Upcoming Changes to Google Products: CS First and Applied Digital Skills

Here are some updates regarding the future of two Google for Education resources many of you may be familiar with: CS First and Applied Digital Skills. Please read carefully to understand how these changes might affect you.

CS First is Being Turned Down

After many years of supporting computer science education, Google’s CS First will no longer be available after June 30, 2025.

  • Access to the website will end after June 30, 2025.
  • All data on the CS First website will be permanently deleted after this date. This includes account information and project data.
  • To preserve your work, you can save CS First projects by moving them to a personal Scratch account. Instructions on how to do this can be found in the CS First Help Center.
  • You can also download your course data as a JSON file via your CS First Profile before June 30, 2025.

Looking ahead, Google is supporting the Raspberry Pi Foundation in the development of a new curriculum called Experience CS.

  • Experience CS will be available to teachers in time for the 2025/2026 school year.
  • It will offer Scratch-based learning units in a safe and scaffolded environment for students aged 8-14 and will always be freely available.
  • The Raspberry Pi Foundation is committed to creating 18 new project-based learning units covering various topics and skills, aligned with national and state standards.
  • They will also provide professional development and support for teachers using Experience CS.

Link to FAQs

Applied Digital Skills Lessons Are Moving to a New Platform

Google’s Applied Digital Skills, which has provided valuable technology skills since 2017, is transitioning to a new Google for Education learning platform on June 30, 2025.

  • The existing Applied Digital Skills website will no longer be available after June 30, 2025. It will automatically redirect to the new Google for Education Learning Center.
  • No Applied Digital Skills accounts or data will be transferred to the new platform.
  • All account and data on the current site will be deleted after June 30th.
  • If you wish to retain any account information, you must download your data in JSON format before the transition date. You can do this by signing into your Applied Digital Skills account, selecting the “Profile” tab, scrolling down, and selecting “Download”.
  • Data being deleted includes teacher, student, and learner profiles, quiz and survey responses, created classes, class membership, certificates, and Google Classroom rosters synced with Applied Digital Skills.
  • Importantly, any projects students created using Google tools (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) will not be deleted.
  • While most popular lessons will be available on the new platform, some will be discontinued for quality purposes. A list of migrated lessons will be shared in the coming months.
  • You may want to download materials like lesson videos, starter projects, lesson plans, rubrics, or certificates from your favorite lessons on the current site before June 30, 2025.
  • The current teacher and student dashboard will not be available on the new website. Users are encouraged to use Google Classroom or their preferred Learning Management System (LMS) to share lesson links.
  • After June 30, 2025, you will be encouraged to create a new account on the new platform.
  • More details about the transition and getting started on the new platform will be shared in the coming months.

Link to FAQs

Please take the necessary steps to save your data and prepare for these changes before June 30, 2025.

Technology housekeeping before break, please and thanks!

Tech housekeeping

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.

New in Chrome – Customize your toolbar!

A new way to customize your toolbar in Chrome!

Pin your favorite features and shortcuts as toolbar buttons.

  1. At the top of your browser, select Chrome menu  > More Tools  > Customize Chrome  .
  2. From the side panel, review the list of toolbar buttons that make it easy to quickly access things like bookmarks, print, Search with Google Lens, and more.
  3. Choose the toolbar buttons you want to pin and they will appear in your toolbar.

 

Canvas New Quizzes Update: Multiple Selections in Hot Spot Questions

creating multiple hot spots

Summary

Instructors can enable multiple selections in Hot Spot quiz questions:

  • Instructors can define multiple correct hot spot areas.
  • Students can select multiple areas on an image in response to the quiz.
  • Autograding will evaluate the student’s selections based on the defined correct answers.
  • The feature supports regrading functionality.
  • User response attempts are limited to the number of hotspots set by the instructor.

Note: Questions made before this change support editing to accept multiple hotspots.

This update will be deployed on March 26, 2025.

