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January 2020 Technology Newsletter

By: Michael Kealy

January 2020Technology Newsletter By: Michael Kealy

Happy New Year From The Technology Department! Happy New Year From The Technology Department!

Frontline Changes

A reminder that Frontline made some changes prior to the holiday break that impact the way users login to various Frontline programs including AESOP, IEP Direct, and My Learning Plan. You will need to create a new Username and Password to access these programs.


Below, is a letter Dr. Rolon sent you in December. If you haven't already, you should review the Quick Start Guide in the letter below to login to the new Frontline system. You should receive a new email to activate your account. This email will expire so please activate your account as soon as you receive the email.


If you experience any issues please contact the appropriate Frontline System Administrator:


Marcia Switzer -IEP Direct, switzer.m@beaconk12.org

Jean Sablinski -My Learning Plan sablinski.j@beaconk12.org

Cheryl Frazier-Woods -Aesop frazierwoods.c@beaconk12.org

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December 13, 2019


Hello!


Beacon City School is upgrading to the Frontline Education’s Insights Platform! The Insights Platform is similar to an "operating system" that our Frontline application is built on. The Insights Platform does not replace our Frontline product; rather it’s now what our application will be built on. The Insights Platform provides enhanced functionality to create a better experience for you.

HOW THIS AFFECTS YOU

Our organization will transition onto the Insights Platform on December 19, 2019 @ 1pm. You will need to create a new Frontline ID account to login. Below is the link to the Quick Start Guide and a simulation course that will guide you through this transition:

· Quick Start Guide to creating a new Frontline ID Account

· Frontline ID Account Simulation Course

When you attempt to login, you will be instructed to create a new Username and Password for interaction via the Website. Once you have created your Frontline ID Account, you should bookmark Frontline Education’s new, universal URL: https://app.frontlineeducation.com. Your new Frontline ID account Username and Password will replace your previous login credentials for web access; they will no longer work if you attempt to sign in on the website.

We are confident that you will find the new enhancements to be very user friendly and to enhance your experience with Frontline solutions. Clean Data Trainers at each school will be available for support. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions that you may have at this point.

Thank you!

Bill Rolon

Assistant Superintendent for Personnel & Policy

Rolon.w@beaconk12.org

(845)838-6900 Ext. 2018


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Board of Regents adopt the proposed addition of Part 121 to the Commissioner’s Regulations to implement Education Law §2-d relating to protecting personally identifiable information

In my June 2019 newsletter I opened the newsletter outlining some of the proposed changes to Ed Law 2d.


On Monday, January 13th the Board of Regents adopted the proposed addition of Part 121 to the Commissioner’s Regulations to implement Education Law §2-d relating to protecting personally identifiable information.


What This Means In The Near Future:


  • Districts will be required by law to create and pass a data security and privacy policy
  • Districts will be required by law to appoint at Data Privacy Officer
  • Districts and educators will be required to safeguard personally identifiable information
  • All software vendors that collect and/or utilize personally identifiable information will need to comply with Ed Law 2d and sign the districts Parent Bill of Rights in order to be utilized by the district and its stakeholders.


Here is an 8 minute discussing Data Security For Educators which can help you prepare to protect personally identifiable information and avoid cybersecurity attacks.

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Board of Regents Conditionally Approves Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards Which Will Impact All Teachers by 2024 Board of Regents Conditionally Approves Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards Which Will Impact All Teachers by 2024

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Click Here to sign up and hear South Ave. Teacher Aaron Burke talk about his NYSCATE Coding Drones Grant on 2/11! Click Here to sign up and hear South Ave. Teacher Aaron Burke talk about his NYSCATE Coding Drones Grant on 2/11!

GSUITE Updates

More options for copying presentations in Google Slides

Quick launch summary

When creating a copy of an existing Google Slides presentation, you'll now be able to:
  • Select specific slides to copy instead of the whole deck.
  • Remove the speaker notes from the copy.
This feature makes it easier to parse out and share the most relevant content with your team, audience, or other stakeholders.

Getting started

End users: To remove speaker notes from a full-deck copy, go to File > Make a Copy > Entire Deck and check “Remove all speaker notes.”

