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Bits and Bytes Ed Tech eNewsletter
August 7, 2024
![Bits and Bytes Ed Tech eNewsletter August 7, 2024](https://cdn.smore.com/u/f181/f623065bbc009e8281b31016f52f3019.jpg)
In this eNewsletter you will find info about:
- Back to School Digital Curriculum Access Dates
- NEW! Modesto Student Analytics: Classroom
- Protect Your Tech: Top 7 Student Device Tips
- Blocksi Classroom Management Setup
- Beginning of year setup PowerTeacher Pro and Schoology
- NEW! Schoology Lesson Planner
- ParentSquare Back to School Tips
- ISTA for 7-12
- MCS App Portal Quick Cards TK-2
- MCS Course & Grade Roadmap Website
- Join MCS Ed Tech Explorers and Missions
- Upcoming EdTech PD in August
- Introducing the MCS EdTech Dept at IETS
Back to School Digital Curriculum Access Dates
Back to School 2024-25
- Ongoing - Digital Curriculum will still stay available for Teachers to see the course materials if you were already teaching using the curriculum at the end of 2023-24 school year
- 7/15/24 - ISTA available for 7-12 students to begin to take for 2024-25 school year
- 7/30/24 - Teachers: PowerSchool and Schoology setup available for 2024-25 school year
- 7/31/24 - most adopted Digital Curriculum will be available for Teachers others such as: McGraw Hill, SWUN, and VHL - Vista Higher Learning will be available on 8/5/24 after 4pm
- 8/12/24 - Students and Parents/Guardians setup in PowerSchool, Schoology, and ParentSquare after 4pm available for 2024-25 school year
- 8/12/24 - adopted Digital Curriculum will be rostered with Students
- 8/13/24 - adopted Digital Curriculum will be available for Students
NEW! Modesto Student Analytics: Classroom
PowerSchool Analytics & Insights Dashboard for Teachers
Introducing Modesto Student Analytics!
Meet Your New Classroom Superhero: Modesto Student Analytics!
Imagine it's Monday morning. You're preparing for the week ahead, wondering how to best support your students. What if you had a magic wand that could instantly show you which students need extra help, who's improving, and where to focus your energy?
That's exactly what Modesto Student Analytics (MSA) does for you!
This user-friendly tool puts powerful information at your fingertips:
- See attendance patterns at a glance
- Track grades and progress effortlessly
- Monitor behavior trends easily
- Understand how students are measuring up to standards
With eye-catching charts and simple reports, you'll spot important trends in seconds. No more drowning in spreadsheets or juggling multiple systems! It is all connected through PowerSchool.
Ready to become a classroom superhero? Let's get started with Modesto Student Analytics today! In the MCS App Portal click on PowerSchool Student Analytics app.
Ready to dive in? Handy tips, cheat sheets, videos, and self-paced e-learning courses are located on the resource website linked below. Take a look!
Resource Website
Training Timeline
Your school site Ed Tech Liaison Teacher will be providing ongoing training each month at your local school site this school year on Modesto Student Analytics. Be sure to sign up for their sessions! Tentative timeline:
Phase 1 Introduction Classroom Dashboard
8/7 8/9 - Mandatory Teacher PD
Phase 2 Advanced Classroom Dashboard Features
Your School Site Ed Tech Liaisons roll out PD in September
Phase 3 District School Comparative
Your School Site Ed Tech Liaisons roll out PD in October
Bits and Bytes eNewsletter feature in Fall Edition 10/15
Phase 4 MTSS
Your School Site Ed Tech Liaisons roll out PD in November
Bits and Bytes eNewsletter feature in Winter Edition 1/21/25
Phase 5 Risk Analysis Introduction
Your School Site Ed Tech Liaisons roll out PD in January
Bits and Bytes eNewsletter feature in Winter Edition 1/21/25
Phase 6 PowerBuddy for Analytics & Insights
Your School Site Ed Tech Liaisons roll out PD in February
Bits and Bytes eNewsletter feature in Spring Edition 3/25/25
Protect Your Tech: Top 7 Student Device Tips
The 'Protect Your Tech' campaign teaches students how to take care of their Chromebooks. It shows them how to keep their devices working well and ready for school every day. Students learn tips for using and looking after their Chromebooks properly. The goal is to help students keep their devices in good shape so they can learn better in class. By following these tips, students can make sure their Chromebooks work well and last longer.
