Simplek12 is again offering access to one of their recorded sessions on Canvas several times this week. Visit https://simplek12.lpages.co/event-canvas-v1/?cc=email-basic1-canvas to register for one of the sessions being offered Monday (9/14), Thursday (9/17) or Saturday (9/19). Deb Norton will review embedding Google Forms and Edpuzzles to building badges and making breakout sessions, all in Canvas!
SimpleK12 also offers several other free 30 minute sessions on other topics including Jamboards, Bitmojis, Choice boards and Edpuzzle. You can check out their listings and register at https://www.simplek12.com/tier/free-event/
Flipgrid is a simple, free, and accessible video discussion experience for educators, learners and families. Create a discussion Topic, share it with your learning community. Learners record and share short videos with you and your class. Richard Byrne has a getting-started-with-Flipgrid video to help teachers understand Flipgrid and what students see when they use the tool. Visit admin.flipgrid.com to log in or create your 100% free educator account.
Note, students can be provisioned through Clever as well as interact with your Flipgrids within CANVAS.See this support page or PDF if interested in integrating Flipgrid into one or more of your Canvas courses. The Canvas Community’s also reviews the integration here. Note, in your Flipgrid Admin account (admin.flipgrid.com) within the Actions button to Edit Grid. Under section 2. Security and Privacy, you have the choice to enable or disable a Canvas Only option for grids.
CommonLit is a nonprofit education technology organization working to support all students with reading, writing, communication, and problem-solving skills. The CommonLit Literacy Model is built on a foundation of over 2,000 high-quality free reading passages for grades 3-12, complimented by aligned interim assessments, growth oriented goals, and expert led teacher development. Teachers can assign Mini Units (short, self-paced thematic units for grades 5-12) and Text Sets (relevant reading passages from a variety of genres). Their blog for teachers reviews much more.
Are you a teacher that wants to set up your Clever classes on CommonLit? Scroll down to the subheader that most accurately describes you below:
I have never used CommonLit before.
I have a CommonLit account.
Directions: I have never used CommonLit before.
Once you click on the CommonLit icon in your Clever Portal, you’ll be brought to the screen below.
Since you’re new to CommonLit, select “No, not yet.” After asking you a few follow-up questions, we will create a new CommonLit account for you with all of your Clever classes and students.
You and your students will now be able to log in to CommonLit using Clever by clicking the CommonLit logo on your Clever dashboard, or by choosing “Log in with Clever” from CommonLit’s Login page. Plus, now Clever will regularly update your classes if any students are added or removed at any point throughout the school year.
Now that you’re all set up, do you want to learn more about how to use CommonLit? Check out this great video tour of CommonLit and our resources.
Directions: I have a CommonLit account.
Once you click on the CommonLit icon in your Clever Portal, you’ll be brought to the screen below.
Since you already have a CommonLit account, select “Yes, sign me in!”
We’ll then ask you to log in to your CommonLit account.
After logging in, we’ll import your classes and students from Clever into your CommonLit account.
You and your students will now be able to log in to CommonLit using Clever by clicking the CommonLit logo on your Clever dashboard, or by choosing “Log in with Clever” from CommonLit’s Login page. Plus, now Clever will regularly update your classes if any students are added or removed at any point throughout the school year.
Now that you’re all set up, do you want to learn more about how to use CommonLit Digital? Check out this great video tour of CommonLit and our digital resources.
In case your Google apps launcher (waffle) isn’t available or doesn’t show the app icons you were expecting, please consider browsing to your Google apps dashboardhttps://gsuite.google.com/dashboard instead or log in directly to the specific app, such as the three shown below, with the urls below.
With many staff members to support, it’s important to have a system to track issues, document trends, and assign support to the appropriate technicians or tech integration specialists. If you are needing assistance with anything technology related, we ask that you use our Service Request ticketing system.
As we head into a new and unusual school year, we will appreciate in advance your patience with our department’s sometimes uncharacteristically delayed responsiveness as we are also spearheading the issuance and support of many student devices and family tech concerns. We will get to your ticket. Thank you!
Once there, to log in, you will input your district GMAIL Email address for your “Username”.
For “Password” you will input your network password (not necessarily your Google password) – Your network password is the password you would use to log onto a district desktop computer.
