Category: Blog

Access to Flash-based browser content ends in December, 2020

Adobe Flash has been supporting online games, content, and interactive features since 1996. But due to the changing and evolving of newer technologies other mediums such as HTML5 which are more power-efficient and faster, Flash has become less and less popular. At one point 80% of the content on the internet was Flash-based. Since 2017, that number is down to 17%. Due to this, Adobe has determined an End of Life (EOL) date of December 31st, 2020 for the plugin.

What does this mean?

Many different learning websites including sites such as Starfall and CoolMathGames were entirely Flash-based. When the announcement by Adobe was made to end Flash (plugin player support/updates and distribution), many websites started to convert their content to HTML5 and other delivery mechanisms. However, it is up to websites to make this transition. So, as you are planning different learning activities for students, please ensure that you have vetted the website to see if it relies on Flash. A way to check to see if a site uses Flash, Right-clicking on any part of a website will make a box appear with options you can click on. If you see Zoom in at the top of the box and About Adobe Flash Player at the bottom of the box, then you know that you have Flash on the website.

If the site migrates to open web standards (such as HTML5), you shouldn’t notice much difference except that you’ll no longer see prompts to run Flash on that site. If the site continues to use Flash, and you give the site permission to run Flash, it will only work through the end of 2020.

For more information please check out these articles:

https://www.blog.google/products/chrome/saying-goodbye-flash-chrome/

https://theblog.adobe.com/adobe-flash-update/

Cleaning Your Smartboard

Elementary instructional staff — Please follow these guidelines to clean your SMART Board (interactive flat panel – IFP):

You will probably want to clean your SMART Board about 1x a month (or more often if used regularly). You should clean your SMART Board while the computer is turned OFF.

If you clean your SMART Board while it and your computer are on it is recommended that you lock the screen so you don’t mess up things on your computer. Go to the blue icon with the white circle at the bottom right of your screen, control panel and then lock screen. To unlock the screen you will need to click on the unlock icon using the mouse on your computer.

Details

To clean the writing surface or screen, use Windex glass cleaner. Just spray the cleaner on a soft cloth or paper towel and wipe the screen surface. Avoid spraying the cleaner directly on the screen, since the cleaner may damage components if it runs into the edge of the screen.

Warning

Do not apply isopropyl alcohol, water or acetone to the back surface of the screen. These fluids could damage the diffusion coating, resulting in a permanent deterioration in display quality. If you do smudge this surface, wipe it carefully with an alcohol-free glass cleaner. Do not spray the cleaner directly onto the back of the screen. Spray the cleaner lightly on a cloth, and then gently dab the surface until the marks are removed.

Note

To remove permanent marker ink from the screen, use a cleaner such as Expo Board Doctor. If you have high-odor dry-erase markers (not non-scented markers), you can cover the permanent ink with the ink from a dry-erase marker, and then wipe with a soft cloth or paper towel while the ink is still wet. If any trace of the original permanent ink remains, spray a cloth with Windex glass cleaner or Expo Board cleaner and wipe the area clean.

Google for Education newsletters and Education blog

As a reminder, about once a month Google publishes their Google for Education newsletter filled with brief news items with clickable links that might be of interest. Check out past issues HERE and/or Sign up to have Google for Education updates, including GfE newsletters emailed directly to your inbox.

You might also want to check out Google’s Education blog.

Note, some of the product news you will see are feature enhancements only available, initially, to those participating in Google’s Early Adopter Program (EAP), or other beta Programs. As a district we have chosen to not sign up for them, and consequently not permit user access because their terms of use permit much more liberal access for Google and third parties to our student data and we take very seriously our charge to preserve and safeguard that data. We regret any inconvenience such a conservative stance might pose and are hopeful that soon piloted features are incorporated into our formal G Suite Core Services agreement which has much greater restrictions on what Google is permitted to do with our data, but until they are, otherwise appealing features will continue to remain unavailable. The good news is, as features are vetted, they often make their way from EAP et al to Core Services and are incorporated within six to nine months of initial release.

Doodle for Google Classroom Opportunity: Theme of Kindness!

Doodle for Google is an annual contest open to students in grades K-12. Students are invited to create their own Google Doodle for the chance to have it featured on Google.com, as well as win some great scholarships and tech packages for their schools. This year’s deadline for entries is March 13th.

