Canvas - Why aren't my grades syncing to ProgressBook?

 

Canvas

Why aren't my grades syncing to ProgressBook?

Created by Scott Aten, January 26, 2021

Since our transition to Canvas in Q3, one of the most common questions I get is "Why aren't my grades syncing to ProgressBook?". I thought it might be helpful for you all to see the steps I go through to figure out why this is the case. Here is what I do...

1) I login as the teacher and go into the course in Canvas that is not working correctly.

2) I click "Assignments" from the left menu - This screen has a lot of good info. It shows...

• all my assignments (Using the filter at the top I can see them by quarter)
• what assignment type each assignment is in (practice or achievement)
• if an assignment is set to sync to ProgressBook
• due dates and points
• if the assignment is published

3) The first thing I check: Did the teacher import the assignment types from ProgressBook. If they did import from PB the assignment type will have this icon after the name

If you don't have the icon as shown above, then you will need to import the assignment groups. This video shows how to do it. Once the assignment types are in Canvas, the teacher will need to move all the assignments into one of these assignment types. Assignment weights will also need to be added. Once finished run your grade sync again and they assignments and grades should come over to ProgressBook succesfully.

4) Next I check to see if the assignments are set to sync to ProgressBook. Assignments set to sync will will have this icon

If you want an assignment to sync and it has the black circle with an x, simply click the black x
 and it will become the green check and sync next time you run the sync to sis.

5) The next thing I look for is assignments in another category other than Achievement or Practice.  This often happens if a teacher imported an assignment from another course, another teacher's course or their sandbox.

This assignment needs to be moved into one of the ProgressBook assignment types that were imported into Canvas.  Any assignments set to sync that are not in Achievement or Practice will cause an error.  Imported Assignments is just one example.  Once this assignment is moved, run the sync again and the assignment will sync with no errors.

Hopefully these tips will help you sync to ProgressBook with fewer issues.

Please keep in mind if you ever need to schedule me for a 1-1 help session, these can be scheduled using this link.

[Green Technology Training Center]

[Click here to go to the YouTube Channel]

For more helpful information and the archive of previous posts, look for items in the menu to the left.

Green Local Schools

Tech Integration Team

Canvas Tips - Create a Paper/Pencil Assignment

 

Canvas

Canvas Create a Paper/Pencil Assignment.

Created by Scott Aten, January 22, 2021

This is my first post in quite awhile. We have all been working extra hard to make the school year possible. With the adoption of Canvas, it seems to make sense to me that my future posts should center on tips on how
to get the most out of Canvas.  So this first article will deal with posting an assignment in Canvas that
will be done by the students paper/pencil.

For many of you, your classes are a mix of online and in-person students or just a full class of in-person students.  As a result you still may want to give an assignment that students will do their work in a more
traditional manner, meaning they will not turn something in digitally through Canvas.  In order to get a column in the Canvas gradebook, you must create an assignment.  So what do you do when the assignment is a paper assignment?  This short video will walk you through the steps in setting up this type of assignment in Canvas.

Hopefully this will get you going posting some traditional assignments in Canvas.

Please keep in mind if you ever need to schedule me for a 1-1 help session, these can be scheduled using this link.

[Green Technology Training Center]

[Click here to go to the YouTube Channel]

For more helpful information and the archive of previous posts, look for items in the menu to the left.

Green Local Schools

Tech Integration Team

Online Whiteboad Tool for Any Grade and Any Content Area

Whiteboard.fi

Online whiteboard tool for teachers and students.

Created by Scott Aten, May 15, 2020

Well this year certenly did not end like we thought it was going to end. Remote Learning has been quite an adventure for all of us. One request I heard a lot during the past few weeks was a way for a class to replicate students using a white board and marker. I have to give Kourtney Groholy credit for finding this amazing tool - whiteboard.fi. This free whiteboard tool has the potential to solve a lot of the student participation problems I heard during remote learning. Watch their shot promo video to see an explanation of how it works.

I see this tool being used in just about any content area and just about any grade level. Can easily be used as a part of your next Google Meet live session. If you have a chance to use it during the last week of Remote Learning, I would love to hear how it went.


Hang in there we are almost at the finish line!

[Green Google Training Center]

[Click here to go to the YouTube Channel]

For more helpful information and the archive of previous posts, look for items in the menu to the left.

Green Local Schools

Tech Integration Team

Using Kami with Remote Learning

Using Kami

Annotate right on top of your PDF assignments.

Created by Scott Aten, March 24, 2020

I know we are on Spring Break, but I wanted to get this to you in the event that you are working/planning things for next week when we begin "Remote Learning".  Kami has been an app/extension that we have been using in the district for several years.  I have done various trainings on it in the past and I know many of you use it.  To put it in simple terms, Kami allows both staff and students to annotate on top of PDF documents.  As a result of being off school, the creators of Kami are making the full version of their tool available till July.  With this in mind, I have prepared some lessons on how you can use Kami with your students..

