Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Tech Tips and News for December 2024

I'm going to take a wild guess, and assume those of you who don't work during Christmas break are looking forward to not thinking about school for two weeks. You might even be counting the days or mintutes. However, if you get bored or you're looking for some PD opportunities there are several AI options listed in the News section. In addition, keep in mind Matt Miller's Ditch That Textbook Summit starting December 16th. You'll have access to over 90 on-demand webinars on various ed tech topics. There is also the Elements of AI online course that will answer all your questions about the basics of AI and how it might affect your life. Why am I pushing AI? Because it's not going away and we all need to learn how to use it, how watch for its influence on student work, not to mention it is the future we are preparing our students for. As if those aren't enough reasons, there are many AI tools designed to help teachers work smarter and save huge amounts of time! All of these PD opportunities are free, and several offer SCECHs. Even if you aren't a teacher, it's important to understand both the strengths and shortcomings of AI to help you know when (or when not) to trust it and use it. Wishing all of you a blessed and enchanting Christmas and New Year. 

Security

Updates

News

Tips & Tutorials




Stay Safe While Holiday Shopping Online

Most if us do at least some of our shopping online during the holidays, and many do all their shopping online. This post from the National Cybersecurity Alliance is full of good reminders for staying safe while shopping online, and not falling for any of the numerous scams. Another good resource is the Season of Light, Season of Scams:  Avoiding Gift Card Fraud webinar, which features the Homeland Security Investigations group. Take care to make sure your holidays are jolly and not heartbreaking.

Avoid Gift Card Draining Scams This Holiday Season

Avoid Gift Card Draining Scams This Holiday Season, from National Cybersecurity Alliance
How can you tell if the gift cards you're giving to others haven't been drained? In most stores, gift cards are displayed so they are easily accessible. This also makes them accessible to thieves and scammers who can use the numbers and pins on the back and drain them before they're even sold. 

How Your Phone Number is Exposed:  Phone Number Leaks

How Your Phone Number is Exposed:  Phone Number Leaks, from National Cybersecurity Alliance
While everyone was complaining about all the political calls and texts they were getting, I was thankful I never received any. Same goes for those phishing texts and scam calls. I get very few. Why? Because I never give out my phone number to anyone - even for those store reward programs. Your phone number is part of your personal info. Learn how to protect it and see if it's been leaked. 

12 Tips to Identify a Fake Virus or Security Alert

Nothing is more nerve wracking than see a bright red flashing alert on your phone or computer that you've contracted a virus. But is it real? Is that security update alert real? How can you tell? This article will help you tell what is real and what is a scam. 

I Made These 5 Changes to Windows Security for Optimal Safety

Don't be put off by unfamiliar terminology, these settings are easy to turn on in Windows Settings. Each of the unfamiliar terms is clearly described as to what it does, and how it protects your computer and data. 



Google Docs:  More Ways to Get Started Quickly with Building Blocks

Building blocks are those tools that you use by entering the @ symbol, such as linking a person, date, calendar event, other smart chips, templates, checklists, etc. These are designed to help you create your Doc more quickly by automating many of those links or formatting you need to create. The latest building blocks to be added to Google Docs include task trackers, contact lists and decision logs. 

  • Task Trackers:  Quickly add and track tasks at a glance with titles, assignees, due dates, and status, in a cleanly organized format. Additionally, users can add their own columns for more personalization, and new tasks with an assignee and title can be synced with Google Tasks individually or by syncing the whole table at once.
  • Contact Lists:  Use a contact list to organize contact information for applicants, sales contacts, team members, project assignments and more. Contact lists offer a structured table format that breaks out critical contact information into glanceable columns that are clear and easier to read.
  • Decision Logs:  Centralize open questions, aid in decision-making, and organize final decisions in an easily-digestible table. With decision logs, teams can quickly align around a single source of truth with clear owners.
Building blocks are easily inserted into a Doc by either using the buttons at the top of a blank Doc, or by opening the Insert menu and selecting Building Blocks. Learn how to use building blocks here. These new building blocks should be available sometime between now and mid-December.

