I.T.S. a Tech Update
April 2021
Testing Season is Upon Us
Greetings Everyone,
You have all probably noticed that it's getting a bit warmer now. Some of you are enjoying the warmth and sunshine and others are dreading the coming of our El Paso Summer heat. These are things of Mother Nature that are out of our control. Another thing out of our control is our state standardized testing.
The Instructional Technology Specialists do not like to focus on testing, but in this edition, we will share some tips to make this testing season as painless as possible now that we seem to be walking the path to online testing.
We are also proud to share the new, asynchronous, FlipGrid and Apple Clips courses created just for you.
If you are still using Skype for Business to communicate within the district you will want to read the article on the End of Life of this app. Don't worry, Microsoft Teams is here to save the day!
As always, if you have any questions, contact your Instructional Technology Specialist.
STAAR/EOC Online Testing Tips
We have created a list of tips for those of you whose students will be taking the online STAAR/EOC assessments.
1. All students in 3rd-12th grade taking an online test will need to download the ETS Testing browser app from the Self-Service app. Teachers must make sure their MacBook laptops are on the EPISD-SECURE WiFi network before they begin the installation. By default, many district-managed devices start off on the EPISD-Public-Access. Make sure students switch over to the EPISD-Secure network before starting. Students at home who will be coming to school to take the test must do the same once they arrive at class. Remember that they have never been on the district WiFi, especially on the EPISD-SECURE network. There is information below this section that will guide you in setting up the SECURE network on student devices. The app installation can take from 7-10 minutes depending on the speed of our network. Make sure to plan for it.
2. Guide students through the tutorials weeks before you take the test and have them practice taking the test at least two times for each subject so that they are aware of all the tools they have at their disposal. Practicing will make sure that their scores are based on their content knowledge more than their lack of understanding of the online testing environment. Do not wait until the day before the test to practice. Make that the third time they practice to ensure they are ready.
3. Be sure students charge their computers and shut them down before going to sleep the night before the test. As they shut them down using the Apple Menu, tell your students to uncheck the box that says, "Reopen windows when logging back in" so that the computer does not open any unnecessary programs or apps. The testing browser will not work if there are browsers and apps open like Chrome, Safari, MS Teams, Zoom, and Siri to name a few. You can tell if an app is open if you see a black or white dot under it. The only app that should be open is the Finder.
4. If you have to install the app the morning of testing, restart the computer as soon as you finish to see the testing app in the Launchpad (rocket icon). Make sure that students uncheck the box that says, "Reopen windows when logging back in" and once students log in to their computers, have them click on the WiFi icon at the top and switch to EPISD-SECURE.
5. The testing app will not work with Siri enabled. Go to System Preferences and click on Siri. If it is enabled, have students uncheck the box to disable it before trying to open the online testing app.
6. If the testing app security check comes up with any errors, have the student click on the question mark to see what needs to be done to make the connection secure.
***Remember that if there are any browsers or apps open in the background, students will not be allowed to enter the online testing environment. Check the Dock at the bottom. The only app that should have a black or white dot under them should be the Finder (blue and white face) app and the online testing app. To close an app, Secondary (right) click on the app icon and click on Quit to close the app completely.
Note: Student computers that have not been on campus and connected to the district's EPISD-Secure network might run updates when they restart the device after installing the testing app. These system updates can take up to 30-minutes so make sure you take care of the students in class days before testing so that you can focus on those students that have returned to school for the very first time since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
If you have issues with the testing app, or student login credentials for the testing app, be sure to immediately contact your Campus Testing Administrator/Coordinator. The Instructional Technology Specialists have no control over student device or testing accounts.
How Students Connect to EPISD-SECURE on Their Devices
👀 Take a look at the attached document to follow the steps for logging student devices into WIFI.
👉🏼 Remember that ALL student devices (iPads and MacBooks) should be logged into the EPISD-SECURE network.
📱K-2nd grade iPads
Step 1 - Click on the Settings app/icon.
Step 2 - Click on the WIFI icon on the left.
Step 3 - Choose the EPISD-SECURE network.
Step 4 - Type in the student’s EPISD Schoology/ClassLink Username and Password.
