Dearborn Public Schools
Troy Patterson Looking for tips? How about some tricks?
We have a variety of Help Sheets posted. The latest ones include Interactive Projector tips. Many of these fall into the “one minute” category (meaning they take about one minute to read and implement).
Here are a couple of examples:
You may have heard of the recent Facebook account compromised. Maybe you’ve received an email stating that your webcam shows….(we’ve had several people received these). That email may also list your user name and a password that you’ve actually used.
Password management is an important issue and skill that you need to develop. Since there are people out there who would like to use this for their own gain (which can be stealing money, stealing your identity, or just making things difficult for you), you should proactively protect yourself.
In short, use a different password at every single site that you visit.
There is no way that you could realistically remember that many different, complex passwords. I advise that you get a password manager.
A password manager is a program that, well, manages your password.
Here are a few choices (that I’ve used):
Other options (I don’t have any experience with these):
That’s really a personal preference. Most of these are a paid option/program. Some offer free options. (This is one of those things that I’m definitely willing to pay for.) You should check to make sure that your choice supports all the devices that you use. You should also check your use case. For example, some have free plans if you only use one device. (Personally, I use 1Password. I have paid for and used it for many years. Other team members use Passpack, Dashlane and Lastpass). The best ones allow you to enter your password in a browser extension and that fills in your password.
We strongly advise AGAINST doing this. Saved passwords in a browser lack almost any security at all. The security standards aren’t nearly as robust for web browsers. If anyone gets any access to your computer while you are signed in, they would have access to everything.
Yes, turn on 2 factor authentication wherever you can. Google offers 2 step authentication. So does Apple.
According to the latest schedule, as of October 16th, 2018, any users who’ve opted out of the new Gmail will be automatically migrated to the new experience.
They won’t be able to opt out after that date. Users who’ve already transitioned to the new Gmail will lose the ability to opt out as well.
I’m reminded of the adage that the only one who likes change is a wet baby.
So, why is Gmail changing?
Personally, I like the new interface. It provides some good tools to increase efficiency. However, I understand that not everyone feels the same way. Increasing security is an extremely important consideration at this point of the Internet development. You can choose to switch back and forth between the versions until October 16th. Then, the decision on which to use will be easy 
.
One of the basic computer skills that everyone should have is the ability to “bookmark” sites. This can be especially handy for forms that are needed to be completed. Forms such as the Response to Bullying Behavior, lunch counts (for some schools), or intervention plans should be handy.
We’ve prepared a Bookmarking Help Sheet to assist.
Google has “helpfully” switched everyone over to the new Gmail interface. While we really, really like the new interface, we understand that some may prefer the older interface. At this point, you can still switch back by using the setting menu. According to the release calendar, as of October 16th, everyone will be switched to the new interface permanently.
Some of the features that we really like about the new interface:
For a long time, we’ve noted how nice it is to use the WordPress app to post to blogs. Sadly, because of bad actors and security concerns, we can no longer use the app. There is an issue in how the WordPress app integrates with a WordPress web site that allows for massive attacks.
So, for now, we have to block the WordPress app integration.
We hope that with updates, WordPress app integration can be restored. If it is, we will certainly let you know.
For now, all users will need to sign in through a browser in order to post to iBlog.
It is with great joy that we celebrate the return of Bob Harrison his role as a Tech Coach. Bob brings such great gifts the teaching and learning process. He has reached so many students through his Tech Coach role. Now, he’s back. One of the tenets of our team is try things out. If absolutely everything works out easily, we aren’t stretching enough. This is hard for all. I am extremely thrived that I get the opportunity to work with someone like Bob. He has stretched and found one thing that isn’t for him. (You can head over his Tech Coach Blog post to read his perspective).
Bob brings his passion, skills, gifts, and drive back to the Tech Coach role. Join us in a happy dance! Join us in our celebration! Join us in our Joy! Most of all, join us in challenging Bob to help students learn.
Phishing is the practice of sending out emails that purport to be from a legitimate, reputable company in order to get users to reveal sensitive information (such as passwords and credit card numbers).
Protecting your user name and password is critical to the security and safety of our district. Many users have access to very sensitive data.
Here is a Phishing Flyer with tips (reposted from a couple years ago).
There are several things that you can do to make your account more secure:
Here are the REMC FREE PD opportunities for educators:
Those eagle eye users will notice a difference in the Google Log in page over the next couple of weeks. No need to worry, it is planned and legitimate.
Currently, the log in box looks like this:
Soon, it will look like this:
Some of the changes will include tweaks to the Google logo, an outline around the text field, and center alignment of all items on the screen.