E-Learning Day Plan & Guidelines

Expectations for Students during eLearning Days:

• Access class materials on Google Classroom. 
• Any new work that is assigned will be due 3 school days from the day we return from the E-Learning Day.
• Email your teacher if you have a question.  

Expectations for Staff during E-Learning Days:

• Be accessible by email during normal school hours.  
• Post classwork on Schoology with clear instructions and expectations.
• A virtual class meeting is not required on days of inclement weather, due to potential loss of internet and/or electricity.  Teachers may offer a virtual meeting check-in if they choose to do so. 

Expectations for Families during E-Learning Days:

• Ensure that your child has a quiet workspace. 
• Help your child create a work schedule that allows for breaks away from technology. 
• Discuss deadlines and progress at the end of the day.  

“What should an eLearning Day look like?"

• Because eLearning days are regular workdays, teachers should be available to students and parents during school day hours. However, alternate schedules may be used to include daytime and evening hours if this better accommodates the needs of students. For any eLearning day used, the district certifies that each eLearning day will be 5.5 hours for students in kindergarten through grade 8 and 6.0 hours for students in grades 9-12, or a minimum of 200 minutes of daily instruction. Lessons provided should require a minimum of 200 minutes of instruction (video, reading, listening); the remainder of the time is for student engagement, studying and work completion, etc. These times are cumulative across subjects.”

Schedule:

• https://sites.google.com/psaschool.org/palmettoscholarsstudenthub/psa-information

Communication:

• https://www.psaschool.org/about/directory

Troubleshooting:

Welcome to the PSA E-Learning Troubleshooting Guide! This page provides solutions to common issues you might encounter while using Google Suite (Google Classroom, Docs, Sheets, etc.) and your Chromebook. Please review these fixes before contacting IT support, as many problems can be resolved quickly using these steps.

General Troubleshooting Tips (Always Try These First!)

• Restart Your Chromebook: Often, a simple restart can resolve many temporary glitches.
  • Click the time/status bar in the bottom right corner.
  • Click the power icon.
  • Click "Restart."
• Check Your Internet Connection: Ensure your Wi-Fi is connected and working. Try restarting your router if other devices are also having connection issues.
• Refresh the Page: For Google Suite applications, try reloading the page (Ctrl + R or the refresh icon in your browser).
• Clear Browser Cache and Cookies: This can resolve issues with websites not loading correctly or acting strangely.
  • Open Chrome.
  • Click the three vertical dots (More) in the top right.
  • Go to "More tools" > "Clear Browse data."
  • Select a time range (e.g., "Last hour," "Last 24 hours," or "All time"). For persistent issues, "All time" is best.
  • Make sure "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files" are checked.
  • Click "Clear data."
  • Note: You may need to sign back into your Google account after clearing these.
• Update Your Chromebook: Ensure your Chromebook's operating system is up-to-date.
  • Click the time/status bar in the bottom right corner.
  • Go to "Settings" (gear icon).
  • Click "About ChromeOS" in the left menu.
  • Click "Check for updates."
• Close Unnecessary Tabs and Apps: Too many open tabs or applications can slow down your Chromebook and Google Suite. Close anything you're not actively using.

Chromebook Specific Issues

1. Chromebook Won't Turn On / No Power

Charge it: Plug your Chromebook into a working power outlet. Look for a charging light. Leave it plugged in for at least 30 minutes.

• Hard Reset: While plugged in, hold down the Refresh key (circular arrow) and the Power button simultaneously for 10 seconds, then release both.

2. Slow Performance / Freezing

• Restart: (See General Troubleshooting Tips)

• Close Unused Tabs/Apps: (See General Troubleshooting Tips)

• Check Task Manager: Press Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager. Identify and close any apps or processes consuming a lot of memory or CPU.

• Disable Extensions: Some browser extensions can slow down your Chromebook.

  • Open Chrome.

  • Click the three vertical dots (More) in the top right.

  • Go to "More tools" > "Extensions."

  • Toggle off extensions you don't recognize or use regularly. Try turning them off one by one to identify the culprit.

• Powerwash (Last Resort): This resets your Chromebook to factory settings and wipes all local data. Only do this if instructed by IT or as a last resort, as it will delete all downloaded files not saved to Google Drive.
  • Click the time/status bar in the bottom right corner.
  • Go to "Settings" (gear icon).
  • Click "About ChromeOS" in the left menu.
  • Click "Advanced" > "Reset settings" > "Powerwash."
  • Follow the on-screen prompts.

