Tech Tips and News for February 23, 2024

Image created by ImageFX with the prompt:  "digital image
of student typing on a laptop with the screen displaying
a padlock and the word protected"

Student privacy is not only important for the sake of keeping students physically safe in the present day, it's also imperative to make sure their personal data isn't available to be used for identity theft. I can only imagine how devastating it is for a young adult to try to establish credit for the first time, only to discover they already have a bad credit history to dig their way out of. Unfortunately, there are too many instances of this happening already. Please keep that in mind when you are trying to use new online resources in the classroom. Online privacy is too often an afterthought for some tech companies. Not only is it our moral responsibility to protect our students both physically and digitally, we are required by law to do so. FERPA, CIPA and COPPA laws all currently outline how schools must not only protect the online content students are exposed to, but also their personal privacy. If you haven't already reviewed your legal obligations on the ASA Employee Tech Guide, please take a few moments to do so. This guide will also give you suggestions for determining if an online resource is safe for your students. These days, keeping children safe is so much more complex than making sure they don't fall and skin their knees.

• Protecting Our Kids' Data Privacy is Paramount
• Google Workspace Updates
• Google:  Updated Sign-in Interface
• Docs, Sheets, Slides:  Sort, Filter & Manage Comments Faster
• Why Artificial Intelligence Won't Replace Teachers
• An Overview of Google Gemini - Video
• Say Hello to FigJam:  Your Jamboard Alternative with Endless Possibilities

Protecting Our Kids' Data Privacy is Paramount

Protecting Our Kids' Data Privacy is Paramount, from the National Cybersecurity Alliance

In 2022, some 1.7 million children had their personal information exposed or compromised. As educators, it's our job to not only protect our students' personal data, but to also teach them how to protect their personal data. 

Google Workspace Updates

Google:  Updated Sign-in Interface

The appearance of the Google Sign In screen will be updated around March 4th. It looks like Google is in the process of changing the appearance of all their other products as well based on the "New Look coming soon" banners I keep seeing. It is just a visual change, there should be no change in functionality. 

Docs, Sheets, Slides:  Sort, Filter & Manage Comments Faster

In addition to the ways you are used to responding to comments, you can also now see all comments by opening the View menu and selecting Comments. Your options will be:

• Show all comments - Comments open in a full-length view to see multiple comments more easily. You'll be able to search comments. There will also be a "for you" list containing all comments assigned to you.
• Expand Comments (Docs & Slides) - Shows comments next to the document or presentation content so you can review comments and content together.
• Minimize Comments (Docs & Sheets) - Reduces comments to icons to make more room for your work. When you hover over the comment icons, you'll see a preview of the comment.
• Hide Comments - Hides the comments from your view.

If you are unsure of how to use comments in Docs, Sheets and Slides, click here for help center articles. You should already be seeing this new feature. 

Why Artificial Intelligence Won't Replace Teachers

Why Artificial Intelligence Won't Replace Teachers, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller

Read why you job is secure - although I think anyone who would suggest that AI could replace a human teacher has never spent any time in a school building. 😏

An Overview of Google Gemini

Learn how to verify the results of a Gemini search, refine your search, export it to Google Docs, and generate/find specific images. 

Say Hello to FigJam:  Your Jamboard Alternative with Endless Possibilities

Say Hello to FigJam:  Your Jamboard Alternative with Endless Possibilities, from Shake Up learning by Kasey Bell

If you used Jamboard with your students, learn how you can replace it with FigJam.