QUICK REMINDERS FOR BLACKBOARD MESSAGING:
CONTACT TYPES:
Students = actual student contacts. This is based on whatever information is being captured in PowerSchool. Parents = all of the primary guardians associated with a student. Again, this is based on what is in PowerSchool. Teachers and staff = your combined employee list. You have to select both to capture all of your staff in a message.
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In the early going, you may see employees in the wrong groups -- this is a work in progress as we prepare for the launch of the teacher notification piece of the system later this year. But just know you can reach all of your staff by selecting both groups or search for individuals within both lists to create your own employee groups.
UPLOADING CONTACT LISTS:
You can use lists to send messages to parents, partners, alumni, volunteers, potential recruits or anyone else you collect contact data for. You can only use a ".txt" file for uploads. All excel and .csv files can be saved or exported as a ".txt" file. Remember, if you're using a list of IDs, you only have access to the IDs associated with your school. A list of phone numbers or emails can include anyone.
USING ADVANCED SEARCH FOR CREATING GROUPS:
Remember to deselect all of the account types in the dropdown, then only pick the account type you want - most often this will be Parent. When you start to add your rules, "Match All" means the contact must meet ALL of the criteria, which is what you want for a very targeted group. However, if you have conflicting criteria - like Grade 1& Grade 2 or English & Spanish - you won't get any contacts. "Match Any" means it is getting anyone who matches any single rules you add.
SAVE YOUR GROUPS:
When you create a group while building it in your actual message, it's for one-time use. This means it won't automatically update if new contacts meet those criteria. To create a group and ensure it is auto-updated, you click the "Messages" link in your top bar, then click "Groups" and do the same exact steps. Remember, if you make your group "private," only you can use it. If you make it "public," all school users have access to it.
Here are the steps for creating a group.
QUICK PICKING STUDENTS:
When you search for contacts, either from existing lists or advanced search, select students instead of parents. This allows you to search student contacts. Then, before sending, go to the "Advanced Options" link on the left side of the message screen, just below Languages. Check the "Deliver to parents of students" and click save to send to their parents.
