Everything you ever wanted to know about technology (and probably more) at All Saints Academy consolidated into a monthly post. Feel free to post any questions you have.
I'm often amazed by the way timely topics show up in my news feed. For example, a couple weeks ago a few of our colleagues experienced the Microsoft service scam in their browser. Within a few days, and without actively searching for them, I ran across several articles addressing this particular scam. This happens often. In addition to this phenomenon, I also tend to see recurring variations on themes in the articles I encounter. You'll notice that in today's post. There are several different tips about Google Forms. They are all from different sources, and focus on a different feature, but all focus on how useful a tool Forms can be. It has become even more indispensible for teachers with the built-in, auto-correcting quiz feature, and the recently added ability to lock down the quiz so students cannot open new tabs or leave the quiz. In addition to Google forms tips, are some important ones for anyone who accesses more than one Google account on one device, as well as ways to create strong passwords that are easy to remember, and some Google search tips. Have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy your hard earned break!
How to Use Multiple Google Accounts at Once in Google Chrome, from Make Use Of by Nancy Messieh
This is the cleanest way to juggle more than one Google account, or share a computer with others. This process will create a separate shortcut on the desktop for each user, so you don't need to worry about whose account is logged in to Chrome and which bookmarks are, or aren't, available.
How to Create Easy to Remember Strong Passwords, from Medium by Christine Brennan
There's no question we all hate needing to remember so many passwords. The struggle is real to keep track of them all. This formula will help. We all have our favorite phrases from movies or books we love, or maybe it's a slogan from a jingle that's stuck in your head. Even phrases of affirmation will work.
Google has created this handy, dandy guide to creating quizzes in locked mode on Chromebooks. This allows you to create and give a quiz in Google Forms without students being able to exit the quiz. Google Forms quizzes will also auto-grade for you as well.
Hacking the Sub Lesson: Videos IN Google Forms, From Tech & Learning by Ramsey Musallam
Here's a clever hack for a guided lesson when you have a sub, complete with baked in accountability checks for student work.
In a follow up to last week's scam article, I've include advice directly from Microsoft about the Microsoft scams. These scams are sometimes via phone, but are increasingly in the form of a pop up or browser window that starts speaking to you or locks your device until you either respond or shut down. No vendor (Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, etc.) will never contact you with suspected infection information. A legitimate warning for infection from your antivirus or malware program will never lock your device. Never pay ransom and always back up your device. Take a look at what Microsoft has to say toward the end of this post. In addition to these warnings, are easy ways to get to your G Suite apps without opening Gmail first, several "how tos" for Docs. Slides and Calendar, and how to track progress of pretty much anything in Sheets.
G Suite for Education Shortcuts, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Quickly access your G Suite apps without needing to open your Gmail to see the app switcher. You'll notice a pattern to the URLs. That makes it easier to remember the URL and access the app directly.
How to Add Page Numbers to Google Docs, from How-To Geek by Brady Gavin
It's easily done, and very much helps with multi-page documents. You can even set a different first page.
How to Add Videos to Google Slides Without Using YouTube, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
An instructional video is included in this post to illustrate how to save the videos to Drive, and insert them into Slides from there.
How to Attach Files to Google Calendar Events, from How-To Geek by Brady Gavin
This is especially helpful if there is an agenda, or something all attendees need to read or collaborate on before or during the meeting.
In a follow up to last week's post about service scams, here is the specific advice Microsoft gives about dealing with service scams, as reported in a ZDNet article, by Catalin Companu, about Microsoft making arrests for the service scams. These are the scams that either arrive by a phone call claiming to be Microsoft needing to repair something on your PC, or via pop-up message telling you your computer is infected and to call a specific number.
Below is the tried and tested advice that Microsoft has always given out to users over the past few years in regards to tech support scams, shady popups, or impromptu phone calls:
Microsoft will never proactively reach out to you to provide unsolicited PC or technical support. Any communication we have with you must be initiated by you.
