Tuesday Tech Tips 3-25-25

     

💡 Quick Tip 💡 This is a quick tip for everyone, and especially all new GCSD employees. But really, everyone. It's crucial that you have a signature in your emails. When sending an email to anyone, especially someone in the district, it's helpful for the recipient to know who you are, what your role is, your location, and possibly an extension to reach you by phone. Directions on how to create a signature in Gmail can be found HERE. While not included in those linked directions, we also recommend checking this box when setting up your email signature:

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. ___________________________

Change Your Drive File...But Keep the Link!

Did you know that you can update versions of non-Google files in Drive, such as PDF's and image files, without deleting the old file and adding a new one?  This is a great function to use when you want to update the version of a shared PDF without resharing the new one, and ending up with dead links to the old one.  It's a very quick process, which is shown in the video below, and also linked HERE. 

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Typing agent feedback

As part of our goal to regularly re-evaluate our digital tools, we're reviewing our K-8 keyboarding program, Typing Agent. If you're a staff member who uses Typing Agent with your students, we'd love to know what you think about it. The good, the bad, or anything in between. Please take a few moments to complete the Google Form HERE. Included in the Form is an opportunity to suggest alternative programs if you're aware of any. Thank you for your feedback- You're just our type!

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For a "light lift" intro to MagicSchool, we recommend trying out the "Top Four MagicSchool Tools for Elementary Math." You'll find four tools there that can help in your planning and instruction. Check out the image above, also linked HERE, for directions and specifics.

Or for something a little more fun, we love the Image Generator. Details in the image below, which is also linked 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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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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1-16-2024 Tuesday Tech Tips

 

In today's Tuesday Tech Tips, read all about a quick way to take a screenshot in Windows, a new look in Google Drive, typing by voice, Typing Agent, and a whole lot more! ➡️ ➡️➡️

💡 Quick Tip 💡 Did you know that Windows has a slick keystroke shortcut to take a screenshot?  Windows Key + Shift + S. You can click and drag for a screenshot, which then instantly gets added to the clipboard.  Then just paste it wherever you want. Find all the details on this HERE.

Thanks to the LR teacher who shared the Quick Tip with us! ⬆️ Do you have a tip, idea, or topic for the Tuesday Tech Tips? Please let us know! You can email us at joseph.lombardo@greececsd.org with your submission.

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In the January 2 tips HERE, we told you about a Chromebook troubleshooting poster for your classroom or office. By request, we've also made a version of it that can be printed in black and white. You can find the color version HERE, and the b&w version HERE.

Please note that both versions are designed to be printed on 8.5" X 14" legal sized paper.

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Unless you prefer My Drive to Home. 
Go to your Drive settings to choose.

There's a new Home view option in Google Drive

Google recently introduced the latest series of changes that accelerate user productivity across new views in Drive. A new streamlined homepage for Drive called Home makes it easier and faster for you to find files that matter most. Specifically, you’ll notice:

• Personalized file and folder suggestions with machine learning algorithms that can help you get started quickly. These suggestions utilize a variety of signals, such as what files or folders you’ve recently opened, shared or edited, or what documents are attached to upcoming Calendar events.

• Filter chips to narrow down your search and find relevant files faster across Drive, making it easy to find suggested files by type, people, modified date or the location.

• A more modern design inline that helps you navigate across Drive much more efficiently.

To set your landing page back to My Drive, go to the gear in the upper right corner in Drive and set your Start page there.

Click your heels three times and find all the details about this HERE.

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Voice Typing in Google Docs and Slides

Did you know you can type and edit by speaking in Google Docs or in Google Slides speaker notes?

• Open a document in Google Docs
• Click Tools and then Voice typing. A microphone box appears.
• When you're ready to speak, click the microphone. (You may have to click "allow" for the microphone permissions)
• Speak clearly, at a normal volume and pace
• When you're done, click the microphone again

Direction are similar in Slides notes. You can find all the details, HERE.

Of course, good ol' fashioned typing is still always an option. Which reminds us, did you know that all students K-8 have Typing Agent accounts just waiting to be utilized? Find all the details HERE, or reach out to your ITT for assistance.

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Looking for PL Hours? Be sure to check out the ITT’s page for Recommended PL HERE. You’ll find upcoming webinar and session opportunities, as well as on-going opportunities for digital tool certifications and self-paced learning. These offerings are updated frequently so bookmark the site and check back often!

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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.

10-31-2023 Tuesday Tech Tips

Click the image below to enjoy the Halloween edition of the Tuesday Tech Tips!

