Table of Contents


Audience: Teachers


SiteBanks allow teachers to quickly manage website access during ActiveInstruct™ classroom sessions. A SiteBank can contain allowed or blocked websites, control how websites are presented to students, and be applied to one or more classrooms.


Only one SiteBank can be active in a classroom at a time.


What is a SiteBank?

A SiteBank is a collection of website access settings that can be applied to a classroom.


Using a SiteBank, teachers can:

  • Allow specific websites
  • Block specific websites
  • Create a walled-garden environment where only approved websites can be accessed
  • Limit the number of browser tabs students can open
  • Control whether websites automatically open for students
  • Quickly switch between different instructional website sets


A single SiteBank can be used across multiple classrooms.


Create a Block SiteBank

A Block SiteBank can be used to restrict students from going to websites that would otherwise be allowed by the Deledao Administrator. There could be times that teachers would still like to restrict students from going to those sites, eliminating the potential distraction.



To create a new Block SiteBank, sign into the Deledao Teacher Portal, then:

  1. Navigate to SiteBank in the left navigation bar.
  2. Choose Create New Block SiteBank.
  3. Enter a SiteBank Name.
  4. Limit open tabs, if applicable.
  5. Individually Add new URL's to block.
  6. Share with others, if applicable.
  7. Save new Block SiteBank.



Create an Allow SiteBank

An Allow SiteBank can be used to guide instruction, informing students of the websites you would like them to access during that ActiveInstruct class.



To create a new Allow SiteBank, sign into the Deledao Teacher Portal, then:

  1. Navigate to SiteBank in the left navigation bar.
  2. Choose Create New Allow SiteBank.
  3. Enter a SiteBank Name.
  4. Select Auto-Open Tabs choice.
  5. Individually Add new URL's to allow.
  6. Select District SiteBank, if applicable.
  7. Share with others, if applicable.
  8. Save new Allow SiteBank.


Want to make sure students can open all parts of a website?


Add the website's main address without www..


For example, instead of entering https://www.si.edu/, enter: si.edu


Students can then access www.si.edu as well as other Smithsonian sites, such as airandspace.si.edu.



Using SiteBanks to Guide Learning

SiteBanks are designed to help teachers guide student learning during instructional time. Rather than acting as a traditional whitelist or blacklist, SiteBanks allow teachers to focus students on the resources needed for a specific lesson.


Teachers can create both Allow SiteBanks and Block SiteBanks to support classroom instruction and manage student access during a Live Classroom session.


Allow SiteBanks

Allow SiteBanks help teachers focus students on specific websites and learning resources. When an Allow SiteBank is applied, students can access only the websites included in the SiteBank.


Block SiteBanks

Block SiteBanks allow teachers to temporarily restrict access to websites that may be distracting or inappropriate for a particular lesson, even if those sites are normally available to students.


For example, a teacher may choose to block YouTube during independent work time while allowing access during a lesson that includes instructional videos.


Teaching Use Cases for SiteBanks

SiteBanks can be used in a variety of instructional scenarios to support engagement, focus, and differentiated learning.


Bell Work

Start class with an Allow SiteBank that automatically directs students to:
  • A warm-up activity
  • A Google Form
  • A discussion prompt
  • A classroom agenda
This helps students begin working immediately while attendance and classroom setup are completed.


Math Question of the Day

Create an Allow SiteBank containing:
  • A daily math problem
  • Google Forms
  • Khan Academy activities
  • Interactive math resources
Students can begin working as soon as they enter class, creating a consistent classroom routine.


State Testing

SiteBanks can simplify testing environments by allowing only approved testing resources.
For example:
  • State assessment platforms
  • Approved testing tools
  • District-provided resources
This helps reduce distractions and keeps students focused on testing requirements.


Research Projects

Create a SiteBank containing approved research resources such as:
  • Smithsonian
  • National Geographic
  • Library databases
  • District-approved research websites
This allows students to focus on quality sources while reducing time spent searching for appropriate materials.


