CFAUSD Holiday EdTech Newsletter

To stay informed, please visit the Tech Coach Website weekly for tech tips and ideas on how to integrate technology effectively into your classroom. You can also keep up-to-date on technology professional development opportunities throughout the year. We encourage you to explore and subscribe to Luke Short’s YouTube Channel for additional tech-related content.

I'm not sure you remember the which is AI poll from last month's newsletter, but the results are in. Cardinal A was not AI generated and Cardinal B was AI generated. 54% of the readers that took the poll got it correct. Great job everyone, but near 50% is pretty scary as you can barely tell the difference anymore.

Content Filter

If you or a student encounter a blocked site that should be unblocked, you will need to complete the Content Filter: What's Blocked form, which can also be found on the Staff Portal.

Aristotle K12 Educator

Aristotle K12 Educator is the district's student Chromebook monitoring system that is available to all teachers. Luke Short and Cara Schueller are available for training whenever you need a refresher or simply want to get started. Check out the new Aristotle Notebook LM page and start a chat to help you resolve any issues.

Tech Guides & Cara's Notebook LM Page

The Tech Guides is a folder located in the Shared Drive, accessible to all CFAUSD staff, that holds instructions on how to perform many tasks with technology. Recently, Cara created a Notebook LM page that will allow you to search the Tech Guides by asking a question. This is super slick and highly recommended! [Click here to ask a question or start a chat].

Assistive Technology

Special Education teachers/case managers, click the link to the [2025-2026 Google Read and Write Registration] form and complete it individually for each of your students who need premium access. If you are looking for access to Bookshare to assign your students books, simply email shortlc@chipfalls.org. If you are curious to see how AI can support you and your students, reach out to Luke Short or Cara Schueller.

Infosec Phishing Update

Please see the screenshot below for the updated Infosec Phishing data and remember to report the phish simulations when you receive one. According to the data over the past 30 days, 10 people have been phished. Over the last 6 months, 95 people have been phished, and 158 people have been phished over the last year.

Remember to click the "Phish" button from the side panel of Gmail. If you are on your phone and you receive an Infosec Phishing Simulation email, scroll all the way to the bottom of the email and click the phish icon to report the email as well. Please note, clicking the three dots and reporting phishing is not the proper protocol. You need to click the "Phish" button from the side panel. [Click the link to access the instructions via video].

Inspired by the film Life Is Beautiful from his Art of Film class, High School English teacher Mr. Panozzo collaborated with students Henry Fish (on violin) and Keller Riley (on vocals) to write and perform a song. This kind of project is truly amazing! It’s the type of meaningful experience these kids will absolutely remember forever.

Welcome to 2026! Ready to start the year a little lighter? Here’s a simple Brisk workflow to help you batch your January lessons in one go, so you can walk into the classroom next week feeling calm and collected.

1. Brainstorm your January lessons with Brisk Next. Start with inspiration. Ask Brisk Next for:

• 10 lesson ideas for your grade + subject
• Review activities for key concepts students may have forgotten over break
• Or simply type in your next unit's topic and see what resources Brisk Next suggests!

To access Brisk Next, go to app.briskteaching.com or click the Home icon in the Brisk extension. Then type the topic you'd like resources on. Learn more about Brisk Next

2. Build a Bundle of the resources you like. As Brisk Next suggests resources you want to use, save them to a Bundle by clicking the + button next to each resource. When you're happy with your Bundle, click Create. Your resources will be collected into one Bundle. Think of it as a folder for your upcoming presentations, quizzes, activities, and more. Learn more about Bundles

3. Add your personal touch, then use them in class! Open the resources in your Bundle and give your new materials a quick look. Once everything looks right, you’re ready to use them with your students – whether that’s assigning a Boost Activity, sharing a presentation, or printing a handout for Day 1 back from break. Get Started Creating

Starting the year with a clear plan (and a little lift from Brisk!) can bring a sense of calm to the weeks ahead. We can’t wait to see what you create this year!

This month's Brisk Teaching Tip is all about using their new Next Ideas features. Click the link to access the tip or read on for more information.

The Tip: The newest powerhouse feature in Brisk Next is called "Next Ideas." It allows you to take the data from a completed Brisk Boost activity and instantly turn student performance trends into a new, tailored follow-up activity. Instead of just seeing who "got it" and who didn't, you click one button to generate a custom intervention, extension, or practice session based on the actual strengths and growth areas Brisk identified in your students' responses.

Why It Matters: Data is only useful if you have the time to act on it. Usually, "closing the loop" takes hours of planning. Next Ideas removes the friction between assessment and instruction. If the AI notices 60% of your class struggled with "identifying theme" but mastered "plot summary," it will suggest a "Next Idea" activity specifically focused on theme, saving you the mental load of starting from scratch.

Click the link to view the Gemini AI Tip of the Month: Use Gemini to Create Your Own custom AI Assistant (GEMS).

The Tip: Use Gemini's Gems feature to create a custom, reusable AI assistant pre-loaded with specific context, a persona, and rules for a recurring teaching task. You define the Context, Task, and Refinement once, and your Gem will generate tailored lesson plans, rubrics, parent communications, or any other output exactly how you need it, every time.

Click the link to view the Notebook LM Tip of the Month: Visualize the Standards with NotebookLM's New Infographics Generator.

The Tip: NotebookLM has just released a major update: the Infographic Generator. This tool allows you to take complex source material—like the newly revised 2025 Wisconsin Information & Technology Literacy (ITL) Standards—and instantly transform them into a visual "at-a-glance" infographic. It moves beyond text summaries to create a structured visual map of key concepts.

• De-mystify Policy: Turn dense state documents into a visual guide for your PLC.

