Bits & Bytes

Within this Newsletter you will find information with regards to the following:

• SBAC & NGSS Testing
• Student Data Privacy - Obtaining App Approval
• Managing Chrome Extensions
  
• Phishing Email Awareness

If you have any questions, please contact a member of the EdTech Team.

Take care,

The Ed Tech Team

Steven Albrecht

Ed Duclos

Debbie Matchett

It is that time of year again. All students enrolled in grades 3-8 are required to participate in SBAC or the CT Alternate Assessments. Additionally, all student in grades 5, 8 and 11 are required to participate in the NGSS or the NGSS Alternate Assessment. TA Training will be provided in each building prior to testing.

The state requires each test administrator to reset his or her password every year. Please make sure that your login credentials have been updated for administering the test. If you have trouble updating your password, please contact Jamie Langevin.

CLICK HERE to update your password. Enter your district email when prompted.

Rule of Thumb: If the student is asked to sign in, the app must get approved first!

In an effort to protect the privacy of our students, our tech team is working diligently to review apps/software for classroom use and determine which ones are acceptable and adhere to our privacy policies.

Please visit the district website to view the list of apps that have been approved/unapproved. CLICK HERE to view the recent list.

If you do not see an application on the list that you would like to use in the classroom, please fill out a Software Request Form. IT will review the app and notify you if it has been approved/unapproved.

Within the Chrome Browser, users have the ability to add extensions to further the functionality of the browser. Users can delete these extensions if no longer needed. In addition, if you experience pop up notifications from the extension, you can stop notifications for the extension. See instructions below on how to delete or stop notifications for a Chrome extension:

Delete Extension

To the right of your address bar, look for the extension's icon. Right-click the icon and select Remove from Chrome.

If you don't see the extension icon:

1. Navigate to chrome://extensions.
2. Locate the extension you want to remove, select Remove.
3. Confirm by clicking Remove.

Stop Notifications

1. Navigate to chrome://settings/content/notifications.
2. Remove or Block any sites that you do not want to receive notifications for.

An email containing a link that directs you to provide your username and password is a PHISHING attempt to steal your credentials. The cyber-attacker designs the email so that it appears that the email is from someone that you know. Before following the links, always check the sender's email. If you are in question, best practice is to contact IT.

Click on the image below to test your ability to spot a Phishing Attempt.