Is That Copy/Paste…or Voice Typing?

As we continue to explore ways to support student learning and address concerns about AI use in assignments, I wanted to bring a key point to your attention regarding Google Doc version history and tools used to track it that specifically call out large copy/pastes (Revision History, Brisk Teaching).

If you’re using version history to examine student contributions and potentially identify instances of AI-generated text (copy/pasting), please be aware that students who use voice typing will often appear to have made numerous copy-paste actions. This is because voice typing software often inserts text in chunks, which can be misinterpreted by the version history tool. It will generally show up as 100+ large copy/pastes (depending on the length of the writing).

It’s crucial to remember that there are many legitimate reasons why a student might use voice typing:

  • Accessibility needs: Students with physical limitations may rely on voice typing to complete written assignments.
  • Learning differences: Students with dyslexia or other learning differences may find voice typing a more effective way to express their ideas.
  • Personal preference: Some students simply find voice typing to be a faster and more comfortable way to write.

Therefore, banning voice typing is not a practical or equitable solution. Instead, we should focus on assessing student understanding and authorship in meaningful ways. Let’s work together to find solutions that support all learners while maintaining academic integrity. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or ideas. Keep your eye out for a new blog series coming soon: Teaching in the Age of AI.

Khanmigo Teacher Tools Introduces Blooket Question Generator

Two great educational tools have teamed up to save you time. Khanmigo Teacher Tools (branch of Khan Academy) recently added a tool of a Blooket Generator.

What’s Blooket?

Blooket is a gamified learning platform designed to make learning fun through games.

blooket screen

Here’s a breakdown:

  • How it works:

    • Teachers create or use pre-made quizzes (called “sets”) with questions related to a specific topic. Now made easier with Khamigo’s new tool.
    • Students join a game hosted by the teacher using their own devices (phones, tablets, computers).
    • Students answer questions in a variety of game modes (e.g., Tower Defense, Gold Quest, Battle Royale).
    • Correct answers earn points, which students use to “buy” and “sell” virtual items called “Blooks” (cute avatars).

In essence, Blooket aims to transform traditional quizzes into interactive and enjoyable learning experiences, making it a popular tool in many classrooms.

What’s Khanmigo Teacher Tools?

Khanmigo for Teachers is an AI-powered teaching assistant (like MagicSchool and many others) developed by Khan Academy. It’s designed to help educators with various tasks, making their work more efficient and effective.

Here’s a summary:

  • Key Features:

    • Lesson Planning: Generate lesson plans, create clear directions, create lesson hooks or make the topic more relevant to students
    • Content Creation: Create exit tickets, multiple choice quizzes, and generate informational texts
    • Communication: Generate newsletter content

preview of khanmgio's teacher tools

In essence, Khanmigo for Teachers aims to empower educators by providing them with an intelligent assistant that supports their teaching practice in a variety of ways.

Interested in accessing Khanmigo Teacher Tools directly in Canvas? Add it by following the steps here.

Want to learn more about this new tool integrating Blooket and Khanmigo? Check out this video.

Save Time with Chrome Toolbar Customization

Chrome toolbar customization

Chrome 132, the first major update of 2025, brings a long-awaited feature: customizable toolbars for desktop users.

How to Customize:

  • Access Customization: On the New Tab Page, click “Customize Chrome” in the bottom right corner.
  • Choose Your Tools: Select the buttons you want to appear to the left or right of the address bar from the following categories:
    • Navigation: Home, Forward
    • Your Chrome: Password Manager, Bookmarks, Reading List, History, Delete Browsing Data
    • Tools & Actions: Print, Search with Google Lens, Translate, Create QR Code, Reading Mode, Copy Link, Send to your devices
  • Rearrange and Enjoy: Drag and drop icons to organize your toolbar. Most will open in the convenient side panel.

menu to customize Chrome toolbar

Teacher Tips:

  • “Send to your devices” is helpful to send links from your phone to your laptop (if both logged into Chrome)
  • “Search with Google Lens” provides quick access to visual information, perfect for exploring images and concepts.
  • Create QR Code: No need for a fancy extension, Chrome can generate a QR code for you.
  • Enhance Workflow: Pin frequently used tools like “Bookmarks” or “History” for easy access.
  • Translate: Support multilingual learners with quick access to translate materials.

Note: Toolbar customizations sync across all your desktop Chrome browsers.

To Update Chrome:

  1. Click the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
  2. Go to “Settings.”
  3. In the left sidebar, select “About Chrome.”

