Category Archives: Microsoft

Embed Video from Google Drive in SharePoint (and other sites)

With video sites such as YouTube and Vimeo unavailable to pupils on our networks, it’s often frustrating linking to video files – even the ones we produce ourselves.  However, it is possible to store video files in Google Drive and share them in a certain way which allows them to be embedded into SharePoint Sites or other sites such as WordPress (ie Glow Blogs or WordPress school websites).

Since Google owns YouTube, videos linked this way will have similar controls to YouTube videos so will look familiar to users.

It is, of course, possible to save useful videos from YouTube using the various tools available online as long as you bear in mind any copyright implications, etc.

  1. Copy video file to Google Drive – you can create a new folder to keep your videos separate
  2. Right-click file and select Share
  3. Click Advanced
  4. Beside “Private” click Change
  5. Select “On – Anyone with the link”
  6. Save and Done
  7. Open the video in Google Drive then click the ⋮ icon in the top right
  8. Select “Open in new window”
  9. Click ⋮ and select “Embed item…”
  10. Copy all of the code in the window (make sure you get it all)
  11. Close video windows
  12. Go to SharePoint and open the site you wish to add the video to
  13. Edit the site
  14. Go to where you want to insert the video and select Insert, Video and Audio, Embed
  15. Paste in the code you copied
  16. Click Insert
  17. Save the SharePoint site

As mentioned, you can use the copied embed code in various other services such as WordPress.  However, at present, Microsoft Teams doesn’t allow embedded videos in the conversation window.  You can paste the link to the shared file, rather then the embed code, and this will work although it’s not terribly glamorous!

MIcrosoft Teams for Education (Initial notice for Academy schools only)

What is it? And why would your school want it?

Many teachers are already familiar with OneNote Class Notebooks, just imagine now the ability to create Notebooks for every class with no initial administration. Modern dynamic conversations for each class that the teacher controls. Teachers and pupils do almost everything without leaving Teams. Set tasks/homework as assignments or through Class Notebook – with the advantages of resources being stored and accessed digitally giving opportunities to reduce. All SEEMiS classes automatically set up as Class Teams from Seemis data Access to apps already used such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint online. Personalised views for all teachers and all pupils of all classes, conversations and work. Membership updated as SEEMiS changes at any time during the school year.

Why does a school need to opt in?

It’s necessary to have opt-in directly from schools for this because of the capacity of School data Sync (SDS) to create Class Teams for all SEEMiS class groups – regardless of the level of engagement by each teacher.

How do I opt in my school?

Here are the steps to have this switched on for your school:

Please contact your SLT  to discuss this  (HT’s have been advised of this proceedure)

Complete the form at this link (note that you need to sign into Glow to complete this form and read the supporting documentation):  here

The Form above is a quick set of questions to confirm school buy-in, engagement with the Local Authority Glow Key Contact (Jim Mclean or Susan Sey) and has a link to a supporting document explaining background, risks and options
http://glo.li/2wB74Mr

Once the form above has been completed the national Glow team will process the switching on of Microsoft Teams for all classes for your school.

What to expect?

After receiving the request, your school data will be briefly checked to make sure it is current. If not, the person identified as responsible for SEEMiS data in the school will be contacted. If SEEMiS data is current, your school will be added to the queue for the next sync. Syncs will be done daily but there may be a delay according to demand. When complete all teachers and pupils in your school will be assigned to O365 Groups as owners/members respectively – you will see these appear in Outlook and OneDrive. At this stage no pupils can access the Class Team. As soon as any teacher signs in to Teams – for any reason – all of their Class Teams will then activate and be accessible to all pupils in those classes.

 

Why opt-in at school level?

The national Glow programme team has decided that there should be an opt-in at school level for SDS. This is primarily because SDS will look to setup all Class Teams for a school regardless of whether or not all teachers are engaged. This will mean pupils having access to the underlying O365 Group immediately and continued access to the Class Team from first use by the teacher. The document linked from the opt-in Form has details of the key risk and what steps can be taken by teachers that don’t want to participate in Teams with their classes.

Support?

Please contact Learning Through Technology with any specific questions/requests, there will also be training as detailed below:

Support for Microsoft Teams will be provided from the Learning through Technology Team ( Dates will be confirmed shortly and sign up via ALDO)

The courses on Learning through Technology Teams Website ( http://glo.li/2wAJSxy )  relating to Office 365, OneNote, OneDrive, Word Online  also include reference to Microsoft Teams for Education.

There is also a free online course in the Microsoft Educator Community (sign in with your Glow email address to gain a certificate, points and digital badges):

https://education.microsoft.com/courses-and-resources/courses/introtomicrosoftteams

And there are guides which can be downloaded and printed if desired from here:

https://education.microsoft.com/courses-and-resources/resources/meet-microsoft-teams

We are currently seeking staff volunteers to be Digital Leaders, and we now have around 60 staff from around Aberdeenshire schools,   if you are interested please email Jim Mclean or Susan Sey. Digital Leader details are on Glow here: http://glo.li/2xv0pj8

 We have an inaugural Digital Leader event being held in Woodhill House on 15th September details for this event are in ALDO.

