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Interesting?

3/17/2023

Today is 3/17/2023. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took office on 1/20/2021. Two years and 2 months ago. However if you did not know who the Vice President of the United State was and you did a search for it... Here are some results!

Duck Duck Go

Harris - 2
Pence - 9
Biden - 3

Bing

Harris - 2
Pence - 5
Biden - 3

Google

Harris - 8
Pence - 0
Biden - 0

Yahoo

Harris - 2
Pence - 8
Biden - 3

Total images of VP's

Harris - 14
Pence - 23
Biden - 9

By these results you could very easily be confused or you could confidently (yet wrongly) assume that Pence is our current VP.

The importance of knowing how to search and what to look for is very important. Change up search terms, don't believe all the results you get on 1 (or 4) search engines.

The importance of Databases.

Gale Power Search

Harris - 20
Pence - 0
Biden - 0

Gale databases are located in "Utah's Online Library" through UEN.org

Or talk to your librarian!

BTW
I lied in the e-mail! If you need a wireless keyboard... Send me a Teams message saying how interesting this post is!! ;)

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Techie Tuesday - Teams

3/2/2023

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FINALLY We have all moved to Teams! Skype is gone. Don't get me wrong I liked skype - simple and straight forward. I just dislike having too many platforms! PICK ONE.

I have tried to get around to each of you to show you how to use Teams. If I have not it is because you were teaching, busy or absent. Here is what you missed or need to know. Skype was our go to for phone calls. Teams did NOT make calls outside GSD. Now it does and you need to know how. Many of you say you don't make calls. You should, you can and you need to know how!

Also it DOES matter which phone you have which why we had you do this survey! If you have one of the newer stand alone phones you will NEED to put in a work order to get that phone working.

To make a Call.

On the left click on Calls.
The keypad should now show up and you can dial by clicking the numbers the numbers or using your keyboard or copy and paste numbers from gradebook. Of course you can also search for employees by typing their name in the box.
Shows your history and you can return calls from there.
pulled in your groups from Skype... if you had any.

If you do NOT have the keypad you must let me know or put in a work order. Please do NOT wait until you NEED to make a phone call. Check NOW!

When you dial the audio will come through your classroom speakers. Audio will (should) transfer when you pick up the handset on your phone.

To chat with an employee...

On the left click on Chat
Type in the employee's name.
Type you message, hit enter or the send arrow.
When you get tired of typing click the phone icon to call the person!
The up arrow is to Share you screen when you need help.
Adds other people to your conversation.

Teams also has... Teams!

On the left click on Teams
Be sure you have the Oly High Faculty Team
If you do NOT please let your admin know so the can add you. You probably also have a PLC or department team.

NOT shown are my class teams. Please do NOT use Teams with your students. If you click the Etc./More dots you can remove or hide individual teams!

That's it! Please use Teams to contact me in Chat or Call me.
YES there is a Teams app that works the same for mobile devices and mine is always on.
But don't worry I wont answer it if is after hours... Or will I?
Teams has many more options and is very power tool, this is just the basic communication portion.
You'll learn more and more and we begin to use it.

If you read all this and feel good about Teams, send me a message in Teams and say "Keyboard" if you'd like a wireless keyboard/mouse combo.

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Tech. Tues.

11/22/2022

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Our Google Map

Our map is on the directory page and live! Of the 100+ people that are on this list thanks to all those who responded - Check it out. Pretty fun to see where our School staff is from and where they like to go. I am sure these items will be included in a Goosechase or scavenger hunt next year. NO, it is NOT too late to send me your info

Outlook App (aka e-mail)

E-mail - As mentioned last week about “Contacts” on your phone… along those same lines… Instead of adding your school e-mail account to your phones “Accounts” and mixing your personal email with your work e-mail… Just download the Outlook App and you can have most of the same functionality as you do in other versions of Outlook! There are rumors that @graniteschools e-mail (via Microsoft) may not work on your phone soon. UNLESS you have the app. It is so much easier anyway. Plus you get your Calendars!

Next week I will show you how cool using OneDrive on your phone can be.

Disney+

Now that Disney+ is open for teachers, I figured out why it seems blocked on some devices! Those pesty boxlights! It’s an easy fix. On the TV open Opera, the web browser and go to purple.com. Type it in, don’t search for it. It should be blocked by iBoss. It probably says you’re a student. Click on "Log in" and.. log in. It should change to Teacher. You should be able to log into Disney+ now. BUT be sure to log off as anyone can now use your account on the TV. IF you want to stream it from your PC you must change your audio source to get A and V. Seems like many of you may only be getting one or the other.

If the audio Is not playing via your sound system… I figured that out too. Right click the sound settings in the task bar and change the output. To what you say? I don’t know – one that works! Sorry each of you have slightly different setups!

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Google Earth

11/14/2022

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Wow and WOW. A truly overlooked resource. But what to use it for? Click on the Voyager (click on the helm!) Then the Education tab...https://earth.google.com/ and take some time to browse. Some obscure examples other than Geography include. In Voyager we cannot search so you do HAVE to click and scroll. So have at it. Word of warning - Art history images do include some sculptures!

Education Tab

The sculptures of Ruta de la Amistad
WWII memorials around the world
Discover France
Football Stadiums
The Geometry of Sustainable Architecture
Poetry around the World
Literary Locations in Real Life

Of course there are some cool even cooler trips too.

Hikes around the world
Dangerous Races
Old towns of the world
Epic ski Jumps

Under the Nature Tab

Timelapse in Google Earth. From there you can search for a location such as the Great Salt Lake or Holladay and watch our school being be built!

Click the Quiz Tab and see what you know about

Musical Instruments
US presidents
Animal Calls
Holiday Traditions
Rock and Roll Icons
Or play the unforgettable Where on Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego!

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Google Maps. As a presentation tool

11/14/2022

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Time to revisit and old favorite. Making a Google Map with your own places on it. Anything with a location can be put on a map! Here is how to do it, we will come up with examples at the end. Believe it or not there are a few ways to do it and there are differences!
BE SURE YOU ARE LOGGED IN TO THE CORRECT G-MAIL ACCOUNT! School or Personal?!

Great for personal use

You can create a list in maps. Much like you would for a list of favorite restaurants. Go to maps. Click on ETC. (3 dots or bars). Click on "Your Places." Click the blue link for "+New List". Give it a name and use the "+Add A Place" button. Pretty easy and straight forward. But not very detailed.

Restaurants, Cool stores, Friends houses, Those places you want to go to sometime...

BETTER - easy enough for one person to add places.

You can also create your own map (not just a list on a map) by adding places and layers! think Places I HAVE visited, and places I WANT to visit. Each a layer.

Create the map, search for a place. Add to map. Click the icons at the bottom to add "Content" or a description. Level up and click the ETC dots and open the data table to add more.

BEST - for student input and an assignment!

But wait! Even better - Have your students do the hard work of getting the data! And answer some questions related to places. Create a form with questions for students to answers. Include a PLACE that can be mapped. Ask a few more questions. That form will create a spreadsheet. That spreadsheet can fill your map! Then you present it to the class.

Manage your maps

How to get rid of any old ones or shared with you ones...

What are some ideas for students work? (Always the 5 W's)

Places a character in a book visited and what they did there.
Specific war battles
Art collections and the museums they are in.
Favorite or best sport teams..
Famous Scientist/Mathematician hometowns
The travels of an explorer.
let your imagine go!

I keep thinking of it as a form for students to fill out with the data you want and YOU create the map. BUT students could do this on their own too. I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY to show them how.

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Web Cast to a boxlight

11/8/2022

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With the newest version of the boxlight software students can "Cast" to your TV. You will need to turn on WebCast and know your code but it is easy to do. Then your students go to a website (https://w.unplugd.app/) and put in your code. You can turn WebCast on and off easily enough. The code or ID is blacked out in the image below. I would NOT show students this screen - it is too small and you should not make your IP address public. Go old school and write the code and website on the board! Or better yet - make a page and save it to files folder on Boxlight.

Students will be give then option to present whole desktop or tab... It really should not matter. They can also check the box to play audio. All up to what you are wanting from students. So have at it!

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Techie Tues 11/08

11/7/2022

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Boxlight Settings

The problem with teaching students is they get smart and curious and figure things out. Well they figured out how to, as a few teachers put it... "hack the TV's". So we just have a few simple things we need to change.

On the TV touch the arrow on the right or left side. then the blue settings box. (Teacher Control Center)

In the Teacher Control Panel change

Share Screen to = Need Authorization
View, control... = Disable

These settings can easily be changed back.

Because of this... You will have to give
YOURSELF permission to view your computer on YOUR screen. Touch "Allow".

If you do not recognize the computer name or not expecting anyone to be on your TV. Deny them access!

iOS Account

Personal Devices
If you have a personal device (aka – iPhone*) and have your school e-mail/contacts on it (aka – Outlook)… Please be sure that your PERSONAL contact is your default. Why you say?... When you add a contact on YOUR PERSONAL phone you want it in your PERSONAL account. If / when you leave Granite you do NOT want to lose all your contacts that you have added over the years… You may have been adding them to your GSD account and not your personal account. To find out or change your default Contacts account.. go to Settings – Contacts… the Default button is towards the bottom.

In Outlook you can Export your contacts and import them into Gmail from a CSV file. I’d be happy to show you if you’d like.

*I am sure you can do the same thing on other devices... I just don't have one so don' know how!

Disney+ Update (Hulu, Netflix...)

Even though it is for personal use only (according to their contract) It appears there is a loophole! Disney+ is now open FOR TEACHERS not students and only on GSDX. It is still blocked on the Guest network.

All (that I know of) streaming services are this way

(PS/FYI – I have nothing to do what is and is not blocked). But I do know this violates copyright law and your usage agreement!

OH, and

GO VOTE!

If you read this far and want a free book - come see me and say... I voted!

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Tuesday 10/11

10/11/2022

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Posting Grades

I have always said that mid-terms are as much for teachers as they are for students. Making sure your grades are up to date, gradebook is set up and you KNOW HOW to post is pretty important. If/when you click on your class list it will tell you when grades are due. Posting instructions can be found here - www.theolycenter.org/posting.html

Boxlights

Dang they're cool and work great. If you got on installed enjoy and training will happen. If you did not get one installed... yet. Please visit a room with one. Including the Lecture hall. You can install the app Unplug'd via the GSD Workspaces. OR just plug in your laptop with the "Emergency (HDMI) cord" which is on the bottom right of each TV.
A few quick things -

It is really just a big tablet that you can also mirror your computer to.
Do not log into the Chrome app on the TV. Anyone who uses the TV will have access to YOUR files.
Do not passcode it - Others may need to use your it or your room. IS (AV) will need to reset the TV as needed and you will lose whatever you have on it.
Audio works great IF you use your laptop and NOT your Desktop.

Printers

I have had a few teachers saying they are getting "other peoples stuff" on their printer. Please be respectful and responsible and not print to other teachers rooms. Installing AND deleting printer instructions are here - https://www.theolycenter.org/printers.html

Lockdown

I am not in charge of any of that but there is a form you need to fill out to include which students you have during the lockdown. Instructions to GET the form are here - https://www.updateshappen.com/lockdown-form-instructions.html the rest is up to the administration!

Pumpkins!

Yes. We (the library) is giving away pumpkins! Just be the closest guesser to the weight of said gourd. Encourage your students to come participate!

LanSchool

Please do NOT forget as mentioned earlier... LanSchool Air for Chromebooks works MUCH better than the older way. It is on your desktop but please let me know when I can come show you how it works.

Phone #'s

I will always stick to separating work and home. There is no need to give out your personal cell #. There are many apps out there that we (GSD) use to communicate. Teams, Skype, E-mail just for the basics that you SHOULD already have on your phone. Did you know that there is a Granite School District App too? Next week I will send include it! I will never answer unidentified calls - neither should you.

Banned Books?

Yesterday *42 books were challenged. If you want to know more e-mail me or c'mon down.
*No relation to H2G2. (Google it)

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Techie Tuesday 10/04

10/4/2022

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Nearpod Badges!

