TechBytes

As you come back from Summer break and begin going through emails, be on the lookout for Phishing scams, specifically scams that utilize Google applications, such as Google Docs or Google Forms, to obtain your login information.

Google Docs phishing scams are a type of business email compromise (BEC) attack that use legitimate Google sites to gain access to a user's mailbox. The scam typically begins with an email that looks like it's from a trusted source, such as a friend, colleague, or organization, and includes a link to a shared Google Form or Doc. However, clicking on the link redirects the user to a malicious website that looks like the Google sign-in page, where the scammer can collect personal information.

If you notice a suspicious email or shared document, do not click on any links. Report the email as Phishing and, if you think your account has been compromised, reset your password in the PUSD Portal.

The rollover from 2023/24 data to 2024/25 data is now complete in Aeries. As a result, many of our other systems and applications are still in the process of syncing, such as Clever and most curriculum related applications. Those applications should finish syncing and be ready to use by August 14th.

• Hapara (August 1-7): Hāpara’s Hipi-Palooza is a fun, flipped online professional development event that highlights innovative and creative practices in schools. This online event is designed to fit your schedule so you can learn some fun new ways to positively impact your students with Hāpara
• Aeries (dates throughout August): August is here and the start of the school year is approaching! It's time to learn all we can from free webinars such as "Good Morning, Aeries!", and more.
• Paper (August 7): Join an upcoming webinar to learn best practices for using Paper and become an official Certified Paper Educator or access learning content asynchronously anytime on Paper Academy.
• Paper Power User Certification: Going Beyond the Basics Webinar August 7 at 1PM. Register Here
• Paper Foundations Certification: Getting Started with Paper Webinar September 18 at I . Register Here
  
• Google Applied Digital Skills (dates throughout August): expert-led professional development webinars that will help you learn how to incorporate Applied Digital Skills into your curriculum.
• Camp Promethean: Camp Promethean has ended, but you can still view recordings of the sessions HERE.
• 5 EdTech Tools for Back to School: View this webinar to learn about EdTech tools for learning, hear from classroom educators on how they use them, and understand how to integrate ideas for back-to-school preparation.

If you are a teacher who is still using a Chromebook and/or a Lenovo ThinkPad in addition to your new PUSD laptop, we need your old devices. The 3189 Chromebooks have been deactivated as of July 15th and need to be collected. The Lenovo ThinkPads need to be refurbished to go to other staff members who do not have a device. If you have one of these devices, please turn it in (with the charger) to your site tech or a centralized location, such as your library or front office, for collection.

The remaining 3189s in circulation have now been deactivated. We will not be reactivating these devices, as they are security risks to our network and no longer work with most PUSD applications.

If you have been using a 3189 Chromebook, please put in a ticket to see if you are eligible for an updated device at gopusd.com/newdevice.

Due to changes in budget for the 2024-25 school year, the following applications will no longer be paid for by the District:

• Nearpod
• 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.