How To Guides
Find in this page a number of How To Guides. You will need to use your leicesterlearns account to access documents on this site.
If you cannot find the answer that you are looking for, please email me on esaldana@leicesterlearns.ac.uk
If you cannot find the answer that you are looking for, please email me on esaldana@leicesterlearns.ac.uk
How do I find my learners' leicesterlearns account?
All learners now have an email address based upon their new 6 digit person ID: 123456@leicesterlearns.ac.uk. You will find your learners' ID numbers on the registers. If you are teaching online, you will have received an email from exams with your registers. Please, contact your manager if you need an updated copy of your registers.
Old style email accounts for learners with numbers under 120000 (abc123@leicesterlearns.ac.uk) will still work if they have used them recently. All learners using an old style email account have been asked to transfer to a new account with their EBS learner ID number. Old style accounts will be deleted in January 2021. If your learners have any questions, please refer them to the Guide in our FAQ.
If your learners cannot remember their password, please ask them to email lasals@leicester.gov.uk or ring 0116 454 1900 with their learner ID number (if they can remember it).
How do I get Online Support for my learners?
This year we have a dedicated team for Online Support. If your learners are struggling with Google Classroom, Padlet or Google Meet, please ask them to phone 0116 454 1900 (Monday to Thursday 8:30am-8:30pm and Friday 8:30am-4:30pm) or email at lasals@leicester.gov.uk. Remember, the service is not asking you to provide IT support so please don't feel pressured to do so. Encourage your learners to try and find an answer to their issue in our FAQ or direct their queries to the Online Support team who are there to support learners.
How do I get Online Support for myself?
If you are struggling with e-teaching, please email esaldana@leicesterlearns.ac.uk with your query. One to one sessions are available either online or face to face.
How do I invite my learners to my Google Classroom?
There are three ways to invite your learners to Google Classroom:
In Google Classroom, go to the People Tab. Scroll down to students and then click on the icon of a person with a plus. A new pop out window labelled invite students will appear. You can type your learners' leicesterlearns account (example 123456@leicesterlearns.ac.uk).
Pro tip: When you invite your learners, you should see their names. If you just see their learner ID number, please check the spelling of the email account is correct.You can invite your learners by sharing the Google Classroom Class Code. You will find this in your banner in the stream tab.
Please, remember that your learners can only use this code to access your class if they use their student account (leicesterlearns). If they use their personal accounts, they will get an error stating that the Classroom doesn't exist.You can email your learners at their leicesterlearns account with the invite link for your class. You will find this code in your Classroom Settings.
Open your class and click on the cog in the top right corner of the screen.
You will find the invite code under the heading 'General', copy it and add it to your email. Remember that learners only need to use this link once.
How to import your private Padlet walls to your work account?
Yes, you can!
To import your private Padlet walls, first login to your LASALS padlet account (https://leicesteradultskills.padlet.org/auth/login).
Click on the circle in the top right corner of the screen (for account) and then click on import.
You can then sign in to your Padlet.com account and you will be asked which Padlets you want to import.
How to reuse a post and schedule it in Google Classroom?
Yes, you can reuse any post or any assignment in Google Classroom from any Class where you are a tutor or co tutor. See instructions below.
Step 1
To reuse a post on the stream, click on the two arrows to the right hand side of "share something with your class"
Step 2
Select which Google Class and which Post you want to reuse. You can only reuse posts from Google Classrooms where you are a tutor / co-tutor
Step 3
Once you have selected your desired post, click on 'reuse'. You can also chose to create new copies of all documents attached
Step 4
You can release the reused post straight away or you can schedule it to be released at a more convenient date. If this is what you want, then check step 5
Step 5
Schedule your post to be released at a more convenient date. This is done automatically, you don't have to do anything once you have scheduled it.
How to create a Quiz using Google Forms
If you want to use Google Forms to create a quiz, I recommend you follow this video. It explains the functionalities, settings and integration with Google Classroom.
How to create a Google Form Quiz using audio
There are several ways to use audio files (for this to work, it must be an MP3 file) with your Google Form:
Share the audio file with your learners in the assignment . Your learners will then be able to listen to the file while completing the task.
Share a link in Google Forms to the audio file (watch video attached to this entry). The file will be opened in a new tab. Your learners will then be able to listen to the file while completing the task.
Email the audio file to your learners so that they can play it while completing the quiz.
How to avoid your private account taking over when trying to access your work emails or Google Classroom
If you use Google Chrome, you can have different profiles in your browser. This can be for different family members, if your device is shared, or for different Gmail accounts for work or personal use.
