Windows 10 August 2018 update causing wifi problems

My computer recently did an update to Windows 10, and in the process the wifi stopped working.  After several attempts to fix it, I found that if you go to Network Connections, right click on the Wifi network connection, and choose Properties.  Then select the Internet Protocol Version 4 and select properties.  Then select both to be "obtain automatically".  Do the same with the Internet Protocol Version 6.  Hopefully this fixes things for you!

Document Studio - The Google Sheets Add-on You've Been Waiting For

Document Studio - The Google Sheets Add-on You've Been Waiting For: Document Studio is a new Google Sheets Add-on developed by Amit Agarwal . Document Studio will create documents based on the data that you ...

Raspberry Pi: Can't start the desktop with new user

I created a new user with the Raspberry Pi, and tried to type "Startx" to start the desktop, but nothing worked!  FINALLY found out that I couldn't choose the option to "boot to CLI" and still run the desktop.

Raspberry Pi: Problems recognizing card when backing up with "SD Card Copier"

So this year I am using Raspberry Pis to teach a Fundamentals of Computer class.  I wanted to document a few problems I ran into.

I successfully backed up the Raspberry Pi the first time by using the new option under Accessories called "SD Card Copier".  But when I went to back it up again, it did not recognize the card!  I tried so many things to get it to work.  I thought it was the card reader, the SD card, and I tried formatting it, but that didn't work unless I used a specific program to reformat it.

Another colleague mentioned that it looked like it thought the cards were identical - and then I remember the option "new partition UUIDS".  When I formatted the card the first time, I did not check the box "new partition UUIDS".

So I formatted the backup SD card that wasn't being recognized with the SD Memory Card Formatter found here: https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/.  And then I ran the "SD Card Copier" again, this time selecting "new partition UUIDS" and it worked to back up the card again the next time!  Why couldn't I find this information anywhere?! :)

This is what I've been looking for a long time on how to connect technology to teaching!

Technology or Learning?

I found this to be a great resource of information from the Ed Tech Coaching blog Words Matter: Are You Talking About Technology, or are You Talking About Learning?:

9 Fundamental Digital Skills for 21st Century Teachers

Pedagogy First

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6 Good Kids Safe Search Engines

ISTE 2016

I learned so much at ISTE, that I created a Google sheet called "Must have apps and websites".  Check it out!

7 Ways Teachers Can Use Technology With Purpose In

Google Sites Resources

At the last Google Summit I also attended a workshop by Kyle.  His resource can be found here:
https://sites.google.com/site/pacehandouts/google-sites.

This includes information on how to create a site as well as examples.

He also mentioned that you can have a template site created that other teachers can use.  He also puts a disclaimer in the footer of each site.

I am copying the links found at https://sites.google.com/site/pacehandouts/google-sites
below:

Big list of teacher examples!

Getting Started with Google Sites

Student ePortfolio examples

Model student portfolio example

Google Sites Guide for Teachers

More on Getting Started with Google Sites

Googlios - ePortfolios with Google Sites

Great Google Sites Resource from Liberty Public Schools

CoolText

ColorZilla

Canva

Taking minutes using Google Docs and Approval Workflows (Autocrat & FormMule)

This was based on a session by Henry Thiele at the Great Plains Google Summit.  His information was found here: https://goo.gl/rGGFBn and titled "Google Apps for School Admins". Here are the takeaways:

Minutes from Meetings: You should run meeting for an entire year from a single google doc. This document would contain a table of contents at the top that lists the dates of the meetings.
The team is now managing agenda. You aren't. Prep agenda. Email collaborators and have them update it. Send a week ahead. Make sure to send copy to yourself. Can grab text out of table of contents and email it out to the group. That includes the links.

Example:

July 1

Last meeting tasks (put table) put in heading two

Old Business

New Business

Tasks

[Return to Top] link at the end of each meeting.

