Need to know how to enroll in a course? Want to remember what courses you took in previous years? Want a record of PD for yourself? View the PCCS Canvas Catalog Guide to get all your catalog questions answered!
As of now, all instructional staff working with K-12 students should have been issued a new Dell Latitude 3520 laptop, with the exception of a few make-ups that have yet to be deployed. We appreciate everyone’s patience and want to thank staff for being cooperative, given our expedited time frame to issue all devices in the district. Even we are adjusting to the new technology and all the changes involved with the new Dell laptops. Besides the differences in the look and feel of staff laptops, one of the biggest changes is the addition of the Microsoft Company Portal.
What is the Company Portal?
The Company Portal is part of a new data management system that allows PCCS staff to securely download and install district-vetted programs and updates. The Company Portal can be thought of as an App Store for PCCS, including all apps and utilities used in-district. We surveyed the list of programs that were being used by teachers and staff members in the district and included the vast majority of these in the current app list in the Company Portal. The list of available apps in the portal is ever-growing,
You may have noticed that installing programs outside of the Company Portal prompts for an administrator username and password. This is completely to be expected and is designed to protect your laptop and files safe from malware or malicious programs. Safeguarding devices connected to our network protects our infrastructure and makes our districts less susceptible to cyber attacks. It’s also something our insurance company has begun to insist on for us to remain with coverage.
How do I install the Company Portal on my computer?
The Company Portal should install on your laptop after about an hour of initial use. Once you log into your laptop for the first time, it gets pushed out to your device and usually takes about that long to appear. Once installed, and following another restart, a shortcut to the Company Portal should later appear on your desktop. If you do not see an icon for Company Portal, it’s possible that it hasn’t been pushed to your device yet. A restart often helps, but it is also possible that you can find the Company Portal by searching for it.
If you click the Start button and begin to search for “company portal”, you should see the app populate in the search results. Once the program opens, feel free to right-click the icon at the bottom of the screen and select Pin to taskbar so it is readily accessible when you want to open the Company Portal in the future.
Once the Company Portal opens, click Apps to see a full list of all available apps in the Company Portal.
How do I install the apps I need?
Click the app you’d like to install and click Install. Please do not disconnect from the Internet or close the lid during the installation process. Some apps are larger than others and require more time to download and properly install.
You will know an app is completely installed when you see the blue checkmark and Installed at the top of the screen.
Should I install everything in the Company Portal?
There is no need to install all available apps in the Company Portal. If you have a specific software need, there is likely an app added to the library to meet that need. See the table below for some examples.
| To use: | Install these apps: |
|---|---|
| Smart Notebook software | SMART Education Software
SMART Product Drivers |
| Microsoft Office | Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows 10 |
Please note, if it is a paid app or subscription service (and some of them are), and you don’t have the license for it, you won’t be able to run it even if you do install it.
There is software I would like to use and it’s not available in the Company Portal. How can I install it?
If there is software you’d like to use and it provides educational value, you can request to have it added into the Company Portal. Please click here to submit a tech request and choose Computer Software Request. We will gladly evaluate the request and add it to the Company Portal if it is something Teaching and Learning and/or the Technology Department deem educationally valuable for staff members.
I still don’t see the Company Portal on my laptop. What do I do?
If you don’t see the Company Portal, even after searching for it, it may be due to a setting tied to your logon profile. Please submit a tech request and let us know so we can look into it!
Have any questions?
If you have any questions about how the Company Portal works or need help setting up any apps, please submit a tech request and a member of our department would be happy to help you.
The TextHelp PDF Reader has officially been reborn as OrbitNote!
Earlier this summer, the Texthelp PDF Reader was updated and became OrbitNote. This update included a new look & easier onboarding. P-CCS students & staff have access to all the PREMIUM features of OrbitNote detailed below.
If you’re not familiar with it yet, OrbitNote allows staff & students to transform and interact with PDFs and digital documents in a completely different way. It helps to create an accessible, dynamic and collaborative space that works for everyone.
You & your students can use OrbitNote to:
There is NO ACTION required for students or staff who were already using the PDF Reader; the new OrbitNote extension auto-updated. Students and staff may have to update permissions with the first use of the new tool.