To set a new profile, click on the circle located to the right hand side of the address bar.
Click on the circle and then click on +add
Give your new profile a name of your choice and choose a picture to help you distinguish between your different profiles.
Once created, a new browser window will open with a different picture on it. The picture will be the one you chose in the previous stage or the picture that you have uploaded to your Google Account .
In this new browser windown, you will need to log into your leicesterlearns account again. This will now separate your private account from your student account (leicesterlearns).
How can I share my Padlet in Google Classroom?
Step 1
Open the Padlet you want to share. In the top right corner of the screen you will find the share menu.
Step 2
Make sure that you change the privacy settings, otherwise your learners will not be able to access your Padlets or add any content.
Step 3
Choose the privacy setting that works for you and your class. Allow your visitors to write, otherwise they will not be able to add anything to your Padlet!
Once you set this up, click on save and then 'back'.
Step 4
Under 'Change Privacy' you will find 'Share on Google Classroom'.
Step 5
A pop out window will open. You will be prompted to choose a class to share your Padlet wall with.
Step 6
Once your class is chosen, you will be prompted to choose an action. My advice is for you to 'Make an announcement'. This will show your message on your classroom stream.
Click on 'Go' and then write your post. Don't forget to share your password with your class!
Once this is done, your post will be shared in Google Classroom.
How To understand Google Classroom: Guide For Tutors
Have a look at this guide created by Bijal!
Google Classroom guide for Tutors - Sep'2020.pdfHow to connect to the WiFi at LAEC or Bishopdale
You can download this document and share it with your learners before your session if required.
WiFi in other locations is not managed by us.
LAEC and Bishopdale WiFi.pdfHow to establish an Online Teaching Presence
Creating a Sense of Instructor Presence in the Online Classroom
How to save presentations as PDF files
When you upload or send your presentations to your learners (always via leicesterlearns), we recommend doing it as a PDF file as it compresses your presentation and it makes the upload faster. Online platforms and devices can open PDF with native applications, but not all learners have a licence to open Microsoft Office files or have the IT knowledge to work with Google Docs.
You can find different links below on how to save your presentations as PDF files:
Google Slides: https://slidesgo.com/slidesgo-school/google-slides-tutorials/how-to-export-your-google-slides-presentation-as-a-pdf-file
ACUE Online Teaching Toolkit
Source: Association of College and University Educators This toolkit is based on research and will help you set up your online sessions and better understand key concepts of Online Teaching and Learning, such as:
Welcoming students to the online environment
Managing your online presence
Organising your online course
and much more!
You can find the toolkit following this link: http://acue.org/online-teaching-toolkit/
How to Be a Better Online Teacher (ADVICE GUIDE)
Flower Darby has written this very helpful guide on how to be a better online teacher, it includes some very interesting points such as:
10 essential principles and practices of better online teaching
Common misperceptions
How to find help
You can find the guide following this link: https://www.chronicle.com/interactives/advice-online-teaching#2
How to make documents and websites easier for me or my learners to read
If you or your learners are dyslexic, there are tools that are very helpful to enable them to access websites. A recommended tool is Microsoft Edge's Reading View. If you open this website using Microsoft Edge, you will see an icon that resembles a book.
Click on the icon and it will reformat the page to be more dyslexia friendly, giving the option to read aloud, change the text size and background.
You can also use learning tools. This includes:
Text spacing, which allows you to separate letters to make them more readable
Line focus, which focuses on one line at a time, avoiding distractions.
Unfortunately, this setting does NOT work on all sites, including Google Classroom.
How to deal with learners frequent issues to access the Classroom:
Question: Where do I go to access the virtual classroom?
Answer: https://sites.google.com/leicesterlearns.ac.uk/lasals/home, then scroll down and click on Google Classroom
Question: I accessed in the past but now the computer says 'Join your first class.' Help?
Answer: You are trying to access the Classroom with an account that is not your Leicesterlearns account. Click where it says 'Try another account' and choose your Leicesterlearns.
Question: I tried that but I cannot find my Leicesterlearns, what do I do now?
Answer: Click on 'Use another account' and then use your Leicesterlearns login to access.
Question: I tried that but I cannot find my Leicesterlearns, what do I do now?
Answer: Click on 'Use another account' and then use your Leicesterlearns login to access.
Question: I am in but I can only see a small tile, how do I go in?
Answer: Click on the title. In this example: Trial
Question: I am in, I am in my Leicesterlearns account and I still cannot see any class in my Google Classroom, what can I do?
Answer: Tutor has not invited learner in the account that the learner is using, tutor will need to send an invitation to the Classroom group via email.
