How to use Class Name Picker

Start here

1. Open the app once while connected to the internet. It saves itself on the device so it works offline after that.
2. To get an app icon: press Install app at the top (Chrome, Edge, Android, Chromebook). On iPhone or iPad, open it in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen.
3. Want to see how it works first? With an empty class, press Try it with sample names.

Teacher setup Set up a class

Your classes

1. Press + New class and type its name, for example Grade 1 Sampaguita.
2. Each class has its own tab under Your classes. Tap a tab to switch. Each class keeps its own students, photos, called list, themes and groups.
3. To rename a class, press the pencil ✎ next to its name.

Add students

• With photos: press Add student photos and choose all the photos at once (or drag them onto the page). Name each photo file with the child's name, like Maria.jpg or Juan_Cruz.jpg, and the names fill in by themselves.
• Without photos: type names in the box and press Add. Use commas to add many at once: Ana, Jose, Pedro.
• Photos can be up to 20 MB. They are made small automatically, so phone photos are fine.
• Click a name to fix its spelling. Use the camera 📷 on a card to add or change a photo, and × to remove a child.

Class settings

• Kids' language: English, Filipino or Bisaya for the children's screens. The teacher screen stays in English.
• Sounds: turn the spinning clicks, drumroll and cheers on or off.
• Class options: where you find Delete this class. It always asks first.

Spin Time Pick who recites

1. Press Start Spin Time. The children's screen opens with a big name wheel.
2. Tap the wheel or the SPIN button (or press the Space bar). The wheel spins, slows down, and stops on a name.
3. The winner's photo and name pop up. Press Yay! to close it.
4. Called children are listed under Already called. When everyone has had a turn, press Play again.

Settings (top corner)

Theme

The background, such as Space, Math or Philippines. Spin Time and Group Time each have their own.

Everyone gets a turn before anyone repeats

On: a child leaves the wheel after being picked. Off: anyone can be picked again.

Quick spin

A shorter spin, about 3 seconds, for busy days or big classes.

Start a new round

Puts everyone back on the wheel. It asks first.

Settings are locked while the wheel is spinning.

Group Time Make groups

1. Press Start Group Time. The children wait on the playground.
2. Open Settings (top corner) to choose how many groups, the names and the show.
3. Press Make groups!. Watch the show, then the groups appear on screen.
4. Not happy with the mix? Press Shuffle again.

Settings

Groups

Choose a number of groups, or students per group. Groups are never more than one child apart in size, and there is never a group of 1.

Names

Animals, Fruits, Space, Filipino heroes or Numbers. Each group gets a picture too, so children who can't read yet can find theirs. New names keeps the groups and changes only the names.

Show

Boom: everyone runs around, a 3-2-1 countdown, then boom! Trains: trains drive along a winding track and pick up their teammates.

Theme

Group Time's own background.

Save these groups

Saves the groups as a file in your Downloads folder, one column per group. It opens in Excel or Google Sheets, for your records.

Starting Group Time from the teacher screen always begins with fresh groups.

Backups and moving to another device

Classes are saved on the device you use, in that browser. They are not on the internet, so another device won't see them.

1. On the old device, choose the class and press Save backup. A file like Grade-1-Sampaguita-backup.json goes to Downloads.
2. Copy that file to the new device (USB stick, email to yourself, Google Drive).
3. On the new device, press Open backup and choose the file. It is added as a new class.

Classroom tips

• Connect to a projector or TV and press Full screen so the children see only the wheel or groups.
• To go back to the teacher screen, press and hold Hold for Teacher for about a second. A quick tap does nothing, so children can't leave by accident.
• Turn the speakers up: the drumroll and cheers make it exciting.
• Let a child press SPIN or Make groups! for you. They love it.

If something goes wrong

I don't see the newest version

Close the app completely and open it again while online. Updates install themselves. Don't uninstall the app to update it: on some devices that deletes your classes.

"This device ran out of room"

Press Save backup for your classes, then delete classes you no longer use, or remove some photos.

A photo won't add

Use a JPG or PNG photo under 20 MB. Some iPhone photos (HEIC) need to be saved as JPG first.

My classes are gone

Check you are on the same device and browser as before. Clearing the browser's data also clears the classes, so open your last backup with Open backup.

No sound

Check Sounds is ticked on the teacher screen and the device volume is up. Sound starts after the first tap.