3. Wi-Fi Connectivity Problems

• Toggle Wi-Fi On/Off: Click the time/status bar, then click the Wi-Fi icon to turn it off and back on.
• Forget and Reconnect to Network:
  • Click the time/status bar.
  • Click the Wi-Fi icon.
  • Click the gear icon next to your Wi-Fi network.
  • Click "Forget."
  • Then, reconnect to the network and re-enter the password.
• Restart Router: If multiple devices are affected, restart your home Wi-Fi router.
• Move Closer to Router: Signal strength can be an issue.

4. Keyboard/Trackpad Not Working

• Restart Chromebook: (See General Troubleshooting Tips)
• Check for Debris: Look for anything stuck under the keys or in the trackpad area.
• Test with External Keyboard/Mouse: If an external device works, the internal one might have a hardware issue.

5. Camera or Microphone Not Working (e.g., in Google Meet)

• Restart Chromebook: (See General Troubleshooting Tips)
• Check Permissions: In Google Meet or other apps, ensure the app has permission to access your camera and microphone. You'll usually see a pop-up asking for permission.
• Check Device Settings:
  • Click the time/status bar.
  • Click the volume slider.
  • Next to the volume slider, click the right arrow (>) to expand audio settings.
  • Ensure the correct microphone and speaker are selected.
• Close Other Apps: Make sure no other applications are using the camera or microphone.

 

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Google Suite Specific Issues (Classroom, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive)

1. "Unable to Connect" or "Offline" Errors

• Check Internet Connection: (See General Troubleshooting Tips)
• Refresh Page: (See General Troubleshooting Tips)
• Check Google Workspace Status Dashboard: Sometimes, Google's services might be experiencing a temporary outage. You can check the official status page: https://www.google.com/appsstatus (Link to external site, open in new tab).

2. Google Classroom: Can't Join Class / Class Code Not Working

• Check Account: Ensure you are signed in with your PSA student Google account (your school email address).
• Verify Class Code: Double-check the class code for any typos, including capitalization. Class codes are 6-8 characters long and don't have spaces or special characters.
• Ask Teacher: If the code is correct and you're signed in with the right account, the teacher may need to re-share the code or re-invite you.

3. Google Docs/Sheets/Slides: Won't Save Changes or "Saving..." Message Persists

• Check Internet Connection: (See General Troubleshooting Tips) Google Suite apps save in real-time when online.
• Refresh the Page: (See General Troubleshooting Tips)
• Download a Backup (if possible): If you've done significant work, try File > Download as > Microsoft Word (.docx) or PDF as a temporary backup.
• Wait and Try Again: Sometimes, temporary server issues can cause this.

4. Google Docs/Sheets/Slides: Formatting Problems / Copy-Pasting Issues

• Clear Formatting: If you're pasting text from another source, it often brings its own formatting. Select the pasted text and go to Format > Clear formatting.
• Paste Without Formatting: Use Ctrl + Shift + V to paste text without its original formatting.
• Browser Extensions: Certain extensions can interfere with formatting. Try disabling them (see Chromebook Slow Performance section).

5. Google Drive: Can't See Files / Files Not Syncing

• Check "Recent" or "My Drive": Files you've worked on recently should appear in the "Recent" section of Google Drive.
• Check Trash: If you've accidentally deleted a file, it might be in the Trash folder in Google Drive.
• Check for Offline Mode: If you're working offline, changes will sync once you reconnect to the internet. Ensure offline access is properly set up if you rely on it.
• Search for the File: Use the search bar in Google Drive to look for the file by name or keywords.

6. Problems with Specific Features (e.g., Formulas in Google Sheets, Turn-in Button in Classroom)

• Restart Chromebook: (See General Troubleshooting Tips)
• Refresh Page: (See General Troubleshooting Tips)
• Check for Updates: Ensure your browser and Chromebook OS are up-to-date.
• Contact Teacher/IT: If a specific feature isn't working as expected, it might be a bug or require administrative adjustment. Your teacher or IT support can investigate.

When to Contact for Help

Please email your teachers directly if you have an issue with a specific assignment. If you have tried the relevant solutions above and are still experiencing issues, please contact your administrator: Mr. Sweeney (High School), Ms. Wells (Middle School). Please be prepared to provide:

• Your child's full name and grade level.
• A clear description of the problem.
• What troubleshooting steps you have already tried.
• Any error messages you are receiving.

We are here to support your student's successful e-learning experience!

Special Programs

• PSA uses PowerSchool for grades and attendance and Google Classroom for schoolwork and assignments. Email and document creation are all through Google. Each student will be assigned a Google email and account that is linked to the school once they register.

Programs

PSA uses PowerSchool for grades and attendance and Google Classroom for schoolwork and assignments. Email and document creation are all through Google. Each student will be assigned a Google email and account that is linked to the school once they register.

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