Digital Teacher Academy: Teacher Resources for Digital Learning

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Canvas How-To Videos

  • Quick Start Guide

    Canvas Support: LMS Quick Start Guide

    This course was developed in direct response to the needs of Canvas clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join this session for a quick start guide that will cover what we consider the essentials of getting an “on the ground” course into Canvas. Watching this will give you an upper hand on supporting students and teachers as they transition to digitally facilitated distance learning.

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  • Instructor Canvas overview

    Canvas Support: Overview (Instructors)

    In this video, you will learn about navigating through Canvas and managing your dashboard and sidebar. Video overviews reflect current feature functionality in Canvas; they are updated based on workflow changes, not on minor or non-functional interface enhancements. Depending on your institution's Canvas theme, the Canvas interface may display differently than shown in this video, but the functionality is the same.

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  • How to Use Assignments in Canvas LMS

    Canvas Support: How to Use Assignments in Canvas LMS

    Need help setting up, using, and understanding assignments in Canvas LMS? Join one of our powerhouse consultants to better understand the following: how to create an assignment, how to create LTI assignments (with things like Google and Turnitin), how to create an assignment that is assigned to a specific section, and how to create extra credit assignments.

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  • How to Create Quizzes in Canvas LMS

    Canvas Support: How to Create Quizzes in Canvas LMS

    Need help setting up quizzes in Canvas LMS? Join one of our powerhouse consultants to better understand the following: how to create a quiz, managing quiz settings in Canvas, creating specific question types, using questions from a questions bank, and more.

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  • How to Use Gradebook in Canvas LMS

    Canvas Support: How to Use Gradebook in Canvas LMS

    Need help understanding and using Gradebook within Canvas LMS? Join one of our powerhouse consultants to better understand the following: how to read Gradebook icons, how to export Gradebook, how to use gpb/sync, how to excuse assignments, how to leverage Gradebook settings

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  • Canvas for Math Instructors

    Canvas Support: Canvas for Math Instructors

    The Instructional Design team launched their first Ready-Made Template in September 2018 to "help reduce stress load, encourage growth, and help course creators design an engaging Canvas experience by turning a blank course shell into a fill-in-the-blank Canvas course." It’s been a tremendous success and users across the board have loved this addition to the Instructional Design services. Templates are intentionally designed to incorporate best practices (aligning with principles from the Course Evaluation Checklist v2.0) and are easy to use. To learn more about Ready-Made Templates, join us for this session.

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Using Teams - How-To Videos and Guides

  • Teams Microsoft Teams is a digital hub that brings conversations, content, assignments, and apps together in one place, letting teachers create vibrant learning environments. Build collaborative classrooms, connect in professional learning communities, and connect with colleagues—all from a single experience.

    Learn more about Teams here: 
    https://www.leonschools.net/Teams. 

  • Mute student comments in a class team

    Mute students from commenting in class conversations. This means students will no longer be able to see an inappropriate comment and that the muted students can no longer post or reply in class conversations. You can un-mute students at any time.

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Using Zoom - How to Videos and Guides

  • Zoom Logo Zoom is a cloud-based video communications app that allows you to set up virtual video and audio conferencing, webinars, live chats, screen-sharing, and other collaborative capabilities. 

    Learn more about Zoom here: 
    https://www.leonschools.net/Zoom. 

Using Schoolwires webpages

  • Schoolwires Schoolwires is our new system for District web pages.  District, Administrative, and School websites were converted to this new system.

    Learn more about Schoolwires here: 
    https://www.leonschools.net/schoolwires. 

    Teachers will be able to take advantage of being able to create teacher pages with an easy to use system.

Using Focus Webpages

  • Focus App Web Pages allows administration to view and edit teacher web pages that can be viewed by parents and students on the Portal, the Community App, and the Calendar. Web pages are built using News (posts), Resources, Units & Lessons, and Settings. Posts can be sent to parents only, students only, or by default to all (parents and students).

    Learn more about Focus Web Pages here: 
    https://www.leonschools.net/focuswebpages. 

    For resources, teachers can create files, links, and folders. In settings, the web page is enabled by default when created, but can be disabled. In addition, administrative users can create units and linked lessons based on a web page.

Using Remind to Communicate

  • Remind Logo We are pleased to share that we have  Remind, an easy to use communication tool that will allow the school, teachers, students and parents to share one single source for communication.

