Some assessment options using G Suite

I came across some possibilities to set up a rubric with Google Sheets (like MS Excel) and other G Suite programs.  The first is using this template from Google Sheets, found here: https://goo.gl/oKw1Ty

As this is a view-only template, to make your own copy by selecting File & Make a Copy from the Menu choices.  The template can be customized to specify your criteria (or better yet, co-create the criteria with your students).  The performance scale can also be adjusted to capture different rating scale language (e.g., emerging - developing - proficient - extending).

If you are using Google Classroom, you can attach this rubric and make a copy for each student for an assignment that you push out to students (+Create).  The students, on opening the Google Sheet will be able to change the Student Score (0-4) and it will automatically change the cell which is highlighted.  There are columns for the teacher to provide a score, which will modify the rubric:

There are other options that are available for assessment even though my preference is for the above Google Sheets (that is now available from the Reporting & Assessment page of the weebly site.

Keep in mind that assessment using G Suite programs can constitute a "gray area" for FIPPA as it can involve the collection of private and confidential information into the cloud.  As a workaround, you could have students create aliases.  Besides what I've referenced as method 1 (below), here are some other options for assessment using G Suite programs:

Assessment using G Suite - Google Sheets

Method 1. Self-assessment as hand-out for Google Classroom: https://goo.gl/oKw1Ty

Advantages	Limitations
Options for students to highlight their own assessment, showing up in different colour	Percentage based on teacher assessment

Method 2. Add-on to Google Sheets “Flubaroo” as self-marking;

Add-on in Google sheets

Video: http://www.flubaroo.com/instructional-videos

Website: http://www.flubaroo.com

Advantages	Limitations
Allows for more flexible responses Can insert digital stickers/ badges: http://www.flubaroo.com/hc/including-stickers	Works in conjunction with Google Forms

Learn more: http://www.flubaroo.com/hc

Method 3. Add-on to Google Sheets “Doctopus” & Extension from webstore: “Goobric”

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeKFkhLmL28

Advantages	Limitations
-can copy and paste rubrics from Word Docs or Excel with text wrapping -Excellent for descriptive feedback	-takes time to get extensions/ add-ons (ensure that you’re logged in only with …@sd28.org account

Comparison/ explanation of the 2 rubric types: https://sites.google.com/a/spsdme.org/flubarooetc2016/home

Going further with Google Docs

Now that I have Flashback express installed onto my computer, I can add video clips more easily!  Today's blog is a video sharing of using Google Docs to create a sketch.  This will be elaborated on in the Sandbox session on Monday, Dec 3 after school.  Sandbox sessions are meant to be a time to explore and learn more about G Suite programs.  If you want to learn more about any of the Google Apps for Education suite (Read&Write for Chrome, Google Slides, Docs, or Classroom), the Sandbox session is a forum to explore and ask questions.

Here are some of the features that are integrated into Google Docs:

As a blog is meant to be a conversation, feel free to comment and add your ideas and questions for future exploration!

Finding things

On a tangent of November's theme of Remembrance, it's easy to forget where we saved our files, especially as we get older.  Fortunately, computers have some shortcut keys to help us find documents.  First and foremost is the shortcut key, Ctrl-F

Holding these 2 keys down when browsing a web page will help you find any given word that you're looking for.  Other shortcut keys like Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V for copying and pasting you may be familiar with.  Here's a glimpse of other shortcuts available for our use.

When looking for a file on your computer (H: drive), there's the search box that you can type the file name or a fragment of the filename:

If the file is found on Google Drive, advanced search will find all files that contain words embedded into the document!

Click on the triangle in the search box for this drop-down to appear.

 A more thorough explanation of searching drive is found at this YouTube clip.

Now, if only it would be this easy to find my keys!

Printing & chromebooks

Chromebooks have a few advantages over laptops.  They are less expensive and faster to log in (15 seconds rather than 2+ minutes).  They hold a longer charge (7 hours).  Click on the hyperlink for a summary comparing the two options: chromebooks vs. laptops.

