FTT - Lockdown Browser

Using LockDown Browser With Assessments In Schoology (Updated 09/21)

@LisaBerghoff\@MrKimDHS

Since the beginning of time, teachers have been searching for ways to prevent their student from cheating. This is not a new phenomena.  I went to school in the 80s. The only technology we had was a basic calculator. And yet, we found ways to cheat.  With the increased use and availability of technology,  combined with the increased pressure on students to do well, there are increased opportunities for dishonest behavior. 

While this post is about a specific tool that we have to help combat cheating, I wanted to first take a moment to discuss some additional measures that are not technology related that may actually have a greater impact on curbing cheating. I have not done the research on this but I might have to because it's fascinating, and also because I really do think I'm onto something here.

1. Know Your Students- And Do A Little Show And Tell

If you take the time to get to know your students, establish relationships with them, and talk with them about the importance of academic honesty, they will be less likely to cheat. Explain very clearly what constitutes cheating and what the consequences are. It may seem obvious, but sometimes just bringing it up helps students to rethink their behavior. Give examples and stories of some of the things you have seen to let them know that you take academic dishonesty seriously. 

2. Give Them Time and Tools

Students who are well prepared don't need to cheat. Especially this early in the school year, you should feel comfortable to let your students know when an assessment is coming. You should also include information about how to prepare for the assessment. Again, don't assume that they know. They are navigating many teachers, personalities, and policies. Throw them a bone and let them come into the assessment feeling more confident in themselves than in their classmates.

3. Rethink The Types Of Assessments You Give

I know this is a hot button item and I am not saying to redo all of your assessments. I am simply asking you to consider the types of assessments you give and whether or not they are more or less conducive to cheating. For example, have you been giving the same assessment for the past 4 years? 6 years? 8 years? This is a great time to do an audit of your assessments. See what needs to be updated, changed, or adjusted. Also, you can consider the stakes. If an assessment is high stakes, there will be greater likelihood that students will cheat. I spoke to one teacher who genuinely just wanted to know what her students knew at the end of a unit. She gave an assessment but told her students the grade would not go in the gradebook. There was no reason for those students to cheat and she got the data she needed to continue planning her lessons.

Thanks for listening! Now, let's learn about Lockdown Browser.

You may have used Lockdown Browser before and if you have, keep reading because the way students access it has changed. If you have not used Lockdown Browser, it is an extension that works with Schoology so that when enabled, a student cannot open any new tabs, navigate away from the assessment, take screenshots, etc. It essentially locks the student into the testing environment. Here's how it works.

In Schoology, after you have created your assessment, navigate to where it says Lockdown Browser on the left side of the screen.

When you click LockDown Browser you will get a screen that has an introduction, resources, video tutorials, guides and support. It even has instructions for students.

When you click Continue To LockDown Browser you will see all of your assessments. Click on one to enable by choosing settings.

From here you can choose to require LockDown Browser and set the settings how you want them. I highly recommend clicking where it says "explain" next to each option as it can have a big impact on your students' experience.

Here is what is new!

For students, they will go to Schoology and click on the assessment, then they will click the LockDown Browser extension. They no longer need to shut down their chromebooks. The extension has already been added for them. 

If you are new to using LockDown Browser I highly suggest making a practice assessment to try it out with your classes first. Students may be stressed about taking an assessment and using LockDown Browser for the first time is probably not going to help. Remove this barrier by giving them experience with the tool before it matters. Make a 2 question quiz and ask something silly. Then enable LockDown Browser and have them test it out so you can work out any bugs beforehand.

As always, we are here to help!

FTT - The New and Improved ScreenCastify

The New and Improved

Screencastify!

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

I asked my students a few weeks ago what they thought were the biggest positives that came out of the pandemic. Some ended up getting dogs, and others got to spend more time with family. One student mentioned she really got to know more about her grandmother through weekly Zoom sessions. So there were some background positive externalities that came of all of this. The pandemic forced us all to embrace the "new normal" which gave us all an opportunity to think about how we could enhance our curriculum and teaching styles for the better. 

Screencastify certainly comes to mind as a pandemic addition that's here to stay. Since last year, Screencastify has added some neat features and tricks that we will now jump into:

Interactive Questions

Now, this may be stepping on EdPuzzle's toes here a little bit, but Screencastify has introduced a new feature to allow users to embed interactive questions that will pause your video with recordable questions/answers. Question data allows you to see how individual students did on specific questions or more global data on the class as a whole. After recording your video, there is a new option on the right-hand side of Screencastify that allows you to add questions:

Analytics

While not groundbreaking, Screencastify did add an analytics option that gives you simple data on unique views and viewers via their Watch Page. You will be able to see which students watched your video, and how many times they did.