Please share the videos with your students to help us reduce device damage:
Blocksi Classroom Management Setup
Class Setup
Manual Classes
Don't have PowerSchool courses? You can still manually create Blocksi classes and add any students you want to monitor. Blocksi makes it easy to setup a new course and add any students at the district. As a reminder, this course is all manual, so you will have to update the roster yourself. Check out the handy guide below on how to setup manual courses.
Cheat Sheet
Need some more Blocksi reminders? The cheat sheet linked below will quickly remind you how to do all your favorite things in Blocksi!
Beginning of year setup PowerTeacher Pro and Schoology
Schoology Courses Access Dates
- Teachers now have access to all their 2024-25 classes in Schoology and PowerSchool.
- Students and Parents will have access to 2024-25 courses in Schoology and PowerSchool after 4pm on 8/12/2024.
- Teachers and Students will be able to log into Schoology and PowerSchool through the MCS App Portal.
Back to School PowerTeacher Pro (PTP) and Schoology Setup
It is that time again to set up your Schoology Courses! We have setup videos for K-6 Teachers and 7-12 Teachers. 7-12 Teachers you can sync it with PowerTeacher Pro Gradebook for grade passback.
Here are a couple of tutorial videos that will get you back into the swing of things and help you get started.
NEW! Schoology Lesson Planner
What is Lesson Planner?
Teachers can access the Lesson Planner tool from the left side menu in any Schoology course. This tool is a free addition to Schoology, as the company has purchased and integrated Chalk Gold and Planboard under the name "Lesson Planner." Lesson Planner is available now in Schoology.
Lesson Planner in Schoology Provides:
- A customizable digital planner that can be accessed directly from Schoology Courses
- The ability to reuse content from one year to another and shift lessons throughout the week when unexpected events occur
- Access to standards that can be aligned directly into lessons allows teachers the ability to track how often those standards are being taught
- Teachers only have access to their Lesson Plans and can choose to share them with other colleagues or substitute teachers
Check out this Lesson Planner Presentation here for how to get started!
More training on Lesson Planner coming soon to the PD Catlog for 24/25 school year.
ParentSquare Back to School Tips
Start the School Year with the Teacher Checklist
Boost parent engagement with ParentSquare! 🚀 This platform simplifies school communication, saving you time and strengthening relationships. Share updates, photos, and events effortlessly. 📸📅
To help you get started, we've included a free, downloadable checklist that outlines key steps for maximizing your ParentSquare experience. This checklist covers:
- Setting Up Your Profile & Account ✅
- Connecting with Your Class and School 🏫
- Exploring Features and Customization Options ✨
- Creating Engaging Posts and Newsletters 📰
Create Beautiful and Engaging Newsletters with Studio Editor
We are excited to introduce the Studio Editor on ParentSquare! This tool helps you create stunning newsletters easily, even without design skills.
Key Features:
- Easy to Use: Drag-and-drop interface.
- Custom Templates: Use pre-made or create your own.
- Automatic Translation: Supports over 100 languages.
- Responsive Design: Looks great on any device.
- Analytics: Track engagement with your newsletters.
Watch the video below to learn more!!
ISTA for 7-12
Internet Safety Tutorial & Agreement (ISTA) for 7-12 Grades
All students in grades 7 through 12 (except Special Ed and Language Institute students) are required to complete the ISTA. Students can complete the ISTA within their MCS App Portal listed as "ISTA for 7-12" app as shown on the left. Students may take it at school or at home. Once students complete the ISTA, they must accept the terms and conditions. If they do not click “Accept”, they will have to take the ISTA again. Students should expect to spend about 20 minutes completing the ISTA.
ISTA can be found in the MCS App Portal
2024-25 School Year Dates:
- 7/15/2024: Available for students to complete ISTA for this current school year
- 11/1/2024: Deadline for students to complete ISTA for this current school year
- Starting on 11/25/2024: for students who have not completed the ISTA, the only website they will be able to navigate to is the ISTA to complete, once completed they will be released to the Internet 20 minutes after completion of the ISTA on that day
This school year ISTA has been updated with short videos and check for understanding activities on the following topics:
- Cyberbullying
- Digital Footprint and Posting Online
- Digital Literacy Reading Online News
- Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property
- Strong Passwords
- Phishing & Online Safety
MCS App Portal Quick Cards TK-2
Elementary School Teachers can print Quick Cards from MCS App Portal for easy sign-in access for students grade TK-2
MCS Course & Grade Roadmap Website
Discover a treasure trove of educational riches at your fingertips! Dive into our digital realm, your sanctuary for all things classroom. Unearth standards, chart your course with pacing guides, and navigate curriculum maps seamlessly. Explore our website oasis; journey awaits in your app portal!
