TECH UPDATES
A monthly newsletter from the Tech ToSAs
Volume 1 Issue 6
APR ‘24
Logo Redesign Challenge
In March, alongside our amazing partners at Adobe, we invited students to take part in a School Logo Redesign Challenge. We received over 100 student submissions! It was so great seeing everyone's unique designs and choosing our winners was truly a tough decision. A big “thank you” to all who participated.
The top 5 designs (see them here) will be printed out as stickers for the winners’ classes to share! The grand prize winner of a class pizza party is Yaritxel C. from Starlight Elementary (design shown at right). Congratulations, Yaritxel!
Monthly Tech Tip:Google Tasks
Tired of too many sticky notes? Try Tasks! In Gmail, click on the Tasks icon in the toolbar to the right. You can type all of your reminders, lists, and notes, and then check things off when done. Within an email click on Add to Tasks in order to add the email to your to-do list.
The Connected Educator
Want to keep up with the latest in EdTech but lacking the time to attend trainings and watch webinars? The Connected Educator, a podcast by the PVUSD Tech ToSAs will provide you with a curated roundup of transformative tools, practical tips and cutting-edge trends all wrapped up in a neat, 30-minute episode you can enjoy during your commute. We just released our 7th episode, highlighting the best of Spring CUE, the premier educational technology conference. Tune in and get connected!
🌶What’s Hot in AI?
Try the Animated Drawings website to bring any drawing to life!
Take a photo of a drawing (character must have arms and legs that don’t overlap the body), and then upload it to the website. Choose from a wide-variety of animations.
Turn this...
...into this!
End-of-Year Self Care
State testing, final exams, and everything else that comes with the end of the school year can lead to a feeling of exhaustion and burn-out. The Tech ToSAs have compiled some resources geared towards staying strong and making the most of the last 7 weeks (yes, 7!) of the school year.
PD Recordings
Over Spring Break, the Tech Department hosted the Spring Technology Institute, a series of PD sessions for teachers on integrating Screencastify, Kami, Pear Practice, and Book Creator into the classroom. Here are the session recordings!
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TECH UPDATES
A monthly newsletter from the Tech ToSAs
Volume 1 Issue 5
MAR ‘24
Logo Redesign Challenge
In partnership with the PVUSD EdTech Team, Adobe is challenging PVUSD students to design a new logo for their school or class using Adobe Express! To participate in the challenge, log into Adobe Express, design a logo, and submit it HERE by March 31st, 2024. The Adobe team will send stickers of the top logos from various schools! One lucky participant will win pizza for their class! Click here for more info, including a video tutorial on logo creation.
ctrl + monitor button
ctrl +
Teacher Chromebook
ctrl +
Student Chromebook
Easily mirror your Chromebook screen, or your students’ Chromebook screens, on your classroom TV with the following keyboard command!
Monthly Tech Tip
Elementary Report Cards
Trimester 2 report card window is open for elementary teachers!
If you need support with completing report cards, feel free to reach out to the Tech Coaches at dtic@pvusd.net or calling x2488. We also have the following opportunities to learn:
🌶What’s Hot in AI?
Did you know Quizizz has a bunch of new AI Tools that can easily generate interactive quizzes for you to use with your students?! Generate a quiz by entering text, a link to an article or video, or upload a pdf or doc. It will generate in seconds! 🤩
Quizizz Ai
PD Opportunities
Adobe Express
March 14th | 3:30-4:15pm or 4:15-5:00pm
Visit our Adobe Express PD page to view and register for our upcoming virtual workshop on how teachers can use animated videos with audio explanations to bring complex mathematical concepts and skills to life!
PD Recordings
Couldn’t make it to one of our February PD sessions? Here are the recordings for you to watch at your convenience:
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TECH UPDATES
A monthly newsletter from the Tech ToSAs
Volume 1 Issue 4
FEB ‘24
Monthly Tech Tip
We are super excited about Google Classroom’s amazing new feature called Video Activities! With this user-friendly tool, you can now easily add questions to any YouTube video and assign it to your students via Google Classroom. You have a range of question types to choose from, and the best part is, it can be auto-graded! Google Classroom also provides you with lots of data on how your students performed. To learn all about it, simply watch this short video. Happy teaching!
Lesson idea: Assign a video activity for homework to introduce a new concept or frontload a new unit. Out sick? Assign a video activity for your students to complete during class time.
