Winter and End-of-the-Semester Activity Ideas

As we approach the end of the semester, you might consider some new ideas for end-of-semester final projects. Matt Miller, the founder of Ditch that Textbook posted a few great ideas on his blog. Ideas include creating a series of podcast, producing an unboxing video, and connecting with a cause. Read more about his ideas here: https://ditchthattextbook.com/10-ideas-for-digital-end-of-semester-final-projects/

You many not be looking for end-of-the-semester activities, but perhaps you are looking for activities that will engage students as we move toward Winter Break. Eric Curts, of Control Alt Achieve, has put together a collection of “googley” wintertime activities that will allow students to be creative and practice some content skills. Check out his great templates here: https://www.controlaltachieve.com/2021/12/winter.html

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.

 

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.
  • image of teacher dashboardELLevation 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.
  • image of teacher strategiesMonitoring: 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.

image of monitoring

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.

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.

image showing option to build a quiz

    • 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/

image showing where to change stimulus orientation

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

image of word count display

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 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.

 

P-CEP High School Grading Periods

summary of grading period information

As of November 19th, now that Quarter 1 grades have been turned in at the secondary level, Grading Periods will be in place in Canvas to reflect the closing of Q1 grades in MiStar. Students will have view-only access to first quarter course content and will be unable to submit work for assignments associated with the first quarter (Q1) since it is not the current grading period. While teachers can edit their previous term’s course content, they cannot make further adjustments in the feedback or grading of any non-current grading period submissions.

When grading periods are enabled, the due date of an assignment will determine the grading period within which the assignment will appear in the Gradebook. If no due date is set, the assignment defaults to the last (current) grading period available for the course. Therefore, if there is a quiz or assignment that a student must still complete from a past quarter, you might make a copy of that quiz/assignment, give it a due date in the current grading period, and assign it just to the few students that need it. In that case, grade passback to MiStar should be avoided and, should you want it reflected in MISTAR manually enter the grade for those students in the Q1 quiz or assignment instead (note, even if this is done, the student’s viewable-as-of November 12th report card, won’t reflect any change).

Importantly, while students will still find their definitive grades in MISTAR, this grade period demarcation will also result in a more accurate current grade average, as far as what Canvas reflects, since only the current marking period will be presented.

Please find quick overview directions and screenshots in this document.

*Please note elementary teachers — it is very conceivable that we will similarly update Canvas for courses that span grading periods too, in the coming weeks, to allow for term filtering.

Submit a ticket for more support.

Middle School Teachers: Transition from Quarter 1 to Quarter 2 in Canvas reflected by grading periods

summary of grading period information

As of November 10th, now that Quarter 1 grades have been turned in at the secondary level, Grading Periods will be in place in Canvas to reflect the closing of Q1 grades in MiStar. Students will have view-only access to first quarter course content and will be unable to submit work for assignments associated with the first quarter (Q1) since it is not the current grading period. While teachers can edit their previous term’s course content, they cannot make further adjustments in the feedback or grading of any non-current grading period submissions.

When grading periods are enabled, the due date of an assignment will determine the grading period within which the assignment will appear in the Gradebook. If no due date is set, the assignment defaults to the last (current) grading period available for the course. Therefore, if there is a quiz or assignment that a student must still complete from a past quarter, you might make a copy of that quiz/assignment, give it a due date in the current grading period, and assign it just to the few students that need it. In that case, grade passback to MiStar should be avoided and, should you want it reflected in MISTAR manually enter the grade for those students in the Q1 quiz or assignment instead (note, even if this is done, the student’s viewable-as-of November 12th report card, won’t reflect any change).

Importantly, while students will still find their definitive grades in MISTAR, this grade period demarcation will also result in a more accurate current grade average, as far as what Canvas reflects, since only the current marking period will be presented.

Please find quick overview directions and screenshots in this document.

Please also revisit this blog post from last November on how to extend access for students to a Canvas course past the term end date based on an interest in allowing students an additional time period to access course content or to interact with and submit coursework.

*Please note elementary and high school teachers — it is very conceivable that we will similarly update Canvas for courses that span grading periods too, in the coming weeks, to allow for term filtering.

Submit a ticket for more support.

Canvas Pro-Tip: Estimated Time Pill Box

sample pill box imageWhen you enter into a task, it is helpful to know approximately how long something might take. Don Lourcey, on the Iredell-Statesville School District has gathered some code so that an estimated time to complete can be added to the top of your Canvas pages and assignments (see image sample above). This small step might be very useful for students and families working on your course at home and help the students in front of you to manage their attention level.

You can use this ReadTime website to help you estimate how long it might take for students to read the text on your page.

See the code below that can be copied and pasted into the HTML editor of your Canvas page. Change the “30 mins” as needed to reflect the estimated time (eg. “15 mins”, “20 minutes” or “1 hour”). A video tutorial is included at the bottom of this page.

Estimated Reading Time code

<ul class=”pill”>
<li>Estimated Reading Time</li>
<li>30 mins</li>
</ul>
<ul class=”pill”></ul>

Estimated Time to Complete code

<ul class=”pill”>
<li>Estimated Time to Complete</li>
<li>30 mins</li>
</ul>
<ul class=”pill”></ul>

Estimated Reading and Viewing Time code

<ul class=”pill”>
<li>Estimated Reading & Viewing Time</li>
<li>30 mins</li>
</ul>
<ul class=”pill”></ul>