AppSmashing and Sharing

Screencastifty also updated their sharing capacity - directly from your video page you can share the link, generate a QR code, or even export directly to apps like EdPuzzle:

They've also made it much easier to export the original video file! I feel like plenty of Screencastify users don't quite know where their video goes once it's made, or how to then share that video to be watched. Luckily they've compiled all options neatly on the bottom right-hand corner. You can directly export to YouTube (my personal favorite), your Google Drive account, or download the video directly to your personal hard drive. 

Video Editing

The most impressive thing Screencastify has done is simplify the video editing process so that anyone with an internet connection can create professional-looking videos. No one's saying that it's here to replace iMovie, but not everyone has an expensive Mac device. With their web-based editing format, you can cut and splice, crop portions of your screen, zoom in and out, blur out text or even add text.

So if you're still creating Screencastify videos in 2021, please check out their new features! Let us know if you have any creative ways of leveraging screen casting in your curriculum!

FTT - Google Read and Write

And The Winner Is...

Read&Write For Google Chrome!

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

As we get to know our students, one thing is very clear. This year is far from "normal". We are still dealing with a pandemic and we have students in our building who were not physically in school, some for all of last school year. This brings a whole new set of challenges as well as opportunities to help students learn. 

As our buildings do a deep dive into the world of MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) in order to use data to help our students succeed, it is important to look at the tools that we have at our disposal. A few weeks ago I posted about the premium versions of software systems that we have for our use. Google Read&Write made that list and I know many of you have heard of it or maybe even tried using it in the past, but I believe that it warrants its own post because this is a powerful option that is available to ALL of our students, making it an excellent tier 1 intervention option. 

What is Read&Write For Google Chrome?

This is a chrome extension that works when you are using the chrome browser. Our students already have it automatically added to their accounts. Yes, it will work on their chromebooks, but it will also work on any device they are using as long as they are logged into their chrome account. 

In order to find it, you may need to click the gray puzzle piece in the extensions bar.
 

The extension also looks like a puzzle piece but it's purple. 

I encourage students to click the pin so it shows up in their extensions bar without needing to click on anything else.

What Does It Do?

This extension is so powerful, because we have the premium version, and it has lots of really useful features. When you click on the extension you will see the toolbar. Here is a rundown of the features as they are shown from left to right. 

• Check It- Reviews writing for incorrect grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, verb tense and more.
• Word Prediction: Gives suggestions based on what you have written.
• Dictionary: Offers clarification and definitions of words as you type or highlight.
• Picture Dictionary: Offers meaning in a visual format.
• Text To Speech: Hear documents and web pages read aloud, with highlighting as it is read. 
• Pause and Stop: Students control what text is read and when it is read to them.
• Screenshot Reader: Will OCR (optical character recognition) and read aloud a selection from a document or webpage that may not be recognized by other readers.
• Audio-Maker- Converts selected text into an audio file and downloads automatically.
• Web-Search- Looks up highlighted text without the need to open a new window.
• Screen Mask- Website or document reading tool that moves with your cursor to eliminate distractions and eye strain. (one of my favorites!)
• Talk and Type- Turns the spoken word into text.
• Translate- Will translate into a language of your choice.
• Highlighting Tools-Enables students to color code highlights on digital text.
• Highlight Clear- Removes highlights. 
• Collect Highlights- Takes the highlights and creates a new document with only the highlighted text.
• Vocabulary List- Creates a list instantly into a new doc, including selected words, the dictionary definition, images, and an editable notes column.
• Voice Note- Allows students to insert short recordings of their voice
• Practice Reading Allowed- Let's students practice their out loud reading and gives them feedback.

Also, here is a quick reference guide. Feel free to share it with students!

If you want to see more, here is a video playlist showing each feature.

 

When Should Read&Write For Google Chrome Be Used?

There are so many features that at first glance it can seem overwhelming. When I show this to students I usually ask them to choose just two or three to get started. Once they are comfortable, they can play around and try out more. The beauty of this extension is that the learner, who may be struggling, is in control. This is a rare situation and should not be overlooked. To show this to students and let them know that they can be part of the decision making process for when they use it can be very powerful. I encourage students to have the toolbar open whenever they are reading or writing online. 

How Do I Use Read & Write For Google Chrome?

All you and your students need to do is click on the extension. It will work if you are on Google docs, or any online text. That's it!

Want some help? Let us know. We're happy to give some assistance and hope you let your students know they have this tool right at their fingertips.