In this Tech eNews
for December 10, 2015:
1. What to do with devices over the break
2. Printing emoji makes Konica copiers angry
3. Phishing attempts – keep your personal info safe
4. Creating a great password
5. Tech Fund Project overview
6. Report a Problem with a Google App
7. Updates for Teacher iPads
8. SBA Compatibility and iOS 9 - resolved
9. Every-other-year inventory work starting soon
10. Use SchoolDude to report problems
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1. What to do with devices over the break
2. Printing emoji makes Konica copiers angry
3. Phishing attempts – keep your personal info safe
4. Creating a great password
5. Tech Fund Project overview
6. Report a Problem with a Google App
7. Updates for Teacher iPads
8. SBA Compatibility and iOS 9 - resolved
9. Every-other-year inventory work starting soon
10. Use SchoolDude to report problems
-------------------------------------------------------
1. What to do with
devices over the break
Our Tech Support Staff are hoping you have a wonderful, restful winter break and get to spend time with family and friends enjoying the holiday. As you get ready to head over the river and through the woods, here are some tips for ensuring your electronic devices like laptops, Chromebooks and iPads are nestled away for the long winters nap:
Chromebooks and Laptops: Try to charge the battery to 100%, then turn the laptop or Chromebook off (make sure you shut it down using the menu, don't just close the lid to put it to sleep). Then unplug the device from power.
For iPads - charge the iPad all the way up and then make sure you turn it off (don’t just put it to sleep). You can turn your iPad off by pressing and holding the iPad's power button for about 7 seconds, then sliding the switch that shows up on the screen. Don’t leave it plugged into the power cord all of break, either.
Please do not leave the iPads, laptops, or Chromebooks plugged into power while you’re gone for an extended period of time, this can damage the battery and prevent it from holding a charge! For teachers with an iPad cart, make sure your iPads cart is locked before you leave for break. If you have a laptop or Chromebook and are leaving it in your room, consider storing it in a cabinet or drawer to keep it out of sight to prevent theft.
2. Printing Emoji make the Konica copy machines angry!
If you try to print a document that contains an emoji (the small happy/sad face icon set) from Google drive or other web based services to one of the Konica copiers, the copier will not print the document. The document will get stuck on the copier, and the copier will have a blinking blue light on the front that never stops. Eventually, they have to be restarted. If you need to express yourself, you’ll have to use your words, not emoji.
3. Phishing attempts - new ways to steal your info!
As always, there are a number of ways that bad guys (and gals) trying to get your information! New “phishing” attacks, which are tricky ways that hackers and would-be identity thieves are trying to get your personal information, are impersonating Microsoft and other companies, and may pop up an error message saying that “Microsoft has found a virus on your computer” and will ask you to call a number to get help. If you get a notice like this, you may be on a website that is not a reputable place to be, and you should consider closing all of your browser windows and going else where on the Internet.
Note that WSD Tech staff will never ask you to call a non-local phone number for us to provide support for your district equipment. If you get a message like this on your home computer, please be aware that it is a scam.
Note that the “old” tactics of trying to claim that you’ve won the lottery in another country, even though you didn’t enter it, or asking you to send an anonymous benefactor a “down payment” and you could have millions are still out there. There are many, many schemes going on to try to get access to your bank account, e-mail accounts, and your hard earned cash. If you get an e-mail that doesn’t sound right, or asks for your password or login info, please don’t reply. Be a wary web surfer and e-mail user, remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
4. Picking a great password and keeping it secure
Upper, lower, letters, numbers, symbols, what diabolical sadist came up with these rules for creating passwords? We just want to get logged in!
Everyone knows that our WESPaC passwords need to be kept secure - they provide access to confidential student information including health, discipline, and grade data. But, now that you can retrieve passwords for just about every web service you use, including WESPaC and EDS, via your e-mail, it’s more important than ever that you have a strong e-mail password, and that you keep it secure. Coming up with a great password is sometimes a very frustrating experience.
Here are some ideas on creating a great password. Use a favorite song lyric or book title as the starting point, something with 4 or 5 words. A phrase like this will make sure your password is long enough to meet the requirements of the various systems we use. Next, add some capital letters, and change at least a few of the characters to a number. Something like “And The Band Played On” can be AndthebandPlayed1 which is a really hard to guess, but still easy to remember password. Keep in mind that details about you that are easy to find online or through social media, like your address, date of birth, or names of family members, aren’t good starting points for a password.
Another important note is that you should not use the same passwords for both work and home use. Ideally, you’d have at least 4 passwords that you use on a regular basis. You should have a strong password for your access to WESPaC and E-mail. You should have another password that you use for signing up for online systems for work, but which is not the same as your WESPaC password or e-mail, so that if another online system you use gets hacked, you don’t have to worry about your confidential work data being compromised. Finally, although our tech staff are incredibly trustworthy, we don’t want to know the passwords to your online banking, Amazon.com accounts, investments, or other online systems you use at home, so please us a different set of passwords for your home use.
It is also super important to make sure that you are safe guarding these passwords, and that you don’t have them on a sticky note next to your monitor. While we like to assume that no one would ever use this kind of information for nefarious purposes, these things do happen! Please don’t keep your passwords written down in your work space. Once you create a great password, keep it safe!