Staff who have not used the Texthelp PDF Reader in the past will need to install the extension here.
For more information about using OrbitNote, including Canvas LMS integration, go to the RW4G@PCCS website: https://bit.ly/PCCS-OrbitNote
The new OrbitNote Quick Reference Guide is available here.
Videos: https://text.help/orbitvids
Technical Support: https://support.texthelp.com
You might also want to check out this video of OrbitNotes used in Canvas and/or a comprehensive overview of many of TextHelp’s features:
OrbitDoc (now OrbitNotes) used in Canvas
If you have a personal device and would like to connect it to a district wireless network, please connect it to the PCCSK12-Staff network using your network account credentials. Your network account is the same one used to login to any district desktop or laptop (not Google/Chromebooks). If you do not remember your account information, please submit a tech request.
Disclaimers
If you have a personal device and would like to connect it to a district wireless network, please connect it to the PCCSK12-Students network. When prompted for a username and password, use your network logon credentials (username without @pccsk12.com at the end) to connect. Please note that student usernames and passwords will not work on the PCCSK12-Staff network or any other network.
Disclaimers
If you have a personal device and would like to connect it to a district wireless network, please connect it to the PCCSK12-Students network. When prompted for a username and password, use your network logon credentials (username without @pccsk12.com at the end) to connect. Please note that student usernames and passwords will not work on the PCCSK12-Staff network or any other network.
Click on your picture icon in the bottom right-hand corner
Click on your current WiFi Connection to bring up the list of available network then select PCCSK12-Students if you are a student, and PCCSK12-Staff if you are a district staff member.
Fill in the following fields as seen in the screenshot to the left. Make sure to use your username (P-CCS Google email address for students, network account for staff) in the “Identity” field
Push Connect when finished
Find the Settings App on your device and open it.
Tap on Wi-Fi, and then tap on the PCCSK12-Students if you are a student, and PCCSK12-Staff if you are a district staff member in the list of Wi-Fi networks
When prompted for a username and password, use your network logon credentials (username without @pccsk12.com at the end for students, network account for staff) to connect.
*Example:
Username: izcough872
Password: learnpow
Tap the Trust button when you see this window
You should see a check mark in the Wi-Fi list at the top that confirms you are connected.
Find the Settings App on your Android device then Tap on Network & Settings or on Wi-Fi. (The layout of the settings may differ with different types of Android devices)
Tap on the PCCSK12-Students if you are a student, and PCCSK12-Staff if you are a district staff member in the list of Wi-Fi networks. Use the following settings:
Look for WiFi icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your desktop either by clicking directly on it, or looking for it with the up arrow icon.
Click WiFi Icon in system tray then click on the PCCSK12-Students if you are a student, and PCCSK12-Staff if you are a district staff member.
Click the Connect button
Fill in the following fields as seen in the screenshot to the left. Make sure to use your username (PCCS Google email address without the @pccsk12.com for students, network account for staff) in the top field and your password in the bottom field
Example Username: izcough875
Password: (Your password)
Click OK when finished
Select the Wi-Fi Symbol in the Menu Bar.
Then choose PCCSK12-Students if you are a student, and PCCSK12-Staff if you are a district staff member.
Enter username and password, (same as your Google login without the @pccsk12.com for students, network account for staff) and select “Remember this network”
Choose the Continue button
If prompted, enter your personal Mac’s Username and Password and Select “Update Settings”
*PLEASE NOTE: In early August, ALL MISTAR created courses will un-sync and therefore courses will be deleted off of dashboards. Please make sure you follow the directions below to ensure all work (assignments, discussions, videos, etc.) will save correctly.
With Canvas being utilized for the foreseeable future, and with the end of the year approaching, we wanted to pass along some directions on how to ensure that your course(s) and work created this year can be used for next Fall. The directions below will enable you to copy your course into a “Sandbox” type course, so when you return in the Fall, all you will need to do is import your “Sandbox” course, into your MISTAR rostered course.
Watch the less than 3-minute video below or watch it on YouTube. https://youtu.be/ibyFUeqSurY
Optional, further back up step: For Directions on saving your course to your computer/google drive click here
*PLEASE NOTE: In early August, ALL MISTAR created courses will un-sync and therefore courses will be deleted off of dashboards. Please make sure you follow the directions below to ensure all work (assignments, discussions, videos, etc.) will save correctly.
