Q&A emails

(use "ctrl+F to search the page for keywords or click on section headers below)

Classlink

Q: I don't think my Classlink is working, or maybe I am going to the wrong site. It asked me for a code. Should I have a code?

A: Make sure you are browsing to my.classlink.com/commerce. Sounds like you might be going to the main ClassLink page and not the Commerce dashboard.

Q: I can't login to Classlink

A: 99% of the issues come from using the wrong login name. Double-check that you are logging in with just first name.last name (not full email). Then type your network login slowly making sure you're not mistyping it. (It was the email that got you, wasn't it?!)

Q: Did you say that Classlink will create our Google Classrooms for us? When will that happen?

A: Yes. Classlink will roster your students for you. From there, you can add co-teachers if needed. When it is set up, I will send an email to the district to let you know. The goal is to have this done before the first day of classes. 

Q: How do I add apps for students to use in ClassLink?

A: If you are going to use specific apps in specific classes, you can assign apps in the Backpack. ClassLink has over 6,000 apps (which are weblinks). I can also add Commerce ISD-specific apps to the Teacher or Student App library as suggestions to help narrow down the options. Just let me know what you need! 

Q: Do I have to use the Google Classrooms that ClassLink populated for me or can I create my own? I don't want to lose the assignment/grade connection with Skyward.

A1: You can use your own if you want to. I know that some secondary classes are broken out by grade level and each class is a Classroom. Just know that if you create your own then Skyward won't keep them current for you. 

A2: The connection with Skyward isn't a two-way street. ClassLink "dumps" the daily schedule changes into Google Classroom. When you create an assignment into Google Classroom and grade it, the grades DO NOT populate back to Skyward.

Q: What do I do if it says I can’t add a student in my Google Classroom?

A: Because the classes are auto-rostered, it will pull the new kids from Skyward every night. 

Q: How do we access ClassLink on a personal computer for students who don't have a school laptop checked out?

A: Share the link in your Google Classrooms. If you have a resources "Topic" in Classroom, this would be a good place to post: my.classlink.com/commerce This is their gateway to ALL the things. 

Q: (student) is not showing in Google Classroom. What do I do? Can I add her or the system has to do that?

​A1: The overnight processing should fix many of the Google Classroom errors as changes are made to rosters each day. Check with your PEIMS Clerk to make sure that the student is on your roster AND their email address is in Skyward correctly. 

A2: I would let ClassLink fix any students being in the wrong place. Only because we need the systems to be right and sync right so that other systems we connect will work right too. :) 

Q: I have a student who does not have the ability to add her own apps. Like a frequently used website/link or the apps that we do. 

A: Students can now add their own apps! Just had to sit down and find that toggle switch.

Edpuzzle

Q. Do Edpuzzle videos created from YouTube videos need to be approved for students to view?

A: Yes. We have separate teacher and student Google domains. (commerceisd.org for teachers and cisdtigers.org for students) The student domain YouTube access is WAY restricted. Please email me the URL link to any YouTube video (or YouTube video that you plan to insert into Edpuzzle) that you plan to assign to students. I will approve them within 24 hours. 

Q: I was experimenting with Edpuzzle today, and when I go to import classes from Google Classroom, it gives me a screen to choose Yes or No. Which applies to CISD?

A: Choose "yes" because we added the Edpuzzle Parental Consent to the Student Handbooks for students under 13. 

Q: What if the YouTube video is already in Edpuzzle's Content?

A: If you use an existing created Edpuzzle, click the white YouTube watermark in the lower right-hand corner of the video. This will open the YouTube video link. Send me that video for approval, not the Edpuzzle link.

Q: Do we always use Edpuzzle? Can we assign videos in Google Classroom and use Edpuzzle if we need to add videos only with the questions?

A: Edpuzzle allows you to see that the students watched the video even if you didn't ask questions. Otherwise, if you assign a video in Google Classroom, you have no analytics telling you who watched it and received the lesson. I recommend that you use it! 

Q: How does Edpuzzle assign work in Google Classroom?

A: When you assign something from Edpuzzle to an imported Google Classroom class, it puts an announcement in the stream and puts the assignment in Classwork. HOWEVER, if you delete the assignment from the Edpuzzle side, it does NOT delete it from Google Classroom.  It does add "(Inactive)" to the title, but it stays there until you manually delete it.

