Enrolling Students into their Moodle Classes

Students need to self enroll for each class/teacher. The process works the same each time so after completing the process once or twice, it will become very quick and easy. It should take approximately 5 minutes once logged into a computer. It can be done at school or at home.

Google Accounts & Username/Password

Student user/password credentials are pulled from their Google Accounts. There is no additional username/password to keep track of. Students must use their new isd186.org accounts in order for Moodle to work, though.

Moodle: Logging-in & Self-Enrolling

Getting into Moodle

1. Open Google Chrome and log-in to Google Apps. You should see your name in the upper right if you're logged in. (If the log-in screen doesn't come up, go to: accounts.google.com)

2. Navigate to Moodle by going to the district website (www.isd186.org) or your school's website and clicking students on the right.

3. On the Moodle homepage, click "Student & Staff login" on the bottom left.

**You should wait for the slideshow to start moving before logging in as important information will be displayed here. 

If a Google Box pops up asking if it's ok, click "Accept" and the Moodle homepage will load.

Enrolling in a class

Students need to enroll in their teacher's class before they will be able to see their teacher's Moodle page, resources and assignments. To do this:

1. Go to the list of classes by clicking here.  or type in http://goo.gl/lb4YtR (capitalization matters)

2. Navigate through the folders to get to the department or grade you want.

Example: High School > Math >

3. When you've arrived at the right grade or department, you will see a list of classes. Towards the right of each class, there are two icons:

Clicking the "i" will expand the block so you can see the teacher, syllabus, etc. Clicking the key will enroll you in the class.

4. When you enroll, it will ask for a "enrollment key." Ask your teacher for this 6 digit code.

You will automatically be taken into the class and it will appear in "My Classes." Repeat this step for each class.

Don't Forget to Check the Tech Page

Welcome to a new school year with its initial wave of tech issues. I want to make you aware of two features on the tech intranet page that will be of help. So before sending out that support ticket, check:

Known Issues - These are large scale issues that we're already working on or others have already sent in tickets for. If the item is in Known Issues, that means:

1. We're already working on it, it doesn't require a ticket, and the solution will be posted when found. 

2. We've got a call into the vendor and are waiting on them to fix it or respond. 

3. We've fixed it and you can find the solution without having to send in a ticket. 

Knowledge Base - When we have something that people ask about frequently, we post a solution or training in our Knowledge Base. I just posted an article Josh wrote about printing issues in there this morning. This would be a good place to start before sending in the ticket. We add more articles or videos in as time goes on (this is all new with the new intranet), so check back occasionally. 

Both can be found by clicking the link below:

https://sites.google.com/a/isd186.org/staff/tech

Moodle

Getting Started with Moodle 

Moving to Moodle district-wide is one of the biggest new items in the technology world here in the district. It can easily be a large source for a nasty ball of stress that sits in your chest. But it shouldn't be. Despite being new to most of us and requiring the learning of some new skills, incorporating Moodle is a positive and exciting thing. We're moving forward by leaps and bounds towards developing 21st Century Learning skills, meaningfully integrating technology into our daily work,  and providing a platform for the kind of personalized learning that has become a cornerstone of the educational landscape of the future.

It's a pretty big deal, but we just have to remember that this sort of thing takes years not days or weeks and that we'll get there eventually. So as we get started with this new school year, we need to take deep breath and realize that moving forward with Moodle is a series of small steps towards an eventual goal not a jump into the abyss.

A Big Deal

The ability to use a singular LMS like Moodle across the district means just one tool for staff and students to learn no matter the grade, department or building. Even though students will be experiencing Moodle in different ways throughout the district, the skills required to access and interact with the material will be the same and will carry forward as students progress through the grades.