Removing speaker notes from presentation copy




To copy only certain slides, go to File > Make a Copy > Selected Slides. There, you’ll also have the option to remove all speaker notes from the selected slides.

Select specific slides to copy instead of the whole deck


Availability


  • Available to all G Suite customers

Break out a single value within a pie chart in Google Sheets

Quick launch summary

You can now “pull out” and highlight a slice from a pie or donut chart in Google Sheets. This feature gives you more ways to control the look of your charts and better display the most important data in Sheets.


Getting started

End users: This feature is available by default. Visit the Help Center article to learn more about using this feature.

Availability


  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources


  • Google Help: Pie Charts

Artificial Intelligence is Replacing the Traditional Interview Process Artificial Intelligence is Replacing the Traditional Interview Process

There's a new obstacle to landing a job after college: Getting approved by AI

There's a new obstacle to landing a job after college: Getting approved by AI

College career centers used to prepare students for job interviews by helping them learn how to dress appropriately or write a standout cover letter. These days, they're also trying to brace students for a stark new reality: They may be vetted for jobs in part by artificial intelligence.

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Want to see cutting edge technology? Click the link below to see what was showcased at this years Consumer Electronics Show. Want to see cutting edge technology? Click the link below to see what was showcased at this years Consumer Electronics Show.

These were the most talked-about products at CES

These were the most talked-about products at CES

Walking through CES can feel overwhelming. To your left is a headband that promises to read your brain waves and get you to relax. A few rows down is a toothbrush that will tell you if you're brushing too hard. In yet another area: an Alexa-enabled Lamborghini.

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E-Sports is Growing!

Haven't heard of e-sports? E-Sports is defined as competitive tournaments of video games, especially among professional gamers. Since 2013 e-sports has been growing at an exponential rate! Ever told your students that they will never make any money playing video games? Guess what... you're wrong! Colleges like St. Rose in Albany are now offering scholarships and tournaments are paying out millions of dollars to winners. Check out the article I posted below to learn more about a local e-sports gamer from Hyde Park, NY.
EVO Japan: Competitive gamer from Hyde Park heads to international tournament

EVO Japan: Competitive gamer from Hyde Park heads to international tournament

Hyde Park's Michael Davis, a renowned "Catherine" maven, traveled to Japan this week to compete in EVO Japan, an international video game tournament.

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REMINDER: TEQ Online PD (OTIS)

If you want to learn something new don't forget to check out the TEQ Online PD Portal (recently rebranded as OTIS).


Course Offerings:

Adobe

Digital Storytelling

Google

Promethean

Apple

Digital Citizenship

Science

Assessment

Early Childhood

iPad

SMART

Blended Learning

Educational Frameworks

Math

Social Studies

Chromebooks

ELA

Microsoft

Special Ed

Civics

ENL/ELL

NAO STEM

Computer Science

General Interest

Project Based Learning

and more!


Teq is an approved NYS CTLE PD Provider, so any qualified courses that you complete can be used towards your state-mandated professional learning hours. Just be sure to take the quiz after completing a course to receive your certificate of completion!

REMINDER: Discovery Education Streaming Plus

Go to: google.discoveryeducation.com


A few reminders about Discovery Education Streaming Plus:

Did you know...

  • Discovery Ed has a built in professional development tool for teachers

  • Discovery Ed is more than just a video streaming service

  • Discovery Ed has a library of still images to use in lessons

  • Discovery Ed has lesson plans and activities

  • Teachers can search lesson plans, activites, and videos by topics or standards

To learn more contact you library media specialist or submit a Technology Help ticket.

Reminder: zSpace

There's still a few dates in February and several in April to reserve the zSpace Virtual Reality computers for your classroom. Check out the calendar here.

CLICK HERE: Castle Learning Survey CLICK HERE: Castle Learning Survey

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Michael Kealy

Director of Technology

Beacon City School District

Email: kealy.m@beaconk12.org
Website: https://www.beaconk12.org/domain/24
Location: 101 Matteawan Road, Beacon, NY, USA
Phone: 845-838-6900
Twitter: @techkealy

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