Q: If a YouTube video is already on EDpuzzle by someone else will it already be approved?

A: No, probably not in our domain unless it was created by another staff member and sent to me for approval. Unfortunately, the videos don't go to an Edpuzzle YouTube channel. The video is still linked to the original video creator.

Q: Can I send an assignment to just certain students in EdPuzzle?

A: Within Edpuzzle, no. I wouldn't recommend assigning through Edpuzzle anyway since Google Classroom is the hub. Create the assignment in Google Classroom and link the Edpuzzle video link there. This way, students know which videos they should and should not complete. This is what I did this summer with DLC. I had Edpuzzle videos for different campuses, but I assigned them through Google Classroom. Students just have to learn to follow the Google Classroom assignments.

YouTube

Q. Do Edpuzzle videos created from YouTube videos need to be approved for students to view?

A: Yes. We have separate teacher and student Google domains. (commerceisd.org for teachers and cisdtigers.org for students) The student domain YouTube access is WAY restricted. Please email me the URL link to any YouTube video (or YouTube video that you plan to insert into Edpuzzle) that you plan to assign to students. I will approve them within 24 hours. 

Q: What if the YouTube video is already in Edpuzzle's Content?

A: If you use an existing created Edpuzzle, click the white YouTube watermark in the lower right-hand corner of the video. This will open the YouTube video link. Send me that video for approval, not the Edpuzzle link.

Q: If a video was approved last year, does it stay that way?  Or does that filter reset every year?

A: Yes, it stays. I hope for us to build the repository of videos with less and less approvals each year. 

Q: Do I have to send YouTube links to my own recorded/created videos for you to approve for students?

A: Yes, to be sure that students can access them. However, if you send me the main link to your YouTube Channel, I can approve the channel and all videos you post in the future will be covered. HERE is a list of approved YouTube Channels...including teacher channels.

Q: I was looking through YouTube videos this morning, and noticed that it says the Channel is approved for Commerce. Does that make it unnecessary to approve each video individually?

A: You are looking at the commerceisd.org YouTube domain. All appropriate content on YouTube is open for teachers. Videos assigned to students are blocked on the cisdtigers.org side. This is why I have to approve them for student viewing. THIS video might help explain.

Q: Do I need to send a video to you for approval that I had approved in the spring?

A: No, we are going to build a repository of videos from year to year. Anything approved in the spring "sticks." Hopefully each year we will have less and less to approve. :) Send me your YouTube channel link though...I can approve that which will take care of your uploaded videos in one click! 

Q: Do videos that are embedded in websites have to be approved in YouTube for student viewing?

A: If the video is truly embedded, then no. If you see a YouTube watermark in the lower right corner of the video, click that to take you to the source YouTube video and send me THAT link. Watch the process HERE.

Securly

Q: Can you block YouTube completely?

A: The short answer is no, we cannot block YouTube for everyone. Our teachers use YouTube for instructional videos and blocking it would not be what's best for all. On our end, it's either all or none. There are some content filters turned on within YouTube, but it's not going to catch everything. 

The in depth answer might not be popular, but regulating where the students browse to on the Chromebooks is up to the classroom teacher. Either the expectation needs to be set (and followed through with Securly monitoring) or the teacher can block ALL YouTube access in Securly when they set up their class schedules.

Q: Why can't I see some of my students? It shows that they are in a different class?

A: Student Chromebooks cannot be seen “live” in more than one Securly Classroom. If the students move from room to room, but are still connected to your Securly Class, then they will not be able to be be “seen” by the next teacher. Please make sure that your class start and end times are correct. 

Q: Why can't I see some of my students? I can see others, but not all.

A: If your class was pulled from Google Classroom, then you should not have this issue. If you manually created your class and added students yourself, please delete the students that you cannot see and reenter them with the correct email address. 

Curriculum Resources

Q: Help! I can't access TExGuide. 

A: TExGuide is a curriculum resource that isn't rostered with Classlink. New teachers will be added and logins emailed as soon as possible. Please contact Sheila DeMidio with questions. 

