Octobers Update
The air is crisp, the pumpkin spice is flowing, and we’re falling into a great month of technology learning! This October, our newsletter is packed with cozy tips to keep your devices running smoothly and resources to help promote a healthy approach to media and tech during Digital Citizenship Week October 20th-24th. Settle in and enjoy this month’s tech harvest!
Digital Citizenship Week October 20-24, 2025
The rapid evolution of technology has ushered in an exciting and critical new chapter in our digital lives: the age of Artificial Intelligence. As we approach Digital Citizenship Week, the focus is on more than just online safety and etiquette; it’s about empowering our students to become confident, ethical navigators of an AI-powered world. Each year during the third full week of October, Common Sense Media leads Digital Citizenship Week by providing resources to equip students to be thoughtful, ethical, and empowered digital citizens. The links below provide calendars full of suggested activities for each grade level, K–12, as well as events, free PD courses, a fun social media challenge, and more! You can try out one activity or participate all week!
Don’t Get Spooked By Cyberthreats!
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and while we love a good scare on Halloween, we definitely don’t want any surprises when it comes to online safety. This post is dedicated to making sure you and your students are cyber-secure with the latest updates and best practices for devices. Let’s keep our digital footprint safe and sound!
The following Tips can help you improve your cyber-awareness and protect the privacy of you and your students.
Don’t Get Spooked By Cyberthreats!
Long Term Tech TLC-Keeping your Devices running like New!
Your school-issued iPad and MacBook are essential tools for your classroom, planning, and communication. They’re an investment in your teaching, and treating them with care is key to ensuring they stay fast, reliable, and functional for years to come.
A few simple daily and weekly habits can make a huge difference in the longevity and performance of your devices. Here’s a quick refresher on best practices for your tech tools:
Physical Care: The ‘Do’s and Don’ts
Protecting your devices from physical damage and the elements is the first and most critical step.
🛡️ Protection & Transport
- Keep the Case On (iPad): Keep your iPad in its protective case at all times.
- The Transport Rule: When placing your MacBook or iPad in a work bag, make sure there are no loose, heavy, or sharp objects (like large binders, metal water bottles, or keys) that could press against the screen.
- Mind the Extremes: Never leave your devices in a car or exposed to direct sunlight for long periods. Extreme heat or cold can severely damage the battery and internal components.
💧 Liquids, Food, and Cleaning
- Keep it Dry and Clean: Liquids and electronics do not mix. Do not eat or drink directly over your devices.
- Cleaning Essentials:.Use only a soft, lint-free cloth. Avoid abrasive materials like paper towels.
- For the screen, dampen the cloth with water only and gently wipe.
- For hard-to-remove smudges or for disinfecting the hard, nonporous surfaces (like the screen, keyboard, and exterior), you may use a cloth lightly moistened with a 70-percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution or a Clorox Disinfecting Wipe.
- NEVER spray any liquid directly onto the device or get moisture into any openings. Avoid cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, or abrasives.
Software and Performance Care:
It’s not just the outside that needs attention—a little internal maintenance keeps your devices running smoothly.
🔋 Battery Best Practices
- Charge Daily: Make charging your device every night part of your routine. A fully charged device is a reliable device.
- Optimal Charging: Try to keep your devices charged between 20% and 80% when possible. Connect the charger when the battery falls below 20%.
⚙️ Keep it Tidy and Fast
- Restart Weekly: Shut down and restart your MacBook and iPad at least once a week. This simple act clears temporary memory and resolves many minor performance issues.
- Manage Storage (MacBook): Regularly check your storage (Apple Menu > System Settings/About This Mac > Storage).
- Empty your Trash frequently—files in the Trash still take up space!
- Delete old or unused apps and large files (like old video recordings or downloads) that are no longer needed.
- Keep your documents backed up to the cloud (ie, Google Drive or iCloud) to reduce local storage strain.
When to Call for Backup
Taking proactive care of your technology is a team effort. If you notice any of the following, please report it to your building tech via the help desk immediately:
- Cracked or damaged screen.
- Problems with charging (e.g., the charger cable is damaged, or the device won’t take a charge)
- Persistent performance issues that a restart doesn’t solve.
By making these care practices a regular part of your routine, you help ensure that your essential teaching tools remain in excellent shape, allowing you to focus on what you do best—teaching!
In 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!
Bridget Brown