January 2025

Tech Tips

⭐ Tech Connect - Registration is now open! ⭐

8th February, 2025 - 8:30am-3:30pm - Terminal Park Elementary

7 STEM Clock Hours - $250 stipend

We are excited to announce that Tech Connect, our annual conference for teachers, by teachers is now open for registration at the link below.

This year our keynote speaker is Tyler Rablin, an instructional coach from Sunnyside School District and author of the book Hacking Student Motivation. He will talk about practical AI applications in the classroom, and how it can create rigorous instruction to get students excited to learn. He will be joined by over 20 Auburn teachers who will lead breakout workshops and sessions to share how they are successfully integrating technology in their classrooms.

All certificated teachers will receive 7 STEM clock hours and a $250 stipend for attendance.

One hour lunch, on your own. Please bring your own, or visit one of the nearby restaurants.

✨ Register for Tech Connect! ✨

Helpdesk

Got a new phone? Don't forget Duo!

If you were lucky enough to get a new phone over the holidays, or you're planning on upgrading soon, please remember that you will need to reinstall and reactivate the Duo Mobile app. You will need to call or visit the ASD Helpdesk to finalize setup of your app and ensure that you can have uninterrupted access to your computer, email, Skyward, and Google Drive.

Instructional Technology

Say Hello to Google Vids

Drum roll 🥁 please - Google Vids is here! This is Google's newest addition to their suite of available tools. Think a mix between Google Slides and the recording features of Flip (RIP 🪦). This is a great new addition to use with your students in Google Classroom! Vids has the ability to record a video, only audio, or recording screen with either one of those options. You can create a template and assign it in Google Classroom, just like you would with Docs or Slides. You have the ability to set it to view only, all students edit, or make a copy for each student. Students also could use Vids to create a video or audio response to work without teachers having to create something ahead of time - a great UDL feature!

As you start to explore Vids and use it with students, let your Tech Coach know how it goes. We would love to hear from you!

Updates to Activity Creation in Seesaw

One of things that makes Seesaw a powerful instructional tool is the fact that teachers can create their own activities to fit the needs of the classrooms, all while giving students choice, voice, and access. Seesaw has a brand new creation page for teachers when they are designing their own activities. These hopefully will save teachers time, but they also more clearly highlight options for teachers to consider providing their students. In this new design is a brand new feature: portfolios! With the click of a button, a teacher can add in a portfolio template to then customize to fit the needs of the students and their classroom goals. Check out this article to learn more.

Looking for support or a think partner in creating Seesaw activities? Reach out to your Tech Coach!

This is an example of one Seesaw logbook activity for first grade.

PhD Science Logbooks and Seesaw

One big project we have been working on in partnership with the Department of Student Learning is creating Seesaw versions of the K-2 PhD Science Logbooks. We are so excited about this! This is a work in progress, so not everything is finished yet - getting close though! Some of the Seesaw versions are designed to be a direct replacement of the paper version and some of them are meant to be more of a "show and tell" of their logbook entry for the day. Our goal in creating these logbooks is to bring a UDL-focus to our science learning. The logbooks have a focus on capturing student learning via writing and drawing, but the Seesaw versions bring in the option for students to have choice and variety in their response. We know this will support teachers in knowing more about the knowledge their students gain throughout the modules.

There will be a session offered during the Winter Training Series to give folks time to explore these resources and provide more information to help teachers be successful in bringing these versions into their classrooms. All the logbooks will be finished in time for this. If you want to start exploring early, all activities can be found in the district library in Seesaw and also linked on the science website.

Tech Tools

Securly Classroom Updates

One recent update to Securly Classroom allows students to be added to multiple class sessions at once. This can be a very useful feature for teachers to monitor their students who move between multiple classrooms or that receive services in different locations.

Another new update allows teachers to create student groups. Teachers can create multiple groups for each of their classes and can easily toggle between the default view and Group Views.

