In this Issue
Welcome to February! In this issue we look at new feature that have been added to the Reminders app, ways to level up your classroom presentations and reminders about AI and app requests. Thank you for reading!
Level Up Reminders
The Reminders app on iPad and Mac have gotten smarter with the latest update! Check out these new features!
Use Templates
In the Reminders app , you can save a list as a template to reuse it for routines, packing lists, and more. Create a link to publish and share a template with others, or download templates that others have shared.
- Above a list, tap the More button, then tap Save as Template.
- Enter a name for the template.
- Turn on or off Include Completed Reminders, then tap Save.
After you make a template from a list, any changes you make to that list don’t affect the template.
Kanban style columns
Do you prefer to have your lists displayed in columns instead of vertically? Now you can!
- On iPad, tap the 3 dots and select, ‘View as Columns.’
- On Mac, go to the view on the menu bar and select ‘View as Columns.’
Amp Up Your Presentation Game!
Are you looking to increase student engagement? Want to involve students during in-class presentations? Check out these new tools!
Slido is an online tool that allows for live polls, Q/A, quizzes, and word clouds. These can be used for bell ringers, check for understanding questions, hinge questions and even exit tickets. One of the more interesting things you might think of is to use the polls as a voting mechanism for a choose your own adventure type lesson!
New for Westside staff are plug-ins to more easily access Slido!
Slido Switcher: Slido Switcher is a Mac app that you can install from Manager. It runs in the background to detect when a Slido question is active. When it is, your presentation will automatically switch to the poll. When you close the question, you’ll automatically switch back to your presentation. This works in ANY Mac app, including Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Slides and displaying a PDF.
Slido: This is a PowerPoint plug-in for Mac. It will integrate Slido directly into PowerPoint. Use it to not only display Slidos’, but you can create and build your questions at the same time as you make your PowerPoint!
Slido for Google Slides: You can install this Google Add-On from within Google Slides. It works the same way as Slido for PowerPoint – you can build and run Slido polls directly from Google Slides.
Want to know more about Slido? Check out their great help center or email Matt or Bridget to learn more!
Request and App, Service or Sign in with Google/Microsoft
To better promote safety, security, and ease of access for students and staff, apps and web services requiring a log-in will need to be reviewed for legal compliance and then approved by the Teaching and Learning team.
Google Add-ons, Chrome Extensions and services using ‘Sign in With Google’ will also need to be evaluated for legal compliance and approved by Teaching and Learning.
To help walk you through this process, we’ve set up a website that outlines the process, and includes a link to the request form.
https://teachers.technology/request-an-app/
AI @ Westside
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that deals with the creation of intelligent agents, which are systems that can reason, learn, and act autonomously. AI research has been highly successful in developing effective techniques for solving a wide range of problems, from game playing to medical diagnosis.
Westside Community Schools is on the forefront of the issues of AI in education. We’ve proactively engaged with our community, including experts at UNO to help develop guiding principles for the use of AI in the classroom.
Our guiding principles are:
- Clarity and Transparency in its use
- Be open and acknowledge the pitfalls
- Used to support learning, not replace learning
- Be safe and conscious about data privacy and security
Want to learn more about what AI and can can’t do? Want to learn how it can impact your classroom? Check out our AI hub at: https://teachers.technology/ai-at-westside/
Closing
As always, if you ever have any technology integration-related questions, please let us know. We are happy to work with you to design lessons, develop workflows, and even come into your classes and work with you and your students.
Thanks!