60 With Saint
Weekly Tech Update 9/6 to 9/10
He's Back!!!!
The weekly newsletter will be back for another year! I took the feedback I received this past June and will be modifying it where I can. The feedback was much appreciated, thank you. For those new to the district or new to the newsletter, here is what you are getting every week: a quick message, upcoming PD opportunities, video tutorials, tech tool of the week, share out, feedback, and a schedule.
Speaking of schedules, make sure to scroll down to the schedule section. I will be teaching a new course at the high school this year, Data Science. I am very much looking forward to that!!! Time to practice what I preach.
Hopefully, everyone saw Ms. Eger-Converse's instructional update last week. The district purchased or is in the process of renewing some tools to help us this coming school year. Just to name a few, SeeSaw, Kami, Zoom, GoGuardian, Parent Square, and EdPuzzle(in-progress). There are also some subscriptions that were purchased through the library that can be found in Ms. Eger - Converse's update.
Lastly, Mrs. LaBarr sent out a reminder to get those #WCSDEdugator pictures in. I have to thank her for that assignment over the summer. My family really had some fun with that little guy. Now, I just have to upload the pictures.
Google Updates
π Google Forms
The autosave feature update in Google Forms has been applied to our accounts. Once you start a Google Form, it will be saved in your Google Drive for 30 days. Coming this fall will be the ability to choose from 20 fonts when creating a Google Form.
π¨βπ« Smart Canvas / Smart Chips
Make your Docs, Slides, and Sheets richer and more engaging by tagging people, files, and events using smart chips.
π» Google Classroom
Scheduled for release for the Fall of 2021 will be the ability to schedule posts across multiple classes as well as access to student engagement activity.
πΉ ChromeOS
Scheduled for release for the Fall of 2021 will be an update to the built-in screen annotation tool. With the update, you will have the ability to annotate, mark key moments, and enable closed captioning.
π Google Drive
On September 13, 2021, Drive will apply a security update to some of your files to make file sharing more secure.
This update will change the links used for some files, and may lead to new access requests for the impacted files. Access to these files won't change for people who have already viewed them. Learn more
After the update is applied, you can avoid new access requests by distributing the updated link to your file(s). Follow instructions in the Drive documentation
Things to Consider As We Start Off The 21-22 SY
Screen Casting
The Chromebook has a built-in screen recorder, but it might be a little limited. If you are looking for something with a little more flare then you may want to consider a tool like Screencastify. Just remember that when you are creating your screen recordings, the shorter the better. It is better to have two five-minute videos than it is to have a 10-minute video.
ScreenShots
Whether you are working with a Windows device, a Mac, or a Chromebook, they all have a built-in screen capture tool. Windows has the Snip & Sketch tool, a Mac has the command+shift+4 or 5 shortcuts, and the Chromebook has the CTRL+Window Switcher shortcut. But if you need to annotate and mark up a screenshot, then you may want to consider an extension such as Web paint.
Online Whiteboard Tool
There are several online whiteboard tools that we already have at our disposal. For instance, Google Jamboard is an app within our Workspace for Education that integrates seamlessly into Google Classroom. We also have Kami! Yup, Kami. Start with a blank page within Kami and it's just like having a whiteboard, especially if you are using a stylus or the touch screen on the Chromebook.
If you are using a tool that is not located in the WCSD library found in Classlink, you should check with Lisa Blank, Tara Elmer, or myself to make sure it is compliant.
20 Tips To Use Google Classroom More Effectively
π¨ Classlink PD Opportunitiesπ¨
Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:30 - 3:30 pm
Wed Sep 15, 2021 3:45 - 4:45 pm
Thu Sep 16, 2021 2:30 - 3:30 pm
Thu Sep 15, 2021 3:45 - 4:45 pm
Getting in Compliance
In an effort to get in compliance with New York State's Data Privacy and Security Policy (NYS Ed Law 2D), WCSD has to check and make sure that the sites, software apps, and tools that are utilized at school and with our students are compliant. If there are sites, software apps, and tools that you are using with your students, could you please take a second and fill out the form below to let us know what those sites, software apps, and tools are? Fill it out as a team, a department, or on your own.
Here is the link to the form: https://forms.gle/tmbzuGeP7dttjZ6S8 or you can access it by clicking on the form icon located to the right.
Here is a link to more information on Ed Law 2D (provided by MORIC and RIC ONE).
Tutorials
Use Bookmarks in Google Chrome for Frequently Visited Sites
Tech Tool(s) of The Week
Canva
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WCSD Informational Technology Website
Let's Talk Tech Integration
HT Wiley: Wiley IMC
Case Middle School: Room 210
WHS: Student Help Desk 1st Floor