Tag Archives: Glow

Microsoft Educator Community

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A quick reminder that the MEC is a great place to visit for free CLPL resources, that when you complete you are rewarded with a digital badge.

Visit the MEC site here and sign in with your Glow username and this give you access to hundreds of  courses, resources and learning paths.

Completing badges also gives you the chance to become a Microsoft Innovative Education Expert,  (MIEE) and join the increasing numbers of teachers in Scotland and around the world to have earned this status.

Image below is a sample page generated when you view your profile on completion of courses, or learning pathway badges.

Additional Security for O365 in Glow

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Additional security software that has been added to Glow to further protect users’ devices and data whilst using O365.

This additional security software works alongside a wide range of existing measures that have been taken to ensure Glow is appropriate for its intended use.

PLease click here for more information , or read text below

Additional Security for Microsoft O365

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

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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!

New Early Learning and Childcare site on Glow

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New, Early Learning and Childcare site for Aberdeenshire staff was launched on Friday at a special online event hosted by Denise Lorimer and Vanessa Reaper. Over 60 staff joined in online to see Denise and Vanessa walk through the new site.
Please click on the image above to access the site, and remember to add your voice to the feedback form on the Home page.   You will require your Glow login to access the resource

Glow Blog Themes – Changes

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Update from Glow Support regarding changes to some Glow Blog  themes

Guidance on Glow Blogs Theme Retirement

We are continuing to carry out improvement works to enhance the performance of Glow Blogs, and will be retiring a number of themes on 30 January 2020.

Themes are an important part of the Glow Blogs experience helping you to display your latest content in a creative and interesting way. Users may apply themes to help make their Glow Blog look a certain way so that visitors get a better experience. Glow Blogs can be used to create a school website, homework blog or as an e-portfolio for example. There are other themes to choose from, and retiring some themes will help us to upgrade the platform and allow us to add more new themes and features in the future.

The themes we will be retiring are set out in an article on Glow Connect. These are not compatible with newer versions of WordPress, and if you currently use one of them we would urge you to take action now to change your theme. If no action is taken these blogs will revert to the TwentyFourteen theme on the 30th January.

To help change your theme we have created a handy how-to guide.

As with any change, we would recommend that you test themes in another site before applying to your live site, especially if it is public. Please remember if you change your theme from one that is being disabled you cannot change it back again. More guidance including help with themes can be found on the Glow Blog Help site.

New and improved Glow Connect launching Tuesday 12 December 2017

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Glow Connect is the official website that provides a single point of reference for all individuals, teachers, learners, parents and carers with information, help and support about Glow and the services it has to offer.

Feedback from GLOW  stakeholders has indicated the current site needed to be updated and improved to provide a better user experience.

In consultation with users we have now updated the content, improved the navigation and provided access to Glow help and support in one place.

The site transition will start on Monday at 4pm and will be live to all users on Tuesday 12 December.

The Glow Connect homepage address will not change (https://connect.glowscotland.org.uk/), however any bookmarked pages from the old site will no longer work but will redirect to the new website homepage. You may want to highlight this to your Glow users to update their bookmarks.

Making Scotland a STEM Nation

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STEM Education and Training Strategy for Scotland has now been published

A STEM (Sciences Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics) Education and Training Strategy was launched in the Scottish Parliament last week by Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science.  The strategy, together with a STEM Evidence Base Report, is now available to download from: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/10/1386/downloads

The strategy sets out the vision for STEM Education and Training for the next five years around the themes of Excellence, Equity, Inspiration and Connection. The ambitious actions for early learning and childcare, schools, colleges, universities and community learning and development (CLD) sectors have been developed through an extensive process of engagement and consultation.

Key commitments within the strategy include:

  • Improving the supply of high-quality STEM graduates into teaching
  • Recruiting a new network of STEM specialist advisors to support practitioners and raise STEM attainment
  • Enhancing opportunities for children in early learning and childcare (ELC) to learn about STEM and their natural environment through outdoor play
  • Delivering an enhanced programme of career-long professional learning for practitioners and technicians to improve STEM learning and teaching
  • Launching a new on-line STEM resource and directory for practitioners
  • Embedding best practice from the successful Improving Gender Balance project to improve participation by under-represented groups in STEM learning, courses and training, particularly for women and girls
  • Establishing a new Young STEM leaders programme to grow and spread inspiration and enthusiasm for STEM, starting in the early and primary years of education
  • Launching STEM Awards for ELC settings, schools and CLD settings
  • Growing successful STEM partnerships between schools and employers through the Developing the Young Workforce Programme
  • Helping science centres and festivals to attract under-served people of all ages and backgrounds
  • Creating a STEM hub network to strengthen regional-level collaboration between partners, including universities, science centres and employers.