The downside to this approach is always the loss of some specific function or capability unique to a class. For example: "With program X I could do A, B, & C but with Moodle, I can do A and B but am unsure if I can do C or C seems more complicated." This concern is not lost, however it seems a fair trade when one considers how quickly ed tech can become overwhelming for students and families. We have seen that parents quickly become overwhelmed by technology with which they are unfamiliar, thus inundating them with lots of software that is unique to a building, grade, or classroom results in lower overall engagement. So, it is my hope that as we integrate Moodle (including providing opportunities for parent learning on Moodle and Skyward) parents and students across grades and buildings will begin to feel more comfortable with technology.  They will begin to realize that we use Google Apps(including the new website), Skyward and Moodle across the board and those three things take care of about 95% of all the information and material that makes up our daily work; thus it's about getting comfortable with three programs rather than 25.

Moodle & The Summer Slide

Sunny summer days work like a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, wiping away things you need to know now. If you are struggling to get going with Moodle this year, don't worry. I've created a spot in the staff intranet just for Moodle.

STAFF MOODLE HELP PAGE

Here you can find important information and help with issues specific to Moodle. On the left you will find information for adding video trainings on various software such as Moodle, Google Apps, Skyward, and the digital curriculum systems. This means you can self-enroll in Moodle for these trainings so they show up on the home screen of your Moodle or under "My Classes."

The right-hand column has a Moodle Training playlist from the Tech Integration YouTube channel. The bottom has a searchable Frequently Asked Questions area. I will continue to add as more questions come in.

Moodle & Student Accounts

One of the major reasons we moved students to the isd186.org domain is so they will not have yet another user name and password. They will log into Moodle using the same process as staff (i.e. click the login button on the bottom left of the moodle.isd186.org page).

Students will begin the year with a completely blank Moodle, that is they will have no classes added. They will add their own classes using the same process as staff. So you may want to try adding a course/training in your own Moodle to see how it works. I will provide a .pdf handout for you to use when you're ready to have your students enroll and will make a tutorial video on the front page of Moodle explaining the process for students.  Once a student enrolls in your class, it will immediately take them into the class to view your Moodle page.

Just as a heads up, you'll need computers and 15 minutes of class time. Most kids that get logged in will complete it in 5 minutes.

1. Students login to the computers, login to their Google acct, and then navigate to Moodle via the district Website.
2. They click the link posted in Moodle to take them to the master course list.
3. They navigate to your class and click the key/door icon.
4. They type in the course key number (available on the staff Moodle help page) and are enrolled.

That's it.

Most kids are set to be enrolled for a year and will automatically be removed in the summer. If you have a semester course or kids drop, I will show you how to remove students.

Moodle & Intervention/SpEd

SpEd teachers & Interventionists will be added to classes as needed and by request. The purpose for this is for these folks to have access to the resources and materials that are being assigned to kids on their caseload. For example, Student A heads to resource and doesn't have the study guide assigned by Teacher X. Teacher Y simply opens up that Moodle page and low-and-behold, there's the study guide.  Of course, a crucial link in the chain is that the study guide is there as a .pdf, .doc, or GoogleDoc. 

GenEd Teachers:

If you see a staff member added to your Moodle Course, realize it is because of IEP, 504, or intervention needs. This teacher does not have access to change, alter, or delete your materials or information.  They do have more permission than a student and are able to access sections or items that are hidden. This can be very useful as you can post assignments with accommodations/interventions as required by IEP/504 and leave them hidden. The general population cannot see them but the SpEd teacher can along with any notes you provide.

If you would like to add paras that are in your classes and would need the same access, please send me their name and the class to which to add them.

SpEd Teachers/Interventionists:

In order to get you added to the courses you need, I will need a list of the courses to which you need to be added.

Tech Info for the Beginning of the Year

Well, it's that time again and here we are back in the classroom. In order to help you through some of the changes and new things, I will be doing a series of posts this week and next on helping staff get settled with tech for the new year.  Some of it will be new information and the rest will be reminders and quick tips from trainings we've done previously. If you haven't already, please subscribe to make sure you're receiving all the updates.

First things first:

"My computer has been re-imaged. What do I do next?"

