Thursday, April 29, 2021

ASA Tech Tips and News for April 30, 2021

Risks by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0
Alpha Stock Images
Email and social media account security is becoming increasingly important. Social engineering is the most common way networks are breached and malware is spread. That means we, the network users, are the weakest link to any secure network. Those with nefarious intent are increasingly better at making phishing emails, social media games/quizzes, or clickbait look like legitimate messages or harmless posts. Since we are usually in a hurry, we click on those links without checking the URL and either give up personal information allowing bad actors to use our account to breach a network, or install something that infiltrates our devices or networks. Malware can either cause a security breach, or install ransomware that locks up a device or network until a ransom is paid. Remember learning to "drive defensively" in Driver's Ed? We need to apply those same principals to our online activity and password security. The most recent massive data leak included 4.3 million user names and passwords! Check to see if any of your accounts were included in the first article below. 

Has Your Email Address or Online Account Been Compromised?

If it has, you're definitely not alone! According to ZDNet, the FBI is is using the Have I Been Pwned site (HIBP) to alert 4.3 million victims that their accounts have been compromised. Please visit the site to see if yours is included in that group. When you open the HIBP site, enter your email address and press Enter, or click/tap the pwnd? button. Scroll down to see either an all clear, or a list of all the accounts you have online that have been included in a data breach. You should change those account passwords immediately. If you have other accounts that use the same combination user name/password, change those too. If your Google email address shows up on the HIBP site, you will also receive a Google alert in your email account. If you see the Google alert message, follow the prompts to run a security checkup on your account. You'll be able to change your password on the security page as well, just scroll down to the Sign In To Google section and click the arrow next to Password. While you're there, consider setting up 2-step authentication as well. 

How to Quickly Locate Your Mouse Pointer on Windows 10



I don't know about you, but this happens to me so often when using a trackpad I set my mouse to a yellow color. Now I'll be able to find it more easily. This also works well when you are trying to make your mouse more noticeable during onscreen demonstrations. 

How to Run a Diagnostic Scan on Your Chromebook

How to Run a Diagnostic Scan on Your Chromebook, from How-To Geek by Joe Fedewa
If your chromebook is giving you trouble, diagnostics are a good way to either rule out or pinpoint possible problems. 

Google Workspace for Education Plus Updates:  

Google Meet Gives More Space for Content and Control Over Layouts

There are many Meet changes coming to give you more control over what you see, and easier to use controls. The updates listed below will roll out sometime in May, and you will get a notice about them when you open Meet. You can find the highlights below, and the full descriptions here, along with animations. 
  • Choose between a tile grid or floating picture for your feed.
  • Your self-view appears in the bottom right.
  • See what you are presenting in Meet.
  • Unpin shared content to make room for more video feeds.
  • Participant names always visible.
  • The bottom bar takes up less space.
  • All controls are consolidated in one place with discriptions available upon hover.
  • The Leave Call button will move away from the microphone and camera buttons.
  • Bottom bar will always be visible, but not covering captions and video feeds.
  • When someone is speaking, their tile is outlined in blue.
  • Mute indicators are subdued
  • When there are too many participants to display, a tile is added to show who is on the call.
  • When these updates roll out, Meet users will see a banner that says, "Meet has a new look". 
  • For better presentations, share a different window or specific tab instead of the meeting window.

How To Connect Bluetooth Devices to a Chromebook

How To Connect Bluetooth Devices to a Chromebook, from How-To Geek by Joe Fedewa
Want to add a bluetooth mouse, keyboard, speaker, headset or anything else to your chromebook? Find out how. 

How to Change Camera and Microphone Access Settings in Chrome

How to Change Camera and Microphone Access Settings in Chrome, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
What to do when a site you are visiting isn't accessing your camera or microphone?

How to Add Voice Recordings in Google Forms

How to Add Voice Recordings in Google Forms, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Allows you to read questions to students remotely, or insert an audio question. 

Loom's Instant Video Editor

Loom's Instant Video Editor from Loom Blog by Vinay Hiremath
Loom just introduced their Instant Video Editor, which makes trimming and cutting out the mistakes much faster than before. Loom is an easy to use screen and camera recorder, that is available on any device, and even from Gmail so you can record a quick video message. The pro version is free to educators - just ask them to verify your school account. Sometimes it's just quicker and easier to record a quick tutorial than trying to explain something in writing. 

What's Hidden Behind a Bitly Link?

