Here’s another friendly reminder that new laptops will be distributed this spring. Be sure to save any files you wish to keep. See our original post for directions.
Friendly Reminder: Back Up Your Files
Wordle in the Classroom
2022 has brought on the Wordle craze. If you or your students have caught Wordle fever, you might consider how to incorporate it in the classroom. Check out the ideas below (including some math versions).
Other Wordle spinoffs to explore include:
PCEP Year-Long Courses now with Grading Periods
High School teachers of PCEP year-long courses, please be aware that Grading Periods will be set up in your Canvas courses denoting each semester.
Year-Long PCEP Courses
- Teachers will have access to make edits, give feedback, and grade assignments in Canvas for first semester until 11:59 pm on February 2, 2022. After that date, the grades will not be editable.
- Students will continue to have access to submit assignments with due dates in the first semester UNLESS YOU HAVE AN AVAILABLE UNTIL DATE OF JAN. 28 OR EARLIER. You can edit those dates in bulk by following the steps here.
Semester 2 began January 31st, 2022. You can filter your grade book to view assignments with due dates in the Semester 2 grading period by following the steps here.
The information above was also noted in our January 18, 2022 blog post.
If you have questions, please submit a tech ticket.
Zoom Features for your Virtual Classes
There have been some updates to Zoom that help facilitate online learning for teachers and students. Check them out below.
- Save Zoom recording directly to Canvas. You can now save your Zoom recordings directly to Canvas Studio to easily integrate and share with your students. It just requires a few clicks to set this up in Canvas. Video tutorial.
- Create a seating chart in Gallery View. In your account settings, you will need to enable, “Allow host to save video order.” When you are in your meeting, arrange the students as you would like while in Gallery View and click save. If it is a recurring meeting, the video order will be saved for future meetings. More information.
- Turn on Focus Mode. This mode allows you to see all the student screens, but students only see the teacher’s video. You can even set it up for your meeting to being in Focus Mode. More information OR check out this 5 minute explanatory video
- More polling and quizzing options. Zoom has expanded their polls to eight different question types and added the ability to add images. You can also set up the poll to be a quiz. More information.
- Add video to the Waiting Room. Maximize instructional time by adding a video to play while participants are in the Waiting Room. Unfortunately, this is a general setting to be applied to all your waiting room and not tied to a specific meeting. You can customize this when logged in to your web portal at www.zoom.us Video tutorial.
- Zoom Learning Center. Zoom now offers a free educational platform for all new and existing users, including on-demand courses, live trainings, and short videos designed to give you just what you need when you need it to know how to best use their service. Login at https://learning.zoom.us/
How to Cross-List your Semester 2 Courses
As we approach Semester 2, those of you who are teaching multiple sections of the same course might consider cross-listing in Canvas. Cross-listing allows you to move section enrollments from individual courses and combine them into one course. This feature is helpful for instructors who teach several sections of the same course and only want to manage course data in one location. Many teachers who have tried it have asserted they would never go back to the old way since cross-listing is such a big time saver. However, this action should only be done before a semester starts. Indeed, Canvas recommends it be done before a course is published. If it is done after a course is published and notably student work has been submitted, that student work will be lost. Please review the slideshow below carefully to help you decide if you want to do it.
Please reach out to a Technology Integration Specialist if you need help deciding if this is right for you or if you want assistance setting it up.
Recent Canvas Updates
December Updates
- Course Import Warning Message: When you use the “Copy To” option in Canvas, you will now get a warning about overwriting existing content. This displays regardless of whether the actual content was previously imported or not. It is just there to remind you to be careful.
- Image Option Percentage: Embedded images can be customized by pixels or percentages.
- To Do Speedgrader Link Tab Setting: Under Settings and Feature options, instructors can choose to open their To Do items in a new tab. This setting is turned on by default.
January Updates (1/15/22)
- New Quizzes Partial Credit for Matching: You can now choose if students will receive partial credit if they get parts of the matching set wrong. Previously, if they got one wrong, then entire section would be marked as wrong. Release Screencast
- Ability to Collapse Course Navigation Menu: You will be able to hide the Course Navigation Menu like you can minimize the Global Navigation Menu.
- Missing Status Removes When a Grade is Entered: If an assignment was marked as missing, when you enter a grade for the assignment, it will no longer have the missing designation.
- External Link & Tool Module Link (Open in a New Tab) Setting: When you add an External Tool or External Link to a module, you are given the choice if you want the link to open in a new tab or not. The choice you make will now be “sticky” and will remain the default until you chose a different option.
- Unposted Comment Warning: In Speedgrader, you will now get a warning if you try to navigate away before posting the comment.
Please reach out if you have additional questions about these updates.
End-of-Term Review Templates
As we draw near to the end of the first semester, you might be looking for some ideas to put students in the driver’s seat of reviewing for exams or projects. Here are a few ideas and templates.
- Thin Slide Study Guide
- Thin Slides is a versatile, collaborative slide deck. Generally, each student gets one slide, one picture, and one word to create and briefly present on. This study guide version has a twist in that it has key terms and students write the definition in their own terms and find a picture to represent it. On following days, the process it repeated but each student get a slide someone else has already done. The included template also has an explainer video for the teacher.
- Hexagonal Thinking
- A few years ago, the Cult of Pedagogy blog and podcast posted about Hexagonal Thinking. It serves as a visual way to make connections between ideas. It generates thinking and discussion as students realize the various connections that other people made and explain their own thinking. You could provide the terms you want them to connect or see what students are able to generate on their own with this template.
Submit a tech ticket if you have questions about implementing these strategies in your classroom.
Canvas Quizzes: Accommodations, Matching Partial Credit, & New Date for Classic Quizzes Sunset
Classic Quiz Sunset Timeline Extended
Canvas has announced that it is delaying the sunset timeline for Classic Quizzes until June 30, 2024. Our district may begin restricting the creation of new Classic Quizzes later this year, but existing Classic Quizzes will be available longer than originally anticipated.
New Quizzes Update (January 15): Partial Credit in Matching
In the past, many teachers have bemoaned that partial credit cannot be awarded on Matching questions. Starting January 15, New Quizzes will now have that option! See this post for more information.
Quiz Accommodations in Classic and New Quizzes
We recently received a question about how to accommodate students tests/quizzes in Canvas. There are a lot of moderation options in Canvas, but the specific question was around students that may begin their quiz during class and receive extra time during their Resource hour. Below you will find a resource on how to accomplish this as well information on how students can resume a Quiz, moderating New and Classic Quizzes, and how to reopen an attempt for students.
Please submit a ticket if you have additional questions about this.
You may also view this collection of resources here: https://wke.lt/w/s/5aK43b
New Google Slides Option: Show/Remove Filmstrip
There is a new option for your screen when working in Google Slides. You can view or hide the filmstrip. What’s filmstrip? It is the vertical display of slides to the left of the slide your are working on.
Take a Look at the Difference
Why would you want to use this feature?
👉🏽 You are presenting, but still want to be able to edit on the slide, this gives you more space
👉🏽You have a drag and drop activity for students, you can utilize more of the gray area on the sides
👉🏽 You want to keep upcoming slides hidden
Interested in drag and drop activities for Google Slides? Check out these resources:
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