Winter Institute Recordings
Are you feeling like you missed out on attending the Technology Winter Institute? Don’t worry- you can still benefit from all the awesomeness of the Institute! We have the recordings of the virtual sessions that were offered, so you can catch up on all the amazing things you heard about. And here's the best part - all the tech tools covered in these recordings are ones that PVUSD provides a subscription for! They not only improve your productivity, but also truly enhance your students' learning.
🌶What’s Hot in AI? Magic School
There are so many amazing AI tools out there for teachers. So we decided to showcase a different AI tool each month with a quick intro to get you started. MagicSchool.AI is a website with over 60 AI tools specifically for teachers that will save you time lesson planning, differentiating, creating assessments, and more! Watch the video.
Want to learn more about AI? Sign up for our AI Tech Academy.
PD Opportunities
WeVideo 🎦
Screencasting for Instruction* | February 6, 2024 | 4-5 pm
Student Podcasting with WeVideo* | February 13, 2024 | 4-5 pm
Visit our WeVideo PD webpage for more information!
*These sessions are for experienced WeVideo users. If you are new to WeVideo, you can get all the experience necessary by following along with the “Intro” and “Level Up” webinar recordings prior to attending.
Adobe Express: Unleashing Creativity with Generative AI 🎨
February 8th | 3:30-4:15pm or 4:15-5:00pm
Visit our Adobe Express PD page to view and register for one of our upcoming virtual workshops on using generative AI for art!
SCCOE AI Think Tank 🧠
February 29th, 2024 | 4:00-5:30pm | Board Room, Santa Cruz COE
April 11th, 2024 |4:00-5:30pm | Tech Center, Santa Cruz COE
The SCCOE is having 2 more in-person sessions this year about Artificial Intelligence. Come learn about AI Tools and have a chance to try them out and collaborate with other educators.
Register at sccoe.link/aithinktank23
Tech Academy Badges!
Show off your tech-spertise by adding a badge to your email signature! Starting this year, teachers who participate in our PVUSD Tech Academies will be receiving a nifty digital badge. If you participated prior to the 2023-24 school year and would like a badge, email us at dtic@pvusd.net with the name of the academy and the year you participated and we’ll send one over!
Interested in participating? Visit our Tech Academies page to learn more!
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TECH UPDATES
A monthly newsletter from the Tech ToSAs
Volume 1 Issue 3
DEC ‘23
CS Playground Family Events
December 5, 2023 | 4:30-6:30 pm | Watsonville High School | Free
December 7, 2023 | 4:30-6:30 pm | Santa Cruz MAH | Free
Learners of all ages are welcome to join us for an evening of hands-on computer science. There will be live demonstrations, hands-on activities and opportunities to interact with industry members and other passionate computer scientists. Lots of awesome raffle prizes!
Monthly Tech Tip
Emoji Kitchen!
You and your students can create your own emojis using the website Emoji Kitchen.
Quick lesson idea: Ask your students to create their emoji, and then write a sentence or a whole story about their unique emoji! 5th grade example
Hour of Code
December 5th-11th is Hour of Code Week! This is a global movement that introduces tens of millions of students worldwide to computer science. All it takes to participate is to have your students engage in a coding activity for one hour during that week.
The Tech ToSAs have curated a list of “easy-start” coding games for students.
We also encourage you to check out the Hour of Code website, which has a ton of great resources. Happy coding!
PD Opportunities
Make some extra money during Winter Break and attend the Technology Winter Institute on January 11th, 2024! This is a special PD day for teachers with a focus on using technology in the classroom. You can choose from a wide-variety of in-person and virtual sessions. Check out all the options and register on our event webpage. ☃️
Visit our Adobe Express PD page to view and register for the upcoming workshop on December 7th. This is a 45-minute virtual session for teachers on embracing engineering with Adobe Express web pages!
DUO Login
As part of ongoing efforts to keep your data secure, all staff will be using two-factor authentication when logging in to Synergy and Google. All sites and departments that haven’t already transitioned to using Duo, will do so on January 19th, 2024. You will need to use the DUO app on your phone or receive a token (Key Fob) from the Tech Dept. The Tech Department will notify you as the time approaches and show you how.
Our New Podcast!
Want to learn more about how to use technology in the classroom? Subscribe to The Connected Educator, a PVUSD Tech ToSA podcast. Episode 3 is out now, and we talk all about using Piper Computer kits in the classroom! Bonus: Listen to the podcast and then learn how to use Piper in your classroom at our Winter Institute (listed above).