There are some disadvantages too.  At this point, you cannot print directly from a Chromebook but there are some ways to get work printed.  This process involves sharing on Google Drive (the cloud).

If students have a finished work that they want to get printed from a Google Doc or Slide presentation, they can "Share" it with the teacher who will likely be logged into a desktop computer on the network with computer access.  The "Share" button is usually located in the top right corner.

Clicking on the "Share" button brings in the pop-up "Share with others" to give the students the option to send or share it with the teacher by typing in the teacher's Google account (...@sd28.org).

The teacher, when logged into the Google account (see video link), can then check the Google Drive and Shared with Me folder to find the handed in work:

Any work that has been shared from others should appear in the Google Drive "Shared with me" folder sorted by most recent submission.  You will be able to print to connected printers on the network.

Here are is a hyperlink to Chromebook shortcut keys to help make navigating the touch pad a little easier.

Flash issues?

When trying to access a website using Google Chrome, do you come across this error of needing to support Flash?

Sometimes, all you will need to do is click on the puzzle piece and allow flash to be run when a pop-up appears:

After allowing, you might need to refresh the webpage.  The refresh icon

is a useful troubleshooting tool short of restarting Google Chrome.

Google Chrome is in process of discontinuing flash.  This is happening with Firefox as well.  Websites need to adapt to this reality.  In the meantime, here's a work-around if the above process doesn't work.  Login to a Chromebook as "Guest"

Go to the website that you want to view and click on the lock icon to the left of the URL (https:// website address).  This dropdown will appear:

Go to Site settings to make adjustments to Java and Flash to allow both:

Notice that Java and Flash should be changed to "Allow"

Your final step after allowing Java and Flash is to refresh the webpage that you want to view and you should be good to use the site without any more "Flash" headaches!

Repairing G Suite sign-in problems & ERAC Digital Classroom

G Suite

You may have noticed that the Google account goes into "pause" or "error" from time to time.  To fix this, click on the three vertical dots below the exit out of Google Chrome and select "Settings."  In settings, you have the option to sign out of chrome or turn off.  Re-sign in again and link data to remedy the problem.

Our SD28 helpsite with explanations and video tutorials for logging into G Suite, was temporarily not working but is now fixed: https://sites.google.com/sd28.org/g-suite

ERAC Digital Classroom

To help teachers and others find the ERAC Digital Classroom websites, I've created a new page for the weebly titled BC ERAC Digital Classroom: https://bcnewcurriculum.weebly.com/bc-erac-digital-classroom--collections.html   You can get to any of these excellent resources: World Book, Know BC, Media Smarts, Gale or EBSCO search engines, and the extras (à la carte items): Curio, Learn360 and myBlueprint/All About Me.

These sites have been vetted for relevance to BC Curriculum and the school district has a subscription for these services.  For home use and to find out how each site can help you in your planning and your students with their learning, check out the ERAC access document that I forwarded to your e-mail.

As the Digital Classroom sites have much to offer, I suggest that you explore what interests you most to get a better understanding of its content and how to navigate the site.  Sometimes it's easy to get overwhelmed.  I recently discovered the gem offering plays and readers theatre: "Dramatic Learning".  I've put together a Google Slides presentation to explain each site in more detail.  The BC ERAC site also has video tutorials and K12 resource collection to search whether books are suitable to BC Curriculum.

Let me know if you'd like any support or further information about any of these topics!

Infusing Aboriginal Content into teaching practice

In thinking about Orange Shirt day, I want to draw your attention to some excellent Aboriginal content material for teaching practice.  SET-BC has put together technology-based teaching strategies aligned with the First Peoples Principles of Learning.  I've embedded the link into the Aboriginal content page of the weebly site here: https://bcnewcurriculum.weebly.com/aboriginal-connections.html

Google (G Suite) accounts ... a reminder

With the start of a new school year, I thought I should provide some reminders regarding Google accounts and working with Chromebooks.  Here's a useful step-wise process to get your class up and running:

1. To help provide informed consent for parents concerning the FOIPA issues of Google and cloud-based applications, here's the letter from Superintendent and the letter to go home to parents.  Signed permissions should be sent to Dan Lowndes at DAO for MyEd data input.

