Google (G Suite) accounts ... a reminder

With the start of a new school year, I thought I should provide some reminders regarding Google accounts and working with Chromebooks.  Here's a useful step-wise process to get your class up and running:

1. To help provide informed consent for parents concerning the FOIPA issues of Google and cloud-based applications, here's the letter from Superintendent and the letter to go home to parents.  Signed permissions should be sent to Dan Lowndes at DAO for MyEd data input.

2. For students who are new to the district, they may need to get their Google account activated.  On logging in to a desktop computer or laptop, they need to hold down Ctrl-Alt-Del keys and reset their password.  Teachers also have the option from the Start Menu and Staff Programs to run the program "SD28 Reset a Student Password" to get their account reset and Google account activated.  Here's a video clip to explain:


3. Students who have an activated Google account will then be able to log into a chromebook (firstlastname@sd28.org) or sign in after opening Google Chrome (select the person icon in the top right corner of the Google web browser).

It's also good to review proper use guidelines/ rules with students for using technology.  USB ports in chromebooks are fragile.  Please take the time to show students how to properly plug in mice or headsets into USB ports.  Here are a few other rules that Curt and I put together.

If you have any questions or need help with getting your class going with technology, please contact me.

Updates to the website: Digital classroom collection

Happy Tech Tuesday!  Students and teachers have access to several digital classroom resources, including a variety of applications from World Book and Gale.  Our collection is found at this link: http://www.sd28.bc.ca/content/student-resources

From my website, the digital classroom resources are found in a variety of subject areas.  Media Smarts for example talks about Digital Literacy and Citizenship and fits best in "Health & PE"   New this year are two à la carte items from BC ERAC Digital Classroom: Learn 360 and Curio.  Learn 360 has many video and lesson plan supports.  Consider a better option to search for videos than the Discovery Learning subscription that our district used to have!

Curio has Canadian content material, including documentaries and news in English or French.  It is an excellent source for Aboriginal content resources.

We also have access to myBlueprint and AllAboutMe Career Ed resources, including a digital portfolio for students to explore career options and interests.  Let me know if you'd like to learn more about this resource, available from the Career Ed page.

Note also that I've added a page for "News" to include kid-friendly news sites.  BC ERAC Digital Classroom resources are found from the Interdisciplinary page of my website for easy access.  All digital resources (with the exception of Learn360) should work from any school site.  Home access is possible with a username and password that I can share with you.

I'll do my best to post new blog entries on "Techno Tuesdays."

Web Browsers & Flash problems: Google or Internet Explorer?

Greetings!  Welcome back!  This is the first blog of the year!  The purpose of this blog is to share ideas and develop a professional learning community of teachers with technology.

What web browser is best?  Google Chrome works much better than Internet Explorer.  Some applications don't work at all with Internet Explorer such as You Tube.  There are times when flash programs work better with other browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox but the majority of sites work best with Google Chrome.

To make Google Chrome your default web browser, the option arises when opening Chrome as a pop-up box to make it your default browser.  Otherwise, click the three vertical dots in the top right corner...in Settings, choose the option of making Chrome your default browser.  Doing so will allow Chrome to open when clicking on a link from MS Word or Groupwise.

What can you do about the Flash problems?  Google has its own embedded flash and some websites have not yet updated their system to make it flash compatible.  If you encounter a problem where the flash isn't working, a work-around solution is to click on the word "Secure" to the left of the URL bar (http://.... line).  Select "Site Settings" and scroll down to the Flash setting and choose "Allow" on the drop-down menu.  When Flash does not work for Chromebooks, the best solution is to log in as a "Guest" user and adjust the "Secure" settings to allow flash for the website that has flash problems.  Ideally, websites and Google need to fix this issue as it is frustrating!

Feel free to comment and add to any blog entries as the comment area is open for all!  If you have questions, please e-mail me: kevinsturt@sd28.bc.ca   I wish you all the best for a new school year!