Be wary of any unsolicited phone call or pop-up message on your device.
Do not call the phone number in a pop-up window on your device and be cautious about clicking on notifications asking you to scan your computer or download software. Many scammers try to fool you into thinking their notifications are legitimate.
Never give control of your computer to a third party unless you can confirm that it is a legitimate representative of a computer support team with whom you are already a customer.
If skeptical, take the person's information down and immediately report it to your local authorities.
If you've never seen what it looks like when your legitimate anti-virus or malware program detects a possible infection, please take a few moments to watch the Tech Support Scams Explained video in this post. Hint: None of them will take up your entire browser window and tell you to call a specific phone number. In happier news, a new G Suite update will finally allow users to see who the members of a group are when you hover over the address! This one has been a long time coming. Other information will also be available when hovering. Sometimes patience does pay off!
If you have your Google Calendar appointments set up to notify you via text message, you will need to select a different notification method before January 7, 2019. Here are the full details.
This is a long overdue update. It will provide the ability to hover the mouse over a google group to see who the members are. In addition to seeing who the members are, you will also be able to schedule an event for the group, email them, and see more members. The G Suite Updates blog provides full details.
How to Enable or Disable Gmail Smart Replies, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Smart Reply or Smart Compose is when Google suggests a response to an email, or suggersts text while you are typing a message. Love it or hate it? Here's how to turn it on or off.
Matt Miller is once again hosting Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit over Christmas break. It starts December 14, but you can either watch the webinars live, or watch them later when it's convenient for you. There will be many educators speaking about their ideas for infusing tech in the classroom. Here is more information and a link to get your ticket.
A Digital Differentiation Model, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne, Guest Blogger Danielle Lagnese
This educator created digital "playlists" for her students to differentiate their learning, and it made her life much easier.
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are well fed and well rested from the long weekend. I took advantage of the time to finally get those leaves off my lawn...and just in time for Winter storm that shut down the midwest. With the short week, the list of tips is also short this week, but there are some very helpful ones!
How to Access and Use the Blurring Tools in YouTube's Video Editor, from Free Tech for Teachers by Richard Byrne
You've just taken a delightful video of your students, and wouldn't you know it, the child who doesn't have a media release is front and center. Should you scrap the whole video? No, just blur the little darling's face! I promise, it won't hurt a bit.
Thank goodness the elections are finished, and the annoying political ads are in our rear view mirrors...until next time. The political season has passed, and apparently so has the Fall season. We seem to have surged straight to winter. There's snow on the ground, and I was caught with a yard full of leaves still on the grass. I can only hope for a thaw so I can take care of them before the next snowfall. We can also be caught unaware with our computers. Just because your computer still works, doesn't mean it is safe to use. The operating system (OS) on all computing devices (phones, tablets, iPads, PCs, laptops, etc.) has a finite life cycle. Just like the leaves under the snow are not healthy for my lawn, using a device with an operating system that is no longer supported is not safe for you. Please take the time to read all the details about what this means in the first article. Although the article is specific to Microsoft, it is true with all devices running any OS. Tip: If your computer is running Windows 7, it will no longer be support in January 2020. How can you tell which version your device is running? When you first turn it on, it will display the OS version.
What it Means when Microsoft Steps Supporting Your Version of Windows, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
When your version of Windows is no longer receiving updates, it's seriously time to upgrade your computer. It will no longer be safe from harm online. Windows 7 users, your deadline is approaching in January 2020, at that point it's time to either upgrade to a new version of Windows, or replace your aging hardware.
If you have not discovered the joys of the Paint Format Tool, it is a huge time saver. Basically you format text and highlight it. To copy that formatting (not text) to another section of your slide, click the Paint Format Tool (looks like a paint roller), then just highlight the next section of text and the formatting will be applied. This has always been available, but you could only copy the formatting to one section at a time. The new change is that now you can format several different sections, not just one. Here are the full details.
