Thursday, October 21, 2021

ASA Tech Tips and News for October 22, 2021

This week for Cyber Security Awareness month is the topic everyone skips - backing up your files. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a hard drive or phone fail and the device owner is distraught because all their files and photos are gone. You often cannot get those baby pictures back, they're just gone forever. In addition, if you become the victim of a ransomware attack, you will not need to pay the demanded ransom if your files are backed up. You can wipe your device and and reinstall. Stop waiting to get around to it and make sure you are regularly backing up your files this week. In addition to the back up rant, there is also an upcoming change to the way we dial local numbers. Your cell phone carrier has probably already alerted you to the need to include the area code when placing local calls. Sunday it will start to be required everywhere in the 616 area code. Wondering why this is happening or what you need to do to prepare for it? Read the article below.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month:  Back Up

It's so important to back up your key files. Ransomware demands are becoming so common, it's not a matter of if you'll be attacked, it's when. Backing up those key files means they remain safe in the case of malware, ransomware or even a simple hardware failure. It also means you won't need to pay the ransom! This isn't just limited to  your laptop. Your mobile device needs to be backed up as well. Think of all those photos you'd lose! Here's a helpful article from How-To Geek, by Chris Hoffman, to show you the best way to back up your computer. It covers many options and several devices. 


New 10-Digit Phone Dialing Requirements

Beginning on Sunday, October 24th, you will need to dial the area code + the 7-digit number when making local calls in the 616 area code. Some carriers may even require entering a 1 first, even though it's a local call. This will be the case for both land lines and mobile devices, but they may handle them differently. I've found my mobile device, which uses Verizon as the carrier, does not require a 1 first, but the school phone does, as it uses a different carrier. Test it with your phones to see what your carrier requires. You will want to take the time to update the phone numbers in your contacts list so your phone calls them the correct way. Why is this happening? It is being done to allow the use of 9-8-8 as a direct link to the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline, similar to how calling 9-1-1 is a direct link to emergency dispatchers. 

Infinite Campus Maintenance Schedule

Infinite Campus will be down for routine maintenance Saturday, October 30th, 11am - 3pm.

Google's Applied Digital Skills:  150+ Free Tech Lessons

Google's Applied Digital Skills:  150+ Free Tech Lessons, From Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
This is important for adult educators as well as students. These lesson plans cover a wide range of tech tools, topics and grade levels. Search for courses by age level, by digital tool, by topic or theme. This is a great way to brush up on your Google training and help students develop theirs! There is a detailed video explaining how it works. The Start Teaching link will introduce you to the lesson plans and videos available to use. The Start Learning link is geared toward adult learners learning on their own, and will introduce you to free lessons, job-ready skills, project based lessons and videos for tech novices. If you are not familiar with Google Workspace tools (Docs, Drive, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, etc.) check out the Google Workspace Training.

Ten Skills Students Can Learn from Google's Applied Digital Skills Lessons

Ten Skills Students Can Learn from Google's Applied Digital Skills Lessons, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
There are over 150 free lesson plans for using Google Workspace tools with students. Richard focuses on 10 valuable skills for students to learn, such as building healthy digital habits, time management, evaluating the credibility of online sources, story planning, mind mapping, and more. 

How to Create a Folder in Google Docs

How to Create a Folder in Google Docs, from How-To Geek from Mahesh Makvana
Yes, my friends, you can create folders without opening Drive. 

How to Share Documents on Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides

How to Share Documents on Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, from How-To Geek from Sandy Writtenhouse
Not only can you share documents instead of sending attachments, but there are also so many options for how you share. 

Five Helpful Google Keep Features for Students


How to Place Images Behind or in Front of Text in Google Slides

Sometimes you just don't want the text and image side by side. 

Halloween Choice Board

I found this idea from the Chromebook Classroom podcast by John Sowash, specifically the 10 Links You Should Click (October 2021) episode. The choice board was created by @tcbnugent on Twitter. (Just trying to make sure everyone gets their due credit!) It's a Google Docs hyperdoc that contains links to lots of Halloween activities for your students to do in their spare time. 

Progressive Choice Boards:  Provide Choice Without Overwhelming

Create a choice board that doesn't overwhelm students with lots of new learning curves at once. It's also a great way to teach (and learn!) new digital skills. Templates are included.
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