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TECH UPDATES
A monthly newsletter from the Tech ToSAs
Volume 1 Issue 2
NOV ‘23
Elementary Report Cards
The elementary report card window is open! Don’t forget to apply the correct report card template to your students before entering grades. Bilingual and Dual Language classes will need the template with “DL” in the title.
Learn more by attending the virtual report card training on November 3rd (register here), or watch this report card training video!
Monthly Tech Tip
Looking for a quick and easy way for parents to sign up for Parent-Teacher Conferences?
Setting up a Booking page in Google Calendar makes it easy for parents, students, and staff to book appointments with you for virtual or in-person meetings.
EdTech Playgrounds are free virtual sessions through SCCOE where you can discover new EdTech tools for the classroom. Click here for more info and to register.
November 7th EdTech Playground: Student Voice & Choice with Ed Campos and Rushton Hurley.
In case you missed it, October’s EdTech Playground about AI in the Classroom with Sam Kary and Joe Marquez was amazing!
PD Opportunities
Visit our Adobe Express PD page to view and register for upcoming PD opportunities and view previous session recordings. Highlights include:
- November 9th: Animate with Audio 45-minute virtual session.
- Quick Win 30 minute virtual sessions.
- Adobe Quick 1-2 minute tutorials
- Adobe Express School Sessions to livestream with your 3rd-8th grade classes.
Tech Academies are back! The Tech ToSAs will provide you with the know- how and in class support on a wide variety of topics, including AI, stop motion, coding, and more! Check out our webpage with all the details.
Our New Podcast!!!
Want to learn more about how to use technology in the classroom? Subscribe to The Connected Educator, a PVUSD Tech ToSA podcast. We’ll be interviewing experts, sharing tips and tricks, and discussing the latest trends in educational technology.
Available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
DUO Login Rollout
As part of ongoing efforts to keep your data secure, all staff will be using two-factor authentication when logging in to Synergy and Google. Throughout the month of November we will be transitioning staff by school site. Thank you to Amesti, Mintie White, and some District Office departments who have already made the transition! Stay tuned for an email to notify you when it’s your turn. You will need to use the DUO app on your phone or receive a token (Key Fob) from the Tech Dept.
CS Playground Family Events
December 5, 2023 | 4:30-6:30 pm | Watsonville High School | Free
December 7, 2023 | 4:30-6:30 pm | Santa Cruz MAH | Free
Learners of all ages are welcome to join us for an evening of hands-on computer science. There will be live demonstrations, hands-on activities and opportunities to interact with industry members and other passionate computer scientists. Pick one night or join them both!
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TECH UPDATES
A Monthly newsletter from the tech tosas
Volume 1 Issue 1
OCT ‘23
Digital Citizenship Week
Every year, the 3rd week of October is dedicated to teaching responsible digital citizenship. Check out these ready-to-go lessons by Common Sense Media on our Internet Safety page. Our goal is for every student to participate in a lesson during this week!
Monthly Tech Tip
This video highlights a few tech tips for Google Docs and Slides that you may have missed. New features include: Insert emojis, dropdowns, and smart chips in Docs. Google Slides new annotation tool and how to add an image placeholder for your students!
Elementary report card trainings: Click the links below to register for the virtual sessions to learn how to complete elementary report cards:
and watch this 13 minute video!
Skip the training
PD Opportunities
Adobe Express PD Series starts in October! Each month Adobe will provide a short session on using Adobe Express in the classroom. Check out the list of sessions available.
Tech Academies are back! The Tech ToSAs will provide you with the know- how and in class support on a wide variety of topics, including AI, stop motion, coding, and more! Check out our webpage with all the details.
STEM Kits Available
The Tech Department has equipment available for your students to explore coding, robotics, and video production! If you would like to borrow a kit, please complete this form.
DUO for Synergy
As part of ongoing efforts to keep your data secure, PVUSD staff will be using Two-Factor Authentication when logging in to Synergy and Google. Throughout the month of October, the Tech Department will be emailing staff members with instructions. You will need to use the DUO app on your phone or receive a token from the Tech Dept. Stay tuned for more info!
AI IN THE CLASSROOM
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard are now open to teachers! Tools like MagicSchool and Eduaide were made specifically with teachers in mind to save us time. You can generate content, feedback, rubrics, create sub plans, increase and decrease lexile levels, translate text to any language, and more!
