But It's Not in the Grade Book!

I have had a few conversations lately with teachers who are telling me that kids are completing the work that has been assigned in Schoology but sometimes don't know when something is missing in PowerSchool. Kids are typically logging into Schoology (our learning management system, or LMS) daily, but have to make a separate effort to check the grade that is posted in PowerSchool (our student information system, or SIS).

Now we've talked about making sure kids know how to log into PowerSchool to check their grade in the past (in November's blog post) using the PowerSchool app [iOS/Android], and kids should make a habit of this. But kids in our district use Schoology on a regular basis in class, and in doing so, are one click away from the Schoology grade book.

So what about those assignments that kids do outside of Schoology? Many teachers use a blended approach to teaching, which uses digital content as well as face to face conversations or work submitted on paper. Well, both of those grades can be recorded in Schoology, making it very easy for a student to get a more complete view of their total grade.

By creating an assignment in Schoology, regardless if the completed work is to be submitted digitally, an assignment is then created in the Schoology grade book and added to the Schoology calendar. If a teacher grades that work and then records the scores in the Schoology grade book, students will see their posted grade alongside the other work that they are doing using the LMS. This essentially allows the student, the teacher, and even the parents to have a one-stop shop for checking on completed work and looking at scores. (In addition to seeing the school announcements, student groups, parent groups, and other features that Schoology offers.)

Great question!

When assignments intended to be completed on paper are created by the teacher, there is an option to turn off digital submissions (or leave them on, if more submission options are desired). This still creates an assignment in the Schoology grade book but removes the "submit" button from the student view. The assignment is still posted in the Schoology calendar, allowing parents and students to see the assignment workload. (Side note: Schoology's calendar can be imported to Google Calendar as well.) Anything assigned, digital or not, that is tagged with the state standards also allows for Schoology to calculate the Mastery Level and report that in Schoology for everyone to see. After teachers are done recording grades, they can use the Schoology Grade Sync option to have all of those grades imported to PowerSchool for the official grade recording.

Teachers are continually asked to do more and more on a daily basis. Hopefully by streamlining the assignments that are created, and only posting scores in one place, and letting the computer do the rest of the work, teachers have a little more time to connect with students, discuss teaching and learning strategies with peers, and make the classroom a better place for everyone!

There are a lot of links and ideas presented here. If you have any questions about any of them, or would just like to talk this process through with someone, don't hesitate to reach out to your district Ed Tech Coach!

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