Thursday, January 7, 2021

ASA Tech Tips and News for January 8, 2021

Of course, with any new opportunity, such as the COVID-19 vaccine, comes a new batch of scams. Continue to be vigilant of phone calls, emails and texts. Most legitimate entities will not contact you this way. Something else to be concerned with is the end of Adobe Flash. If you have a Windows laptop/PC you most likely have it installed, and should uninstall it right away. Flash has never been a truly safe solution, and will only become more dangerous to have on your device. It will no longer be supported, receive security updates, and websites using Flash will no longer be accessible. Uninstall instructions appear below. The end of Flash will also start to cause some educational websites to no longer work if they rely on Flash. It's time to move on and find replacements for them, if you haven't already done so. It may be a little painful, but it's long overdue. In this week of even more turmoil than usual in "the new normal" I send much love your way. If we've learned nothing else in the last year, it's that we are resilient and can accomplish great things when we work together with love and kindness. 



Adobe Flash is Dead: Here's What That Means

Adobe Flash is Dead: Here's What That Means, from How-To Geek by Tim Brookes
Beginning January 12, you may start to see educational websites you've used for years no longer work. This means they were running on Flash, and although the developers had years to convert them to newer programs, they never did. Hopefully you'll be able to find another resource to replace those tools. In addition to this possible inconvenience, if you have Flash installed on your Windows laptop, you should uninstall it for security reasons. This is a quick task, so please make it a priority. To do this in Windows 8 or 10, 
  1. Search for Control Panel and open it. 
  2. In control Panel, look in the upper right corner for View by:. Make sure it is set to either large icons or small icons. 
  3. Then look through the options for Programs and Features. 
  4. Look for Adobe Flash in any variation, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Flash Player Plugin, etc. Click on them one by one and select Uninstall. 
  5. Click Yes in the window asking you to confirm the uninstall. 
  6. Click Yes in the window asking if you want to allow Adobe to make changes to your computer. If nothing is happening and you don't see this message, look at the bottom, in your taskbar, to see if there is an icon flashing. Click on it to see the message. 
  7. When it is finished uninstalling, repeat these steps to uninstall the next appearance of Flash. Once they are all removed, close Control Panel. 

The Dos and Don'ts of Cleaning School-Issued Devices

With the definite need to keep devices clean and sanitized, it's important to understand the best way to do it so they don't get damaged. Liquids and electricity are not a good mix!

Two Easy Ways to See if a Website is Down or if it's Just You



A New Habit for a New Year: Schedule Your Gmails

A New Habit for a New Year: Schedule Your Gmails, from A Lever and a Place to Stand by Amy Roediger
This is also a good security habit. Emails sent during business hours are less likely to be marked as spam. 

Draw on Your Screen in Google Meet

Draw on Your Screen in Google Meet, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Type or draw on your screen to call attention to important details, or add info. There's also an instruction video in this post. 

How to Create Flexible Hybrid Classrooms with Audiovisual Tools

Teachers are SO flexible and committed to teaching their students! Although we have remained open and in person this school year, anytime teachers have a student quarantining, they must instantly pivot to a hybrid learning situation. Here are some ideas for you to consider. 

Five Easy Ways to Improve Your Videos

Five Easy Ways to Improve Your Videos, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Now that you are pretty well versed in recording videos, here's how to refine the process.

10 Green Screen Project Ideas for the Classroom

10 Green Screen Project Ideas for the Classroom from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller, guest post by Megan Diede and Kara Rigsby
We have a green screen at each ASA campus. If you are unfamiliar with the green screen concept, it allows you to create a custom background for any video you record. 
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Wednesday, December 30, 2020

ASA Tech Tips and News for December 31, 2020


I don't think anyone is sorry to see the year 2020 in the rearview mirror. Although for most of us nothing will change right away in 2021, there is at least the hope of an eventual improvement in the pandemic restrictions with the rollout of several vaccines. In spite of the of all the unpleasant side affects, such as online learning, closed restaurants, small holiday gatherings, and cancelled weddings, we have definitely learned we are quick learners and very adaptable. As our environment changed, we rolled with it. As the way we teach our students changed, we made adjustments. I would also like to think many teachers learned they CAN tackle technology! It doesn't have to be perfect (it very rarely is) but we can adapt! Continue learning and adapting in 2021. We've got this!


How to Delete and Recover Deleted Emails in Gmail

How to Delete and Recover Deleted Emails in Gmail, from How-To Geek by Marshall Gunnell
Clear the clutter and find those missing messages.

