The Conneting Activities Database is a secure database and provides privacy for the information that you enter. The masswbl.org website has an SSL certificate and the connection to the server is encrypted. And, of course, the data is protected by the system of usernames/passwords.
You can share data with colleagues, employers and interns/students, while maintaining control over who sees what. The system is flexible, and allows you to set up your own routines for collaborating with employers, interns and colleagues in writing the WBLP and conducting reviews.
There are three ways that you can share information with other people through the online database:
1.) SHARING VIA THE SIGN-UP SCREENS. When you sign up for a username and password you can share with up to three co-workers or colleagues by listing their email addresses (usernames) in the "share" option. These people can see all the the placements and WBLPs that you enter.
2.) SHARING INDIVIDUAL WBLPs. When you create an individual WBLP (or fill in a placement screen) you can include the email address (username) for the participant, supervisor, program staff and teacher/other contact. For each of these four individuals, you can provide "Read/Write" access, "Read Only" access, or "No Access."
3.) ADMINISTRATIVE ACCESS. Within each program region, a select number of people are given access to view and update data. Check with your regional office to learn who has been provided this access. At the state level, the database designer/manager (Jennifer Leonard, The Skills Library) has access for purposes of database management and training. State agency staff from DESE see summary level data for the programs they manage (numbers only; not names).
SHARING VIA THE SIGN-UP SCREENS
When you sign up for a username and password you can share with up to three co-workers or colleagues by listing their email addresses (usernames) in the "share" option. These people can see all the the placements and WBLPs that you enter.
SHARING INDIVIDUAL WBLPs
The top of the WBLP Heading screen and/or the Placement screen has space for the participant name and email, supervisor name and email, staff name and email, and teacher or other contact name and email, along with a WBLP access field (a dropdown list with the options "Read Only," "Read/Write" and "No Access."
The email addresses used in this section correspond to the usernames for these individuals.... this section of the screen allows you to share with employers, participants and colleagues.
If you enter an individuals's email/username into any of these fields, and you set the WBLP access to Read Only or Read/Write, you will allow that individual to read or read/write this Work-Based Learning Plan.
Some notes:
1. The email address used should be the one that the individual uses as a username for the Online WBLP. As a rule, if someone has more than one email address, they should use their professional email address as the Online WBLP username.
2. Employers and students/interns can view only the WBLP screens, and not the full placement screen and not the Reports/Admin menu.
3. Employers and students/interns can sign themselves up to use the Online WBLP OR program staff can use the "Invite" function to set up a username and password for them.
Your role in keeping the data secure includes the following: