April 2021

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Autism Acceptance Month

April is Autism Acceptance Month (formerly Autism Awareness Month) and a good reminder for staff that learning about disabilities is a continuous process. For instance, did you know:

1 in 54 children in the USA are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Many people with autism prefer disability-first language, rather than person-first language (e.g. "I am autistic," vs "I have autism.").
Functioning labels (high/low, mild/severe) are harmful and inaccurate, as they reinforce an exclusionary, neurotypical view of society.
Asperger's Syndrome is no longer a term used in diagnosis, and has been incorporated into the broader Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The doctor for whom Asperger's Syndrome was named was a Nazi collaborator, which is another reason why the term is no longer preferred.
The Autism Spectrum is not a line from "least" to "most" autistic, but more like a color wheel -- all autistic people are different, yet equally autistic.

The "rainbow infinity" is the sign for Autistic Pride.

Resources for Autism Acceptance:

ASD's Student Special Services produced this short video about sensory challenges riding the bus that is an eye-opening look at how our experience of everyday events is not always shared by students who struggle with sensory processing.

SBSK have a number of videos inviting you to Meet Somebody With Autism.

Common Sense Media have an entire section devoted to Learning Differences and Special Needs with technology tools that can help students with autism (among others).

The Autism Helper is a great website with many classroom resources and videos designed specifically for students with autism.

The Virtual Calming Room provides videos and activities inspired by School Counselors and School Social Workers across the United States to help students locate tools and strategies to positively manage their emotions.

Levy Update

This month, the Auburn School District will begin collection of our Replacement Technology Levy, which provides the district $35 million over the next six years to maintain and expand technology for staff and students. An overview of what will be funded by the levy can be found below -- this was the same information presented to the ASD School Board on 8th March, 2021.

Levy Update March 2020

Instructional Technology Coach Openings

As part of the new levy, the Department of Technology are scaling up their support for classroom teachers with the hiring of three new Technology Coaches! These positions are now posted in Frontline, and any teachers (elementary or secondary) who would like to work with DoT to implement the district vision are encouraged to apply.

First screening will occur on the 26th April with an aim to interview in early May.

Tech Tools

Explore the potential of the Ipevo Document Camera

Setting up your Ipevo

Did you know the Ipevo V4K document camera can be used as an external microphone, a webcam, video recorder, stop-frame animator, selfie-stick, and so much more?

Click on the slide deck to learn how to setup the Ipevo document camera in your classroom (and in Google Meet) to maximize this tool for (online) instruction.

Setting Up Your Wireless Microphone for Concurrent Teaching

If you are Concurrent Teaching, you should have received your new "Anywhere Cart" lapel microphone from your school. This microphone will allow you to move around your classroom, and maintain clear vocal instructions for students online and in-person.

For instructions on how to set up your microphone and connect it to a Chromebook or PC, review the "Setting Up Your ASD Lapel Microphone" slide deck to get started.

Setting Up Your Microphone

Chrome Remote Desktop

When teaching wirelessly from a Chromebook, ASD staff had previously been recommended Google Cast for Education as the best solution. Unfortunately, Google have now discontinued this app. Now, staff should use Chrome Remote Desktop as the preferred way to mirror their screen from the Chromebook to the PC (or vice versa).

A guide to using this tool can be found at the link below:

ASD Chrome Remote Desktop Page

Instruction

Conference Resources

The Instructional Technology Team have attended a number of conferences this year to learn about emerging trends and practices with technology. Some highlights and recommended links are:

How To Be An Anti-Racist Using Technology - from Portland Public Schools - the slideshow gives some context for the work being done by Portland teachers, and links to many great classroom resources.
Making Content Accessible - from Oregon DOE - the slides give helpful tips about how to make online content accessible for everyone, plus links to online tools.
Supporting African American Girls in CS Education - CSTA Fellow, Eboni Zook, gives examples of how to intentionally create a more inclusive environment in the (Computer Science) classroom.
The Null Curriculum of Complicity: When Silence Speaks - CSTA presenter from the University of Illinois, Charity Freeman, goes beyond what is explicitly and implicitly taught in our classrooms by addressing the things we teach our students by our silence.

