Tuesday Tech Tips 3-11-25

       

In today's edition, read all about: How to use AI to make a podcast of your lesson for students to study Information for Chromebook users about getting a large monitor, keyboard, and mouse Streaming video resources (other than YouTube) for GCSD staff Digital wellness suggestions on screen time tracking and setting limits for particular apps and more! ➡️ ➡️➡️

💡 Quick Tip 💡 Create Hyperlinks Faster! Update your workflow without having to copy/paste URLs to make hyperlinks!  Click   in the address bar to grab the URL → Drag it to where you want it (Doc, Slides, etc.)→ Many site will suggest a cleaned up version for you!

Do you have a tip or idea for the Tuesday Tech Tips? Or a request for a topic or question you'd like to know more about? Please let us know! You can email us at joseph.lombardo@greececsd.org with your submission.
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What if you could have a podcast of any of your lessons created in minutes? Using NotebookLM, a Google AI tool that can be trained, you can add notes from your class to a Notebook, and then ask it to create a podcast. Those notes can be files from your Google Drive or Desktop, websites, videos, or audio files. After that, you just click on Generate and it will create a podcast that will include your notes. It is actually pretty slick. Then you can download that podcast and add it to your Google Classroom for students to listen to. Even if just a few students use it, those are students you may have helped with only about five minutes of your effort. For an example that a GCSD teacher made for Global History, click HERE. Why not listen to it on your drive home from work today and learn a little about the Classical Period? Click HERE to see how to do it.

Have you found the benefits from using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to enhance your teaching and work related tasks? Want to guide your students to learn the benefits of using AI? Join the MagicStudent Pilot for grade 3-12 teachers! Learn about the pilot HERE and contact your ITT to get started today!

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Get a bigger screen for your Chromebook!

If you need a larger screen, keyboard, and mouse for your district device, you can request a Teacher Monitor Station. The monitor station will also charge your Chromebook. Please note that when the monitor station is installed, it will replace your current desktop. Staff members who received the email about new devices for next year should consider requesting a monitor station soon. Teacher Monitor Stations are not automatically set up with new devices, and when the desktop in your classroom is removed, there will be nothing in its place unless you request a monitor station. To request a monitor station, create a Web Help Desk ticket. You can find this in the Technology Support folder in ClassLink. After you sign in, select Staff Device Request and fill in the required fields. Be sure to check the box for Teacher Monitor Station.

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This month’s Digital Wellness Tip is…

Enable screen time tracking and set limits for particular apps: Setting screen time limits for social media apps can reduce feelings of depression and loneliness (Hunt et al., 2018). A 2018 study found that limiting social media use to approximately 30 minutes per day may lead to significant improvement in well-being.

Not sure how to change your settings?

• iPhone Screen time tracking: Settings → Screen time → Turn On Screen Time (if disabled)
• iPhone App limits: Settings → Screen time → App Limits → (Choose category or app) → Next (Choose time limits)
• Android Screen time tracking: Settings → Digital wellbeing & parental controls → Manage your data → Enable “Daily device usage”
• Android App limits: Settings → Digital wellbeing & parental controls → Dashboard → (Choose app) → Tap hourglass

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The BOCES 2 SLS is excited to share information regarding Streaming Video options for the classroom.

They have curated a resource guide highlighting various streaming options available in our region. To access the Streaming Video Resource Guide, click HERE.

 There are six tools showcased there.

• Learn 360: Available to add in ClassLink for all staff by school
• ClickView: Available to add in ClassLink for all staff
• Swank: Available in ClassLink for all staff
• Brain Pop: Varies by school. Generally an elementary resource, and it's in ClassLink.
• PBS Learning Media: Available to add in ClassLink for all staff
• Panopto: Available in ClassLink for all staff. However, we don't promote this tool, and it's really an outlier on this list from BOCES. It's not so much a streaming video resource as a video creation resource, and we recommend other tools for that.

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For assistance with these topics, or anything else related to instructional technology, please click HERE to book an appointment with your building's ITT.

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1-14-2025 Tuesday Tech Tips

     

In today's edition, read our first installment of our digital wellness Tips, learn how to get the new 2025 GCSD mileage form, how to provide others with a direct link to make a copy of a Drive file, news on our AI tool MagicSchool, how to schedule technology integration PL, and more! ➡️ ➡️➡️

💡 Quick Tip 💡 To duplicate a tab in Chrome, just right-click on it, and choose "Duplicate."  Just like that, you've got a duplicated tab.

Do you have a tip or idea for the Tuesday Tech Tips? Or a request for a topic or question you'd like to know more about? Please let us know! You can email us at joseph.lombardo@greececsd.org with your submission.

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What is Digital Wellness? Digital wellness, also referred to as digital wellbeing or digital health, can be defined as the pursuit of a positive, intentional, and healthy relationship with technology, both in school or the workplace, and in personal life. We will periodically share Digital Wellness Tips to encourage and promote a positive, intentional, and healthy relationship with technology for all!

This month’s Digital Wellness Tip is…

Take Control of Your Notifications: Our smartphones are designed to capture and keep our attention. Taking control of your notifications will bring more calm and peace to your life! One way to do this is to turn off all non-human notifications. Do you really need to know from Facebook when someone has liked your photo? 

By intentionally choosing what and how you are notified on your phone you can:

• limit distractions

• decrease constant interruptions

• reclaim control over when and how you receive information

• increase your focus on your priorities

• engage with your smartphone and apps with intention and purpose

Check out this video for more info (watch up to 2:50 or more for bonus info!) and see how to adjust your notifications on Apple phones and on Android phones! The video is from a #WinAtSocial lesson. Want more information or PL opportunities about Digital Wellness…Contact Lynn Girolamo: lynn.girolamo@greececsd.org Let us know how this worked out for you!

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Willie says, "don't forget to use the 2025 mileage form, pardner."

Are you a staff member that travels between buildings and fills out a Mileage reimbursement form? Don't forget that with a new calendar year comes a new form, updated with the new IRS mileage rates. Click HERE to get the new form. The link will prompt you to make your own copy of the template.

Happy Trails!

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Did you see in that tip above how there was a link that forced you to make a copy of a Google Sheet? If you didn't, you can try it HERE. You don't even really have to do it, you can just click the link but not proceed from there. But you'll see that it only gives you the option to make a copy of the Sheet.

There's a neat URL hack that you can use so that you can share a link to a Google Drive file (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) that prompts the user to make a copy of the file. We found instructions from the nice people at the University of Utah that explains how to do it HERE. ___________________________

Have you found the benefits from using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to enhance your teaching and work related tasks? Want to guide your students to learn the benefits of using AI? Join the MagicStudent Pilot for grade 3-12 teachers! Learn about the pilot HERE and contact your ITT to get started today!


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Are you looking for high-quality professional learning related to Instructional Technology? Contact your ITT if you’d like to customize PL for your building, team, or department. Also, be sure to check out the ITT page for Recommended Professional Learning opportunities HERE, where you’ll find webinars, certifications, and especially some new AI learning material…all for PL credit!

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For assistance with these topics, or anything else related to instructional technology, please click HERE to book an appointment with your building's ITT.

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