Google Forms:  More Sharing Options for Who Can Respond to the Form

Currently, we are limited to making Forms available to those in our domain (within DOGR) or to anyone with a link (AKA the public). This update will allow us to limit the form to certain users or groups, much the same way we do with Docs or any other files in Drive. With this change, Forms creators will need to publish a form and select who can respond to it. You can add individual email addresses or a Google Group. Learn how to share and publish a Google Form here. You should see this update anytime between now and when we return from Christmas break. 



Real Talk About AI in Education

Real Talk About AI in Education, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
Matt Miller was a guest on the Dr. Phil show where he, and several other industry leaders, discussed the pros and cons of AI in Education. You can either read about it, or listen to it as a podcast.

KISD Ed Tech PD Opportunities

Kent Intermediate School district has numerous opportunities for professional development listed in their latest I Am Ed Tech newsletter
  • Ed Tech Cheer 2024:  The theme for EdTech Cheer 2024 is The 5 Big Ideas in AI. Check out the learning here and if you decide you would like to receive SCECH credit, it isn't too late to sign up! Register with the Kent ISD PD Hub, go through the Introduction and the 5 Big Ideas, and leave a reflection on each page to earn credit!
  • AI for Educators:  Whether we like it or not, AI is here, and is the future our students will be facing. Our older students are probably already using AI. This is a two-day immersive workshop where you'll gain expert insights, practical strategies, and hands-on experience to confidently integrate AI into your educational practice. There are still spaces available for Cohort 2 - register soon before they are gone!



>Learn How to Use Chromebook Accessibility tools in 45 Minutes

Many of your students can significantly benefit from using the built in accessibility tools on their chromebooks. These include spoken feedback, select to speak, dictation (speak to type), color correction, magnified mouse, screen magnifier, live captions, font choice for readability, and so many more. These are easy to find and turn on for your students. This 45-minute webinar explains how to access and use all those accessibility settings. The slide deck for the webinar can be found here:  https://goo.gle/PTS-10-29-24. While watching different features, we will have access to those features that are available in the Teaching & Learning upgrade. 

>Looking for Additional Digital Citizenship Lessons?

If you're looking for additioal digital citizenship lessons, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) has free lessons for elementary, middle school and high school. In the elementary lessons, students will learn the difference between online and offline activities, how to identify trusted online resources, and how to use digital storytelling tools to express their creativity. In the middle school lessons, students will establish strategies for digital well-being, discuss how online information can influence opinions through information bubbles and will practice how to be good cyberfriends and supportive bystanders.

>How to Add Your Canva Designs as Google Slides Backgrounds




>Easily Send Mail Merge Using Gmail (video)

Did you know that you are able to send mail merge emails directly from Gmail? It works best when the data is pulled from a Google Sheet, but that's not absolutely necessary. A mail merge is the perfect solution when you need to send information to many people, but need to customize each message slightly. For example, sending overdue book reminders or individualized project information. This 24-minute video will show you how it works. 

NotebookLM Tutorial: 6 Use Cases You Haven't Thought Of

Ask questions about the data you've saved, create study guides, create a personal coach, do health research based on your symptoms and find suggestions for relief or use it for career planning.


How to Create Multimedia Flashcards With Google Sheets


AI Chatbots 101:  How They Work and What They Can Do for You

AI Chatbots are what you may know as Chat GPT and Google Gemini. Learn  how they work and how you can use them. 

Jam Slides - Google Slides Replacement Template for Jamboard

Jam Slides - Google Slides Replacement Template for Jamboard, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
For those of you who are missing Jamboard, here's a Google Slides replacement, complete with templates and a tutorial video.

Don’t Have Hours to Read Terms of Service? Here’s How to Cut Down the Time

This is a true time-saving hack! You can quickly find out what you're agreeing to with a simple Ctrl-F or Cmd-F. Find out what key terms you should search for, as well as a few other tools to use. 

Is Your Facebook profile in Need of a Cleanup? Try These 9 Tips

Have your friend list, views, or personal info changed since you started your Facebook account? It might be past time for a cleanup to more accurately reflect your digital footprint.

Make Maps With AI

Make Maps With AI, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
Google My Maps is a free tool that allows you to create your own custom maps, where you can add pins for different locations, and then add content to each pin to explain what it represents. The time saver is to use an AI chatbot, such as Google Gemini to automate and speed up the process.

