Weekly Tech Tips and News for January 19, 2018

The holidays are over, and we are now in the hum drum of winter, when lots of learning happens. Students aren't the only learners, of course, learning never really stops. These winter months are the perfect time to learn a new tech skill to try with students, or just to improve tech skills in general.  Remember, when trying new tech - it may not work the first time, but every time you try again, you'll learn what not to do and why. It's not failure, it's just part of the learning process. Scroll through the articles in this post, or look through previous posts for ideas and new skills to learn. At the very least, you may want to take a look at the new Google Calendar changes that will be coming in February.

• G Suite Updates:  More Menu Improvements in Google Docs and Slides
• Google Calendar is Changing
• How to Create an Interactive Diagram in Google Slides
• 7 Ways for Students to Use Google Drawings
• Using Google Drawings for Creative Content Projects
• EDU in 90:  Differentiation with Google Classroom
• USGS Multimedia Gallery - Excellent Public Domain Images and Videos
• 5 Ways to Use Comics in Social Studies Lessons

G Suite Updates:  More Menu Improvements in Google Docs and Slides

The G Suite Updates blog outlines changes to some of the menus in Google Docs and Slides so you'll know where to find these features. Some features are moving out of the menus and will only be available in the right-click context menus. Those that are being relocated in the menus include adding a line, inserting page or column breaks, adding Alt Test to shapes, changing shapes, and HTML view.

Google Calendar is Changing

You may have already seen a prompt to update Google Calendar. If not, your Google Calendar will automatically update in mid-Februrary. The change is so the desktop version of Calendar, which is what we use on our computers, matches the mobile version of Calendar, which is what we use on our phones and tablets. So if you've been using Google Calendar on your phone, the new desktop version will look very familiar. If not, don't worry, all the functions are still there, it will just look a little different. Here is a preview of the new Calendar, as well as the differences between the new and old versions by Richard Byrne.

How to Create an Interactive Diagram in Google Slides

How to Create an Interactive Diagram in Google Slides, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Did you know you do not have to watch Google Slides in order, like a slide show? It's possible to create a diagram on page one, and link other slides to each element. When a view clicks on those elements, they are taken to the coinciding slide for more info. Watch the video in the blog post for full instructions.

7 Ways for Students to Use Google Drawings

7 Ways for Students to Use Google Drawings, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Do your students never use Google Drawings because you aren't sure what to do with it? How about creating mind maps, labeling or marking up images, image cropping/filtering, or creating hyperlinked images instead of using Thinglink? There are embedded video tutorials in this post.

Using Google Drawings for Creative Content Projects

Using Google Drawings for Creative Content Projects, from Teaching Little Techies by Robin Limpert
If you can use Google Slides, you already know how to use Google Drawings. It's a great format for posters, annotating maps, mind maps, game boards, and lots more.

EDU in 90:  Differentiation with Google Classroom

USGS Multimedia Gallery - Excellent Public Domain Images and Videos

USGS Multimedia Gallery - Excellent Public Domain Images and Videos, from Free Tech for Teachers by Richard Byrne
There are numerous images, videos, animations and podcasts available from USGS Multimedia Gallery (US Department of the Interior. This looks like a great science and geography resource.

5 Ways to Use Comics in Social Studies Lessons

5 Ways to Use Comics in Social Studies Lessons, from Free Tech for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Here are some ways to add fun lessons to your Social Studies class.

ASA Weekly Tech Tips and News for January 12, 2018

Pixabay.com

As with many security threats, more information comes to light as experts delve deeper into the program. The Meltdown and Spectre threats, caused by the Intel processor flaw is no different than previous events in that regard. This week it became apparent that it will not be an update and done situation. Some PCs did not handle the patch well, so Microsoft stopped pushing it out to those PCs, although many PCs did receive the patch. It's also evident that the patch will noticeably slow your PC down. Additionally, the latest advice is that we will all need to update our firmware, using a patch provided by the device manufacturer (HP, Apple, Dell, Lenovo, etc.). Some firmware patches are already available, some are coming soon, and many for older PCs will never come. The first article below explains in detail how check to see if your PC is protected, and what to do if it isn't. Mac users will need to wait for the next update, and most Android phone users may need to wait even longer - until the phone manufacturer and carrier push out updates. There will be more updates to come, with the permanent solution being that we will need to upgrade/replace our technology sooner than we would prefer - but only after a better processor becomes available and tech manufacturers start building devices that include it, which will take quite some time. In the meantime, every technology user needs to become more educated and concerned with secure procedures to protect their information. As we've seen over and over again, no tech device will ever be completely secure, and we all need to be aware of the threats and how to dodge them. Here is a good place to start for security tips. You can also search the archives of this blog in the right column, search the tags below for terms like security, phishing, 2-step verification, internet safety, online privacy, ransomware, etc., or simply Google "safe computing" or "computer safety". Finally, continue to stay tuned for further developments and advice. You do not need to be a tech expert to become an informed user. The more we rely on technology for pretty much everything the more important knowledge becomes. (End of lecture.)

