EdTech Newsletter

Dallas ISD Educational Technology department is thrilled to invite you to our upcoming Lunch and Learn sessions.

What to expect?

Tour the EdTech website, become familiar with our department, meet our Directors, discover valuable resources, learn how to use the Dallas ISD Portal, and more.

When?

The first sessions will be held the week of February 24th - 28th.

• Wednesday, February 26th - 11 AM via Microsoft Teams.
• Thursday, February 27th - 11 AM via Microsoft Teams.

To view upcoming sessions, follow this link to the EdTech Lunch and Learns webpage.

The Educational Technology division has identified the Top Technology Issues submitted through ServiceNow that affect Dallas ISD students, teachers, and staff. We have created the Helpful Tips page which will provide resources to address those issues.

If you were not able to resolve your issue with the resources provided, please make sure to submit a ServiceNow Ticket.

Visit Educational Technology's Helpful Tips page on your Dallas ISD Portal Dashboard for additional resources.

• Spring 2025 Training Schedule and Course Catalog

The Application Training and Support team's Training Schedule and Course Catalog for Spring 2025 is available in Cornerstone.

All new secondary and elementary principals, assistant principals, data controllers, registrars, elementary data controllers, attendance clerks, and other support personnel are encouraged to take all PowerSchool or Schoolmint classes specific to their job functions. This will ensure accurate and timely data entry, which affects funding and accountability.

Oracle Finance Systems and Payroll classes are also available. Office managers, financial clerks, and other support personnel should enroll in classes specific to their job functions.

The course catalog is also linked under Quick Links on the ATS website. Training schedules, including times and locations, are organized on each application’s resource page, i.e. PowerSchool Resources, Oracle EBS Resources, etc., by subject.

Please register for any classes you are interested in through Cornerstone. If you have any questions or require further support, please reach out to the ATS team by submitting a ticket via ServiceNow.

If you have any questions or require further support, please reach out to the ATS team by submitting a ticket via ServiceNow.

• 2024-2025 Technology Back to School

• Access CAM information through the Controllable Asset Management website - https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/38089

• CAM Training - Click Here to register

• CAM Guide - Click here to review

• Review the 24-25 Technology Handbook

• Review the Device Management Agreement (Selections were made in April 2024)

• Do you have a lost or stolen device that needs to be locked or located?
• Has a student returned a device that needs to be unlocked?
• Is there a device that has been found outside of the district that needs to be returned?

The EdTech Fulfillment Asset Recovery Team can assist you with these scenarios.

Contact the Asset Recovery Team at DGFCDeviceRecovery@dallasisd.org

ATTENTION COUNSELORS❗

Review the following instructions for accessing the Dallas College login for Dual Credit Students:

Dallas College Login via Dallas ISD Portal Guide

Dallas ISD has begun the process of upgrading the legacy phone system and voice network. The upgrade involves moving to a modernized Microsoft Teams solution.

To learn how to use Microsoft Teams or download the app, view the following resources:

• Windows Device using Teams
• MacBook Device using Teams
• Downloading the Teams App - iOS
• Downloading the Teams App - Android

These and other resources can be found on Educational Technology's Microsoft Teams Resources page.

If not, we recommend accessing your applications through the Dallas ISD portal to remain SSO enabled.

When you sign in to the Dallas ISD Portal, you are instantly signed in to all of your applications at once. You can switch between applications seamlessly, without having to sign in to each one separately.

During the month of February, Dallas ISD will migrate the method of assigning student counselors within PowerSchool SIS. This move will provide enhanced functionality which includes a new student alert to easily identify a student's counselor.

Be on the lookout for a communication from Counseling Services!

Substitutes assigned to org 000 now have automatic access to HMH Apps Ed: your friend in learning, MyHrw and ThinkCentral via Clever!

Little SIS Premium is a web app add-on to Little SIS Classroom that can create and sync Google Classroom classes with student information system (SIS) data. For more information, please see the attached FAQ and document.

Little SIS Teacher FAQs

Little SIS Coming Soon

Educational Technology is introducing the new ServiceNow Employee Center that is expected to launch March 7, 2025. Team members will be able to use the center for:

• Requesting Technical and Maintenance Support
• Utilizing Self-Help Resources through the Knowledge Base, Virtual Agent, and Guided Tours

This enhanced portal will officially replace the current Self-Service Portal. Refer to the images below for a side-by-side comparison of the Self-Service Portal and the Employee Center.