Chrome 70 has Picture-in-Picture Now, Here's How it Works, from How-To Geek by Cameron Summerson
Chrome is in the process of updating to 70 now. You may already have it and not know it. With that update, you'll be able to use Picture in a Picture, just like on a TV. You can keep the video on top and still be working on something else.
Escape to Flippity.net from A Lever and a Place to Stand by Amy Roediger
Interested in creating your own breakout or escape game for your students, but thought it would be too complicated or expensive? It's Flippity to the rescue! You can easily create your own breakout game for free, without the expense of the box and locks.
ytCropper - Share a Section of a YouTube Video, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
If you only wish to share a portion of a YouTube video, this tool easily allows you to do that.
This weekend it's time to end Daylight Saving Time and move our clocks back one hour. Hooray, we get an extra hour on Sunday! It's time to make the big decision: Do I pull out my car manual to change the time on its clock, or should I just let it be an hour off until March? Have you ever wondered about the history of DST, or why we change our clocks twice per year, or even why not everyone observes it? The last article in today's post provides two short videos explaining the whole mess. Other topics include what iPhone and iPad users can expect in the next update, more shortcuts to help you and your students become Chromebook power users, PDF editing in Word, G Suite tips for math teachers, ways to use Google Earth on Chromebooks, and other helpful tidbits. Enjoy your extra hour this weekend!
Here's What's New in iOS 12.1, from How-To Geek by Cameron Summerson
Your iPad, iPhone or Mac computer may be receiving an update to iOS 12.1 soon. Here's what you can expect.
How to Edit PDFs in Microsoft Word, from PC World by JD Sartain
Previously I've posted about how to edit PDFs in G Suite. If you have Microsoft Word, you can also edit PDFs there.
The "Secret Menu" for Google Slides, Docs, Drawings and More, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
Learn how to copy formatting, watch your students collaborate real time in Google Slides, lock in your Slides backgrounds, skip through YouTube videos and more!
How to Insert Equations and Special Characters Into Google Documents from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
You can insert symbols for math equations, arrows, stars, emojis, and much more in a Google document without any add-ons, extensions or apps. Need that copyright symbol? No problem! Need to create a math test? Still no problem!
7 Tips for Google Earth, from Sustainable Teaching by Tom Mullaney
Google Earth has been completely overhauled and now works on Chromebooks. It's not just for Geography, my friends! There are practical applications for ELA, Science and Math as well.
One of the late, great, Gilda Radner's memorable characters on Saturday Night Live was Rosanne Rosannadanna Here's a link for those of you who don't remember her. It will be worth a YouTube search or two. One of her catchphrases was "It just goes to show ya, it's always somethin'!" Well that's true with this week's phishing warning. It seems like there's a new one every week or so, but it's important to be aware so you don't accidentally fall for them when you are in a hurry or tired or distracted. In addition to this warning, are several other useful tips, such as the importance of backing up your computer and how to do it, helpful rulers when setting up tables in Docs, easier margin control for headers and footers in Docs, how to make the header of your G Suite files smaller, and my favorite, the ability to quickly create new files from the URL bar. Read on for full details, news and tips.
My friends, if you haven't yet embraced the wonderful world of Tables in Docs to help you line up columns and rows, you are missing a HUGE time saver. They make your document look so much more professional, are easy to set up and use...and they just got even easier. Google will be adding a vertical ruler to Tables so you can easily see how tall your rows are, and adjust them. This feature will be rolling out anytime between now and the next two weeks. If you'd like to read all the details, check, out the G Suite Updates Blog.
Headers & Footers in Docs are how you quickly include page numbers, file names, or anything else that you want to appear on the top or bottom of every page in your Docs file. (You can also exclude the first page from Headers & Footers.) Within the next two weeks, a new feature will appear when you are setting up your Headers & Footers, which will allow you to set the margin. All the details are in the same G Suite Blog post as above.