Alternative to Bitly

preview of edushare.ing

If you are someone who uses URL shorteners to easily share links out, you may have used Bitly to shorten them for free. Recently, Bitly announced that users will see advertisements along with the link. You probably don’t want students or parents to experience these ads. If you want an alternative, Edushare.ing may be for you.

The platform was created by Brent Warner, an educator himself, who understands the needs of teachers firsthand. Warner’s philosophy in developing Edushare.ing reflects a strong commitment to supporting the teaching community. The platform operates on a non-profit, ad-free model, ensuring that educators can use it without distractions or financial burden. Additionally, Edushare.ing promises link longevity and reliability, meaning that shared resources will remain accessible over time.

Of course, you can easily share links with students through Canvas, Classwize, or Clever, but if you find yourself needing a shortened URL Edushare.ing might be a good option.

Teaching in the Age of AI: Demystifying AI

demystifying ai, teaching in the age of AI

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a present reality. As educators, we have a responsibility to equip our students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to navigate this AI-driven world. Google’s Gemini (available in the Waffle and tied to your work account) can be a powerful tool in this endeavor, offering unique opportunities for hands-on, engaging learning experiences.

Here’s how you can leverage Gemini as a teacher to teach your students about AI, its capabilities, and its limitations:

1. The “FrankenBot” Activity: Understanding AI Composition & Human Refinement

  • Concept: Explore how AI generates text and how human editing and selection can improve it.
  • Activity:
    • Use Gemini to generate multiple variations of a writing assignment.
    • Provide students with a “Frankenbot” template, with each version copied into the document.
    • Students analyze each Gemini-generated example, selecting the strongest sentences or phrases from each to piece together their “perfect” piece.
    • Use Matt Miller’s template for this activity. Frankenbot Template – Ditch That Textbook
  • Learning Outcome: Students learn that AI can generate content, but human critical thinking is essential for quality and coherence. They also understand that AI can produce useful components, but not always a perfect finished product.

2. AI Rating & Ranking: Critical Evaluation & Understanding AI Variability

  • Concept: Develop critical evaluation skills and recognize the variability of AI-generated content.
  • Activity:
    • Use Gemini to generate multiple examples of a specific type of content (e.g., poems, short stories, summaries). You can even prompt it to create “good, better, best” examples.
    • Create a rubric with clear criteria (e.g., creativity, accuracy, clarity).
    • Have students individually rate and rank the AI-generated examples based on the rubric.
    • Facilitate a class discussion about their ratings, highlighting the differences in AI output and the subjective nature of evaluation.
  • Learning Outcome: Students learn to critically assess AI-generated content, recognizing its strengths and weaknesses. They understand that AI output can vary significantly, and that human judgment plays a crucial role in evaluation.

3. “Beat Gemini”: Creative Problem Solving & Human Enhancement

—See some more specific ideas for each grade level and multiple subject areas from Blue Apple Teacher.

  • Concept: Encourage creative thinking and explore how humans can improve on AI-generated work.
  • Activity:
    • Use Gemini to generate a piece of content (e.g., a story, a musical phrase, a visual description).
    • Challenge students to “Beat Gemini” by improving upon the AI’s work. This could involve:
      • Adding more detail or emotional depth to a story.
      • Expanding on a musical phrase with their own composition.
      • Creating a visual representation of a descriptive passage.
    • Have open discussions about what methods the students used to improve the AI work.
  • Learning Outcome: Students discover that AI can be a starting point for creative exploration, but human creativity and ingenuity are essential for pushing boundaries and adding unique perspectives. They will learn to identify the limitations of AI generated work, and how they can improve it.

Key Takeaways:

  • Demystifying AI: These activities help students understand that AI is a tool with capabilities and limitations, not a magical entity.
  • Critical Thinking: Students develop essential critical thinking skills by analyzing, evaluating, and refining AI-generated content.
  • Human Creativity: By “beating” AI, students recognize the unique value of human creativity and problem-solving.
  • Ethical Considerations: Discussions surrounding AI-generated work should always include ethical considerations, such as bias, plagiarism, and responsible use.

