NEW DRAG AND DROP FEATURE COMING TO CANVAS!
Canvas users no longer have to upload content prior to adding it into the Rich Content Editor in Canvas! You can soon just Drag and Drop the content directly on to the page, quiz, discussion or anywhere the Rich Content Editor is in Canvas. This feature will go live on December 20 – follow this quick tutorial for how to use this new feature. Any files that are dragged/dropped into the RCE even save to your course’s uploaded media repository!
P-CCS remains committed to keeping student data protected and secure. We strive to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and review companies’ policies around their digital offerings to ensure student data is safeguarded. With this as a backdrop, we chose to disable access to certain Google apps, including Google Earth, several years ago when Google changed their access requirements for those additional services. Very recently though Google introduced a way for districts such as ours to meet compliance expectations so we can again make them accessible to our students; the apps are Google Earth, CS First, and Google Read-Along.
As the blog post title states, this is for eligible students. Meaning, students whose parents have digitally agreed in MISTAR Parent Connection to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act paperwork when registering their children for school. If you are unsure which of your students do not have permissions, you can have the students try and access one of those services or you can check with your building secretary (they can run a MISTAR report on COPPA sign ups).
As always, if you need any assistance, or ideas on how to utilize these great programs in your classroom, reach out to the TIS team via a technology service request!
Just a little reminder, ’tis the season for on-line shopping…which also means ’tis the season for on-line scams.
Remember – Stay Vigilant:
1. If it looks too good to be true…it probably is.
2. Never type in your email address and password (or any other information) unless you are 100% sure it’s ok. If in doubt, stop, and ask questions.
3. Be careful downloading applications that promise awesome savings/gift cards or other such silly stuff…..(see #1).
4. Amazon doesn’t give away $500 gift cards just because they like you, or for filling out a survey (same with Walmart… see #1 ).
5. If there is ANY doubt in your head……submit a tech service ticket. We’d much rather spend 30 seconds answering your ticket than reimaging your laptop and seeing you upset and/or taken advantage of.
6. Don’t click on FedEx / UPS / USPS links in emails that come out of the blue ….. and if you do follow a link…remember # 2
(FedEx / UPS don’t need your Credit Card number or your Social Security number to verify your identity and shipping address.
Some of the emails the scammers send are *pretty* convincing, and they make them seem urgent, so pay attention and be EXTRA aware when dealing with any email about packages).
7. READ and LOOK at emails before you do anything…is the grammar just a little “off” ? Is the graphic kind of cheesy looking ? Who is the email from (does the address match who the person says they are)?
8. Some of the scammers have started setting up web sites that look very real / legit…but they are selling items at 1/4 the going rate…… do some shopping…is anyone else in the world selling the item that cheap ?….(see #1 )
9. Microsoft (or other computer companies) will NOT call you if your computer is having issues. They also do not have random Internet pages pop up telling you that your computer needs work.
10. If you have even the slightest doubt…. you can always just copy the text of the email into a google search. If it’s a scam, you’ll usually get lots of hits.
Happy holidays. Let’s be careful out there.
Give yourself the gift of learning during the holiday season with a REMC course
Treat yourself to a REMC December course! Our professional learning is the best way to beat the winter blues and enhance your classroom learning in the new year. This month, our courses include tips to help struggling readers, ways to improve critical thinking through coding and how to lead a culture of change in your school …just to name a few.
Registration deadline is Thursday, December 1st, each course begins on Monday, December 5th. Through the support of REMC SAVE’s vendor partners, all courses are FREE and there are no SCECH fees. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn, connect, collaborate and grow with REMC courses.
Check out December courses:
Register by Thursday, December 1st. You will receive a welcome email with the course login and other information prior to the course start date. If you have questions or need further assistance with your course registration, please click here.
Highlights in the BrainPop’s December Teacher’s Lounge
This year computer science week is December 5-11, 2022. Computer Science Education Week week is an annual call to action to inspire k-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers and partners to the field. Computer Science Education Week is held annually in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906). One way to celebrate Computer Science week in your classroom is by participating in the Hour of Code!
Check out our blog for featured unplugged activities, lesson plans, virtual field trips, and more!
It’s called Coding Cup. Tynker for Schools’ parent is sponsoring FIFA World Cup 2022, and this gives students a chance to code their own team and engage with students all over the world. You can join two LIVE learning events around Coding Cup!
*First* – Join the FREE Web PD for Wayne County Teachers
In this FREE 60-minute webinar, explore Tynker’s brand-new collaborative coding experience that lets students control their own soccer team! In this webinar, educators will create their Tynker classrooms, enhance their own soccer skills with Tynker, compete in matches, and discover more CSEdWeek activities!
Register Here: gotyn.kr/MI_CSEdWeek
Date: Dec. 1st
Time: 3:00pm ET
Recorded? (for all registrants)
*Second* – Add CodeLab on Tynker LIVE: Coding Cup to Your Calendar
Like last year’s NASA events, we broadcast LIVE Webcasts called CodeLab: a live learning show for students, hosted by Tynker Teachers, which includes a LIVE walk-through of the Coding Game/Activity during CSEdWeek.
Register Here: evt.to/aiiaheshw
Date: December 6th
Time: 2pm ET
Recorded? (for all registrants)
|
|
|
Lately, we have received a few tickets about blocked websites. Please keep in mind that certain websites may not be blocked for teachers, yet are blocked for students. As far in advance as possible before starting a lesson with students that involves an online activity, please confirm that a student can successfully get to the website and the activities you hope to use with them on the site. If the site/video/activity is blocked you can submit a tech ticket to request that it be unblocked. Keep in mind that we have different access permissions set at our three grade levels – elementary, middle and high – and you should confirm with an account of the same level as your expected lesson audience. So for example, if you teach middle school students, but have an elementary student at home, testing a site on their account may not be an accurate picture of access for your middle schoolers.
Related Notes:
Check out the November edition of Connecting the Dots with Canva for Education. In it you’ll find awesome features like the video background remover, comic strip templates, and design playbooks for subject areas.
In the advent of increased cybersecurity threats to educational institutions and at the insistence of our firewall support team, the P-CCS Technology Department will be adjusting access permissions for devices connected to the PCCSK12-Staff wireless network. This network was established so that staff could connect their personally-owned devices to our district network. P-CCS does not own or manage these devices, therefore, we have limited ability to monitor or protect them from digital and online threats. By restricting the access of personally-owned devices to internal network resources, we can significantly reduce the chances of potential equipment and data compromise.
Starting December 5, 2022, devices connected to the PCCSK12-Staff network will only be able to access the internet; access to internal network resources, such as network drives and printers, will no longer be permitted. Network drives and printers will only be accessible to district-owned devices on the PCCSK12-Devices or PCCSK12-Secure networks. We recognize that this may be an inconvenience for some, but it is a necessary step to help secure our district network equipment and data.
If you are impacted by this change and need assistance with accessing internal network resources, such as network drives and printers, from your district-owned device, please submit a service ticket.
