Category: Blog

New Tech Helpdesk

This year, you’ll no longer have to go to two different places to submit a tech request and a maintenance request. They are both housed through Master Library. It is conveniently located in the waffle (Google Apps Launcher). Scroll down to find the green “M,” it will launch the site and automatically log you in with your Google credentials.

Please note, accessing through the “Waffle” is the recommended pathway! Getting to MasterLibrary through the direct link and signing in with Google credentials may not work if you have not first visited through the waffle.

When you submit a new request you’ll have the option to choose:

Maintenance
Technology Request Form

From there the options and procedure are similar to our previous systems.

To reiterate, staff members should raise maintenance and technology service concerns/requests by either clicking on the Google apps launcher (aka waffle) and selecting the green Master Library Work Orders icon (preferred way) OR browsing to https://helpdesk.pccsk12.com/ (feel free to bookmark) and signing in with their district Google credentials.

Finally, please note, some information you initially enter can be saved to your profile so that it auto populates when you return to the site.

More resources:

Tech Request

MISTAR-Q: Supportive Training for (New) Teachers

Registration is open for Q ACADEMY: TEACHER EDITION (formerly Monarch)
Aug 26 through Dec 2, 2024
Registration fee: $0

Teachers are invited to participate in Q Academy: Teacher Edition, an asynchronous online course formerly known as Monarch. While this course is rebranded and reorganized, the learning activities remain the same as Monarch.

Working online at your own pace, you will complete activities designed to increase your skill and knowledge of MISTAR teacher apps including Class Attendance, Grade Book, Seating Chart, generating reports, and more. This course is especially beneficial for teachers new to MISTAR.

You may earn between 1.0 and 17.5 SCECHs, depending on which topics are completed by Dec 2, 2024. At least two topics must be completed to qualify for SCECHs and you may select which topics to complete:

Should I register for Q Academy if I previously participated in Monarch?
The activities are the same – if you completed Monarch, you completed all content in Q Academy. If you participated in Monarch but did not complete the course, you are welcome to register for Q Academy but your progress will not transfer from Monarch.

Please register only if you fully intend to participate as there is high demand for this course.

Goodbye Zoom, Hello Google Meet!

Important Announcement: District-Wide Transition to Google Meet

We’re excited to announce that our district is transitioning to Google Meet as our primary video conferencing platform. To streamline operations and enhance our digital learning environment, we will no longer be utilizing paid Zoom accounts.

Google Meet offers a user-friendly interface, seamless integration with Google Workspace, and robust collaboration tools, making it an ideal platform for our classrooms. Whether you’re hosting a live lesson, meeting with families, or collaborating with colleagues, Google Meet provides the features, including breakout rooms, polling and more, you need to connect and engage effectively.

We understand that this change may require some adjustment, but we believe that Google Meet will work well for our needs.

Please review our Google Meet Teacher Guide for information on how to set up and use Google Meet. Canvas offers an integration with Google Meet that allows for easy student access, when needed. The guide will also show you how to set up a Meet with students without the Canvas integration. We recognize that your Google Meet use cases may be with families or colleagues, so the guide shows you how to set up a Meet through Google Calendar or creating an instant meeting.

If you have questions about Google Meet, please submit a tech ticket.

Google Meet

Prepping Your Canvas Courses for the New School Year

We’re excited to let you know that your Canvas courses will soon be visible and ready for action. Canvas is designed to simplify your teaching journey and provide you with a user-friendly platform to engage with your students, organize course materials, and foster a dynamic learning environment.

Course Template

To assist you in creating an engaging and effective online learning space, we’ve prepared comprehensive resources for the course template. These resources include step-by-step guides, video tutorials, and best practices for setting up your Canvas courses. Whether you’re a seasoned Canvas user or a first-timer, these tools will ensure that you’re making the most of Canvas’s features. Using the Canvas template ensure students and families have a more consistent experience in Canvas. We have also updated the template to reflect the move to Google Meet rather than Zoom, reduced the Course Navigation Menu options, and included an assignment template for easy duplication.

Locating Courses from Past Years

Looking for courses from previous years? Rest assured, they may not be on your dashboard, but they are still there. If you navigate to https://pccsk12.instructure.com/courses and scroll to the bottom of the page, you’ll see such courses under “Past Enrollments.” Past enrollments (such courses) are in read-only format. If you would like to make some edits and updates to your course(s) for current or future usage do the following. Click on the course under Past Enrollments, go to Settings on the Course Navigation Menu and click the “Copy this Course” button.

Import Previous Content

You can easily copy previous Canvas courses into your 25-25 course shell. However, if you have been keeping the same content from year to year, some unused content might be slowing you down. Last spring, we invited you to reflect on and revise your course instead of copying the whole thing over (linked post). Below, you will find steps to import Canvas content into your new course shell (once generated automatically through the MiStar integration).