Pick Up Your Device

Make sure you've received your device. If you haven't, HS/ML teachers will need to pick theirs up from Brenda's lab and EV teachers will need to pick theirs up in the 3rd Grade lab.

Either way, Josh will need to log you in the first time due to some settings changes that have taken place. This will get you logged onto the secure network for staff.

Websites and Homepages

We've spent a lot of time working on new websites over the last year. We have a new district site, activities site, site for each school, staff intranet site, Moodle site.... well, you get the picture.

You probably want to start with one or two of these sites every morning when you log in. To do this, you will need to set Chrome to open automatically and the new website homepage(s) as your homepage when you open Chrome. Below is a video to help you through this.

Access Your Backed-Up Files

Most staff last year chose to back up their files via Google Drive. If you haven't already, you'll need to access those files to get rolling for this year. You have three options this year for working with your Drive files:

1. Continue working through drive.google.com to access, edit and download files as necessary. 
2. Use the Google Drive application now on your computer as a "server folder" of sorts to store and access your files from programs such as Word. 
3. Do a mass download of your backed-up files bringing them all back onto your computer. 

If you choose number 1, you don't need to do anything special right now. However, options 2 and 3 need a little help. We will start with option 3 first. 

If you want try option 2 (which is my recommendation if you use Word or Excel a ton and don't like GoogleDocs), this will get you started. 

Miscellaneous

A few more items for today's post:

1. There are two networks now, please make sure that your teacher computer is using the secured (not open) network. The open network is being heavily filtered at this point and you may find things you need inadvertently blocked or slow. 

2. Printers can still be added as before by teachers. (This is important as your list of printers has likely disappeared). Please remember to get your requests in early to Carol.

3. Future posts will address things like Google and Moodle, but remember all of your spring tech trainings in Moodle (i.e. the tutorials) are still available. 

Google Virtual Fieldtrips: Take Your Students Anywhere

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No time to take your students on a field trip? No funds to go to that awesome event? Can't bring in a guest speaker because they live in L.A.?

No Problem!

Virtual Field Trips

Virtual field trips have been around for some time and often involve students individually navigating to a monuments's website and taking the virtual tour. Virtual tours offer panoramic views of a monument or museum in stunning detail. If you have never heard of a virtual field trip or tour before, check out this link of the virtual tour of the Château de Chenonceau in France.

I used this tour frequently in one of my units on Renaissance architecture. Notice how you can move between rooms, pan, and zoom in great detail. Visitors of any virtual tour are treated to important historical information as they would be if physically there. Many, many monuments, parks and historical sites in several countries have virtual tours available including most national monuments and museums in the US. You can find them by visiting the monument or museum's website and looking for  "Virtual Tour."

One major detractor though of virtual field trips has always been that they are rather stale. Even though students can maneuver around a site themselves and get information, it is done without any interaction or personal touch from a guide, docent, etc. Thus, the information presented,  while beautiful and informative, isn't always the most engaging to students. There is usually no expert answering your questions and providing those personal tales that are often the most memorable part of a tour.

Enter Google Connected Classrooms 

Watch this introduction:

Wow, right? 

This truly amazing opportunity is free from Google and can be done in any classroom in the district -- whether as a live event or to be viewed after the fact. It uses Google Hangout video conferencing (similar to Skype), a computer, and a projector. That's it. And it's free. 

What a great culminating activity for students to be able to see their learning in the real world, travel to places they may never get to, & hear from experts in the field!

If you are interested in setting up a Google Connected Classroom field trip or need help with any other virtual field trip, please email me. 

New(er) Features in GoogleDocs

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Some new options are available in GoogleDocs

In the past, GoogleDocs has been criticized for being somewhat of a lightweight when it comes to working on research papers. Typically, students would use Word to type the paper and then find some other option for generating bibliographies/works cited. Most people have heard of/used the Citation Machine at some point and many others have used EasyBib. Still others have fiddled away with the resources functions within Microsoft Word. EasyBib was really by far the best option of those three since it allows students more flexibility in finding and tracking their sources over multiple projects. It's easy to use and has been a stand-by of many English teachers for some time. 

