Our Mission: The Online Learning Systems group is committed to ensuring all students have equitable access to digital resources. The Online Learning Systems Supervisor and Specialists facilitate the successful implementation, operation, maintenance, and day-to-day support of digital resources across all schools in the district. See the Journey 2025 Technology Plan to review goals and guiding principles to prepare learners to be college, career, and citizen-ready.
Support for Virtual Learning: Newport News Public Schools is committed to ensuring that EVERY student can participate in virtual learning—anytime, anywhere. CoNNected at Home provides resources intended to help NNPS students and their families connect, engage, and succeed in virtual learning. Visit CoNNected at Home for helpful links and information.
Congratulations to our own, Kayla Reesey, for her recognition as Exemplary Support Staff of 2022-2023. Ms. Kayla Reesey has served the school division for two years and counting. Kayla quickly advanced from a Technology Support Specialist (TSS) to one of the very first Online Learning Systems Specialists in the department. Kayla hit the ground running when she started work in June 2020 as a Technology Support Specialist (having already had experience with the division after serving as an intern for Network Engineering). During an incredibly stressful 1:1 implementation, Kayla spent countless hours assisting families over thousands of calls and work orders, servicing student Chromebooks, and configuring hardware and software across staff devices. Kayla quickly established a reputation for being incredibly knowledgeable, enthusiastic, hard-working and committed. In her role as Online Learning Systems Specialist, Kayla serves as a division-wide learning management system administrator of Canvas; and also provides back-end support and day-to-day maintenance of 45+ online learning systems used by over 25,000 students. Kayla has played a pivotal role in the implementation of the division's new issue tracking system: Freshworks. After a successful deployment of Freshworks, she was recruited to develop training, process and protocol documentation for the department's new asset management system: One to One Plus. Going above and beyond her normal job duties is a trademark of Kayla's worth-ethic. Looking ahead, Kayla is currently in the process of designing online training and consolidated organization of resources for the Technology Support Specialist (TSS) group. She is working collaboratively with different staff to outline goals and tasks. Kayla is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to streamline work and bring cohesiveness to different projects and staff. We are so lucky and proud to have her in our division!
Clever: One Portal to District Digital ResourcesSingle Sign-On (SSO) provides a simple and streamlined login for students and staff. Clever SSO enables users to be securely authenticated into connected applications via their Clever Portal. Students and staff log in to Clever just once with one set of credentials, and then click on the various system icons to be logged in automatically. Without Clever SSO, each application would need to maintain its own database of users and their credentials.
How do I login to the Clever Portal?
Clever authenticates users through the district's Google identity provider credentials. Simply open the Clever Portal and login with your designated NNPS email and password to access. See CoNNected At Home's Accessing Accounts webpage for login videos.
What systems are available through the Clever Portal?
Student and staff portal access to learning systems is based on curricular need. Learning systems can be assigned by grade level, subject, school, class, and student need. See all the below online learning systems available in Clever:
| Clever Systems/Applications | Student Population |
|---|---|
| Achieve3000 | PreK-8 (Comprehensive Schools) |
| BrainPop | 6-12 (GMS Only) |
| Canvas LMS | PreK-12 |
| Carnegie Learning Passport (previously EMC Passport) | 6-12 |
| Catch up with Coach | K-8 (SPED Services) |
| Cengage Big Ideas Math | 6-12 |
| Code.Org | K-12 (STEM) |
| College Board PSAT/NMSQT | Rostering for Testing |
| CommonLit | 6-12 |
| Discovery Education | K-12 |
| DreamBox | K-5 |
| Edgenuity Courseware™ / MyPath® / UpSmart® | 6-12 (Credit Recovery) |
| Edulastic | K-5 |
| EduTyping | 6-12 |
| e-Hallpass | 6-8 (GMS Only) |
| Ellevation | K-12 (ELL Services) |
| EMC eBooks | 6-12 |
| eMediaVA | K-12 |
| Epic-Students | K-5 (SSO) |
| Eureka Math Navigator | K-5 |
| EVERFI | 6-12 |
| Explore Learning Gizmos | 6-12 |
| FEV Tutor | 6-12 |
| Freckle | K-5 (DSA Only) |
| GoGuardian | K-12 |
| GoOpenVA | K-12 |
| Great Minds InSync (Eureka) | K-5 |
| HMH Central Portal | 6-12 |
| IXL | 6-12 |
| Junior Great Books Digital Classroom | PreK-5 (Gifted Services) |
| Learning A-Z | K-5 |
| Learning.Com | K-8 (STEM Resource) |
| Lexia Core5 | PreK-5 (JES Only) |
| Medical Language Lab | 9-12 (Warwick Only) |
| myPLTW | 6-12 (CTE Only) |
| Naviance | 6-12 |
| Newsela | 6-12 |
| NGLSync | 6-12 (Secondary Science) |
| NoRedInk | 6-12 |
| Nystrom World (previously Stratalogica) | 6-12 |
| Raptor Technologies | K-12 |
| Scholastic | PreK-5 |
| Seesaw | PreK-2 |
| SmartyAnts | PreK-5 |
| Sora NNPS | K-12 |
| The DBQ Project | 6-12 |
| Tiggbee | 6-12 (CTE Only) |
| Virginia Wizard | PreK-12 |
| Virtual Job Shadow Rostering | 6-12 (CTE Only) |
| Vocabulary.Com | 6-12 (Hines Only) |
| WELNET Fitness Database | K-12 |
| World Book Online | K-12 |
Who do I contact for Clever support or to request a digital resource to be added?
