Using StudySync.com A GUIDE FOR TEACHERS

What is StudySync? StudySync is an online learning platform that will be utilized throughout the year in history class. This platform will allow students to interact with a variety of topics, respond to questions both short and long written formats and provide peer and teacher feedback. It will include primary historical documents, such as Plato’s The Cave, audio recordings of modern historians, and research links to related websites and topics. Each student will create an account (login and password), if he/she does not already have one, and use this account throughout the year. The Web address is:

Student Login Information Username: first initial last name bhms (ddreherbhms) Password: student lunch number

Teacher Login Information: Username: Password: BSSD

You may want to title your groups by hour and year to help organize multiple classes or sections.

Once your group is created, you must share the appropriate “Group Key” with the students for that group, or class.

There are different types of assignments that are possible with each piece. -Think -Prompts these are written response

Assignment Features: 1.Select the students and/or class that should receive the assignment. 2.Assign your due dates and review dates (review dates set the amount of time you allow students to review each other’s work in the peer review format) 3.You have the option of adding additional instructions or notes- you may want to refer to a particular discussion in class or a standard writing format to remember.

Assignment Features: 4. You have the option of enabling audio recordings with the text 5. You can choose to use the short- answer “Think” questions or to turn this option off. 6. You can choose from three different prompt suggestions for a longer written assignment, or turn this option off as well. (You might do this if you are just asking students to respond to the Think questions for a particular assignment).

Assignment Features: 7. There are several different rubrics already available on StudySync for you to choose from, but teachers can also create and upload an original rubric to use for any assignment. 8. Teachers also have the option of assigning a particular number of peer reviews or none at all. 9. Then click “Create” to activate your assignment.

The small, orange magnifying glass icon allows you to see the student view of the assignment.

If you created an assignment last year and want to use it again this year with a new group of students, you would click on “Show Inactive Assignments” at the bottom right corner of the screen.

Once I locate the previous assignment I want to use again, I click on the “edit” button and the assignment information is shown. From this screen, I “Use this assignment for a new assignment” and change my groups and dates.

If a colleague creates an assignment and would like to share it with you, you can search that person’s assignments and duplicate them for your groups and students, even if they are in another school. 1.Select “All School” as the Show target option. 2.Simply enter the teacher’s first and last name in the “created by” box to see other assignments your colleagues may share with you.

In addition to the tutorials at the bottom of the home page (the “getting started” section), StudySync also has its own YouTube channel with lots of helpful, and short, videos to help you make the most of the program for you and your students!

questions: Darcie Dreher Jen Sevart