What's Hidden Behind a Bitly Link? from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
When you are trying to see if a link is safe or not, it's tough to tell when a URL shortener has been used. For Bitly links, there's a handy trick to use to help you see the full URL without clicking on it. 
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Thursday, April 22, 2021

ASA Tech Tips and News for April 23, 2021

 
It's time for a periodic reminder about password security and phishing. Now before you scroll on past, the article below has a clear explanation of both. Keep in mind, in addition to your personal risk, when your device is connected to a work network, your actions can jeopardize everyone else on that network. This is why we need to be so vigilant and suspicous of websites, emails, social media, click bait, and ads while online. Online criminals continue to improve their methods of duping users through social engineering, where they will trick a user into clicking on what appears to be a legitimate link and either downloading malicious programs or gathering information that allows them to breach an account. Another security option to consider is to set up 2 Factor Authentication for your ASA account. This will prompt you to confirm from a separate device that you are logging in to the account. You can do this either with a mobile phone prompt, phone call, code, plugin security key, or the easiest way is to use the Google Authenticator app on your mobile device. Hint:  You may want to start investigating this, as more and more cyber insurance policies are requiring 2 factor authentication for all users. It's just a matter of time before the DOGR will require it as well. 


How to Delete Your Old Online Accounts (and Why You Should)

We all know that when you begin using a new online service, you need to set up an account. What happens when you stop using those accounts, especially if you've reused a common password, answered the same security questions, or stored credit card info? They become targets for online attackers who now have access to your personal information. 

How a Password Manager Protects You From Phishing Scams

Not only does this post explain how password managers work to keep track of your passwords and protect you from phony sites, it also explains very clearly how phishing scams work and how to examine a URL. 

What is a Hamburger Menu Button?

What is a Hamburger Menu Button? from How-To Geek by Joe Fedewa
Those three horizontal lines in an app or website basically mean there's a menu of options behind it. It's similar to the "waffle" grid, or "snowman" three dots. 

Google Workspace for Education Plus Updates:  


Meet:  Present Screen and Chat Moderator Capabilities

Within the next two weeks, you see these tools for Meet hosts. Remember by creating your Meets in your Calendar, you will be recognized as the host regardless of who joins first. These updates allow you to manage who can share their screen. You will also be able to control who can send chat messages during a Meet. Both of these new features will be on by default, meaning only the Meet host can share their screen and anyone in the Meet can send chat messages. Full details, as well as screen shots showing where you can find the host controls can be found here. 

Calendar:  Google Maps Available in Quick Access Side Panel

When you are adding a location to your event in Calendar, you will be able to access Google Maps in a pop up side panel to search for the correct location, check location details and travel times. You should see this new feature within the next two weeks. Full details and a demonstration can be found here. 

Sites:  Classic Sites No Longer Available After May 15, 2021

If you created any websites in Classic Sites (old version of Sites), and still need access to them, you will need to convert them to New Sites before May 15th. 


The Fastest Way to Free Up Space in Gmail

The Fastest Way to Free Up Space in Gmail, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
Google Workspace for Education customers have always enjoyed unlimited storage. This is coming to an end next year. Now is the time to start putting better storage habits into practice. Here's an easy way to find the biggest storage hogs. 

How to Use Windows 10's Hidden Video Editor

How to Use Windows 10's Hidden Video Editor, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
Looking for a way to create a slide show of photos, or enhance your videos? Windows 10 has a video editor built in, you just need to know where to find it. 

How to Disable and Remove Chrome Extensions - And Why You Should

How to Disable and Remove Chrome Extensions - And Why You Should, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Chrome extensions can be very handy tools, until we stop using them, they conflict with something, or they get too old. 

Turn the Spotlight on Video Instruction

Here's a link to the slide deck mentioned in the video. This webinar covers sharing video (or audio) successfully (and switching between tabs) in a Google Meet, Picture in Picture in YouTube, full screen YouTube video with no ads or comments, starting a YouTube video in a specific spot, controlling the start and end time in a video that is embedded in Slides, and embedding the cut video on a Slide in a Google Site.



19 Canva Tutorials for Teachers and Students - Certificates, Comics, and More!

19 video tutorials to learn how to make just about anything in Canva. Inspire your creative side. 

How To View Timelapse Imagery in Google Earth



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Thursday, April 15, 2021

ASA Tech Tips and News For April 16, 2021

 
Just as April was lulling us into lovely spring weather, we're now back to April's fickle mood with the "s" word in the forecast. Whether showers or snow, April's precipitation will eventually lead us to the long awaited May flowers and more consistent spring weather. It just reminds us that while the end of the school year will be here in no time, we do still have two months of learning left. The cooler and gloomy weather will help keep the inevitable spring fever at bay for a bit. Those of us who use Windows laptops will be happy to know that although the weather isn't as nice as we'd like, we can print again with the latest April Windows Updates. I've included a video to guide you through the process of locating the updates and installing them.


Fix March 2021 Windows Update Printing Issue



10 Tech Troubleshooting Tips to Fix Your Gadgets

10 Tech Troubleshooting Tips to Fix Your Gadgets, from How-To Geek by Tim Brookes
Something's not working right? Find out what to do. You may be surprised to learn that rice is no longer considered the answer to a wet device. Find out what is.

