Category: Blog

Mobile Tips for Teachers and Students

Time Saving Tip: Many students and teachers end up accessing Google tools from their phones. As a result, most of us are logged into multiple Google accounts on our phones. Up until last week, I would click on my avatar in the upper, right corner and then select the account I wanted to switch to. But did you know you can save a few nano-seconds by just swiping up or down on that avatar and Google will switch between your accounts? This works in Google Mail (Gmail), Google Drive, Google Keep, Jamboard, Slides, and Docs. It works in most of the Google apps except for Calendar. Video Demonstration.

Accessing eEmployee and other SMART modules

By logging into our SMART system’s web interface at https://smart.resa.net/ staff can view their eEmployee information, including payroll and attendance and soon be able to input certain health information. An earlier blog post noted that as of this past July, two factor authentication was being enforced (see https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WtHg2tbpkhZRPFg4UJVOITZByKxgUnCN/view?usp=sharing for guidance).

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The information below is meant to assist THOSE STAFF who HAVE NOT logged into SMARTweb before.

Register as a First Time User

To sign on to eEmployee, log into: http://smart.resa.net.
The first time you login, you will need to register. Click the “Register if you haven’t already” link.

The following screen will come up. Start typing our district name (Plymouth-Canton) in the District box and select our district from the list that comes up. Then, enter your birth date and either the last four digits of your Social Security Number OR your Employee ID number and click Confirm.

After you click confirm, the screen below will come up to set your password. The Password Policy set by our district will be shown. Key in your password twice and click Reset.

Forgot Password??
Employees
From the login screen, fill in your User Name and District (start typing our district name in the District box and select our district from the list) and then click on “Forgot Your
Password.

You will then be prompted to set a password. The Password Policy requirements for our district will be listed. After keying in your password and confirming it, click reset.

Forgot Username??
From the login screen, fill in our District (start typing our district name in the District box and select our district from the list) and then click on “Forgot Your Username.”

The following screen will come up. Start typing our district name in the District box and select our district from the list that comes up. Then, enter your birth date and either
the last four digits of your Social Security Number OR your Employee ID number and click Confirm.

App Smash: Canva, Flipgrid, and Canvas

Canva now has ready-to-go Flipgrid background templates. These templates are great for teachers and students to give book reviews, teach about main ideas, or building community.

Search “flipgrid” when you are in Canva and you can select a template that works for you. Customize it to your liking, download the image, and then add it as a background in a Flipgrid video (students and teachers can make stand-alone videos with Flipgrid Shorts).

If you are doing it for a student assignment, students can easily submit the video in Canvas as a website URL or by downloading the video and uploading it to Studio.

See the <4 minute video below on how this can be done.

Canva blog post: https://www.canva.com/learn/flipgrid-integration/

Student Tutorial for Uploading a Video to Studio to Submit: https://ior.ad/7V6x

Student Tutorial for Submitting a Website URL: https://ior.ad/7Tqv

If you want to learn more about how Canva and Canvas integrate see our previous blogpost or enroll in the asynchronous Canvas course.

Supporting English Learners Using ELLevation

ELLevation is a one stop shop for learning about the Multilingual Learners (aka English Learners) in your classroom. Teachers have access to 3 components of ELLevation:

ELLevation Platform: You can access English Language testing history, proficiency level descriptors, and ELD support plans for the MLL/EL students in your classroom.

ELLevation Strategies: Looking for ideas for how to meet the needs of learners in your classroom? ELLevation strategies offers strategies to support content and classroom teachers in reaching all students in their classroom. These strategies include resources, videos and differentiation suggestions for the students in your class based on their language proficiency.

Monitoring: You can complete monitoring forms for Former ELs (FELs) in your classroom. The quick check in allows you to communicate any concerns you might have with students who have exited EL services but who continue to be monitored for 4 years after their exit date.

Interested in learning more?

We have a 3 hour Canvas course available for SCHEH credit. Educators can also access the ELLevation Academy (click on the little graduation cap in the navigation bar once you log into your account) to learn how to navigate the site.

To get started, you’ll need to create a password for your account HERE. Be sure to log in with your PCCSK12 email account.

Not seeing what you’re expecting? Please complete this form and we’ll help you get the access you need!

Any additional questions or support requests can be sent to Denyaz Farhat, K-12 MLL Instructional Coach.

ELLevation

FREE online PD available between Dec. 13th, 2021 and Jan. 7th, 2022

The Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit hosted by Matt Miller promises valuable knowledge from top innovators AND tips you can implement immediately. All videos — more than 70 — will be available in December and early January. Like any other conference, when it’s over, it’s over and the videos will disappear. Speaker videos last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. They’re practical and inspirational, from hand-picked education leaders. Each video is accompanied by a PDF notes page summarizing the message. Download the notes, share, and keep them as long as you want.

To get a flavor for what might be shared, check out some past Ditch Summit Sketchnotes created by Jen Giffen (@virtualgiff) below:

Some of the latest enhancements included with our BrainPOP subscription

Take a peek at some of the latest enhancements included with our BrainPop renewal this year.

IMMERSIVE READER: Level the playing field with more support for students across all reading levels on BrainPOP Quizzes with Microsoft’s Immersive Reader.

Teachers and students using BrainPOP’s Quizzes now see the icon for Immersive Reader. Through features such as read aloud, line focus, translation and grammar markings, as well as the ability to adjust the size, style, and color of the font, learning becomes even more accessible to all students.