This trick works like a charm! In the Chrome URL or Omni bar (that's where you enter a website address at the top of your browser - not the Google Search bar) enter docs.new and you'll instantly create a new Google Docs file. The same trick works for Sheets, Slides, Sites and Forms. Some variations of those terms work too, such as sheet or spreadsheets for Sheets, and deck or presentation for Slides.
Chrome 70 Released With Revamped Google Account Login System, from ZDNet by Catalin Cimpanu
Do you dislike the fact that on a Windows computer, you still have to login to Chrome after you've already logged in to Mail or Drive? When your Chrome browser upgrades to v. 70 this week, it will take care of that. At that point, when you login to Gmail, you'll automatically be logged in to Chrome as well (and see the magical ASA bookmarks folder!). Some critics view this as an overstep on Google's part, and don't necessarily want to be automatically logged in to Chrome. If you also feel that way, this article will show you how to turn this feature off.
Once Click Provides More Room to Work in Google Docs, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Do you think the title, ruler and toolbars at the top of Google Docs files takes up room? Do you wish you had more space to work in your document? Did you know you can shrink everything at the top to give you more work space? Read on!
How to Use Automatic Captioning in Google Slides, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Last week Google introduced the automatic captioning in Google Slides. This week Richard Byrne presents a demonstration on how to use this new feature.
What's the Best Way to Back Up My Computer? from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
If the hard drive on your computer fails tomorrow, will you lose all your family photos and important files? If you were faced with a ransomware message and couldn't get to your photos and files, would you have to pay hundreds of dollars to get them back? I cannot stress enough the importance of backing up your files, photos, videos, music, etc. on your device. Learn about all the ways to do so, and decide which is right for you. It doesn't matter which method you choose, but by all means back up! Today!
Why Do Websites Make You Login In So Much? from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
Have you ever noticed when you are browsing along in Facebook or Twitter, you find a link to an article you want to read and it makes you sign in to that article's site? That's in-app browsing - you're accessing that website from inside the app you're using. There are several other reasons, and instances, when you have to log in repeatedly.
It's definitely been a weather whiplash kind of week. We were literally running air conditioning at the beginning of the week, and they've mentioned the S word for tonight. (I don't want to speak it into existence!) While I'm whining about the inconvenience of the Fall weather, my thoughts and prayers go out to those in Florida who have lost everything in hurricane Michael. While we are praying for their safety, there are a few concerns we need to deal with regarding a different kind of safety - cyber safety. If you have been presented with a pop up message prompting you to update Adobe Flash - do not play along, it will load malware on your Windows PC. If you have already received this pop up and downloaded/installed the file, the second post below will show you how to get rid of it. We can never be too vigilant!
This Cryptojacking Mining Malware Pretends to be a Flash Update, from ZDNet by Danny Palmer
Here's a new word for our vocabulary...cryptojacking. Good luck using that in a sentence three times today, but your friends will be so impressed when you do! Cryptojacking is when hackers infect a computer so they can use it to mine cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Monero, Zcash, etc.). The latest cryptojacking malware making the rounds is disguised as a pop up notice on your Windows PC prompting you to update Flash - don't click on it to download and "update". It is actually malware, which will quietly run in the background and you may not even know it's there. In this case, it is mining Monero, which is another cryptocurrency similar to Bitcoin. FYI: Flash typically updates itself in the background and doesn't ask you to download and install. While this malware doesn't harm your files, it will use your computer's resources, run down the battery and hog your internet bandwidth. What to do if you think you've accidentally installed this malware? Download the free version of Malwarebytes and run daily scans. It will find malware files and prompt you to quarantine them.
How to Remove Viruses and Malware on Your Windows PC, from How-To Geek by Lowell Heddings
So, let's say you did accidentally install that cryptojacking mining malware mentioned in the previous article, or maybe your computer isn't acting right. Now what? This article will walk you through exactly what you should do if you think your Windows PC is infected and your anti-virus didn't catch it.
