GCPS Instructional Technology
Weekly Newsletter: September 2022
Instructional Technology Weekly Newsletter
Please view the information below about the following topics:
NearPod & Flocabulary Session: October 4th, 2022
GCPS: NearPod & Flocabulary
LanSchool Air
Transition: Clever > ClassLink
NCEDCloud/IAM: Reset Student Passwords
NCEdCloud IAM: Bookmark Applications to Dashboard
LMS Canvas September Newsletter
Canvas Learning Opportunities
Smore Account Request
GCPS Ticketing System
Reminder: Technology Account Handout
Kyte Learning: PD Opportunities
Digital Learning Competencies & Fall PD Session: August 8th, 2022 - January 6th, 2023
- Technology Department Contacts
Upcoming NearPod & Flocabulary
Upcoming Sessions
October 4th, 2022: Combining the Powers of Flocabulary and Nearpod as One
January 31st, 2023: Support Mathematics with Nearpod
February 7th, 2023: Offering Students Choice with Nearpod
GCPS NearPod/Flocabulary
Granville County Public Schools offers premium plus accounts for NearPod and Flocabulary! They provide real-time insights into student understanding through interactive lessons, interactive videos, gamification, and activities — all in a single platform. It is a way to plan and deliver lessons.
NearPod is accessible for teachers and students by going to www.nearpod.com. Flocabulary is accessible for teachers and students by going to www.flocabulary.com. Staff will log into NearPod using their Google Accounts.
LanSchool Air
Granville County Public Schools is excited to announce that all teachers now have access to LanSchool Air. This program is a cloud based classroom management solution that empowers teachers to guide classroom learning and keep students safe with easy to use, easy to monitor device protection features. Teachers are able to help students focus on their work by limiting online access to approved websites and disabling access to the sites during times when they are not needed. With the touch of a button, teachers can shift classroom attention to them by blanking student screens and locking their devices. When additional support or guided learning is needed, Teachers can quickly view every student monitor or switch to view individual screens from the teacher computer.
GCPS Teachers received an email last night providing them with information on how to register and gain access to this program.
Here is a one page document that provides information on how to login and use LanSchool Air.
Clever to ClassLink
GCPS has transitioned from using the Clever dashboard to ClassLink. This platforms is very similar to Clever, with a different look & feel.
ClassLink is an app integration and repository tool. The students will automatically access it when they log in to a Chromebook. Each school’s web page has a link to Classlink under Staff & Students that can be bookmarked in the browser.
If you would like to use an online resource that requires the students to log in and it is not listed in the existing ClassLink apps, you can request that it be added by emailing Kevin Lawler at lawlerjk@gcs.k12.nc.us. Once added, it will sync the students’ Google accounts with the website and the students will log in with their Google accounts.
Direct Link: https://launchpad.classlink.com/granvillenc
NCEdCloud Password Requirements
NCDPI and Identity Automation will be pushing a few updates to the password policies in NCEdCloud on Wednesday, September 28th. Please note that these adjustments will have no immediate impact to end users; however, this is necessary to enhance the security posture of NCEdCloud.
Employee accounts in NCEdCloud will now be required to use passwords with a minimum of 14 characters. Employees will only notice this the next time they change their passwords; we are not forcing password changes. There are no changes to student password requirements.
Additionally, there is one aesthetic change: with the new user interface in NCEdCloud, the previous password policy text didn’t fit on the screen. It also became redundant; users can now see the requirements in bullet point format to the right of the password fields. We’ve simplified the password policy text to better align with the new user interface.
Smore Account Request
If you are interested in a paid version of Smore, please complete this form. Users will be added according to the date/time of submission.
If you want to learn about Smore, watch this video here.
GCPS Ticketing System 1:1 Plus
Please submit a ticket here with our new 1:1 Plus ticketing system. Staff & Students are able to access this tool using GCPS Google credentials. Email notifications about the submitted ticket are automatically sent to the appropriate technician and user. A nice feature is that a staff member can submit a ticket on behalf of a student if necessary.
View this video for additional information and know we are always here to help.
Direct Link: https://1to1plus.com/login/Granville_NC
Kyte Learning: Professional Development Opportunities
Granville County Public Schools recently received access to Kyte Learning! Kyte Learning is a virtual platform that shares professional development opportunities that are created by educators for educators.