10 Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Windows PC

10 Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Windows PC, from How-To Geek by Chris Hoffman
Just like getting regular tune ups and oil changes for your car, performing spring cleaning and routine maintenance on your computer will keep it running more smoothly. 

Google Workspace for Education Plus Updates:  Originality Reports Now Include School Matches

workspaceupdates.googleblog.com


Are you concerned a student copied work from a classmate, or recycled an older sibling's assignment from years past? Originality Reports will now not only look for matches across the web, but also within the DOGR domain. 

How to Run a Safety Check on Google Chrome

How to Run a Safety Check on Google Chrome, from How-To Geek by Shubham Agarwal
This is an easy way to make sure your online security is as tight as it can be. 

How to Quickly Record Voice and Video Messages in Gmail

How to Quickly Record Voice and Video Messages in Gmail, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Sometimes it's just quicker to respond with audio, or clearer to respond with a video. 

Demonstration of New Meet Tools and Originality Reports

If you are interested in seeing the new Google Meet tools in action, this Google video includes demonstrations for using Quick Access, Polls, Q&A in Meet, and Originality Reports to check for plagiarism in Docs. Originality Reports not only check for duplications on the web, but also within all Google files in the domain to make sure it doesn't match other students' work. Start watching at the 5:32 mark.


How to Download Google Meet Video Call Recordings

How to Download Google Meet Video Call Recordings, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
How to preserve those lessons for later use!

How to Launch and Use Jamboard in Google Meet



Make Whiteboard Videos with Loom & Jamboard



TeacherMade Adds More Features to Make Your Online Lessons Better

TeacherMade Adds More Features to Make Your Online Lessons Better, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
TeacherMade will turn any PDFs, Word docs, Google Docs and pictures into onlin, interactive lessons and activities. Still have paper worksheets? Scan them to convert them to a PDF. TeacherMade also integrates with Canvas LMS.The pro version of TeacherMade is free until July 1, 2021. 

Create Outdoor Bingo Games

Create Outdoor Bingo Games, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Spring has sprung! (or trying to anyway) Here's an outdoor learning option to feed spring fever and quell the pandemic. 
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Thursday, April 8, 2021

ASA Tech Tips and News for April 9, 2021

Jill Wellington flickr.com
Spring Break is quickly coming to an end. Welcome home to those of you who travelled this week. Hopefully everyone had a chance to recharge before we bring the 2020-2021 school year to a close. It will go by quickly from here! If you haven't heard about the recent Facebook data breach, take a look at that article to find out how you can tell if your information was leaked. A very helpful update to Chrome includes the abilility to record your screen without using an extension or app. It's now built in and could be quite helpful for teachers and students! This will make it so much easier to record on screen demonstrations or show work. Check out all the 'how-tos' in this week's post, and continue expanding your tech skills this Spring. Enjoy the warmer weather and hang in there! We're getting so much closer to the end of the school year. 

Everything You Need to Know About the Facebook Data Breach

If you use Facebook, you'll want to read this article, and check if your info was leaked. 

How to Securely Shop Online:  8 Tips to Protect Yourself

How to Securely Shop Online:  8 Tips to Protect Yourself, from How-To Geek by Marshall Gunnell
The internet can feel like the wild west at times. It's so important to protect yourself online, especially involving financial transactions. 

How to Choose When Windows 10 Turns Off Your Screen

You can choose how quickly or slowly Windows 10 turns off your monitor. 

How to Change Your Google Account Profile Image & Why You Should Change It

How to Change Your Google Account Profile Image & Why You Should Change It, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Replace that generic initial with your photo, or some other image that identifies you. 

How to Turn Off Annoying "Save Password" Pop-Ups in Chrome

If you already use a different password manager, and don't need Chrome saving all your passwords, you can disbable that prompt. 

How to Screen Record on Your Chromebook

How to Screen Record on Your Chromebook, from How-To Geek by Joe Fedewa
With the update to Chrome 89, recording your screen is now built in to Chrome. You no longer need a third-party app or extension, such as Loom, Screencastify, etc., to record your screen. 

5 Features of Google Advanced Search

Help your students refine their Google searches for more accurate search results. 


10 Practical Ways to Use Jamboard Tomorrow

Jamboard is Google's interactive whiteboard that students can use to collaborate just like they do in Docs. Use it as a collective "brain dump", interactive screen, graphic organizer, annotation, scratch off activities, and more. It's built in to Google Workspace for Education. Fair warning:  this is an hour long webinar video, but individual chapters are indicated on the video timeline, so you can easily watch it in smaller chunks. 


25 Sites for Students With Free Time on Their Hands

25 Sites for Students With Free Time on Their Hands, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
Free time can be constructive and fun. 
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