Schoology Basics

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The videos on this page will take you through everything that I would teach in a face to face Schoology Basics training. If you are brand new to Schoology, start with the first section, Getting Started with Schoology and work your way down the page. Those of you that have used Schoology before, probably already know the basics. I recommend scrolling down the page and finding a section that you would like to learn more about. For example, if you have only used Schoology as a gradebook, I would start with the Creating Materials Section. You will learn how to create and assign materials to your students right in Schoology.

- Amy Alvis, Senior Manager of Ed Tech for IPS

Getting Started with Schoology

Learning to Navigate Schoology is the first step in creating a blended learning classroom.

Navigating Schoology.mp4

Navigating Schoology - Navigating through the yellow bar at the top of your Schoology page.

Edit profile.mp4

Editing Your Schoology Profile - add a picture, contact information and a bio to your profile

Edit settings.mp4

Editing Your Schoology Settings - add a preferred name, edit what email notifications you get, and change your privacy settings

Student View

Knowing what the student side of Schoology looks like, makes it easier for you to help your student navigate Schoology. The following video goes through the student view and how your students will see assignments.

student view IPS.mp4

Student View of Schoology - Learn how your students view Schoology.

Navigating Your Course

Learn where everything is inside your Schooology course.

Navigating Your Schoology Course.mp4

Navigating Your Schoology Course - an overview of what you will find in your Schoology course

Creating Materials

Creating materials in Schoology is the "meat" of the program. This section of videos will show you how to create each of the different types of materials that Schoology offers.

Creating a Folder.mp4

Creating and Using Folders - Learn how to organize your materials by creating folders. This enables students to find materials easier. No one wants to sort through a long list of assignments to find the one they need. Many teachers organize by units or weeks and put all old assignments/folders into a folder titled Archived or Old Assignments.

How to Create an Assignment in Schoology.mp4

Creating an Assignment - When using the Assignment feature, students can upload their work, create a video or audio file, or type their responses.

Google Assignment App - IPS.mp4

Using the Google Assignment App - Assign anything on your Google Drive (except Forms and it MUST be an actual Google product) to your students using this tool. This will give each of your students their own copy of the assignment. They can complete the work right in Schoology and you can grade it there as well.

file link external tool.mp4

Using the Add a File, Link or External Tool - Learn how to upload a file such as a pdf or Word document or a link to a website. You can add access to other websites by using the external tool. You would use this if Schoology doesn't already have an app to integrate the website/program.

How to Create a Discussion in Schoology.mp4

Adding and Using Discussions - Discussions are a great way to have students interact with one another. Teachers have often said that those that won't volunteer to answer questions in class will have great participation during a discussion done in Schoology.

Pages.mp4

Creating and Using Pages - Pages are so versatile! You can use them to post information for your students about an assignment or the daily agenda. I love to embed videos and Google Slides into them for easy student access.

Creating and Using Media Albums.mp4

Creating and Using Media Albums - Media Albums are a great way to showcase pictures or videos. Teachers can make it so that only they can add to the album or that their students can add to it too. This is a great way for students to share projects they are working on.

Using Mastery in SGY.mp4

Using Mastery in Schoology - When creating your materials, you can attach a standard to the assignment or the individual Assessment or Test/Quiz questions. This allows you to track your students' mastery of standards.

Communication

There are multiple ways to communicate information in Schoology. You can post updates to a course or group, send messages to students and parents or post items on the course/group calendar. Many schools create groups to pass along information to specific groups of students. This might be for a grade level groups, a sports team or maybe an after school club.

Creating Updates - IPS.mp4

Creating Updates - Updates are perfect for getting information out to students and parents. This could be a reminder of an upcoming event or a schedule of the week.

Messaging IPS.mp4

Sending Messages in Schoology - Learn the many different ways that you can message your students, parents and colleagues.

calandar.mp4

Using the Calendar in Schoology - All course materials that have due dates will show up on the course calendar, but you can also add calendar events for classroom or school events.

Creating Groups - IPS.mp4

Creating Groups in Schoology - Groups are a great way to share information with staff, student and parents. Many of the high schools have graduation groups to share information. Many principals have groups to share information to teachers. Staff that have clubs or sports teams use groups to communicate with the students that belong to the team or group.

Creating a Teams Meeting Link.mp4

Creating a Teams Meeting Link in Schoology - Create a Teams meeting link with just a few clicks.

Teams Meeting Tips and Tricks.mp4

Teams Meeting Tips and Tricks - Some tips and tricks for using Teams with your students.

Gradebook

It is important that you get your gradebook set up before you start adding materials to your courses. You will find videos for how to set upi your gradebook if you are an elementary or middle school teacher and another one for high school teachers. If you would rather print out the steps to set up your gradebook, you can find them here: How to setup Elem and Middle School Gradebook, How to setup High School Gradebook.

Elem MS Gradebook Set Up 2023.mp4

Grade Set Up for Elementary and Middle School Teachers - you want to make sure to do your gradebook setup before adding assignments to your Schoology gradebook.

HS Gradebook Set Up 2023.mp4

Grade Set Up for High School Teachers - you want to make sure to do your gradebook setup before adding assignments to your Schoology gradebook.

Gradebook Navigation.mp4

Navigating the Schoology Gradebook - Learn how to enter grades, add assignments, add exceptions and more.

Beyond the Materials

There is more to a Schoology course than just the materials you create for your students. You can award your students badges, check the analytics of your students activity in Schoology and even see how much work they have on any given day. Learn more about these topics and more in the section below.

Using Badges in SGY.mp4

Using Badges - Reward students with a badge. Schoology has several pre-made badges, but you can also create your own. You can also find badges that others have created in public resources.

taking Attendance.mp4

Taking Attendance in Schoology - Take Attendance in Schoology and it automatically updates in PowerSchool.

Members.mp4

Using the Members Section of Schoology - Quickly see which students have parent accounts associated with them, email students or parents, create grading groups and so much more.

Course Analytics - IPS.mp4

Using Course Analytics - Learn when your students have last logged into Schoology or accessed materials. Dive deeper and see if they have accessed or submitted their class materials.

Workload Planning - IPS.mp4

Using Workload Planning in Schoology - This area of the course allows you to see how many assignments each of your students have due on any given day. This is particularly useful when students are not in the same classroom all day like in the middle and high schools.

resources.mp4

Using the Resource Section of Schoology - The Resource section of your account is an online storage area of Schoology. You can create materials in your Resources and save them to use year after year. You can also create them in your courses and save them to your Resources for later use.

rubrics.mp4

Creating and Using Rubrics in Schoology - Rubrics can be created in your Resources or in a course. Once set up, you can use them over and over again.

District Groups

district groups.mp4

District Groups in Schoology - There are many groups in Schoology where you will find information from the district such as pacing guides and resource materials. Learn how to find those groups in Schoology.

Parents and Schoology

Getting Parent Access Codes - IPS.mp4

Getting and Using Parent Access Codes - Learn how to get your students' parent access codes and how parents create their accounts

Parent Accounts - IPS.mp4

Parent Accounts - This video will walk you though how a parent creates an account and how they navigate Schoology.

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