Welcome to the Technology Design Team Weekly Lessons Learned! This is a recurring feature on Friday afternoons where the Technology Design Team will share top of mind resources and learning. Each week, we will post a few key things we hope you may find useful. We look forward to sharing our learning with you. We look forward to sharing our learning with you.
Some of the content may be specific to the realities of Austin ISD though, we hope, much will be useful to viewers worldwide. The Weekly Lessons Learned Archive contains a list of topics from and links to previous updates.
I have an email that I send a copy of to caregivers throughout the month. Is there a way to save it as a template in Outlook?
Outlook email has a templates feature that can save text for simple inclusion in any email. Using My Templates can save you time and increase your efficiency with repetitive email tasks.
This short video demonstrates how to access and use the My Templates in Outlook: https://youtu.be/T6W2SVx6qPw
How can I filter my search results in Google Drive?
Google has a new feature that is rolling out over the next two weeks.
When searching in Drive, users often use a few key words to try and locate the file they’re looking for, such as “lesson plan” or “rubric,” which may return results that are too broad.
Now, after a query is entered, users can use search chips to surface more relevant results based on:
- File type, such as a Google Doc, PDF, or image
- People
- Location, such as a shared drive or specific folder
- When the document was last modified
- File titles only
- Shared drive labels
- Tasks
How can I easily access virtual field trips that might be applicable to my class content through Google Earth?
There are a number of options available. One great option is the Google Earth Voyager tours. The Google Earth Education page has virtual tours for all grades and subjects. There is a tour called, “Compare Earth and Solar System Planets” that can be used as an independent centers or playlist activity since it has narration (text and some video) built into the tour. These will run in a browser window on Chromebooks and iPads.
What are some best practices to consider when having students submit Google Drive files in BLEND?
There are four strong submission tools that teachers can use with students in BLEND assignments. A newly-redesigned document provides strategies, instructional videos and student-facing graphics that can be uploaded to a teacher’s BLEND assignment page. Open bit.ly/aisdgooglesubmission to see these resources.
How can I get just in time support when the SCA3 window opens on 2/28?
SchoolCity SCA 3 Phone Bank/Customer Support will be available from 7:45 am – 4:45 pm on Monday 2/28 – Friday 3/11 to ensure teachers (and students) feel supported during SCA 3 administration. Please check the general announcement in BLEND for the Zoom link.
The Technology Design Team would love to hear from you!
Please reach out to your Technology Design Specialist if you would like a thought partner or support on your blended learning implementation.
If you have a technical support issue (device repair or setup, access to systems, etc), please create a ServiceNow ticket to have a technician address your concern.
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