Category: Middle School

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.

ELLevation 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.

Monitoring: 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.

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.

ELLevation

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.

- 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/

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

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

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.

Canvas

P-CEP High School Grading Periods

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.

Canvas

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

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.

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

Canvas Pro-Tip: Estimated Time Pill Box

When 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>

Canvas

P-CCS Canvas Best Practices Playlist

In August, we published the P-CCS Canvas Best Practices. We now have a YouTube Playlist that covers each practice. Each video has timestamps in the description to help you find the information you need. Additionally, each video has a link to resources that includes examples and tutorial links. We hope this will be a helpful resource for you.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUkRcu_FW1d_rMIzP3riN3cVIm_Swl_BM

Canvas

Flipgrid Live Event: Amanda Gorman

On November 4 from 1:00-1:30 PM EST, Flipgrid Live will be hosting Amanda Gorman and Loren Long. Amanda Gorman will read from her new picture book Change Sings and discuss the ideas in it. The illustrator will also talk about his creation process. You can go here to sign up to watch with your class live or on-demand.

Check out the Flipgrid’s Discovery Library to find a number of topics to help your students prepare for the event. You can also see other upcoming events or access past events here: https://blog.flipgrid.com/upcomingflipgridliveevents. Many of the presenters help provide “windows and mirrors” for the students in our classrooms.

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About Flipgrid Live Events – Take your learners on an adventure with Flipgrid Live Events without ever leaving the comfort of your classroom, home, or wherever you learn! These free virtual field trips feature authors, scientists, humanitarians, and creators sharing their passions from all over the world, even from the bottom of the sea!

October Canvas Updates

Over the weekend, you may have noticed a few updates to Canvas:

Sticky Navigation Menus: Now when you scroll down a Canvas page, the Course Navigation Menu remains visible.
SpeedGrader Submission Status: You can now change the submission status of an assignment (late, missing, excused) directly in SpeedGrader (previously, you could only do that in the Gradebook).
Gradebook Assignment Search: Now you can search the gradebook by student name and assignment name. More Gradebook search updates are coming later this month!
Accessibility Checker Notification: Have you ever noticed the little Accessibility icon at the bottom of the Rich Content Editor? It allows you to check how accessible your content is, and now, it will have a notification alert if it finds issues. Be sure to click on it and check its suggestions before publishing.
Microsoft Immersive Reader: This is a great tool embedded on many pages that allows people to have text read aloud to them (at faster or slower speeds), translate text, have access to a picture dictionary, and much more. Previously it was only on Canvas pages, but now it is also available in Assignments and the Syllabus. If you haven’t tried it out before, check it out, it is next to the Student View button in the upper, right corner.
Course Notification Settings: You can adjust your notifications by course.

To keep up-to-date on upcoming Canvas updates or to view more information about these updates, visit this website: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Releases/tkb-p/canvas-release

Canvas

BrainPOP Information Privacy Lesson

October is Cybersecurity month. How can you facilitate student learning about this topic? BrainPOP has videos and accompanying lessons for grades 3-12. Teachers of younger learners can check out BrainPOP Jr for more appropriate videos and lessons. P-CCS has a K-12 subscription to BrainPOP products and they are accessible via Clever. Check out this lesson on information privacy.