How can students submit their work to Google Classroom?
You have three possible ways to get your assignments back
Option 1:
If you set your assignment on the classwork section, students can click on the task you set and then click on "view assignment", that will take them to a page that will show your assignment and also a window that looks like this:
If they are accessing from the Google Classroom app on a phone or tablet, at the bottom of the screen they will see "Your work". They can click on the upwards-pointing arrow to see the next step.
Click on the plus (add or create on a web browser, add attachment on Google Classroom App), they can upload your work in multiple ways:
If they are using a phone or a mobile device, they will also have the option to take a photo of their work or record a video.
Once their file is upload or attached, they will be able to turn their task in.
Please bear in mind that once they turn their work in, they cannot edit the file anymore! This file can only be seen by your learner and yourself.
Option 2:
They can just upload it to the stream as a file, but everyone else will be able to see what they have uploaded.
Option 3:
They can email you using their leicesterlearns account with the files attached.
How to complete ILPs or Google Docs in Google Classroom using a phone or a tablet?
These steps are also available in our FAQ section.
Step 1
Open the file that your tutor has shared in Google Classroom
Step 2
Click on the icon with the arrow. Please do NOT click on the pencil icon.
Step 3
This will open the file in your device's Google Docs, if you haven't installed this app before, you will be taken to your device's app store. If this happens, please install the app.
Tap on the pencil icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to edit. Please, be aware that colours might be different on your device.
Step 4
You are now on editor mode. You can now write anywhere.
Once you have finished completing your ILP and if you are still connected to the internet, you can close the file as all changes are saved in the cloud.
You do NOT have to share the document with your tutor, this document is already shared with them.
How to create breakout rooms using Google Meet
Google Meet is our video conference platform for Online Teaching. One of the most asked questions about Google Meet is: How do I create a breakout room? Here you have three options:
Option 1: Using the Google Breakout Rooms Chrome extension. This extension allows you to create breakout rooms while in a call with your learners. You can decide how many learners you want to have per room and it will share a link to the breakout room with your learners using the chat function.
google_meet_breakout_rooms.pdfOption 2: Following this guide by the University of Cambridge. This will show you the steps to create different breakout rooms and sharing the links with your learners.
Option 3: You can create consecutive calendar events and invite your learners to this events via calendar using their leicesterlearns accounts. When you use this method, those using their phones will find the breakout rooms listed in the main screen and will be able to join with a tap.
Please, ask your learners to hang up from the main room before they go to their breakout room, otherwise they will be in two rooms at once, which means that they will be able to hear what is happening in both rooms. You will be able to join any of the rooms and be in control, but I advise to share an editable document with your learners to ensure that they can request your presence in a specific room if needed.
How to use new Google Meet features
Part 1 - Meeting safety
Google Meet is being constantly updated. As a tutor, you should have received a new badge of settings that will allow you to be fully in control of a session. You will find the new controls button in the white bar that comes up at the bottom of the screen.
When you click on that new button, you will see a number of new settings:
Quick access: this new setting allows you to have control over who joins your call. If the quick access toggle is off, only those invited (or members of the class) can join the call.
Let everyone:
Share their screen: If you want your learners to share their screen, you can allow this. But if you don't want them to present, you can turn off this feature.
Send chat messages: You can turn off the chat function to avoid any disruptive use of the chat function. This is a temporary measure, you can turn the chat on or off at any point during the call.
Part 2 - New controls
In the 'more options' menu, you will find two new features (if you cannot see both yet, it might take some time until you can see both as they are being rolled out):
Whiteboard: This opens a collaborative Jamboard. This opens in a new tab for you and for your learners. You can write and draw in this whiteboard and you can give your learners the right to edit on this board as well. Everything that you on Jamboard is saved on Google Drive and can be shared with your learners in Google Classroom
Turn on background blur: This setting will blur your background. This is quite demanding to the processing power of your computer, so your video will be less fluid than without the background blur.
You can now also change the number of tiles that the 'auto' layout displays. You can see up to 49 cameras if required.
How can I see myself when using Google Meet?
You can see a very small version of what your camera is showing in the top right corner of the Google Meet window. If you want to see your camera alongside your learners' videos, you can do this by hovering over your camera's image (where it says 'you') and clicking on the tiles picture.
If you don't want to see your camera anymore, you can click on the 'remove this tile' button, your video will return to its original location.
How can I present with audio using Google Meet?
If you want to share a video or audio with your learners using Google Meet, you can do this!