By incorporating Gemini into your lessons, you can empower your students to become informed and critical thinkers about the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence.

Changes to Computer Technician Building Assignments

Effective Monday, March 3, 2025, building assignments for our computer technicians will be adjusted to bring greater efficiency and responsiveness in our work. This change comes as a response to the feedback we have received from staff and analysis of our technology tickets. We expect there may be some challenges as our team transitions to their new building assignments, however, we believe these changes will result in faster response times and resolutions to technology issues. 

To assist us with providing you better service, we ask that all technology-related issues be submitted as a Technology Request in ML WorkOrders. We recognize that some staff may prefer to communicate directly with a technology staff member rather than submit a ticket. However, using the ticketing system allows us to effectively manage and respond to everyone’s needs, ensuring no requests are missed or delayed. We are continuously working to improve our technology request system, and we will soon be introducing self-service options that may help you resolve issues even before submitting a ticket.

As a reminder, you can submit a Technology Request ML WorkOrders by going to helpdesk.pccsk12.com or selecting Tech Request Form under the P-CCS Bookmarks folder in Chrome.

We look forward to better serving the needs of the P-CCS community.

Quiz Whiz: Boost Learning with Online Platforms & Fast Feedback

EduTip: give lots of quizzes

Are you looking for ways to make learning more effective and engaging for your K-12 students? Frequent quizzing is a powerful learning strategy. Research indicates that regular testing enhances information retention compared to other review methods like re-reading or note-taking. Recently, Jennifer Gonzalez from the Cult of Pedagogy podcast highlighted these findings in her EduTips series. Find it here.

The Power of Quizzing. Regular quizzes can significantly improve student performance and long-term memory. One study showed that students scored 10% higher on material they were tested on versus material they only re-read. Quizzes encourage retrieval practice, which strengthens memory connections, even if students answer incorrectly.

Low-Stakes Quizzes. Aim for low-stakes or ungraded quizzes to reduce student anxiety. Use the results to inform your teaching and adjust your lessons accordingly, focusing on learning rather than penalizing.

The Fast and the Curious EduProtocol.  This method, detailed in “The EduProtocol Field Guide” by Marlena Hebern and Jon Corippo, provides timely feedback and encourages repetition for better results. This strategy recommends quizzing students on new material, giving a mini-lesson on the questions most missed, and have them take the quiz again for immediate growth and retrieval practice. Continue offering at least one rep of the quiz throughout the week until you get most of the class at mastery.

recipe for fast & curious eduprotocol

Online Quizzing Platforms. Integrate platforms like Gimkit, Blooket, and Quizizz with the Fast and the Curious EduProtocol. There are many platforms out there, reach out to a TIS to see which one may be the best fit for your goals. Here’s how it works:

  • Administer a quick game and review the results.
  • Offer a brief re-teach or mini-lesson focusing on areas where students struggled.
  • Immediately replay the game.
  • Repeat this process over a few days.

Emphasize Repetition. Repetition is crucial. The goal is to achieve 95% proficiency, adjusting the timeline based on the difficulty of the material. As Jon Corippo notes, repeated practice, like shooting a three-point shot in basketball, is essential for mastery.

Communicate with Students. Share the benefits of quizzing with your students. By understanding how quizzes help their brains learn, they’ll be more receptive to this learning method.

By incorporating frequent, low-stakes quizzes and innovative methods like the Fast and the Curious EduProtocol, you can transform your classroom into a more engaging and effective learning environment.

Primer on Social Engineering and Mining

As we continue to see a rise in various kinds of attempts to take advantage of our network, here again is a simple review of some of those ways being used. Bottom line, PLEASE STAY VIGILANT to STAY SAFE!

