Tech Bulletin - January 2022

Pitfalls to avoid in 2022 -

  • The Tech Coaches (George, Terri, Angela) are your best resources for support and help in tech learning and hybrid learning. Check out their resources to the left and below.

  • Everything is date sensitive - PowerSchool, T-Eval, Aesop, School Messenger - Please enter dates for assignments, grades, observations, days absent, school messages CAREFULLY and ACCURATELY. Now we are in 2022 and dates are 1/10/22 or 1/10/2022, but observations from December were in 2021. Seems silly but incorrectly entered dates are a common tech error at this time of the year.

  • You will read below about the importance of keeping yours and the students' Chromebooks up-to-date on the current version. Ms. Brisini has previously shared that you can check the Chrome OS version on any Chromebook.: Log out completely and select the keys ALT and V. On the top right, you will see the Chrome OS version listed. We should be on Chrome OS Version 96, soon 97.

  • It was at about this time several years ago that the District made it possible for staff and students to subscribe to the online New York Times. That subscription must be renewed each year. Here are the directions for renewing your access.

Bloomfield Teachers' Academy

Spring 2022

Relevant Dates -

Course Proposals - Mon, Jan 10 to Thu, Jan 20

Approval/Review of Courses - Fri, Jan 21 to Sun, Jan 23

Registration for Approved Courses - Mon, Jan 24 to Fri, Feb 4 (3 PM)

Switch Registrations from Cancelled Classes: Mon, Feb 7 (3 PM)

BOE Approval of Class Lists & Course Offerings - Tue, Feb 8

First Date Courses Could be Offered - Wed, Feb 9, Last Day - Fri, June 20

Please consider sharing your insights and best teaching practices with your peers by leading a BTA Course. Teachers serve as Instructors of approved courses for their peers. Courses may be either in-person, or offered remotely.

In submitting a course proposal, instructors are asked to consult with their Supervisor/Principal. Be sure to include specific dates and times and a location (room number) for the course -or indicate it will be offered via Google Meet. Please do not schedule a course to begin before Wed, Feb 9.

With both Course Proposals and Registrations, please log into the SharePoint as yourself and create or edit records only for yourself.

You can view all course proposals as they are being created, but edit only ones that you create. You can return up to the deadline to edit your proposal.

Please note that Instructors are responsible for reserving a room or providing the Google Meet Link for the class, as well as contacting registrants about any changes in plans.

For a fuller explanation of the guidelines and practices for the BTA please click here.

Google Groups

Prior to Google Classroom, one way to communicate with classes of students was use of Google Groups. Teachers can still create ad hoc groups for students who are in clubs, extra-curriculars, etc., and communicate with them via single email. simply follow these directions. You create the name and email address for the group. You also decide who can participate in the group: Anyone who wants; only whom you assign; or you can allow users to ask to join. Teachers can assign students as managers of the group, so that those managers can add and remove members.

What students cannot do -or can no longer do- is create their own groups. Teachers will always be members of the groups and receive all communications. K-6 students are restricted to sending and receiving emails within the District domain.

All group emails are archived.

Tech Support

All Tech Support for student devices continues through the school Library. Your school Librarian will provide a loaner device for a student, as needed, and turn-in the student Chrome for repair as needed.

In so far as you are able, teachers can offer 'first-line' troubleshooting by making sure that the student Chromebook has been updated, or removing all profiles from the device. See directions below.

Please do NOT send parents or students to the HS Help Desk. All support should come from the school library.

Teachers & staff should continue to use Spiceworks to report problems and difficulties.

Check for updates to the Chrome OS yourself

  1. Turn on your Chromebook.

  2. Connect your Chromebook to Wi-Fi.

  3. At the bottom right, select the time.

  4. Select Settings .

  5. At the bottom of the left panel, select About Chrome OS.

  6. Under "Google Chrome OS," you'll find which version of the Chrome operating system your Chromebook uses.

  7. Select Check for updates.

  8. If your Chromebook finds a software update, it will start to download automatically.


Remove all profiles from a Chromebook

You can resolve many issues with Chromebooks by removing all accounts or profiles from the device. When you remove an account, it’s only removed from the Chromebook. The Google Account itself, including its data and settings, will still exist.

To remove accounts-

  1. On the Chromebook sign-in screen, select the profile you want to remove.

  2. Next to the profile name, select the Down arrow .

  3. Select Remove this user.

  4. In the box that appears, select Remove this user.

When you have removed all profiles, log back in with the assigned username and password.


Most Recent Tech Tuesdays from Mrs. Hughes at the MS -​

On Tue, Jan 4, 2022 at 8:00 AM Hughes, Theresa wrote:

With some students being virtual during the next two weeks and if the idea of teaching to a black screen does not appeal to you, try reminding students that they can change their Meet background. This can be done before or during the Google Meet.


Before the Meet

  1. Go to Google Meet and then select a meeting.

  2. On the bottom right of your self view, click Apply visual effects .

  3. To completely blur your background, click Blur your background .

  4. To slightly blur your background, click Slightly blur your background .

  5. To select a pre-uploaded background, click a background.

  6. To add a style to your video, click a style.

  7. Click Join Now.


During the Meet

  1. On the bottom, click More.

  2. Click Apply visual effects .

  3. To completely blur your background, click Blur your background .

  4. To slightly blur your background, click Slightly blur your background .

  5. To select a pre-uploaded background, click a background.

  6. To add a style to your video, click a style.


--

Terri Hughes

Technology Coach

Bloomfield Middle School

@BMSTechCoach


​On Tue, Dec 21, 2021 at 8:00 AM Hughes, Theresa wrote:

Google has announced their favorite Chrome extensions of 2021. I thought you might recognize some you are already familiar with and maybe try something new.


Communicate and Collaborate

Loom makes it easier to capture and share videos with others, while Mote allows you to give quick feedback through voice commenting and transcripts. Wordtune also helps you clearly communicate by rephrasing sentences and catching typos in emails and documents.

Stay Productive

Forest gamifies productivity through virtual tree planting and rewards, and Dark Reader protects your eyes. Tab Manager Plus also saves you from drowning in a sea of never-ending tabs, and Nimbus Screenshot & Screen Video Recorder makes it easier to quickly screenshot and record content to share across platforms.


Learn Virtually

Kami creates an interactive online learning space for students and teachers, and InsertLearning helps you easily take notes and integrates with Google Classroom. Meanwhile, Toucan makes learning a new language fun and immersive, and Rememberry organizes vocabulary words into flashcard decks for quick studying throughout the day.


Make (and Save) Some Change

To give your browsing experience a personal twist, Stylus helps you build and install custom themes and skins for your favorite sites. And Rakuten puts cash back in your pocket by automatically finding coupons and deals across the web.



--

Terri Hughes

Technology Coach

Bloomfield Middle School

@BMSTechCoach