Recommended Viewing - Coded Bias

Artificial Intelligence is not a thing of the future, it is happening now. In the recently-released Coded Bias documentary, MIT researcher Joy Buolamwini and other leading activists share how they (and we) can challenge the troubling algorithms leading towards undesirable and inequitable outcomes in AI and facial recognition. The insightful 90 minute documentary, released April 5th on Netflix, offers a chilling look at the myth of technology impartiality with an aim to inspire viewers to challenge how the algorithms embedded into our daily lives are created by analyzing who is creating them and the impacts of their decisions.

For those without a Netflix subscription, Puget Sound CSTA is offering free screenings on April 17th and 18th.

Data Security & Privacy

Preparing to Leave the District

This is the time of year when ASD staff may begin to think about their next move beyond the district, whether it be retirement (in which case, congratulations!) or a family move, or other opportunities elsewhere. For these staff members, it is important to manage your digital exit as smoothly as possible, so as to leave your colleagues and successors with an easy transition.

Your ASD account will be deactivated seven days after your final day of employment, so ensure that these directions are followed in a timely manner.

Saving Your Files in Shared Drive(s)

This is easiest on a desktop PC. Using the File Explorer, copy any important files to your H: drive. You will be able to see all the Shared Drives to which you have access -- be sure to place your files in drives/folders that can be accessed by your colleagues after you leave.

Transferring Google Classrooms

Using the People tab, add one (or more) of your colleagues as teachers in the class. To make them the owners of the class, and ensure that none of the content is lost, click the three dots next to their name and select "Make class owner".

Using Google Takeout for Files You Want to Keep

Google Takeout can be used to make downloadable versions of all your ASD files held on Google Drive. Follow the online directions to select the files you wish to keep. Note that these archives will only be available for up to seven days on Google's servers.

Saving Important Contacts

If you have important emails and contacts that you wish to keep beyond your employment with ASD, you can follow these directions to create a spreadsheet of your Outlook address book.

Shout out!

Library Appreciation Week

April 4th - 10th was National Library Week, an opportunity to celebrate our nation's libraries, library workers' contributions and promote library use and support.

Now, more than ever, our school librarians are on the front lines of helping our students to battle disinformation and navigate the overwhelming volume of online content. Their skills in promoting media literacy, digital citizenship, and critical thinking, as well as fostering a life-long love of reading are such a vital part of our students' education.

Shout out to all our ASD librarians:

Alicia Rogers (Alpac)

Debbi McGaughey (Arthur Jacobsen)

Brenda Leyda (Bowman Creek)

Beth Galati (Chinook)

Julie Scholzen (Dick Scobee)

Arnie Grab (Evergreen Heights)

Shawn Welsh (Gildo Rey)

Erin Wickstrom (Hazelwood)

Amy Anderson (Ilalko)

Nicole Svendsen (Ilalko)

Ryan Garcia (Lake View)

Michelle Hupperten (Lakeland Hills)

Liz Ray (Lea Hill)

Dave Hoskin (Pioneer)

Chris Williams (Terminal Park)

Kristy Kilburg (Washington)

Lorie Lyon (Washington)

Tina Thomsen (Cascade)

Art Spencer (Mt. Baker)

Becky Blosser (Olympic)

Pamela Grad (Rainier)

Molly Picatti-Baker (Auburn High)

Stephanie Austin (Auburn Mountainview)

Lisa Gallinatti (Auburn Riverside)

Laura Watts (West Auburn)

Family Communication - Remind

A shout out to all of our staff who are using Remind for communication. According to the latest stats from Remind, we are reaching nearly 30,000 students and family members on a regular basis with the app.

Auburn's top five Remind schools are:

Alpac Elementary School
Lakeland Hills Elementary School
Washington Elementary School
Hazelwood Elementary School
Auburn Riverside High School

The chart below shows the number of students and family members receiving messages over the past year:

Graph showing a monthly receipt of between 20,000 and 30,000 messages for students and families with Remind. There is a notable dip during the summer months and winter break, when students are not in school.

That blip in March is the day when Remind's servers were down and no-one could access the system.

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