• How to Check if your PC is Protected Against Meltdown and Spectre
• Google's Online Tutor Turns You Into a Master of Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and More
• G Suite Updates:  Search Within a Folder in Google Drive
• EDU in 90:  Engaging Parents & Guardians with G Suite for Education
• How to Quickly Copy Questions from One Google Form to Another
• 8 Tips for Making Movies with Google Photos
• Hundreds of Smartphone Apps are Spying on Your TV Watching. Here's How to Disable Them
• Three Good Sources of Fun and Interesting Math Challenges
• MySimpleShow - Create Explanatory Videos

How to Check if your PC is Protected Against Meltdown and Spectre

How to Check if your PC is Protected Against Meltdown and Spectre, from How-To Geek  by Chris Hoffman
In case you missed it, Meltdown and Spectre are the Intel processor flaws discussed in last week's blog. If you updated your anti-virus software, checked the list to see which AV programs have the necessary update, and ran Microsoft updates - well done! Unfortunately, there may be another step we all need to take, such as updating the firmware. If the maker of your PC pushes out an update, make sure you run it. This article outlines exactly what you need to do to at least check if your PC is protected against the Intel processor flaw uncovered a couple weeks ago. The steps are clearly spelled out and illustrated, but if you are uncomfortable trying it yourself, please contact the person or company who normally handle your PC repairs and have them take care of it. This is something that you will need to follow up on. Please make sure you back up your computer as well - either with an online service, or with an external hard drive.

Google's Online Tutor Turns You Into a Master of Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and More

Google's Online Tutor Turns You Into a Master of Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and More, from Make Use Of by Saikat Basu
I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. There is a built-in tutor for all the apps in G Suite in the form of a Chrome extension. This means you must be using the Chrome browser to use it. (Not Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Edge or any other browser.) All ASA user accounts (your @asagr.org account) already have this extension force installed in your Chrome browser. Read the article to see how to use it to learn Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, and the rest of the G Suite apps as you use them.

G Suite Updates:  Search Within a Folder in Google Drive

You can now narrow down your search for files in Google Drive. It is now possible to search within a specific folder for a file, rather than searching your entire My Drive. Full details and demonstrations are available in the G Suite Updates blog. You should begin to see this new feature in the next two weeks.

EDU in 90:  Engaging Parents & Guardians with G Suite for Education

How to Quickly Copy Questions from One Google Form to Another

8 Tips for Making Movies with Google Photos

8 Tips for Making Movies with Google Photos from Tech & Learning by Lisa Nielsen
Wondering about the best way to share those classroom photos or document a class event? Don't just share the photos, make a movie with them. It's simple and free.

Hundreds of Smartphone Apps are Spying on Your TV Watching. Here's How to Disable Them

Hundreds of Smartphone Apps are Spying on Your TV Watching. Here's How to Disable Them, from How-To Geek by Michael Crider
Does it creep you out to think that game you play on your phone is listening to what you watch on TV? Some find this to be an invasion of privacy, while others don't really care and consider it the cost of using the app. If you do care, you can disable the permissions for that app.

Three Good Sources of Fun and Interesting Math Challenges

Three Good Sources of Fun and Interesting Math Challenges, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Give your students some math problems that relate to real world situations with these free resources.

MySimpleShow - Create Explanatory Videos

My SimpleShow - Create Explanatory Videos, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Have your students create a quick video explaining how something works, or demonstrating how to do something. This also incorporates writing, as a written script is required to complete the video.

ASA Weekly Tech Tips and News for January 5, 2018

Happy New Year! Unfortunately we're starting 2018 with another security alert. This one is a hardware flaw that affects pretty much every device. The good news is there have not been any wide-spread breaches with this one (although Meltdown and Spectre attacks are starting to crop up), and security patches are starting to roll out for it, and will probably continue to do so for some time. Keep in mind though, by not running those updates, your device will be definitely vulnerable to attack, and it will only be a matter of time before it is affected. Your role will just be to make sure those security updates run on your device. There are more complete instructions below. In spite of this, I hope your holidays were restful and festive, and your new year has begun on a more positive note. Many blessings to you and yours in the upcoming year.