5. Update on Projects Funded by the Technology Fund
The District Wide Technology Committee has created a one page guide to the Technology Levy and the projects we are funding. You can find a document which outlines the replacement schedule for different devices, as well as the roll out plan for the 1:1 initiative on the Tech website.
6. Reporting a problem with a Google App
If you’re annoyed by an issue you’re having with a Google app, did you know you can report the problem to Google? If you’re in Drive, Calendar or E-mail, Click the Sprocket for settings, and then choose “Help.” Scroll to the bottom, and click “Send Feedback.” If you’re in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, click the “Help” menu, then choose “report a problem.” This will help Google improve the apps you use in your work and provide a better experience for you.
7. Waiting for your support staff to update your iPad?
Teacher iPads are not managed the same way as the student devices, you don't have to wait for the Tech staff! When you have a red number on the Settings app, or the App store on your iPad, it means you have updates you need to install. Installation is very simple, just click the App store, scroll to the bottom, and click updates. You can use the “Update All” button in the upper right, and the App store will let you know when it is done. Some apps may be quite large, so updates can take a couple minutes to download. If your battery is low, the App store may tell you that you must charge your device or have it plugged into power.
8. SBA testing should be compatible with iOS 9 by the end of December
The folks at AIR, the company that produces the Smarter Balanced Test, have finished testing and implementing compatibility fixes for iOS 9. It is no longer necessary to hold off on this update.
9. Every other Year inventory starting
The every-other-year inventory will be starting soon. As we begin having staff verify the location of district equipment, they will notify your school of a timeline for when they’ll be in your building. These staff are happy to work with you to schedule a time to do this work, if you would like to be there while they complete the inventory. If you have personal items that are the same as district items, please put a sticky note on them letting us know that they are personal equipment, so we don’t accidentally tag your stuff. If the inventory person is unable to locate your equipment, they will leave you a note asking you to help locate that equipment. If you have any items checked out, they will also want to see them during the building inventory, and will work with you to find a time that you can show those items so they can be accounted for.
10. How does using School Dude help you?
Besides keeping your tech staff happy (which is a wise thing to do), using SchoolDude to report problems with your technology helps you! Once you’ve put in a request, you’ll get an automatic e-mail response letting you know it’s been entered. The system will update you whenever Sean, Linda, Brian, Jeraby, or Mat makes any changes to the work order. You can log back into the SchoolDude system to view the status of all of your tickets, which can be helpful if we’ve given you steps on how to resolve something. The SchoolDude system helps the district track time spent on problem machines. Also, if you’ve been having a problem with a computer, make sure you’re keeping track of it in School Dude. Problem machines are identified by the number of tickets assigned to them, and get replaced when we have the opportunity.
To get started, visit the “STAFF” page on the WSD Site, then click “Technology/Maintenance Requests” in the right sidebar. Contact your building tech person if you need the password to submit a ticket.
Our Tech Support Staff are hoping you have a wonderful, restful winter break and get to spend time with family and friends enjoying the holiday. As you get ready to head over the river and through the woods, here are some tips for ensuring your electronic devices like laptops, Chromebooks and iPads are nestled away for the long winters nap:
Chromebooks and Laptops: Try to charge the battery to 100%, then turn the laptop or Chromebook off (make sure you shut it down using the menu, don't just close the lid to put it to sleep). Then unplug the device from power.
For iPads - charge the iPad all the way up and then make sure you turn it off (don’t just put it to sleep). You can turn your iPad off by pressing and holding the iPad's power button for about 7 seconds, then sliding the switch that shows up on the screen. Don’t leave it plugged into the power cord all of break, either.
Please do not leave the iPads, laptops, or Chromebooks plugged into power while you’re gone for an extended period of time, this can damage the battery and prevent it from holding a charge! For teachers with an iPad cart, make sure your iPads cart is locked before you leave for break. If you have a laptop or Chromebook and are leaving it in your room, consider storing it in a cabinet or drawer to keep it out of sight to prevent theft.
2. Printing Emoji make the Konica copy machines angry!
If you try to print a document that contains an emoji (the small happy/sad face icon set) from Google drive or other web based services to one of the Konica copiers, the copier will not print the document. The document will get stuck on the copier, and the copier will have a blinking blue light on the front that never stops. Eventually, they have to be restarted. If you need to express yourself, you’ll have to use your words, not emoji.
3. Phishing attempts - new ways to steal your info!
As always, there are a number of ways that bad guys (and gals) trying to get your information! New “phishing” attacks, which are tricky ways that hackers and would-be identity thieves are trying to get your personal information, are impersonating Microsoft and other companies, and may pop up an error message saying that “Microsoft has found a virus on your computer” and will ask you to call a number to get help. If you get a notice like this, you may be on a website that is not a reputable place to be, and you should consider closing all of your browser windows and going else where on the Internet.
Note that WSD Tech staff will never ask you to call a non-local phone number for us to provide support for your district equipment. If you get a message like this on your home computer, please be aware that it is a scam.