Then you fill out the service form with the details that best describes your situation and support needs.
We expect a change sometime today to our district Zoom account that will likely “break” the urls of any meetings that were scheduled, but hadn’t yet occurred, prior to the change. The domain url we have been assigned will be changed from https://pccsk12-com.zoom.us to https://pccsk12.zoom.us. After that change happens, it is our understanding that “upcoming” meetings will likely need to be rescheduled and invites / postings about them, updated to reflect their new meeting urls. The Technology Department regrets any inconvenience that this url change may cause.
Richard Byrne operates one of the ed tech world’s best award winning blogs on using tech in the classroom, is a Google Certified Trainer, former teacher, and has been invited to speak on six continents. His blog is consistently one of the best resources on the web to get great tips and tricks, and learn about new tools that provide great opportunities for learning. In his own words: “Over the years I’ve reviewed thousands of educational websites and apps. In reviewing all of those resources I realized that all educational technology serves one of three basic purposes; discovery of information, discussion of information, and demonstration of knowledge. While demonstration and creating demonstrations is the most fun use of technology, the discovery and discussion aspects are just as important. The discovery, discussion, demonstration framework is the basis for all of my professional development webinars.
Learning a new software platform is challenging. We get that. We are learning them all of the time! Please know that we are here to help in the best ways we know how. Outside of the many learning opportunities below, please remember that you can also book a 1:1 appointment with a Tech Integration Specialist who can support you with instructional software like Canvas or engage in thought partnership with you for using technology in your instruction. If you have more technical and hardware challenges, please submit a service request. You can get to either link via the icons below.
What we all understand is that technology moves so fast, and in the shadow of what may become known of The Great Pandemic, our technology challenges have been many. Canvas will be no different. It will be a great challenge to be certain, but we know that Canvas will be powerful when it’s used with a keen eye toward supporting students with more personalized learning opportunities.
Approaching the platform of Canvas with our very core values at the center, and keeping in mind principles of the Triple-E Framework and Universal Design for Learning, along with focusing on creating a student centered virtual classroom, will allow us to transcend the challenges that we face. We all agree that learning happens in many ways, and we all won’t learn the same as we move into a new virtual school year, and Canvas offers a way to achieve what might seem impossible with any other platform. Below you will find 5 ways to get engaged with Canvas. Thank you for your patience and bravery at this time.
5 ways to get started with Canvas
You can log into the Canvas platform by navigating here and using your P-CCS Google credentials: https://pccsk12.instructure.com/
Once you are logged in via your P-CCS Google credentials and you land on the Dashboard of Canvas, you are ready to engage! Explore! Please note the “Help” icon where you will find a wealth of resources that will help you, including a 27/7 helpline phone number.
You will find the “Growing With Canvas” course that is an optional training course, and you are welcome to take the course if you choose. Remember, you won’t see all of your courses or students until the schedules are completed at the building level. Remember too, you can export any course content you or others previously made and then import it into a course. While building a course, look for the “arrow in” icon at the top right corner which is the “Help” for whatever part of Canvas course building you are in.
Outside of the “Growing With Canvas” course, you might also choose to learn via our live and interactive webinars, which also include opportunities to learn more about Zoom which will integrate with Canvas as well: https://bit.ly/pccstechpd
Adobe has assembled resources and learning opportunities to help educators engage remote students through online learning. Check it out at https://edex.adobe.com/distance-learning
One of the main tools they reference is Adobe Spark, its suite of tools for helping users create visual content. Spark enables non-graphics experts to design professional-looking graphics, mix text and images and create animated videos simply and quickly. As a reminder, all P-CCS staff and secondary students have access to Adobe Spark for Education, a premium, yet free, version of Spark which is made available to schools and colleges.
Spark supports live collaboration through the web. It comes in multiple languages, including French, Italian, German, Spanish and Portuguese. Adobe has added or will soon be adding project commenting; real-time, synchronous co-editing; mobile project sharing; and “support for multiple brands” for users who participate in more than one team.
isn’t available or doesn’t show the app icons you were expecting, please consider browsing to your Google apps dashboard 
CANVAS
FRONTLINE
ZOOM
at the top right corner which is the “Help” for whatever part of Canvas course building you are in.