FERPA concern? No -  See http://deunters.blogspot.com/2016/07/killing-fud-and-dispelling-myths-around_28.html for more details.

Emails: You be only one paragraph with list of links to information. Need to think about this since my emails are usually pretty long! Good idea for newsletters that go out.  This way if something changes, you just change the information in the link.  Add new information at the top.

Building Approval Workflows taken from https://goo.gl/mjGuA1  This was example of a teacher who wanted to put in Absence Request using a form, it would automatically get sent to the supervisor, with prefilled field, and the supervisor could approve or reject.

Steps and Resources

Resources and examples will be added during the demonstration

Step 1:

Create your Google Form for requests and associated spreadsheet (first name, last name, email address, supervisor email, date requested off) Absence Request Form

Step 2:

Create your approval form and associated spreadsheet

Step 3:

Get pre-populated URL from Approval Form

Step 4:

Use Autocrat (Documents) or FormMule (email) to send out pre-populated approval form link

Step 5:

Use Autocrat (Documents) or FormMule (email) to send out confirmation of approval

More about the two add-ons:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOOb7YxVNKI

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Imd6MxTqRAd_Ac2CNJSCRLamhGe888TRWFd22vj-8hQ/edit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnLy9N2MIMY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhxmvoBUC68

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMrlC3T2-uQ

Google Photos upload taking up all bandwidth

Does your internet stop when you start uploading Google Photos? When I googled the problem, all they said was there was nothing to do about it.  I googled some more and realized that I could go to the router and change the Bandwidth settings.  The router number is usually accessed through http://192.168.1.1. This is for a Netgear router.  The username is usually admin, with a blank password or the password of "password".  Go to the advanced tab, and find the QoS setup.  Adjust the Bandwidth (uplink bandwidth maximum).  I read that they suggested 75% of the typical upload speed.  I have an upload of 1GB, so set my uplink bandwidth to 750 Kbps.  Worked perfectly.  Hope this can help someone!

"Killing the FUD and Dispelling the Myths around GAFE"

http://technocation.blogspot.com

The first thing that administrators want to know is "how safe is the information out on the cloud" and
then they tell you "you can't put anything FERPA related out there."

I attended Henry Thiele's presentation a couple years ago on dispelling those myths.  I thought I would post a couple links here for future reference:
http://www.gafeadmin.com/blog/killingthefudanddispellingthemythsaroundgafe
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1CmyVh5N2agPXs20zGnXu509kr6ycL8bvzW5TZ0Vcbng/htmlpresent?hl=en

According to him, you can put anything on the Google docs, and it is safer than having it on our local servers.

I also talked with someone from the Lincoln Public Schools with the same view, and they shared this link:  http://home.lps.org/training/2012/08/22/student-data-privacy-in-google-apps/

Google's Reply:
http://googleforeducation.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-facts-about-student-data-privacy-in.html

20 Time Project (Google Summit)

Attended the keynote for Great Plains Google Summit.

Takeaways from the keynote speaker, Kevin Brookhouser, author of "The 20time Project":
www.20time.org. We want students to solve those wicked problems, and think outside of the box. One game he mentioned that helps students do this is "Limbo" - a game where boy crosses river and has to think out of box.  He talked about having student brainstorm about bad ideas http://www.20time.org/the-bad-idea-factory/

He talked about Daniel Pink's book "Drive"
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation

And the three ways to motivate are:

• Autonomy - urge to direct our own lives
• Mastery - desire to get better aand better at something that matters
• Purpose - the yearning to do what we do in the service in something larger than ourselves

Play is learning

Has students come up with what they are going to do.  Has them create a proposal - audience, needs, deliverables, product, reality check, conclusion.  Has them blog each week of what they are doing, where they are going.

A couple other good books and Youtubes: Stop Stealing Dreams: Seth Godin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXpbONjV1Jc

• What is school for? 
• Go do something interesting!

Adam Grant's book - Originals