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...

Dropped Student Issue: Sept. 3rd-Oct. 11th 2024 Issue Students dropped from a Canvas course between Sept. 3rd and Oct. 11th, 2024 will not appear in your courses. All grading information in the gradebook cannot be recovered. The only recourse we have is to use the Bulk Progress Report download while also using the "Archives" function to get a Grade ...

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 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 is StudyMate? StudyMate is a tool that students and teachers can use to create flashcards and review games. It is fully integrated with Canvas. Teachers and students can create “projects” that include facts, definitions, and/or questions to be included in the review games. Any teacher-created set created in a course is available for students to...

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...

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...

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...

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 MagicSchool AI? MagicSchool AI has been adopted by Shakopee Public Schools for the 2024-2025 School Year. It contains a library of AI-powered tools that educators can use to save time on administrative tasks as well as enhance instruction in their classrooms. Educators can also create “rooms” for students to utilize tools within the platform...

Logitech Crayons are an iPad stylus that is similar to an Apple Pencil. It allows you to write more easily on many common apps used in the classroom. Teachers can request one via a Help Desk Ticket. Key Features: Can be used to write in apps such as Notes, Notability, Seesaw, and Safari Can be used to navigate their iPad just like your finger 7.5 ho...

Secondary teachers: Follow these directions to prepare for a Connected Learning Day. In the event of a CoLD day, post an announcement in Canvas including directions for students. Follow the steps below. Be sure to watch the video instructions! Before a CoLD Day 1. Find your CoLD Home Page. By default, you should already have the CoLD Home Page templ...

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...

Having been a technology integrationist for over a decade now, I have seen the rise and fall of many different tools and platforms. Whether it's a restrictive paywall, being bought out by a mega corporation, or simply going away, all we can do is adjust and find alternatives.  This year, we've heard about a couple tools that we use in the district t...

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...

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...

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...

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 Figjam? Figjam is a collaborative whiteboarding tool that is a great replacement for Google Jamboard. It can be used K-12 and there is an app for students who have iPads. Students and teachers can collaborate on an infinite whiteboard to brainstorm, create diagrams, plan projects, or even complete icebreaker activities. Figjam has tons of te...

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 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 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...

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...

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...

For any staff that are leaving Shakopee Public Schools, there are a few tools that allow you to export some or all of your instructional materials. Instructional materials that you created can be exported for your use in the future.  Reminder: Proprietary curriculum materials such as PLTW, from textbook publishers such as HMH or Savvas, and student ...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

What is Turnitin? Turnitin is a plagiariasm, peer review, and feedback tool. Turnitin automatically verifies how similar written submissions are to other sources on the Internet as well as submissions from other Shakopee students. It checks that proper citations were used. It gives a percentage probability that work was written by artificial intelli...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...