Instructional Technology Updates

itslearning will continue to be the HCPS Curriculum Management System and Learning Management System for the 2021-22 school year, housing all curricular resources for teachers and students.

All resources developed in itslearning will be available until June 30, 2022. Specific processes will be developed and shared with teachers throughout the 21-22 school year to transition materials and resources from itslearning to the new Learning Management System.

How can I access my courses from last year?

itslearning instructional courses from 2020-21 were archived over the summer. Follow these steps to access prior-year courses in itslearning.

I'm a secondary teacher. How do I combine, or merge, two sections of the same course?

The Course Merge Maintenance is a tool that will allow teachers to merge two sections of the same course. For example, merging a course designated as CC with the course section that is taught at the same time. Watch the Video tutorial on how to use Course Merge Maintenance.

Note: The Course Merge Maintenance is an overnight process and cannot be undone.

How do I self-enroll in itslearning instructional courses connected to my school?

Teachers can self-enroll to other teachers' courses connected to their school site. Please note, when self-enrolling, you are enrolling as an EDITING TEACHER in the course. This means you can edit, copy, move, and delete any resources. Exercise professional courtesy and let the teacher know you are enrolling in course. Watch this video tutorial for step by step directions.

Which itslearning Test should I use?

When adding a Test to Plans, teachers will see two options. Use the greyed out option that is noted “to be discontinued.” The “to be discontinued” test is the preferred option because this version includes a larger variety of test options.

What digital tools are approved to use with students?

It is every teacher’s responsibility to protect student data from any unauthorized use or collection. Teachers should NOT​ sign up for free/paid accounts for web tools, nor should they encourage students to create accounts. Teachers should be aware that when they do sign up for accounts, even for free tools, they are agreeing to the tool's privacy policy and terms of use. This can often put student privacy at jeopardy. See the list of HCPS approved digital tools.

Can I use Bitmojis with my students?

Only the teacher should use the bitmoji app. Students should never be prompted to signup/use the Bitmoji app as the Terms of Use and Data Privacy Policies have not been reviewed. Student photos should never be captured in the teacher app.

Teachers should always integrate their Bitmoji avatars into HCPS endorsed tools. For example, embed the avatar into Microsoft PowerPoint rather than Google Slides.

Why is my Padlet account prompting me to upgrade?

When Padlet was renewed over the summer, some users received a message asking them to upgrade. Logging out of Padlet and back in (using Microsoft) should fix this.

How do I access ThingLink?

Teachers can continue to access ThingLink via the LTI link in their instructional courses. Do not delete this link from your course. The ThingLink interface has been updated, to include integration with Canva. Read more about the updates to ThingLink.

Did you know that HCPS has two new district approved apps?

Teachers can find/access the Classkick and Nearpod apps via our Clever portal.

To establish your Classkick account, navigate to https://app.classkick.com/#/signup/teacher. Select Sign Up with Clever. Be sure to choose the correct school.

1. Open itslearning

2. Open the CLEVER tab (top ribbon in itslearning)

3. Scroll down your teacher landing page and open Classkick or Nearpod—these accounts are associated with your Active Directory email, NOT your 365 user account “email”—so if you had used the apps before with 365 login, you will not see previously made lessons. If you need to merge a previous account with the new district account, contact, support@classkick.com or support@nearpod.com.

New this year, schools have one or more Technology Support Specialists (TSSs). These individuals will share important technology updates, support teacher and student technical issues, and support account and password management.

By default, Restricted Mode is set for YouTube when accessed and streamed within the HCPS network.

• Videos that contain potentially mature content fall within YouTube's Restricted Mode guidelines.
• Restricted mode is set for any video that is also marked as age-restricted.
• When searching for video content to utilize with students, be sure to search YouTube in Restricted Mode.
• If you know a Restricted video is appropriate for your curriculum and need to have the Restricted video made available, contact your school TSS, so they can move it out of Restricted view.

When will student passwords be reset?

All elementary passwords were reset last week. Secondary passwords will be set to expire on October 25.

ALL teachers have access to Roster Manager to reset student passwords.

Student passwords should be unique and not easily guessed. They may not contain the student's ID number.

HCPS staff issued laptops have the Cisco Umbrella client installed on them to protect devices when they are off our network. The client is automatically disabled when on the HCPS network and should only be active when off network (ie. at home).

Questions regarding this information should be directed to instructionaltech@hcps.org.

Access previous issues of the Digital Teaching & Learning newsletter.