Why is Google doing this contest?

Doodles are meant to surprise and delight people when they visit Google.com. Past Doodles have celebrated some of the most brilliant, talented, and passionate people throughout history. Doodle for Google offers students K-12 an opportunity to display their own artwork on Google.com.

This year’s Doodle for Google theme is:

“I SHOW KINDNESS BY…”

Friendship, smiles, thank yous, and hugs.

But kindness is so much more than just being nice. This year’s theme invites you to tell us how you show kindness. Is it by helping around your home? Volunteering in your community’s green space? Maybe it’s comforting someone who’s down, or picking up trash in the park.

However you define it, let Google know how you bring a little bit more kindness into the world. Take your ideas and bring them to life in your doodle!

Windows 7 EOL (End of Life) is January 14, 2020

This is a friendly reminder for those that use a non-district computer running Windows 7, you may be interested to learn more about what its EOL means by reading this support article from Microsoft. It’s possible you may be able to upgrade the computer to Windows 10 via this page after researching the computer’s specifications and licensing. It’s also possible you may want to consider replacing the computer with one that can more readily handle a newer and more secure operation system. Bottom line, the Windows 7 computer will continue to run, but with each passing month it will be more susceptible to compromise since no further support updates will be provided after January.

Educator Richard Byrne’s favorite new and updated WEB 2.0 Tools in the year that was 2019

Educator and technologist Richard Byrne shared his 2019 picks of potentially useful Web 2.0 websites that are accessible, free, classroom appropriate and browser-based at his blog. Interested educators may want to consider skimming his posting to learn a bit more about sites such as VidReader (create transcripts of YouTube videos), Canva (online presentation, brochure, infographic creator — teachers can get all of the pro features of Canva for free as well as Pro licensing for one class of 30 students — see this posting for more ideas), and Glide (easily turns any Google sheet into a mobile app).

REMC is Now Offering NINE (9) free Virtual Courses every month!

REMC Virtual Courses program is expanding! Now the REMC Virtual Courses program is offering nine (9) new courses each month. Registration is free and each course provides 10 free SCECHs.

REGISTER NOW

Nine courses are offered beginning January. Each course is open for three weeks and consists of two (2) one-hour “live” webinars that are recorded and available for viewing later and eight (8) hours of resource review, assessment developments and written reflection. All REMC courses are open to all Michigan school personnel. There are no registration or SCECH fees because REMC SAVE partners provide support for all REMC Professional Learning opportunities.

January 2020 Course Information
January courses begin on Monday, January 6. The deadline for registration is Friday, January 3.

21things4students – Ready, Get set, Go
Coding in the Classroom
Increasing Efficiency and Productivity
Leading a Culture of Change in your School
Introduction to Personalized & Blended Learning for ALL Students, Level 1
Literacy Instruction and Technology: Foundational Elements, Level 1
A Practical Guide to Global Success Skills in the Classroom for the 21st Century and Beyond
Google: Applying Google Apps for Education in Chrome, Level 1
Authentic Student Learning & Gamification

Courses descriptions are provided below. If you have questions or need further assistance with your course registration, please contact Erin Rommeck.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

21things4students – Ready, Get set, Go
January 6 | 10 SCECHs

Come explore an outstanding that helps students build technology proficiency for real-world success!y in the middle school classroom. Participants will develop a plan for implementing the Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies (MITECS) in their own classrooms and content areas using the project-based 21t4s resources. The 21 Things that are composed of: lesson plans, student quests, roadmaps, assessments, animated videos, and much more. The 21things4students (21t4s) resources are free, high quality, and openly licensed educational resources that are aligned to Michigan standards for Grades 5-9. Teachers say that these engaging resources are helping students build technology proficiency for real-world success! This course will help participants explore and learn about the resources.

Coding in the Classroom
January 6 | 10 SCECHs

Coding is becoming an essential classroom skill. It inspires critical thinking, engages students’ problem-solving skills and promotes creativity. By combining coding and technology to tell stories and create, STEM becomes STEAM! Teachers and students can learn to code using several introductory coding programs designed for K-12 students. We will introduce several free coding platforms, hardware, plus teaching strategies and lessons so that participants will be comfortable coding by the course conclusion.