I've said it before, if you are not already using 2-step verification for your Google accounts - especially your school account - I strongly recommend you set this up. It makes it much harder for your account to be hacked, and Google makes it pretty painless - especially now that you can turn it on for all the phones you login to. What is 2-step verification? When you login to your Google account, you will receive a prompt on your phone to verify it's you logging in. You simply tap Yes, and you're logged in. When setting up 2-step verification in Settings, simply turn on the feature in the image above. Full details for this new upgrade are available in this G Suite Update blog post. This feature is available now. Incidently, 2-step verification is available for most of your online accounts - banks, credit cards, social media, shopping sites, etc. Just check the settings for each account.
Do you ever find yourself presenting in a noisy room...or classroom? Do any of your students have a hearing impairment? In about two weeks, Google Slides will be able to automatically show closed captions in your slide show as you present. You will need to turn captions on before using this feature. The microphone in your computer will be used to record the presenter's voice. Check out this G Suite Updates blog post for full details.
If you use Google +, it will soon be going away for consumer accounts. This means the G+ account associated with your personal Google account will be going away, but not for business customers. It's still unclear if it is staying or going for Education accounts. Google is taking these measures after finally revealing there was a bug that would expose personal data to 3rd parties if you gave apps access to your profile data. This bug has been around for several years, but Google just became aware of it and patched it last March, so there is no current threat. Unfortunately, they didn't pass along this tidbit of info until now, because there was no evidence that the data had been mined and misused. If you would like to delete your Google+ account only, and not your entire Google account, here are step-by-step instructions. If you use your school G+ account as a learning network, you may want to hang on to it until it is clear whether or not it is sticking around for Education accounts.
Using the Explore tool, which is built in to Slides and Docs, you can look through Google Drive to find images and charts from other files to insert into your Doc or Slide. Check out the full description and screen shots here. You should begin to see this new feature in the next 2 weeks.
Microsoft pulled back their October update last Friday, and fixed the file-deleting bug in it. They reissued the update this week, and it is now safe to install the update when you are prompted. This month's update is more than a routine monthly security update. It is a feature update, that installs new Windows 10 features. This update will take longer than the normal monthly update, so make sure you have some time before starting the installation. My upgrade took 15-20 minutes - not too long, but longer than normal monthly updates. Several of the new features were outlined in last week's blog post.
How to Create Personalized Certificates in Bulk Through Google Sheets, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
This is a huge time saver. It can be used for more than just certificates. I use it in the fall to email Infinite Campus set up letters to parents. I'm sure you can also think of several ways to use this trick. Also included in this post, is a way to send certificates via Google Forms.
There are just a few more G Suite updates this week, one of which you may have already noticed in Gmail. Google has become such a good friend, it's now completing your sentences when you are composing messages. You may, or may not, appreciate this new BFF. If you don't want to be that close with Google, check out the article to learn how to turn it off. Also coming soon, is the big fall update for Windows 10. Read on for instructions, as well as what new features the update will bring. As of Friday, Microsoft has pulled this update because it was deleting all of some users' files. Watch for it to be re-issued when the bug is fixed. Rounding out the posts, are cautionary tales to help you protect yourself against Phishing attacks, as well as social engineering, which explains all the ways others may try to fool you into revealing your passwords or other personal information. Arm yourself with the knowledge to protect yourself!
As you may, or may not, know, it is possible to upload Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) files to Google Drive and edit them in their Office format with the Office Editing for Docs Sheets and Slides Chrome extension. This extension works well for those files that cannot be converted to G Suite format for whatever reason. The downside to this method is the collaboration doesn't happen in real time. In other words, if some one else is editing the file at the same time you are, you won't see it happening. An update coming in mid-October will change that. Real-Time Presence in in Microsoft Office will let you kow if someone else is editing or viewing an Office file in Drive. Here are the full details and features for this update, including a video showing how the feature will look and be used.
