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Technology In Practice

Tips For Teaching w/Technology

We'll Support You In Class!

Do you want help introducing a tech tool to your students?

Aidan, Kris & myself are more than happy to help introduce tech (remote, or IRL) to your class. We can also spend time, or an entire Digital Essentials class period helping your students, or supplementing an existing project in your curriculum!

If it makes sense for one of us to come in more than other (ex: Do you want Kris' database, or Sora expertise? Aidan's website building skills?) We can come into your class even if we don't regularly teach Digital Essentials in that grade. 

Just let us know as a team in advance, & we will work out the logistics.

We are also as excited as you are to help in a more significant way with interdisciplinary projects. Let's collaborate!

Manuela Aronofsky

IXL

About IXL:

IXL is a skills assessment tool with content for Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies & Spanish. We are currently using IXL in the Math and Spanish departments in the Middle School. 
IXL provides interactive exercises for skills that align with specific class content.  For example, a 5th grade Math teacher doing a fractions unit can assign one of 17 different IXL exercises specifically for fractions that would supplement, and/or reinforce class material. All skills on IXL also align with standards. Exercises are easily assigned to students through their IXL accounts using a unique "shortcut" code, or via Google Classroom.
IXL would be a helpful tool for easily assigning asynchronous homework, extra practice, or extensions for a certain topic.

Technology Requirements:

Teachers should create IXL rosters on their Macbook. However, it is usable on any device for viewing content, or assigning homework. 
Students can use IXL from any device (iPad, or Chromebook), once you have added them to your IXL class roster.
There is an IXL app currently on all Middle School iPads, however if app glitches occur students can log into IXL by:
Students on Chromebook can sign in to their accounts at: https://www.ixl.com/signin/berkeleycarroll
Here is a link with the technical requirements for IXL listed!
Below is a short video introduction to IXL for teachers:

Account Information:

IXL requires a paid subscription. Currently, IXL is used in the Math and Language departments at BC. Math or Spanish teachers interested in using IXL should talk to their Department Chair for login information. 

Creating a Class Roster on IXL:

The following video shows you how to:

  • Import a class roster from Google Classroom
  • Customize passwords
  • Share usernames & passwords with students (by printed card, email, or QR code)
You can watch this Tutorial as a video, or view it at your own pace as a scrollable list of steps (Select "View it - List" and scroll down on the dropdown menu for this option.)

1 Once you have signed into IXL, Click Roster next to your profile name

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2 Click Import students

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3 Click Sync with Google Classroom

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4 Select the class you wish to import to IXL

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5 Scroll up and click Confirm students

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6 Click Return to roster when the sync is complete

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7 Recommended: Manually change student passwords right away, to something students will remember more easily

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8 Since IXL does not use Google Sign-on, students will need to know their passwords in case they get logged out. It is ok to change all of the passwords to the same thing.

To change the password manually, just type inside the Password box & Click Save

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9 Option 1: Share usernames & passwords by Clicking Print student username and password cards 

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10 Choose the card type, and press Print

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11 Option 2: Share usernames & passwords via the student's BC email (automatically added when you imported from Classroom). Click Email each student their username and password.

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12 Click Send

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13 Click Continue after the email has been sent

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14 The Quick sign-in for iPad and iPhone generates a QR code for logging in.

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15 This is a 3rd option for students to log into IXL. The card will have to be printed, and students will scan the code from their device.

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Here's an interactive tutorial

https://www.iorad.com/player/1691671/Ixl---How-to-Create-A-Class-Roster---Invite-Students

Sharing, or Assigning a Skill on IXL:

The following video shows you how to:
  • Share a skill via "Short Code"
  • Share a skill on Google Classroom (as an assignment)
  • "Suggest" a skill for a student (or class) to see when they sign into their account
You can watch this Tutorial as a video, or view it at your own pace as a scrollable list of steps (Select "View it - List" and scroll down on the dropdown menu for this option.)

1 Click Learning from your IXL dashboard

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2 Click on the subject you would like to see IXL skills for

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3 Click Grades to see skills by grade

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4 Click the grade you would like to see IXL skills for

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5 Click on the skill that you would like to share with your students (you can preview the exercise first)

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6 Each exercise has a "Short Code", which is 3 alpha-numeric digits next to the skill "title."

One way of assigning exercises is to share this short code with students, who can enter it in their IXL search bar to pull it up directly.

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7 If you would like to share the skill exercise on Google Classroom, Hover over share skill

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8 Click the small Classroom icon

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9 You can then create an assignment for your whole class, that links directly to the IXL exercise

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10 You can also view IXL skills by Topic, instead of by grade Click Topics to see skills by Topic.

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11 Click the Topic you would like to see Skills for

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12 A second way of sharing a skill with your class is by "Suggesting a skill."

If you suggest a skill, students will not be notified via Classroom, but they will see all of their suggested skills when they log into IXL.

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13 To suggest a specific skill, Hover over the star next to the skill

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14 Then, Click on the class, or individual students you would like to suggest the skill to

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Here's an interactive tutorial

https://www.iorad.com/player/1691675/IXL---How-To-Share-a-Skill

Below are a few more "Frequently Asked Questions" that may help you use IXL in your teaching practice:

1. How do I see student progress & analytics?
2. What is "Live Classroom?"
1. How do I see student progress & analytics?
IXL has a whole analytics dashboard you can access by:

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The video below (created by IXL) shows in more detail how to use the Analytics features:

2. What is "Live Classroom?"
"Live Classroom" on IXL is a way for you to see what is happening "Live" with your students. On this view, you can see who is doing an IXL exercise at that moment, and/or if anyone is struggling and might need help. You can communicate with any student who is online in real-time on Live Classroom.
Access Live Classroom by:
  • Clicking "Live Classroom" from the Analytics screen.

You can also watch the video below (created by IXL) on how to use the Live Classroom features:

Here are a few ways you might use IXL - have students...

  • Practice a specific skill, or skills as an extension
  • Review a skill, or skills before a quiz
  • Complete skill exercises during an asynchronous lesson, or as homework
  • Explore the skills list & practice a new skill on their own

Below are examples of IXL in practice:

(Under construction! If you have any examples of IXL being used in your teaching practice - such as in Google Classroom posts, send them my way!)

Here are more resources from the IXL support pages:

IXL also has helpful resources for students & parents:
​Do you have a specific IXL question that you can't find the answer to?
Email Help Desk: helpdesk@berkeleycarroll.org with "App Request" in the Subject Line.

Do you want to see how other educators are using IXL? Interested in updates, or how they're approaching Remote Learning? Browse their Twitter feed!