The Easiest Way to Find Your Google Meet Rooms

An easy solution when you have more than one Meet per day. 

Create a Random Name Picker with Google Sheets



Create a Progress Tracker with Google Forms and Sheets Pivot Tables



How to Create Crossword Puzzles with Google Sheets




25+ Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips

25+ Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips, from We Are Teachers by Kimmie Fink
Visit space, museums, aquariums, zoos, planetariums, landmarks, planets and more! No passports, buses or permission forms needed.
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Friday, December 18, 2020

ASA Tech Tips and News for December 18, 2020

Here we are, it's finally Christmas break. I hope you can find some "calm" during the next two weeks! No Google Meets, no sending materials home to quarantining students, no packing up chromebooks and cords then collecting them again, and no tracking down work completed at home...in addition to keeping your in-person students engaged and learning. Teachers are rock stars this year, give yourself a much deserved pat on the back and some rest. I wish you a merry Christmas and a healthy new year!

Your Password Isn't as Strong as You Think It is

Your Password Isn't as Strong as You Think It Is, from Free Technology for Teachers, by Richard Byrne
Important food for thought - including a video about how easy it is to crack your password. 

G Suite/Google Workspace updates

Both Portrait and Landscape Orientations Now Possible in a Google Doc

We will be able to have a single Google Doc contain pages that are portrait AND landscape. We will also be able to import Microsoft Word files that have both orientations in a single file. This feature should be available by January 5th. More info is available here. Specific How-To info can be found here.

Open Microsoft Office Attachments From Gmail in Google Docs, Sheets or Slides

It will now be easier to open, view and edit Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) files from Gmail with just one click. There will be an edit icon that will allow you to open Office files directly in Google Docs, Sheets or Slides. You'll also be able to reply to the email from within the file. You should see this new feature between now and Christmas. Read more here. 

How to Clear Chrome Browsing Data With a Keyboard Shortcut

Whenever you are having issues with web pages displaying correctly or loading properly, my first advice is usually to clear your history, cookies and cache. Here's a quick keyboard command to accomplish that!

How to Move Desktop Files and Folders Into Google Drive

How to Move Desktop Files and Folders Into Google Drive, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
If you are storing files on your laptop, but not backing them up, you will lose them at some point. You also can only access them from that laptop. Move them to Drive so they're available from any device you own or use.

How to find "Lost" Items in Google Drive

How to find "Lost" Items in Google Drive, from Free Technology for Teachers, by Richard Byrne
If folders aren't your thing, or you haven't had time to organize your files in Drive, it can be a challenge to find your files. The search tools will be your new best friend.

Ten Google Meet Features for Teachers - Fall 2020 Update




Twelve Free Apps for Math Instruction

Twelve Free Apps for Math Instruction, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
These apps are available on iOS, Android and Chrome. 
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Friday, December 11, 2020

ASA Tech Tips and News for December 11, 2020

Courtesy of Pixabay
So many new Google Meet features have been released. Google has clearly committed to making this a better tool for education. Just remember to keep using those nicknames when creating Meets, and don't set up Meets with students in Calendar. With such promising news of a COVID-19 vaccine about to be approved, hopefully this will be the last school year where we are doing so much quarantining and remote learning. The skills we've learned in the last nine months can only improve our digital skills in everything we do. 

G Suite/Workspace Updates

Google Assignments:  Improved Originality Reports to Better Detect Plaigiarism

Google Assignments is available through Canvas, and better able to detect potential plagiarism in student work by recognizing symbols. Read the details here. 

Comments:  New Interface in All Apps

The comment interface in Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides has been updated. The interface is larger and clearer, and it's easier to reference a name and reply across all devices. Here are full details. 

Google Docs:  Improvements When Importing PDFs

Now when you import PDFs as Google Docs, images and text wrapping will be preserved, as well as tet styles and formatting, support for columns, tables with borders, custom page sizes and improved ordered lists. Read all about it.

Google Meet:  Accept Knocks in Bulk

This update should arrive by the end of November. The Meeting organizer will be able see a list of all those asking to join the Meet, and admit them all at once. Full details and screenshots can be found here. 

Google Meet:  Virtually Raise Your Hand

No add-ons necessary any more to raise your hand during a Google Meet. This option appears along the bottom bar during a meeting. When a participant raises their hand, the moderator will hear a sound and see all raised hands in the order they were raised. Here are all the details. 

