The relatively new Google Originality reports (which is replacing Turnitin in Schoology) works rather well. It is pretty easy to set up and easy to track the data. We are still working out a few kinks in the system, but as with anything, it will get better. One tip when using Originality Reports is that you can also give your co-teacher access without having to do much else. Simply make sure that your co-teacher has been added to the Schoology course you are using the application in. Upon your first created originality report activity, Google will create a folder in your Google Drive that will then be shared with any other “teachers within that course”. This enables your co-teachers to then access the originality report assignment along with all the data from within Schoology by simply clicking on the activity title. That’s it!
Have you noticed the quiet release of Screencastify integrated questions? Now when you create a video as you normally would, you will have an option to drop in your own questions. Pretty neat. Edpuzzle-esque!
To do this, first open up the Screencastify chrome extension. Then record your video as normal. Once you are done, click stop, and Screencastify will bring you into the editing window. From here you can trim/crop the video, but down the right-side navigation you will see a button called “interactive questions”. Click that –> adjust the slider under the video to where you want a question –> then click the “add question at” button.
A pop-up window will appear for you to type in your question, then the answer choices, and tell it which is the correct answer by clicking the little checkmark next to the answer choice. Click save and a button will be placed on the timeline showing the question you added.
Now when you share the video, students will be able to interact with that question in the video when it pops up.
Here are a few best practices and tips when looking at your Frontline PD account.
Mark Complete
What to do once a form has been pre-approved in Frontline. Regardless of what form you submitted (Field Trip, Professional Leave, PLC, Quarterly Assessment, SGO, etc) once your prior approvals are complete, the form will make its way back to you, before it can be final approved and awarded credit. The reason for this is so you can upload and attach any necessary documentation, certificates, etc. Here is what you will need to do:
– Click on the LearningPlan tab at the top right of the screen in Frontline.
– Locate the form you submitted.
– Click on the blue MANAGE button directly to the left of the form.
– In the window that opens, click on MARK COMPLETE
– The form will open. Note: This is when you will attach any documents you need to. If this is for SGO/Quarterly then you can skip attaching anything.
– Scroll to the bottom and click SUBMIT.
That’s it! The form will make its way over to me for approval and you will be awarded credit (if applicable) shortly after.
Checking Hours
A lot of people are checking their hours in the wrong area and aren’t seeing the correct totals. Do this:
Go to MyInfo in the left navigation –> My Portfolio (do NOT click 21-hour Report. This will give you an incorrect listing.)
Once in here, scroll down to the current year –> then check district hours. (General may include hours during the school day that do NOT count toward. the 21).
Upload Images, files, etc.
If you are getting ready. to mark complete, you will need to add files/images to the form. Do this:
Go to Myinfo –> My File Library
Click Upload a File.
These files will appear in any form you open in its FILES section. Checkmark to attach.
To submit Forms
Go to Forms in the left navigation –> then select PD Forms under fill-in forms. The PD Proposal form is strictly for people who want to run a workshop for staff.
Then select the form you want from the PD form list.
Many of you have recently had an issue in Frontline Professional Growth when it came to uploading files to your file library. You were selecting files, only to have Frontline tell you it could not upload it. So you delete numbers, remove periods, and it still doesn’t work. The fix?
Simple… delete spaces. It’s silly… I know. But that is what is holding it back. So scan your file name for any blank spaces and remove them. Even if you have a file named like this: “Test Example” –> remove the space between the words like this, “testexample”.
Now go and upload it and it should work. As an aside –> notice that Frontline’s File Upload has also changed its look. Some people have said the file upload button is greyed out and not letting them select it. You may need to log off and back in as there is no direct fix for this that I have seen. Just glitchy as of now.
We recently have made the transition to replacing Turnitin with Google’s own Originality Reports. Turnitin will still be active through this year, but after that it will no longer be available. However, Google’s version is actually pretty good and A LOT easier to use.
First, you will need to install the app in Schoology. Go to Schoology –> app center –> use command +F to search the word Google –> then scroll until you find Google Assignments (blue paper and a clipboard). Click on the title –> install LTI app –> “agree” –> “continue” –> then attach it to all of your courses.
Once installed, go to a course you would like to use it on. Click to add a material –> and on the right of the popup should list Google Assignments. Click that — > then sign in. The popup that follows will need to be filled out. At the bottom, make sure. to turn the plagiarism checker on –> then click create. You can also attach a document you want to share out to your students if so you choose.
Once it is created, you will see it appear in your materials list. You can click on it to see all submissions, as well as the individual reports for each.
One of my pet peeves, as with many, is that Schoology adds NEW materials that create to the bottom of your course. I wish that this default was different and added it to the top. However, there is a little trick that I was shocked NOT many people knew about. When you are in your Schoology course and you go to create a new material, most people click on Add Materials –> then choose what they want –> create it –> and it gets added to the bottom.
Instead, do this. When you go to create, hover your cursor just underneath the Add Materials button –> and a green line with a plus (+) sign will appear. Click on that –> then choose the material type you want to create –> and go through the steps. It will then add the new material to the tip.
Keep in mind that you can also do this at various areas in your materials list and it will drop the new material into that spot. No need to add things to the bottom when you want them at the top!
You can customize “On startup” to automatically reopen all the same tabs you had open when you quit.
Go to the top right in Chrome, and click More –> Settings.
Click On startup to display options.
Click Continue where you left off.
Note, that you can also click the 3 dots in the top right corner of Chrome –> click history –> and. you should see an open all tab to relaunch everything that was closed.
It is always important to protect yourself when you are online and be mindful of the sites your travel to and pop-ups that appear. With Google Chrome, you can actually do a few things to help.
Run Safety check to make sure your browser and passwords are as secure as possible.
At the top right, click More –> Settings.
Click Privacy and Security .
Under Safety click Check now.
You can also turn on enhanced safe browsing.
At the top right, click More –> Settings.
Click Privacy and Security .
Click Security –> Enhanced protection.
Finally, you can even control website access to your location and device.
Notice websites asking to use your location, microphone, and more? Use site safety controls to understand and change permission for the sites you visit.
In the address bar, click Lock .
Change individual permissions or click Reset permissions.
Go to Site settings for even more control over site permissions.
I use to have so many tabs open at once, that they would get lost. And half the time… many of the tabs I had open were multiple pages from the same website!
Now, although I have made it a goal to never have more than 10 open at a time, Google has released a new way to create tab groups to help you get organized. With tab groups, you can put related pages in a group, name and color code the group, and then collapse it for a streamlined view.
To Do This: Right-click a tab, then click Add tab to new group. Name your group, pick a color, and press Enter. Drag as many tabs into the group as you like. Click on the group name to collapse or expand the view.
Google Classroom released a new app connecting Classroom to Schoology. Using this new application available under the Schoology App Center, you can import your Google Classroom content over to Schoology. You will no longer have to manually recreate material you had previously used in Google Classroom. The new tool is completely self-service and automated and can be run at your convenience when needed. Using this tool, you can have the same experience as with Google Classroom on Schoology. So for those of you who use both platforms, this should make your life easier.
Just go to the Schoology ap center –> locate the Google Classroom App (Use Command + F and search Google) –> then click on the title –> click Install LTI –> choose your courses.
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