Student data privacy is very important and it is everyone's responsibility to make sure that we do everything we can to protect that data. New York State EdLaw 2-d outlines the requirements for student data privacy. It is our responsibility to make sure we don't share student data in unapproved apps and websites. Here is a list of items that are considered personally identifiable and can't be shared with a vendor or app unless they have signed a contract complying with EdLaw 2-d and are approved by the district:
Personally Identifiable Information
The term includes, but is not limited to -
(a) The student's name;
(b) The name of the student's parent or other family members;
(c) The address of the student or student's family;
(d) A personal identifier, such as the student's social security number, student number, or biometric record;
(e) Other indirect identifiers, such as the student's date of birth, place of birth, and mother's maiden name;
(f) Other information that, alone or in combination, is linked or linkable to a specific student that would allow a reasonable person in the school community, who does not have personal knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to identify the student with reasonable certainty; or
(g) Information requested by a person who the educational agency or institution reasonably believes knows the identity of the student to whom the education record relates.
If you have an app or website that you would like to use with your students, please check to see if it is on the approved list. If it isn't on the list, please fill out this form which can be found on our Technology Facilitator Website. All apps and websites submitted are reviewed for compliance and the required contract is sent to them. Once the contract has been signed, you will be notified that it is safe to use the site or app. Please note, permission to use the app or site can not be given until the signed contract is received. Some websites and apps do not respond to the request for a contract and some refuse to sign it so we are not able to use those sites and apps with our students.
This doc shows how to set up the syncing in Eschool to Google Classroom.
video from eSD (starting at 5:03) which also explains the steps with clear visuals on how to set up your integration.
Some other new updates:
Google Classroom will have the ability to mass sync all assignments for the selected Marking Period
Assignments imported from Google Classroom will automatically include a publish date to match the specified due date.
Classes that have been archived in Google Classroom will no longer be available in the dropdown.
The course list for syncing with google classroom will reflect only the active courses the user is assigned to.
Please note: Thank you to Heidi Bernasconi for putting the information above together and sharing it with her North colleagues and saving us some time putting it together to share with the rest of the district.
Google Spaces is an excellent new feature for collaborating with your colleagues.Spaces allow you to organize chats, set tasks, and share files around a topic in a convenient and organized manner. Google Spaces lives inside Gmail as part of Chat so it is convenient and easy to access by simply opening your Gmail and clicking on the Space you want. below is a video that goes through the basics of Spaces. Please reach out to Greg or Christina if you want to try out Spaces and need more assistance but it is simple to use and you will probably be able to use it with minimal assistance. We have started using it for some of our work and have found it very useful when collaborating on projects.
Terrific Tech Tool To Try: Edpuzzle - New Features!
Edpuzzle is the perfect tool for allowing students to watch and engage with videos while the teacher gathers data throughout the lesson. As teachers dabble into the flipped classroom philosophy, Edpuzzle is the perfect enhancement tool for videos to be watched at home instead of eating up valuable class time.Click below to read more and learn about the new features of Edpuzzle such as Edpuzzle Originals, student projects, audio responses and new languages.
Here’s what’s new:
1. Edpuzzle Originals
Did you know Edpuzzle creates its own content?
These professionally-made video lessons are made by a team of expert teachers and cover a wide range of topics, so there’s something for everyone.
They’re standards-aligned and come with questions already embedded, so all you have to do is copy and assign them to your students.
This fall, the Edpuzzle Original lesson library is expanding to cover middle and high school topics like Literary Devices, Algebra, Biology, and more!
2. Student Projects
Giving students choice is a critical part of engaging them.
With Student Projects, your students get the chance to create their own video lessons with questions and notes, just like their teachers.
The newest feature is that students can now upload their own videos for a wider range of creative opportunities.
Shake up your class homework with a project that activates higher-order thinking skills and gives students ownership of their own learning.
3. Audio Responses
There’s more than one way to answer a question. That’s why we wanted to find a more personal and accessible way for students to express themselves.
Now, you can give students the option of recording an Audio Response when answering an open-ended question.
Whether you want to learn how to say the names of new students or check student pronunciation in a language class, Audio Responses can give you that insight.
Give every student a voice, and hear what they have to say
4. Google Add-On
With over 150 million users across the world, Edpuzzle is excited to announce a better and stronger relationship with our friends at Google Classroom.
With the new Google Add-on, you can create Edpuzzle assignments and have your students complete them directly in Google Classroom.
It’s as if the Edpuzzle experience lived inside your Google Classroom!
5. New LMS Integrations With Clever
Speaking of integrations, did you know that we added three new partners to the Edpuzzle family?
If you use Clever, you can now integrate your classes with Edpuzzle and SSO.
That means that you can save time and streamline your classes’ access to amazing video lessons.
6. New Privacy Partners
Edpuzzle is now a proud member of the Access 4 Learning Community and Student Data Privacy Consortium.
As always, Edpuzzle is committed to ensuring data integrity, privacy, and security in order to improve the quality of education and keep students safe.
7. Edpuzzle in Your Language
We’ve been hard at work to make Edpuzzle more accessible to more teachers and students than ever before.
You can now use Edpuzzle in Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and Indonesian!
That means you can navigate Edpuzzle’s platform with total comfort and ease. All you have to do is go to your Edpuzzle profile and set your language preference to get started.
Keep an eye out in the near future for Edpuzzle in Italian, Romanian, and Malay!
Avoid Online Scams is a lesson plan for middle school and high school classrooms. This lesson includes a scenario in which students have to identify the signs of a scam phone call and email then decide how to respond.
Creating strong passwords is a good first line of defense in cybersecurity. In Create and Safeguard Passwords students learn how hackers attempt to crack passwords (hint, it's not random guessing) and how to use that knowledge to create stronger passwords for themselves.
Click the three dots at the end of the URL address bar
Select More Tools
Select Clear Browsing Data
Check Cached Images and Files
Optional - Check Cookies and site data - please note, this will sign you out of any sites you are logged into but it DOES NOT delete stored passwords. If clearing the cached images and files doesn't resolve an issue, complete steps 1-6 again but be sure to clear cookies as well.
Syncing your Chrome Browser is crucial if you want to use many of the technology tools that the district has available to you. There is a wide range of useful tools that can make your teaching more efficient and effective. Many of the tools purchased through the district are available through Google Chrome extensions.
Here is how you check to see if you are syncing your Chrome Browser and the steps to take if you are not.
Click on your icon at the end of the Chrome address bar (smaller icon)
If the Sync is ON you are all set but if it is OFF, click Turn on sync button
When the pop-up window opens, select Yes, I'm in.
Once your sync is on, you will have several extensions that load. Some may open new tabs when they load. You can simply close those tabs. This will only happen when you first initiate the sync process. Clicking the puzzle piece icon (circled in yellow)will show you a list of all of the extensions you have loaded. We recommend that you click the pin icon (circled in red) to keep the extensions you want to use regularly visible on your bar.
Some of the tools you might see enabled are:
Adblock Plus - this extension does a really decent job at blocking ads and popups on websites and in videos, including YouTube. It isn't perfect but it is pretty good.
Kami - This extension is a powerful PDF annotation tool that allows the user to annotate on, and comment via text, audio, video, or even screen capture on any pdf. It works with Google Drive making sharing with students very easy.
Save to Drive - This extension allows you to save most webpages or sites you are on directly to your Google Drive for later reference or sharing.
Screencastify - Any veteran of the pandemic probably knows Screencastify is a great tool for creating videos and recording your desktop. It has lots of built-in features that can be very useful in your classroom, pandemic or not.