If you have any questions about this then please contact JIm or Susan from the Learning through Technology Team

Thanks

Microsoft Teams for Education

The update to Microsoft Classroom, Microsoft Teams for Education is now available from the App Launcher (Waffle) via O365 in Glow.

We would encourage teachers to wait before setting up classes because:

  • The integration with SEEMIS will not be in place until the end of August , so any Teams  created before then will involve you manually adding pupils.
  • If pupils were allowed access now,  then  some of the current functionality in Teams could potentially be used inappropriately. By the end of August the additional admin settings will be inplace to reduce any risk.
  • If you try to use Teams at the moment you may get an error message asking you to contact your ICT personell (Please do NOT log any calls with ICT)

The SEEMIS integration will allow your classes to be populated with the correct students, and this list will dynamically change as pupils join or leave your class. The classes will automatically be correctly named in fitting with the systems you have in place at the school.

We will be providing twilight sessions in the next few weeks to advise on how to use Microsoft Teams so please look back here regularly for updates and links to twilights.

Please direct any questions you may have on Teams for Education to:

James.mclean@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Susan.sey@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

 

 

 

Modern classroom collaboration with Office 365 for Education

Microsoft Teams available Summer 2017 via Glow.

Microsoft Teams for Education,

  • Create Assignments, track progress and grade student work
  • Create tabs and channels within your class team
  • Teams will already be populated with classes from Seemis
  • Dynamic, intuitive interface
  • Add third party apps like Flipboard and Kahoot

https://blogs.office.com/2017/05/02/modern-classroom-collaboration-with-office-365-for-education/

https://youtu.be/3ZPN435Mppw

Support sessions will be available in August 2017 via Aberdeenshire Events.

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ukschools/2017/05/16/getting-started-with-microsoft-teams-guides-for-it-admins-teachers-and-school-leaders/

Microsoft Classroom

We learned today that Microsoft Classroom is to be discontinued and replaced with Microsoft Teams. This will affect all users across the world.

At our twilight events we made mention that the version in Glow was a Beta version and we were looking forward to the new features,  we understand that MS Teams will extend the features that existed in MS Classroom to give a more improved product.

Susan and I had planned 3 Twilight sessions in June to prepare schools in setting up Classroom for the new academic year, this was also to be supported by Education Scotland who would have pulled through the classes from SEEMIS into Classroom meaning there were no setup times for schools. The training sessions will go ahead, but instead will focus on how you would use Teams. We will be assisted in this by RM and Education Scotland colleagues.

We look forward to the new Teams application being an improved product , supporting both teachers and students

H2L2 Team

Microsoft Innovator Educator Expert Applications

The application process for the MIE Expert programme is now open!

You will need to have registered for the Microsoft Educator Community (MED)with your Glow credentials and a link can be found via the purple MED tile on the Aberdeenshire Glow Launchpad.

Information about the programme can be found here and you can start your  application here – all you have to do is to complete a short self-nomination form and include the URL to their profile on MEC and SWAY/Mix/Video (this part takes just 5 – 10 mins).  I should flag that all nominees must have their Certified MIE badge before they can be selected as an MIE Expert.

Info re becoming an MIE can be found here You only need to earn 1000 points!

There are lots of benefits from joining the programme and opportunites to keep up to date with the latest developments with Microsoft applications, all of which are available to Glow Users.

Please let us know if you have any questions re the above and we will be happy to help.

Pinterest Link here

 

BBC Live Lesson – Doctor Who and the micro:bit

Remember to join us LIVE and face one of The Doctor’s greatest foes in our latest Live Lesson all about the BBC micro:bit, hosted by presenter and comedian Iain Stirling and Radio 1’s gaming expert Julia Hardy.

Aimed at 11-13 year olds, the lesson is devised around curriculum areas that cover computational thinking skills and features expert guests from Google, games company Ubisoft and the Department of Computer Games at the University of Teesside.

When: Tuesday, 28th March 2017

Time: 11am (approx. 50 mins)

Where: bbc.co.uk/livelessons (visit the website on the day to access the live stream)

Preparing to teach creative coding through games and apps

The above training session is now live on Aberdeenshire Events.

This is a fantastic opportunity to get started with Microsoft’s Touch Development Coding Platform.

Get hands on practice by creating games and apps.

The session will be lead by David Renton, Curriculum & Quality Leader for Computing at West College Scotland and supported by Natalie Burgess, Microsoft Teacher Ambassador.

Aberdeenshire Events – http://www.aberdeenshireevents.org.uk/event/view/2564

touchdev

Glow Advanced Training

I am pleased to let you know that the cluster training for the Glow Advanced twilights are now live on Aberdeenshire Events.

These sessions give teachers an overview of the new Microsoft Classroom, Class OneNote and new Microsoft Forms. These applications are suitable for distributing and collating pupil work electronically.

Session Dates below:

Aboyne and Huntly                         20th March

Banchory and Turriff                       21st March

Westhill and Inverurie                   22nd March

Mackie and Banff                             24th April

Mearns and Meldrum                    25th April

Alford and Mintlaw                         26th April

Kemnay and Fraserburgh             1st May

Peterhead and Portlethen           2nd May

Ellon                                                      3rd May

Aberdeenshire Events – http://www.aberdeenshireevents.org.uk/event

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