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Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Tech Tips and News for November 2024

Photo By Sue Thompson|Flickr
Well, I think we're finally up to date with all the various updates that have rolled in through the late summer/early fall. The beginning of the school year is behind us, as are conferences, Eaglefest, and the election. I can't believe we're already knocking on the door of the holidays! We must be having fun, because time is surely flying. Below, there are some notable Google updates along with video overviews by John Sowash, AI tools to help teachers, as well as some cybersecurity points to look at. We all need to be ever vigilant with our online activities, especially going into the holidays. AI has made bad actors even more stealthy with their attempts to steal online identities and access our personal information and accounts. 

Safety and Security 
Updates
News
Tips & Tutorials



7 Essential Password Rules to Follow in 2024, According to Security Experts

7 Essential Password Rules to Follow in 2024, According to Security Experts, from ZDNet by Ed Bott
I wish all those high security websites would get the message that it's more important to have a longer and more complex password than it is to change your password regularly! More complex passwords or pass phrases are so simple to create and use when you use a password manager. Bitwarden is the one I use...and love! Personal accounts are free.That being said, any reputable password manager will work, so find one that works for you. 

Gmail Users, Beware of a New AI Scam That Looks Very Authentic

Google, or any other tech company, is never going to call you to report suspicious activity. They also cannot magically detect problems with your computer, phone or any other device. 

4 Easy Ways to Keep Your Social Media Secure

4 Easy Ways to Keep Your Social Media Secure, from How-To Geek by Debby Gluzband
There are easy tips for keeping your information safe, and also your children's info safe. 

You Can Now Check if Your Data Has Been Leaked Thanks to SurfShark's New Tool

This is another great tool, in addition to the Have I Been Pwned site, to safely check if your email address has been leaked in a data breach. Unfortunately companies aren't always very dutiful about letting their customers know. Incidentally, SurfShark is the VPN Mark and I use on all our devices. This service not only protects us on a public WiFi network, it also protects at home from dangerous websites.

How Well Do Smart Speakers Protect Privacy While Listening to Everything?

Is Alexa or Siri always listening? And what can you do to make them more secure? 


New Features for Google Classroom, Chromebooks, Drive and More

John Sowash explains new features from the beginning of summer. (We're still catching up on the last few months of updates!) For your reference, ASA has Teaching & Learning Google licenses for teachers. Included topics are:
Read Along - Built-in Google tool to help teach students to read
New handwriting fonts for elementary students/teachers
Google Drive Updates
Chromebook Updates
Gemini for Education Updates


Your September Google Updates:  AI Updates, Classroom Groups, Cool Websites and More!

Some of the updates mentioned last month and some in this month's list of updates are explained and demonstrated by John Sowash. For your reference, ASA has Teaching & Learning Google licenses for teachers. Just so you don't have to watch the entire video to get the bits you actually want to watch...
4:15 Data protections for Google Gemini
7:00 AI training for teachers & students
8:40 Enhance your Gemini experience with Gems
13:17 NotebookLM adds audio summaries
19:50 Google Docs has tabs
25:13 Google Classroom supports student groups
28:40 First impressions of Google Vids
33:30 Jamboard is going away
35:50 GenType (via ‪@JeremyBadinerGL‬)
38:40 Gear Sketch (via ‪@Dadjokesandtech‬)  


October Google Updates (video)

John Sowash presents Google's October updates. Not all topics apply - ASA does not have Google Gemini for Workspace licenses. That means that while we have access to use Gemini with Workspace for Education privacy built in, we do not have the Gemini features that are integrated into Google Workspace. I've included time stamps for the topics that apply
3:58 Star Rating Question for Google Forms 
5:25 Tabs for Google Docs
6:40 Cover image for Google Docs
11:56 Parents sue school over school discipline over AI usage (AKA the importance of establishing an AI policy and outlining what is considered cheating)

Google Docs:  Organize Your Document With Tabs


Have you ever noticed the icon to the left of your text in Google Docs? That's where your tabs (or table of contents links) appear. You can create tabs, and then nestle sub-tabs beneath them, up to three levels. You can also rearrange your tabs. Every doc already has a Tab 1 started. Just open the left pane, click the Add tab + and give it a name. You can even use Emoji to make the tab names stand out. Learn how to use tabs in Docs here. 