We are thrilled to announce that virtual training for the 2025 ServiceNow Employee Center Update is now open in Cornerstone. Click on the link above to sign up for a virtual training session.

This course will guide you through navigating and utilizing the new Employee Center, including how to:

• Submit a Service Request
• Submit a Maintenance and Facility Work Order
• Report an Issue
• Check Ticket Status
• Search for Knowledge-Based Articles

This image includes items that have been removed or replaced.

This image includes new features.

Dallas ISD staff can now report issues with Xerox Printers through ServiceNow.

Follow these steps to report the incident:

1. Access ServiceNow using the Dallas ISD Portal https://portal.dallasisd.org/.
2. Click Report an Issue.
3. Enter your Location, Office Number and Phone Number.
4. From the Affected Service dropdown, select Hardware.
5. From the Service Offering dropdown, select Xerox Printer.

6. Give the Model number and Serial number of the defective devices in your issue description.

If you would like to move your printer to a new location or if you are having issues with your printer badge, please contact copierinfo@dallasisd.org.

This comprehensive glossary details services and service offerings for Portal Users.

• Prohibited Sites on District Devices - February 13, 2025
• Prohibited Sites on District Devices - November 7, 2024

On January 31, 2025, Governor Abbot issued a ban prohibiting the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and social media apps affiliated with the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party on government-issued devices. Last November, several apps were blocked on district-issued devices in accordance with state law.

Senate Bill 1893, adopted during the 88th state legislative session, prohibits the use of certain social media applications and services on governmental entity devices and Government Code Chapter 620 requires governmental entities, such as school districts, to ban the software products or apps listed below.

Prohibited Software/Applications/Developers

New (as of Jan 31, 2025)

• RedNote

• DeepSeek

• Webull

• Tiger Brokers

• Moomoo

• Lemon8

  
  

Team members can continue using these apps on their personal devices and networks. Your understanding and partnership as the district complies with state law requirements is appreciated. If you have any questions, contact ITSecurity@dallasisd.org.

Ransomware attackers are now using Microsoft Teams to "vishing" (voice phish) users. They impersonate trusted sources like coworkers or IT support to trick you into giving them access or installing malware and ransomware onto devices.

EdTech will never spontaneously call you via Teams without a ticket being opened first.

Be suspicious of any unexpected Teams calls, especially if the caller is labeled as an external or unknown contact. Do not answer the original call. Instead, reach out to the person through a known, trusted channel (like email or phone) to verify their identity.

Report any suspicious Teams activity to the Cybersecurity Team immediately.

Dear Dallas ISD Team,

Get ready to put your cybersecurity skills to the test! 🚨 Starting today, you’ve probably noticed a new cybersecurity challenge in your email inbox designed to keep you (and our district) safer from online threats. It’s a simple, quick challenge that turns cybersecurity awareness into a game — and it’s YOU vs. the bad guys!

Here’s how it works:
🔗 When you click a link in an email, you may see a prompt asking:
“Do you think this link is safe?”

🎯 Your job is to decide if the link is Safe or Harmful.

Think of it like a pop quiz for your security awareness skills! The more careful and accurate you are, the fewer challenges you’ll receive. But if you get a few wrong, you’ll see more challenges to help sharpen your instincts.

Why are we doing this?
Hackers try to trick people into clicking dangerous links every day. By pausing to think before you click, you’re making life much harder for the bad guys. This challenge is a way to keep our district safer — and help you become a cybersecurity pro!

Can you beat the bad guys?
We believe you can. 💪 Take each challenge seriously, and let’s show cybercriminals that Dallas ISD doesn’t fall for tricks!

Starting in December Dallas ISD team members will see a new tool in Outlook to help keep inboxes safe.

The Information Security Department will be working on adding this tool during the Thanksgiving break.

Team members will see a button with a red fish icon that says, "Submit Email." This button, powered by PhishNotify, lets you quickly report suspicious emails that might be phishing attempts.

Remember that keeping district networks secure is as easy as clicking on a red fish: "To report a phish, click the red fish!"

1. Refrain from using the same password for personal and work accounts.

2. Don't leave devices unattended. Lock your device before walking away from it.

3. Routinely transfer teaching curriculum to the cloud (OneDrive or Google Drive).

4. Shut down your computer at least once per week to ensure latest updates are installed.

5. Only contact DISD IT Department or Help Desk if you need any technical assistance such as passwords Contact Info: 972-925-5630 or ITServiceDesk@Dallasisd.org