Category: Staff

Below are four blog posts that BrainPop called out recently.

As any parent knows, young children are hardwired to be curious about the world around them. That means asking questions—a lot of them. Experts say that children ask an average of 40,000 questions between the ages of two and five. A typical 4-year-old might ask as many as 300 questions a day! As children get older, the questions start to wane, leaving teachers with the challenge of trying to reignite that spark of curiosity.

Below are some highlights from NWEA’s latest newsletter.

75 digital tools and apps teachers can use to support formative assessment in the classroom

How consistent learning supports help math students succeed

What Daniel Pink can teach principals about timing . Good timing can help leaders succeed. In When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Daniel Pink shares research and advice on timing.

GUIDE
4 ways to challenge students through personalization
Personalizing instruction takes commitment and planning, but the potential rewards are worth it. There are proven practices that can streamline the process while still generating remarkable results.

ARTICLE
Charting a course: 3 ways assessment empowers students
Providing students with a clear view of where they stand is key to building a strong teacher-student partnership. Reliable assessment data they can use to plan next steps together is a good place to start.

GUIDE
Get ahead of the curve: How data can improve teaching and learning
To gain insights into student learning and enhance the classroom experience, teachers are turning to the rich data produced by assessments.

Happy Spring Break all!

For those of you about to begin a well deserved spring break, which we hope will be all you hope for and a bit more, before you leave Friday afternoon…

WOULD YOU PLEASE SECURE ALL VALUABLES in the classrooms and office spaces you inhabit. This includes laptops, document cameras, Apple TVs, remotes, and interactive pens.

Further, would you please make sure all iPads and Chromebooks are in their carts and those CARTS ARE LOCKED and plugged in before leaving.

Finally, would you please also POWER OFF any of the following equipment, if it is equipment you handle:

• projectors
• sound amps
• SmartBoards
• desktop computers
• monitors
• printers

THANK YOU for your cooperation.

Recently, we have noticed a surge in spear phishing campaigns targeting our staff members. These malicious attempts have originated from both external sources and compromised accounts within neighboring school districts. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of vigilance when it comes to email communication and provide tips on how to spot and avoid these types of phishing attacks.

 

Understanding Spear Phishing

Spear phishing is a highly targeted form of phishing attack in which cybercriminals use email or other electronic communications to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information or downloading malware. These attacks often appear to be from a trusted source, such as a colleague or a known organization. In our recent incidents, the attackers have been sharing documents, typically PDFs, that redirect users to malicious code when opened. Other recent spear phishing attempts have been from those claiming to be our superintendent, various principals or board members with an urgent request for select staffers to assist them with purchases or information.

Check the Sender’s Email Address

Always examine the sender’s email address, even if the email appears to come from a trusted source. Cybercriminals often create email addresses that look similar to legitimate ones but may have slight differences, such as extra characters or misspellings. If you notice anything unusual about the sender’s email address, do not open any attachments or click on any links.

Scrutinize Email Content

Phishing emails often contain subtle clues that something is not quite right. Look for unusual language, grammatical errors, or a sense of urgency that does not seem genuine. Be cautious of emails that request sensitive information or urge you to take immediate action.

Beware of Unexpected Attachments and Links

Be cautious when opening attachments or clicking on links in emails, especially if they are unexpected. Spear phishing campaigns often use malicious attachments or links to compromise your computer or steal your information. Instead of clicking on a link, manually type the website address into your browser to ensure you are visiting a legitimate site.

Verify Requests for Sensitive Information

If an email requests sensitive information or asks you to take an unusual action, always verify the request with the sender through a different communication channel. For example, if you receive an email from a colleague asking for your login credentials, call them to confirm the request is legitimate and if so, kindly remind them that login credentials should never be shared.

Keep Your Software Updated

While devices maintained by the district are automatically updated, it is important to note that your personal devices are just as important to protect. Regularly update your operating system, antivirus software, and other applications to ensure that you have the latest security patches. This can help protect your computer from malware that may be delivered through spear phishing attacks.

Report Suspicious Emails

If you suspect that an email is a phishing attempt, report it via gmail. If you have accidently clicked on a potentially malicious link or downloaded a potentially malicious file, please submit a service request.

 

Spear phishing attacks can have serious consequences, including the loss of sensitive information and compromised computer systems. By staying vigilant and following the tips outlined above, you can help protect yourself and our school district from these threats. Remember, when it comes to cybersecurity, we’re all in this together!

IXL has compiled a list of their top new features to help you students and staff get the most out of IXL.

Keep reading below for a roundup of releases from the past month, including video tutorials for English language arts skills, mobile support for IXL games, iPhone app support for the Real-Time Diagnostic, and more! To stay current with our latest updates, follow IXL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Table of contents

• Major releases
  • ELA video tutorials
    • ELA videos for pre-K and kindergarten
      IXL has added video tutorials for many of our Reading Foundations skills to help students learn how to read in a fun, engaging, and effective way. 
• Feature updates
  • Real-Time Diagnostic for iPhone
    • Learners can enter the Diagnostic arena on IXL’s iPhone app, and pinpoint their grade-level proficiencies in math and ELA wherever they are.
  • Mobile-friendly IXL games
    • Students can now play IXL games on mobile devices through a browser, giving them a new way to have fun and level up their knowledge on the go!
  • Games tracked in Live Classroom
  • Printable Student Quiz Results report
  • New Snapshot Growth report export options
  • Progress & Growth report date filter
• Skill plan updates and new skills
  • American Samoa standards skill plans
  • New math skill plans
  • New ELA skill plans
  • New ELA book study skills
  • New math skills
  • New science skill
• Additional releases
  • AU edition permanent skill IDs
  • New math video tutorials
  • Canadian video tutorials: grades 5 & 9
  • More math skills with Spanish support

Major releases

English language arts video tutorials

Lights, camera, action: English language arts video tutorials have arrived! IXL now has videos for nearly half of our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten Reading Foundations skills. These tutorials help students learn how to read in a fun, engaging, and effective way. They provide research-based direct instruction for early literacy skills like phonemic awareness, phonics, and sight words, and they align with the science of reading.

Like IXL’s math video tutorials, these videos can be accessed from the practice page of their associated skills by clicking the “Watch a tutorial” link. Check out a few examples below:

• Which two words start with the same sound?
• Read sight words set 1: ate, he, of, that, was
• Choose the correct digraph

We will continue to release more pre-K and kindergarten videos in the coming months.