MODIFICATION STRATEGIES: Get helpful ideas for adapting BrainPOP tools and features for a variety of contexts and learners.

This modification “chart” features strategies for modifying each BrainPOP tool and feature for varied context and learners. This includes synchronous and asynchronous learning, offline instruction, diverse learners, and language development for ELLs.

The table is organized by a traditional learning arc. This will support teachers and students to use BrainPOP to build background knowledge, practice thinking skills, and assessment or reflection. Download this useful reference for planning lessons and differentiating instruction.

NEW READY-To-GO STANDARDS ALIGNED LESSON PLANS: Looking for ideas about how to use BrainPOP with your students? Click HERE to find top-notch lesson plans from the BrainPOP Educator community. Explore our growing collection of lesson plans or submit your own!

Want to quickly find lesson plans for a specific BrainPOP topic or game? Click the “Lesson Ideas” button that appears on every topic or game page. You can also find a collection of lesson ideas for each topic in the BrainPOP, BrainPOP Jr, GameUp, or, BrainPOP ELL directories that appear in the Lesson Plans menu.

COVER THE LATEST TOPICS: Timely content: Explore 40+ new and enhanced SEL and academic topics including—
COVID-19, Self-Esteem, Graphs, Voting Rights, and more.

Coming Early 2022: Movie Pause Points: Engage students with embedded questions to encourage active viewing and meet more standards.

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As a reminder, all district students, K-12 can access our paid subscription to BrainPop/BrainPop Jr via Clever at https://clever.com/in/pccs

REMC’s December Virtual Courses, earn 10 Free SCECHs

2021 DECEMBER REMC COURSES

Stay warm and learn something new! Take advantage of next month’s courses to learn new skills and tools to enhance your classroom.

December is a great time to learn in an instructor-led virtual course setting. REMC courses offer 10 free SCECHs, and are open to all Michigan school personnel.

Registration deadline is Friday, November 26th. Through the support of REMC SAVE’s vendor partners, all courses are FREE and there are no SCECH fees. You won’t want to miss out on these virtual courses that are a great way for educators to learn, connect, collaborate and grow from the convenience of their home.

Register by Friday, November 26th – Classes Begin Monday, November 29th

If you have questions or need further assistance with your course registration, please contact Erin Rommeck, REMC Event Coordinator.

November Canvas Updates

On November 20th Canvas enabled the following updates for course instructors:

New Quizzes
- By clicking the 3 dots you can bypass the assignment details page and go directly to “Build” the quiz by adding questions.
  - This is helpful for when you have already set up the assignment details and just need to go in to adjust questions.

- Stimulus orientation. When you add a stimulus question (an image with questions associated with it), Canvas defaults to having the image to the right of the questions. You can now put it above the questions. This is especially helpful if you need to print the quiz for a student. https://tech.pccsk12.com/print-canvas-new-quizzes/

Text Entry Word Count
- When working in SpeedGrader, instructors will be able to view the word count on a text entry submission.

If you have ideas for Canvas update and improvements, let them know by adding a post to Idea Conversations. https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Idea-Conversations/idb-p/ideas

Canvas

Canvas Assignment Submission Tutorials, and More!

In an effort to support students, teachers, and families we have created additional technology tutorials. We have put special emphasis on tutorials for various, Canvas submission types for students. We hope this will help all stakeholders as Canvas remains the best way to continue coursework when students need to be out for an extended time. Please keep in mind, the users on a the mobile app will have a different experience and should consult these guides: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Mobile-Users/gh-p/mobile

This resource is available for teachers on the Digital Teaching Hub. https://tech.pccsk12.com/canvas-lms/

It is also available for students and families on the Digital Learning Hub. https://sites.google.com/pccsk12.com/hlh/canvas

For your convenience it is embedded below.

Canvas

Keeping YouTube Safer for our students

REMINDER: Due to the nature of YouTube, and the easy availability of inappropriate content, the Tech Department has enabled severe restrictions on YouTube for elementary students and moderate restrictions for middle school students. However, it’s easy for staff to approve content on the fly when they need to. Please note the following steps to approve content, but please remember to approve only the content that you would want students to access.

Visit YouTube. https://www.youtube.com

Click sign in on the top right if you are not already signed into a YouTube account.
Make sure that you are signed into your district YouTube account. Click on the icon in the top right to verify. Should say managed by pccsk12.com (see pic below)

3. When you go to any YouTube video you will find a blue bar stating the status of the video below it. This video can be approved for our organization — when someone is signed in to YouTube — so at this point, not applicable to elementary as is. See pic below.

approval bar

4. If the video was already approved you will see the remove button. Anyone can click this to also remove the video from approval.

5. Some videos are allowed by YouTube automatically. It will say watchable.

6. You can also approve a whole channel. This will allow you to approve school channels or curriculum sites, for when and if we opt for restricted mode, but permit sign in where we can then allow all white-listed videos to be accessible.

Important note: By approving or removing videos from YouTube, you are a affecting the entire district, and therefore it is important to approve videos ONLY if they are appropriate for K-12.
All creators are now required to tell if their content is made for kids in order to comply with the Children‘s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and/or other applicable laws. As part of a settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and NY Attorney General, YouTube is now requiring YouTube creators to set future and existing videos as made for kids OR not. Even creators who don’t make content for kids need to set their audience. See this posting for more information https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9527654