11-14-2023 Tuesday Tech Tips

   

In today's Tuesday Tech Tips, read all about a tool that instantly removes backgrounds from your digital photos, how to access millions of images from the Smithsonian, a clarification on students' access to YouTube Shorts, & more! ➡️ ➡️➡️

💡 Quick Tip 💡 Did you know that you can use multiple signatures in Gmail? Multiple signatures give you the flexibility to use different signatures for different situations, such as: Communicating across teams and organizations Communicating across multiple languages Using different default signatures for new emails and replies And even if you don't have multiple signatures, please make sure you have at least one.  It can make it easier for the person you're emailing to help you, especially if it's someone who doesn't work in the same building as you and might not know right away who you are.

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Remove Backgrounds from Photos in Seconds with remove.bg

Background or not, we think Gipper is awfully cute.

Thanks to remove.bg's clever AI, you can slash editing time - and have more fun! No matter if you want to make a background transparent (PNG), or add a white background to a photo - you can do all this and more with remove.bg. This can all be done with the free version of the product, and without logging in. Try it HERE.

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Access Millions of Smithsonian’s Images for Free

People everywhere can now download, remix, and share Smithsonian Open Access content for any purpose, for free. They have everything from portraits of historic Americans to 3D scans of dinosaur fossils. What will you create, imagine, and discover?

Check out Smithsonian Open Access HERE and browse the collection today!

If you'd like to learn about how an English chemist and mineralogist who died in Italy in 1829 and never even visited the United States came to found the Smithsonian Institution, the fascinating story can be found HERE.

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Teachers--Please keep the following in mind if a student reports that a YouTube video is blocked for them:

1) The district keeps YouTube in "restricted mode" for students. Staff members can go to the video in YouTube themselves and look for the "Watchable by greececsd.org" seal or a button that allows staff to approve some (not all) videos and channels for students.

2) YouTube Shorts are blocked for students by our filter. These are TikTok style videos that have the word "shorts" in the url, such as https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ha_DdoQPLn8. Shorts are generally not instructional and are less carefully curated for appropriateness by YT.

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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!

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

6-20-2023 Tuesday Tech Tips

   

A quick reminder to request all equipment moves from techhelp@greececsd.org or complete a ticket at webhelpdesk.greececsd.org;   Non tech staff may NOT move PCs, printers, etc on their own.  Such moved equipment will be returned to the original location.

Staff not returning in the fall are asked to return all personally assigned mobile devices (laptop, Chromebook, iPad, etc) to their direct supervisor.

In today's Tuesday Tech Alerts, read more about Chat GPT and AI, plus how to organize your digital data with Wakelet, an exceptional way to spend the end of Summer Vacation, & more!➡️ ➡️➡️

💡 Quick Tip 💡 Have you ever wanted to remove the background from a photograph or other image, but didn't know how? Check out the linked video below, and you'll learn how to do it quicky and easily.

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Shutterstock

What's the DL on AI?

Whether you've seen on the news that you might be replaced by a robot, or you read on Instagram that you can use Chat GPT to create a recipe for you with whatever you have in your icebox, or if you fastidiously devour every installment of these Tech Alerts, you've probably heard about Artificial Intelligence, or "AI."

To help you navigate this Brave New World, we've curated a wealth of resources about Chat GPT and AI in general in this highly informative Wakelet linked HERE. We invite you to check it out!

PS- If you're interested in what Chat GPT produced when I supplied the prompt "write a short paragraph telling my readers to visit our Wakelet to read about AI," here's what it wrote:

Attention, readers! Are you eager to explore the fascinating realm of Artificial Intelligence? Look no further! I invite you to embark on an enlightening journey by visiting my Wakelet profile. There, you will discover a treasure trove of captivating articles, insightful discussions, and cutting-edge insights on AI. From its groundbreaking applications in various industries to its profound impact on society, my curated collection will satisfy your curiosity and expand your understanding of this rapidly evolving field. So, join me on this intellectual expedition and dive into the boundless possibilities of Artificial Intelligence. Your adventure awaits at my Wakelet page!

That's not bad...hmmm, maybe the person who writes the Tech Alerts is the one who should be worried about being replaced by a robot! 😟😯😧

 

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Wakelet Up, Before You Go-Go (on Summer Vacation)

After checking out the Wakelet in the section above, you're probably wondering, "What exactly is Wakelet, and how can I make my own?"

Imagine Pinterest, but instead of just images, Wakelet allows you to capture, organize, and save any kind of content that you find online. We're talking videos, social media posts, blogs, websites- anything with a web address. And of course, any content that you create yourself.

Have a look at this short video below, which is also linked HERE, to learn more about Wakelet directly from their own experts.

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We know August is a long ways away, and maybe not exactly what you want to think about here in the last week of the school year. But come late summer, you might just be ready for some time away from your kids/parents/significant other/neighbors, etc., and what better excuse than to spend some quality time, from one hour up to a few days, with your ITT Team learning about instructional technology?

So give yourself something to look forward to all summer, and sign up for some Tech Camp sessions! With 19 sessions offered and over 15 hours of possible PL, there are plenty of choices for leveling up your instructional technology use next school year. There's something at Tech Camp for everyone, and it's open to all GCSD employees.

Register for one session or many, and learn about all of the offerings, by visiting the schedule HERE.

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Well friends, that about does it for the Tuesday Tech Alerts for the 2022-2023 school year. We hope these have been a valuable source of information for you, and thank you for taking the time to read them. Assuming that whole AI takeover thing doesn't happen in the next twelve or so weeks, you'll start hearing from us every other Tuesday starting again in September! Until then...