Google Meet:  Additional Features for Breakout Rooms

Breakout room participants can now ask for help, and the moderator will see those requests. The moderator can now also set a timer/countdown that room participants can see. At the end of the countdown, room participants are prompted to return to the main session. Read more here. 

How To Create a New Folder in Gmail

How To Create a New Folder in Gmail, from How-To Geek by Marshall Gunnell
It's so hard to keep track of those messages you need to reference later. Easiest solution? Create folders to organize them. 


How to Share Videos Through Google Drive




How to Use Virtual Backgrounds in Google Meet

How to Use Virtual Backgrounds in Google Meet, from How-To Geek by Joe Fedewa
Need to hide your background during a Google Meet? Change the background! Right now this is only working on the web, not with mobile devices. 

Ten Google Meet Features for Teachers - Fall 2020 Update




Three Ways to Conduct Polls in Google Slides

Three Ways to Conduct Polls in Google Slides, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Sometimes you just need to quickly find out how your students are feeling about a particular topic. Poll Everywhere, Slido, and the Slides Q&A function will all get the job done. 

How to Create Videos on a Chromebook - No Extensions or Apps Required



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Friday, October 30, 2020

Tech Tips and News for October 30, 2020

 


We've already reached the end of Daylight Saving time. Sadly, next week it will be dark by 5:30pm, however we do at least get an extra hour of sleep Saturday night.  Also coming to an end will be the endless stream of political ads. We may not know who the President will be for the next four years by next week, but at least the ads, robo calls and texts will be done. So will the voting reminders - I'm sure you've had enough of those, so I won't remind you again here. There are some timely videos, explaining both Daylight Saving time and the Electoral College, included in this post. There is also the usual collection of G Suite updates - including the long awaited ability to change your background in Google Meet. Soon, the holidays will be upon us, and with the holidays come an increase in scams. Be sure to check out the latest phishing scam making the rounds looking like communication from Amazon. Stay safe and healthy this Halloween weekend and keep wearing those masks!


PSA:  Watch Out for this New Amazon Email Phishing Scam

If only scammers would use their talents for good! They are getting very good at creating more realistic phishing emails that can occasionally make it past Google's spam filters. The latest makes it look like Amazon is having trouble authorizing a purchase and asks you to enter your billing info. Here's a good rule of thumb for all email messages:  Never click on links in the email. Always go directly to the website and check orders, bank info, shipping tracking, etc. on the business's legitimate website. Always mark suspicious emails as Spam in Google. 

G Suite/Google Workspace Updates

Grant Access to Files Directly From Gmail

Forgot to share that file before sending the link to someone? Now when you get an email requesting access to a file, you won't need to leave Gmail to grant access. You'll be able to choose the level of access (edit, view, comment) right in the message and share it. Here is the blog post with the details and demonstration. You should see this feature by November 5th.

Google Meet:  Replace Your Background

This update should be rolling out in mid November. You can use Google's images, which include office space, landscapes and abstract backgrounds, or you can upload your own image. You will see this setting in the three dots at the bottom right, then select Change Background. Here are all the details with screenshots. 

Google Drive:  Office Files Now Open in Editing Mode

It used to be when you opened a Microsoft Office file in Drive it would open as a preview. Now it will open in editing mode. This means you'll be able to open it and immediately start making changes to it. If you aren't already seeing this behavior, you'll see it in the next two weeks. Read about it here. 

Time to Fall Back - Short Lessons About Daylight Saving Time and Time Zones

Time to Fall Back - Short Lessons About Daylight Saving Time and Time Zones, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
There are about six different videos in this post about Daylight Saving Time and synchronizing time across the globe. 

Five Last Minute Resources for Teaching About the Electoral College

Five Last Minute Resources for Teaching About the Electoral College, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
There are five different videos explaining the Electoral College, either for you and/or your students. 

Best Digital Ice-Breakers

Best Digital Ice-Breakers, by Tech & Learning
Need an ice-breaker for those virtual meetings, or remote class sessions? 

Top 10 Free Sites for Creating Digital Art

These range from simple enough for preschoolers, to sophisticated enough for high schoolers. 

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Friday, October 23, 2020

ASA Tech Tips and News for October 23, 2020

For all the craziness the year 2020 has brought, the weather has certainly been the best part. Summer was warm and sunny with just enough rain. Now Autumn has become a technicolor delight. I don't remember seeing such vibrant colors in many years. I hope you take the time to drive around and enjoy God's beautiful palette. Speaking of changes, there aren't quite as many G Suite/Google Workspace updates this time. The most notable ones will be the ability to check permissions when you share Google Slides, and being able to check for plagiarism and originality in Google Docs from Canvas Assignments. As  the Presidential election looms ever closer, you may want to share with your students how to think like a fact-checker. Finally for comedy relief, see what would happen if the Presidential debates were run with classroom rules. I'm sure they'd be much more successful!