In a couple weeks, Gmail will start to autocomplete our emails when we are composing them. This feature is similar to autocorrect on a smart phone. As you are typing, it will predict and complete the rest of the phrase or sentence. This may be either a huge time saver or very annoying, depending upon your preference. If you find you dislike this feature, you can turn it off by clicking the gear in gmail (upper right), select settings, looking for Smart Compose, and turning Writing Suggestions off. Full details can be found in the G Suite Updates blog.
Windows 10's October Update is Out Now: The Best Features, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
Windows introduces new features to Windows 10 twice each year: spring and fall. The October update is one of those major feature updates. The monthly updates every other month include bug fixes and security patches. Per the previous article, don't worry about how to get the new update, let it come to you and back up your files first. Some new features include a Clipboard History (so you can paste more than just the last thing you copied), a dark theme, touch keyboard that now uses Swiftkey just like your phone keyboard, and a new Snip & Sketch tool to take screen shots and mark them up.
Anatomy of a Phishing Scam, from Medium by David Koff
The most important lessons any online user can learn is how to protecto yourself online and via email. One of the most common situations to watch out for are phishine emails. On the surface, these emails look like they are from a person or company you know and trust, but there are always tell-tale signs that things aren't as they seem. Arm yourself with knowledge and read this post to protect yourself from accidentally giving away personal information or passwords. Tip: to verify a URL, you can also hover over it, and it's true path will be displayed in the lower left corner of your screen.
Information Secuirty and Pop Culture: How Real-Life Social Engineering Techniques are Used in Movies and Television, From Better Cloud, by Christina Wang
We unwittingly give away our passwords and answers to our security questions on a weekly basis. Think about all those quizzes on Facebook, or the memes asking if you remember your first car/pet/street, etc. These are all forms of social engineering, designed to glean information from you to access your online accounts. Even the fun "what's your leprachaun name" games that use a letter from your name, the month or year you were born, or anything else along those lines, to come up with your fun, new name are mining information that will provide answers to your security questions that are designed to access an online account if you forget your password. There are several videos in this post that clearly illustrate how quickly we reveal personal information without realizing it. Pretty much all the different types of social engineering are represented here. Although these examples are from movies, they are based on tactics used in real life. It's so important that we all remember to be very protective of our information. It's OK to be suspicious online!
6 Bad Habits That Are Destroying Your PC, from PC Magazine by Whitson Gordon
We just expect our computers and devices to work, but as with any other complex tool we use regularly, there is some care and feeding on our part that needs to happen. Just like getting routine oil changes in our cars, not letting the car run in a closed garage, or cleaning the oven, there are certain things we need to keep in mind when using our computing devices to keep them running well.
...and she's back. Between summer projects, back to school prep, and weird power/internet outages, there has been no time to update the blog. Now that those issues have been mostly resolved, and the school year is well under way, the blog is back. Hopefully your school year is off to a fabulous start. With all new beginnings, it's a great time to learn new things, right along with your students. Take a minute to peruse the topics below, or look up topics from previous posts in the lower right column.
Due to all the beginning of the school year fun, I'm way behind in communicating upcoming G Suite updates. Here's my attempt to catch you up. I'll continue featuring all the updates that happened in the past few months in the next several posts.
With the recent upgrade to the new Gmail, Contacts is no longer where you left it. You used to access contact within Gmail by clicking on Mail in the upper left corner to access Contacts and Tasks. Now where are they? Contacts now has its own icon in the app switcher, just like Drive, Calendar, etc., and can be accessed from any of the core G Suite apps. It can also be found by entering contacts.google.com in the URL bar. Simply click on the waffle in the upper right of one of the core G Suite Apps screens (Mail, Calendar, Drive, etc.), and select Contacts. (See image at left.) Tasks now appear in the sidebar to the right of Mail.
Arriving last month, was the new ability for anyone invited to a meeting to propose a new day/tine for the meeting. In addition to responding Yes, No or Maybe, any invitee can also select Propose a New Time. Check out the full details here.
