Instructional Coaches Newslett

Thank you to everyone that worked hard to delete files from their Google Drive! Overall we reduced our drive storage by 4.3 TB!! That is just over 4,000GB. Although the challenge is complete, we hope this won't be the end of being mindful about deleting files periodically and keeping the drive decluttered. We especially want to remind you not to login to your personal google account or sync your personal google photos to your TVUSD account. Now...on to our WINNERS!!!

Elementary - Paloma Elementary School won $500 for the site budget! They reduced their storage by a whopping 42%.

Middle - Gardner Middle School won $750!

High - Great Oak High School is being rewarded with $1500!

The top three teachers that helped reduce our drive storage each will be given $100 towards their classroom budget. Please give a round of applause for these super deleters:

Elementary - Shanna Allinson @VHES

Middle School - Dan Evans @DMS

High School - Rachel Roedl @GOHS

We will be in touch with these sites and teachers to help you collect your winnings!

Thank you so much for working on your drive cleanup!

A question that has been asked frequently in recent weeks centers around the use of AI for Feedback and Evaluation. In simpler terms, “Can I use MagicSchool AI to grade my students’ essays for me?” The ethical use of AI in providing feedback on student writing centers on recognizing it as a supportive tool, not a replacement for the teacher's professional judgment. Immediate feedback from AI that helps a student move forward with improving their writing is a great use of that AI tool. However, using AI to evaluate a student’s performance and subsequently assigning a grade needs careful consideration. It is a crucial ethical principle that teachers are ultimately responsible for the evaluation of student work and the assignment of all grades. Teachers should never use AI to be the sole grading of student writing. The final assessment requires a human perspective to account for nuance, context, individual student growth, and alignment with specific learning goals that AI algorithms cannot fully grasp. The teacher's role ensures fairness, equity, and a comprehensive understanding of the student's learning journey.

At the bottom of the page of Teacher Tools in Magic School you will find a few Enterprise Tools that have been created by TVUSD staff. These tools were designed based on needs of teachers and admin. These are only available on the teacher side and can't be assigned to a student room. First, check out the Formative Assessment Chatbot. This is a friendly AI coach that can help teachers design and choose effective formative assessments. Ask it a few questions to help you monitor students learning in a variety of ways. Next, check out the Academic Equity Chatbot. This one was designed to help teachers with strategies for differentiation. Do you need to know how to give ALL students access to the content and plan for learning processes that engage? Then, have a chat with this AI chatbot! Finally, there are helpful chatbots for Secondary Science and ELA that help you unpack the UPO and state standards. Let us know what you think and what kind of chatbot you would like to see next!

Many problems students are experiencing on their iPad are due to one or all three settings that can be easily changed. Verify these settings before putting in a help desk ticket.

These settings can impact students' ability to navigate to links outside of Canvas, when trying to open curriculum resources like McGraw-Hill and when opening and editing google docs/slides.

1. Settings>Apps>Safari>Block Pop-Ups = Turn this OFF. It should be gray, not green.

2. Settings>Apps>Safari>Prevent Cross-Site Tracking = Turn this OFF. It should be gray, not green.

3. Settings>Apps>Safari>Request Desktop Website>All Websites = On. It should be green, not gray.

If you have a MacBook that was setup without the Microsoft login on startup, you should put in a Help Ticket to have your MacBook fixed to allow for a smooth update to OS 26.

If you currently have an iPad 8 or earlier, you can visit your librarian and ask to exchange your iPad for an iPad 10. When you receive your iPad 10 you should also be given a Logitech Crayon. If your librarian does not have a device and/or a logitech crayon to give you they can put in a request by completing an IMS Help Desk Ticket.

Teachers using a MacBook can print to any Sharp copier in the district. This feature is available through an app called PaperCut. You will print like you always do from the File Menu of the application that you are using. After selecting print, the print dialog box will appear allowing you to select your printer. You will want to choose TVUSD - Find Me Printing Copiers. Select the number of copies that you need and click Print. Following these steps will send the job to the copy machine. You will then have 3 hours to go retrieve the job. Walk up to the copier. Enter your employee id to login. Then select Print Release. Select the job/s and tap Print. All done!

Click HERE to watch a short video of these steps.

⭐️The button below will allow you to view the status of any DPA requested.🔎

Ready to refresh one of your upcoming units? Does it need more engagement and critical thinking? Then, you will want to join us for our next Elevating Teachers session. In this hands-on workshop, teachers will transform an upcoming unit to make learning more flexible, accessible, and engaging for all students. We can guide your integration of familiar tools such as MagicSchool, EduProtocols, Canva or iPad native apps. We are moving beyond the worksheet to plan tasks that allow students to make their thinking visible. Be ready to craft student-facing activities and authentic assessments that offer meaningful choices to support every learner. Click the image to sign up! Space is limited!

Decodable readers are now available in large print. You can find them linked on the OG Hub!

Watch a short video to see one of Seesaw's new features! You can turn a resource into a Seesaw activity in seconds. This is just one of the new tools that launched within Seesaw that can make planning and creating activities quick and easy.

In addition, Seesaw has a Collection of AI Literacy activities that you can use if/when you are beginning to use AI with students. View the collection.

Here is the December Coaching Connection with small bites of information from the coaches. Click the image to check it out!

Did you see the email about the RISE program?? Did you apply?

RISE stands for Reflect, Innovate, Support and Elevate. This program aligns with TVUSD’s priorities around teacher leadership, tech equity, innovation, MTSS, instructional rigor, and sustainable professional development systems. RISE will provide a structured opportunity for teachers to reflect on their practice, apply innovative tools purposefully, and grow into site-based leaders.

Apply to join our RISE Cohort! We’re excited to build a strong foundation of innovation and teacher leadership across the district, and we’re aiming for representation from every site.

RISE At a Glance

• 3 release days during Semester 2 for collaboration, planning, and purposeful PD
  

• Reflective, tech-integrated learning that supports student success
  

• Creation of a digital portfolio (using Canva)
  

• Opportunities for brief staff meeting shares to foster leadership
  

• Open to all 6-12 certificated teachers — no tech expertise required

Application Deadline: December 19
Apply Here: RISE Application

We highly recommend that you join the Canvas Course for Secondary Resources if you have not already done that. It is a landing page that holds crucial information, how-to videos and more! It should be your first step in getting answers to common questions. If you would like to join you can click this LINK.