• Modesto Student Analytics (MSA) App Name Change in MCS App Portal on 1/22/25
• MOSIS to PowerSchool for Teachers Quick Tips
• NEW PowerSchool PowerBuddy Tool
  
• In Performance Matters for Teachers
• In Schoology for Teachers
• In Schoology for Students
• NEW ParentSquare Features
• Posts: Rewrite Feature
• Studio Editor: Auto-Generated Alt Text for Images
• Turnitin Grammar Update
• Quizizz New Feature: Collaborative Assessments
• Padlet New Features: Video Discussions and Whiteboard Sandbox
• HDTDT Live Recaps: Nov Topic AI / Dec Topic Computer Science
  
• Ed Tech January PD

On January 22, "PowerSchool Student Analytics (MSA)" will be renamed to "Modesto Student Analytics MSA (PowerSchool)" in the MCS App Portal.

This name change:

• Makes the tool easier to find when searching

• Does not affect any functionality

• Better reflects our local implementation

Modesto Student Analytics remains your key resource for supporting student success.

Learn how to transition from MOSIS to PowerSchool with our quick tip video and handout! Discover how to search for student information in Modesto Student Analytics, including profiles, attendance, behavior, and academic data. Get helpful tips for using PowerSchool to access class rosters and student demographic details. Don’t miss the video and handout for more guidance!

Video

Handout

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming education, creating exciting opportunities to enhance teaching and support students. Modesto City Schools is proud to leverage AI responsibly with PowerBuddy by PowerSchool, a versatile tool designed to streamline teaching tasks and boost student engagement.

PowerBuddy AI integrates seamlessly into PowerSchool's Schoology, and Performance Matters, revolutionizing how teachers and students engage with learning tools. For teachers, it simplifies creating assignments, discussions, and assessments, offering data-driven insights to track performance. For students, it provides personalized tutoring, research, and support, enhancing engagement and success. With PowerBuddy AI, education becomes smarter, more efficient, and tailored to every learner's needs.

Additionally, we’re excited to announce the launch of our new PowerBuddy AI website! Visit https://mcsedtech.com/powerbuddyai to explore resources, guides, and updates on how PowerBuddy is revolutionizing education.

For teachers looking to simplify the creation of assessment items, PowerBuddy is seamlessly integrated into Performance Matters. With just a few clicks, educators can:

1. Generate multiple-choice items tailored to specific grade levels, languages, and standards.
2. Provide feedback on generated items, helping to continuously improve the tool’s output.
3. Save and review items before integrating them into new or existing assessments.

This tool not only saves time but also ensures alignment with state and district standards, allowing educators to focus on student learning.

PowerBuddy is a game-changer for managing assignments and discussions in Schoology. Teachers can generate materials such as worksheets, discussion prompts, and classroom activities with ease. Here’s how it works:

• Assignment Creation: Teachers can create assignments directly within Schoology by activating PowerBuddy. The AI generates engaging and standards-aligned materials tailored to the needs of the class.
• Discussion Integration: Create thought-provoking discussion topics or scaffold questions to promote critical thinking.
• Customizable Content: All generated content can be edited and refined, ensuring alignment with educational goals and classroom context.

By following the “80-20 rule,” educators can let PowerBuddy handle the bulk of content creation while refining the final product for accuracy and relevance.

PowerBuddy is also available as a resource for students, helping them overcome challenges and engage more deeply with their assignments as a tutor. Teachers choose which assignments to allow PowerBuddy on for students. Here’s what it offers:

• Guided Support: Students can access PowerBuddy on activated assignments to ask questions, receive instructions, and explore additional questions to deepen their understanding.
• Safe Interactions: Teachers can monitor Student PowerBuddy Chat Logs to ensure safe and constructive usage. Flagged comments are reviewed following existing school protocols.
• Grading Groups: PowerBuddy can be enabled for specific groups of students, tailoring support to those who need it most.

With PowerBuddy, students have the tools to explore topics, ask meaningful questions, and build confidence in their learning journey.

Jumpstart your ideas with PowerBuddy

• 3rd-6th Grade Students Tips and Prompts
• 7th-12th Grade Students Tips and Prompts

ParentSquare’s AI-powered rewrite tool helps you write clear, readable, and easily translated posts for everyone in your community.

