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Technology News

September 2019

SHS ONE-TO-ONE CHROMEBOOK PROGRAM: We are in the final phase of launching the one-to-one Chromebook program for Spaulding High School. New Chromebooks have been delivered, inventoried, enrolled in our domain, and ready to deploy to students. We started handing out Chromebooks to students on August 19th and will continue to do so until every student at Spaulding High School gets one. Data from the AOE's Annual Technology Survey show that more and more Vermont schools are adopting one-to-one programs in their middle and high grades. We are all excited about this new opportunity that we hope will increase student’s classroom engagement and lead to more creative learning in and outside the classrooms.

DOMAIN CHANGE: Now that we have completed our transition from u61.net to buusd.org, please be reminded of the following:

  1. Remember to update your contact list
  2. Pay attention while sending emails to individuals and groups in our domain (send to @buusd.org)
  3. Update your email account on all of your online subscriptions
  4. Update your email signature

EMAIL SCAM: We have continued to see several rounds of scam/spam messages from outsiders who impersonate the BUUSD administrative team members. The scammers typically use a name that looks like a personal Gmail account of a school administrator. They try to convince staff members to send them gift cards, etc. Please be vigilant when looking at emails. If an email has the name of a school administrator but does not contain the @buusd.org suffix, do not reply or give out any personal information. Avoid and report these phishing emails to Google and also notify the tech team so we can block them from our domain.

COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION: A team of educators from the University of Vermont and Vermont Agency of Education is collaborating to create licensure pathways for teachers interested in teaching Computer Science education. If you want to go beyond the "hour of code" and bring computer science curriculum to your students, then consider taking advantage of this opportunity. You do not need to have prior computer science experience. The curriculum aligns with Math, ELA, NGSS, and VT Transferable Skills. If you are interested, email me (eajanbsu@buusd.org) for more information. Below are a few reasons why you should consider teaching Computer Science:

  • It promotes 21st-century skills like creativity, collaboration, and communication
  • Being involved in creating technologies can give confidence in dealing with complex, open-ended problems,and persistence in the face of challenges
  • Being able to understand and make technologies give kids power and agency.
  • The more people we have that understand computer science, the more innovations and new knowledge we can
  • produce as a society

CYBERSECURITY FOR STUDENTS: As students return to school after the summer break, we are reminded of our collective duty to model the appropriate use of technology and internet resources. Although technology devices can help student’s complete schoolwork and stay in touch with family and friends, there are risks associated with using them. However, there are simple steps that can help students stay safe while using their internet-connected devices. I recommend we review the following resources for more information on cyber safety for students:

UPDATES FROM GOOGLE:

  • Better assessments with locked mode and question import in Google Forms: Educators can enable locked mode in Quizzes in Google Forms. This mode prevents students from navigating away from their assessments until they submit their answers, which helps them focus during quizzes and encourages academic integrity.
  • The G Suite Certification for students is now available, a professional certification from Google that enables students to demonstrate mastery of G Suite applications such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides for the workplace.
  • Check out the Chromebook App Hub, a resource for educators to share and discover apps for Chromebooks and corresponding lesson ideas and classroom inspiration