Class Teams – Updates to School Data Sync – Important info for Teachers & Students

Class Teams are an excellent way for teachers and students to keep up to date and informed about classes without being restricted to the timetable slot. Available through the Microsoft Teams app on Glow, Class Teams are automatically created by student information from SEEMiS providing an online classroom available automatically. This allows teachers and pupils to share information relevant to the class which can be accessed anywhere and at any time on an internet connected device. Class teams can be used to post info on homework, class materials and keep the conversation going on the subject available for all to take part in.

Class Teams are automatically created for the academic year. Schools who have signed up to use Class teams will see the new classes added and they will include the year of the class i.e. SchoolIdentifier Stage Subject ClassID 17-18. The Teams are created based on the information held by SEEMiS ensuring it is correct and saving teachers time by removing the need to manually create individual classes and manage the membership.

For Teachers and Students already using Class Teams older teams, i.e. anything prior to the 2018/19 academic year, these will be deleted in September/October 2018. It is vital that you save any data from these classes elsewhere before this date if you wish to keep a copy.

 More information on Team and school data sync is available here – https://glowconnect.org.uk/help-with-glow/microsoft-office-365/teams/school-data-sync/

Glow Annual Survey 2018

Each year the Glow team run a survey to collect feedback from users about Glow and digital technology more broadly. The survey results help to ensure our offering continues to evolve in line with the needs of the education system.

The survey is split into two sections, one section for school staff and the second aimed at learners. The survey results are completely anonymous and no personal data is captured.

The survey is now live and we encourage you to complete it. Please also share this with your colleagues and encourage them to do the same. The survey is open until the end of June.

School staff – please complete the survey via this link – https://tinyurl.com/y8gz7xzw

Learners – please complete the survey via this link – https://tinyurl.com/y9mu3ee7

Last year we had a high number of responses to the survey and this year we look to make that number even higher. Thank you for your feedback and for helping shape the future of Glow.

Glow Blogs update

At the end of last year we asked you for feedback on Glow Blogs and what functionality you would like added. Initially we had planned to release an update to Glow Blogs in the summer to upgrade WordPress and to implement some of the suggestions that we had received from the survey. This release is shaping up to include some big changes. It has therefore been decided to delay this release including the user suggested features, until the winter. More info will be posted on Glow Connect as we move closer to updating Glow Blogs. We look forward to sharing more info then on what these exciting new changes mean to all Glow users.

Glow Meet moving from Adobe Connect to Microsoft Skype for Business

Glow Meet provides the ability to communicate with Glow users in other locations by providing VoIP calling, instant messaging and web conferencing abilities. This can be used for one-to-one communication or group conferencing with a number of Glow users throughout the country.

From April, our Glow Meet service will move from being powered by Adobe Connect to the Microsoft Skype for Business platform.

This decision to move to Skype has been made based on feedback from stakeholders. For more information on how you can use the new Glow Meet and the benefits it offers visit our help page – https://glowconnect.org.uk/glow-meet-using-skype-for-business/

To help all our Glow users with the transition to using Microsoft Skype for Business, we have produced user guides. These inform users how to use the new Glow Meet and the different options available including scheduling, joining, opening and managing a meeting. https://glowconnect.org.uk/skype-for-business-guides/

For any users with questions about using Skype for Business for Glow Meet please contact your Glow Key Contact or email the Glow team at enquiries@glow.gov.uk

G Suite for Education – National roll-out guidance

Following many months of planning and a successful pilot period at the end of last year, we are pleased to announce G Suite for Education is now available nationally to all Local Authorities, college’s, independent school’s, national organisation’s and TEI’s who sign the Memorandum of Understanding to use Glow. Those users who were part of the pilot testing period will continue to have access with no further action required.

This is an exciting development for Glow as we continue to grow in offering world class, industry leading productivity packages to help our learners and teachers take advantage of digital tools and capabilities.

Requests to opt-in to gain access to G Suite for Education in Glow must come through a Glow Key Contact.  See https://glowconnect.org.uk/glow-contacts/ for Glow contacts in each area. Glow Key Contacts can email enquiries@glow.gov.uk to request to opt-in.

