Embedded Files
🏳️🌈Pride Month🏳️🌈
🏳️🌈Pride Month🏳️🌈
June is Pride month; the celebration and affirmation of people in the LGBTQ+ community. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on how we are being culturally responsive and inclusive in our schools and classrooms. Looking at the Seven Principles of Culturally Responsive Practices, here are some ways you can address the first three principles to create a safe and inclusive learning space for your students, staff, and families that identify as LGBTQ+.
Principle 1- Students (and Colleagues) are affirmed in their cultural connections
Students and staff have the opportunities to share their culture (as a member of the LGBTQ+ community) in safe and affirming ways
Learn about the challenges the LGBTQ+ community is dealing within Auburn, Washington, and in the United States (and beyond)
Principle 2- Teachers (Employees) are personally inviting
When greeting someone, share your pronouns and invite others to share theirs
Wear a rainbow flag on your lanyards to indicate that you are inclusive and a safe person to talk to
Principle 3- Learning (Work) environments are physically and culturally inviting
Visibility is essential to showing your support and inclusiveness with an identity that is not always visible.
Immediately address when you hear or see homophobic comments, deadnaming, or misgendering (these are addressed in ASD Policy 3211)
Post an Auburn Safe Space poster (Spanish and English) for your classroom, hallway, office, bus, etc.
If you would like to dig deeper into being a more culturally responsive educator, staff member, or colleague check out the resource, Advocate for Inclusive & Affirming Curriculum from GLSEN. You can also attend the Returning Sessions in the training series: "LGBTQ+ 101: Intro to Inclusion" or the "LGBTQ+: Intersectionality, Identity, and Inclusivity Sessions" or check out some live PRIDE events sponsered by Flipgrid.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth
There are many great resources available to support learning around this important holiday. The National Museum of African American History & Culture is a great place as an adult to dig deeper, learn and reflect on the past, and even find some recipes perfect for celebrating with your community. This ISTE article has great resources linked for teaching students about Juneteenth. BrainPOP also has a free video!
Instruction
Instruction
Spring Training Series Offering - ASDCS103: Equity in Computer Science
Spring Training Series Offering - ASDCS103: Equity in Computer Science
Consider why more inclusive computer science education is important to students and our world. Explore research and tools to guide increasing equitable instructional practices around Computer Science, specifically to increase success with traditionally underrepresented students. Participants will connect their learning to the principles of Culturally Responsive Teaching.
Join the Course to complete the Asynchronous portion before attending the Synchronous session on Monday June 27th.
ASDCS103 as well as several other technology related sessions will be available throughout the Spring Training Series available from June 3rd to July 3rd. Visit the Spring Training Series site to access further learning.
Elementary Computer Science Workshops
Elementary Computer Science Workshops
Are you interested in opening 21st century career paths for your students?
You are invited to a FREE Code.org Computer Science Fundamentals Workshop Saturday, June 11th OR Wednesday June 29th at Pioneer Elementary School from 8:30am – 3:30pm (both in-person).
Participants will receive a $150 stipend and 7 STEM Clock Hours for attending. This professional development opportunity is open to all elementary teachers but is aimed at those new or emerging in Computer Science who would like to implement the Code.org curriculum in their classrooms next year.
Register for June 11th Workshop via Code.org here.
Register for June 29th Workshop via Code.org here.
Seesaw Connect 2022
Seesaw Connect 2022
Didn't get enough Seesaw action this school year? You're in luck! Seesaw Connect is a free virtual conference happening this summer. There's a series of on-demand courses available as well as educator meet ups. This is great chance to gather some inspiration for back to school planning. We are big fans of Seesaw, so let us know if you attend and learn something cool!
Seesaw Connect 22 Flyer (1).pdfTech Tools
Tech Tools
Canva for Education
Canva for Education
Canva is a design tool that is great for creating professional quality presentations and print materials with over 60,000 educational templates. But did you know that Canva for Education is completely free and it has new features that are perfect for a classroom? You can use Canva to make QR codes, create storyboards and comics, make screen recordings, and publish presentations as scrollable websites.
Take a look at Canva for Education to see what it can create!
Which is the best font for students?
Which is the best font for students?
There are over 1,000 fonts to choose from in Google G Suite, from the serious to the silly, but which one should you use when preparing documents and slides for students? Atkinson Hyperlegible (named for the founder of the Braille Institute) is a font designed to be readable by those with low vision and/or dyslexia. See the example to the right of how commonly-confused characters look markedly different, even when they are blurry. This paragraph is rendered in Atkinson Hyperlegible - do you notice a difference to the rest of the page?
You can add this font to your documents by following these directions on how to change fonts in Google Docs (Slides, Sheets, etc.)