• Make your post easier to translate
  Keep sentences short and to the point, use active voice, check for slang and idioms, eliminate abbreviations, and use the same words consistently.
• Make your post easier to understand
  Adjust the reading level of your content to an 8th-grade reading level.
• Check spelling and grammar
  Review the text for any errors in spelling and grammar, and make the necessary corrections.

Check out the video below to learn how to use this new tool! 👌

This feature empowers admins and educators to enhance inclusion effortlessly, ensuring every post meets compliance standards with minimal effort.

In case you missed it, Studio Editor is a powerful newsletter tool that lets you create engaging, beautifully designed posts, right in ParentSquare. With Studio Editor, any administrator or educator can build newsletters customized for their students, families, and community—no design background or technical expertise required.

When you add an image or video to a Studio Editor post, you are required to add alt text to describe the image. Let ParentSquare AI generate the alt text for you.

After you add the image, click in the Image Alt Text box, then click Generate AI suggestion.

While ParentSquate has fine-tuned this tool, content generated by AI may be inaccurate, so please confirm that your chosen text is appropriate before accepting it.

Turnitin made the unfortunate announcement that they no longer support the ETS grammar check due to their partner no longer supporting the tool. Since this tool was provided by another company, Turnitin didn't have a choice in the matter. Please read below to learn more.

Since teachers do not have access to the grammar check in Turnitin, we have a couple of options we recommend. For our 7-12 teachers, your students can use Draft Coach on their Google docs to get feedback on grammar, spelling, tone, and more. Draft Coach is a great way to put the work back on the students, so they can ensure their submissions is ready to go! Check out the video below!

All of our 9-12 teachers have access to Writable to create and grade writing assignments. Writable includes an AI check and a grammar rating tool, so teachers get great information right of the bat. Check out the video below to see how to use Writable in Schoology.

Collaborating on Quizizz has just gotten easier with Teams. Creating a Team enables you to quickly share Assessments/Quizzes and Lessons with your fellow teachers. A Team on Quizizz provides a common repository for you and your collaborators to share, store, and access useful resources.

You can create unlimited Teams and add as many teachers as you would like from your school or district. Any of the Assessments/Quizzes and Lessons you share with the Team will be directly accessible to other collaborators. Your Team members can also share Assessments/Quizzes and Lessons with the team and add other collaborators.

Click here to find out how to setup your team in Quizizz.

Did you know that you can have video discussions in Padlet? Padlet even offers video filters, AR backgrounds, and more! Plus, you can restrict certain features to ensure your class is on task. Check out the video below on how to use the video features in Padlet.

Padlet has a new feature called Sandbox. Sandbox is a great place to collaborate. It's a flexible digital canvas, much like a whiteboard. Check out the video below to see how it works!

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

Tues Jan 28th 3:45PM-4:45PM - Registration link

Resource: Schoology Tech Help Center Webpage

This 1-hour course is designed for K-12 teachers and classified staff, providing hands-on experience with Excel Pivot Tables. Attendees will learn how to analyze data more efficiently, create custom reports, and uncover insights to enhance decision-making processes in educational settings.

Wed Jan 30th 3:45PM-4:45PM - Registration link

Resource: Microsoft Tech Help Center Webpage

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.

Tues Feb 11th 3:45PM-4:45PM - Registration link

Resource: ParentSquare Tech Help Center Webpage

Discover how to streamline the creation of standards-aligned digital rubrics with MagicSchool and Schoology. This hands-on session will show educators how to use MagicSchool to design rubrics that support instructional goals, foster collaboration during PLCs, and enhance student feedback.

EARLY START

Thurs Jan 30th 7:00AM-8:00AM - Registration link

Resource: AI @MCS Tech Help Center Webpage

Join our upcoming professional development course tailored for classroom teachers to explore Quizizz's latest features for 2025. Learn how to create and manage teams within Quizizz, enabling seamless collaboration and resource sharing among educators. Discover how to build a common repository for assessments and lessons, enhancing instructional strategies and fostering a cohesive teaching environment. By the end of this course, you'll be equipped to utilize these new tools to streamline your teaching workflow and enrich your students' learning experiences.

Wed Feb 12th 3:45PM-4:45PM - Registration link

Resource: Quizizz Tech Help Center Webpage

Bits and Bytes will be 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