Q: I don't have a username or password for Implementing TEKS Resource System. Can I get that?

A: There is spreadsheet of new teachers' names that is sent to Region 10 for upload by the curriculum coordinators. You should receive an email from Region 10 about your account when it is created. 

Q: I need access to Stemscopes. Can you help me?

A: Yes, setting up and checking access to Stemscopes, HMH, MHE, and Pearson is a big process at the beginning of each school year. The process cannot be completed without the courses in Skyward being created and this should be solid the week before school starts. If you click on something in ClassLink that you think you should have access to, please send me an email and I will check on it.

Q: Can you show me how to use the Forethought lesson planner in Eduphoria?

A: I love teacher-created tutorials. Check out our own Matt Brewer (CHS History) as he shows you how to use the Forethought lesson planner! 

Technology Resources

Q: Are we supposed to monitor Securly only while our students are physically in our classrooms? (from a secondary teacher)

A: In the regular classroom environment, yes, you only need to monitor when your students are physically in the classroom. Please set your classrooms to record during the week day from bell to bell. 

Q: Is there a grand master calendar for the district?

A: Yes, it is called "District Master" and you should have view rights to it in your Google Calendar. (and you should have received an automated email from Google with access) Principals, some head coaches, and directors have edit access to update it. 

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=commerceisd.org_q4k1j1t5ahpsvm6eo22sb15s4k%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FChicago

Q: Is there a way to get all teacher's pictures on the Google Classroom icons?  This really helps some of our SpEd kiddos.  

A: They have to upload their own pictures into their Google account by clicking the circle in the upper right-hand corner of their email. This should propagate into all of the Google tools.

Q: Do you have any suggestions or apps for doing closed captions for lecture videos for teachers?

A: Google Slides to the rescue! Blog post on how it works

Also, Edpuzzle can pull CC! Find out more here under "Creating Lesson Videos"

Q: My student is able to login to their Google Account/Chromebook but they aren't in my Google Classroom. Do I need to add them or how can I get them added?

A: The students are added to your Google Classroom from the email field in their Skyward account. Please check this information to make sure that it is accurate. If it needs to be added or edited, please contact your PEIMS Clerk to make these changes. 

Q. What apps are available on the iPads at CES?

A. Depends on the grade level or classroom. Here is the comprehensive list:

Technology Department

Q: Who approves a website from being blocked? I have a subscription to a website that is blocked. 

A: When you get this screen or something similar from Securly (see image below) please email Nick Myers and Heather Kilgore the URL that you are trying to access. One of us will check out the site, ask any clarification questions if needed, and then unblock the site. 

Q: Is there anything we can do about a student who doesn't have the internet?

A: They are able to make arrangements with your campus admins to come and use a free space in the school, they can come to Central Office and use the WiFi in the computer lab, they can pull up beside most campuses and access the WiFi from their cars, CMS has an external WiFi tower in the parking lot, or the Commerce Public has free WiFi access plus they have WiFi Hot Spots to checkout.

Q: What do we do with our classroom technology if we are moving positions/classrooms/campuses?

A: There are at least 4 items that are checked out to every classroom teacher. A laptop, an extra charger, a Dell puck, and a HoverCam. Unhooking these items and packing them in the technology tubs to move is not a good idea, especially if the teacher is switching roles or moving to a room without a board. The tubs and contents should remain in the same classroom, and be checked out to the teacher assigned to that room, except possible laptop changes made within the same campus.

Please follow these procedures when you have staff members/teachers switching roles:

• Check in all of the items (laptop, charger, puck, HoverCam) that belonged to the current teacher/staff member on their current campus in Destiny. (If they are moving within the same campus, they can keep their laptop. If they are moving campuses, the laptop will need to be checked in too.)

• Check out the items in the classroom to the new teacher in Destiny. Technology tubs stay with the classroom and do not travel with the teacher. (If they move campuses, they will receive the laptop that the outgoing employee used on their new campus. If there are multiple moves within a campus, please just make sure that they have the correct device assigned to them in Destiny.)

Please note that items being checked in and out of Destiny do not need to be unhooked and brought to the library for scanning. The asset tag numbers (100XXXXX) can be emailed to the library and manually entered for check in/out.