    Learn more about Remind here:
    https://www.leonschools.net/remind. 

    See how this will create faster, easier access to communications between teachersm students and parents. Remind is a safe, secure way for students to connect with their teachers and school-related events, classes, and activities all in one place. The software does not collect or share any personal student information, which is important to us. Best of all, it is very easy to use and will be a great resource for teachers and students.

Wanting or needing your PDF's to be fillable? (Are you sure?)

  • You may not actually need to bother, but if you really want to.......

    Here are three options

     Option #1- Adobe Reader DC  - If the students just download Adobe Reader DC and use that they can simply mark up the document directly as needed 

    •  Pros - 
      • It allows students to markup content anywhere on the PDF directly, save it and either send it or upload it as needed with all their markups on it. 
      • Some instructions here can be used as a guide to help  know how to do the editing on their own computers. - How to mark up PDF's using Adobe Reader DC
      • Students can either free hand answers (handy for math problems) or draw circles or fill in bubbles or they can use the text tool to type their responses without requiring fillable form fields.
      • Teachers can save valuable time instead of spending so much time  trying to make them into a fillable format to begin with trying to convert every single document to a fillable pdf, particularly if those documents are not being shared with everyone which will require an excessive amount of overhead work that isn't really necessary. 
    • Cons - Teachers can not make forms fillable using reader version if that is what they still want to do.  (See option 2 or 3)

    Option #2- PDF Escape - (This is an app available as a tile in ClassLink under the lcs employee library). 

    • Pros
      • The teachers can simply load the pdf up to the page and mark it by basically selecting what they want and then drawing the text boxes/check boxes, radio buttons etc.  directly on the document.   
      • Fairly easy and requires no installs.  Documents can be downloaded when down.
    • Cons
      • Limit of 10 MB/100 pgs per file (Highly unlikely to be an issue with any files teachers are using with students. 
      • If this is an issue, you can use the PDFCandy or PDF.online tile in classlink to split the file into smaller segments

    Option #3 - PDFCreator/PDFArchitect - Nothing wrong with this option

    • Pros
      • its nice that it is a locally installed app so no internet required to use it which may be handy for those with poor internet connections
      • Full featured
    • Cons - 
      • Some users have a hard time understanding the split nature of the Creator vs Architect side of the platform.  Fillable forms are handled by the Architect side of the software.
      • This program is it just is not as intuitive as I would like.  Users sometimes seem to have trouble navigating the software and its just not as well laid out for those who have never worked with making fillable pdfs before.  works fine, but seems to have a bit of a learning curve compared with the two above

Still Stuck and need some help??

  • Teachers, Staff and Administrators please check with your sites techcon first prior to sending any help requests to the district helpdesk as they are your first level of technical support.  If they are still not able to resolve the problem, your techcon can submit a request on your behalf, or if you prefer, you can then send your own email requests to the specific email addresses below to submit your IT support tickets.

    If you get stuck and just can't find an answer yourself, or If something is not WORKING and your techcon was unable to resolve the issue and still need assistance, submit an IT ticket to the Helpdesk: -- >

    We will answer you as soon as we can - we won't be able to tell if you're still in your jammies...

    Techcons please submit your helpdesk requests directly through the Mojo Helpdesk and assign it to one of the specific Queues above  depending on the area you are requesting elevated support assistance with.
     Important - Please include the following info when making a new ticket to the helpdesk:

    • First name, Last name, Email, Contact Info, , Description of issue, Affected User (Teacher/student), Username/student ID#

    Please do NOT assign anything to any other Queue's than the ones above

     

  • Additional Professional Learning Resources

    Click on the links below to learn more about the online instructional resources and training available to LCS Teachers. Also, be sure to check out the Best Practice Shout-Out icons for projects happening in LCS Schools!

Leon Leads - #24857 Microsoft TEAMS for Beginners

  • Want to have a course to learn how to use Teams?  Want to earn some credits while you are at it?

    Most Popular #24857 Microsoft TEAMS for Beginners (20 Credits)

     Self-Paced Self Paced - Participants will learn the basic functions of Microsoft Teams as a teacher and participant. Topics include rostered courses, created courses, video conferencing and live lessons, deploying an assignment or quiz, grading an assignment, applications to support learning, collaboration and small group learning.

Best Practice Examples, Other Online Resources, and Shout Outs!

Last Modified on July 1, 2024