Differentiated Instruction

Different SiteBanks can be applied to different students or groups within the same classroom.
Examples include:
  • Enrichment activities
  • Intervention resources
  • Small-group assignments
  • Accessibility tools
Teachers can tailor learning experiences based on student needs while managing everything from a single Live Classroom session.


Makeup Work

Students who are completing missed assignments can receive a different SiteBank than the rest of the class.
For example:
  • Most students are working on a science project.
  • A student who was absent is assigned a SiteBank containing makeup assignments and supporting resources.
This allows multiple learning activities to occur simultaneously without disrupting instruction.


Tip: SiteBanks can be applied to an entire class, a group of students, or individual students during a Live Classroom session.


Optional Settings


Save as Default

Enable Save as Default if you would like this SiteBank to automatically apply for future ActiveInstruct classroom sessions that has this SiteBank selected.


Limit Open Browser Tabs

Teachers can limit the number of browser tabs students are allowed to open. This setting can help reduce distractions and keep students focused on classroom activities.


Select the maximum number of tabs you would like the students to open when configuring the SiteBank.


District SiteBanks

In addition to their own Allow SiteBanks, teachers may see one or more District SiteBanks. District SiteBanks are optional and are created by district administrators.

What are District SiteBanks?

District SiteBanks allow administrators to provide commonly used district-approved websites that teachers can easily incorporate into classroom instruction.


Examples include:

  • Curriculum platforms
  • Online textbooks
  • Assessment tools
  • Research databases
  • Learning management systems
  • District-purchased software subscriptions


Example

A district may create a SiteBank called: District Subscriptions

This SiteBank could include:

  • Lexia
  • BrainPOP
  • Discovery Education
  • Newsela
  • Other district-licensed resources

Instead of requiring teachers to know and enter each URL, teachers can simply select the District SiteBank and use the approved resources immediately.


Benefits

District SiteBanks help:

  • Reduce setup time for teachers
  • Ensure consistent access to district-approved resources
  • Eliminate the need to manually enter URLs


Note: District SiteBanks are managed by district administrators. Teachers can select and use them but may not be able to modify their contents.


Auto-Open Tabs

When configuring an Allowed SiteBank, teachers can choose whether websites automatically open for students.


Auto-Open Tabs On

When Auto-Open Tabs is on:

  • Allowed websites automatically open on student devices when the SiteBank is applied.

This option is useful when teachers want all students to begin working on the same resource immediately.



Auto-Open Tabs Off

When Auto-Open Tabs is off:

  • Websites do not automatically launch for students.
  • Instead, students are presented with a webpage that displays the list of approved websites available through the SiteBank.

  • Students can select and open the websites when they are ready.

This option provides students with more flexibility while still limiting access to only the approved resources contained within the SiteBank.



Remove Websites

To remove a website from a SiteBank:

  1. Select the checkbox next to the website.
  2. Click Delete Selected.

The website will be removed from the SiteBank.



Delete a SiteBank

To delete a SiteBank:

  1. Click the Trash Can icon next to the SiteBank.
  2. Click Delete in the confirmation window.

The SiteBank will be permanently removed.


Note: Deleting a personal SiteBank does not affect any District SiteBanks created by an administrator.


Applying a SiteBank

To apply a SiteBank to an ActiveInstruct Class, there are 2 options:

  1. Select Start the class with a SiteBank when creating or editing your ActiveInstruct Class.  
  2. Select the SiteBank from an active ActiveInstruct Class. 


Note: Selecting Default District Policy removes the application of any SiteBanks that have been applied.


Best Practices

  • Create separate SiteBanks for different subjects, units, or activities.
  • Use Block All Websites by Default when students should only access specific instructional resources.
  • Leverage District SiteBanks whenever available to quickly access district-approved resources.
  • Enable Auto-Open Tabs when all students should begin on the same website immediately.
  • Disable Auto-Open Tabs when students may need to access resources at their own pace.
  • Regularly review and remove outdated websites from SiteBanks.
  • Limit the number of browser tabs when appropriate to help minimize distractions.


By using SiteBanks effectively, teachers can create a focused digital learning environment while maintaining flexibility for different instructional activities. 


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