iTech Update
January 22, 2021 | Volume 7, Issue 7
Schoology FAQs--Gradebooks and End of Semester
Q: I'm getting a notice that my grading period will be ending soon, and my course will be archived, what do I do?
A: Courses are automatically archived after the end of the semester, but this does not delete anything, and they can still be accessed by instructors after they archive. For courses synced with Skyward, the grading period is selected automatically. After a course is archived, you can still access it by going to Courses-->My Courses-->Archived. To change the grading period for some reason (for students to complete work, etc.), go to your course, and choose Course Options-->Edit Info. In the Grading Periods section, you can change to the current Semester. Note that if you do this, you'll need to go back and mass change the gradebook entries to the current term. A video tutorial is posted here.
Q: I'm using the Schoology gradebook and syncing it to Skyward, but some students are saying their grades aren't matching. Why is that?
A: There could be multiple reasons, but we want Skyward to be the primary gradebook, so even if they don't match, this is the one parents and students should count on.
First, please turn off the ability for students to see overall grades in Schoology by going to your course, then Grade Setup, and checking the boxes to hide overall and grading period grades. You will still be able to see these, but students and families won't, and can refer to Skyward. Here's a guide with a video tutorial on turning off overall grades.
Second, when setting up grading categories in Schoology, it is important to go to Gradebook Set up for each individual class, click on EACH blue grading category, and make sure that it says Calculated by "Total pts" NOT Percent. This setting change has changed a student’s grade by more than 10%. Be sure to do this in Skyward as well as Schoology for each class.
View our Schoology Grading Updates guide below for more information on Extra Credit, New Assignments, EOCAs, and Year long courses. We also have this guide on syncing Schoology gradebooks with Skyward.
Help us by Updating Chromebooks
We could use your (and your students') help. We currently have many Chromebooks in the district that are 2 versions or more behind on Chrome updates. This could cause issues with the functionality of the Chromebooks and their compatibility with critical applications, such as iStation, i-Ready, Study Sync, Zoom, etc. Once the Chromebooks are more than 2 versions behind, they no longer automatically update.
Whenever possible, please have your students check for updates on their Chromebooks. It might be best to have them check for updates before a break or the end of the day, since the updates can take a little time (Note that students will still be signed in until devices are restarted).
The video below gives more direction, or go to Settings-->About Chrome OS-->Check for Updates. You can also go through Chrome-->Help-->About Google Chrome-->Check for Updates.
After a Chromebook is up to date, shutting the device down will check for updates automatically, so having students shutting down each day will ensure updates happen more regularly.
Thanks for your help!
Follow Up Schoology PD
Some of these sessions were their Master Instructor courses, and are meant to be the next step after the Getting Started Course that everyone took. There are also many examples and templates that we think you'll find helpful as a next step in your usage of Schoology, as well as specific sessions on Grade Syncing to Skyward, and using the Google Assignment app.
- Grade Syncing to Skyward (12 min.)
- Google Assignment App How To (1 hour)
- Master Instructor for K-2, 3-5, Special Education, 6-12 (2-1 hour videos)
Anytime Video Responses with Flipgrid
SD271 Technology Department
Email: techrepair@cdaschools.org
Website: my.cdaschools.org
Phone: (208) 664-8241