Why iPhone Apps Ask for "Devices on Your Local Network"

This update came with iOS 14. Find out what it means and how you should answer it. 

How to Change Your Home Page in Google Chrome

How to Change Your Home Page in Google Chrome, from How-To Geek by Benj Edwards
Instead of the Google home page, maybe you'd prefer it open Infinite Campus or Canvas? Find out how to customize it for the way you work. 

G Suite Updates:

Google Slides:  Access Checker in Slides Now Checks Permissions When You Share

If you insert a video or audio file in your Slide, Google will automatically check if the users you shared it with have access to it. This update should arrive by mid-November. Here are the details. 

Google Docs:  Mention a User Directly Within a Google Doc

Now you can mention another user within a Google Doc, like you can in comments by using the @ and starting to type their name. Mentioning them in a doc will not send them a message, though. You also will get a notice if you add someone who doesn't have access to the doc. It will allow any readers of the doc to hover over the user's link and get more info about them. Read more here. This feature should be available by the end of October. 

Smart Fill Helps Automate Entry in Google Sheets

When entering data in Google Sheets, Smart Fill will detect patterns and suggest a formula to fill the entire column of data. You should see this update roll out by November 5th. See a demonstration here. 

New Default Video Playback Option in Google Slides

Now when you are presenting in Google Slides a video in the slide will start playing when you click to advance the slide. You can change this option if you wish, by setting it to play automatically when you advance to the slide, or manually when you click on the video itself. Read all about it.

Check for Plagiarism with Google Originality Reports in Canvas Assignments

Concerned that students have copied from each other or plagiarized in their work? Originality Reports works with Assignments in Canvas.


The Easiest Way to Use Jamboard in Google Meet

Bring your interactive whiteboard to the Meet. 


Two Helpful but Overlooked Features of Google Meet

Tutorial for blurring your background, now that we have this feature, and disabling chat and screen share for your students. 



Edu in 90:  Explore in Google Slides




How to Create Your Own Online Boardgame

How to Create Your Own Online Boardgame, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne
Flippity to the rescue again. Using Google Sheets and a Flippity template you can create a customizable online board.

How to Think Like a Fact-Checker

We should never take as fact anything we see online, and especially not on social media. We also need to teach our students to do the same. 

New Presidential Debate Procedures

In case you missed this video from "erducator" Gerry Brooks...when classroom rules meet the Presidential Debate.


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Friday, October 9, 2020

Tech Tips and News for October 2, 2020


Now that I'm starting to feel like the beginning of the school year is sort of under control, or as "under control" as 2020 can be, it's time to catch up on the tech blog. Most of the articles this week are G Suite updates from the past couple of months, as I'm catching up on new features that were introduced. While we were busy getting a very different school year started, Google was busy rolling out lots of new features. You'll notice many of them are for Google Meet. With so many schools still learning virtually, there's a big demand for full features and student security. We have recently switched to G Suite Enterprise, so we will have FULL Meet features, such as recording Meets and Break Out Rooms. I would suggest Teachers practice with Google Meet, and familiarize yourself with the new features as a Meet host. Just like last March, we may have very little, if any, warning before we might need to transition to remote learning school-wide. It's good to be prepared. I'll roll out a new instructional video very soon with the new features!


8 Ways to Make Your Mac Boot Faster

8 Ways to Make Your Mac Boot Faster, from How-To Geek by Tim Brookes
Is your Mac slowing down and taking longer to start up? Find out how to speed it up.

G Suite Updates

Google Contacts:  New Trash Feature

Trash has been added to Google Contacts. What does that mean? Now when you delete a contact, it will go into trash, where it will sit for 30 days before it is deleted. This gives you a month to rescue accidentally deleted contacts. This update arrived in early August.

Google Docs:  Easily Add and Manage Citations

You will no longer need an add-on or extension to insert citations into academic papers. By using the Citations feature (in the Tools menu), you can insert in-text citations and create a bibliography in the MLA, APA, or Chicago styles. If you are not already seeing this, it should appear by mid-October. 

Google Drive:  Trash Items Will Automatically Delete After 30 Days

Beginning October 13th, any files in the Trash folder will automatically be deleted after 30 days. Previously, it stayed there until the user emptied the trash. Clearly, we're not doing a good enough job of taking out the trash, so Google will do it for us. 