Getting Started with Canvas

Just getting started with Canvas or wanting to start anew? Check out this new Canvas Quick Start Guide. It might be helpful even if you plan to import previous content! It has links to crosslisting directions, template homepage information, button templates, and more!

Crosslisting Guide

When you have taken time to update the homepage and import previous content, you might not want to repeat those steps for multiple sections on the same course. If that is the case, take a look at the crosslisting guide. This will allow you to only update one course and the changes will be reflected in all sections.

Publish Your Course(s)

You must publish your course in order for it to be visible for students and families. Rest assured, students cannot view course content until the term starts (check this under the course settings). Avoid unnecessary emails from students and families and set yourself a reminder to publish!

If you need assistance with any of these steps, please submit a tech ticket.

Canvas

Canvas Update: Assign Module to Specific Students or Groups

In Canvas, instructors now have the flexibility to assign modules to individual students or specific sections (this could be specific hours in a cross-listed course).

Sections are created automatically in a cross-listed course (P2, P3, etc) but you can also manually-create sections of students.

This feature allows for personalized learning experiences and targeted instruction. Here’s how you can assign modules to individual students or sections:

Access the Module Settings:

– Navigate to the desired course in Canvas.

– Click on the “Modules” tab in the course navigation menu.

– Select the module you want to assign.

Choose the Assign To Option:

– In module, click the Options icon (Tim Bits). Click “Assign to”

modules: assign to

Assign to Individual or Sections

-By default, modules are assigned and visible to everyone in the course.

-Click the Individual or Section field to select a section or an individual student name.

-You can add multiple students and sections.

-Click Save

By utilizing the “Assign To” feature in Canvas, instructors can tailor their instructional materials to meet the unique needs of individual students or specific sections. This level of customization promotes targeted learning and enhances student engagement. See the Canvas guide for more information.

Canvas

Wayne RESA Summer Learning Series

Looking to stay sharp this summer? The county is offering a daily, free professional development series throughout August. Each session will dive into a different education-related topic and will be held at 3 PM. They are also offering some asynchronous options.

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from experts in the field, network with colleagues from across the county, and gain new insights to enhance your classroom practice.

Mark your calendars and take advantage of this valuable resource! Sign-up today.

Free REMC Courses in July

Are you ready to supercharge your teaching arsenal with cutting-edge tools and strategies, all while earning FREE SCECHs? REMC courses are designed to ignite your passion for innovative teaching methods and enhance classroom engagement. All courses can be taken from the convenience of your home and when the time is right for you.

Registration deadline is Thursday, July 4th, each course begins on Monday, July 8th. Thanks to the generous support of REMC SAVE’s vendor partners, all courses are FREE and there are no SCECH fees. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to expand your skill set and revitalize your classroom!

Check out July 2024 courses here:

Register by Thursday, July 4th You will receive a welcome email with the course information prior to the course start date. If you have questions or need further assistance with your course registration, please click here.

REMC

Next-Gen Tech: Out with the Old, In with the New

In the ever-shifting world of digital resources, our district’s subscriptions are subject to change annually. This year is no exception, with several edtech companies either closing or altering their licensing terms. We aim to keep you informed about the changes that may affect the upcoming school year. This post will be updated throughout the summer and into the fall to reflect the latest information. See the previous tools we’ve used and the new ones that will take their place. Rest assured, we’re also putting in the effort to gather and develop resources to support a smooth transition for everyone involved, more will be added as we create them. Please submit a tech ticket if you have questions or concerns.

AI @ P-CCS: Part 4 – Make a Plan

Welcome to the final post of our AI series. This series has explored the world of AI in education, and you’ve gained valuable knowledge through exploring resources, delving into district policy, experimenting with AI tools, and collaborating with colleagues. Please continue those steps as much as needed before you translate that knowledge into action. Here’s how to get started with AI integration in your classroom next year:

Planning for AI Integration:

Develop an AI Integration Plan based on your goals: Start by clarifying your educational goals. How can AI enhance student learning, engagement, and outcomes? Whether it’s personalized tutoring, automating administrative tasks, or fostering creativity, define your objectives and the role AI might have in your classroom.

Communication is Key:

Transparency in Your Syllabus: Clearly outline your expectations for AI usage in your class syllabus or introductory communication. This could include acceptable tools, responsible use guidelines, and student data privacy protocols.
- REMC 4 in the Muskegon Area has graciously shared some sample language for syllabi that can be adapted. You may require students to cite AI use in MLA format or use a less formal AI disclosure.
Tracking down academic integrity breaches can be exhausting. You might attempt to put ownership back on the students by requiring Proof of Positive Authorship that was used by some of our P-CCS teachers at the Park in the 23-24 school year.

