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Technology Tips

for the

Middle School

Parent

Technology Mentors

Catherine Azzara & Kathryn Beleckas

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Grand Avenue Weekly Update

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Grand Avenue Weekly Update

Mr. Conte sends a weekly update to families every Friday.

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If you have not been receiving this email, the school does not have your email address on file.

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Please let an administrator know, so that the correct email can be added to our records.

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BMCHSD Website

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BMCHSD Website

District Website Link:

www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us/

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1:1 Initiative &

Acceptable Use Policy

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1:1 Initiative & Acceptable Use Policy

All students have chromebooks, chargers, and carrying bags that they must return at the end of 8th grade.

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1:1 Initiative & Acceptable Use Policy

These devices are the property of the school district.

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They should be returned in good condition.

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Parents/students will have to cover the cost of repairing or replacing a chromebook that is damaged or lost.

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These devices are meant to be used for educational purposes only.

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1:1 Initiative & Acceptable Use Policy

Students are provided with a District Google account with Gmail.

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Students are required to use the District-provided Gmail when communicating with teachers and when signing up for accounts on websites mandated by teachers.

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This email account only allows students to communicate with individuals within our District.

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1:1 Initiative & Acceptable Use Policy

The camera on the Chromebook is to be used for instructional purposes only, as per the teacher's specifications.

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In the event that a teacher elects to allow students to use the camera for an assignment, students are expected to ask permission before recording an individual or group.

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Cameras may never be used in areas such as restrooms or locker rooms, as per State regulation.

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1:1 Initiative & Acceptable Use Policy

The district reserves the right to monitor, access, and review all messages and information on Chromebooks.

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The district utilizes an Internet content filter that is in compliance with the federally mandated Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

All Chromebooks, regardless of physical location (in or out of school) will have all Internet activity protected and monitored by the school district. If a website is blocked in school, then it will be blocked out of school.

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Infinite Campus

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Infinite Campus

To learn about accessing Parent Portal or emailing the Help Desk, go to the “Parents/Students” tab on the district website and click on “Infinite Campus Portal Login” on the dropdown.

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You can also use this link to go there directly:

www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us/parentsstudents/ infinite_campus_parent_portal

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Infinite Campus

Infinite Campus is a student information system that lets you view student grades, schedules, and attendance records.

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Infinite Campus

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Infinite Campus

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Infinite Campus

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Infinite Campus

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Infinite Campus

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Google Classroom

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Google Classroom

  • Google Classroom is a digital platform that teachers can use to provide notes, assign work, make announcements and more. Students can access these for information and to submit their assignments.

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  • Students can access Google Classroom by going to www.classroom.google.com or using the mobile app.

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  • Students can join Google Classrooms through class codes, direct links, or through invitations sent by their teachers.

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  • As a Guardian, you can get email summaries about your child’s activity in Google Classroom. Email summaries do not include grades.

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Google Classroom

  • Email summaries include:
    • Missing work—Work not turned in when the summary was sent.
    • Upcoming work—Work that’s due today and tomorrow (for daily emails) or that’s due in the upcoming week (for weekly emails).
    • Class activity—Announcements, assignments, and questions recently posted by teachers.

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  • Guardians who sign up for email summaries can’t see the Stream, Classwork, People, or Grades pages in Classroom.

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  • To be added as a Guardian in your child’s Google Classroom, you should contact the teacher in charge of the Classroom and request to be added as a Guardian.

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Google Classroom

  • After Guardians accept the invitation, they can choose when to get email summaries - Daily or Weekly.

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  • Guardians do not need a Gmail account to receive email summaries. Guardians can use any email address. After accepting the invitation, the summaries will be sent to that email address.

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  • However, with a Google Account, you can adjust email summaries. For example, you can change their frequency.

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  • Guardians won’t get an email summary if:
    • There's no activity to report for the given time period.
    • All the teachers turned off notifications for their classes.
    • They accepted the invitation but chose not to get any summaries.
    • They aren't connected to any student in Classroom.