Google Drive:  A Smoother, More Modern Video Player

Playing videos you've stored in Google Drive has a new look and improved controls. You'll be able to fast forward and rewind, as well as adjust playback speed and manage captions. I'm not sure if this is just a cosmetic change or if it will also improve the issue with multiple users playing a video at the same time, but let's hope so. This might be an option to try for those times when some of your students cannot access those YouTube videos that have been approved and embedded into Google Slides. You can try downloading them to drive and sharing them with students. Of course, not all YouTube videos allow downloading, so that may be a limitation to this work around. Learn how to store and play videos in Google Drive here. 

Google Forms:  Ask Responders for Ratings



There is now a new question type in Google Forms that will allow users to indicate how they rate something. You can customize the Rating question by changing the icons to stars, thumbs up, or hearts. You'll then be able to analyze those ratings in the response sheet. Full details can be found here. 

Google Notebook LM:  Now available as an Additional Google Service

What does that mean? While I don't yet see Notebook LM in the Google app switcher grid (AKA "the waffle"), I assume it will appear there soon, like Google Earth or Google Translate. In the meantime you can access it at notebooklm.google.com. Here's how it works:  You add all the resources you can find on a particular topic. You can add website links, PDFs, videos, Docs and Slides from Drive, and any copied text as your sources. Once you've included the links, files, videos, etc., you can create FAQs, study guides, a table of contents, a timeline, a briefing doc, or just ask it any questions about the content. You can even create a deep dive conversation between two very real sounding hosts, like a podcast, where they discuss all the information in your sources. Learn how to use NotebookLM here. Read the full description of the announcement here. 

Google Read Along:  Help Your Students Learn to Read


Google Read Along is now included in Google Workspace for Education. This app is built-in to Google Classroom, so you'll need to assign Read Along activities and assignments to your students there. Read Along in Google Classroom is a new feature that helps students build their independent reading skills by enabling teachers to assign differentiated reading activities, based on Lexile® measure, grade level, or phonics skills. With this feature, a digital reading buddy, Diya, gives students real-time assistance and pronunciation support, with the help of AI.  Read the full details in the announcement. Learn to use Read Aong in Google Classroom here. 

Google Slides:  New Templates with Easier Access

Google Slides is getting new templates with more modern designes. For education customers, some of these templates include templates for lesson plans, book reports and project reports. Once we receive this update, the templates will be easy to find either by using the Templates button on the toolbar, or by selecting the Insert menu and tapping Templates. You should see this update in the next week or so, if you aren't already seeing it. Find out how to use templates, change a theme, backgrouned or layout here. 


16 Education Grants in Michigan for Teachers and Schools

These grants are not focused on technology, but it was too good a list not to share! There are grants for classroom innovation, classroom projects, early childhood/child care, STEM, literacy, arts, and even housing. 

7 Reasons Why A Chromebook is the Best Laptop for Most People

7 Reasons Why A Chromebook is the Best Laptop for Most People, from ZDNet by Jack Wallen and Cesar Cadenas
Seriously! Save yourself some money and troubleshooting headaches. I predominantly use a chromebook at home and very rarely reach for my old laptop. I have used an HP x360 2-in-1 laptop/tablet for many years. When I recently replaced it, I did boost the RAM to 8GB to better handle video calls and my favorite Android games. 

Looking For Some Free PD in December?

Matt Miller from Ditch That Textbook is holding his 9th annual Ditch That Textbook Summit. By registering (it's free!) you'll have access to 90+ on-demand video presentations that you can watch from the comfort of your couch. The videos will be available December 16, 2024 through January 10, 2025. You can also receive free certificates for professional development certificates. Learn more and register here. 


Catholic Central Teachers Recommend Eduaide.AI

During the October PD day, Catholic Central teachers explored Eduaide.AI, a free AI resource for teachers, and found it "helpful and promising". This tool was created by teachers, for teachers, and promises to help you work smarter not harder. It will help you with lesson planning, as well as creating or planning a HUGE variety of assignments and activities. The list of options is so big, it's even difficult to summarize here. The link above takes you to a list of over 100 different teaching resources, planning materials, assignments and more that Eduaide can help you create in minutes. The free subscription allows teachers to  create 15 generations per month, access to a limited feedback bot, and you'll be able to enhance and transform features. The Eduaide.AI Pro subscription is $50/year, and allows unlimited access to all resources and tools. There is also discounted pricing available for schools and districts. Not sure you have the time to figure out an additional tool right now? No worries, Eduaide Academy will walk you through creating an account, navigating Eduaide.AI, using the content generator, the teaching assistant, feedback bot, Eduaide chat, generation history, and putting it all together. 

