Thank you for all of the work you are doing to support students and the community!
In this edition:
- Canvas-
- Tips and Reminders
- Guest Teachers/Subs
- Student Teachers
- Synergy-Canvas Sync
- Integrations to Curricula
- Tips and Reminders
- Apple Learning Resources
- Apple Education Community
- 1:1 Free Virtual Coaching
- Free Virtual Conferences
Canvas-
Tips and Reminders:
Substitutes and Guest Teachers in Canvas- Please remember that our district has over 300 guest teachers, this means that not all guest teachers will automatically have a Canvas account in order to access your Canvas course or to be added to your course(s), which in the event of a sudden absence would need to be done by the Canvas team (edtech@4j.lane.edu). Whenever possible, leaving a printout of an agenda of what students are doing in Canvas or identifying a helpful student that a guest teacher can rely on to look at Canvas with while in classes is very helpful. If a planned absence is coming up and you’d like to add a guest teacher to your course(s) you can try adding them with their Login ID (email without the @4j.lane.edu). If they do not have an account please email 4J Desktop with Guest Teacher Canvas in the subject line for proper routing. At this time we are looking at methods to get all of our guest teachers limited access to Canvas for emergencies, but that process is still in development.
Student-Teachers in Canvas– If you have a student teacher in Canvas, please see the district’s updated process for student-teacher access to digital services such as Canvas, Seesaw and Synergy. https://www.4j.lane.edu/hr/university-student-teacher-placement-process/
Synergy-Canvas Gradebook Sync- There has been a lot of concerning information circulating around the Synergy-Canvas Grade Passback. Yes, when Canvas was first adopted by the district, it operated very poorly and had many issues. Since then there have been a number of updates and improvements, both to Canvas and Synergy.
To clarify some concerning points. You can use the Synergy-Canvas Grade Passback if you meet any of the following:
- You use a point-based scale ( ie 9/10 points, etc) with the standard A-D/NP/F Scale. (Most High Schools fall in this category for state reporting).
- You choose to use weighted categories, ie Tests/quizzes are 30% of the overall grade while Homework is 20% and Participation is 50%.
- You use a modified proficiency calculation via points, such as the aforementioned 9/10 points (HP, Prof, Np, Etc) in conjunction with weighted categories, but map final scores to HP = 70%-100%, etc. You can fully customize these things both in Synergy and Canvas. They just need to be set up first. Granted, for state reporting, many buildings still require teachers translate a HP to A or B, etc.
- You would like to have your grades sync each night automatically to Synergy so they are there for you at reporting times.
If you, your department, or your building would like an in-person tutorial and walkthrough on this process, which after some practice takes approximately 8-10 minutes, please reach to me directly at hadley_n@4j.lane.edu. I would be more than happy to come on some of the Friday times or during a prep period. Note that syncing can be done at any time, you don’t have to do it right now, but the sooner before reporting time, when servers get very busy, the better! This is a process that is done at the beginning of each trimester.
Updated walkthrough materials can be found here.
Canvas Integrations:
Over time we are beginning to add more and more integrations to our Canvas instance. There are integrations already installed for services such as: NewsELA, NoRedInk, Quizlet, Wayside, Cengage(NatGeo), Nearpod, CK-12, Khan Academy, Turnitin and others. By utilizing our integrations you are able to create assignments that include materials from curriculum, link students directly to class portals, and in many cases allow for grade passback to Canvas and other grading options. Integration set up information can be found in the 4J Training and Resources Course.
Currently, we are developing integrations for our Middle School Science curriculum with ActivateLearning (IQWST) and Pivot Interactive platforms. Information on how to set up these different integrations info can be found in the 4J Training and Resources Course. If there is an integration you are interested in seeing in Canvas, let me know by emailing edtech@4j.lane.edu.
Additional Tips
Grade Book Filters: Remember that the filter for period sections in the Canvas grade book has moved –click here
Importing Past Content: Small clip on how to import materials from past courses and remove due dates- click here
Google Translate now has a feature for teachers, perhaps not best shared with students in WL/Immersion programs, where you can translate your lesson materials, slides, pdfs, docs, into other languages by uploading them- click here. This feature is not perfect and has only been tested with Spanish, but provides scaffolds for our students for whom English may not be their first language and may want to reference classroom materials in their first language.
Apple Learning Resources-
We were so fortunate to have an Apple Representative come and speak to our district during the MacBook camp this summer. While here teachers who attended were able to gain insights to their MacBook device on how to create lessons, tools, and features. Some of those features have been compiled into a handy PDF with short instructions and/or links to how to view those features. Feel free to download a copy here.
Additionally, there are some free options that educators can take advantage of to hone their skills and learning:
- Apple Education Community (Become Apple Certified)
- Apple Virtual 1:1 Coaching
- Apple Virtual Conferences
Remember you can always file a ticket at eugene4j.freshservice.com with any concern you have regarding software, hardware, or other issues.