Tech Tip Tuesday

• Creating a Contact List in Google Contacts
• Chromebook Troubleshooting: Black Screen - Won't Turn On
• Chromebook Troubleshooting: Wi-Fi Issues
• Amplify Reading
• Canvas Syncing Grades to PowerSchool
  
• Freebies!

If you don't want to take the time to build your contact list using PowerSchool, you can use Google Contacts and that may end up saving you some time in the future!

One issue we've seen with the Chromebook is that they won't turn on. For some reason they get stuck and you have to force it to restart. This process is relatively simple and can be attempted in the classroom if you prefer.

• Hold down the Power button for 10 seconds. If that doesn't work, ⤵
• Hold down the Refresh and Power button. If that doesn't work, ⤵
• Plug the device in and hold down the Refresh and Power button. If that doesn't work, ⤵
• Send it to the office :(

This method usually works wonders to get the Chromebook up and running. We think this happens when the device battery is ran completely out and it needs a quick reset to get up and running again.

One time this process didn't work was when the screen brightness was turned down all the way. I fixed it by clicking the screen bright key. Be Aware - The screen dimmer button will dim the screen to the point it looks completely off.

If these methods don't work, the device may need further troubleshooting and you should send it to the office for repair.

Another issue we've been seeing is a wifi connectivity problem that occurs before the device is logged into or as soon as it is logged in.

Chromebooks work a little differently than the laptops...ok a lot differently...and mostly for the better! Before logging in to any Chromebook, do not attempt to login to the wifi (on the old laptops you had to do the opposite and login to the wifi before logging into the the computer). Instead, if it asks you, choose guest and go ahead and log in to the device. The first few seconds of being logged on, the Chromebook will automatically adjust your wifi settings and log you in to the correct wifi account.

This also leads me to the next issue of your first webpage that you open may look like you're having wifi issues. You may even get the little dino page that tells you, you don't have internet. Just open up a second tab or refresh after 5 seconds and your internet should be restored. Sometimes the Chromebook takes an extra couple seconds to get logged into the correct wifi profile. If these steps don't work, please put in a tech ticket.

Amplify Reading should now be up and running! Please login using the credentials sent to your email and check to make sure you can see all your students. I'm including a short video that describes your teacher dashboard and what to expect from the program.

Watch this short video where I describe how to set up your Canvas and Gradebook so that grades sync automatically. After you do this, you can drag and drop assignments that you already have in Canvas into the correct category and they will automatically sync correctly.