There are two requirements for this to be possible:
You have to use Google Chrome browser (Brave browser also works with this) on a computer
Your video or audio has to be accessible from your browser. This includes any video or audio files uploaded to Google Drive or Google Classroom. Remember, audio files must be MP3 files for Google Drive or Classroom to be able to play them.
If both requirements are met, in Google Meet:
click on 'present now'
click on 'a chrome tab' - If this option is not available, you are not using Google Chrome browser!
select the tab that you want to share from the list. If you don't click on any of the options, you will not be able to click on share
make sure that the 'Share audio' option is ticked
Click on share
play the audio
It is important to know that:
If you are not using a headset when presenting with audio, you should mute yourself otherwise your learners will hear the audio with echo! They will hear the audio that you are presenting and the audio that your microphone picks up. Alternatively, you can use a headset and this problem will not happen.
If you share the Google Meet tab with audio, an infinite loop of sound will be created! If you want to share your call as a chrome tab with your learners, please uncheck the 'Share audio' box.
I want to use more than one device with Google Meet, how do I avoid feedback?
You can have multiple devices connected to a Google Meet call at the same time. When you connect more than one device at the same time, you may hear terrible noises caused by feedback as both devices are capturing the same sounds and echoing each other. To avoid this noise:
connect a headset with microphone to the device that you want to capture sound.
mute the device(s) that you are using to demonstrate/ as a screen to see your learners while you present.
If you don't want to hear sound coming from the other devices that you have connected, you can mute the audio. If you are using the Google Meet App on a phone or tablet, you can tap on the speaker icon in the top right corner of the screen and then tap on 'Audio off'.
Remember, if you are teaching online with us, you can ask your line manager for a headset to use for your teaching.
How to share Wordwall assignments in Google Classroom
You can share Wordwall assignments in Google Classroom in multiple ways. For this you have to:
create content or find what activity you want to share in Wordwall.
click on 'share'
click on 'my students'
complete the assignment setup. It is important that select check the 'enter name' option. Otherwise you will not know who has completed the activities.
click start
click on the Google Classroom icon under 'share or embed'
This will open a new tab.
Select the class that you want to share the activity with
Choose an action:
Create assignment - this will open an assignment window. The activity will be shared as a link, so no evidence will be attached. The only way for you to know the result is by logging into Wordwall and checking the results that each learner got and then manually input that as your learners' grade.
Ask question - this will just create a question assignment in Google Classroom. You can ask learners to complete the task and answer the question assignment with the total marks they get.
Make an announcement - this will post the link to the Wordwall activity in your Classroom Stream.
Create Material - this will create a material entry in your classwork section. This will not create an entry on your 'gradebook'.
How can I blur my background on Google Meet?
You can now blur your background when using Google Meet on a computer. Follow these steps:
click on the three dots (more options) in the far right of the white bar that comes up when you move your mouse/ track pad.
Find the option 'turn on background blur'.
Click on turn on background blur.
Be aware that background blur is quite demanding to the processing power of your computer, so your video will be less fluid than without the background blur.
This doesn't work on a tablet or a phone.
How do I create a Google Meet call?
There are two methods to create a Google Meet call.
You can generate a Google Meet Alias using Google Classroom. This option will generate an alias that will only allow tutors or members of staff to activate the link for learners. If learners click on the link before the teacher has activated the call, they will get an error message.
Step 1. Create your classroom using Google Classroom. Make sure that you are using your Leicesterlearns account for this.
In your class' banner you will see a button with the words 'Generate Meet Link'. Click on it.
A message will pop up and ask you if you want to generate the link. Click on the button 'Generate Meet Link'.
Finally, make sure that the link doesn't display a crossed eye after it as this means that the link is not visible and your learners cannot see or access it!
2. You can create a calendar event and invite your learner(s) using Google Calendar in your Google Apps (nine dots/ waffle) list. This option will generate a code that is attached to the learners leicesterlearns account and they will be able to access at any point, even if the tutor hasn't activated the link. The creator of the event will always be in charge, even if it is the last person to enter the call. If you use this method, please copy and paste the Google Meet code in Google classroom to ensure that learners have a point of reference and to ensure that learners still visit the Google Classroom!
Step 1: Login to your leicesterlearns account and click on the nine dots/ waffle and then on calendar.
Once in calendar, click on 'create'
A pop-up window will come up. Write a title, set a date and a time for your meeting, add guests and then click on 'Add Google Meet video conferencing'. This will generate a code.
Before you click on 'save', please make sure that you change the guests permissions (click on guests permissions) and ensure that you don't grant them access to modify the event, invite other guests or see the guests list.
Once you click save, Google will ask you whether you want to send an email to your guests, please click on either 'send' or on 'not send'.