***Tada! They are now using the EPISD-SECURE network.***
💻 3rd-5th grade MacBooks
Step 1 - follow the directions on the attached document. Log into the EPISD SECURE network using the student district username and password.
Username -Schoology/ClassLink username without @episd.org.
Password is the birthday combination of 4 digits for the year, 2 digits for the month, and 2 digits for the day. Example 20210405).
Step 2 - ⚠️- If asked to authenticate or approve this action by typing in the computer username and password, use the computer login credentials. The computer username is the Schoology/ClassLink username without @episd.org, and the password is the student ID.
Skype for Business Online - End of Life - July 31, 2021
If you have a district-managed computer, you should be able to download the app directly from Self-Service. If you have an unmanaged device, then click on this link to download for your specific device - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/download-app
Make sure to sign in with your EPISD credentials to be able to access our directory.
Note: Students are able to download and login to the MS Teams app using their EPISD credentials, but are unable to use the chat feature. It is only available for teachers and staff.
If you have any questions about this app, please be sure to contact your Instructional Technology Specialist.
Empowering Every Voice with Flipgrid
We have made this course public so that you can pick and choose what you would like to learn more about and we have even added a student folder so that they can also learn how to use Flipgride to submit the best response possible.
You can access the course at: https://episd.schoology.com/course/4812006557/materials
If teachers would like to join this course, please contact your Instructional Technology Specialist.
Let Us Make Magic with Apple Clips
Apple Clips is a free app for making video presentations to share with your teacher and classmates. With a few taps, you can create vertical and horizontal videos with immersive camera effects, artistic filters, dynamic music, animated text, emoji, stickers, and more.
This course will teach you in a unique way by having you view Clips Challenges to learn and practice on an iPad or iPhone.
You can access this course by clicking on the link below. If you wish to be added as a member, please be sure to contact your Instructional Technology Specialist.
MacBook Spring Cleaning
Promethean Support Tutorials
As always, you can contact your Instructional Technology Specialist if you have any questions.
- Spring Holiday April 02
- State Testing April 6-16
***New Updates***Owl and Jabra Schoology Resources
Take a look at the new Owl In Action in EPISD Classroom videos to get ideas on how you can maximize the use of your Owl.
Click on this link to view the resources - https://episd.schoology.com/course/4686982417/materials
If you have any questions about your video-conferencing device, please be sure to contact your Instructional Technology Specialist.
Active Learning Monthly Newsletter
Apple Professional Learning Virtual Conferences - Online
Explore helpful resources, practice new skills, and reflect on ways Apple technology can support great learning and teaching. Hosted by Apple Professional Learning Specialists, these hands-on sessions run for approximately 60 minutes and are offered twice daily, Monday through Thursday. Click on the image to register.
*iPad is used for all sessions unless indicated otherwise.
*Please note the time zone when registering.
EPISD@Home iPad Tips
EPISD@Home MacBook Tips
Three-Minute Quaranteaching Tips
***New*** Edtech Resources and Updates Courses Hub
EPISD Schoology 101: Professional Development
Course Code - ZMB94-7NCS4
Macsimizing Your Mac - EPISD Teachers and Staff
Course Title: AL201: Macsimizing Your Mac Online Course - Spring 2021
Course #: 202747
Course Section #: 19524
3.0-Hours of CPE Credit
This course will guide teachers in using features and settings that will assist them every day in completing tasks on their new MacBook Air laptops. Most importantly though, it will assist them in creating great resources to use in their lessons and delivery to differentiate the learning which will allow students to achieve mastery in many different ways.
If you are in need of a district-issued MacBook Air laptop, upon completion of the course, you will download your certificate at EPISD University, and schedule an appointment via the Zendesk, or by calling Technology Services at 915-230-2601to schedule an appointment to receive your device.
Click here to register for the course.
Macsimizing You Mac - Student Edition
Please share the course code with students in grades 3-12th only - 3P9R-88K7-7CQB4
Contact Us
We are Instructional Technology Specialists that serve all campuses in EPISD. We spend most of our time sharing ideas and teaching best practices for integrating technology as a seamless part of learning in the classroom. Please contact us if you are looking for a technology integrated session that would best meet the needs of the students in your classroom.