Free, High-Quality Digital Learning Resources

The Michigan Learning Channel (MLC) is a statewide public television partnership offering free instructional content to support the education of students and to provide alternative resources for families and teachers. Designed to enrich school learning, the instructional content is aligned with Michigan’s educational standards and follows widely accepted sequences for mastering skills throughout the school year. Some of the programs include Read, Write, Roar, Curious Crew (science), and InPACT (physical education).

This programming is being broadcast on special on-air channels established by each of the participating public television stations in Michigan. It is also available as a livestream and stored for on-demand viewing on a variety of digital platforms, ensuring accessibility to all students, teachers and families in the state.

You can find their programming at: https://www.michiganlearning.org/

PBS LearningMedia is a great destination for direct access to thousands of classroom-ready, curriculum-targeted digital resources aligned to Common Core and national and state standards.

Spur your students’ achievement and engagement through the use of audio recordings, documents, interactives, lesson plans, videos, and more! Browse by standards, grade level, subject area, and special collections then favorite and share resources with your class and colleagues. Best of all, PBS LearningMedia is free for PreK-12 educators and students.

You can find all of this at: https://pbslearningmedia.org/

PBS LearningMedia can be easily integrate in Canvas to find out more click here: https://pbslearningmedia.org/help/canvas/

Please submit a tech ticket if you have questions or would like a guide when exploring these resources.

Canvas Quick Tip: Drag and Drop Due Dates

Need to quickly change a course due date? Head to the Calendar in Canvas (on the far left of your screen on the Global Navigation Menu). From there, you can drag and drop an assignment due date to a new day.

Gif

 

Be Alert: Google Forms Phishing Scam

Be on the lookout for scammers trying to impersonate Google. The spammer will take advantage of the option for “Response Receipts.” These emails are sent from the email address “forms-receipts-noreply@google.com.” which is the official, legitimate email.

The spammer pretends the user has filled out something with Google when they have not and requests that the person fill out their email address and click to verify.  See an image example below.

example google form phishing

While the email address may be official, those links could lead to anywhere and could ask for more information. Keep in mind, if you are getting a response receipt you likely have already completed what you need and should not need to send any new information.

If you think you have received one of these scam emails, you can click “Report Abuse” at the bottom of the email.

If you would like more details about this scam, please read this post, where we sourced the information for this blog.

Two Great Google Updates

Easy Share Button

In the latest update for Chrome, you’ll now see a share icon in the link address bar. Click that “sharrow” and you be able to copy the link or get a QR code with a few less clicks.

image showing share icon in omnibar

Go Pageless in Google Docs

More and more teachers are going “paperless” in their classrooms. As a result, you might not like making formatting adjustments when an image, table, or something else falls right around a page break. Google Docs now gives you the option to “pageless.” View the video below to find out how and see why it might be helpful.

More information from Google on this update.

 

Canvas Tip: New Analytics to Support Students

Did you know that New Analytics provides detailed reports about grades, activity in Canvas, and missing assignments? Take a look at the information below to learn more. This can be used to support your teaching with data and an easy way to communicate with students and families that need support.

*Credit to Nicole Pate of Del Sol Academy for the informational slides. Link to slides.

Submit a tech ticket if you have questions about this feature.

Elementary Teachers – Using IXL with Canvas

IXL integration with Canvas

In addition to accessing IXL via Clever, we have recently integrated IXL with Canvas to provide the following functionality (and more) within Canvas courses. 

Quick Launcher
Allows student to quickly access a few of the most valuable areas of IXL.com

Activity Selector
Allows teachers to create a direct links to an IXL skill, or the Diagnostic, from within Canvas

Activity Viewer/Launcher
Allows students or teachers to access an assigned IXL skill or Diagnostic

In sum, IXL’s integration with Canvas allows teachers to access IXL through Canvas and create activities using IXL skills or the Real-Time Diagnostic. Students can also access IXL through Canvas and navigate directly to certain sections of IXL, including skills or the diagnostic as selected by their teachers.

Check out the resources below to help you take full advantage of the integration features:

**Be on the look out for a synchronous, virtual training on IXL for our March 7 Professional Development day.**

(Thanks Bentley educator Kayleigh Gilo for the idea/encouragement to explore setting up this integration!)

PCEP Year-Long Courses now with Grading Periods

summary of grading period implications

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 Coursessummary of grading period implications

  • 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.