Google Docs - *New* Add Ons

Back in the beginning of March, Google announced an upgrade to its Docs and Sheets features. The new improvement is called "Add-ons," which provides its users with apps that will work within Docs and Sheets.

An example app in the Add-ons menu that staff in our district may be interested in is Easy Bib. See below...

Don’t forget to cite your sources with the Bibliography Creator from EasyBib

Students (and teachers, for that matter) finally have a much easier way to cite their sources directly inside of Google Docs with the Bibliography Creator from EasyBib. EasyBib has always been a great tool for creating a bibliography via their website, but this brand-new Add-on means you don’t even have to leave your Doc when finishing up a paper!

To check out the new features in Docs go to the Add-ons button in the top menu bar of your screen (see below).

Other Add-on apps include...

• Track Changes (video demo- click here): Allows users to manage the editing process while collaborating on a document.

• Kaizena: Makes it easy for teachers to give high quality feedback on student work by simply highlighting and speaking or attaching a reusable resource for common problems.

• Charts: Inserting charts from Google Spreadsheets just got a whole lot easier with this app!

• Letter Feed (video demo- click here) - Group Messaging for Documents! 

• Etc!

PowerTeacher App - Did You Know?

Did you know that when a teacher in our district is attempting to sign into the PowerTeacher app they need to use an upper case letter for both first initials of their last and first names (ie. DeLoureiroK)? In the past teachers didn't have to worry about the case sensitivity of their username when logging into PowerSchool from a desktop/laptop computer, so this practice (for the app) seemed odd.

If anyone is attempting to gain access to the app and has difficulty please email me for assistance!

Saving Files to the Desktop - Just Don't Do It!

I know, I know. Your desktop is the easiest place on your computer to save pictures, text documents, recent downloads, whatever. It’s so convenient to just stick that file there where you know you can find it again...

Don’t do it! Here’s why:  Most importantly, the files on your desktop at this minute are probably not backed up (saved anywhere else). If your computer were to crash you would lose all those files...permanently. 

Solution: Save to either your Documents, U:/ Drive, or Google Drive. 

Your Documents and U:/ Drive are the exact same storage space, which are backed up on a district server. You can only access your files from a district computer when saving to one of these locations.

Google Drive is cloud based storage, meaning your files will be saved in a password protected storage space on the Internet. This is convenient if you would also like to access your files from home, as you can sign into Drive from any computer/device and get to your files.

Tech Trick Tuesday: Windows Updates - Why They're Important

Tech Problem:  Does the above look familiar to you? Many staff members in our district see this message regularly and "Postpone" over and over again.

Tech Trick: - Log-off, don't shut down at the end of a lesson/school day.

When is the Internet truly down?