Remember To Please Submit a Service Request if/when seeking Tech support

With over 2,000 staff members and over 15,000+ devices to support, it’s important to have a system to track issues, document trends, and assign support to the appropriate technicians or tech integration specialists. If you are needing assistance with anything technology related, we ask that you use the Service Request ticketing system. There are a couple of ways to access this system.

Go to links.pccsk12.com/helpdesk

Once there, to log in, you will input your district GMAIL Email address for your “Username”.

For “Password” you will input your network password (not necessarily your Google password) – Your network password is the password you use to log onto a district desktop computer.

Then you fill out the service form with the details that best describes your situation and support needs.

Alternatively, to locate the service portal…

  1. Browse to the PCCS Website: http://www.pccsk12.com
  2. Hover over Staff
  3. Click on Technology Service Request

If you might submit more than one service ticket during the year, consider bookmarking the Service Desk url by clicking the Star on the right side of the address bar (see pic below), so that it is easy to locate the page again.

Printing Large PDFs from Rubicon Atlas or Elsewhere? Read this.

Chrome is a great browser for many things, but it’s come to our attention that it doesn’t handle some of the larger pdfs that teachers and staff need to print, particularly the large curriculum pdfs from Rubicon Atlas, and it thereby affects your ability to print via the browser.  By default and for convenience, Chrome opens the pdfs in your browser, but it’s best when dealing with larger and longer pdf files to click the pop-up menu (^) next to the downloaded pdf file in the Chrome browser. See below, and please submit a service request if you are having trouble with the process.

 

How can students use Read&Write for Google in Google Forms Quiz while in locked mode?

Students wishing to use Read&Write while in locked mode simply need to launch Read&Write BEFORE entering the locked Google Form.

Premium users will have access to the most common accessibility and productivity tools such as Text to Speech, Word Prediction, and Talk&Type dictation. Some features, such as the ability to collect highlights, build vocabulary lists, and web search, will be disabled due to the nature of the locked mode. 

RW4G Locked Mode in Forms Quick Reference Guide 5.2019

RW4G @ P-CCS weblink

Finite Resources – Secure 1:1 Classroom & Media Center Devices

As the tech department works throughout the district and observes all the wonderful things being done with technology to support student learning, we are reminded that we have a precious resource in our technology-rich environment.  Because resources are finite, we are reminding all classroom teachers and staff to remain vigilant in securing the 1:1 and cart-based devices in our classrooms and media centers. As you know, these are highly desirable devices and given that our buildings are often very much open to the public, we need to secure the devices each afternoon before leaving for the day, and during intervals in between when the devices are unattended.

If you are aware that there is an issue with the locking mechanism on a cart, or a key has been misplaced, please submit a service request immediately, and make sure your existing key is in a safe place that is not easily accessible when not in use.

Slido is new polling tool for your classroom & Google Slides

Slido is a polling tool that has recently launched a Google Slides add-on and a corresponding Chrome extension. With Slido installed you can create polls directly in the Google Slides editor. The poll will appear as a slide in your presentation. The poll slide includes your question and the directions for your students to respond to your poll.

When your students responds to your poll, their responses will appear on the slide. By using Slido‘s Google Slides add-on you don’t have to toggle between your presentation and a polling website in order to view poll responses.

Need an alternative or supplement to YouTube? Check out Boclips

Boclips for teachers is a subject-rich platform with ad-free content that takes a lot of stress out of showing videos in class; videos are searchable by length, age range, and topic.

It’s a pressure-free place to start looking for high-quality videos to supplement existing lessons in traditional, one-to-one, or flipped classroom models.

It’s free, so sign up and try it out by visiting https://www.boclips.com/teachers

To see a listing of their more than 120 content partners and details to explore those channels, visit https://www.boclips.com/content-partners

 

How do I know what apps are available on my K-2 iPads? How do I get other apps for my student iPads?

Teachers with K-2 students and iPads, please keep in mind that you can visit the following link to know what iPad apps are available on district student iPads: https://tech.pccsk12.com/mdm-apps/

As new apps are requested and approved, these pages will be updated. Please notice that when you navigate to the page, you can click on either Filewave or eSpark since the app sets available to students are different depending on whether or not your building uses eSpark or IXL. Once on the particular MDM’s page, you can click “Install” to be taken to a page with more details on that app, but you don’t need to download/install it from that page.

For those at Filewave schools (not where eSpark is used) please see these directions for how to add apps to student ipads using Filewave: bit.ly/filewavehowto

eSpark iPads have a fixed set of apps that are automatically pushed to the iPads once apps are requested or approved. That said, due to the nature of how eSpark works, students have a custom set of apps based on their individual needs.

For help and training in your classroom with any of this, please remember that you can request Tech Integration Help via the Tech Department Service Request System (JIRA): Service ticket

 

Read&Write for Google Tool of the Week: PDF Reader & Toolbar

Read&Write for Google PDF Reader

The Read&Write for Google PDF Reader toolbar can be used to access PDF files in the Chrome browser. Students and staff can use supports like text to speech, word prediction, talking and picture dictionaries, study skills highlighters and more.

The PDF Reader allows for SEAMLESS Google Classroom Integration! This makes it possible to go COMPLETELY PAPERLESS! Check it out!

RW4G@PCCS website: PDF Reader
https://sites.google.com/pccsk12.com/rw4g-pccs/toolbars/pdf-reader-toolbar?authuser=0

RW4G@PCCS website: Tools Demo
https://sites.google.com/pccsk12.com/rw4g-pccs/toolbars/tools-demo

Read&Write for Google PDF Reader Tip Sheet
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KdbbIIvAz_66AIE5e3xsZdNYvhLGqERpjfkKLkMmEFo/view