All staff can log into Kyte Learning at this website using your GCPS Google credentials.
Please feel free to reach out for any support in the usage of Kyte Learning.
Digital Learning Competencies
As a reminder, effective July 1, 2017 all teachers, administrators, and support staff who need to maintain licensure , will need 2.0 Technology/Digital Learning Competencies (DLC) CEU’s as part of the licensure renewal process.
The competencies are organized into four focus areas: Leadership in Digital Learning, Digital Citizenship, Digital Content and Instruction, and Data and Assessment. Professional learning that is aligned with a Digital Learning Competency Focus Areas may be considered eligible for educators to earn a CEU in this area.
All Technology training sessions CEU’s earned, online or face-to-face, are eligible to fulfill this licensure requirement.
Professional Development
All CEUs fulfill the 2.0 DLC requirement for licensure!
Fall Session: August 8th, 2022 - January 6th, 2023
The GCPS Instructional Technology Team offers a range of online modules to support digital teaching and learning.
Note that the fall session dates are August 8, 2022 - January 6, 2023 and the spring session dates are January 9, 2023 - June 9, 2023.
After a participant registers for a course, please allow 24 hours to be added to an online module. Please view the course offerings listed below.
Fall 2022: Growing with Canvas Part 1
(0.6 Tech/DLC CEUs)
Register Here: WisdomWhere Link
After registration through WisdomWhere, you will receive a welcome email along with an invitation to the online module housed in Canvas from the course facilitator Leah Powell.
Fall Session: August 8th, 2022 - January 6th, 2023
This course is a great way to learn how to use Canvas with your students. As you progress through this course, you will complete several modules that you can access directly from the following links or the buttons below:
- Introduction
- Planting: Getting around Canvas & Communication Tools
- Nurturing: Customizing your Course, Course Design
- Sprouting: Pages, Discussions, Assignments, & Quizzes
Instructions: Log into Canvas
Fall 2022: Finalsites 101: District & School Webmasters Only
(0.4 Tech/DLC CEUs)
Register HERE: WisdomWhere Link
After registration through WisdomWhere, you will receive a welcome email along with an invitation to the online module housed in Canvas from the course facilitator Leah Powell.
Fall Session: August 8th, 2022 - January 6th, 2023
The purpose of this online module is to provide the opportunity to learn about Finalsites. Finalsites is the website host of choice since January 2022 for Granville County Public Schools. In this course, you will learn how to manage a website using Finalsites in your school setting and see how using an organized school website can support communication. This course will equip participants with the tools necessary to edit and/or add content to school sites or specific pages.
Participants in this professional development course will find freedom in time and location because it is totally online.
Fall 2022: Ways to Use QR Codes
(0.3 Tech/DLC CEUs)
Register HERE: WisdomWhere Link
After registration through WisdomWhere, you will receive a welcome email along with an invitation to the online module housed in Canvas from the course facilitator Leah Powell.
Fall Session: August 8, 2022 - January 6, 2023
The purpose of this online module is to provide the opportunity to learn about QR Codes. A Quick Response (QR) code is a digital image that can be scanned using one of the many free QR scanner apps available to any device. In this course you will learn the benefit of using QR codes in the school setting and see how they eliminate the frustration of long web addresses, take students directly to a designated website, and save time. QR codes are very easy to make and help to change up your normal routine, thus increasing student engagement. This course will equip you to use QR codes and give authentic practice using them. Participants in this professional development course will find freedom in time and location because it is totally online.
Fall 2022: Google Classroom
(0.2 Tech/DLC CEUs)
Register HERE: WisdomWhere Link
After registration through WisdomWhere, you will receive a welcome email along with an invitation to the online module housed in Canvas from the course facilitator Sherry Ballentine.
Fall Session: August 8, 2022 - January 6, 2023
Registration Procedures for GCPS Technology Modules
About Us
Email: powelllr@gcs.k12.nc.us
Website: http://www.gcs.k12.nc.us/technology-0a7f540b
Location: Granville County, NC, USA
Phone: 919-693-4613
Facebook: facebook.com/gcstechconnect
Twitter: @GranvilleTechPD