With Canvas being utilized for the foreseeable future, and with the end of the year approaching, we wanted to pass along some directions on how to ensure that your course(s) and work created this year can be used for next Fall. The directions below will enable you to copy your course into a “Sandbox” type course, so when you return in the Fall, all you will need to do is import your “Sandbox” course, into your MISTAR rostered course.
Watch the less than 3-minute video below or watch it on YouTube. https://youtu.be/ibyFUeqSurY
Optional, further back up step: For Directions on saving your course to your computer/google drive click here
GitMind is a great, free tool for mind maps and brainstorming. You can easily sign-up with your Google account. There are several templates ready for use and they have a category for education. Below is a video overview.
There are no ads on the page. The only “paywall” I can find is the ability to export in other formats, which you can do with “points” you earn by using the platform. You can easily share work with a link and you can add collaborators.
If you teach younger students you might not have them create their own, but you can work as a class. There are templates for the elements of a story and working with words.
Older students could create their own, there a templates for timelines and essay structures. At the year’s end students could create a mind map to review material from the entire course. You can also edit your mind map by editing or importing an outline and the program will add it to your mind map.
Anyone with a year-long course (or 100+ modules), might be noticing that is takes quite a long time for all your modules to load. Students and families may also be experiencing this lag when they click the link for their daily work module. To help save time and frustration we recommend that you free up some space in one of two ways:
To assist teachers, Canvas automatically published all Semester 2 and Quarter 3 courses automatically generated through the MISTAR/Canvas sync.
Please note the following:
To customize the teacher or student dashboard to show certain courses please see the graphic below:
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605708649208{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Received a new QOMO QPC22 Document Camera?
Here’s how to get it working.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605639101901{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Please click the following button to visit the download page for the QOMO document camera. Follow the instructions with provided screenshots to get your device up and running.[/vc_column_text][mk_button dimension=”flat” corner_style=”rounded” size=”large” url=”https://qomo.com/download/qcamera-software/” target=”_blank”]QOMO QPC22 Software Download Page[/mk_button][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][mk_image src=”https://tech.pccsk12.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/qpc25_4.png” image_size=”medium”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605639322678{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Click on the large download button to begin downloading the software package. If prompted, please chose where to save it.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://tech.pccsk12.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/qomo-dl-page.jpg” image_size=”medium”][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605639421372{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Once the download completes, click on the small arrow next to the file name and select “Show in folder”.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://tech.pccsk12.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/show-in-folder.jpg” image_size=”medium”][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605639470845{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]A new file explorer window will open up with the zip file for the installer. Right-Click the zip file and select extract all.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://tech.pccsk12.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/extract-all.jpg” image_size=”medium”][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605639538004{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Be sure to select the checkbox for “Show extracted files when complete”[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://tech.pccsk12.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/show-extracted.jpg” image_size=”full”][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605639617809{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Once it is complete, a new window will open up with the contents of the zip file. Double-click the file called “Setup”[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://tech.pccsk12.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/setup.jpg” image_size=”medium”][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605639826189{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]A pop up from Windows Defender may come up. This is just a warning for the software not having a publisher saved. Click on “More Info” then click on “Run Anyway”[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][mk_image src=”https://tech.pccsk12.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/windows-defender-1.jpg” image_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][mk_image src=”https://tech.pccsk12.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/win-def-run.jpg” image_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605639903469{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Another window will open up with a list of items that will be installed. Click on the “Install” button to continue.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://tech.pccsk12.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/install.jpg” image_size=”full”][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605639992424{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Click the “Next” buttons through the install wizard until you reach the following step. Be sure to select the radio button for “Everyone” when the installer asks.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://tech.pccsk12.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/wizard-2.jpg” image_size=”full”][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1605640139039{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Click “Next” on the last few prompts and let the installer continue. You may get a few pop up windows asking if you want to allow changes to be made. Select yes or allow on all of them. Once the installation is complete, you may plug in your document camera and begin using it with the QCamera software which will now be on your desktop or with iPevo Presenter.[/vc_column_text][mk_divider style=”thin_solid”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
