Digital Teaching and Learning

Office hours have been expanded to include Sept. 19-24, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Mon-Fri and 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Sat-Sun. Access the full schedule and Teams link on the Professional Development Calendar.

The Instructional Technology Team continues to update this FAQ document to reflect answers to frequently asked questions regarding technology.

The popular video series “Wait…How do I…” now includes support videos for teachers. Check out the first two videos:

• “Wait…How do I do that” Teacher Edition: Chromebook Assignments
• “Wait…How do I do that” Teacher Edition: My Plans are gone, how do I find them?

Module 3 Topic 4 of the Digital Teaching and Learning Professional Development Course focused on the demands of cognitive load. Below are several suggested considerations regarding the usage of tools, resources, and content within itslearning. (From How to Align Your LMS in the Science of Learning, Edutopia, July 31, 2020)

• Use numbered steps and bullet points. Simplify instructions by chunking text with subheadings.
• Strive for consistency in how you format your assignments, and how your students view, submit, receive feedback on, and submit them.
• Be mindful of how you integrate other online tools so that students submit work in as few different ways as possible.
• Design, don’t decorate. Everything you add—images, quotes, links, videos, etc.—should have a purpose. Avoid visual clutter so that you don’t cognitively overload students.
• Think about font size and readability. Make sure that text is always in high contrast to the background.
• Sometimes, a video to help explain an assignment or to give feedback could reduce cognitive load.

Occasionally, when you land on the home page, itslearning defaults to updates (teachers and students). To see course tiles, click the Courses button.

How-To Resources:

• How-To Access Virtual Instruction on a Chromebook
• How-To Access Virtual Instruction on a Windows Device
• How-To Grade 6 Office 365 Registration: Guidelines for Grade 6 Students
• How-To Utilize Your High School Device
• How-To Utilize Your Elementary/Middle School Device - Chromebook
• How-To Utilize Your Elementary/Middle School Device - Windows Device
• How-To HCPS Technology Access - Elementary at Home - Personal Device
• How-To HCPS Technology Access - Secondary at Home - Personal Device
• How-To Get Started with Virtual Learning

Any questions related to the information in this newsletter may be directed to instructionaltech@hcps.org.