 

3-7-2023 Tuesday Tech Tips

   

In today's Tech Alerts, learn about how to temporarily share files in Drive, a free Gif creation tool for you and your students, and more! ➡️➡️

Tuesday's Tip: On a Chromebook, the key above the 6 key creates multiple “desktops” to switch between.   If you want to learn all the details, then this ⬇️is for you!

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But sometimes, it's not forever. 💔

You Can Now Share Google Drive Files Temporarily Thanks to a New Feature

From Michael Perrigo at chromeunboxed.com:

"Until now, sharing access to a Google Drive file meant it was permanent unless you manually removed a collaborator from it. Doing so requires you to first remember to do so and then to actually do it, obviously. The issue with this is that human error is the weakest link in technology. In some cases, you may only want to share a file or folder with someone who is performing contract work for you or simply taking a peek at something you’re drafting up, after which point they really have no business snooping around."

An example of sharing with an expiration date in action

Check out all the details HERE.

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An Actual Gif made with Brush Ninja

Become a Brush Ninja with, well, Brush Ninja

Brush Ninja is a fun tool that students can use to learn about animation, to illustrate the concepts they have just learned, or to make their presentations more interesting. Plus, it can be a fun, free, way for teachers to creatively present ideas to our students.

Benefits of Brush Ninja:

• Brush Ninja is free. No software licenses, no new hardware. All you need is a web browser, it just works.
• No logins are needed. You can open the website and get started straight away.
• It’s simple to use. Their objective has been to make it as easy to use as possible. 
• There’s no tracking or advertising. There is no need to worry about your privacy, or personal information being sold. You can check out the privacy policy here.
• No Messaging There is no way for children to contact or interact with anyone else on Brush Ninja.

How to use Brush Ninja in your classroom:

• To illustrate concepts & knowledge. Reinforce the things students have learned by having them create a slideshow with key information.

• Tech Alerts. Show off your Brush Ninja skills by making a Gif of a stick figure dunking for the Tech Alerts.

• Show their working. Particularly useful for Mathematics, students can display their thought processes and then tidy the animation up to show the final result.
• Creative Writing. Present stories, animated comics, or short cartoons.
• Animated Ideas. Brush Ninja is a great way to jot down ideas for creative projects.
• Presentations. Add some motion to presentations by creating simple animations of the topic being presented.

Don't wait- make your first Gif today! Brush Ninja is in ClassLink, and you can learn more about HERE!

(Hey, come to think of it, how do you pronounce "Gif," anyway? Find out HERE.)

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For assistance with these topics, or anything else related to instructional technology, please check in with your friendly neighborhood ITT.

11-29-2022 Tuesday Tech Tips

In this week's tech alert, we have news on a new streaming video tool, recommendations on how to make life easier for both you and anyone who substitute teaches for you, and a neat trick to use Chrome to search your own Google apps.

December 5-11 is Computer Science Education for All Week

resources/interactive events for teachers and students

Check out a New Streaming Video Resource: ClickView

ClickView is new to GCSD for Fall 2022! ClickView is a collection of streaming educational videos for K-12 schools. Aiming to deliver quality content that saves teachers time, ClickView provides a smaller, more curated, and newer collection than other video sources. Many of the videos are produced by ClickView and are exclusive to the platform. ClickView videos are Kid-friendly: short, well-made, and many are animated!

All GCSD staff members with a class in IC with students have ClickView accounts.  To get started with ClickView, go to ClassLink, add ClickView if needed, and it should log you in when you open it in ClassLink.  If you are a staff member without a class in IC and would like to explore ClickView, please contact your ITT to get your account set up.  

In ClickView, you can explore videos that are connected to standards and common initiatives like SEL (SEL is one of their focuses) and include customizable interactive features, like quizzes.  Teachers can easily share videos with students and track their engagement. 

GCSD Staff can register for a one-hour, on-demand, asynchronous PD on ClickView via this link.  This is available until 12/23/2022, and it can be completed at any time before then, so please ignore other dates. A second, identical session will be available from January until June. Instructions will be sent to those who register. Please allow one hour total to complete the PD (does not need to be completed in one session).

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DIGITAL SUB PLANS Made Easy!

Creator: Ron Chapple studios | Credit: Getty Images/Hemera

In order to easily and securely share sub plans with anyone who could be substitute teaching for you, the ITT Team has created resources and help files for staff.  We're highly encouraging buildings to develop a procedure to collect and communicate teachers' digital sub plans to their subs.

Please check out the quick video here, which accompanies this help file.  Reach out to your building's ITT or DDIT Reps for support!

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Search Any App From Chrome's Search Bar

Chrome's address bar doubles as a way to do a quick Google search, but you're not limited to searching Google. In that same bar, you can search any site or app. This is great if you search specific apps frequently, such as Gmail or Google Drive.

Directions on how to set this up for yourself can be found here.