October 2022
Subject: Nearpod Oct. Badge Challenge 🎃
Teachers,
It’s time for the October Nearpod Badge Challenge! Each month, Nearpod users in Utah can earn a digital badge to show off their Nearpod skills.
October 2022: Digital Citizenship & Literacy CollectionTo earn this month’s digital badge, launch at least one lesson from Nearpod’s Digital Citizenship & Literacy collection with students (minimum 3) during the month of October.
Click here to explore the Digital Citizenship & Literacy collection.
Blog post: The Importance of Digital Citizenship for 21st-Century Students

If you are new (or old) to this I would be more than happy to help get you going in NearPod.

LanSchool air

There is an old/new tool in town!
LanSchool Air
LanSchool for Chromebooks that actually works now!!! There is an icon for it on your desktop that says "LanSchool Air Teach..." It's a bunch of small blue squares.

It is not quite as robust as the original but has all that you will need to observe your students on their Chomebooks. Allow, block and screenshots are the simplest and best tools you can use this for. PLEASE let me know if you would like some help in getting starting with this. I would happily come down to a class and show you how it works. You still have to Start and End classes but students are NOT locked in anymore.
Click here for some on your own details

It is specifically for Chromebooks and does not replace the legacy wired version in labs.

Social Media

Please let me know when you have submitted your site and I will put your SM link up on our school's Social Media webpage.

More Emails?

Sometimes the last thing you want are MORE e-mails. BUT what if they WERE relevant to what you teach or are interested in... UEN hosts a large amount of education lists that you may be interest in. Check it out here - https://lists.uen.org/mailmlists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo

Library

Please don't forget that I (and the Library) are here for you and your students. We have physical books, e-books, audiobooks, an old school computer lab, a poster printer, work tables, magazines.

I can help teach your students about research, tech tools usage, Digital Literacy, library books.

If you ever need to send a student down please do so on a pass or note.

UEN.org

If you have not seen it yet UEN.org's Online Library (formerly known as Pioneer library) has the same great tools but a new look. I can help with the tools here also. I sent the home page so you can click the grade level you are looking for. onlinelibrary.uen.org/ If you need students to access this from home be sure to post the log in on your Canvas page.

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iOS 16, Poster, WO, box...

9/27/2022

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iOS 16 is out. And seems to work well. HOWEVER....
IF you charge your iPhone using the your teacher Lenovo Dock it will not charge anymore. We will need to update the firmware on your dock. So please put in a work order if you need or want to charge your iOS device from your dock.

Poster Printer
We have a new and improved poster printer in the library for teachers to print classroom posters up to 36 inches wide. Please understand this is for teacher classroom use, not students or hallway adverts. We'll see what happens and how it gets used, but we just want to try to keep some of the costs down. Currently if you would like something printed just send it to me (as an image or .pdf) as we just figuring it out. As needed I'd be happy to get the printer installed on individual laptops. This poster printer will NOT go on the network.

That being said I have printed updated copies of the Media Bias chart (or Conspiracy poster) and if you would like one just let me know.

Work Orders (Jackson)
Please remember that Jackson does work orders ONLY. Please don't ask him to do other work when you see him. He (we) will do everything we can but NEED it all documented as a work order.

Boxlight TV's
As you know they are around installing them - that's about all I know. They have a method and we need to be patient. More information will be coming soon to those who are getting them. I will have one on a cart if you want to ever borrow it for a lesson. Personally I cannot wait to have all 17 of them out of the library.

Free Wireless Keyboard/Mouse
If you read this far come down, or e-mail me for a free keyboard/mouse combo for use at school. First 3 teachers only!

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<<Previous

The importance of Databases.

Our Google Map

Outlook App (aka e-mail)

Disney+

Great for personal use

BETTER - easy enough for one person to add places.

BEST - for student input and an assignment!

Manage your maps

What are some ideas for students work? (Always the 5 W's)

Boxlight Settings

iOS Account

Disney+ Update (Hulu, Netflix...)

OH, andGO VOTE!

Posting Grades

Boxlights

Printers

Lockdown

Pumpkins!

LanSchool

Phone #'s

Banned Books?

Nearpod Badges!

LanSchool air

Social Media

More Emails?

Library

UEN.org

Categories

OH, and

GO VOTE!