Guides – P-CCSK12 Tech

Meet OrbitNote (formerly the Texthelp PDF Reader tool)

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:

And more!

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

[How-To] Connect to the P-CCS Wi-Fi Network

For STAFF

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

District Chromebooks will automatically connect to the PCCSK12-Devices network.
Devices such as AppleTV and Chromecast will need to be authorized by the tech department first. Please fill out this form if you would like to have one connected.
Home and personal assistant devices such as Google Home/Nest (Google Assistant), Amazon Echo (Alexa), and Apple HomePod (Siri) are not allowed on the district network. Personal assistant services built into personal smartphones are unaffected.
In most areas we only offer a 5 GHz WiFi network. If your device only supports 2.4 GHz you will not be able to connect.

For STUDENTS (BYOD)

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

Note that you can only have one device connected to the PCCSK12-Students network at a time. Having more than one will cause connection issues with your device(s).
In most areas we only offer a 5 GHz WiFi network. If your device only supports 2.4 GHz you will not be able to connect.

Please see the following device-specific guides for connecting to the network.

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.

Instructions for Chrome OS (Chromebooks)

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

EAP Method: PEAP
Phase 2 authentication: Automatic
Server CA certificate: Do Not Check
User certificate: None installed
Identity: (Your username)
Password: (Your Password)

Push Connect when finished

Instructions for iPadOS and iOS (iPad and iPhone)

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.

Instructions for Android devices

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:

Security: 802.1x EAP
EAP method: PEAP
Phase 2 authentication: None
CA certificate: (unspecified)
Identity & Password: use your network logon credentials (username without @pccsk12.com at the end for students) to connect.
*Example:
Username: izcough872
Password: learnpow
Anonymous identity: blank

Instructions for Windows 10

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

Instructions for macOS

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”

Second Notice: End of the Year Canvas Support-Action Required

*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

Printable PDF directions

Optional, further back up step: For Directions on saving your course to your computer/google drive click here

End of the Year Canvas Support – Action Required

*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

Printable PDF directions

Optional, further back up step: For Directions on saving your course to your computer/google drive click here

Visual Thinking with GitMind

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.

Ideas for Classroom Use

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.

Managing Your Modules

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:

Unpublish modules from early in the school year.
If you or your students are still experiencing a slow down, you can copy the module to your Sandbox course and then delete it from your main course.

modules

Semester 2 and Quarter 3 Courses Published in Canvas

Publishing of Canvas Courses

To assist teachers, Canvas automatically published all Semester 2 and Quarter 3 courses automatically generated through the MISTAR/Canvas sync.

Please note the following:

Students only have access to Published courses. If you have any courses that you do not want students to see, please be sure to Unpublish those courses. (see below) If a course is Unpublished they will not see it on their dashboard. To Unpublish a course, go to the course you don’t want students to access and select Unpublish at the top-right part of the screen. You cannot unpublish a course after you assign something to a student.
Manually created courses were not automatically published. If you would like to publish any of your manually created courses, please follow these instructions.

Reminder: Customizing Your Canvas Dashboard

To customize the teacher or student dashboard to show certain courses please see the graphic below:

[How-To] Install QOMO QPC22 USB Document Camera on your District Laptop

Received a new QOMO QPC22 Document Camera?

Here’s how to get it working.

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.

QOMO QPC22 Software Download Page

Click on the large download button to begin downloading the software package. If prompted, please chose where to save it.

Once the download completes, click on the small arrow next to the file name and select “Show in folder”.

A new file explorer window will open up with the zip file for the installer. Right-Click the zip file and select extract all.

Be sure to select the checkbox for “Show extracted files when complete”

Once it is complete, a new window will open up with the contents of the zip file. Double-click the file called “Setup”

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”

Another window will open up with a list of items that will be installed. Click on the “Install” button to continue.

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.

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.

doccam document camera hovercam qomo qpc22

Personalize your digital Clever classroom

With Clever Teacher Pages you can make spaces for subjects, projects, extra practice—and students can access everything from school or home. Here’s how it works:

Personalize your Teacher Page

Go to your Homeroom tab and click into your shared teacher page.

Add resources and organize them

Add applications your class uses and any other online resource, like pdfs, Google docs, and videos.

See real-time student usage

View how students are engaging with resources you added.

Clever

Category: Guides