New User Guide
Getting Started with SPARK Digital
We’re glad you’re here! Explore these resources at your own pace to get started and set yourself up for success with SPARK.
1
Module 1
Dashboard Overview
- Use the Search Bar at the top of the page or the Search tab in the left navigation to find resources quickly.
- Toggle between Light Mode and Dark Mode to customize the appearance of your dashboard.
- Click your Profile icon in the top-right corner to access your account information and settings.
- The Dashboard serves as your home page.
- View your active Program Licenses and their expiration dates.
- Access Pinned Resources for quick reference.
- Review Recent Activity to return to recently viewed resources.
- Expand or collapse the left navigation menu as needed.
- Within your Profile, you can update your password, change your email address, view certifications and licenses, edit personal account information. Note: ability to make changes is based on your User Role.
- Use Settings to customize your experience, notification settings, dashboard appearance, and display options.
There are three User Roles:
- Teacher/User: Manage personal account information, settings, and customize individual SPARK Digital experience.
- Admin: Manage users within assigned school or district and update user access/permissions.
- Owner: Manage and update account-level settings and billing/subscription information. May also have Admin and/or Teacher permissions.
2
Module 2
Curriculum Overview
- Log in and select Curriculum from the left navigation menu.
- View all SPARK programs available to your account.
- Switch between Tile View and List View using the toggle in the upper-right corner.
- Select a program to access its units and instructional materials.
- The Curriculum Resources folder contains planning documents, curriculum implementation guides, overview videos, and teaching strategies and support materials.
- Use filters to find specific Unit Materials. Select Bonus Units to view digital-only content. Pin units for quick access from your dashboard. Add units to your Learning Path for organization and planning for your entire school year.
- Open a unit to view all lessons in skill progression order. Pin lessons or add them to your Learning Path. Use breadcrumbs and dropdown menus to move between programs, units, and lessons. Select a lesson to view all lesson materials.
- The Lesson plan is always the first resource displayed. Use viewer controls to move between pages, zoom in or out, expand to full screen, and download.
- The Lesson materials are listed in the left navigation and may include Learning Target Cards, Videos, Music, Skill cards, and supporting resources. Other resources also include relevant Program or Unit resources you might need for the lesson, such as assessments and class size, limited space, or equipment modifications.
- Pin resources for quick access from your dashboard, or add resources directly to your Learning Path.
- Learning Paths provide a flexible way to organize, save, and access curriculum materials for ongoing instruction and planning.
- Select Learning Paths from the Curriculum page. Create folders to organize curriculum materials throughout the year. Structure folders in a way that best fits your needs, such as Monthly, Weekly, Grade levels, or Units.
- To add materials to a Learning Path, select the icon on any resource, choose Add to Learning Path, select the desired folder, click Add.
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Module 3
Teaching with SPARK
- Access SPARK PE instructional materials through Curriculum Resources within your SPARK program.
- Find guidance on implementation, lesson delivery, planning, and instructional best practices. Learn not only what to teach, but tips on how to teach physical education.
- Explore the Introduction to Teaching SPARK resources. Learn strategies for: planning the year ahead, choosing activities, organizing lessons, and managing classes.
- Access lesson quality checklists, learning targets, "I Can" statements, assessments, rubrics, and strategies for teaching in limited space, with limited equipment, or large class sizes.
- Additional classroom management resources are also included to support effective classroom organization and successful lesson delivery across all grade levels.
- The Planning Resources section includes materials to support year-long, unit, and daily lesson planning.
- Resources include: Scope and Sequence (Pre-K through High School), National Standards Alignments, Sample Yearly and Unit Plans, Lesson Plan Templates, Pacing Guides, Modified Class-Length Plans, and Parent Letters.
- Each SPARK Lesson includes Learning Objectives (what students should know and be able to do), Learning Targets (student-friendly “I Can” statements), and Teaching Cues (key safety tips, skill cues, and game rules).
- Lessons follow the Prep, Set, Teach format:
- Prep: Required equipment, resources, and space.
