August Tech News
2023-2024 School Year
News and Updates
Welcome Back
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year from the Alabaster City Schools Tech Department! We are super excited about the start of the new school year. As you know technology advancements are continuous and rapid. As educators, we are tasked with keeping pace with technology tools and helping students and stakeholders to grow in their knowledge and application of those tools. Our goal is to provide support for your growth in technology so you can support your students.
Password Change
All passwords must be changed by August 31. Follow these step-by-step directions to change your password today!
Trending Topics
The Chatty Elephant in the Room
ChatGPT and other AI tools are arguably the biggest trend in technology right now. Stories about AI technology and its applications seem to permeate every aspect of our lives. The whole world is exploring the capabilities and limitations of AI. As educators we want to help lead our students into the future by educating ourselves first then educating them. The International Society for Technology in Education has this resource as a starting point for education leaders. The information inside can help everyone to begin brainstorming ways to direct our students in the use of AI.
Technology Tool Talk
HoverCam and Flex 11
Did you know that the Flex 11 software can recognize text from the camera? It will allow the user to copy that text to a clipboard. First, use the Crop button. Second, the OCR button. I used that feature to add a quote from Matt Miller's book AI for Educators below:
"Not all of my kids will work in Al. But they’ll likely work with Al in some capacity. I want to do everything I can to help set them on a path where they’ll thrive in their personal and professional lives. They need to know how the growth of Al might impact the career fields they might pursue—and what to do to best position themselves for success." Miller, M. (2023). AI for Educators p.105
Smore - Simple Online Newsletter Creation
A great tool for the beginning of the year is Smore. As the title suggests, this is a user-friendly online software to help you build and push out a newsletter. You can embed your newsletter in your teacher website to make communication with parents and students simple and fast. There are tons of templates built into the product and as teachers in the district you have access to all of the premium features. The website has 7 videos as a tutorial to get you started. You can access that site through the MobileMind course here.
Our district has a paid subscription to the Pro version. Don't have access to Pro? Email Jason Gaston to be added.
Don't Forget!
Cybersecurity Training
Complete your cybersecurity training by August 31. This came to you in an email from Alabaster City Schools. The email is titled Please complete your assigned training.
Remember, this training not only informs you about cybersecurity risks in education; it is also applicable in everyday life.
AI Book Study
Interested in a book study that digs into AI? Purchase your book and join us on September 12 at 3:45p via Google Meet (link to be sent at a later date).
Important Links
Technology Trouble Ticket and Requests
Submit a trouble ticket, or a request for apps, extensions, and to unblock sites.
General Technology Information
Check this site for general information regarding ACS Technology.