Media/Tech updates - week of September 25

Helping Students to Keep Safe Online

Classroom 

• Manage your stream by adjusting settings
• Disabling Code

Meets

• Chats
• Students Inviting others - Remind students that only adults should be inviting people to Meets.
• Resetting Link - often!

Resources

Quick Digital Literacy Lessons for Distance Learning

 Security Best Practices for Google Classroom and Meet

Meet Updates

• Change Layout 
• Turn chat on/off

Tips from WCPSS tech services

• To help with connectivity - Remove as many Chrome extensions and apps as possible. Clear out your history and cookies often (every week or two)
• RESTART (not Shut Down) you laptop at least once a day. This will push out any available updates. 

Media/Tech Updates Week of September 21

 

IMPORTANT: Student Security and Privacy

Please read this important information!  Student Security and Privacy

New Laptop Tips

Are you having issues with video freezing during Meets? Try this suggestion from WCPSS - Network Setting for IPv6    Also, be sure that you are RESTARTING (not shutting down) your laptop at least once a day. This will push out updates, including performing an automated Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter. 

Are your eyes weary from staring at the screen? Try setting your laptop to Night Light.

Zscaler message 

If your student is receiving a message about signing into a security service, please share the info below with him/her.

Zscaler fix

What is Zscaler?

Library Book Check Out is here! 

Please share this information with your students and families - Steps for Book Circulation and eBook Check Out  We will email students when their books are ready. As we begin this new process, please give us any feedback or suggestions as we'll be working to improve the process as needed. 

***Please do not take books from the library without letting us know. Now that students and staff are able to place books on hold, it will be very frustrating if someone has taken a book and it's not on the shelf. Additionally, we have a book quarantine process so we want to make sure all books stay clean. If you need books, feel free to place them on hold through Destiny OR send a text to Elizabeth or Andrea with a picture of the barcode. Thanks!

Student Security and Privacy Reminders

Student Pictures on Social Media

Please please remember that students' photos should NEVER be posted online along with their names. In addition, if you are posting students photos, every student should have photo permission. Photo permissions can be found on Rapid Identity under the Profiles tab.    ***Be overly protective of our students' safety.  

Approved Tools

Before using a new website, app, or extension, make sure that it is WCPSS approved.  More than ever, we need to protect our students' security and privacy. WCPSS has a process for analyzing and approving tools to be sure that they are safe. 

• WCPSS Approved Websites

         (in WakeID portal)

• WCPSS Approved Apps and Extensions

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/for_your_domain

Reach out to Andrea with any questions about this.

Book Check Out begins week of September 21

We are excited to share the following dates and information with you regarding book circulation for our students (and OF COURSE) staff! We miss finding books for y'all!

Please share the following information with your students:

• During supply pick up (Tuesday 9/15 & Wednesday 9/16) students are to return any UGTM books left over from this past school year.   
• Steps for Book Circulation  Students can begin to place holds on books. The first pick up day will be Sept. 24th 8:00am-4 pm
• NEEDED: donations of clean brown-paper grocery bags (not plastic grocery sacks). Plastic bin for bags will be near the office doors.

Thursday, Sept 24th:  1st Library Book Pick Up day! If students have placed holds on books, they will be checked out to them and ready for pick up between 8 am-4 pm.

Remember, we now have eBooks! For students not able to get to school for a book pick up, this is especially helpful.  eBook check out link and eBook instructions are included in the Steps for Book Circulation doc

Media/Tech Updates for week of September 7

Google Guardian

Allows guardians to receive Classroom email summaries.  More info here

Google Guardian Summaries for Teachers

Google Guardian Summaries for Parents

Security Best Practices for Google Meet and Google Classroom

https://bit.ly/32WtPIv

Great information about keeping your virtual space SAFE and functionally smoothly. 

Tumblebooks, PebbleGo, and Screencastify

New and renewed digital resources

Monitors 

For those who requested monitors, they are at school. We are waiting an order with cables to connect them to your laptop. You will receive an email when your monitor is ready to be picked up. 

For instructions on how to attach your monitor - 3 Ways to View your Students in Google Meet

New and Renewed Resources for Underwood

 PebbleGo (K-2) and PebbleGo  Next (3-5) w/ Spanish add-on

https://site.pebblego.com/login

* Students can access through Rapid Identity > Follett (Destiny) > Learning Links > See All

Username: underwood
Password: school

 Features:

Authentic read-aloud audio
Guided keyword search
Extended Learning including source citation, range maps, multimedia, activities and the ability to print the articles straight from the site

General Resources: https://www.pebblego.com/resources
Remote Learning Resources: https://www.pebblego.com/pebblego-remote-learning-days

Tumblebooks 

https://bit.ly/32SwhiW

* Students can access through Rapid Identity > Follett (Destiny) > Learning Links > See All

Username: ugtm

Password: books

Extensive collection of read alouds, to include Story Books (most popular), Read Alongs, Non-fiction,  Videos, Language Learning,  and Puzzles & Games. Kids LOVE Tumblebooks!

Screencastify 

If you do not already have the Screencastify extension, download the extension. Be sure you are logged into Screencastify with your work email. 

Resources from Screencastify

• A Beginner's Guide to Screencastify/Getting Started 
• Classroom Resources
• Screencast Certification