• Support Visual Learners: Provide students with a non-text-heavy way to understand complex research.

• Save Planning Time: Avoid manually creating charts or posters for your classroom walls.

Click the link to view the Canva Tip of the Month: Code Your Own Interactive Classroom Game with Canva Code.

The Tip: Use Canva Code (often referred to as the AI Code Generator) to instantly create custom, interactive widgets for your classroom with just a simple text prompt—no actual coding knowledge required. You can generate tools like randomizers, quiz games, flashcard activities, or even simple calculators and embed them directly into your Canva presentations, worksheets, or websites.

Aristotle K12 is our district’s student Chromebook monitoring tool, giving teachers the ability to see student screens in near real time, block distractions, and guide students to stay focused during class.

With Aristotle, you can:

• Monitor tabs students have open

• Push websites directly to student devices

• Create outlines or blocking plans to limit access during lessons

• Block or pause browsing with one click

It’s simple, powerful, and built for classroom use. If you need help getting started, check the Staff Portal or reach out to the Tech Team.

Looking for directions on how to use the features or looking for answers to why Aristotle is not working properly. Checkout the new Aristotle Notebook LM page. As always, if you can't find the answer, contact Luke Short or Cara Schueller at the Help Desk #5555.

Secondary Teachers, I’m excited to spotlight one of our most impactful instructional technology tools: Edpuzzle.

💡 What is Edpuzzle?

Simply put, Edpuzzle takes video—from YouTube, Khan Academy, or your own screen recordings—and turns it into an active, engaging lesson. It allows you to embed your own questions (multiple-choice, open-ended), audio notes, and even a voiceover right into the video timeline.

This simple step changes a passive viewing experience into a powerful moment for formative assessment and student accountability. Students can't skip ahead, and the video pauses automatically until they answer your embedded question or listen to your note.

🎯 How to Leverage Edpuzzle in Your Classroom

With our Edpuzzle Pro license, you have access to unlimited content creation and robust features perfect for secondary instruction:

• Flipped Classroom or Homework: Assign videos with embedded questions for students to complete before class. This guarantees basic comprehension and frees up class time for deeper discussion, activities, and application.

• Formative Assessment: Quickly check for understanding during a lesson. Edpuzzle auto-grades multiple-choice questions and gives you a clear snapshot of student progress and common misconceptions, saving you time.

• Differentiated Learning: Create different versions of the same video lesson with varying levels of questioning, or allow students to rewatch sections they struggle with. Pro tip: Use the new multi-language closed captions for greater accessibility!

• Student-Created Content: Leverage the Student Projects feature to have students demonstrate their understanding by creating their own interactive video lessons. This is a fantastic way to boost critical thinking and presentation skills.

Edpuzzle is now your one-stop shop for interactive video lessons, gamified quizzes and slides, student created video responses, and more! Be sure to check out our “What’s New!” video to explore all the exciting updates for this school year.

✅ Get Started with Your Edpuzzle Pro Subscription Today!

To ensure you are set up with your Edpuzzle Pro subscription and ready to leverage its power:

1. Activate Your Pro Subscription: Teachers with Edpuzzle accounts should already be good to go! New secondary teachers can sign up on edpuzzle.com with their school email, and they'll be upgraded after selecting their school.

2. Install Edpuzzle Extension: Install Chrome Extension for unlimited screen recording and one-click imports from YouTube. This ensures your students can access videos in a safe and compliant platform with no ads, data-tracking, or distractions.

3. Explore the Discover Page: Head to edpuzzle.com/discover to find millions of ready-to-use, teacher-made interactive videos, including high-quality Edpuzzle Originals for all secondary subjects.

As always, if you have any questions or would like a one-on-one session, please reach out! I'm here to support your success.

Remember to visit the CFAUSD Canvas FAQ which can be found in the Global Navigation section on the left side of your Canvas Dashboard under the “Help” link. This document provides solutions to the most commonly asked questions and directions on how to do the following:

1. How to Import Course Content

2. How to give parents access to Canvas

3. How to synchronize Canvas Gradebook to Infinite Campus

4. How to Cross list courses

5. Brisk Teaching Integration Instructions

Need support?

Mike Buhrow #3752 or buhrowmj@chipfalls.org

Cara Schueller #2587 or schuelcc@chipfalls.org

Luke Short #2216 or shortlc@chipfalls.org

Do not forget to keep using Mobilemind to reach your technology integration goals. Mobilemind provides staff with personalized professional development that allows you to go at your pace on your own time. CFAUSD Technology and Instructional Coaches as well as Mobilemind staff keep adding Learning Paths and improving the platform each month. Just click the Mobilemind Extension from your Extension bar, sign in with Google and browse all of the options that fit your needs.

You can also take advantage of learning and registering for events with the new Mobilemind App that is available on both Android and iPhone devices.

• Complete your micro-courses anytime, anywhere
• View announcements and achievements
• Select your avatar “learning buddy,” who offers encouragement and guidance
• RSVP and sign into live events (You can even build personalized conference schedules!)

We will also use Mobilemind's PD Registration Tool as our way for having staff sign-up for various PD sessions.

In case you are not aware of the sub-sharing process, make sure you keep reading as it has been brought to our attention there are many teachers, paras, and administrative assistants that are not aware of the Sub Folder in their Google Drive. Yes, if you are a teacher and need to share sub plans with a sub, click this link to the Tech Guides. It's a folder filled with Help for Subs & Sharing with Subs. We cover the best practice for teachers sharing sub plans, how you can give your sub access to your classes on Aristotle, how to share Google Drive files with subs, technology tips for CFSD Subs, and much more.