- Set: Activity setup, grouping, and organization.
- Teach: Lesson instructions, variations, challenges, and reflection questions.
- Lessons also include Standards and SEL Alignments, Vocabulary Support, SPARK It Up Differentiation Activities, Teaching Suggestions, Cross-Curricular Integrations, and a space for Teacher Reflection Notes.
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Module 4
Professional Development Overview
- Select Professional Development from the left navigation menu.
- Resume previously viewed training videos directly from the top of the page.
- Pin training modules and resources for quick access from your dashboard.
- View recently accessed professional development content in Recent Activity.
- Earn certificates by completing professional development videos (must view through to the end).
- Download and print completed certificates.
- Access certificates from both online and qualifying in-person SPARK professional development events, including district trainings and SPARK Institute workshops.
- Use page filters to view available professional development content.
- Available content includes Free Webinars, Certificates, and SPARKecademy Courses (if included with your subscription).
- Access free webinars on a variety of health and physical education topics.
- Most webinars are one hour or less.
- Eligible webinars provide professional development credit upon completion.
- SPARKecademy offers premium online workshops and professional learning courses.
- Access course materials, videos, and learning resources through the Professional Development section.
- Complete courses at your own pace while building knowledge and instructional skills.
5
Module 5
Student Assessment, Attendance & Reports
- Access Student Assessment from the left navigation menu. Manage data from one location, including: Student Management, Assessments, Reports, and Attendance.
- View dashboard metrics such as assessments completed, average scores, recent activity, and pending assessments.
- Filter assessments by date, class, or assessment type.
- Use templates to create assessments once and apply them across multiple classes.
- Use Student Management to create classes, add individual students, import class rosters via CSV, and organize student groups.
- Assign students to a class during creation to avoid placing them in the Unassigned folder.
- Optional student information includes student codes, email addresses, grade levels, and skill levels.
- Easily create student groups using number of groups, group size, or skill level.
- Use grouping rules to keep specific students together or apart.
- Select Assessments to create and administer assessments using SPARK templates or custom assessment formats. Available assessment types include: Timed assessments, Rubrics, Count-based assessments, and Score-based assessments.
- Add students to assessments, enter scores, mark students absent, and save unfinished assessments to complete later.
- Record attendance directly within the platform. Mark students present or absent and track attendance history.
- Generate reports for individual students, specific assessments, or an entire class. Export reports to CSV files.
- Use attendance and assessment data together to monitor participation, performance, and student progress.
6
Module 6
Account Administrator Tools
- Navigate to Licenses in the left navigation menu. View total licenses, available licenses, assigned licenses, and expired licenses.
- Select the Purchases tab to review products purchased, purchase dates, and license expiration dates.
- Open a program to view license keys and available seats.
- To assign a license: Select Assign, choose a user, and click Assign to activate the seat.
- Remove licenses as staffing changes occur.
- Navigate to Licenses. Select the user. Select Revoke License. Confirm the action.
- The license is now available to be assigned to another user.
- Purchase renewal licenses through Gopher Sport.
- Once the purchase is completed, the license is automatically added to your account.
- Assign renewed licenses using the same process as new licenses.
- Navigate to My Organization to manage schools and users.
- View all schools and associated users within your organization.
- To add a user: Select Add User, enter the required information, create a password or allow the system to generate one, assign a role (Teacher or Admin).
- To add multiple users at once: download the user import template, complete the spreadsheet, upload the file for bulk import.
- Admins can: reset passwords, update email addresses, change user roles, and move users between schools.
Admin License Note: Administrator licenses provide access to the Admin Console and License Management tools. Each admin seat consumes one license from your organization’s allocation. Contact your SPARK account representative if you need to adjust the number of admin seats on your subscription.
Learn at your own speed!
Navigate to the module(s) you need:
1Dashboard Overview2Curriculum Overview3Teaching with SPARK4Professional Development5Assessment & Reports6Administrator Tools
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