Note that the “old” tactics of trying to claim that you’ve won the lottery in another country, even though you didn’t enter it, or asking you to send an anonymous benefactor a “down payment” and you could have millions are still out there. There are many, many schemes going on to try to get access to your bank account, e-mail accounts, and your hard earned cash. If you get an e-mail that doesn’t sound right, or asks for your password or login info, please don’t reply. Be a wary web surfer and e-mail user, remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
4. Picking a great password and keeping it secure
Upper, lower, letters, numbers, symbols, what diabolical sadist came up with these rules for creating passwords? We just want to get logged in!
Everyone knows that our WESPaC passwords need to be kept secure - they provide access to confidential student information including health, discipline, and grade data. But, now that you can retrieve passwords for just about every web service you use, including WESPaC and EDS, via your e-mail, it’s more important than ever that you have a strong e-mail password, and that you keep it secure. Coming up with a great password is sometimes a very frustrating experience.
Here are some ideas on creating a great password. Use a favorite song lyric or book title as the starting point, something with 4 or 5 words. A phrase like this will make sure your password is long enough to meet the requirements of the various systems we use. Next, add some capital letters, and change at least a few of the characters to a number. Something like “And The Band Played On” can be AndthebandPlayed1 which is a really hard to guess, but still easy to remember password. Keep in mind that details about you that are easy to find online or through social media, like your address, date of birth, or names of family members, aren’t good starting points for a password.
Another important note is that you should not use the same passwords for both work and home use. Ideally, you’d have at least 4 passwords that you use on a regular basis. You should have a strong password for your access to WESPaC and E-mail. You should have another password that you use for signing up for online systems for work, but which is not the same as your WESPaC password or e-mail, so that if another online system you use gets hacked, you don’t have to worry about your confidential work data being compromised. Finally, although our tech staff are incredibly trustworthy, we don’t want to know the passwords to your online banking, Amazon.com accounts, investments, or other online systems you use at home, so please us a different set of passwords for your home use.
It is also super important to make sure that you are safe guarding these passwords, and that you don’t have them on a sticky note next to your monitor. While we like to assume that no one would ever use this kind of information for nefarious purposes, these things do happen! Please don’t keep your passwords written down in your work space. Once you create a great password, keep it safe!
5. Update on Projects Funded by the Technology Fund
The District Wide Technology Committee has created a one page guide to the Technology Levy and the projects we are funding. You can find a document which outlines the replacement schedule for different devices, as well as the roll out plan for the 1:1 initiative on the Tech website.
6. Reporting a problem with a Google App
If you’re annoyed by an issue you’re having with a Google app, did you know you can report the problem to Google? If you’re in Drive, Calendar or E-mail, Click the Sprocket for settings, and then choose “Help.” Scroll to the bottom, and click “Send Feedback.” If you’re in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, click the “Help” menu, then choose “report a problem.” This will help Google improve the apps you use in your work and provide a better experience for you.
7. Waiting for your support staff to update your iPad?
Teacher iPads are not managed the same way as the student devices, you don't have to wait for the Tech staff! When you have a red number on the Settings app, or the App store on your iPad, it means you have updates you need to install. Installation is very simple, just click the App store, scroll to the bottom, and click updates. You can use the “Update All” button in the upper right, and the App store will let you know when it is done. Some apps may be quite large, so updates can take a couple minutes to download. If your battery is low, the App store may tell you that you must charge your device or have it plugged into power.
8. SBA testing should be compatible with iOS 9 by the end of December
The folks at AIR, the company that produces the Smarter Balanced Test, have finished testing and implementing compatibility fixes for iOS 9. It is no longer necessary to hold off on this update.
9. Every other Year inventory starting
The every-other-year inventory will be starting soon. As we begin having staff verify the location of district equipment, they will notify your school of a timeline for when they’ll be in your building. These staff are happy to work with you to schedule a time to do this work, if you would like to be there while they complete the inventory. If you have personal items that are the same as district items, please put a sticky note on them letting us know that they are personal equipment, so we don’t accidentally tag your stuff. If the inventory person is unable to locate your equipment, they will leave you a note asking you to help locate that equipment. If you have any items checked out, they will also want to see them during the building inventory, and will work with you to find a time that you can show those items so they can be accounted for.
10. How does using School Dude help you?
Besides keeping your tech staff happy (which is a wise thing to do), using SchoolDude to report problems with your technology helps you! Once you’ve put in a request, you’ll get an automatic e-mail response letting you know it’s been entered. The system will update you whenever Sean, Linda, Brian, Jeraby, or Mat makes any changes to the work order. You can log back into the SchoolDude system to view the status of all of your tickets, which can be helpful if we’ve given you steps on how to resolve something. The SchoolDude system helps the district track time spent on problem machines. Also, if you’ve been having a problem with a computer, make sure you’re keeping track of it in School Dude. Problem machines are identified by the number of tickets assigned to them, and get replaced when we have the opportunity.
To get started, visit the “STAFF” page on the WSD Site, then click “Technology/Maintenance Requests” in the right sidebar. Contact your building tech person if you need the password to submit a ticket.
