September 2021- WELCOME BACK!!
New Teacher Orientation - Review Items -
How to Take Attendance
For Accounts email rajaeb@bloomfield.k12.nj.us
For ID's email name, school, position (title) with a selfie to BOEID@bloomfield.k12.nj.us
See Gradebook Training schedule for tomorrow, Tuesday, 1 PM, send email to tatkinson@bloomfield.k12.nj.us
AESOP
MFC's
Spiceworks
NY Times
Clever
Observations
BTA (Last Year Verified Registrations Temporarily Open)
Q&A
WELCOME BACK!!!
It has been a long road to get to this point, where we are together again, with all the students. It feels like years since we last were 'normal'. Below is some old news that those of you who have been in Bloomfield since before the pandemic will find to be like deja-vu all over again. It just seemed prudent to review a few key procedures. And there is some new "news' that everyone, teachers especially, should know.
Google Classroom Synced With PowerSchool
Google classrooms are automatically synced with PowerSchool classes. A teacher will see the classroom in Google Classroom as long as they are set up as a lead teacher in PowerSchool. Any students enrolled/un-enrolled into your class will automatically update nightly. You do not need to invite a student to your class or send out invites. This part is done automatically.
Before the teacher can begin managing the classroom they will need to accept the teaching invitation in Google Classroom.
If you want to have your own roster not tied to PS, you will need to create a new Google classroom. DO NOT REUSE the existing PS synced class. IT WILL UPDATE NIGHTLY and remove your changes.
If you do need to make changes you can still manually create classes but they will not sync back to PowerSchool and you can make manual edits to the classes that are being syncd, but those changes too will NOT be udpated in PowerSchool. If you would like to modify the course name or section name and a Google classroom, you can do that, and it will not be overwritten with the next sync.
On the student side, the experience is completely unchanged, so you don't need to worry about how this feature might affect students.
Accept the Invitation to Use the Sync'd Class
At present, we cannot restore for your use classes that you decline. Clever is working on that, but be aware that at present (August 2021) if you decline a class that is synced with PowerSchool you will not be able to use it.
The Google Classroom roster import application will:
Create Classroom courses and enroll students and teachers based on Clever section data.
Automatically update rosters based on changes in Clever.
Allow teachers to manually add and remove students and co-teachers to Clever-created courses.
Allow teachers to rename Clever-created courses.
Allow teachers to accept or reject Clever-created courses.
The application will NOT:
Create, modify, or delete user accounts in Google Workspace.
Modify courses that teachers manually create in Classroom.
Write Classroom grades back to PowerSchool or your PowerSchool PTP Gradebook..
Overwrite changes that teachers make to their courses, such as the course name
Genuinely "New" Tech News to Start the School Year
Bloomfield now has an "effective" 1:1 for all students PK-12.
Students in grades 5-12 each have a Chromebook and are expected to bring their device from and to school --fully charged-- each day.
Students in the lower grades have a Chromebook assigned to them that will be stored in a cart in their classroom.
Elementary school librarians have been supplied with labels for each computer that identifies the student to whom the device is signed up. There is a second label for the charger.
All regular tech support for student -and staff- devices returns to the school libraries. Any student with a problem should bring the computer to the school librarian, who will supply a "loaner" device with a standard mailing label to identify the student to whom it was issued. When the student's original device is returned to the librarian, the librarian will reclaim the loaner and reissue the student's original device.
Teachers, As you have seen, all courses scheduled in PowerSchool now sync with Google Classroom, as long as you "Accept" the invitation. You do not have to use the Google Classroom created from PowerSchool, but be aware that if you Decline the invitation, you will not be able to rescind the decision. You will not later be able to utilize the Google created class. The sync happens nightly. New students are added or dropped each night.
All the K-4 classrooms for which electrical work was requested were visited -at least twice- by Facilities and Technology. A second outlet for the computer cart was either identified in the room, or installed. In general, if it is possible, it is preferred and recommended that the computer cart be plugged in to charge the devices at night, after school, to save an excessive drain on electricity during the day.
Teachers in K-6 do have to work with their Librarians to put the labels on each student's computer and charger.
K-4 teachers have the discretion to allow students to take home devices, overnight for a project. But the normal expectation is that the youngest students will use their computers in school.
