthly.

[BallyH]

Oh plus, I've found if you do an observation today you'll have to wait till tomorrow to generate a print out from it.

[mumofone]

Have you put in the correct date? My automatically comes up with a 2014 calendar and I have to manually put in a start date and end date. Plus try not to do loads at a time. I tend to print mine off monthly.

Yep ive put in the correct dates,
it says "this child has no completed evaluations".....i feel like i must have missed out a step.
So after logging observations they should transfer straight to the LJ??
Am I supposed to have done anything in the assessments screen yet?

[mumofone]

Is there a help desk for it all? I cant follow their online help guides (yes i really am that dumb!!!!!!!!!!) :-) xx

[BallyH]

Yep ive put in the correct dates,
it says "this child has no completed evaluations".....i feel like i must have missed out a step.
So after logging observations they should transfer straight to the LJ??
Am I supposed to have done anything in the assessments screen yet?

When you've taken a photo and wrote an observation have you linked it to the 'goals' and then 'completed the assessment' it? It then should go into the child's stream. Then go into reports. Press 'new learning journey' and put in a start and an end date.

[mama2three]

Mine all say no completed evaluations as I dont use that bit , so has no bearing on LJs. If you click on assessment and see the varios areas and aspects there should be a number next to them , showing you how many observaations have been linked to that area. You can also click on each area and see more detail.

As far as I can tell youre doing everything right. A friend of mine had a similar problem last year. She broke down the learning journey into months to download and found that all but one month was fine. She contacted orbit and there was an issue with one of the obs which had stopped the whole lot downloading. Maybe try breaking yours into smaller chunks? The email support address is support@orbit.so

[blue bear]

I've never got hang of the assessment but, you don't need to do any assessments to be able to do a lj.

Can you say each step what you have done.
How have you done each observation and the steps you took to do lj? Then we will be able to see if there is anything missing

[mumofone]

When you've taken a photo and wrote an observation have you linked it to the 'goals' and then 'completed the assessment' it? It then should go into the child's stream. Then go into reports. Press 'new learning journey' and put in a start and an end date.

I haven't taken any photos yet....

So for one observation ive done an "assessment type", chosen "development area", chosen "age range/statement", chosen "assessment level" and then written a few words in the "notes and next steps" box then ive clicked "save"...

That's all I've done......

[BallyH]

I haven't taken any photos yet....

So for one observation ive done an "assessment type", chosen "development area", chosen "age range/statement", chosen "assessment level" and then written a few words in the "notes and next steps" box then ive clicked "save"...

That's all I've done......

If you have written enough then press 'all assessments complete'. Once pressed you cannot alter it. This then will be in that child's 'stream' and it is from this saved assessment and others that follow that you will then be able to print from. Does this make sense?

[mumofone]

If you have written enough then press 'all assessments complete'. Once pressed you cannot alter it. This then will be in that child's 'stream' and it is from this saved assessment and others that follow that you will then be able to print from. Does this make sense?

Hmm not sure i can see an "all assessments complete" .....

I'll drop the helpline an email....

[mumofone]

Mine all say no completed evaluations as I dont use that bit , so has no bearing on LJs. If you click on assessment and see the varios areas and aspects there should be a number next to them , showing you how many observaations have been linked to that area. You can also click on each area and see more detail.

As far as I can tell youre doing everything right. A friend of mine had a similar problem last year. She broke down the learning journey into months to download and found that all but one month was fine. She contacted orbit and there was an issue with one of the obs which had stopped the whole lot downloading. Maybe try breaking yours into smaller chunks? The email support address is support@orbit.so

Thanks mama2three, im going to email them and find out what im doing wrong! Thank you for the email address :-) x

[blue bear]

Hmm not sure i can see an "all assessments complete" .....

I'll drop the helpline an email....


Open orbit and click on observations
Click on the observation
On the right hand side you will see the eyfs in square blocks, one says add assessments, when you click this you can link to areas of learning and add next steps.
After doing that go back to the observation you will see the add assessments but next to it will be another eyfs blocks with all assessments complete, you need to click on that for the observation to go into the learning journal.

[mumofone]

Open orbit and click on observations
Click on the observation
On the right hand side you will see the eyfs in square blocks, one says add assessments, when you click this you can link to areas of learning and add next steps.
After doing that go back to the observation you will see the add assessments but next to it will be another eyfs blocks with all assessments complete, you need to click on that for the observation to go into the learning journal.

Yay, thanks blue bear, I didnt quite do what you said I dont think but ive somehow managed to get all obs into a LJ now....finally! Jeez its not very intuitive this system is it?! I just clicked on the EYFS squares back and forth and got there in the end! Thankyou so much! :-) :-) xx

[mumofone]

What happens if you just want ti log a "wow" moment, can you not - would you have to make it an observation instead?

And what about general info - eg stuff their key workers at other settings say about them or what their parents say they like doing at home etc - is there anywhere to enter this kind of information?

Thank you :-) x

[mama2three]

I put information from home through as an observation - I have a picture of a house that I use as the photo , then write in the ob box what the parents have told me. I link as normal. parents can also add the information themselves , in the form of a postcard , but none of my parents ever have! You could do the same with other settings , maybe a pic of the nursery logo , then a sentence bout what they did - at nursery I poured my own juice. Ofsted liked the fact that at a glance she could see that there was lots of communication with home.