Join MCS Ed Tech Explorers and Missions
Digital Learning Academies for 24/25: MCS Ed Tech Explorers
Qualifies for 0.5% PD Incentive
We are excited to offer two different options for teachers to join Digital Learning Academies. Check out the flyers below for more details on MCS Ed Tech Explorers Leveraging AI with Schoology and Rock the Classroom & Cybersafety Mission
Leveraging AI MCS Ed Tech Explorers Fall and Spring Cohorts
Check out the flyer for this Digital Learning Academy
Fill out this interest form to join MCS Ed Tech Explorers Leveraging AI with Schoology!
Only 15 spots in Fall and 15 spots in Spring Cohorts
Rock the Classroom and Cybersafety Mission
Check out the flyer for this Digital Learning Academy
Fill out this interest form to join this mission!
Only 20 spots available.
Upcoming EdTech PD in August
Schoology Setup for Grades 7-12
Schoology is a learning management system (LMS) that has all the tools your institution needs to create engaging content, design lessons, and assess student understanding. TK-6 Grade Educators will review the Elementary Experience and 7-12 Grade Educators will review the Semester setups for the course and gradebook sync. What this course covers: - New Term - Course Archive - Set Up Grade Sync - Elementary Experience - Import materials from previous semesters - Other Tips and Tricks
Wed August 14th 3:45pm- 4:45pm
Blocksi Mastering Class Setup
Blocksi helps educators manage online distractions and promote a focused learning environment. In this course you'll learn the essential aspects of setting up classes using Blocksi. This course will cover the following topics: - Blocksi Layout and Navigation - How to create your Class Schedule - How to create Custom Classes - How to add Sub Teachers to a Class - How to set up a Seating Chart - How to enable Student Options - How to add Subs and Co-Teachers
Blocksi Managing Classes and Students
Blocksi helps educators manage online distractions and promote a focused learning environment. In this course, you'll learn the essential skills to manage classes and students in Blocksi effectively. This course will cover the following topics: - All about Groups - How to Share Teacher Screen - How to Share Student Screen - Heads-Up Mode - Messaging - Analytics and Reporting
ParentSquare Getting Started
ParentSquare is our new District approved Communication Tool for District, School Site, Teacher, Parents, and Students. In this course, you'll learn how to: - Sign in to your account - Navigate the platform - Adjust Account Settings - Create Posts, Direct Messages, and Alerts & Notices - Mobile App - StudentSquare
ParentSquare Design Engaging Newsletters with Studio Editor
This class will guide you through creating visually appealing, engaging newsletters that capture parents' attention in the new ParentSquare tool: Studio Editor. Learn to design professional-quality content quickly and easily, enhancing parent engagement and streamlining your communication process. Perfect for teachers and administrators looking to upgrade their digital outreach skills.
Nearpod: 21st Century Readiness - Vendor Led Webinar
Nearpod’s 21st Century Readiness Program provides a single solution to embed 21st century learning
into everyday instruction. Featuring ready-to-teach lessons, videos, and activities for digital citizenship,
social-emotional learning, college & career readiness, and financial literacy.
Introducing the MCS EdTech Dept at IETS
NEW! EdTech Coach
The Educational Technology Department of Modesto City Schools believes that in order to be successful in the 21st century workplace, all students, teachers and staff must acquire technology literacy as a means of accessing, processing, evaluating, synthesizing, and disseminating information efficiently and effectively.
We strive to empower all learners with intentional use of technology including engaging, extending, and enhancing student learning in the classroom with technology tools. This includes aligning to the Instructional Core, ISTE Standards, and the 4Cs with collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity.
Our department was awarded the ISTE Distinguished District Award in 2022 for the MCS Ed Tech Explorers Program!
The Ed Tech Dept also supports Esports in our district. We have a 3rd-12th grade program at all of our schools with our Student Support Services Expanded Learning partnership. Find out more at http://mcsedtech.com/esports
Meet the Team
- Matthew Ketchum, Director III, Educational Technology
- Rachel Johnson, PK-12 Educational Technology Coach
- Alexandra Hancock, Instructional Technology Trainer
- Angela Gama, Instructional Technology Trainer
- Armando Arviso, Instructional Technology Technician
Resources
Tech Help Center Websites
Teacher & Staff Tech Help Center
Ed Tech Services
Bits and Bytes published six times a year: August 7th (Back to School Edition), October 15th (Fall Edition), December 3rd (Special Edition December Semester Change 7-12), January 21st (Winter Edition), March 25th (Spring Edition), and May 20th (Summer Edition), Archived Issues