Routine, Routine, and More Routines
Teachers should continue to use Spiceworks for reporting problems. The Spiceworks web link only works within the District (i.e., in one of the schools) but the iOS or Android app for Spiceworks will allow users to create and keep track of tickets and is accessible from anywhere.
Student login information is stored in PowerSchool. Teachers can print or view student login id's and passwords (except for HS students) in PowerTeacher Pro by clicking on the Printer Icon, then drom the drop down select Student Account Info. The same student password is used for Google/network/email and PowerSchool.
HS Students (all students in grades 9-12) set their own passwords for all systems, except Follett's Destiny Library System. The HS students must set their password at a PC or Windows laptop. The Library has PCs where this can be done (i.e., login and then press Control-Alt-Delete to change a password).
Voice Mail
Teachers can obtain Voice Mail messages via email in two ways.
Messages from 'Voice Mail <voicemail@bloomfield.k12.nj.us>' in your Inbox contain an attached .WAV file that has the voice mail message. You can play that file on any computer, Chromebook. Deleting the email message does NOT delete the voice mail on the server.
Each Voice Mail email message will also contain a link to the voice mail server. You login with your account name and the default password, unless you have already changed it. Please note that this method only works within the District. You cannot access the Voice Mail server outside the schools. If you delete the message on the server, it is deleted from your voice messaging box.
Basic Setup Guides for PowerSchool Gradebook and T-Eval and Chromebooks
PowerSchool Gradebook for 6-12 Teachers
PowerSchool Gradebook for K-5 Teachers
Basic Training for New Google Sites
Resources for Google Site (George Agens)
Agenda on Possible Uses of Google Sites (George Agens)
PowerSource for PowerSchool Resources
There will be an introduction to the PowerSchool Gradebook for new teachers (K-12) on Tuesday, August 31, at 1 PM.
Email Tom Atkinson -with your district email account- if you want an 'Invite' to attend.
New Teacher Intro to PowerSchool Gradebook
Tuesday, August 31 · 1:00 – 1:45pm
Google Meet Joining Info:
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/jhi-jzxd-apa
Printing
Teachers can print to any Ricoh/Savin printer in their school by following these directions.
When printing from your computer, selecting the "followme" driver. On a Chromebook, select the "mobility print" for "followme." You are usually required to login with your account name and password each time to print.
To recover your print job, at any of the Ricoh/Savin printers, click on PaperCut, if it is not active, then login with your full account name (i.e., jsmith) and password, OR with your four digit employee-ID as your 'ID NUMBER', OR with your ID badge's button or HID or scanned employee ID. If you use ID badge, you will have to login and associate the ID (HID or scanned number) one time.
Once logged in, you can click on 'Print' and release individual, or all your print jobs. You can also scan and copy from the same screen.
Printing statistics are collected and reviewed.
Tech Coach = Tech Help = Success
ES Tech Coach, Ms. Angela Brisini. (Throughout the pandemic, Angela has been singularly heroic in helping students, staff, and families at the Tech Help Desk, the Spiceworks ticket system, the Family/Tech Help Desk, and by visiting schools, in addition to compiling much of the resources below into web sites and lists. There is no question or tech problem she has not heard, seen, and solved.)
MS Tech Coach, Mrs. Terri Hughes web site. (Throughout the pandemic, Terri provided a Daily Tech Tip -remarkable dedication- the best of which are collected here.)
HS Tech Coach, Mr. George Agens web site. (Throughout the pandemic, George made himself available at all times, to teachers from all over the District, by appointment or by simply "dropping into" his scheduled Meet.)
Bloomfield Teacher Academy: Fall 2021
The "theme" of this term's BTA is 'fun in learning.' Teachers are asked to reflect upon the more successful experiments during the pandemic and remote learning and offer to their peers in BTA courses pedagogies, tactics, and procedures for infusing learning with entertaining activities and projects. So many of you did so many innovative lessons that this would be an opportunity to share those best practices.
BTA Fall 2021
In the Spring, 260+ teachers signed up for 80 courses. The average overall "Effectiveness" rating for these courses was 4.6 --a great testament to the dedication and knowledge of the instructors.
Everything returns to normal this term.
Approved registrations will appear in this 'Verified Registration List.'
Courses cannot begin before Wednesday, October 13, after BOE approval of final course and compensation lists.
