Primary Digital News

Have you noticed there are additional moderator controls in your Google Meet Room? The new controls give you, the meeting host, more control of your meeting room. Click the Host Controls icon in the bottom left corner to view the new features. You can now control muting, presenting, joining, and chat messages.

Are students opening Meets before you arrive? There are a couple of reasons why this is happening. You must be using the nickname or code method from meet.google.com to set up your chat times with students. Please remember that the teacher must be the last to leave the room for Google to close the Meet room. (This includes if you are kicked out due to WiFi connection, screen locks up or you forget to use the phone to "Hang Up" and close the tab instead.) You should close the tab at this point. If you need to reopen the Meet room immediately you can do so and the link/room will remain the same. Remember you must be the last to "Hang Up" every time you leave. If you fail to be the last out for any reason the room will stay open for 90 days.

If any of these things happen you will need to change your nickname/code for the room. The new nickname/code will get you back to opening and closing rooms. Keep in mind that the old room will still be open for 90 days and every time someone enters it the timer resets.

If you suspect there is an issue, asking a teacher to enter your room is a plan to check things out. However, all teacher accounts have the right to open and close rooms using your nickname/passcode. If they fail to be the last out of a room they open or leave incorrectly they have now compromised the nickname/passcode you were using.

How do you check if your nickname/passcode is still working? Watch the link in the address bar at the top.

The random letters in the code after the / should change when you open a new Meet. If they don't, your nickname/passcode are compromised and you will need to start with a fresh nickname/passcode. Remember, the links will not change if a few minutes have not passed upon your last use of the room. If your link is not changing and you were always the last out. Close your Chrome browser, take a break and when you come back try logging in with your nickname/passcode. The link should now reset.

We hope this helps with some of your concerns and we will continue to update you on some exciting new features Google is rolling out to help you manage your Meets next week.

Test Bank feature is now available in Schoology! Item Banks allow you to create a repository of assessment questions that you can then use within course Assessments. Item banks can be created in your Personal and Group Resources.

The current version of Items Banks gives instructors the ability to:

• Create an item bank in resources.
• Add questions to item banks.
• Add questions from an item bank to an assessment.

Click Here to read more about Item Banks for Assessments

Download Google Filestream and access your Google Drive and Shared Drives from your desktop

The 10th Anniversary of TCCA is just two months away and we are going all out to bring you the absolute best speakers and curriculum focused EdTech sessions in the country! Make sure you get registered today! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Don't hesitate. You must register in order to receive the live session links.

Look for your campus DLS's Office Hours on your Google Calendar. Pop in if you have any questions or issues, or just to say hi! If the office hours don't work with your schedule, email your DLS and set up a one-on-one. These hours will not be set for a specific day or time. Each DLS will add office hours to their Google calendar and invite their perspective campus.

Clever Academy is a free online training and certification program for educators. You can access it through your Clever Portal. Earn badges when you complete each stage. Complete Level 4 and you'll be a certified a Clever Champion with a certificate. This is a Self-paced course that gives you the flexibility to learn at your own speed, and when it’s convenient for you.

The jigsaw puzzle piece (in the top right corner) is an extensions toolbar menu. Clicking on it will allow you to pin or unpin extension icons. So, for example, if you don't see your Kurzweil Read the Web extension, click the jigsaw puzzle piece and from there you can open or pin the extensions shown.

If you need assistance with your staff password reset Or questions or issues with DISTRICT HARDWARE: computers, printers, scanners, document cameras, Promethean Board, iPad, Chromebook, laptop, etc. (They can not help you with personal hardware devices).

281-985-6263, helpdesk@aldineisd.org or Help Desk Support Form

If you have questions, issues, or training requests with DISTRICT SUPPORTED INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE: eSchool, eportal, Employee Self Service (ESS), Eduphoria, Frontline, Service Console, Google Suite, SchoolMessenger, Schoology, ActivInspire, Battelle for Kids, Kurzweil, NearPod, BrainPOP, MyON, Flipgrid, Clever, Screencastify, Google Meet, Schoology Conferences, CK12, Learn360, etc.

Make sure to go to eportal if you need a one on one or small group training. Choose the topic or select Other and enter what you need help/training on.

As you navigate this new role as a virtual teacher please know we are here to support you! If you have a question about a digital resource, reach out to your designated DLS.

Don't forget to join our Primary Resource Group!

Click Here to join the Primary DLS Resource Group for Virtual Learning