October 2020

Tech Tools

Outlook Distribution Groups

The Department of Technology will be cleaning up the Outlook Global Address book. Unfortunately, personal groups in Outlook are getting created incorrectly and having a detrimental effect on the Address Book we all use. Because personal groups are being created in a way that advertises them to everyone, it creates confusion when trying to select the right group to send to (e.g. Principals - the right one or Principals 2020-2021 - the wrong one).

After October 31, 2020, the Department of Technology will be deleting groups that are incorrectly created. We are also working to create security so that ASD staff, through no fault of their own, can’t create the wrong group type.

To create a group correctly in Outlook you need to use the Contact Group button, not the New Group button. See the example to the right:

Staff with Groups viewable in the Global Address book should correct them by October 31.

Google Meet Updates

Google Meet continues to roll out new features, and three new tools that are of particular interest to staff are now available:

Attendance Emails

For any Meets that have five or more participants, Google now emails you a spreadsheet attendance roster once the meeting has ended.

Breakout Rooms

With this highly-requested feature, teachers can offer increased engagement in their classes by splitting up students for simultaneous small-group discussions or working time. Moderators can also jump between breakout rooms to monitor and participate in discussions.

Moderators can use breakout rooms to divide participants into smaller groups during video calls.
Anyone who schedules or starts a meeting will be the moderator. There can only be one moderator per meeting. If you transfer or schedule a meeting on someone else's calendar, the other person might become the moderator.
Breakout rooms currently can’t be live streamed or recorded.
Participants must be signed in to their Google Accounts and can join from a computer or from the mobile Meet app .
- If participants aren’t signed in to their Google Accounts or dial in to a video call from their phone, their names will appear under ‘Cannot be assigned’, and they can’t be assigned to a breakout room.

More information can be found on the Virtual Meetings page on the Instructional Technology site.

Jamboard Online Whiteboard

Google Meet now integrates with Jamboard to add a digital whiteboard for interactive and collaborative lessons.

This new feature is accessed through the Google Meet menu in the bottom-right corner by selecting “Whiteboard: Open a Jam” option.

“Jam” is the equivalent of a “Doc” or “Slide,” with users able to create a new work or launch an existing one. You can draw, write, annotate, and add sticky notes to a page. It opens on the left-hand side of the meeting, with people’s feeds compacted on the other end.

The file created during a call can be saved, shared, and accessed again at any time through Google Drive and added to Classrooms or Google Sites, just like other Google Doc files.

Instruction

Loom

Staff in Auburn schools are flexing their creative muscles within distance learning by creating thousands of videos to share with students. Teachers are encouraged to use extensions like Loom for recording demonstrations while also showing their faces during instruction to maintain a personal connection with students. For educators and students, Loom is completely free and can be used to record videos up to 45 minutes long!

Download the Chrome extension to record your desktop and webcam simultaneously.

How to record using Loom's Chrome Extension.mp4

Citations in Google Docs

Google Docs contains a new feature to help students add, manage, and format academic citations. This removes the need for third-party extensions and hopefully helps students avoid the trap of simply copy and pasting URLs into their bibliography.

Using this feature, you can easily insert in-text citations and create a bibliography in the MLA, APA, or Chicago (author-date) styles. Source types supported include books, book sections, websites, journal articles and newspaper articles.

To get started, simply go to the Tools menu and choose Citations.

Data Security

Technology Agreement Form - Potential Late October Impacts for Classrooms

Each year, families of PK-12 students new to the district and 6th graders beginning the secondary 1:1 program complete a Parent Technology Agreement Form (now included in online registration for new families).

The form explains the technology program and provides parent permission for the use of various software tools in classrooms. After October 22, students without completed forms will be restricted in their software access, losing access to Google Additional Tools including YouTube.

If a student, after this date, is unable to access YouTube or other necessary classroom tools, staff should first check to see if an incomplete form is the issue. Teachers may consult with their school Building Tech to identify affected students.

While DOT sent reminders this fall, schools/teachers may supplement this for impacted students. English and Spanish reminders are here. (Note: Continuing students who haven't previously completed the process may be included as well.)

Using New Tools with Students

During distance learning, Auburn teachers are finding new online tools to help students use their Chromebooks to their full potential. When using any new student tool, though, it is important to check that it has been approved for use with students in our district. The Department of Technology maintains a list of these on our Data Security page. The list includes a list of websites, extensions, and apps for students and staff use. Click the link below to visit:

ASD Data Security Page

For tools that are not on this list (i.e. websites, Chrome extensions, or Android apps), teachers must first follow this approval process before being able to use them with students:

Inform your school's BTC or TSS
Complete the New Software Request form
Await a response from the Dept of Technology (typically within one week)

Requests may be denied if the tools do not meet our data security requirements or lack the necessary policies to evaluate them.

Help Desk

Access to Google Files and Classroom from Home

During distance learning, many students and staff members use personal devices at home to work and learn.

Some users, however, are finding that their access to Google files or Google Classroom is being restricted when using a personal device. The most likely explanation for this is that they are not signed into the Chrome browser with their Auburn account.

If you experience this problem, click on the user icon in the top-right of the browser. Check to ensure that the user displayed has your @auburn.wednet.edu (or @auburnsd.org for students) email. If it is a personal email, you will need to sign-out and sign back in again, using your Auburn credentials.

Google Meet Scheduling

Some Outlook users have reported that they are no longer able to schedule Google Meets from their Calendar or within emails.

If this issue occurs, ensure that your Google Drive File Stream app is running to allow the connection between Outlook and Google. It can be found in the Start Menu under D.

Shout out!

2019-20 Online Modules

In the 2019-20 school year through summer 2020, over 300 online learning modules were completed by ASD staff. With each module containing three hours of professional development, the asynchronous learning investment by Auburn School District staff reached nearly 1,000 hours last year! Find members in your school who have completed online modules to advance their technology skills via the Online Module Mastery Staff sheet.

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