Apple Classroom - Getting started

Apple Classroom is a nice classroom engagement tool that can benefit our students and teachers.  Classroom can keep learning moving forward with quick collaboration between teacher and students and should be used to support building relationships in lesson delivery. This is a teacher app that is available on both laptop and iPad. This is NOT Apple's version of Google Classroom.  They serve different functions.

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The Classroom app is only needed on the teacher's device.	Teachers can create many classes.  Use a naming scheme appropriate for the class.
Student iPads will need to be turned on and within Bluetooth range - basically, that means they need to all be in the same room, and not on Guest wi-fi Tap on 'Invite Students' to build your roster. Students will need to enter the 4-digit code shown at the bottom of the invitation screen As your roster is populated, tap Add in the upper right corner to Accept them into your class. This may be done multiple times to build your roster.	On a Student iPad (or laptop) Students need to open Settings and tap on the Classroom icon located on the left side. Students will then tap on your class name to 'request' to be added.
Tasks: With just a couple taps, a teacher can show student work on the screen at the front of the classroom with View Screen.  Their permission should be requested first. With just a couple taps, a teacher can Open an application or Navigate to a website on one or all student devices in the class  Mute will close out all current applications Lock should be used very minimally

	Big Notes: Once added, students will not be able to remove themselves from your class.  However, you can remove them as needed.  All students should be removed by the teacher at the end of the course. Classroom connects via Bluetooth on devices within 30 feet or so.  It will not connect to student devices beyond that range.
	Please reach out as you have questions about how to use this resource with effective teaching strategies.

This is a re-post from 9-30-2020

Swank Digital Streaming

Grinnell-Newburg schools purchased a movie streaming platform subscription service called Swank, giving classrooms access to feature length movies with appropriate licensing for classroom use.

Teachers can play movies during instructional time or provide a viewing link for students to watch outside of class.  It can mean just a single scene or the entire show, whatever works for your classroom.  There are no ads and finishing one video does not link you into another.  The interface is similar to what most are used to with Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and more.

Swank is district-managed, so there is no need to connect a personal account for a service you use at home.  Use the Search tab to view Licensed Content already available for you, the Swank Catalog for items you can request access to, Newly Available, and Content Spotlight.

You can submit requests for additional titles that your principal can approve through your teacher portal.  Please allow a couple days for approval.

Click here log in and get started in your teacher account.  Log in with your school Google credentials.

Click Here to download the complete Teacher Guide, which includes directions on how to share and present videos in your classroom or assign for student devices.  This will be downloaded on your device as a pdf file.

Please let me know as you have questions about your Swank Digital Streaming platform.

Google Classroom - New features for 2024

 There are a number of additional new features now available in Google Classroom.
This is a result of the district's recent Google Workspace for Education plus subscription.

Here is a quick overview:

	A new Resources tab is available for practice and reference items for your class.  This may be handy for formative assesments, can be available across your classes, and may be shared with other instructors. The Analytics tab can give you a measure of student engagement in the time spent working on assigned activities.
	Continuity of coursework has often been a challenge with changes in teaching staff.  Any teacher can now use the Share Classwork button to provide the next instructor with classroom assignments and resources.
	Grading periods and Grading scales may be set to mirror what is in Infinite Campus. This may be handy if you use the same Google Classroom throughout the school year.
	Infinite Campus marks any 'missing' assignment as a zero.  In Google Classroom, you are allowed to change that setting if you would like. The grade calculations in Google Classroom can now be matched to Infinite Campus, too, with assigned categories.  If you do not use Google Classroom for all of your assignment scores, you may not want to use this feature - it could mean that a letter grade shown in Infinite Campus is different that in Google Classroom.

Our Google Classroom rosters are synced daily with Infinite Campus, but assignment scores are not (yet).  Keep this in mind as you build out your classes.

A part of our classroom routine includes building good communication with our students and their families.  We can tie our Google Classrooms to the new Rooms feature that rolled out in fall, 2024.  Families can get buried in the alert notices sent by email regarding class assignments.  This gets cleaned up a lot in Rooms.

Teachers may update their Rooms Settings beginning at this link.

Please note the settings changes in the image shown below.

Here is link to my last blog post, with a couple other recent updates with Google Classroom.