09/08 Platform Updates

Hi TechSmart Teachers, 

We have been working hard this summer to make improvements to the TechSmart Platform to support the 2020-21 school year. 

To read more about this release and related details of each feature, check out our Help Center.

Platform Update Summary

• Lesson Activity Info Dialog - Teachers can click on a Lesson Activity Tile to view more information and actions for an activity. In particular, teachers can run the solution for that assignment if available, attach a video to an assignment, and assign the activity to individual students. Read more... 
• Lesson Activity Videos - Teachers can upload a video to an Activity via the Lesson Activity Info Dialog. Teachers and students can view the video on the Code page by clicking “View Video” in the Assignment Panel. Read more... 
• Assign to specific students - Teachers can assign a Lesson Activity to individual students. Read more... 
• Class Setup: Schedule - Remote/Blended Lesson Plan Option - A Remote/Blended option has been added to the Class Setup Wizard in the Schedule section. This option creates a class Lesson Plan optimized for a Remote/Blended classroom where the class content alternates between teacher synchronous instruction and student asynchronous activities. Read more... 
• Class Setup: Schedule - Switch schedules - Teachers have the ability to switch between the In-Person and the Remote/Blended option after the class has been created. This will allow teachers to alter their Lesson Plan schedule configuration when schedules change throughout the year. Read more... 
• Class Setup: Roster - Select student account - Teachers have the ability to select which student account to use if there are multiple accounts in the system for the student during the roster upload process.
• Class Setup: Roster - Google Sheets Roster Template - Teachers have the option to create a copy of the Roster Template instead of downloading an excel file. Uploading an xlsx (Excel) file of your roster is still required to complete the Roster section. 
• Force Close Run Window - Teachers and students can now close out of the run window without finishing the program or if stuck in an infinite loop.
• Python Classes configured for 1 projector setup - To support remote learning, all python classes have been configured to only open 1 additional projected tab. The teacher can then select between presenting Slides or Code from the main Code page on the teacher screen. To switch to the normal 2 projector setup for teaching in-person with a 2 projector setup, please submit a request to support@techsmart.codes or Live Support. 
• Start Classroom Setup Button from Code Page - Teachers can now launch the additional projected Slides/Code tab(s) from the Code page if it was not initially launched when opening from the Lesson Plan Day view. 
• Disable editing on projected Code Page- Teachers can no longer interact with the projected Code window. This helps reduce confusion on which screen to be using. 

Remote Learning
To learn more about how to deliver Remote Learning with the TechSmart Platform, check out our articles about Remote Learning in our Help Center. 

Submit Your Ideas
At TechSmart we love hearing ideas from our teachers on how to make the TechSmart Platform and Curriculum to be the best it can be to support your needs as a teacher.

If you have ideas that you would like to share, please send them to ideas@techsmart.codes.

Whether you will be teaching asynchronous remote, synchronous remote, in-person or a blended learning model, we are here to support you so that you and your students can have the best educational experience possible. Warm thanks from our entire team - and we can't wait to see you again soon! 

Best, 
Your Colleagues at TechSmart