Google Slides Templates

You may have noticed that Google Slides recently introduced a new collection of modern, professionally designed templates to help users build presentations much faster. These new templates are different from "themes," and cater to a wide range of use cases that provide users with the perfect starting point for their presentations. Both staff and students may find these helpful!

Access these templates using the new "Templates" button in the Slides toolbar or by going to Insert > Templates. Once clicked, you can browse the collection, select a template that aligns with your vision and style, and choose to insert all slides or just the ones you need before personalizing the template with your own content. Happy creating!

ParentSquare: Post or Direct Message?

It's time to communicate with your families, should you create a Post or send a Direct Message? Direct Messages are like text messages meant for short conversational back-and-forth chats. Posts are more like emails that share informational content and have the ability to format text (bold, underline, colors) or insert graphics. Posts also have add-on features (calendar, RSVP, volunteers) and can be scheduled in advance.

We've created the chart to help you decide if your next communication should be a post or direct message. Learn more about best practices between these two features.

Digital Citizenship

Beware of AI "Slop"

As Artificial Intelligence becomes ever more prevalent online, our chances of encountering low-quality content or "slop" increases. As educators, we can often turn to YouTube for explainer videos to help students with concepts, but many of these are now completely AI-generated with no human oversight. This means they are unreliable and shouldn't be used with students before double-checking their content. Even when factually correct, the accompanying visuals and audio may be inappropriate or harmful.

The video next to this article is an example of AI slop, which seems useful at first, but reveals itself to be unverified and completely AI-generated (script, voice, visuals, music, and editing). Remember the ASD AI Guidelines and always check AI output before presenting to students.

Data Security

Protect Student Information by Extending Your Screen

Do you connect your Chromebook to your classroom display? Do you also use your Chromebook for Skyward, email, and other apps with student information? If so, make sure that you protect that information by extending your display instead of mirroring. This allows you to keep student info on your Chromebook screen, and all your instructional materials on the classroom display,

To quickly change from mirror to extend, simply press Ctrl + [fullscreen]

Skyward

Tile Layout and Dashboard Library

Skyward has released enhancements to dashboards within Administrative and Teacher Access. Tiles will look slightly different and have different options in three of the corners. Starting with the upper left, hovering over the dots will change your mouse pointer into a hand. Hold and drag to rearrange tiles to new positions. Moving to the upper right, click on the down arrow to display a menu list with choices for refresh, configuration, or delete. Finally, the lower right diagional lines will allow the tile to be resized.

The next change is the ability to choose an Auto or Manual Layout. In an auto layout tiles move based on screen size. If you transition between a laptop/Chromebook and large monitor tiles will wrap as the screen size is changed. In the manual layout tiles do not move, instead scroll bars will appear to move up or down, left or right to view all tiles within a smaller screen area. The manual option also allows for added white space between tiles.

The final addition is the Dashboard Library. This will display available widgets based on a user's security to Skyward created interactive dashboard options. Choose to add these items to your own dashboard.

Secondary Report Cards

Starting in the 25-26 school year, middle school and high school report cards will only be available electronically. Paper copies will be available only upon request. Families will receive a notification when the report card is ready and with just a few clicks, they will be able to securely view and download report cards through ParentSquare. Families who want to access the report card in a language other than English, can now open the report card in Family Access and use the translation feature in their browser. These two great tools make communicating to families even easier.

Shout outs!

Fun with Robotics at Gildo Rey

Students at Gildo Rey have been busy engaging in learning with robotics during their library time! Librarian Shawn Welsh used two types of robotics kits available in the district to plan learning experiences for his students. He created a "Map of Auburn" with stores, parks, restaurants, etc. for students to use with the Pro-Bots (a little yellow car robot). For the Code and Go Mice, he created a grid to be able to tape items to, such as pictures from a story. Students have been programming the mice to put events in order. We love to see students working collaboratively to engage in Computer Science to learn concepts connected to other standards. Way to go, Shawn, and thank you for sharing this with us! 🎉

Interested in using robotics to teach core concepts in your classroom? Reach out to your Tech Coach! We would love to partner with you on projects like this.

High School Teacher Feature

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