Students: The Virtual Learning Help Desk is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (757) 928-6979. Or, complete the Student Technology Helpdesk Request Form to be
contacted directly to get support.
Staff: Please contact Online Learning Help for direct support or submit a work order to the Technology Helpdesk with the "Clever" Problem Type.
If requesting a digital resource, please indicate the digital resource name and the class, grade level, and school supported.
Canvas: Our Learning Management SystemCanvas is a Learning Management System (LMS) that simplifies teaching and learning activities and organizes student coursework in an online environment.
Canvas allows teachers to:
- Deliver virtual instruction using resources/assignments in one organized space
- Track progress and usage, annotate/grade assignments, and manage due dates
- Facilitate collaboration and communication with enrolled students and staff
Canvas enables students to:
- Connect and communicate with teachers in enrolled courses
- Keep track of assignments due and access organized class materials by course
- Submit online work in a variety of ways and see teacher feedback
Visit the Canvas for Students webpage for virtual class learning support, navigating the Canvas Dashboard and course content, submitting assignments, and more!
Visit the Canvas for Families webpage for details on how to create an Observer account for Parents/Guardians, accessing Canvas, setting Notification preferences, and more!
The Canvas LMS, like Clever, authenticates users through the district's Google credentials. Simply login to your Clever Portal using designated NNPS email and password, and click the "Canvas LMS" app icon to open Canvas. See the CoNNected At Home webpage for help with login.
Who do I contact for Canvas support?
Students: The Virtual Learning Help Desk is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (757) 928-6979. Or, complete the Student Technology Helpdesk Request Form to be contacted directly to get support.
Staff: Please contact Online Learning Help for direct support or submit a work order to the Technology Helpdesk with the "Canvas" Problem Type.
Monitor Uptime Status of Primary OLS Sites
Search Knowledge Base for Helpful Articles & Solutions
eTextbook Selector for Secondary Students & Staff
Virtual Learning Academy at Point Option
Virtual Virginia offers a wealth of advanced placement and foreign language classes in an online format for eligible NNPS students. Students experience video, audio, text, telephone conversations, and more with teachers and peers. Please contact your school's guidance counselor to inquire about virtual course offerings and registration.
eLearning is a teaching and learning approach used in Newport News where education takes place using computers, the Internet and other technologies. Students and adults can experience eLearning in courses they take in schools/worksites or through another form of distance delivery offering. eLearning can either be synchronous (where students/adults are online all at thesame time) or asynchronous (where students/adults are online at different times at their own convenience). Learners experience online learning in a variety of ways in Newport News including: digital resources, the Canvas LMS, virtual field trips, mathematics/literacy labs, Virtual Virginia, and other knowledge sharing.
Student Qualities That Lead To Success When Taking Online Courses
- Being technologically comfortable
- Access to computing resources and a distraction-free work area
- Being self-motivated
- Being able to complete work without frequent supervision
- Being adept at time-management
- Being comfortable expressing ideas in writing
- Being comfortable gaining knowledge through extensive reading
- Being comfortable communicating without face-to-face interaction
- Having sufficient time to devote to an online course on a regular basis
- Being able to communicate with a school-appropriate "online presence"
- Being able to adhere to deadlines, expectations, and assignment details
- Being able to contribute to online discussions with facilitators and peers
- Being able to work cooperatively with other students
Ways For Parents To Support Students Taking Online Courses
- Discuss the online course with the student frequently for support
- Provide supervision to help students stay on-task and to meet deadlines
- Provide an appropriate work area to facilitate engagement