More information on what G Suite and how you can start taking advantage of everything it offers is available here – https://glowconnect.org.uk/g-suite-for-education/

Technical requirements are available on the technical help page: https://glowconnect.org.uk/help-with-glow/technical-help/

RM Unify Launch Pad notifications now live

A new feature is now available in Glow to all RM Unify Administrators as a way to provide notifications to all users on important announcements such as when a new app is made available to staff and/or students, when planned school network maintenance is due to take place and as a tool to send informal reminders to groups of users.

Users – Look for the bell icon on the RM Unify Launch Pad header. If there are notifications to read, the bell icon is coloured yellow, and clicking on it will then display the notifications.

Glow notifications

To find out more read the RM Unify Notifications FAQ on Glow Connect: https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/public/stevenmonday13thaug/uploads/sites/6911/2018/03/RM-Unify-Launch-Pad-Notifications-FAQ-PDF.pdf

G Suite for Education and O365 Glow Update

Following our announcement back in April about Google and Microsoft products in Glow, now is a good time to share more information on what this means.

From 2018, for the first time G Suite for Education will be joining Glow. The provision of Microsoft O365 will also continue. Both will be available for at least the next 5.5 years.

This introduces an element of choice, where Glow users can access products from either Microsoft or Google or a blend of both dependent on their needs. Access to G Suite requires a local authority and other Glow customers to opt-in before it can be rolled out to their users.

Key Features

G Suite for Education

  • Google Classroom – an online space to share class content, organise assignments and provide feedback on learners’ work. By using the announcements feature teachers can quickly distribute information to a class and allow learners to respond. This feature allows you to share a message with the whole class easily and quickly.. Classroom is accessible on a web browser and using mobile apps to support learning both in and outside of school.
  • Google Drive – storage for every user to store and share a range of multimedia content online. This also integrates with Google Classroom to provide an easy to follow digital workflow.
  • Google Docs –create and edit Docs, Sheets and Slides. Learners and teachers can work together in real time across the class, school, local authority and beyond. Using the ‘Explore’ feature learners can get dynamic layout suggestions for their presentations and recommended images to insert, all approved for use with Creative Commons. In Sheets ‘explore’ can be used to help summarise spreadsheet data with automated charts and insights.
  • Google Forms – create a poll or quiz to assess learning, manage event registrations or communicate with parents using a range of question options. Add images or videos easily and share this so it can be completed on a range of devices. Organise and analyse your responses using real time information and charts.
  • Google Hangouts – School staff can connect with each other through text and video chat across devices, desktop, laptop, tablet, phone. (N.B. This will not be available to students).

Microsoft O365

  • Class Teams –an online space for class conversations, Class Notebooks and Assignments. Each Class Team has 25TB of file storage, a shared calendar, video conferencing and can have its own website and video content.
  • School Data Sync – automatic generation of Class Teams from school SEEMiS data to take the admin out of setting up and maintaining spaces for classrooms.
  • Class Notebook –a connected set of online private digital jotters for each pupil in a class, typically with pages for class work and homework, visible to and controlled by the teacher. Each Class Notebook also has a read-only Content Library for reference material and a Collaboration Space where pupils can work together.
  • Glow Yammer – a closed social media environment where Glow users can engage in online discussions via browser or mobile app and work in groups on topics important to them in school or across Scotland.
  • Forms – create online surveys, polls and self-marking quizzes with rich media content and scope for individual feedback. Forms can be shared within the Glow environment and with parents and other non-Glow users. Each Form has an automatic visual presentation of results updated in real time.
  • OneDrive for Business – unlimited cloud storage for teachers and learners offering the ability to share files with other Glow users and with parents and other non-Glow users.
  • SharePoint – share, organise and manage content through files, websites, apps, calendars, workflows and automatically managed groups of users.
  • Sway – create mobile friendly multimedia presentations that can be shared within the Glow environment and with parents and other non-Glow users.
  • Office online – online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, enabling users to create documents and collaborate in real-time.
  • Full free download of the Office suite including Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Access/Outlook/Skype for Business available on up to 15 personal devices for all Glow users.

What’s Next?

Google

A pilot phase is running until December which will be used to assist in a national roll-out. From early 2018 local authorities can opt-in to add G suite to Glow. Further updates on the introduction of G Suite and the opt-in process for local authorities will be shared on Glow Connect early 2018.

Microsoft

O365 users can continue to use the tools and services they have been enjoying over the past few years. Users will benefit from on-going evolution of the service through updates and new functionality.

We look forward to sharing more details on the outcome of this pilot and rollout of G Suite for Education soon.