Tech Department Newsletter
Distance Learning Edition
The Technology Department is here to support and help!
Issuetrak - Use this link for all Technology Support Requests
"Good" Issuetrak tickets have specifics and detail:
a) What is the problem? - be specific
b) What have you tried to do already? What was the result? - be specific
c) Is there a best time to get your device? - let us know, we will try to accommodate.
Sanitizing and General Care for Chromebooks and Laptops
Distance Learning
Google for Education Apps and Other Online Resources - CVUSD
Google is CVUSD's software application standard. We use Google Mail, Docs, Sheets, Forms, Classroom, Slides, Hangouts, and newly added Google Meets to support our daily work and Distance Learning. These applications provide us with consistency for work across our organization as well as provides administrative tools to protect and optimize work for all of our employees.
Google Administrative Tools gives us control over how Google Applications and features are managed: used for both staff and students across each campus, controls to support data privacy, and student/employee privacy.
Web-based software which is often popular for students has to be reviewed for their data collection and policies. Many of these "free-ware" options collect and resell market data of the students and are not compliant student data privacy laws. Please email Greg Ko, Director of Technology to request approvals.
Google software features are updated regular and change with frequency, we will do our best to update everyone of changes in features.
Google for Education does not keep any user information and data.
Distance Learning - Helpful Links
For Teachers:
Peter Vallejo Technology TOSA Website: Peter's Distance Learning website has all of the district's links for teachers to implement strong Distance Learning practices. There are links, tips, tutorials, and screenshots to help support daily lessons from afar! If you need training, find his links to the next opportunity to get your distance learning jam on!
This is updated on a weekly basis.
Google's Teach from Home website, with some good resources.
For Administrators: These are helpful links for Administrators: Google Forms, MiFi Signups, Technology Support, Trainings and more. This will be updated regularly throughout Distance Learning.
Google Meets vs. Zoom
Should you Meet or Zoom?
Currently, we are allowing both platforms to be used while distance learning is growing. Google Meets will be the district's supported platform of choice, due to better security and integration to our other Google app tools.
While many staff have found features of Zoom more "friendly" for distance learning, there are hazards using Zoom that I'm sure many of you have read in the news. The much more fully featured Zoom allows for students to "raise hands", the grid view gives teachers the ability to see all of their students, goes along with an interface that is easy and simple. The sometimes frightful headlines of "Zoombombing" is when people crash and disrupt a Zoom meeting, often with inappropriate and disrespectful behavior. In neighboring Berkeley Unified, there was a quite alarming Zoombombing incident that occurred in the middle of an online class session.
Both platforms have been quickly adding and enhancing features and security to support online learning. Did you know that you can get the grid view with Google Meets?
Use this link to download the Google Chrome OS App to give your Google Meets Grid View just like Zoom.
Here are some other ways to jazz up your Google Meets - https://www.meetenhancementsuite.com/
Use the following security settings in Zoom to help protect your video sessions.
Do you want to switch from Zoom to Google Meets? Use Switch to Google Meets to help make the transition - it's easy and simple!
Google Meets - Recent Updates
You can follow along this Google Meets Blog to see the most recent Google Meets updates to support Distance Learning.
In a nutshell:
- Free Premium Meet features (250 participants, recording, livestream in domain) has been extended from July 1 to September 30, 2020.
- Launched a Meet - Classroom integration that allows teachers to more easily control their meetings with students.
- Only meeting creators can mute / remove other participants
- Only meeting creators can approve requests to join made by participants outside of a school's domain
- Meeting participants can't join nicknamed meetings once the final participant has left.
Recording Video Conferences - Maintaining Student Privacy
Please follow these simple guidelines to preserve student privacy.
- Video Conferences cannot be video recorded if student faces are displayed onscreen.
- Teachers can record themselves for replaying lessons or for resources.
Google Applications and Settings
These are the current settings for CVUSD Google for Education Applications.
Most settings are administrated per 1)Location and then 2)Staff or 3) Student.
Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drive, and Forms are all available for general use.
Google Classroom:
Staff: ON
Students: OFF (students may not host their own Classroom)
Google Hangout Chat and Voice:
Staff: ON
Students: ON for most (Principal choice)
Google Meets:
Staff: ON
Google Voice (phone number):
Not Available with CVUSD accounts
Upcoming Aeries Trainings
4/29 - Aeries and CALPADs - Tips and Tricks
5/19 - Aeries Closing out the Year
Technology Department
Paul Rose, Network System Admin
Steve Mei, Network System Admin
Paula DeLaRiva, Student Information Systems
Kristine Coffelt, Student Information Systems
Barbara Dunn, Cathy Zen, Yann LeRoy, Amanpreet Grewal, Computer Operations TechniciansEmail: gko@cv.k12.ca.us
Location: 4400 Alma Avenue, Castro Valley, CA, USA
Phone: 510-537-3000 1249