A central focus on the strategy is to enable everyone to develop STEM skills for learning, for life and for work. Also included are commitments to expand Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeship Programmes to enable many to pursue jobs and careers in STEM through these pathways. This strong focus on skills and careers will further enhance national efforts to Develop the Young Workforce (DYW) and embed employment and career management skills in the curriculum through the Career Education Standard.

Education Scotland would like to take this opportunity to thank the many practitioners, authority staff and partners who helped to shape this strategy by participating in on-line surveys or by taking part in consultation and engagement events. We are very much looking forward to working with key partners to realise the bold ambitions within the strategy and to improving outcomes for learners, of all ages, across Scotland through STEM.

We would be grateful for any help you can give in disseminating the strategy to your colleagues and networks. Please remember too to share your ideas, practice and approaches in relation to STEM through Twitter @EdscotSciences #ScotSTEM and through our national STEM Yammer Group: http://glo.li/2A7gCgr.

External Sharing now available on Glow….

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PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THIS BLOG CAREFULLY , INCLUDING ALL THE LINKS.

PLEASE DISCUSS WITH YOUR LINE MANAGER AND/OR SMT TEAM

Sharing files from Office 365 OneDrive

Microsoft O365 OneDrive allows you to share your content with Glow users and non-Glow users.

  • You can share files from your OneDrive with anyone you want
    There are risks and implications that you should consider before sharing
    There are a few ways to share and you should choose the method that suits your needs best and minimises your personal risk
    Why would I use it?
  • You can share files such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs and images with non-Glow users.

Education options include:

Parental engagement – learners and teachers can share content created in the classroom with parents
Peer collaboration – learners and teachers can collaborate with learners and teachers worldwide
Public blogs – teachers can embed externally shared files such as Word documents and PDFs into public blogs so that parents, other teachers, and interested parties that don’t have Glow accounts can view them.
As with everything in Glow, content should be appropriate for Glow, if you are unsure then please check the Glow Community Rules which should be followed at all times.

How do I get started?

Sharing files
First, navigate to OneDrive from the O365 App Launcher:


O365 App Launcher with OneDrive Icon Highlighted

You will be taken to the OneDrive screen which presents you with an overview of your files. All files in OneDrive are only accessible to you by default – not even system admins can access without taking steps that are recorded in a security log. Each file will have “Only you” in the ‘Sharing’ column. The exception is the ‘Shared with Everyone’ folder which has special permissions set to allow any Glow O365 user to access. (see ‘Shared with Everyone’ further below)

To begin sharing, select the file you wish to share (in this case Banff.docx) and then click ‘Share’ at the top of the screen or select ‘Share’ from the ellipsis menu (…) as highlighted.

                                                     OneDrive Screen with ‘Share’ highlighted

The Sharing dialogue window opens:

– Share – Dialogue with default selected

The default option is to generate a link that will allow any Glow user to edit your file. Links generated are long and complex making them very difficult to guess, so people will only be able to access your file if you give them the link or someone you give the link to passes it on. Generating the link by itself doesn’t change the visibility of your file for search or Delve but will allow anyone in Glow who has the link to view and edit your file. If you want to change these permissions, click on the drop down arrow at the right hand side. You will be presented with the Share options

Share options explained

The options above are listed from top to bottom in descending order of exposure with the default ticked. To help you understand the consequences of each and make the best choice for your needs, we will start with the most controlled, ‘Specific people’, and work our way up the list. ‘Allow editing’ can be selected or deselected for the option you choose.

You have the following share options:

1. Specific people

2. People in Glow

3. Shared with Everyone

4. Anyone

Please click HERE for details on share options

Letting other users know they have access

You have two key ways of letting someone know they have access:

Email – You could email it directly from this screen; or,
Link – copy the link to send in something like Yammer or place on a website like SharePoint or Blogs. Many services also support ’embedding’ Office content and where this is true, that site will typically recognise the URL supplied and create a rich preview of the content. However, experience will vary and you should refer to the guidance of the service in which you wish to embed.

Removing Sharing
You can review, change or revoke the sharing status of any file at any time using the ‘i’ icon from the top menu or using the ‘Details’ option from the ellipsis menu

If you have any questions, please contact the Learning through Technology Team