To me a wow moment is perfect for an ob - a photo , a wow statement -look at me doing up my zip - and a quick link.

[mumofone]

What do parents see their end once they are linked to the account?

Do they get an alert every time we enter an observation?

[mama2three]

yes they get an email alert.

If you click on stream then that is what parents can see I believe.

[mumofone]

When a child leaves, can you still store their information, photos and learning journey in your Orbit account?

[blue bear]

Just go onto the child's account and put the end date it, the info stays in your account but usually in the back ground as you tend to just have active children on the front sheet.

[mumofone]

sorry more questions......

Can i invite a pre-school/other settings to access the LJ or should i recommend parents download their LJ from orbit and share with the pre shcool/other settings themselves?

[blue bear]

With parental written permission I see no reason why you couldn't invite them the same way you parents. There is a way to join up if the pre school uses orbit for the child, parent can authorise you to see each other's entries.

[mumofone]

I get my parents to complete a starting points form, if you use orbit where And how dyou store Childrens starting points?

[mumofone]

So still finding my way around ORBIT! What do you do in the "Tracking Tab", when I press it it gives me two options "New tracking evaluation" and "new individual evaluation" - what are these for exactly? :o

[blue bear]

I get my parents to complete a starting points form, if you use orbit where And how dyou store Childrens starting points?

Photograph the completed forms and add to the album.

[blue bear]

So still finding my way around ORBIT! What do you do in the "Tracking Tab", when I press it it gives me two options "New tracking evaluation" and "new individual evaluation" - what are these for exactly? :o

I dont really use the tracking evaluation so can't help wth that the individual evaluation I re title two year check or Spring term summative assessment, transition to school report etc... And complete it with summative of where child is on the eyo etc.

[mama2three]

I do the same.... I dont use the system to its full potential probably , but I use the bits that suit my style.

[mumofone]

Thanks guys, I'll look In to this further.
Also what's the "album" feature? Pics linked to obvs show up in the lj report any way so is this a seperate album/scrap book type feature?

[mama2three]

I load up lots of photos to album , these just have a brief caption and arent linked to the eyfs.

[blue bear]

Thanks guys, I'll look In to this further.
Also what's the "album" feature? Pics linked to obvs show up in the lj report any way so is this a seperate album/scrap book type feature?

The album is. Anything you decide not to do links on, it's the pink square says add to album, the photos come up on steam same as ones with links on. When you download lj there is an option to add photos from album I think if I remember correctly.

[mumofone]

Why in orbit do observations link in to development matters when this had been replaced by eyo? If I link an observation to a statement in DM am I therefore doing this wrong?
Thank you x

[blue bear]

Why in orbit do observations link in to development matters when this had been replaced by eyo? If I link an observation to a statement in DM am I therefore doing this wrong?
Thank you x

It's because they didn't update when eyo came it, to be honest there is only a minimal difference and as both development matters and eyo are non compulsory it really doesn't matter and no it's not wrong, you could always customise for any statements in eyo that you want to observe against. I use different reference books like Mary Sheridan as well as eyo and development matters ofsted have never queried it.

[mumofone]

I load up lots of photos to album , these just have a brief caption and arent linked to the eyfs.


Should they show in the learning journey report, even when I tick the box saying "include album photos" they don't show up yet I can see them in my view. At what point can the parents see them too?
Grr not very good at this orbit!!

[mama2three]

Parents should get an mail regardless of whether its an ob or an album picture.
If I tick include album pics mine print off in my LJ

[blue bear]

Should they show in the learning journey report, even when I tick the box saying "include album photos" they don't show up yet I can see them in my view. At what point can the parents see them too?
Grr not very good at this orbit!!

Have you pressed on pink box add to album? You can see them in stream before you press this box but parents won't be able to see them and they won't appear in lj until you do.

[mumofone]

Have you pressed on pink box add to album? You can see them in stream before you press this box but parents won't be able to see them and they won't appear in lj until you do.

Yeh that's what I've done....strange, hmmm...think I'll have to email them and ask for help...

[mumofone]

Parents should get an mail regardless of whether its an ob or an album picture. If I tick include album pics mine print off in my LJ

Yeh mine don't, I think I'll email orbit and ask why...

[blue bear]

Try Changing the dates on the lj I had a problem once where it would only include things more than a week old

[mumofone]

Try Changing the dates on the lj I had a problem once where it would only include things more than a week old

Thanks blue bear, now all sorted! :-) Thank you!! I will get there eventually! ;-)

[mumofone]

I dont really use the tracking evaluation so can't help wth that the individual evaluation I re title two year check or Spring term summative assessment, transition to school report etc... And complete it with summative of where child is on the eyo etc.

Hi blue bear, have you completed one of these for a baby? Do you update all 7 areas of learning and all the learning characteristics (CofEL) or just the 3 prime ones for babies? Thank you! :-) x

[blue bear]

Hi blue bear, have you completed one of these for a baby? Do you update all 7 areas of learning and all the learning characteristics (CofEL) or just the 3 prime ones for babies? Thank you! :-) x

Just three prime areas and Coel if applicable (not for tinies)

[mumofone]

Just three prime areas and Coel if applicable (not for tinies)

Thanks bb :-) x