I did an earlier demo on how to add EasyBib (or other apps) as a Google Chrome app. This allows students to access the EasyBib website and log in automatically using their Chrome profile. 

Now, GoogleDocs allows several options when it comes to research and works cited pages. There is a Google-based version that maximizes Google Search and Google Scholar allowing kids to search the web from within their document. There is also now the ability to use EasyBib as an "add-on" within the doc itself. The benefit of either is that students don't need to leave their document while working on it and waste time copying and pasting URLs. 

These features aren't only for high school students working on research papers. There are image search functions that allow kids to search for images while also learning to cite them when adding them to there work (21st Century Skills). So students using GoogleDocs for projects, flyers, or brochures may also use these new features. 

The add-ons are growing every day. If you find an add-on that works well for you, share it in the comments below. 

Check out this demo: 

Easy Diagrams and Brochures

 Problem: I need something for student brainstorming activities, students' project planning, or organizational activities. Students are on all kinds of different devices, what can I use? 

Solution: Lucid Chart 

Lucid Chart is a browser-based software tool that allows students and teachers to create simple and complex diagrams easily. Since it is browser-based, students can use any device that is connected to the internet. This frees up kids to work from school or home on projects without worrying about whether the computer at home has the right software. 

Here are some key features that make Lucid Chart a great tool:

• Even though it is browser-based, it integrates with Google Drive. This means students can start the project from Drive, save it there, and share it when it is grading time. 
•  Unlike many other tools that do essentially the same thing, Lucid Chart doesn't require students to create a free account and remember more passwords and login info. 
• The interface is drag-and-drop based. Students can easily move, resize, and edit objects and text. This is especially useful on smaller/mobile devices. 

Lucid Chart can be a simple and easy to use tool for the following activities: 

• Brainstorming
• Outlining or Note-taking
• Categorizing or Sorting
• Time-lining
• Planning or Designing Products or Processes

Here is a demo: 

Another Problem: I need a tool for creating brochures, a flyer,  an announcement or an invitation. I don't have Publisher -OR- my students have different devices. Do you have a suggestion? 

Solution: Lucidpress

Microsoft Publisher has been a favorite for the above tasks for some time due to its ability to take out the annoying formatting issues of creating the above products in a word processor. Publisher was one of the first to treat all objects and items as independent floating boxes that could be repositioned or resized without affecting other images or text. 

Currently, Word incorporates many of these features, but neither Word nor Publisher will help if you have students on an iPad. With many of our secondary subject teachers with a cart of Chromebooks, Office products won't be able to help. Additionally, they both have very complex interfaces that can be difficult for younger students to grasp. This, of course, is the trade off with having a software tool that can do so much. 

Enter Lucidpress- 

(Shout-out to Karen R for finding it and trying it out with her students)

Like Lucid Chart, Lucidpress is a browser-based tool that is free and will work anywhere a student has an internet connection. It is also integrates with Drive, so students do not need to create new profiles and remember passwords. The files can be stored in Google Drive and shared with teachers for Grading. 

Anything created can be printed, but this isn't the intention of the software. Digital brochures or flyers have the ability to be animated which takes the information to the next level. Students can have text, blocks, shapes or images move or act as buttons for links to websites. Students can also embed YouTube videos into their flyer or brochure which might link to a video of themselves performing, creating their project, or explaining their findings. 

Lucidpress works well for any assignments that are more creative and require students to use a desktop publisher. Products such as:

• Brochures
• Flyers
• Announcements
• Small Posters
• Handouts
• Invitations
• Visual Aids

Here is a demo:

Both of these tools have been added to your Google Drive under the Create button. Your students will find them there as well. 

As always, if you've used either of these tools and would like to share, please post a comment below.