Over the summer, Google pushed out a Google Sites Automatic Conversion Tool. If you have any sites that were created in the old Google Sites, you will either want to delete them, if they are not in use, or convert them to the new Sites. Old Google Sites will eventually be going away, so you will want to take care of your old sites, especially if you plan to continue using them. You can follow these instructions to convert your sites. Full details on how to use this tool, as well as what to expect when converting your sites are available here.
There are new theme options you can use to customize Forms and Quizzes in Google Forms. You will have the ability to choose colors and fonts for your form, as well as a theme and background color. Sadly, there still isn't the ability to use rich text formatting, such as bold, italics, etc. in your text. Hopefully this will come in a future update. Here are the full details and instructions for using the new feature.
When our PCs slow down, we are often encouraged to use CCleaner to remove old installation files, updates and other various cache files. Unfortunately of late, this go-to tool has been hacked and started some dubious practices with its latest update. Here's a new, built-in recommendation, as well as instructions on how to use it.
Tired of Pasted Text Messing Up Your Formatting? Try This, from How-To Geek by Justin Pot
Don't you just hate it when you paste some text into a document and it has different formatting than the rest of your text? There's a keyboard command for that with both PCs and Macs.
What is an Operating System?, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
Have you ever been asked what operating system or OS your device is using? Have you ever wondered exactly what Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, etc. do? Here you go.
The Best Free Video Players for Windows, from How-To Geek by Yuvraj Wadhwani
Remember when you could put a CD or DVD into your Windows PC and play it? Then Windows 10 came along, and there was no video player included anymore. Some laptops come with a video player app provided by the manufacturer. If yours doesn't have one, check out these options.
Are you thinking about back to school yet? As much as we hate to see the summer break go, the first day of school is rapidly approaching. I hope you've had an opportunity to relax and refresh. Here at the Middle School the hallways are mostly empty with the occasional sound of drills and hammering as repairs and remodels are underway. The silent hallways will soon be replaced with children's shouts and laughter. The floors are shiny, clean, and just waiting for new year full of new scuff marks and footprints. There's still time for you to try out some new technology for the upcoming school year. Take a look in the blog archives in the upper right column, or search by topic in the labels in the bottom of the right column. Enjoy the rest of your summer, I'll see you very soon.
Currently only early adopters have the opportunity to try out the new Gmail. In July everyone will have that option, and it will be suggested to users. At ASA, that means it will become available to students - as it already is to faculty and staff. By November the new Gmail will become the only choice available. Over the summer months you may want to take the time to get used to new Gmail at your leisure so it won't be a shock in November.
In addition to the slides and rulers added earlier to Google Slides, now there are new controls that allow you to better adjust the size of anything on your slide. Full details and screen shots are available here.
If no one is coming to an event on your calendar, it will be flagged on the calendar so you can reclaim the time and reschedule the event. Click here for full details.
Google has added a few options for customizing forms, such as easily using your own photo for your background photo, choosing your own theme to go with it, and choosing a different font. Sadly there are still no formatting options within the font, such as bold, italics, etc., but maybe in future upgraddes. Here are all the details, including screen shots.
How a Password Changed My Life, from Medium by Momo Estrella
This article is not only very inspirational reading, it's a great tool for hating our passwords less. This writer's approach to choosing new passwords improved his life. Of course, for this to work, you need to bump up your security habits and stop having your browser save your passwords - it might change your life.
Facebook Upgrades Two Factor Authentication: Here's How to Set It Up, from How-To Geek by Lowell Heddings
Two factor authentication just means that when you login to a site, it will send a code to your mobile phone. You then enter the code to finish logging in to the site. It's a much more secure way to access your accounts. I use it for all my accounts that offer it.
What is Google Smart Lock, Exactly?, from How-To Geek by Cameron Summerson
Three different options - Smart Lock for passwords is probably the most useful. This is definitely a safer option for those who prefer an internet browser remember their passwords.