The lessons include:

Setting Up a Kami Assignment - In this video you will see how to add the Kami extension, how to record your directions for the assignment directly on the PDF document, and how to assign the PDF directly through Google Classroom.

The Student View of a Kami Assignment - In this video you will see the assignment given in part one from the perspective of the student.  In the assignment the student uses the text to speech tool, the dictionary tool, the highlighter tool, and the drawing tools to complete the work.  You will also see the student turning in the work to Google Classroom.

Grading a Kami Assignment - Continuing with the same sample assignment, this video shows how the teacher can grade the Kami assignment in Google Classroom and use many of the Kami tools.  This demonstration includes how a teacher can essentially use a "red pen" to mark on a student's assignment, provide a recorded comment, and add a text box message directly on the students work.  Finally, I demonstrate how to return this work to the student allowing them to see all the notations you added to their assignment.

More Kami Tools - this final video shows how some of the additional tools can be used in assignments.  The Equation Tool is great for math, science, and music.  The drawing tools are shown in a math lesson.  The insert image tool is used for a Social Studies type activity.  MATH, SCIENCE, MUSIC

Great Google Classroom integration - Check it out!

I added all of this information on the Remote Learning part of the Green Google Training Center, so you don't need this email to find it in the future.

[Green Google Training Center]

[Click here to go to the YouTube Channel]

For more helpful information and the archive of previous posts, look for items in the menu to the left.

Green Local Schools

Tech Integration Team

Chromebook Accessibility

Ensuring all students have the opportunity to participate in digital content.

Created by Scott Aten, February 27, 2020

I recently participated in a webinar with a team of Google Program Managers for Chrome OS that focused on accessibility features that come on all of our Chromebooks. I learned a lot from this webinar and wanted to be sure to share it with you. We are all responsible for educating a wide range of learners. There are times we may provide digital content to some students who will have difficulty accessing it and that is where these features can make a difference. It will serve all teachers to be aware of these features and how to help students access them.

I am going to break down what I saw in the presentation and I am also going to provide you with the link to the webinar in the event you would like to watch it for yourself and see everything demonstrated.

Many of the features will require the Accessibility Features to be turned on. Here is how you turn them on:

• Turn on Accessibility features of a Chromebook
• Click the status tray (the clock area in the lower left corner)
• Click the settings button (the gear)
• Click Advanced
• Click Accessibility
• Toggle On

Making things Easier to See

• Increase the size of browser content - just the browser, the desktop is unaffected
• Zoom-In (ctrl + plus key)
• Zoom-out (ctrl + minus key)
• Reset (ctrl + 0)
• Full Screen Magnifier - Zooms everything in
• TAB Key can help you toggle to different parts of the screen
• ctrl + alt + increase brightness button - zoom out
• ctrl + alt + decrease brightness button - zoom in
  
• Docked Magnifier - splits the screen to allow you to magnify an area, but still see everything in normal size at the same time.
• Adjustable Mouse Cursor - makes the mouse cursor larger and easier to see.
• Click on the status tray (clock)
• Click the settings button (gear)
• Click Accessibility
• Mouse and Touch pad
• Toggle on the "Show large mouse cursor"
• Adjust the size with the slider
• Highlight - Three options to help bring focus to where a student is working
• Text Caret - visual clue of where you are on the page. Appears blue but disappears after a few seconds.
• Move Cursor - Puts a red circle around the mouse to help you see where it is at.
• Object with Keyboard Focus - Puts a box around where to type and then disappears
• High Contrast - Inverts the colors of the screen for students with light sensitivity.
• ctrl + search button (magnifying glass) + H will toggle on and off
  

Features for Improved Motor Interactions

• Easy Dictation - allows students to speak what they want typed in any editable area or search box.
• When turned on you will see a microphone in the lower left portion of the Chromebook screen
• Click the Mic icon OR search button + D to activate
• On Screen Keyboard/Hand Writing Mode - can be used if students have difficulty using the keyboard. This will allow them to click the letters they want to type using the touch pad or a mouse.
• Automatic Clicks - if students have trouble using the touch pad to left click, right click, double click, etc
• Sticky Keys - can be set to replace multi button key sequences (i.e. Shift plus a letter to make capitals)

Captions and Making Content Easier to Hear

• Mono Audio - For students with limited hearing in one ear, this will make both headphone speakers play the same sound. Eliminates what they may miss in stereo mode.
• Captions - use the closed captions feature of Google Slides. Will display what you say as you speak when presenting a Google Slides presentation.
• Select to Speak - Built in read aloud tool. - DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!
• Once turned on the student can press search button + click and drag a box around what they want read allowed. Works on Google Form Quizzes in locked mode as well.
• For students that are English Language Learners - they can switch the language to their native language and use it to translate speak the English text in their native language.

There is a lot of good tools listed here. If you have students that have visual, fine motor, or hearing issue, then many of these FREE features could help them access the content you have been assigning.

Watch my presentation to see these tools in action.

[Green Google Training Center]

[Click here to go to the YouTube Channel]

For more helpful information and the archive of previous posts, look for items in the menu to the left.

Green Local Schools

Tech Integration Team