2. For students who are new to the district, they may need to get their Google account activated.  On logging in to a desktop computer or laptop, they need to hold down Ctrl-Alt-Del keys and reset their password.  Teachers also have the option from the Start Menu and Staff Programs to run the program "SD28 Reset a Student Password" to get their account reset and Google account activated.  Here's a video clip to explain:


3. Students who have an activated Google account will then be able to log into a chromebook (firstlastname@sd28.org) or sign in after opening Google Chrome (select the person icon in the top right corner of the Google web browser).

It's also good to review proper use guidelines/ rules with students for using technology.  USB ports in chromebooks are fragile.  Please take the time to show students how to properly plug in mice or headsets into USB ports.  Here are a few other rules that Curt and I put together.

If you have any questions or need help with getting your class going with technology, please contact me.

Updates to the website: Digital classroom collection

Happy Tech Tuesday!  Students and teachers have access to several digital classroom resources, including a variety of applications from World Book and Gale.  Our collection is found at this link: http://www.sd28.bc.ca/content/student-resources

From my website, the digital classroom resources are found in a variety of subject areas.  Media Smarts for example talks about Digital Literacy and Citizenship and fits best in "Health & PE"   New this year are two à la carte items from BC ERAC Digital Classroom: Learn 360 and Curio.  Learn 360 has many video and lesson plan supports.  Consider a better option to search for videos than the Discovery Learning subscription that our district used to have!

Curio has Canadian content material, including documentaries and news in English or French.  It is an excellent source for Aboriginal content resources.

We also have access to myBlueprint and AllAboutMe Career Ed resources, including a digital portfolio for students to explore career options and interests.  Let me know if you'd like to learn more about this resource, available from the Career Ed page.

Note also that I've added a page for "News" to include kid-friendly news sites.  BC ERAC Digital Classroom resources are found from the Interdisciplinary page of my website for easy access.  All digital resources (with the exception of Learn360) should work from any school site.  Home access is possible with a username and password that I can share with you.

I'll do my best to post new blog entries on "Techno Tuesdays."

Web Browsers & Flash problems: Google or Internet Explorer?

Greetings!  Welcome back!  This is the first blog of the year!  The purpose of this blog is to share ideas and develop a professional learning community of teachers with technology.

What web browser is best?  Google Chrome works much better than Internet Explorer.  Some applications don't work at all with Internet Explorer such as You Tube.  There are times when flash programs work better with other browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox but the majority of sites work best with Google Chrome.

To make Google Chrome your default web browser, the option arises when opening Chrome as a pop-up box to make it your default browser.  Otherwise, click the three vertical dots in the top right corner...in Settings, choose the option of making Chrome your default browser.  Doing so will allow Chrome to open when clicking on a link from MS Word or Groupwise.

What can you do about the Flash problems?  Google has its own embedded flash and some websites have not yet updated their system to make it flash compatible.  If you encounter a problem where the flash isn't working, a work-around solution is to click on the word "Secure" to the left of the URL bar (http://.... line).  Select "Site Settings" and scroll down to the Flash setting and choose "Allow" on the drop-down menu.  When Flash does not work for Chromebooks, the best solution is to log in as a "Guest" user and adjust the "Secure" settings to allow flash for the website that has flash problems.  Ideally, websites and Google need to fix this issue as it is frustrating!

Feel free to comment and add to any blog entries as the comment area is open for all!  If you have questions, please e-mail me: kevinsturt@sd28.bc.ca   I wish you all the best for a new school year!