It's amazing that we have already reached the last week of school. The finish line is in sight! Friday afternoon the victory lap begins. Beginning next week, these posts cease to be weekly during the summer months, as I dive into tech maintenance mode. I will continue to post periodically during the summer, as topics appear in my feeds, or if something time sensitive arises. Summer is a terrific time to tackle a new tech idea you didn't have time for during the school year. Take a look at previous posts in the right column, you can search by date or by topic. If you need help with anything, feel free to contact me. I wish all of you with summers off, a safe and relaxing break.
Chrome Has a Built In Malware Scanner, Here's How to Use It, from How-To Geek by Justin Pot
If you're running Chrome on a Windows device, here's how to speed it up and remove any malware that may have accumulated. I ran it on my Windows 10 laptop - it took about 7 minutes, but I was able to work while it was scanning.
How to Reverse Picture Search With Google Images, from How-To Geek by Brady Gavin
This is so useful, I've used this trick numerous times to find the location of a building in a photo, what kind of insect is on my plants, what that flower or bird is, etc. It's also helpful for finding the source of a photo in an article to see if it has been manipulated or is being used out of context.
How to Stop All of Twitter's Annoying Emails, from How-To Geek by Harry Guinness
Twitter can be a very useful social media tool for sharing information, as well as learning, catching up on news, and keeping track of what your friends are up to. It can also be an oversharing pain sometimes with all the notifications it sends. Learn how to ease your pain with this post.
Adobe Spark: Creativity with Visuals (It's Free), Teacher Tech with Alice Keeler
This is a free, easy and G Suite compatible tool for creativity. I love the suggestion that teachers give students time to explore new tech, teach a skill they discovered, then if there are still skills they didn't discover, teach them.
It's Memorial Day weekend, and the unofficial start of summer - except for those of us with two more weeks of school. During your long weekend, please take a moment to remember the reason for this holiday, and say a prayer of thanks to those who have protected our country - especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice while doing so. While you are enjoying an extra day off this weekend, perhaps you'll find time to peruse the helpful tech tips below. There is a very good example of what a phishing attack looks like, both from the receiver and the sender. Other tips include how to fix common issues on your phone, set the default browser of your choice in Windows, installing and managing Chrome extensions and how you can tell a fake Facebook page from a real one. In addition there are a few more Protect Young Eyes topics to help us all keep our kids safe online. Finally, there is a tip for teachers to ramp up those year end review sessions without using the same Kahoot! tools. (Not that there is anything wrong with Kahoot!, but variety is good!) Enjoy your long weekend!
What an Apple Phishing Attack Looks Like, from CSO by Steve Ragan
If you've ever wanted to see a step by step video on how to tell if an email is a phishing attack, watch the first video in this article. This video is helpful for everyone, not just Apple users.
How to Set a Default Web Browser in Windows, from How-To Geek by Yuvaj Wadhwani
If you would prefer not to use Internet Explorer (and you shouldn't) or Edge as your internet browser on a Windows PC, you can change the default browser to something else. The most popular other choices would be Firefox or Chrome, but there actually are other choices as well. Here's how you take control and make the change.
Chrome extensions are little helpers for your Chrome web browser. They can do all kinds of useful things, such as block ads, shorten a URL so its easier for others to enter in their browsers (and takes up less space on Twitter), insert your Bitmoji, and so much more. Not only will you see how easy it is to add them to Chrome, but you'll also see how easy it is to disable or delete them if you find one that isn't as useful as you thought it might be.
How to Spot a Fake Facebook Page, from How-To Geek by Harry Guinness
Are you sure those Facebook pages you're following are legit? Here's how you can tell, and protect your information and money.
Courtesy of Protect Young Eyes
Young kids flock to certain gaming and social media platforms, like Roblox and Musical.ly. this is not lost on predators, who pay attention to these trends and also make their homes on these apps, using fake profiles to chat with and groom young children. Too many young people are using social media, and they just aren't ready. Please read more about the risks here.
