What is Google My Maps? Google My Maps is a tool that allows you to utilize Google Maps data to create customized maps that include locations, descriptions, and images.  Why use it? My Maps allows students to demonstrate their learning and research in a visual way. Students can use it to create a map of important locations in a social studies class ...

What is it? Grade Guardian is a service used to monitor and support students academically within Canvas. Grade Guardian is only available to Shakopee staff for grades 6-12 and is not available for students or parents. Using analytics for each course a student is enrolled in, Grade Guardian sorts and color-codes students based on their academic perfo...

By default, when you enter a grade for an assignment, quiz, or discussion in Canvas, students will immediately be able to see the grade they earned as well as any teachers comments and SpeedGrader feedback. But, sometimes you want to wait until you have students in front of you so they can see their scores at the same time or perhaps you have a larg...

This article is intended for high school science teachers using HMH's Ed Linking Tool with Canvas. This page will be updated with future features.  It is recommended that you use it in the following way: Linkable content, such as the e-book should be linked in a Page, Assignment, or Modules.  Use the quizzes in your PLC course rather than using the ...

Can you update? Staff can update to iPadOS 15 now from the Settings app. Students will need to wait a few weeks before they can update to iPadOS 15. Before diving into all the latest and greatest features of iPadOS 15, I wanted to take a second to highlight the importance of using your iPad for instructional activities, even if you prefer to use you...

What are Royalty-Free Images and Videos? Royalty-free images and videos are media that you can use for class projects. It gives you the freedom to share your work freely on the Internet as an original creation, assuming you follow the required attribution of the source. Most of the sources listed below simply required that you give credit to the cre...

What is LockDown Browser? Respondus LockDown Browser is an application that can be used to for quizzes in Canvas. It allows the teacher to require that students open and use LockDown Browser on an iPad, MacBook, or Chromebook. When students use LockDown Browser, they cannot open other applications, take screenshots, copy/paste, or get to other parts...

What is Royalty-Free Music? Royalty-free music is music that you can use for class projects. It gives you the freedom to share your work freely on the Internet as an original creation, assuming you follow the required attribution of the source. Most of the sources listed below simply required that you give credit to the creator of the song used simi...

If a Connected Learning Day is announced by the district, secondary teachers should create and post an independent assignment in Canvas for students to complete.  Before a CoLD Day 1. Find your CoLD Home Page. By default, you should already have the CoLD Home Page template in your courses. Click on Pages>All Pages to find it.  2. Edit your CoLD H...

If a student was automatically dropped from your Canvas course because of a schedule change, you can still view the grades they received on all assignments.  Click on People Click on the 3 dots in the upper right Click on View Prior Enrollments You'll see a list of students. Click on a student's grade percentage to see all their grades....

To prepare for the possibility of Distance Learning, secondary teachers have two items they will want to complete in advance. Teachers should import the NEW Home Page Template and setup their Google Meets in the methods described below.  Written Directions - Template Setup 1. Go to Canvas Commons and import one of the home page templates pictured be...

What is Freeform? Freeform is a collaborative whiteboarding app that works on iPads (16.2 or higher) and MacBooks (13.1 Ventura). You can add images, text, sticky notes, shapes, icons, and even documents to a board and then share it and collaborate live with anyone. Freeform could be used by students to work together in brainstorming on a topic, sol...

In April 2023, I wrote a blog post about Artificial Intelligence. Most of what I wrote in that post still rings true to this day and is a good starting point for examining AI in education. If you haven’t read that post, I would encourage you to start there.   Ready for more? Here we go!   Our students are using Artificial Intelligence in their every...

There are quite a few great Canvas updates this month! You can view the detailed run-down for all updates in the Canvas Release Notes. Below are the highlights and some videos and screenshots of our favorite updates. Default Due Time for Assignments When you create a due date for an Assignment or Quiz, it defaults to 11:59pm. If you want your due da...

What is Gimkit? Gimkit is a tool that allows teachers to use a set of questions to create a game. Students participate solo or in teams to accumulate money and players with the most money win. These games can be done live in class, online remotely, or as homework. As they answer questions correctly, they earn money that they can then use to purchase...

This blog post serves as an introduction to Artificial Intelligence. You can read more about ways to use AI in the classroom in our next blog post here .    Every so often, a new innovation or invention comes along promising to change the world. By extension, these new tools or devices will REVOLUTIONIZE EDUCATION. It was once suggested that the rad...

What is Natural Reader? Natural Reader is a website, app, and Chrome extension that allows students and staff to have documents read out loud. It also can display closed captions that highlight the words as they are spoken and those captions can even be displayed in a dyslexia font. The documents can be pictures taken within the app or they can be i...

Canvas has periodic updates throughout the school year and some of them are easy to miss. Below are a few highlights of features that hopefully will make using Canvas easier and save you time in the grading process. If you are curious to learn more about Canvas updates, check out their Release Notes page and check out their Product Roadmap to see wh...

Vernier LabQuest Streams are devices that allow you to collect data using an anemometer, barometer, and other probes. Select the device below that your students will be using to collect data for experiments for detailed directions. iPad Directions 1. Download the Vernier Graphical Analysis GW app from Self Service. 2. Open the app and tap on the + t...

Tools for Live Instruction: These tools are great to use during live instruction, especially during focus lessons. These tools allow you to introduce topics, gain formative data, and monitor student progress live in-the-moment.  Tool Name General Description Links to Resources Premium Features? Lumio Lumio allows you as the teacher to display your G...

Below is a list of recommended tools. They have been vetted by the technology department and any Google or Microsoft Sign-ins have been enabled. Many of these tools are changing rapidly and adding paid/premium features. The district does not currently pay for any of these tools and likely will hold off until AI tools become more established. There a...

What is Google Earth? Google Earth is a 3D representation of our planet that allows students and staff to explore the entire planet, learn about other cultures and geography, and see how that compares to the communities they live in. Why use it? Google Earth has a ton of great resources to learn more about places around the world. The Voyager featur...

Every single teacher grades K through 8 has their very own iPad to use. In order to make the most out of these devices, let’s examine some ways that you as the teacher can be using your iPad each day with your students. 1. Model: Remember "I do" before "you do." As with Gradual Release of Responsibility, the first time you do something on your iPad ...

What are Google Assignments in Canvas? The Google Assignments feature in Canvas is a method for creating assignments in Canvas using Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Using it will automatically create a copy of whatever document you want students to have. They can edit the document in Google Drive and the teacher can view and comment on their work in-progr...

What are Seesaw Messages? Seesaw Messages is a new feature of Seesaw that upgrades the Announcements function of Seesaw and adds the ability for staff, students, and connected families to communicate more easily. You can send an Announcement, which is a one-way communication with your class(es) or you can create a Group Chat, which allows everyone t...

What is Lumio? Lumio (formerly SMART Learning Suite Online) is a tool that teachers can use to create interactive digital lessons. Teachers can import their existing SMART notebook files, PDFs, PPTs, and even Google Slides to a Lumio presentation and then add activities for students to complete from their own device. There are also templates and rea...

Canvas and Google, like most edtech companies, continue to evolve and update over time. Often these changes are small and incremental, though occasionally they can have a large impact on how we do processes on a daily basis. During the summer of 2022, the "old" Google Drive integration with Canvas will be disabled and staff will only have access to ...

What is Clever? Clever is a program that syncs data between Infinite Campus and other educational tools to create accounts for students and staff. It can be used in elementary classrooms to access tools such as Benchmark Universe, Xtra Math and BrainPop. Additionally, younger students can use Clever Badges to make signing in easier. Each student has...