TechBytes
March 26, 2024
Upcoming Dates
- Paper Challenge runs all month (see info below)
- April 8: Enhanced Teacher Portal in Clever is active for all teachers (see info below)
- April 15: Deadline to complete Panorama Survey
- May 31: Deadline to input Physical Fitness Scores
EdTech Integration: Solar Eclipse Resources
New PUSD Website
Introducing the New PUSD.US Website
Introducing PUSD’s new website: sleeker, contemporary, and with content for today’s digital audiences. The new design reflects the diversity of our community, and has been a labor of love.
Enjoy! www.pusd.us
ITS Updates
ITS Separation Information
For staff members who are leaving the District (now or at the end of the school year), they need to make sure they've followed the steps below before their last day of employment.
- Return all devices (laptop, cell phone, hotspot). Workstations stay installed at the work location.
- Download or Transfer all files and export Canvas content (if applicable).
These steps should be started a few weeks before the last day of employment to ensure everything has been completed before then and so they can reach out for assistance if needed.
Please review the detailed steps linked below and reach out to ITS with any questions.
Application Changes for 2024-25
Due to changes in budget for the 2024-25 school year, the following applications will no longer be paid for by the District:
- Nearpod
- Paper Tutoring
- Learning A-Z/Raz+
- Edulastic/Pear Assessment
- Newsela
- Scholastic (print and digital)
- Avanza Level Learning (Spanish ONLY)
For alternatives to some of these applications, please check out the resources linked in the Smore below.
Clever Enhanced Teacher Portal
All teachers’ portals will switch to the Enhanced Teacher Portal by default the week of April 8. Teachers can switch back to the Classic Teacher Portal until July 2024.
To help prepare for the transition to the Enhanced Teacher Portal in July 2024, Clever is making it the default portal so that teachers can get some experience with the improved version before the end of the school year.
Here’s what to expect next:
- Improved navigation for teachers: Over 450,000 teachers are using the Enhanced Teacher Portal and saving time finding and using their resources!
- Teacher guide to the Enhanced Teacher Portal: The day the new portal surfaces for teachers, they will receive an in-product message with resources to help them learn about the new portal. We recommend you also proactively reach out to them to share the Teacher Guide to the Enhanced Teacher Portal.
- Additional resources: Follow along and discover more tools and resources to support your teachers through the transition: clever.com/enhanced-teacher-portal
Please reach out to EdTech with any questions.
Lenovo Thinkpads
Are you a classroom teacher who still has a Lenovo Thinkpad checked out to you in addition to your PUSD issued Dell Precision or MacBook laptop? If so, we need your device! All PUSD staff members should have turned in their Thinkpads when they received their new PUSD laptop last school year. If you did not turn in your device then, please submit a ticket so our team can pick it up. We need these devices to redistribute to support staff (Instructional Aides, Long Term Substitutes, etc.) who are using 3189 Chromebooks.
Questions? Contact EdTech.
3189/Loaner Deactivation
3189/Loaner Chromebooks assigned to students at all grade levels have now been deactivated. If one of your students is still in possession of a 3189/loaner Chromebook, please have them turn it in to your librarian or site Chromebook contact. The deactivation only affects devices assigned to students, not staff. 3189s should be collected, stacked, and stored in a secure location for pick-up. Your school site technician will be in contact with your librarian/Destiny contact as to when these devices will be removed from your campus. We appreciate your patience.
Panorama School Climate Survey
We want to know what you think! To gain insight into your perception of our school and district and ensure that we continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners, PUSD invites you to take the annual School Climate Survey. We have partnered with Panorama Education to conduct surveys of students (grades 3-12), families/caregivers, staff, and community members. The online survey asks questions about social-emotional learning, growth mindset, sense of belonging, safety, and more. It takes only a few minutes. You may complete the survey through April 15, 2024. Students will take the survey at school, and we ask that staff and families/caregivers take the survey too.
Survey links for staff, teachers, and students can be found in Clever. Links to share with families are listed below.
Family (English): surveys.panoramaed.com/pusd/spring24family
Family (Spanish): surveys.panoramaed.com/pusd/spring24family/surveys?language=es
Email: EdTech@pusd.us
Website: pusd.us/its
Location: 351 South Hudson Avenue, Pasadena, CA, USA
Phone: 626-396-3699