Atkinson Hyperlegible when viewed with low vision
Media Literacy
Media Literacy
Coping with Breaking News in Class
Coping with Breaking News in Class
When upsetting news breaks, it can be challenging time for staff and students alike. To help cope with the negative feelings that can occur, we can practise SEL strategies from Jennifer LaGarde's Developing Digital Detectives book. Jennifer presented at our Winter Training Series and explained how to deal with news and information that triggers us. We should ask ourselves these questions:
How does this information make me feel?
Even if this does not trigger me, are there elements that might be triggering to others?
How do the feelings from the previous two questions affect my ability to trust or share this information?
Having control over your emotions can minimise the negative effects on others, as well as allowing potential misinformation to be quashed when facts emerge later.
For lesson plans on implementing this strategy in your class, see our Digital Citizenship page.
Data Security
Data Security
Gone Phishin'
Gone Phishin'
Phishing is when attackers send malicious emails designed to trick people into falling for a scam. The intent is often to get users to reveal financial information, system credentials or other sensitive data.
Auburn School District along with every other district for that matter, continue to be the target of various Phishing attacks. These types of attacks can often be thwarted by paying attention to a few key factors of the message:
Who is sending the email? Senders from outside our district require extra caution.
What are they sending? Suspicious requests, links or files should be avoided.
Why are they sending it to me? If you do not know the sender or context use caution.
If you suspect a phishing attempt, please forward the email to postmaster@auburn.wednet.edu or helpdesk@auburn.wednet.edu for further review.
Phishing Email Example
Helpdesk
Helpdesk
Are you leaving the district?
Are you leaving the district?
This is the time of year when ASD staff may be taking 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.
Follow our directions for Leaving the District to backup your materials swiftly and securely.
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.
Travelling overseas this summer?
Travelling overseas this summer?
Are you traveling outside of the USA* over the summer and would like access to your email? To protect staff and student data, we currently do not allow access to our Microsoft accounts from outside the country. This is due to hacking attempts that have come from foreign countries. We can, however, make exceptions for known staff for a specific window of time.
If you would like this enabled, please complete this form no later than five working days before you travel:
* Including territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, etc.)
Shout Outs!
Shout Outs!
Class Class? Tech Tech!
Class Class? Tech Tech!
Last month we hosted #ClassClassTechTech, and it was a blast! We had so much fun hosting educators from around our district to spend a day focused on technology and our youngest learners. Thank you to everyone that participated!
An extra special shout out to our amazing presenters:
Angelica Howell (Alpac), Erika Moore (Ilalko), Melissa Cox (Arthur Jacobsen), Sarah Spring (Ilalko), Sue Benes (Pioneer), Tammy House (Bowman Creek), Teresa Raymond (Chinook), Tiffany Read (Chinook)
Super Smash Bros. at Mount Baker Middle School
Super Smash Bros. at Mount Baker Middle School
DoT Technicians and Engineers experiencing humiliation at the hands of the Mt. Baker eSports team
A huge shout out to the eSports team at Mount Baker who invited the Department of Technology to their after school training to challenge them at Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo Switch.
Getting the team started has been the work of librarian Art Spencer as part of an Innovation Funds grant. He has worked closely with DoT to purchase the correct equipment, configure the network and accounts to ensure that his team can participate in local and regional competitions, while still keeping students safe.
Shout-out to the eSports coaches: Art Spencer, Scott Amundson, Jay Kemp, Francisco Sepulveda; and the players: Andrew O., Antonio C., Cameron V., Chloe R., Damian R., Daniel C., Desmond L., Esteban S., Ethan M., Florencio R., Hunter G., Jackson F., Jovany P., Kailey L., Karis L., Khymanie B., Liam C., Lucille M., Matthew P., Oliver A., Pablo C., and Reese L.
Who won between the technology professionals and the middle schoolers? Um, er... no comment.
DoT Junior Interns
DoT Junior Interns
Every year the Department of Technology offers our high school sophmores and juniors an opportunity to apply for the DoT Jr Intern program. This is a paid internship that introduces all areas of our technology department. Jr Interns learn about the Help Desk, addressing Chromebook issues (broken screens, keyboards, and other common issues presented by the TSSs), cybersecurity, and the Instructional Technology Team.
The 2022 Jr. Intern team consists of 8 Auburn School District students from Auburn HS, Mountainview HS, and Riverside HS. Pictured from left to right is Don, William, Raegan, Logan, Bailey, Ethan, Janine, and Yash!
Great job, Jr. Interns!
DoT Junior Interns working with the Instructional Technology Team presenting in the Board room.
Tech Tips Trivia Winners
Tech Tips Trivia Winners
Michelle Comstock (TP)
Bryan Rivera - DoT
Rose Gannon - AHS
Nicole Lockard - Cascade MS
Not pictured: Rachelle Mentink (AO)
YOU!
YOU!
You made it through the year, and even all the way to the end of this newsletter!
Have a wonderful summer, and we'll be back with more Tech Tips in September.
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