Increasing Efficiency and Productivity
January 6 | 10 SCECHs

Become more productive, efficient and organized in your professional and personal life. Increase and improve productivity using apps and other simple technology. In this independent learning unit, we introduce applications that are tried and true. Learn how to use them with students and in classrooms. Tech Tip: When selecting an app, learn to use it regularly. For example, update and check a calendar each day. Or create tasks in a list app, then complete and check them off. Tech Tip: Don’t try using everything at once. Start with one or two applications and then add more as needed.

Leading a Culture of Change in your School
January 6 | 10 SCECHs

Explore the essential needs of Leadership and Culture. This course is designed for school, district, and teacher leaders who wish to implement a change effort in their school or schools. Leaders is a broad category and can include coaches, teachers, technology specialists, aspiring leaders, or others interested in supporting school change. This course will focus on technology initiatives and other ideas that incorporate change.

Introduction to Personalized & Blended Learning for ALL Students, Level 1
January 6 | 10 SCECHs

Getting started with blended learning is simple. Lay the groundwork with effective strategies to support professional growth and applications for student learning. Study different structures in the classroom and outside the school. Explore the different approaches and find the best methods to support students’ blended learning experience.

Literacy Instruction and Technology: Foundational Elements, Level 1
January 6 | 10 SCECHs

The course opens by providing the foundational elements of literacy development from kindergarten to high school, and the importance of teaching critical thinking skills. The literacy component provides an understanding of the developmental stages of reading and writing for elementary teachers. For secondary educators, the literacy component provides a deeper understanding of how students may struggle with reading content. During the second half of the course, an array of technology tools and resources will be introduced. The instructor will hare differentiated examples of technology integration for elementary and secondary classrooms. Participants will learn how to provide critical thinking opportunities in literacy, and design a lesson integrating technology and encouraging deeper thinking for their students.

A Practical Guide to Global Success Skills in the Classroom for the 21st Century and Beyond
January 6 | 10 SCECHs

Global Success Skills (GSS) are critical to student development to ensure students can successfully navigate college and career opportunities. A 2016 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employees (NACE) identified a high need for entry-level students and employees to have practical skills in the following areas: leadership, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.

This course provides an in-depth understanding the Global Success Skills. Learn how to apply the skills in classroom instruction and professional growth lessons. Personalize learning experience by choosing areas to explore using the tools provided in class.

Google: Applying Google Apps for Education in Chrome, Level 1
January 6 | 10 SCECHs

Google Apps for Education provides an expansive repertoire of tools for empowering students and managing instruction. Master the basics: how to create documents and share them with students, colleagues or parents.

Understand sharing options.
Navigate the Chrome Web Store to find and install apps targeted for student learning.
Install, explore and utilize new Google Apps and/or Chrome extensions that leverage the impact of technology integration and using Chromebooks.
Appreciate the transformation these tools have on teaching and learning by providing seamless access to information, not confined to the school day or classroom.

Authentic Student Learning & Gamification
January 6 | 10 SCECHs

Explore the many elements of game mechanics that can also be used for classroom instruction! Examine the purpose and use of Gamification and Game-Based Learning. Uncover how Gamification and Game-Based Learning provide rich, unique experiences for student learning. The course itself models the Gamification style so participants will gain deep Gamification experience as well as experience in games that reflect the Game-Based Learning approach.

New Seesaw Feature!

Send Post Back to Student

If your class is set to email sign in or 1:1 devices sign in for students, Seesaw has added a new tool to improve the feedback loop between students and teachers. This feature lets you send back a post to a student so they can do another revision before it’s shared with classmates or families.

From the Unapproved Items screen, use the comment tool to leave them a comment, then tap “Send Back” to send the work back to them. They’ll be notified that the post was sent back and can edit their post and return it to you when they’re ready for another review.

Saturdays With Moodle

The Dearborn Public Schools Technology Department is excited to announce a professional development opportunity for teachers: the Saturdays with Moodle series! They will offer 5 classes all about Moodle and some of its more popular features. Attend as many classes as you desire, and leave with something you can use in your classroom the next week! All classes are at the Administrative Service Center, 18700 Audette in Dearborn, and run from 9:00 am-1:15 pm. Cost is $50 per class.

See this flyer for registration information.
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1OZSwiNbbdHkYIp1qHHCBH_5Lu0pucPKMnwUPhOzi1do/edit