Hofius Hi-Tech Highlights
Tech Tips for a 1:1 Chromebook Campus
December 19, 2018
Q&A: How Do You Freeze the Screen on Your Interactive Panel?
A: Teachers can save a screenshot on the panel using the controls on the panel itself.
- Touch two fingers on the panel, choose the pencil icon
- The control panel will display a new save icon that looks like a small floppy disk
- When you click on the save icon, it will save the screenshot to the local storage on the panel.
- It will then ask if you want to open the folder, click “OK” on the panel and it will take you to where the picture is located
- You can then open the image from there
Chromebook Cases
Please make sure students have their Chromebook in their case before they are sent to the Repair Center. They have routinely had to send numerous students back to the classroom to get their case because student cannot receive their Chromebook without it. The Repair Center appreciates you help in this matter.
Schoology
Calculated Grades
Grades calculated in Schoology my vary from the grades you have in Skyward. This is because they both calculate grades in a different way. You can use this document to fix the way Schoology calculates grades. This especially becomes an issue when you have the exact same grades in both grade books.
Mastery
With the Parent Portal, remember that parents can see their child’s mastery of the TEKS. Please make sure you are assigning TEKS to assignments, discussion, tests, quizzes, assessments...pretty much anything you do in Schoology. Here is some information about using Mastery in Schoology. The mastery piece will help you when the district moves to Standard-Based Grading.
Roadmap
Schoology has many features they would like to push out. You can check the Schoology Roadmap to see if something you wanted them to work is in the process of getting pushed out to end users. Remember, that building platforms like this takes time and they are always working to improve their product.
Respondus Lockdown Browser Issue
Semester 2 Courses in Schoology
If you teach semester courses (Data Touch Systems, Prof Comm, Health, Crafts, or Tech Theatre), you can currently see your semester 2 course in Schoology and have the ability to add course content. By the end of the day on Thursday, December 20, please follow these directions to save course materials to resources in Schoology. When materials are saved to your resources, you can easily add them to a new course.
Current semester 1 courses will automatically be archived on Friday, December 21. Teachers will be able to access archived courses; however students will no longer have access to them.
On Monday, December 7, I will meet with teachers of semester 2 courses to prepare their new courses for student access from 1:15-1:30 PM. New students enrolled in your semester 2 course will be able to see and access their courses starting Tuesday, January 8.
GIMKIT
By Kim Sharp - November 26, 2018
Who doesn’t love a good game show? The easy rules, everyday contestants, charismatic host, and strategic twists pull us in and leave us wanting more.
So what would happen if we had a lesson that followed this same format…easy rules, everyday contestants (your students), charismatic host (that’s YOU), and strategic twists (application of knowledge)?
Well, you’d have GimKit! Created by a high school student in Seattle, GimKit is a quiz learning game (think Quizlet meets Kahoot) that you can use for reviews, pre-assessments, homework, etc. In fact, it has a Quizlet import feature for you to pull in any Quizlet set you have already created! In the game, players earn money by answering questions correctly, or lose money with the wrong answer. The in-game money can be used to purchase “power ups” to move them forward or hinder their opponents. I mean, who wouldn’t want to throw a virtual pie at their friend?!
But there’s more! It doesn’t just benefit the students. After each game, you get a class and individual student reports that allow you to hone in on specific needs. Personalized learning, anyone?!
Try it out at https://www.gimkit.com and watch your students get excited about learning!
FYI: This game was created by a high school student!
Teacher Shout Outs:
Mr. McCauley and Mrs. Sanders has been using this game in their classrooms for a review. They stated that their kids love the gaming part of this program.
Craving Additional Fonts In Google Docs? Try Extensis Font
Open a Google Doc > Add-ons > type “Extensis Font” in the search bar > click “Free” > go back to the Google Doc > Add-ons > Start > ENJOY!
Personalized Learning Mini-Conference
On February 2, 2019, the Professional & Digital Learning Department will host a Personalized Learning Mini-Conference at Hofius Intermediate. We are looking for current teachers, administrators, and others to share their expertise in incorporating personalized learning experiences. I wrote about this in the last newsletter I sent out, but I wanted to extend a personal invitation to you to lead a session. I think many times teachers don’t sign up for leading sessions because they don’t give themselves enough credit. I think you are an awesome teacher with great ideas to share. I know great things happen in your classroom every day. You have such great energy and passion for your students and I just think you would be an awesome presenter/moderator. You can choose what kind of session you would like to lead. You can even co-present with a colleague if you wish. We have several different session types to lead from a traditional breakout to a small group discussion. Several of the session types don’t even require you to prepare a presentation. You would be more of a moderator/leader. You can also choose to lead 2 or 4 sessions. If you are interested in leading a session, I can help you prepare for it in any capacity that you need.
Please consider leading a session and sharing your knowledge with others in the district. Here is a link to the form if you are interested. The deadline to sign up is tomorrow. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Helpful Tech Guides and Information
Look for weekly Hofius Hi-Tech Highlights newsletters which will provide information about technology tips and upcoming trainings.
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Stacy Alexander
Email: salexander1@kleinisd.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/kleinisd.net/hofiusdls/home
Location: Office 1222
Phone: 832-375-8798
Twitter: @stacymalexander