Schoology LockDown Browser - updated and now possible while video conferencing!

LockDown Browser locks down the testing environment within Schoology until the test is submitted for grading. It blocks access to other applications and websites during exams. Students cannot copy, print, or take screen captures with LockDown Browser. This feature works for both Test/Quiz (green puzzle piece) and Assessment (blue puzzle piece) in Schoology. It updated this 21-22 school year. Here is documentation on how to set up and implement Schoology LockDown Browser while testing.

New this school year - and what many of you have been requesting - LockDown Browser in Schoology is now possible during video conferencing! (For both, Zoom and Google Meet.) Be sure to read through the entire document thoroughly. It is highly recommended to practice these procedures with your virtual students before the real exam. As with any new updates, you may encounter some live troubleshooting issues that you will need to problem-solve.

Parent University

 

Are you interested in learning more about the online platforms that Parkway is using with students during distance and virtual learning? 

Parent University is a course created in Schoology, our district Learning Management System, that has information about Schoology, Google for Education, videoconferencing, and digital citizenship. Within the course you will find information that will help you understand the tools students use as well as opportunities for you to experience the tools from the student perspective. The goal of the course is to support you in feeling confident that you can help your child(ren) with online learning in Parkway. While you are welcome to explore the materials in any order, it would be beneficial to work through the Schoology folder first to learn how to interact with tools you will encounter in other folders. Follow these directions to enroll in the Parkway Parent University Schoology Course! Be sure to scroll down to page 2.

Written By: Elegan Kramer

Zoom Tips

The new 2 Tips From Teachers has tips for using Zoom.

Tip #1 -Sharing a portion of your screen in Zoom (submitted by Samantha Stout at Wren Hollow)

Tip #2- Breakout Rooms- Talk & Type strategy (submitted by Monica Dickens at South High) - help provides equity with participation

Digital Choice Rooms

Written and recorded by Kristen Harms// posted by Elegan

• Choose a topic or focus on all of the rooms.

• Design activities for each room.

• teacher led

• outside websites

• quiet working room

• Introduce the stations and review the procedures:

• What is expected?  How many students can be at a station at any one time? What does a student do when s/he completes a station? 

• Remind students periodically of remaining time.   Close activities with small group discussions. Try two broad guiding questions for the discussions: what did you learn and how does it connect to the broad topic? This is where we start to make connections to the big ideas. The discussion time is also an opportunity for students to discover other rooms. Students share what they did and learned with each other. 

Video Conference Zoom Chat Strategy: Waterfall Response

Get students engaged with the Zoom chat by using the waterfall response strategy. Here are the directions:

1. Split your class into 2 groups.

2. Read the question or prompt. Students in Group 1 type an individual response into the chat, BUT DO NOT SEND.

3. Group 1 students release his/her response when instructed by the teacher. (“on the count of 3.”)

4. You will see a waterfall of chat where everyone’s responses come in at the same time. Allow time to read.

5. Now ask Group 2 to review the responses and publicly comment, BUT DO NOT SEND until the teacher says so. (“on the count of 3.”)

6. Allow time to read the waterfall.

7. Debrief. Follow-up if necessary and as appropriate.

8. Switch roles with a different question or prompt.

Benefits to this strategy: By delaying when students release their responses, all students can participate during Zoom and not feel pressured to follow-up on the latest comment or remark in the Zoom chat. Even if students have similar remarks or comments, the individual students still have ownership of his or her response and he or she feels engaged in the class.

 

Be sure to ask questions that foster conversation as opposed to questions that kill conversations (e.g., Should the US have entered into World War 2? vs. When did the US enter World War 2?)

Here is a Google Slides view-only waterfall template to help you get started. The first slide has directions for the waterfall strategy with space for students' names. The following slides have space to insert a question and sentence starters to help students get started with the conversations. If you are interested in using this template, please go to File and Make a Copy.

Extra tip: If you’re monitoring and reviewing participation later, quickly save the Zoom chat by clicking on the ellipsis button in the Zoom chat and select Save Chat. This will save as a text document file, most likely under Documents > Zoom > folder of meeting date.

Zoom Game and Tip

 

Zoom Video Conferencing Game

Have students in class pass a stuffed animal (or pencil) in Zoom. This is a fun community-building activity that encourages everyone in the class to turn on their cameras and to work together. Or have students create a Zoom profile image of them passing an object. You can time it to make it competitive or to see if the class improves with practice. To do this, rearrange the videos in Zoom and then turn on “Follow Host’s Video Order.” For the best results, everyone should uncheck “Mirror my video” under video settings. Otherwise, everyone passes things the wrong way.

1. How to Rearrange the videos? Simply click and drag the videos to the position you want them in the Gallery view, and this will stay in place until released.

2. Turn on Follow Host’s Video Order As the host, in the top right, click View and then click Follow Host’s Video Order. The participants will see the videos displayed in the same order as you the host. (video instructions)

   

3. Uncheck “Mirror my video” To do this, go to the gear of the Zoom app, choose Video and uncheck “Mirror my video.” Parents may need to help younger students with this setting. (video instructions)

 

Zoom - Share a “Portion of Screen”

This tip is from Joey Kneer, Assistant Principal from Henry Elementary School - Thanks Joey!

 

You can now share only a "portion" of your screen to make things larger for the viewer or to focus the viewer's attention.

 

You go to screen share as you normally would and then click on advanced.  Click the icon for "Portion of Screen."  A green box will appear.  You can drag and resize this throughout the zoom for whatever you wish the viewer to see.

 

Annotating Google Slides in Zoom

This tip is from Alicia Kilpatrick at Wren Hallow/Elementary Virtual Campus - posted by Elegan Kramer

Are you curious about using the Zoom annotation and the snipping tool to save? Watch this 2-minute video to learn more!

Document Sharing with Sphere

This tip is from Charlie Cutelli and Lauren Reusch from Parkway West High/ edited and posted by Elegan Kramer

If you’re still fumbling around with sharing your (AverMedia) document camera during Zoom, you can use the program Sphere to make the transition smoother. This may be especially helpful if you’re teaching in-person and videoconferenced students simultaneously. 

The advantages of using the Sphere program are:

• it streamlines the transition to sharing the document camera

• the camera’s field of view is much larger, and 

• it is also much easier to zoom in and zoom out.

Here is Charlie’s 1-minute video highlighting the difference between Zoom’s Advanced settings and Sphere.

If you are interested in using Sphere, here is the version of Sphere that Lauren Reusch recommended to her teachers: https://averusa.com/education/support/sphere