• Intel Flaw Makes Your Computer and Chromebook Vulnerable
• 5 Ed Tech tools to Try in 2018
• Add Audio to Google Slides With This Add-On
• Automatically Issue Certificates When Students Pass a Quiz in Google Forms
• Caption This! A Fun, Deep-Thinking Google Drawings Activity
• 12 Free Lessons About Rocks, Minerals and Landforms

Intel Flaw Makes Your Computer and Chromebook Vulnerable

The Intel sticker from
my laptop.

There is a newly uncovered flaw in the Intel chip, which runs most computers and Chromebooks, that can leave your device vulnerable to hacking/stealing your information. Fortunately many phones are not powered by Intel processors, however in this article, Apple has confirmed that Mac and iPhones are affected also.  Here are the details as reported in a ZDNet article about the Intel flaw. How do you know if your device has an Intel chip? PCs, Macs and Chromebooks should have a sticker on them that says Intel Inside. (see image - Yours may be a different color or shape, but will have the Intel logo on it.) If it says something other than Intel, such as AMD, you may not be affected. Phones typically do not have the sticker on the outside. So what do you do if you have the Intel chip (which most devices have)? The answer is a little different depending upon your device. Intel has plans to push out a patch, but in the meantime, Windows, Apple and Chrome have pushed out their own patches via updates. These updates will only patch part of the problem, and there will be more updates to come, so continue to run them on a timely basis, and make sure you are shutting down or restarting your PC every couple weeks or so to make sure they install. One reported side affect of the patches will be that your device may run slower, but it's better to be a little slower and safe than hacked. After installing the updates, make sure you only download software or apps from trusted sources, such as the Microsoft Store, Play Store or App Store. See how to check for or run updates for your device below.

Windows:  Microsoft has scrambled to push out a patch on January 3rd - so let those updates run when prompted! If your computer has run updates in the last few days, you are most likely all set - but if you haven't shut down your computer in the past week - please do so to allow the updates to run! You may need to make sure your anti-virus program runs its updates first, so the Microsoft update will run. Another ZDNet article explains why this is necessary. If you really want to be proactive, you can check yet another ZDNet article to see if your anti-virus supports the Microsoft patch yet. (AVG, which is owned by Avast, does.) If it does, open your anti-virus program and run updates. After that, search for Windows updates on your computer by selecting Check for Updates (in Control Panel in Win 7, in Settings-Windows Update for Win 10).

Chromebooks:  Chromebooks may have already received the patch with the latest update. Look for the telltale up arrow in the lower right corner. If you see it, click on it and select Restart for Update. If you don't see the arrow, you can check on the update as well. If you are running Chrome version 63, you've been patched. How to tell? Navigate to Settings - About Chrome. You should see the Chrome version number. If it does not begin with 63, click on Check Updates (it may automatically start to update) then click Restart when it is finished.

Apple/Mac/iPhone:  Apple has also reported a patch has been included with iOS 11.2 and MacOS 10.13.2, so make sure you watch for or have those updates on your Mac or iOS device. Again, if you'd like to be proactive and go looking for the update, system updates can be found in Settings - General. More updates will be coming for Safari, iOS, MacOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

5 Ed Tech tools to Try in 2018

5 Ed Tech tools to Try in 2018, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
If you didn't try them in 2017, give at least one of them a try this year. What are you waiting for?

Add Audio to Google Slides With This Add-On

Add Audio to Google Slides With This Add-On, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
A couple of work arounds for adding Sound to your Google Slides presentation have been previously discussed. Here is another way with the Audio Player for Google Slides add-on.

Automatically Issue Certificates When Students Pass a Quiz in Google Forms

Automatically Issue Certificates When Students Pass a Quiz in Google Forms, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Now when you use the quiz feature in Google Forms (which automatically grades your quiz), you can also automatically issue a certificate with the Certify'em add-on.

Caption This! A Fun, Deep-Thinking Google Drawings Activity

Caption This! A Fun, Deep-Thinking Google Drawings Activity, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
This activity can be used with either Google Slides or Google Drawings, and requires students to do some deeper, critical thinking to connect to the content you are teaching.

12 Free Lessons About Rocks, Minerals and Landforms

12 Free Lessons About Rocks, Minerals and Landforms, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Check out Scholastic's StudyJams for lessons on various math and science topics. There are videos, slide shows and short quizzes in each topic.