Cultivate Critical Thinking with News Literacy Skills

Taken from Common Sense Media email from Erikk Henderson-Hood

Bing Bong, the lovable imaginary character from the first Inside Out movie, is riding with Joy (another character) on the "train of thought." As they go over a bump, two crates fall, and their contents mix together. One crate is labeled "facts," and the other is labeled "opinions."

Joy quickly tries to sort everything back into their original crates, but laments, "Oh no, these facts and opinions look so similar!" Bing Bong, like a toddler trying to help you clean up toys, quickly shoves them indiscriminately into the nearest crates and says, "Ah, don't worry about it! It happens all the time."

Bing Bong's right: Getting our facts and opinions mixed up does happen quite a bit. It's especially tricky since news and entertainment are often seen in the same place: social media. And it's not just teens using these platforms for news! According to a Pew Research survey, today, 39% of adults under 30 say they regularly get news there, compared with much smaller shares of adults age 30 to 49 (19%), 50 to 64 (9%) and 65 and older (3%). While there are experts and reputable news organizations posting content, there are plenty of opinions stated as facts, alongside mis- and disinformation. Algorithm-created filter bubbles and AI-generated content just complicate these issues further.

With an election on the horizon, helping students evaluate facts and opinions—and deliberate deception—within the complex world of online news has never been more critical. Your role as teachers in shaping the next generation of informed (digital) citizens starts with discussing media and giving them the tools to think critically.

So how do we equip students to navigate the news on social media?

We highly recommend teaching lessons from our Essential News & Media Literacy Skills for Students collection, which offers lessons on news and misinformation as well as social media and AI's impacts. Here are some of the key elements we can address, along with paired resources to do just that:
 
🔎 Differentiating between facts, opinions, and misleading information.
📰 Identifying credible news sources.
👀 Recognizing bias and sensationalism (aka clickbait) in news coverage.
  • Check out our lesson "You Won't Believe This!," which introduces students to the concept of clickbait and managing our natural desire to figure out missing information.
☑️ Making informed decisions as future voters who can sift through the many hoaxes and fakes.
In an era of information overload and "fake news," the ability to critically evaluate news and media isn't just an academic skill: It's essential for participating in a democracy. Setting aside some time to integrate news and media literacy into a lesson or family discussion can make a difference. And as Bing Bong would say, "To Infinity and Beyond!" Wait, somebody fact-check that!

Did a Robot Write This Report? Managing AI Cheating

Did a Robot Write This Report? Managing AI Cheating, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
This is a 50 minute, on-demand webinar to help teachers identify student cheating using AI. 


Guess Where You Are Can Replace Geoguessr

Much to our disappointment, Geoguessr recently stopped being a free game. For years students have played this fun Google Maps game to figure out where they were in the world. One free alternative suggested by Eric Curts from Sparcc Lines is Guess Where You Are. Much like Geoguessr, you are placed in a random location around the world. By exploring your surroundings in Street View in Google Maps you can make a guess where you are. You get points based on how close you are to the actual location. 

Creating Soundboards with Google Slides for Stories, Games and More

You can add sound effects to your classroom to designate transitions, add applause after a student presentation, games and competitions, while you're reading a story to bring it to life, and whatever you can imagine. This post includes a video tutorial for setting up your own soundboard, as well as a sample Google Slide to use and customize. 

Use Google Translate's Conversation Mode with Non-English Speaking Parents


Having trouble communicating with a parent who struggles with the English language? While the Talking Points app is great for written communication, it doesn't really help if you are speaking in person. This is where Google Translate's Conversation Mode comes in. Google Translate is available in both the iOS App Store and in the Android Play Store. Add the app to your phone. When you need to have a conversation with someone who speaks another language, select your language and tap the Conversation button. Approve the use of the microphone so the app can listen to your conversation and translate it. 

