There is a new Acceptable Use Policy in the District. It is posted on the Technology Page.
This summer CSDNR will be moving from Novell to Active Directory. Please make sure you back up your files before the summer.
Check out this Google Slide Deck on End of Year Practices for Google.
Don't forget that Screencastify has added a new toolbar to its application. Check out the new features. You still have access to the spotlight tool, which allows you to make important information visually distinct. The new toolbar can be moved anywhere on the screen and you can even adjust the size of the toolbar. For more information, take a look at this short video.
Screencastify also now has the Blur Tool. This new tool allows users to blur out sensitive information, such as PII and student faces from videos created. Check out the instructions on how to use this new Blur Tool. For more information on how to use the editing tool, here is a video from Screencastify.
Discovery Education has added new features to its platform. Recently they made some significant updates. Check out this newsletter that highlights some of the new features ready to go for the 21-22 school year. They include items like interactive video, quizzes, QR Codes and activity templates.
They also have created a toolkit to help teachers utilize and understand all of the updates on their application. The update is located in Studio by using this link. This presentation will walk teachers through all of the updates that are coming in July 2021.
Discovery Education has also added access to an online puzzle maker. It is easy to use and it contains a variety of puzzle types for teachers to use with students. Explore the variety of puzzles you can use for formative assessment that will engage your students. Teachers can create and print customized puzzles using Discovery Education's Puzzlemaker.
Starting May 1st, every time you login to a district device, you will be prompted to acknowledge that you agree to the terms in the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) that includes an Acceptable Use Regulation. When you turn on your computer, you will click Control/Alt/Delete and you must agree to the terms prior to your login screen engaging. Check out this short Google Slide Deck from Dawn Huston on the steps to follow.
The District will be moving from Novell to Active Directory this summer. Active Directory provides the methods for storing directory data and making this data available to network users and administrators. The Tech Team is recommending that you back up your network drive. There are many ways to back up your data. You can use a flash drive or an external hard drive to back up and store your files. Another way to back up your stored data is to upload it to your Google Drive. It is very simple and you have unlimited storage in the Google Cloud. Here is a short video on how to move folders into your Google Drive.
Nearpod has a new video component. Teachers can now add Youtube links to their videos and no longer have to search for the title. Just copy the link that you want to use and paste it into the Youtube URL Box. Then your video will appear. From there, you can add questions and create formative assessments easily.
SMART has added new features to its platform. It does so practically every month. In April, they added Word Search Puzzles to their vast collection of interactive activities. In February, they added public content that contains standards-aligned lessons created by other educators that you can use for your class. You can select a resource to see more details about it, such as a description of the lesson, the intended grade level, the subject matter, and so on. To keep up to date on what is new, take a look at their website that contains all of their latest features.
The Instructional Technology Team provides ongoing professional learning. Using this new form Request for Professional Learning Form, teachers can ask for training on a variety of applications. Just fill out the form and be sure to include details about specific goals you would like addressed in the training. We will do our best to accommodate your professional learning goals.
Specific applications are listed, but there is also an "Other" category as well. If we cannot provide training, we may be able to contact the vendor to provide professional learning for teachers.
The listing of District applications can be found at this link and includes signed Parent Bill of Rights by vendors as well as other information about the application.
We have also created a guide for current applications that address their uses and similarities to other software titles. Here is Google Slide Deck that provides details on the various CSDNR Applications. In this document, you will get information on how to login, the kind of subscription we have, similar software and resources on how to use the application.
Education Law 2-D provides extra protections for student data and personally identifiable information (PII). Ed Law 2-D calls on educational institutions to limit the amount of PII being utilized and transmitted, especially in unprotected ways. Take a look at this short video on protecting student data.
It is also important to limit the amount of student PII being shared in emails and sending sensitive information via an email is not always secure. Gmail has two security features built into it. Here is a brief video on how to use these Gmail security features.
Teachers can also send a password protected MS Excel file or a password protected MS Word file. This is very simple to do. Take a look at this short video on how to password protect your MS Excel files. Here is a video on how to password protect your MS Word files.
The Instructional Technology Website is always being updated. Recently, the site was overhauled to feature the professional learning resources that are available to all CSDNR faculty and staff. Last spring, the Team began vetting and creating resources to help educators learn how to use software applications. The resources include step-by-step videos as well as Google Slide Decks. There are also Google Docs and PDFs. Over the last year, we have added many resources to this collection.