Teaching AI with Integrity:

Empowering Students as Responsible AI Users: Equip your students to navigate the world of AI with integrity. Consider creating a visual guide, like a stoplight system or flowchart, to help them identify when using AI is appropriate and when it’s not. For example, green light for using a translation tool to understand a foreign language passage, yellow light for using a grammar checker while acknowledging the need to revise independently, and red light for using an AI writing tool to complete an entire assignment.

Modeling AI Engagement:

Lead by Example: Demonstrate for your students how to effectively and appropriately use AI tools within your subject area and grade level. Following the “I Do, We Do, You Do” approach: first model the process yourself, then guide students through a collaborative activity, and finally, let them practice independently. SchoolAI (free version) is a great platform that allows students to interact with a personalized tutor. Teachers can monitor the entire interaction and it automatically flags inappropriate student use in real-time.

Exciting News!

The district will be offering access to Google Gemini through gemini.google.com for teacher use next school year – starting in August of 2024 (note: if you try to login now, it will not work)! The feature is included with our Google Workspace For Education account. Unlike other Gen AI services, Gemini will not collect any data when you are using your P-CCS Workspace account. Please note, it is still important that you do not share personally identifiable information even though Google will not use this data to train the AI. It offers you similar abilities as ChatGPT to support:

Lesson Planning: “Can you help me create a lesson plan on the water cycle for 5th graders? For better results include a standard, a time frame, number of students, and general location.”
Remove Barriers: “Here’s my lesson plan on ___ topic, what barriers might there be to learners and how could I lessen or remove them?”
Identify Common Misunderstandings: “I’m teaching about linear functions, what are common misunderstandings students may have?”
Language Practice: “Provide a list of conversational phrases in Spanish for beginners.”
Real World Examples: “I am teaching 3rd graders about _____. Provide 3 real world examples that are simple and engaging. My students’ interests are _____.
Classroom Management: “Draft a message to parents about upcoming parent-teacher conferences.”
Find more sample educator prompts here: Prompt Library — AI for Education

With any of these prompts, be sure to keep yourself in the loop. Don’t just prompt and paste, review the response and make it fit for your context.

This concludes our 4-part-series on AI in Education for 2023-24. We encourage you to continue exploring and experimenting with AI tools as we look ahead to next year. If you’d like support or a thought partner – reach out to a member of the TIS team! We are here and will respond to tech tickets and email all summer.

Expect more information from us in the fall where we will share more details about Gemini and other AI tools that can be utilized to support student learning! Happy planning!

Artificial Intelligence

Tech-To-Do’s Year-End Checklist

As you make plans to close up your classroom for the summer (and a well deserved break), please take care of the following items:

Save, Update, and Share Your Content
1. Current Canvas courses will close and get placed in your past enrollments. However, there are considerations to check in the End of Year Canvas Post.
2. If you are leaving the district or hoping to collaborate with colleagues over the summer you might review this post: Sharing Digital Resources with Colleagues – P-CCSK12 Tech
3. Clever: Staff and Students will have access to all clever resources throughout the summer. Clever syncing will be on pause starting on Monday June 11, 2024 giving student’s access to their 23-24 teacher’s pages and links until around mid-August when syncing will resume for the 24-25 school year. If you’re interested in learning how to make the most of Clever in your classroom, consider looking at training and ideas here.
4. IXL: PCCS’s digital subscription for K-5 elementary students will continue throughout the summer. Students will have access to their NWEA skill plans (which were just updated with any spring scores) all summer. Students will have access to any current teacher starred skills through around mid-August, you might consider un-starring skills for students because they to travel with students from year to year. Students in 5th grade currently will lose access around mid-August when syncing begins for the 24-25 school year as they will then be recognized as 6th graders.
5. Edpuzzle: AFTER your grades have been transferred to the gradebook, it’s recommended that teachers delete their Edpuzzle classes. Issues can sometimes arise when Canvas courses that were integrated with Edpuzzle are copied from one year to the next. It is recommended that teachers delete their Edpuzzle classes before the new school year starts and new students join your classes. Please follow the directions in Edpuzzle’s Best Practices: Closing Out the School Year.
Tech Housekeeping: Secure, Return, and Power Off
1. Please comply with the directions of your principal and main office to turn in or secure all classroom technology equipment such as document cameras, microphones, interactive pens, and remotes.
2. Please also secure or take home all District-assigned devices (laptop, Chromebook, iPad, etc.), as well as all personally-owned devices.
3. Power off projectors/IFPs, sound amps, and desktop computers.
  1. You may leave printer and copiers plugged in and powered on
4. Follow the care suggestions for classroom audio.
Explore, Collaborate, and Plan
1. Please set aside some time to consider the role of Artificial Intelligence in your educational setting. Learn about it and experiment with it. Touch base with other educators in your grade level or subject area about the role AI may play. Finally, develop a plan for AI classroom policies for next year. All these tips have been highlighted in our AI Blog Series (still more posts to come).