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Monday, October 14, 2024

Tech Tips and News for October 2024

Whew! it was a fast and BUSY summer here at ASA. But it was a good busy! Our "out with the old and in with the new" process for replacing classroom technology definitely kept the maintenance crews and me busy all summer long. Many thanks to Pat and Mike for taking down all those older projectors! As a result of all that activity, I'm only now catching up on all the Google updates that have taken place in the last four months. It seems there were a LOT of them! There were so many that I'll only include some of them here, and add the rest into next month's Tech Tips and News. Yes, you read that correctly, this blog will become a monthly issue. With all the tech additions in the past few years, there just isn't time for me to troll for tips and news on a regular basis, but I do want to keep you informed of all the updates in our various platforms. I'll try to just catch the highlights each month to share with you. Since October is also Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I've also included several Safety and Security tips.

Safety and Security

Updates

News

Tips & Tutorials



7 Scenarios Where You Should Avoid Using Your Main Credit Card

In order to safely conduct business online, it is imperative that we all know when to enter our credit card info, and when not to.

What Is a Recovery Email, and Why Is It So Important?

What Is a Recovery Email, and Why Is It So Important? from How-To Geek by Oluwademilade Afolabi
Don't lose control of your email account.

The NSA Advises You to Turn Off Your Phone Once a Week - Here's Why

While this isn't a cure-all, it will help keep you and your information safe. Learn why, and what other steps you can take.

Want to Freeze Your Credit After the National Public Data Breach? Here's How

I resorted to this last spring after 3 data breach notifications in a 2 week span. I haven't regretted it.

How to Spot Scams, and What to Do If You Encounter One

How to Spot Scams, and What to Do If You Encounter One, from The Keyword by Laurie Richardson and Heather Adkins
This article covers scams in all forms:  emails, phone and text, web browsing, what do to if you've been scammed, and there's even a quiz at the end. 


Google Calendar:  New Features Available for Embedded Calendars

You'll now have the option of embedding an interactive version of a Google Calendar on a website. These new features will include the ability to allow the calendar to be used with a screen reader, and keyboard shortcuts to navigate it more easily. Follow these instructions to embed your calendar with these new features. 

Google Calendar:  Additional Features for Appointment Scheduling

You may (or may not) remember that the Appointment Slots feature was replaced by Appointment Scheduling. They basically do the same thing by allowing you to set up blocks of time in your schedule where you can set up appointment slots and share the link with others. Others can then make an appointment with you by signing up for one of those appointment slots. This enhancement has added a couple of additional features, such as adding a custom recurrence, such as bi-weekly, and allowing bookers and co-hosts to add other guests. Visit the Help Center to learn more about creating an appointment schedule and customizing your appointment availability.

Google Drive:  Automatic Digest for Shared Files

f you haven’t been active on Drive for 7 days and have multiple shared files that are unviewed, we’ll send you a reminder email that summarizes the files. This is particularly useful if you’re having a busy week or if you just got back to work after having time off. The digest email will include information about the unviewed files that were shared with you and a link to “See more activity” on the Drive Activity page. 

Google Drive:  Automatically Generate Captions for Videos

When you upload a video file in Google Drive, captions for the video will be automatically generated. These captions are automatically generated using speech recognition technology to transcribe the audio. This feature allows you to easily search for videos based on their content. If you need to add captions to any videos previously uploaded to Drive, you can do that manually. You can learn more about automatically generated captions here. 

Gemini:  Now Available As a Google Workspace App with More Data Protections

You may, or may not, have noticed that Gemini is now available as a Google Workspace for education app. By tapping on your app switcher (the waffle) in any Google service, you can select Gemini from the list of apps that appear. Google has stopped collecting data or "training" Gemini from Google Workspace for Education accounts. When you access Google's AI bot, Gemini, from your asagr.org or dogrschools.org account, your data will not be collected or shared, making it much more secure. 

Gemini:  Now Shows Related Links in Responses

When you search Google's AI bot, Gemini, it will now display links related to its responses. This will allow for faster fact checking and source citing. 

Gemini:  Personalize Gemini with Gems

Gems is a new tool for Google Gemini that will allow you to customize Gemini for your projects, brainstorms, guides, learning coach, writing editor, etc. You can use one of the premade Gems (Brainstormer, Career Guide, Coding Partner, Learning Coach, and Writing Editor, or you can create your own Gem for anything you'd like help with. Learn how to get started with Gems here. 

