HOW TO ACCESS THE CATALYST SERVER

For online discussions/projects (extra credit, not required)

 

Complete the following in this order:

 

1 READ THE Q & A HERE:

I want to use Catalyst. Which web browsers are supported on Catalyst? Do I have to use Firefox?

The Firefox web browser is recommended for all platforms, though the most recent version of software used for the online classes no longer requires it.

With previous version of the software used by De Anza, some users reported problems with Internet Explorer, and both Opera and Safari did not always show the built-in html editor.

You can download Firefox here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/.

Q: De Anza mail must be whitelisted. How do I "whitelist" emails from deanza.edu?

To ensure that support emails from De Anza college are not lost to your Spam folder, please setup your email (or webmail) program to allow email from deanza.edu. The process of telling your client that certain addresses or domains are not spam is called whitelisting. Please consult the instructions that came with your program for instructions on setting up a whitelist. Examples for how to whitelist a message for a few systems can be found below.

Webmail Clients

GMAIL

  1. When you login to gmail, click the "Create a filter" link next to the search box.
  2. Type "deanza.edu" (without the quotes) into the FROM: field, then click "Next Step."
  3. Place a check mark next to "Never send it to Spam," then click on "Create Filter."

Hotmail

  1. Launch hotmail and login to your account.
  2. At the top of the page, click on the link titled "Junk E-Mail Protection."
  3. Click on the "Safe List" link towards the bottom.
  4. In the field labled "Type and address or Domain," type "deanza.edu" (without the quotes), then click on "Add."
  5.  

Email Programs

Outlook

  1. Click on the "Tools" menu, then select "Options."
  2. Click on the "Preferences" tab.
  3. Select "Junk E-mail."
  4. Open the "Safe Senders" tab, then click "Add."
  5. Enter "deanza.edu" (without quotes) in the "Add address" field, then click OK.

Mail for Mac OS X

  1. Open Mail, then click on Mail -> Preferences.
  2. Select "Rules" at the top list of tabs.
  3. Click "Add Rule."
  4. Add a rule indicating "From Contains deanza.edu"
  5. Click "OK."

Thunderbird

  1. Click on the button marked "Address Book."
  2. Highlight "Personal Address Book," then click "New Card."
  3. Under the "Contact" tab, add "deanza.edu" (without quotes) to the "From" field, then click "OK."

 

2

Login on the Catalyst website using your username and password:

https://catalyst.deanza.edu/

 

Q: What is my username and password?

Username: Your De Anza College Student ID (NOT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR YOUR "99" NUMBER).
If you cannot remember you Student ID, you can look it up on your My De Anza page (opens in new window). Click on 'De Anza Registration System,' at the next screen for option 1 - click the 'login' link (highlighted in blue). At the Student ID prompt, enter in your social security number. Enter your PIN. You will be taken to a new page. Click on the 'Main Menu' tab. At the bottom of the next screen, under the section 'Click Here Account by Term' there is an option for 'Student ID Lookup.' Click on this and it will reveal your new De Anza Student ID in the middle of the screen. This will be your username to login to Catalyst from now on.

Password: Your Birthday in this format: MMDDYYYY (Two digit month, followed by two digit day, followed by FOUR digit year; no slashes or spaces.) If your birthday is January 17, 1988, your password would be 01171988 (notice the zero at the beginning). If you have changed your password and cannot remember it, you may request your login details be emailed to you.

If you continue to have trouble after requesting your details via email, please contact us for additional support.

 

3

Find your group discussion "FORUM"

When you are logged in you will be presented with the Catalyst courses for which you are allowed access. Click on ARTS 1A.  This will take you to our Arts 1A "front page." Notice the list of discussion groups are indicated by blue links. By clicking on the appropriate link for your group you will enter the discussion Forum.

 

4

Post a comment, or reply to another student on Forum to check it out, see how it works

Once you have entered the forum you can read an/or post your own comments. In addition to creating a post, you can also reply to another student post. Notice that you can start a new thread (new subject) also. For everyone's sanity, please be sure that you have accurately identified the subject you are discussing in the subject line of the message. If you don't, we will have trouble finding the specific posting we may want to re-read.

 

Once you have composed your comments, click on "post" at the bottom of page to send it. Catalyst will hold your post offline for 60 minutes in case you want to edit it or make any changes. It is a good idea to re-read your post, veriufy that  it is clear and coherent, before you sign off. Other students will not see your post for 60 minutes.

Caution:

Don't post the same thing twice- wait to see if your comments post in 60 minutes. You may need to refresh your screen in order to see it 60 minutes later.

 

Now you are ready to conduct an online discussion with classmates in your group.

 I recommend that you post a comment or a short [clean] joke to experiment with the way Catalyst works. Remember your netiquette- no flaming or offensive personal attacks. It is expected that students will both give and receive helpful candid feedback, but it should be done in a collegial manner with the aim of helping the entire group to succeed.

 

6

Questions? Use HELP link

Notice the question marks in yellow circles. There are contextual instructions for using that particular feature. You can also go tot the HELP index to see a listing of features and their use. We will only use the Discussion Forum in this class.

 

Participate only in your assigned discussion group. You do have access to other groups and can read their postings, if you wish.