Tuesday Tech Tips

4-29-2025 Tuesday Tech Tips

In today's edition, you can learn all about:

Some notes on use of GCSD email
Our Digital Wellness Challenge for Digital Wellness Day on May 2
Access to the Software Center on Windows devices
Some great ways to earn PL hours by June 1
and more! ➡️ ➡️➡️

💡 Quick Tip 💡

Sometimes, an emoji says it all! Skip the comments and react with emojis in Google Docs for quick feedback and collaboration.

To add emoji reactions, Select Text > Go to Insert > Emoji Reaction

(Not just "Emoji." Look further down the list for "Emoji Reaction.")

If no text is selected, it’ll highlight the word where your cursor is. It’s a fun, fast way to get your point across!

Thanks to https://blog.tcea.org/

for this tip!

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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This is a friendly reminder for all staff that your district-assigned email account should only be used for work-related purposes. Please don't associate your GCSD email address with, say, your Kohl's account, your Indeed or ZipRecruiter profiles, your personal banking accounts, etc.

Not only will this help you keep your personal and professional online accounts separate, it will help protect GCSD from additional potential spam, malware, and other fraudulent emails that our systems are constantly monitoring for.

Similarly, please always use your work email for work-related communications, such as correspondence with parents, families, and students.

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Did you know that May 2 is Digital Wellness Day? This is not just a day- it’s a worldwide call to pause and reassess our relationship with technology.

One of the ways we can support our students and community is to focus on how we can be a model for digital wellness. To kick things off, consider taking the 1 Week Digital Wellness Challenge linked HERE!

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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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Reminder for staff with Windows devices- you have access to the Software Center! It lists the software applications that are available for you to install on your Windows desktop, laptop, and Interactive Panel.

The Software Center can be found by clicking on the Windows icon in the lower left, and searching for "Software." It's the first option that comes up.

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Are you a GTA member who needs to finish up your required 10 hours of PL by the hard deadline of June 1st? Are you looking for high-quality professional learning related to Instructional Technology?

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.

Tuesday Tech Tips 4-8-2025

In today's edition, you can learn all about:

An update on Teacher Monitor Station requests
The best way to format a subject line
News regarding students' access to YouTube
Access to several years' worth of quick tech tips from our district DDIT meetings
and more! ➡️ ➡️➡️

💡 Quick Tip 💡

Did you know you can create & customize your own keyboard shortcuts in Google Docs? For example, you can type "hw," and have it turn into "Homework Assignment."

In Docs, go to Tools --> Preferences --> Substitutions

This is super handy for grading comments, common words, and frequently used phrases.

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For anyone who has requested a monitor station, as we suggested HERE, please know that they are on order and we will fulfill the helpdesk tickets when they arrive. Thanks for your patience!

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What is the Best Way to Format an Email Subject Line? Keep email subject lines brief- ideally under sixty characters- as this ensures the full message is visible in email previews, especially on mobile devices. Lengthy subject lines can be frustrating for readers as they may not be able to discern the email's content.

Additionally, avoid using the subject line solely as a question without any context in the email body (details HERE). This can be especially confusing for mobile users who may not see the full subject. Instead, provide a concise subject line, and then include the question and relevant details within the email body for clarity. You can view Indeed’s suggestions on how to create a professional email HERE.

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As we announced in the February 11th Tech Tips HERE, YouTube.com had to be blocked for students as directed by NYS. This is because of NYS’s EdLaw contracts in regards to Student PII. It is not because they think that YouTube is inappropriate.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, some students are finding simple workarounds to watch YouTube. However, these workaround don't include signing into YouTube, so we are not out of compliance with what NYS has asked us to do.

Please understand that TSS cannot possibly block every site that students find that give them the ability to watch YouTube videos.

Please follow any consequences you would apply to a student being noncompliant in your classroom for not following your instructions. It is a violation of the Code of Conduct for student to "access personal, interactive sites unless under the direct supervision of a staff member."

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“My One Little Thing” is a recurring part that we have during our District Digital Innovation Team (DDIT) meetings. The idea behind them is to show my one little thing we can’t live without with something related to technology.

One of the DDIT members suggested that we share them with the district, so we consolidated them to a Google Slide Deck HERE. It's like a hundred little Tuesday Tech Tips "Quick Tips" all in one spot!

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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.

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:

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.

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!

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.

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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.

Tuesday Tech Tips 2-25-25

In today's edition, you can learn about:

Does MagicSchool AI really just write students' assignments for them?
A new setting in Google Forms to help avoid confusion when sharing a Form with someone
New #WinAtSocial features
and more! ➡️ ➡️➡️

💡 Quick Tip 💡

Using the Snooze feature in Gmail helps you manage you email workload by deferring less urgent emails and allowing them to focus on what’s important at the moment.

Hover over the email you want to snooze in your inbox. Click on the clock icon (Snooze) that appears to the right of the email.

Select a time frame from the options provided.

Snoozed emails can be found in the “Snoozed” folder located in the left sidebar. If you change your mind, simply go to the “Snoozed” folder, open the email, and click on the “Unsnooze” option to return it to your inbox immediately.

We know there's a concern that AI will just do students' work for them. Please have a look at this interaction between an real GCSD student and our MagicSchool AI platform. The student's prompt is in purple at the top, and MagicSchool's response is what follows.

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Google has implemented a change in the way users send and add collaborators to Google Forms. This adjustment was motivated by a desire to alleviate confusion that arose when users inadvertently added collaborators instead of sharing a link to the fillable form.

Previously, the distinction between adding collaborators and sharing the form was not as clear, leading to instances where individuals were granted editing rights when the intention was simply to allow them to fill out the form. To address this issue, Google has redesigned the sharing and collaboration process in Google Forms to more closely resemble that of Google Sites.

With this update, there is now a clearer separation between adding collaborators, who have the ability to edit the form, and publishing a link that enables others to view and complete the form. This distinction aims to provide a more intuitive user experience and minimize instances where unintended access is granted.

HERE is a link to Google's support page explaining how to publish a link for someone to fill out.

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For staff who have an active #WinAtSocial account, check out these new features! New to #WinAtSocial? Find out about #WinAtSocial here (for grades 3-12) and contact Lynn Girolamo for an account!

Platform Playbooks are now embedded in your #WinAtSocial dashboard! Log in to your #WinAtSocial account, click on Resources, then Platform Playbooks to get information about expert breakdowns of popular apps, sites, and games and insights into how students can use them positively!
Also, check out the expanded Professional Learning opportunities with The Social Institute with their asynchronous educator courses.

NEW: Proactive Skill-Building in 10-15 Minutes: Want to play a single Huddle rather than a whole lesson? Run #WinAtSocial in quick 10-15 minute sessions, making it easy for you to integrate into your schedule and focus on specific Huddles that meet your students' needs.

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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!

___________________________

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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4-29-2025 Tuesday Tech Tips

Tuesday Tech Tips 4-8-2025

Tuesday Tech Tips 3-25-25

Tuesday Tech Tips 3-11-25

Tuesday Tech Tips 2-25-25