Google Meet:  New Digital Whiteboard Integration

Meet now integrates with Jamboard to offer a digital whiteboard to collaborate with other Meet participants. Those using Meet on a computer or chromebook will easily be able to collaborate. Attendees using a mobile device will be prompted to use the Jamboard app. Full instructions for using a whiteboard in Google Meet can be found here. 

Google Meet:  Increase Engagement with Q&A and Polls

These features will roll out after October 8. Q&A will allow attendees to ask questions and get answers without disrupting the flow of the Meet by separating them out from the chat. Questions can be upvoted by attendees, so the most common questions will stand out. Polls allow you to quickly get real-time feedback from the attendees. Full details, including links to help screens can be found here. 
The feature was expected to become available last week, but it has been delayed due to performance issues. When it does rollout, meeting organizers will receive an attendance report via email once the Meet is over. The attendance report will be available for Meets with between 5 and 250 participants. The report will include the participant's name, email, the length of time they attended, as well as join and exit times. 

Google Meet:  See Up To 49 People

You can now remove your Google Meet GridView extension in Chrome! During September Google Meet added the feature to see up to 49 people, including yourself, at once with both the Auto and Tiled layout options. How do you turn it on? During a Meet, click on the 3 dots in the bottom right, select Change Layout, and choose either Auto or Tiled. At the bottom of the Change Layout window, you'll see a slider bar for the number of tiles you wish to see at once. To add yourself to the tile view, hover over your thumbnail in the upper right corner of the Meet window, and you'll see a grid option to add or remove yourself from the grid. Here are the complete details. Note:  I have removed the Google Meet Grid View extension from student accounts, please show them how to use the tile and auto views. I'll create a new Meet video tutorial for students too.

Google Meet:  Blur Your Background

This feature was supposed to become available in September, although I'm not seeing it yet. Didn't have time to tidy up before your meeting? No Problem! Just blur your background. The feature is off by default, so you'll need to turn it on to use it. You'll access it through the three dots in the bottom right. You can read all about it here. Hopefully we'll be seeing it soon. 

Google Meet:  Quick Access to Manage Who Can Access Meetings

Meeting hosts now have more control over who can access meetings. Meets are now limited to within the ASA or DOGR domains, or anyone with a Google account. In addition to that by using Quick Access. This feature is on by default, and will allow participants in the same domain (asagr.org or dogrschools.org) to enter the meeting with out "knocking" or requesting access to the Meet. Any participants outside the domain will need to be allowed to enter the Meet. Any participants without a Google account will be prompted to login to a Google account. Google accounts include any Gmail or G Suite account. Access full instructions here.

Google Meet:  Manage Who Can Share Their Screen

Meet hosts and creators can now control who in the Meet can present their screen by turning the "share their screen" feature on or off. When it is off, only the host can share their screen. When it is on, anyone can share their screen. This feature is on by default. This feature can easily be found by clicking on the blue shield with the lock next to Meeting Details at the bottom of the screen. Screenshots, instructions and details can be found here. 

Google Meet:  Block Participants from Knocking Again

Knocking is when someone sends a request to join a Meet. If the Meet organizer denies a request twice, they will be prevented from sending more requests. In addition, if the organizer ejects a participant, they will not be able to rejoin, or ask to rejoin. If the teacher accidentally ejects a participant, he or she can add them back by using the Add Person button in the People panel. Here are all the details and instructions. 

Google Meet:  Cast Google Meet to Your TV

With a Chromecast device, you can easily cast your Google Meet to your TV. Just make sure both the Chrome browser and the Chromecast device are up to date. Find out more here. 

G Suite now Google Workspace

Just when you got used to calling it G Suite instead of Google Apps, sometime in October, G Suite will become Google Workspace. Hey, it's 2020, we can roll with any changes now, can't we?

How to Make Text Bigger or Smaller in Google Chrome

How to Make Text Bigger or Smaller in Google Chrome, from How-To Geek by Benj Edwards
Have you ever encountered websites with too small text? Chrome has a wonderful zoom option to allow you to make it bigger, and easier to read.

What is a Bitmoji Classroom and How Can I Build One?

Image Credit: Pinterest
Image Credit:  Pinterest


What is a Bitmoji Classroom and How Can I Build One?, from Tech & Learning by Luke Edwards
Mary Klaasen and Nicole Stoner have used these with students. They are a very engaging and interactive way to organize lessons for your students. 


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