Social engineering is an attempt to trick an individual into revealing information or taking an action that can be used to attack systems or networks. Social mining is an attempt to gather information about the organization that may be used to support future attacks.

Examples of commonly used types of social engineering:

phishing Phishing is a digital form of social engineering that uses authentic-looking emails to trick users into sharing personal information. It usually includes a link that takes the user to a fake website. If you cannot verify the source, do not open the link. Report suspicious messages to your IT team.

  • Spear Phishing is a type of phishing where a specific user or group of users is targeted because of their position (such as a company’s administrators).
  • Quishing, short for QR code phishing, is a type of phishing where a QR code is used to trick users into visiting malicious websites or downloading malware.

social media Social media exploitation is where the attacker uses information found on a user’s social media profiles to create a targeted phishing attack.

Pretexting and Impersonation is where the attacker creates a fictional backstory that is used to manipulate someone into providing private information or to influence behavior. Attackers will often impersonate a person of authority, co-worker, or trusted organization to engage in back-and-forth communication prior to launching a targeted spear phishing attack.

  • calling Fake IT Support calls are a common form of impersonation where someone pretends to be an authorized user or administrator in an attempt to gain illicit access to protected data systems. The attacker has enough information to sound credible, and they ask the user for some bit of information that will allow the attacker to gain access to the desired system.

Baiting is the use of a false promise to lure the user into a trap, including enticing ads that lead to malicious sites or encourage users to download a malware-infected application.

  • scareware Scareware is a type of baiting where the use of false alarms or fictitious threats lure the user into a trap. One example is the attacker convincing a user that their system is infected with malware and that they should install software granting remote access. Another example is the attacker claiming to have sensitive videos which will be released if the user does not pay.
  • Quid pro quo is a type of baiting where the attacker requests the exchange of some type of sensitive information such as critical data, login credentials, or monetary value in exchange for a service. For example, a user might receive a phone call from an attacker who, posed as a technology expert, offers free IT assistance or technology improvements in exchange for login credentials.

coming in with someone elseTailgating, also known as “piggybacking”, is where an unauthorized person manipulates their way into a restricted area, such as impersonating a well-known role (e.g., delivery driver or custodian worker) or asking a user to “hold the door”.

  • Thread-jacking is a type of digital tailgating where the attacker replies to an existing email exchange, inserting themselves into a legitimate conversation.

avoidsnoopsShoulder surfing is where an unauthorized person stands near a user to get the user’s password or other data from the user’s computer monitor.

  • Angle your computer so that other people cannot see what you are typing

    Use a privacy screen to make your screen less visible to others

    If possible, sit or stand with your back to a wall when entering a password on a device in public

    Try to avoid viewing restricted information in public

    Shield forms from viewing when filling out paperwork

    Use strong passwords to make it more difficult for someone to guess what you typed

    Remember to lock your computer or device when you leave your desk

Did You Know? Focus Mode in Chromebooks

Distractions are a major challenge for students. Chromebook’s built-in Focus mode can help. This simple tool minimizes interruptions, creating a dedicated work environment.

What Focus Mode Does:

  • Sets a timer for focused work.
  • Silences notifications.
  • Integrates with Google Tasks (optional).
  • Offers calming sounds (optional).

How Students Can Use It:

  • Study Sessions: Block out distractions during homework or test prep.
  • Writing Time: Concentrate on essays or creative writing.
  • Project Work: Deep dive into research or project development.
  • Reading: Focus on comprehension without interruptions.

Tips for Teachers:

  • Demonstrate: Show students how to access and use Focus mode.
  • Encourage Regular Use: Suggest incorporating Focus mode into daily routines.
  • Discuss Benefits: Talk about the positive impact of focused work on learning.

Focus mode is a simple yet powerful tool to help students develop concentration skills and improve their academic performance. Encourage your students to give it a try! Here’s a guide from Google on how to activate it. https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/15642977?hl=en 

focus mode