Merge offers various types of onboarding and training options for Merge EDU customers.

In this article, we’ll go over:

• Self-service onboarding
• Paid onboarding
• PD (Professional Development) Training
• Onboarding and Training Resources

Self-service Onboarding

Merge has a large collection of helpful articles and getting started guides to ensure you are able to get started adding teachers, classes, and students to your new Merge EDU subscription, as well as learn where to find resources like activity plans, STEM projects, quiz results, and more.

If you have any questions about self-service onboarding, email support@mergeedu.com. Find all the self-service onboarding resources here: Merge EDU Self-Service Onboarding

Introduction

In the following videos, we’ll go over everything you need to get started setting up and using your Merge EDU subscription successfully. And, we’re here to help along the way! We have created a large library of helpful articles and support resources you can access and learn from anytime at support.mergeedu.com, and you can email us at support@mergeedu.com so we can help!

Setting up Your Account

This video is for Merge EDU account owners. The account owner acts as the administrator for the entire subscription and controls all account-related activity. In this video, you will learn how to set up your own Merge EDU account, and also add contact information for others on your team like those who will manage billing and technical support.

Technical Setup

This video is for Merge EDU account owners. The account owner acts as the administrator for the entire subscription and controls all account-related activity. In this video, you will learn how to set up your own Merge EDU account, and also add contact information for others on your team like those who will manage billing and technical support.

To make sure everyone has a seamless experience with Merge EDU, be sure to take the proper steps to ensure that it integrates with your IT systems

Whitelisting Merge Emails  
Whitelisting Merge EDU Domains  
Rostering Options
Device Compatibility
Chromebook Support
Windows Device Support

Downloading Merge EDU Apps

If your district or campus does not use a device management system to push apps, be sure to download the Merge EDU apps onto student devices, or your class set of devices.

Merge Explorer let’s students hold and interact with science simulations and conduct experiments.

Merge Object Viewer gives students access to an endless shelf of hands-on virtual teaching aids.

Merge HoloGlobe let’s students visualize NASA and NOAA satellite and sensor data from around the globe.

Add others to your subscription

In this video, we’ll get started adding others to your Merge EDU subscription.

Getting Started with the Administrator Dashboard
Setting up your Classroom
Using Join Codes
Signing out Students
Using Single Sign on tools
Activating Student Accounts  
Activating Teacher Accounts

Merge EDU Product Overview

Merge EDU can be used in your science programs, as well as your future-ready and STEM initiatives in makerspaces, libraries, and other classrooms around your campus! In this video, we’ll go over information about the apps in Merge EDU, as well as how to use the platform, where to find important resources like activity plans, and STEM projects, and more.

3D-Cube-and-World-Mode
Using Science Simulations
Using Digital Teaching Aids
Sharing Content in Merge EDU
Using Activity Plans
STEM Projects
Check Quiz Results
Uploading Your Own Creations
Creating Custom Collections

Training and Help resources

Merge provides a number of training and help resources to fit your needs, budget, and time frame! We offer paid training, onboarding emails, a library of free help articles, and our customer support team is here and always ready to help!

Paid Onboarding

In addition to sharing the self-service onboarding resources above, a Merge Onboarding Specialists will schedule a call to walk you through getting started with your Merge EDU subscription. Paid onboarding costs $200, and lasts about 45 minutes to 1 hour. This may already be included, depending on the package you purchased.

If you have any questions about paid onboarding or would like to schedule a paid onboarding session, email sales@mergeedu.com.

PD (Professional Development) Training

While most of our training sessions are virtual, we can also provide in-person training. If you are interested in an on-site training session, please contact us at sales@mergeedu.com for more information.

Virtual Training

Merge offers a 90-minute virtual professional development (PD) training session for $400. Our training sessions give hands-on instruction to up to 25 teachers on how to use the Merge EDU Platform effectively in their science and/or STEM classrooms.

You can choose to focus on STEM implementation or Science implementation for training.

If you choose to focus on implementation for your science program, we can save a few minutes at the end of the training to briefly discuss the STEM implementation, and vice versa.

However, if you want  a full session focusing on both the implementation of Merge EDU in your science program and in your STEM program, we will need to schedule 2 separate PD sessions.

How to Prepare for Training

Because our training sessions ask that teachers follow along with the instructor as we go through several Merge EDU activities, you should ensure that prior to the session:

• All Teachers have created an account
• All Teacher accounts are activated via the teacher join code
• Apps Merge Explorer, Object Viewer, and HoloGlobe have been downloaded onto compatible devices for use during training
• All participants have access to a Merge Cube

What to Expect During Training

Our virtual PD for Science training covers:

• Exploring the Merge EDU Dashboard
• Using Science Simulations in Merge Explorer
• Using Teaching Aids in Object Viewer
• Using Globe Activities in HoloGlobe
• Briefly cover STEM implementation (upon request)

Our virtual PD for STEM training covers:

• Exploring the Merge EDU Dashboard
• Using Teaching Aids in Object Viewer
• Using Globe Activities in HoloGlobe
• STEM Projects
• Merge Uploader
• Can briefly go over science implementation (upon request)

Exploring the Merge EDU Dashboard

During the training, we will introduce participants to the Merge EDU Dashboard where most of the teacher resources are located. We’ll show you how to share topic cards, activities, and collections quickly, where the activity plans and standards alignment documents are located, and how teachers can track their students’ progress using the “quiz results” feature.

Using Science Simulations in Merge Explorer

Using the activity plans we located in the previous section, we will guide participants through a small lesson using Merge Explorer. This section covers: signing in, locating topic cards, learning about 3D, cube, and world modes, and the assessment and extension ideas found in the activity plans.

Using Teaching Aids in Object Viewer

This section will go over how to access collections and teaching aids in the Object Viewer app, how to create custom collections to isolate just the teaching aids you need for your lesson, and how these objects can be used in conjunction with an activity plan or existing lesson.

Using Globe Activities in HoloGlobe

Participants will access HoloGlobe to view real time satellite data from NOAA and NASA. We’ll look at some globe activities and discuss ways students can use this information to identify areas on the map, track changes across the globe, and make connections between multiple data sets.

STEM Projects & Merge Uploader

If you purchase the STEM focused PD, participants will go over the Merge STEM Projects, as well as uploading created or found 3D objects with the Merge Uploader. This is an advanced use case for schools that typically have 3D modeling lessons or 3D printers.

If you are interested in purchasing a Merge EDU Professional Development Training session, please contact us at sales@mergeedu.com. If you've already purchased a PD Training session and would like to get it scheduled, please email us at success@mergeedu.com.

Onboarding and Training Resources

We have a series of resources and help articles that will point you in the right direction with everything you need to know about Merge EDU:

• Setting up your Classroom - This series of help articles will help you get started setting up your Merge EDU Subscription including district account setup, using join codes, adding students, rostering options, and more.
• Teaching Science - This series of help articles will help you get started with activity plans, quiz results, using simulations, topic cards, and globe activities, and more.
• Teaching STEM - This series of help articles will help you get started with STEM Projects, teaching aids for STEM, and 3D visualization.
• Uploading your Creations - This series of help articles will help you get started uploading creations to the dashboard, and includes directions on exporting objects from various 3D programs, adding labels, and finding 3D objects online.
• Dashboard login - Login to the Merge EDU dashboard to get access to Activity Plans, STEM Projects, and other resources.