In this Issue
Welcome to issue 90! In this issue, we share a Keynote-based lesson idea, review cold weather best practices for our devices, talk about what to do if you’re planning on traveling for the break, and end with a quick PowerSchool tip to get you started for next semester.
Cold Weather Care
With winter here, we would like to give you some tips on taking care of your device! Thank you, Michael Sanchez, WHS Tech Manager, for these tips!
Careful Storage: Never leave a laptop or iPad in your vehicle for over an hour in cold weather, even in a well-padded and insulated case. The device could freeze, causing parts to become damaged.
Let it Warm Up: Once you bring a laptop or iPad in from the cold, let it warm up to room temperature before booting.
Do not use mug warmers, pocket warmers, or hair dryers to heat or keep a device warm. They are not designed for this purpose and can create problems as they will not heat or keep a laptop warm correctly. They could heat the wrong parts of a device or cause it to generate too much heat and melt internal components.
Keep it out of the cold: Protecting your laptop from excessive dampness or wetness from snow will keep your keyboard from freezing and other problems from developing.
So, what should you do if your laptop or iPad is left in the cold?
The first step is to let the device thaw. The device should be at room temperature before you power it on. If a laptop is in sleep mode, you should avoid even opening the laptop since that may automatically wake the computer. Even once the device gets to room temperature, it may have condensation on it because of the temperature change. If your device looks wet, let it dry naturally and bring it to Tech Support. If you turn on your computer when it is wet, it may short one or more electrical connections, which could cause the laptop to stop functioning.
Traveling for Winter Break?
Winter break is a time when many folks like to travel. If you are planning on traveling outside of the USA, and you want access to your Westside email and other Westside accounts, be sure to submit your Travel Access BEFORE you leave!
Last summer, to help ensure the security and integrity of our systems, we implemented new restrictions on the accessing of district accounts (i.e., Westside Access, Gmail, AppleID, Clever, etc.) from locations outside the USA. You can only sign in to your district accounts from within the United States without prior authorization.
Now, we’ve made it even easier to request access for out-of-the-country travel!
To request access:
- Go to: help.westside66.org and click ‘Sign In’.
- On the sign-in screen, click on Sign in with SSO and sign in using your Westside Access credentials.
- You’ll now be at the Westside Help Desk home page. You’ll find help articles, a button to submit a help desk ticket, and the ability to request a service.
- Click Request a Service
- Click on Request Account Access to Traveling
- Complete the form and submit! The tech team will receive the request and enable your account access outside of the USA.
HINT: You can bookmark any helpdesk page for easy future access. The direct link to the Travel Request is: https://help.westside66.org/support/catalog/items/33
Featured Lesson
Today’s featured lesson uses the app, Keynote. Keynote is Apple’s presentation software (similar to Google Slides or PowerPoint), but it can be used for so much more!
A great activity is having students write a postcard from various perspectives, time periods, or settings. Keynote can be used as the page layout program to get them started!
For example, you could have students write a postcard from the perspective of a marine biologist talking about the key features of sharks. Or you might have middle school students write a postcard from the point of view of an immigrant going through Ellis Island in the late 1800s.
See more and download the Keynote template at: https://education.apple.com/learning-center/T055831A-en_US?cid=pm-enus-atlc-na-edu-eccreate-btsstudent24
PowerSchool Corner
At the start of each semester, it’s convenient to create an email group of all your student’s parents as a way to quickly and easily communicate with them.
You can easily export parent email addresses from PowerSchool into a Google Contact Group with just a few simple steps.
Check out link below to learn how!
https://teachers.technology/create-a-parent-contact-group-in-gmail/
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!