Google Meet:  Set Automatic Meeting Notes, Recordings and Transcripts from the Calendar Invite

If you're worried you might forget to create meeting notes, record a meeting or turn on automatic meeting transcripts, you can now set it and forget it when you create the Calendar invitation. Once the Meet begins, it will automatically record your meeting, create a transcript of the meeting and create meeting notes. If you have meetings that were created prior to this enhancement, you can go back and turn these features on for them by opening edit view for the appointment, clicking on the gear that appears next to the Join with Google Meet button, and selectimng the Meeting Records option. Learn more about using these features here. 

Google Sheets:  Introducing Conditional Notifications

Receiving notifications when a spreadsheet it edited is very helpful, but what if you only need to be notified when certain fields are edited? Even better, what if you need someone else to be notified when specific changes are made? Now you'll be able to refine sheets notifications in both ways. You can set rules to notify you or others when a range of cells changes value, and when a range of cells match a certain condition. For example, if Amanda only needs to see new attendance entries for the Lower Campus, and Angela only needs to be notified for new attendance entries for the Upper Campus, each of them could set those criteria and no longer receive notifications for every attendance entry. To set conditional notifications, open your spreadsheet, go to Tools > Conditional notifications > Add rule. You can also right-click directly on a spreadsheet and select Conditional notifications. Here are instructions for using Conditional Notifications in Sheets. This update should be available by mid-October.

Google Sheets:  View Form Data as a Table

When a user creates a new sheet with Forms responses, Sheets will automatically open the responses as a table. A table in Sheets displays your data in a formatted and structured way. You can easily change a column type, sort, filter, and group information. You can even have more than one table in a sheet so you can highlight different information. Viewing data in a table does not alter the data in the sheet itself, it just customizes the view for you. Other viewers can customize their own tables without altering the way you see the data in the sheet or in your table. If you prefer to see the data in the sheet instead of in a table, you can tap the down arrow next to the table name, and select Revert to Unformatted Data. If you have an older form with a response sheet that doesn't open in a table, you can create a table for it by selecting Format > Convert to Table. Learn more about using tables in Google Sheets here. 


What Caused the Great CrowdStrike-Windows Meltdown of 2024? History Has the Answer

A cautionary tale of when updates go bad.

Are You Ready for the End of Windows 10?

Are you aware that Windows will stop supporting Windows 10 on October 14, 2025? While that doesn't mean your Windows 10 computer will stop working, it does mean it will stop getting security and feature updates. This means you should not use your Windows 10 computer in any way that is connected to the internet (or on the ASA network) after 10/14/25 because it will be vulnerable to attack. So in the next year, your options are to upgrade your computer to Windows 11 (Windows has most likely been nagging you to do this in the past two years), or replace your computer if it cannot be updated to Windows 11. That being said, if you have a newer computer that Windows indicates cannot be upgraded, you can try one of these five options before support ends next year. 

Proof Points:  AI Essay Grading is Already as 'Good as an Overburdened' Teacher, But Reasearchers Say it Needs More Work

Dread assigning more essays because of the time it takes to grade them? Find out the pros and cons of using AI.

Windows 11 Shows Start Menu Ads Now: Here’s How to Turn Them Off

Are you annoyed by the new ads showing in the Start menu? Here's how to turn them off. 

How to Debloat Windows 11 for Optimal Performance

How to Debloat Windows 11 for Optimal Performance, from How-To Geek by Brad Morton
Get rid of software preloaded on your laptop that you don't use, and choose which programs you really need to automatically start. Both of these things can slow down your PC. 

5 Tips for Spotting AI-Generated Deep Fakes - Don't Get Fooled

It was already difficult to tell fake photos and videos from the real thing before AI became widely available. Now it's even harder.

