Preparing for Course Selection with myBlueprint
Whether you’ve supported students with online course selection for years or are doing it for the first time, here are some guidelines to ensure Course Selection runs smoothly at your school.
Already a Course Selection expert? Check out our resource, Troubleshooting Tips for Course Selection.
Before you get started
Log in to your account and make sure you have a Counsellor/Admin Account (shown at the top right corner).
Don’t have a Counsellor/Admin account? Email support@myBlueprint.ca if you need us to update your account settings.
8 Steps to Success
Here are the steps to take before course selection opens at your school. Download the Preparing for Course Selection guide for detailed instructions and screenshots for each of the steps listed below.
1) Ensure Next Year’s Courses are in myBlueprint
Depending on your school and SIS (Student Information System), this may mean copying 2020/2021 courses to the Next Year or Scheduling section in your SIS. Once this is complete, import these courses into myBlueprint. If this option isn’t available in your account, that means this step is completed by your school board.
2) Review and Update Your Course Selection Settings in myBlueprint
For more information on how to do this, watch the Configure Course Selection video.
3) Edit/Create Custom Sign-Off Sheets
You can create a custom sign-off sheet for each grade. Remember to include important messages you want students to see when they submit their courses.
New for 2020–2021! myBlueprint offers an e-mailed sign-off sheet option. To reduce the burden for counsellors and students of printing and returning course selection sign-off sheets, myBlueprint’s new online parent/guardian course selection approval allows parent/guardian sign-off to be emailed and approved without requiring a paper form.
For more detailed information, and a full guide about the e-mailed sign off sheet option, click here.
Please note that this must be enabled at the school board level in order for you to have access to this feature.
4) Review the High School Grid on Student Accounts
From the Student View in your Counsellor/Admin Account, go to the High School Plan to ensure that clicking on each of the “Add Course” boxes opens to the appropriate course folder (i.e. discipline) and that the planning grid matches your expectations.
Email support@myBlueprint.ca to make updates to the High School grid.
5) Review your courses in myBlueprint
Check that the appropriate courses have been enabled/disabled, course details are accurate (i.e. descriptions, credit value), all courses have a discipline, etc. To learn how to edit and review courses, check out the Enabling and Disabling Courses video and the Editing Course Information video.
6) Review Not Activated Students
In your Counsellor/Admin Account, click Students to identify those that are “Not Activated”. Students with “Not Activated” status must sign up and enter their provincial education number (i.e., OEN, ASN, MET) and date of birth before they can submit their courses on myBlueprint.
Your students can activate their accounts during the sign-up process, and it is a one-time entry to activate their accounts. If you are unsure of the sign-up process, from your Staff account, click Help, and select Get Students Started for your unique sign-up steps.
7) Introduce Students and Staff to myBlueprint Course Selection
Host a staff meeting or student assembly to demonstrate the course selection steps for students using your Student View. You can share the Course Selection Guide for Students, and also watch the Course Selection for Students video tutorial.
8) Open Course Selection
In your myBlueprint Counsellor/Admin Account, you will need to open Course Selection when you are ready for students to start selecting and submitting courses. You can stagger course selections by grade!
Now you have the tricks of the trade to ensure Course Selection goes smoothly in your school! Good luck — you’ve got this.
Check out our blog post on Completing Course Selection which explains how to review students’ submitted course selections.
Want additional Course Selection resources? Check out the myBlueprint Course Selection Resources page.
Questions? Email support@myBlueprint.ca or call us at 1–888–901–5505. We are always happy to help.
