Classwork flow

Wesleyan has adopted a school-wide policy regarding classwork flow. Please take a moment to review the classwork flow methods. 

Classwork Flow 2023-2024 - MSHS Teacher.mp4 

Microsoft Teams: Classwork Flow Presentation FAQs 

1. Who is responsible for working with the teachers whose workflow is outside of protocol? What will teacher training look like? 

Department chairs will identify and aid teachers in their department who are not following the preferred workflow. They may collaborate with the Help Desk or Technology Coach for implementation assistance. Department chairs may also suggest a preferred method for their department. Training for all methods will be provided in the coming months. 

2. How does the workflow for class work and assignments integrate with the planner initiative? If we are centrally posting assignments in Blackbaud or Teams students can utilize information in there. 

Teams will pass back assignment details to Blackbaud, allowing students to use Blackbaud’s calendar or their preferred calendar app for organization. Teachers will need to manually enter assignment information if using OneNote. 

Blackbaud’s assignment postings serve as a backup for assignment tracking and a resource for absent students. However, these postings are merely a “to-do” list and do not teach skills like backward planning, time management, and organization. A planner is necessary to manage other responsibilities like office hours and extracurricular activities. 

3. Most of my homework is on paper or in the hard copy of the book. Do I need to modify this considering the streamlining of the classwork flow? What if we prefer to use paper and pencil for workflow? I prefer students to have a notebook for my class. 

Paper is completely fine in any part of the workflow.  

4. Can email be used for reminders about upcoming assignments? 

If using Blackbaud or OneNote-- yes. This is the best method for quick communication. Email SHOULD NOT be the primary method to distribute or communicate assignment information or materials. 

If using Teams Assignments, students receive automatic reminders (at the discretion of the teacher). The Channels in Teams are a suitable place to send reminders to students. Students can ask questions, and the teacher can respond directly to students in the Channel. Other students can see the Q&A's, which helps them and saves the teacher time. 

5. Do you anticipate a mandated move to TEAMS in the future for this?  

Due to unpredictable technological advancements, we cannot be certain about future edtech tools. However, as Blackbaud is our Student Information System (SIS), teachers must input final grades there. Teams is NOT an SIS and will not replace Blackbaud. Our technology team will strive to keep teachers informed of significant changes well in advance. At this time, there is no discussion around a mandatory move to Teams. 

6. Several faculty use Formative for assessments. Is the use of Formative or other platforms now discouraged? 

Our faculty our still encouraged to use Formative (and other edtech platforms).  Links to these platforms should be posted in the assigned location as noted in the classwork workflow chart: 

 

7. If I am using OneNote for my assignments, when do I need to manually enter the assignment into Blackbaud for students? 

Each division has expectations around WHEN an assignment needs to be posted in Blackbaud after being announced to students. These expectations apply to both digital and paper assignments: 

• Middle School: Post homework on Blackbaud by 3:30 p.m. each day. This includes posting any unfinished classwork that needs to be completed for homework. 
• High School: Assigned homework should be posted in Blackbaud in real time whenever possible, but no later than the end of each school/class day. 

8. How does this new workflow affect what I do during class time when I am with my students? 

Sharing resources, links, videos, etc., during class time should follow the “posting non-graded resources” format based on the primary method you are using. For example, if you are using Blackbaud, non-graded digital materials should be shared on Topics pages. As a reminder, these resources should never be emailed to students.  

 

9. Will teachers who choose OneNote or Teams still be required to post everything in Blackbaud bulletin board/Topics? 

Bulletin board – ALL MS and HS teachers are REQUIRED to complete their bulletin boards.  The standards for bulletin boards are posted here. HS teachers are required to post a link to their Team (if using Teams or OneNote) to their Blackbaud bulletin board. 

Topics Pages – If you are using OneNote or Teams as your primary class workflow method, you will not be required to use Topics Pages.  See the chart above for where to post non-graded resources.  

Thank you!