Help Desk

Your first point of contact for technical support during an instructional contract day is your Campus Technician who can help you when things don’t quite work right with your technology.  You may also contact the Technology Help Desk at HelpDesk@gpisd.org For instructional support, you should contact your Instructional Media Specialist who can help you teach with technology as well as provide professional learning in many topics related to instructional technology and Library.

Incident IQ Ticketing System

Grand Prairie ISD has an online tool for teachers to log in and report issues or problems they might be having with their technology. This tool helps to provide fast and efficient technical support as well as helps to track the issue. Please be sure to provide all of the details in the system so that the problem can get corrected as quick as possible. GPISD educators will use their Active Directory computer login to access the system.

Incident IQ Ticketing System

Instructional Media Specialists

Instructional Media Specialists (IMS) are a helpful resource to contact at the campus level. This district employee is a former classroom teacher that is responsible for the Library and instructional technology. They can provide professional learning for teachers on integrating technology into lessons and can even come to your classroom to assist with lessons. The IMS can also help you locate print and digital resources in the Library. They can help model good research practices as well as required digital citizenship for the students.

Your Teacher Devices

Grand Prairie ISD provides teachers with a MacBook Air and an iPad. The MacBook Air boots into either Windows or Mac. This gives teachers access to both operating systems. The district requires all teachers to have both devices fully charged and at work each and every day as well as all professional learning sessions. You should keep your iPad and the apps updated. You can use any Apple ID to sign in. You can use an Apple ID that you already have or you can create a new one.

Create a New Apple ID

I Forgot My Apple ID or Password

Your Teacher iPad will have access to the Apple App Store as well as Self Service which is the district version of the App Store. Self Service holds the approved educational apps used by teachers and students in the district. Students do not have access to the Apple App Store but they do have access to Self Service. There are two versions of Self Service on student iPads devices. One is called Self Service and has four colors on the icon. The other is called Self Service Web and is black/white in color.

Apple Teacher

The Board of Trustees approved our technology implementation plan in June 2017 that gave our students the necessary tools to be successful. One of the expectations associated with this technology is that all teachers will complete their Apple Teacher Badges for iPad. There are 6 badges to be completed by the specified due dates. Grand Prairie ISD requires all teachers to log into the Apple Teacher Learning Center to take the 6 assessments. Teachers should also work towards their badges for Mac as well as Apple Swift Playgrounds (coding).

Apple Teacher Learning Center (use your Apple ID to sign in)

To show your proof of completion to your supervisor, complete this form.

Proof of Apple Teacher Badges

Apple in GPISD

Using the iPad and Mac OS gives teachers access to these useful apps. Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iMovie and Books. Because the apps are available on both devices, teachers and students are using them to create. Your Instructional Media Specialist will offer campus level training throughout the school year to help you. Courses are also taught all summer. Please be sure to use the Apple Teacher Learning Center to get started. The district also recommends these free Everyone Can Create books created by Apple Education that you should download right away from the Apple Books Store. Apple’s iCloud is a cloud-based environment where teachers can store documents.

Apple Classroom

Apple Classroom is an app for iPad and Mac that allows teachers to guide learning, share work and manage student devices while in a face-to-face classroom environment. Teachers need to install the Classroom app to their device while students do not.

Visit this page for Apple Classroom resources.

Google in GPISD

Grand Prairie ISD provides all teachers (and students) with a district Google account. The account gives you access to apps such as Drive, Slides, Docs and Sheets. We do not have access to Gmail, however, because our district uses Microsoft Outlook for email. Your campus Instructional Media Specialist can help you get access to your district Google account if you are unable to log in. Your username should look like this example: firstname.lastname@gpisd.org.

Google

Office 365

Office 365 is a useful tool for accessing Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel. Teachers can access this here. For the storage of documents, teachers can use OneDrive, district Google Drive or Apple iCloud.

Office 365

Edugence

Grand Prairie ISD uses Edugence for assessments and professional learning. You will use your Active Directory/network credentials to log in to Edugence. The Zendesk Work Order System will help get you assistance when you have issues logging in to Edugence

Printing

Teachers can add printers to their laptops on the Windows side and on the Mac side. Please see these instructions for how to accomplish that. These directions are provided by the Document Services Department.

How to Print from Mac for Windows (Guide in ZenDesk)

Canvas (Grades 6-12)

Canvas is the Learning Management System that Grand Prairie uses for teachers and students in grades 6-12. Teachers and students will use their Active Directory/computer log in to access Canvas. Your Instructional Media Specialist can help you with Canvas once the school year starts. The district encourages all teachers in grades 6-12 to take the Canvas training sessions offered each summer during summer professional learning.

Canvas

Google Classroom (Grades K-5)

Google Classroom is a document management system that the district provides for teachers and students in grades K-5. Your elementary Instructional Media Specialist can ensure that you get a teacher version of a Google Classroom account. Sign in with your district Google credentials. Your elementary IMS can help you get professional learning for Google Classroom or you can attend a session during the summer professional learning.

Google Classroom

Library Resources in GPISD

GPISD offers 24/7 access to reputable/authenticate databases through the Instructional Media page for elementary and secondary campuses. Database resources include Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book; research for K-2,

PebbleGo, all subject level research, Gale, state and country research, Culturegrams; rights cleared images, Britannica Imagequest, video streaming Learn 360 and Ebsco Express Step for College and Career Prep.

Ebooks and audiobooks are available using TumbleBooks, TeenBookCloud and the SORA app by Overdrive. Teachers create an account within the Destiny Library Catalog and sign into SORA with the created credentials. Helpful video.

All database and eBook resources are accessible with a password from home. Contact your campus Instructional Media Specialist or Instructional Media Aide for the information.

Skyward

Students

Skyward Student information System is the tool the district uses for grade book and student information.

Skyward Student

Skyward Finance (Employee Access)

Skyward Employee Access is a different system and a different link from the student information side of Skyward. Employee Access contains information about you, the employee, such as your salary, time off, and personal information.

Skyward Finance (Employee Access)