IT News and Notes - November 2023

AI / ChatGPT

There sure has been a lot of AI buzz! If you have not already done so, you may be looking for a starting point to explore some of the possibilities of AI/ChatGPT. Here are some steps you could take to help you get started:

1. Familiarize Yourself: Take some time to explore the capabilities of ChatGPT. Experiment with various prompts and observe how the model responds. Familiarity with its functions will empower you to use it effectively in different educational contexts.

2. Identify Use Cases: Consider the areas where ChatGPT could be most beneficial in your teaching area. Whether it's lesson planning, student interaction, or administrative tasks, pinpointing your needs will guide how you integrate this tool into your workflow.

3. Experiment in a Controlled Setting: Start small by experimenting with ChatGPT in a controlled setting. Use it to draft a lesson plan, generate a couple of quiz questions, or create an interactive lesson. Evaluate how it aligns with your teaching style and enhances the learning experience.

In January, our Instructional Coaches will offer AI/Chat GPT professional learning for teachers in Grades 6-12. An email with details on how to sign up for these sessions will be sent in mid-December.

Canva

Canva is a district-approved program found in Clever. Canva's user-friendly graphic design platform makes creating visual communication projects easy for students and teachers. The program offers a vast library of templates, graphics, and customizable elements that users can use.

One new feature that Canva just recently released is its PDF Editor. Do you have a worksheet that needs some sprucing up or an informational PDF that needs some changes? Check out how easily this can be done using Canva's online PDF editor. It is as easy as going to Clever and clicking on Canva. Click on Design Spotlight / PDF Editor. From there, upload your PDF and start making changes!

Approved Programs

The district continues to prioritize both effective tools and student data security. On the Distrcit Page in Clever, teachers and students will find all of the Distrcit-approved and supported programs. Currently, we have 57 of the 61 district-approved / purchased programs with links in Clever. Please note that you and your students will ONLY see the programs available for your grade level. Also, looking at the Clever image below, the district approved resources can be found on the District Page Tab. Teachers have the ability to add other links to their Teacher Pages, but these links should not include sites that require student accounts.

District Approved / Non-Supported "FREE" Programs where a SDPA has been SECURED

While our preference is for district-approved programs, we've secured agreements for specific "FREE" ones. As of our last IT News and Notes, we had secured 11 of these agreements. We are currently up to 23 programs. The list of these district approved / non-supported "FREE" programs is below:

Actively Learn
Blooket
Code.org
Common Lit
Conjuguemos
Delta Math
DESMOS
Edpuzzle

Eduflow
Explain Everything
Formative
Gimkit
iXL math
KHAN ACADEMY
Lucid Chart
No Red Ink

Noodletools
Padlet
Quill
Quizizz
Readworks
Story Board
Verso

Failure to protect student and staff information can result in financial and reputational loss, including significant costs for resolving a data breach or cybersecurity attacks and loss of confidence in the district by the public.

Loop

We have seen the use of Loop climb exponentially over the last few weeks. One of the big reasons was a Lunch and Learn offered by our High School Instructional Coaches. Above is just one of the slides they shared with teachers comparing the two primary tools in Loop - Announcements and Message Center. Please contact your Instructional Coach for help using this "NEW" Communication Tool. Thank you to Patti Talarczyk, and all of our Instructional Coaches for supporting our teachers and staff using Loop!

IT Tips and Tricks

One of the more common issues with Chromebooks is the device locking up and appearing to not even charge. Here is an IT Tips and Tricks video from Todd that provides a keystroke to fix this issue and get the student's device back working immediately without needing IT intervention. Check out this Chromebook Tip!

UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!

One of the most important steps you can take to make sure your device and all of the data on it is secure is to UPDATE your operating system. ! The GIF here reminds you of how to update your MacBook to the latest operating system Sonoma!

A Little IT Humor

Doug always manages to keep things light around our IT office, so each month, he will share something funny relating to the articles in IT News and Notes. Doug says "This may be you when you discover you are one of the last ones to update your MacBook!"