By customizing the Chrome toolbar, teachers can create a more efficient and personalized browsing experience.

Important Note: This is available on desktops and laptops but is not currently available for Chromebooks. Hopefully, it will be incorporated soon so students can take advantage of these features.

Google Forms Now Require Publishing

Prior to the update: You could potentially share a form link even before “publishing” it, which might lead to unintended access. Additionally, you would turn on, “Accepting Responses” to allow people to respond. Now, you Publish the form to accept responses.

location of publish button in Google Forms
Location of new Publish button in Google Forms. In order to get responses, you must publish it.
screen options when publishing
When you click Publish, you will see this screen. The form will default to anyone in Plymouth-Canton can respond. Click “Manage” to adjust this.

After the update: You must explicitly “Publish” the form before it becomes accessible to others, even if you have shared the link. You can share editing access to the form from the traditional, share icon. visual of share icon

Preview of sharing and collaborating options for forms.
When you click the share button, you will be able to update collaborators on the form and responder permissions.

Enhanced Security: This update adds a layer of security by requiring a deliberate action (publishing) to make the form accessible. This helps prevent accidental sharing or premature access.

Better Control: It gives form creators more control over when their form goes live and who can access it.

 

For additional support, see Google’s guide.

Canvas Semester/Quarter Transition

Teacher desk with an alarm clock on it

With the upcoming change in semesters and quarters, please be aware of grade deadlines and Canvas access for Semester 1/Quarter 2. See the deadline and tips below to avoid issues.

*****Please Note: Starkweather’s Grading Window closes on Tuesday January 21 at 11:59pm, all other secondary buildings close grading on January 22 at 11:59pm.*****

  • Teachers:
    • Edit/Grade assignments in Canvas for Semester 1/Q2 courses until January 22, 2025 at 11:59 (read-only after).
    • Year long courses: Edit/Grade access for Semester 1 will end when grades are due on January 22. If you think you will need access to grade as assignment after that, update the due date prior to the term ending.
  • Students:
    • Access to Semester 1 Canvas courses until Jan 17, 2024 at 11:59pm (read-only after, no quiz questions access).
    • Be aware, students can still submit S1/Q2 assignments in a year-long course as long as the availability dates allow it. However, you won’t be able to grade them beyond January 22 due to grading window limits. You can update availability dates and due dates in bulk following these directions.

Special Circumstances

Moving Assignments from S1/Q2 to S2/Q3

As seen above, once the grading window end (January 22) in a year-long class, teachers cannot grade S1/Q2 assignments.

If you foresee that you will move a S1/Q2 assignment into S2/Q3, you will need to adjust the due date by January 17. After this date, you will need to submit a ticket to get the due date updated.

If you have ongoing assignments in your course, thing through your options to duplicate the assignment or alter dates. Reach out for support, if needed.

S1/Q2 Extensions

S1/Q2 grades will NOT passback from Canvas to MiStar once the MiStar term ends (and the grading window closes). You may have to work with your records office to update a report card if submitted late work results in a grade change.

Beginning Semester 2/Quarter 3 in Canvas

Student Access to Content in Past Enrollments

location of course view settings

Do you want your course content to be viewable to students after the course is over? *Quizzes are automatically not viewable by students after the Term End date has passed.

Go to your Course Settings and adjust as needed (see image above). If your course is viewable to students, it would be located at https://pccsk12.instructure.com/courses under “Past Enrollments.”

If you do keep it visible to students, you may consider “prepping” your course for read-only access by unpublishing any answer keys (or remove links) or other materials you might hold until a student has attempted an assignment.

Import Course Content

Have new courses starting? You can easily import content from past years. Use this tutorial.

Crosslisting Courses

Do you have more than one section of a course beginning? You might consider crosslisting the course to save time.

Additionally, if you have a yearlong course that you regret NOT crosslisting, the semester break may be a good time to do it. Note that student submissions and grades will be lost in Canvas!

Check out our Crosslisting Guide for more information.

Don’t Forget to Publish!

If you have a course beginning, don’t forget to publish it! You can publish it when it is ready for viewing and it won’t be visible to students until January 18 or until it is published by you.

Laptop Upkeep Best Practices

suggested laptop maintenance

The tech department would like to suggest the following maintenance steps to ensure the best performance from your new laptop.