How to Make Custom Songs for Your Class in a Minute With Suno

How to Make Custom Songs for Your Class in a Minute With Suno, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller
My 30-something kids still 50 Nifty United States from 4th grade songfest. As a result they can rattle off all 50 states. Now you can make a catchy tune to help your students remember anything in under a minute - without any musical skills. 
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Monday, June 3, 2024

Tech Tips and News for June 5, 2024

 
Your response when someone comments on
getting summers off.  From We Are Teachers.
After receiving notifications from three separate companies in the last two weeks informing me that my personal data, including social security number, has been leaked due to data breaches, I spent my weekend securing all my online accounts. Fortunately I don't typically reuse my passwords accross all my accounts, so I didn't need to change passwords with every online account. I did, however, take the precaution of freezing my credit (it's free to do!) with all three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion), and changing the password for any online account that has a credit card or bank account associated with it. Fortunately this step was made easier because I use Bitwarden, a password manager. All I needed to do was have Bitwarden generate a new secure password, then as I changed the password for each account, I clicked Bitwarden's prompt to update the password in the vault. I didn't need to think of a new password, nor do I need to remember all these new passwords. The password manager does all the heavy lifting, and it's much more secure. Fortunately I already have 2-step verification turned on for my online accounts, so I was able to skip that step as well. I encourage you to bookmark the data breach articles below for when (not if) your data is leaked as well. It's far better to take these steps proactively, than to react to the financial and data loss that comes with identity theft or ransomware. I can sleep better knowing that the steps I took this weekend will prevent anyone from opening new accounts under my identity, or accessing my bank accounts and credit cards. I will continue to monitor all my financial accounts for any suspicious activity, and am fully prepared for a new onslaught of phishing scams. (Note:  No, this is not an endorsement for Bitwarden, it just happens to be the password manager I use. Most password managers work in a similar way - if you are using a different one (yay!) it will work just as well. If you are not, find one that works for you. I receive no commision or reward if you decide to use Bitwarden.)

Security


Tips and Tutorials


Here’s What You Should Do After a Data Breach

Here’s What You Should Do After a Data Breach, from Experian Blog by Jim Akin
Here are instructions for what you need to do after you've been notified your personal info has been leaked due to a data breach. Advice directly from one of the three credit bureaus. It's always better to be proactive, than to be reacting to identity theft or hack. 

Over 500 Million Hit in Massive Ticketmaster Data Breach — What to Do Now

Find out what data was stolen and how it can affect you. 

NSA Issues Warning to iPhone and Android Users — Do This to Stop Hackers

Pick a day during the week and designate it as your restart day for all your devices, including your phone. 

Facebook "Friends" Offering Investments Is a Trending Scam, Here's What to Look Out For

With friends like these, who needs enemies? Be on the lookout for this latest scam on Facebook. Better yet, never click on any link or attachment in Facebook Messenger. Not ever.

Google Online Safety and Digital Well-Being Lesson Collection

Since June is Internet Safety Month, Google is offering a collection of online lessons for you to use with students. You can find the collection of seven lessons here. Lessons include: Build Healthy Digital Habits, Avoid Online Scams, Evaluate Credibility of Online Sources, Create and Safeguard Passwords, Identify Cyberbullying, Understand Your Digital Footprint, and more. Although it may be too late for this school year, these may be helpful resources for teaching digital citizenship next year. 

Free lessons to Support Students' Digital Well Being

We're all well aware that social media plays a huge role in the increased level of anxiety afflicting our students. Common Sense media has a set of lessons to help teach students to form healthy relationships with technology. When you're ready to start planning for next school year (after you've rested up from this one) here's another resource for your digital citizenship lessons. Common Sense media has free lessons to use with your K-8 students to also teach them to create healthy habits with technology, including the following:
  • Learning when (and how) to pause and put down our devices while interacting with people.
  • Tuning in to what, when, and how much we're using media and tech, and reflecting on how this makes us feel.
  • Questioning the design tricks that media and tech companies use to keep us hooked on our screens.
  • And understanding the impacts that our media choices have on ourselves, our communities, and the world.
There are actually lessons for grades K-12, so if you may want to use these ideas with your own kids. 

AI in The Classroom: 10 Essential Ideas Every Educator Needs to Understand

This article outlines why it is important to start teachig students about AI now, and how it will impact their lives as they grow. It also helps us understand the pros and cons, how it can impact learning differences, and how to develop critical thinking in students. 

Elevate Critical Thinking with AI Debates in the Classroom

Elevate Critical Thinking with AI Debates in the Classroom, From Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts
The classroom teacher sets up the AI prompt with age-appropriate parameters (there's a script to follow), and your class can take turns debating the AI bot on any topic. 

24 Clever Memes You Can Use to Respond to “You Get Summers Off?”

Feel free to use these as clever responses, or just for your own humor. 
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