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GoGuardian

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GoGuardian

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  • Teachers can see the active tab the student is currently looking at, as well as any other open tabs in the browser.

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  • Teachers can also close student tabs, freeze student screens, and communicate directly with students through GoGuardian.

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  • Go Guardian also has a feature called Beacon, which helps identify potentially at-risk students so they can quickly get assistance.

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  • GoGuardian is a Classroom Management & Computer Monitoring Software.

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  • Teachers can see the Chromebook screens of every student in their classroom.

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Classlink

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Classlink

  • Classlink is a Single Sign-On Platform.

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  • ClassLink helps students navigate easily between various websites and apps.

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  • ClassLink stores passwords so users can sign in without extra clicking.

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  • Students can access ClassLink by going to https://launchpad.classlink.com/bmchsd and signing in with their school Google account (@bmchsd).

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  • Student have a “Backpack” where their specific teachers can add specific apps and links student will need for his/her class.

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www.bellmore-merrick.k12.ny.us/parentsstudents/Copy_of_classlink

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Cell Phones

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Whose Phone Is It?

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Social Media

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Social Media

There are many different apps that kids and adults can use to communicate.

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Some of those make it more difficult to differentiate between what is safe or not safe.

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Many of them are designed for adults and then adopted by kids because they can sign up without anything other than clicking a few boxes and an email address.

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Popular Apps

Snapchat

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A private messaging app known for photos and short videos that are automatically deleted after they've been viewed.

Content can live on in screenshots and data recovery. Teens who believe that snaps disappear may engage in risky or inappropriate behavior.

TikTok

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An app that allows users to view, create, and share 15-second videos on any topic.

TikTok trends and challenges are a popular part of the app that change often.

While some are harmless, others can be dangerous or inappropriate.

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Instagram

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Platform to share photos and videos with followers.

Users add and edit photos and short videos to share with friends and followers.

Users try to gain followers and get “likes.”

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Fake Apps

There are apps that are designed to look like something else and conceal pictures, videos and more.

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Texting

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Texting

  • 8 out of 10 tween/teens text daily.

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  • Many tweens/teens do not realize that everything and anything they send, post, or share can become public or be saved by another through screenshots.

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  • Emotions and tone are often not conveyed through texting. Tweens/teens should take time to think about how their texts might be interpreted by those they are texting.

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  • We recommend talking to your children and encouraging them to think before sending messages or images to others.

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Sexting

  • Sexting is defined by the study's researchers as "the sharing of sexually explicit images, videos, or messages through electronic means."

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  • 1 in 7 teens are sending sexually explicit images, says new research.

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  • 5% of teens are sending and writing sexts.

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  • 12% of teens have forwarded a sext without consent – sending sexually explicit material on without asking permission of those involved.

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  • 8.4% had one of their own sexts forwarded without their consent.

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Screen Time

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Screen Time

Screen time is the amount of time spent using a device with a screen such as a smartphone, computer, television, or video game console.

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Check Screen Time on

Android Phones

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  • Open your phone's Settings app.
  • Tap Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.
  • Click Digital Wellbeing for screen time stats.
  • Parental Controls allow you to set up Google’s Family Link to supervise the phone remotely.

Check Screen Time on

iPhones

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You need to turn Screen Time on to use this feature!

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  • Go to Settings > Screen Time > .
  • Tap See All Activity.
  • Tap Week to see a summary of your weekly use. Tap Day to see a summary of your daily use.

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General Internet Safety Tips for Parents:

  • Talk with your child about online behavior, safety, and security early on and continually. Set rules for the Internet just as you do on use of all media sources such as television, phones, movies, and music.

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  • Monitor your child’s internet use. Know their passwords, profiles, and blogs.

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  • When Chromebooks are taken home by students, it is strongly recommended that they always be used in a common family location.

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  • Let children show you what they can do online and visit their favorite sites.

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  • Set limits and clear expectations for phone and computer use.

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