Security
Updates
News
Tips & Tutorials
- Learn How to Use Chromebook Accessibility Tools in 45 Minutes
- Looking for Additional Digital Citizenship Lessons?
- How to Add Your Canva Designs as Google Slides Backgrounds (video)
- Easily Send Mail Merge Using Gmail (video)
- NotebookLM Tutorial: 6 Use Cases You Haven't Thought Of (video)
- How to Create Multimedia Flashcards With Google Sheets (video)
- Jam Slides - Google Slides Replacement Template for Jamboard
- AI Chatbots 101: How They Work and What They Can Do for You
- Don’t Have Hours to Read Terms of Service? Here’s How to Cut Down the Time
- Is Your Facebook profile in Need of a Cleanup? Try These 9 Tips
- Make Maps With AI
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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
12 Tips to Identify a Fake Virus or Security Alert, from How-To Geek by San Abdul
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
I Made These 5 Changes to Windows Security for Optimal Safety, from How-to Geek by Aman Kumar
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.
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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.
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 101: How They Work and What They Can Do for You, from How-To Geek by Arol Wright
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
Don’t Have Hours to Read Terms of Service? Here’s How to Cut Down the Time, from How-To Geek by Demilade Adejola
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
Is Your Facebook profile in Need of a Cleanup? Try These 9 Tips, from How-To Geek by Shan Abdul
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.
