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Some Thoughts on Profile Pictures
This is a reminder that your GCSD Google Account profile picture is visible not only within GCSD, but also to anyone you contact outside of the district that also has a Google account. For example, if you email a student's parent to their Gmail accounts, they will see your profile picture. If you've never changed it, it is simply the first letter of your first name. 
- On your computer, open Gmail.
- In the top right, click your profile picture.
- Tap Manage your Google Account.
- On your Google Account page, click "Personal info."
- Under "Profile," click your current profile picture.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to choose or take a photo.
- Click Set Profile Photo.
While there are no official guidelines from the District regarding profile pictures, please make sure that it represents the district appropriately. A school picture of you is good. A picture of a flower is nice. A picture of Homer Simpson chugging a Duff Beer...not so much. This is no more than a friendly reminder, we're not the Profile Picture Police.
However, there is some policing when it comes to students' profile pictures. Again, there are no specific rules. It's tough to define an inappropriate profile picture, but you know one when you see it.
If you become aware of any student who is using a profile picture that promotes violence, drugs, adult content, or anything else that violates the Student Code of Conduct, please let your ITT know, and we can correct that.
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Have Your Students Suddenly Become Much More Proficient Writers?
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More News on ChatGPT!
We mentioned the artificial intelligence-based ChatGPT in the 1-3-23 edition of Tech Alerts here, and since then we are all getting to know more about what it is, its possible impact on education, and its possible impact on our world!
At the 1-18-23 session of our District Digital Innovation Team (DDIT), building and district members spent some exploration time and even faced-off in a debate about the role of AI and ChatGPT in education. This Wakelet of resources was shared, and we’re sharing it with you.
Resources will continue to be added to this Wakelet as more and more information and perspectives are collected about AI and ChatGPT. ChatGPT is available for staff within the district, but is blocked for students. Of course, that doesn't mean they can't get to it on their own. We can't stress enough the importance of becoming familiar with this technology.
Seriously, this is big.
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GCSD Students' Access to non-GCSD Google Resources
Please be aware that all K-10th grade students are not able to access Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drawings, Forms, Sites, etc. owned by someone outside our district, such as staff from other Google districts or online shops like Teachers Pay Teachers.
This restriction is required to protect our students from communications or data sharing with non-district persons. The rules are somewhat less stringent for Juniors and Seniors, as part of their work becoming college- and career-ready. For all other students, the only "work around" is making a copy of the outside resource in your GCSD Google Drive (if the owner allows), as well as copying any other non-GCSD Google Docs linked within that resource AND fixing any embedded links within the resource that point to non-GCSD resources. It can be a lot of work!
Please keep this in mind before committing to using Google resources owned by someone outside the district.
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For assistance with these topics, or anything else related to instructional technology, please check in with your friendly neighborhood ITT.
