CSDNR Instructional Tech Weekly

If you are looking for more information on Schoology, feel free to check out the self-paced courses to learn more. There are three self-paced courses at each level: elementary school, middle school and high school. The courses all provide information on how to get started in Schoology. The three courses include: Schoology Basics: Navigation & Courses; Schoology Basics: Grading; and Schoology Basics: Google Integration. Here are the links to the courses. On these pages, it gives you information on how to login and join a course in schoology.

• Elementary School Schoology Courses
• Middle School Schoology Courses
• High School Schoology Courses

Once you are in the platform, explore all that Schoology has to offer. You can create a practice course and test out different features. In the Google Integration course, you will be provided with information on how to link your Google Drive with your Schoology account.

In the fall we will provide training to high school teachers and early adopters. We have provided some informational sessions to high school teachers recently. There has been some interest in learning more over the summer. If you are interested in learning more about Schoology over the summer, fill out this simple form to let us know.

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.

During the summer the network will still be available as the Active Directory Network is being built parallel to the existing one. The process will take all summer and extend into the fall. Here is a brief communication about what to expect during and after the move occurs.

As the end of the year gets closer, there are certain things teachers may want to do in order to close out the school year to be prepared to start again in September. Check out this website on Closing Out Google Classroom or this Google Slide Deck on End of Year Practices for Google. Some of these practices may help you get organized and declutter your Google Drive, or your Gmail. Take a look at this short video on how to create filters in Gmail. This may mitigate that overflowing inbox.

If you are looking for all of the locally created and vetted professional learning materials, take a look at the Professional Learning Catalog of Resources to support for the use of CSDNR applications. We have collected all of our supporting materials in one place.

There is a new phishing scam occurring in New York State. NY State Comptroller DiNapoli warns of text message scam targeting retirees. A text message scam is targeting retirees to make a payment for a retirement fund “upgrade” that would include additional “benefits” if they pay $1000. Comptroller DiNapoli has communicated to members and retirees that “the fund has not, and does not, send out any electronic messages asking for payment for upgrades. Don’t be fooled.”

NY State residents can report tax or retirement system fraud using the Comptroller’s toll-free Fraud Hotline at 1-888-672-4555, by emailing investigations@osc.ny.gov or by mailing a complaint to the Office of the State Comptroller, Division of Investigations, 8th Floor, 110 State Street, Albany, NY 12236. For more information on the scam, check out: Beware Text Message Scam Targeting Retirees.

The District will be moving to a new platform for assessment creation called Performance Matters. Performance Matters provides districts with a user-friendly platform to create a variety of assessment types. Performance Matters provides schools and districts with standards-aligned items, pre-made assessments, realtime reporting by question / standard, and the ability to compare common district assessment results to third party assessment data. This application is not only an assessment creation tool, but a data warehouse.

Because of the move to this new software, we will be eliminating software that has same purpose. The District will no longer support Castle Learning, as our usage has decreased this year. We will also no longer support DnA. We are committed to a smooth transition to Performance Matters and will provide professional learning for teachers and administrators in the summer and the fall.

We may also have to eliminate the usage of other software titles that are no longer compliant with Ed Law 2-D. Ed Law 2-D requires third-party vendors to protect student personally identifiable information (PII) and be NIST compliant. The NIST Cyber Security Framework consists of standards, guidelines and best practices to manage cybersecurity risk. As more educational institutions are the victims of cyber incidents, school districts must limit their exposure to cyber criminals. One way to do that is to ensure that all software or websites used are fully vetted and safe for faculty, staff and students.

Unfortunately, there are some software titles that are not compliant any longer with the new standards set forth in Ed Law 2-D. We will no longer be able to use Rosetta Stone, Kahoot and Blooket next year. We are working with other vendors to become compliant, but it is a process. Vendors have to now sign a Parent Bill of Rights as well as a Data Privacy Agreement and must adhere to certain cyber security standards. If you have any questions, please email dfishman@nredlearn.org.

Discovery Education is updating its application with some exciting new content and tools. They are adding more strategies to their site. Check out their Spotlight on Strategies (SOS) Section, which features learning strategies for each grade band. One strategy highlighted this month is AEIOU, which helps students interpret and summarize information from images or videos. If you are looking for more learning strategies, take a look at Discovery Education's Top Ten Differentiating Instruction Strategies. All learning strategies come with a video on how to use them, as well as classroom materials.

Newsela is working with educators and researchers to think about effective reentry plans for the fall. They have put out a guiding document, "Learning Found: A reentry Guide Rooted in Learning Science" This guide contains links to research on learning science and engagement.

One highlight from the research is from The Aurora Institute, which defines personalized learning as “Tailoring learning for each student’s strengths, needs and interests–including enabling student voice and choice in what, how, when and where they learn–to provide flexibility and supports to ensure mastery of the highest standards possible.” They add that learning recovery must center around a teacher for their “personalized learning” program. Students need to express agency in their learning and have social learning experiences.

Additionally, the concept of deep learning is discussed in this guide. Take a look at the article on the Newsela Blog page, "Deep Learning is Doable: Five Strategies for Supporting Deep Learning in Virtual Environments" that was written by Matthew Perini, Harvey Silver, and Jay McTighe and published in January 2021.

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 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.