Making sure you perform periodic restarts and logging into your laptop while on the district network does several important things to improve performance including clearing the laptop’s Random Access Memory (RAM) which can otherwise over time bog down its system resources and allowing important and useful district updates to to run at start up.

We appreciate your help to ensure the best possible performance of your laptop. Please submit a tech ticket if you have any questions.

Tech Housekeeping for Winter Break

Tech break checklist

We hope you enjoy your winter break! Before you leave on the 20th…

WOULD YOU PLEASE SECURE ALL VALUABLES in the classrooms and office spaces you inhabit. This includes laptops, document cameras, Apple TVs, remotes, and interactive pens.

Further, if it is equipment you handle, would you please make sure all iPads and Chromebooks are in their carts and those CARTS ARE LOCKED and plugged in before leaving.

Finally, would you please also POWER OFF any of the following equipment, if it is equipment you handle:

  • projectors
  • sound amps
  • SmartBoards
  • desktop computers
  • monitors
  • printers

THANK YOU for your cooperation.

Some new Google updates and features

slides.google.com released a number of updated templates, in Google Slides, access templates using the top toolbar or by going to Insert > Templates. Visit the Help Center to learn more about templates in Google Slides.

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Star rating in Google Forms – you can now insert a “star rating” question in Google Forms.

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eSignature available to collect in both Google docs and PDFs within Google Drive

eSignature offers a variety of features to help you streamline requesting and capturing signatures, helping you stay organized and keep your work moving along. Specifically, you can:
  • Request eSignatures, including signatures from more than one user and from non-Gmail users.
  • View the status of pending signatures and find completed contracts.
  • Keep contract templates to initiate multiple eSignature requests.
  • View an audit trail of completed contracts.
  • Use custom text fields to request additional information from signers, such as job titles, email addresses and more.

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Google Lens now built within Google Chrome allows you to quickly take a snapshot of anything in the browser and get more info (see example at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/J1dQSiBMrPk)

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New Adobe Express Add-on for Google Slides
Install the Adobe Express add-on for Google Slides and get access to lightweight creative tools that let you edit images, visually enhance presentations, and create flyers, infographics, & more. Adobe Express for Education is the quick & easy content creation app from Adobe — free for K-12.  visit https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/adobe_express_for_google_slides/682264952061

 

Misc sites for your consideration

Useful Sites

In no particular order…

https://bioart.niaid.nih.gov/  Build figures, presentations, and illustrations with 2,000+ science and medical art visuals

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https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/  Google’s phishing quiz to help us be more vigilant when it comes to emails

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https://sethideclercq.com/teachingtools/  assorted teacher tools created with minimalistic design principles in mind

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https://artsandculture.google.com/art-zoom-out with the help of generative AI, Google helps you Zoom Out and envision what might lie beyond the frame of iconic paintings.

https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/2gFc5DkygEURfw Art Remix puts your AI prompting to the test, presenting artworks alongside a prompt that describes them, challenging you to edit the prompt and imagine the work with your own twist.

https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/food-mood/HwHnGalZ3up0EA  food mood combinations

https://artsandculture.google.com/project/uslatinocultures explore Latino cultures in the US

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http://www.gearsket.ch/  a fun, simple web app for experimenting with gears

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https://labs.google/gentype  uses AI to generate custom fonts using everyday object directions  other labs https://labs.google/experiments might be of interest too

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https://blog.google/technology/ai/notebooklm-audio-overviews/ reviews audio summations of sources you submit in notebooklm.google.com

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https://www.sonicentric.com/  relaxing, themed videos

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https://noises.online/  simple noise generator

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https://sandtimer.toolten.io/  if you want a digital hourglass with lots of customization options

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https://www.canva.com/designschool/courses/teacher-essentials/?lesson=welcome-teacher-essentials  Canva teacher essentials

 

 

 

Barely a week away, sharing a reminder – thanks!

We hope you enjoy your winter break, arriving just eight days from now! Before you leave next Friday afternoon…

WOULD YOU PLEASE SECURE ALL VALUABLES in the classrooms and office spaces you inhabit. This includes laptops, document cameras, Apple TVs, remotes, and interactive pens.

Further, if it is equipment you handle, would you please make sure all iPads and Chromebooks are in their carts and those CARTS ARE LOCKED and plugged in before leaving.

Finally, would you please also POWER OFF any of the following equipment, if it is equipment you handle:

  • projectors
  • sound amps
  • SmartBoards
  • desktop computers
  • monitors
  • printers

THANK YOU for your cooperation.

Tech break checklist