Troubleshooting Guide for Educators

Technology is not always perfect or easy to work with. However, by having a step-by-step guide, it will help you better understand your computer and become your own mini IT Department. I have five problems and solutions that I have faced over my career as a teacher. These are not all of my problems and solutions that I have faced, but I have encountered them multiple times over the last three years. 

Image Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/jobs-and-careers/story/10-uses-of-technology-in-21st-century-jobs-1358394-2018-10-08

PROBLEM: There is network connectivity, but students' Chromebooks will not print.

SOLUTION: You will need to check if your Chromebook is connected to the printer correctly.

1. Select Time

2. Select Settings

3. Select Advanced

4. Select Printers under "Print and Scan" 

5. By Available printers to save, select Save

Also make sure both the printer and Chromebook are on the same network. 

PROBLEM: Printer prints out blank pages, but will not print pages with text.

SOLUTION: Make sure your printer is working at top speed!

1. Restart your computer

2. Resolve Ink or Cartridges Problems

3. Unclog the Print Head Automatically

4. Unclog the Print Head Manually

PROBLEM: A teacher calls you and says that the projector will not project from his laptop computer.

SOLUTION:

1.Press the A/V Mute button on the remote control to see if the image was temporarily turned off.

2. Make sure all necessary cables are securely connected and the power is on for the projector and connected video sources.

3. Check the settings on the Signal menu to make sure they are correct for the current video source.

4. Check the Display setting to make sure the brightness is turned up.If the projector does not respond when you press buttons on the remote control, make sure the remote receivers are turned on.

5. For images projected with Windows Media Center, reduce the screen size from full screen mode. 

6. If the other solutions do not solve the problem, reset all of the projector settings using the options on the Reset menu.

7. The projector may not be able to project copyrighted videos that you play back on a computer. For details, see the manual supplied with your computer.

PROBLEM: I can get the network in a room at one end of the hallway, but when I move to a room at the other end of the hallway, I lose the connection

SOLUTION: 

1. Reposition the router for a connection. 

2. Determine if there are many obstructions that could interfere with the connection.

3. Set up a Wireless Repeater. 

By making sure that the router is set-up, it is important to determine if you will need a different router system or placement depending on the building.  

PROBLEM: I just installed a Windows 10 update on my machine and it keeps freezing up.

SOLUTION:

1. Update your computer

2. Clear out unused files

3. Run a memory check

4. Run a disk check

5. Run a System File Check

I hope this guide helps you fix or update your current devices. When you update your systems and devices, you will give them a longer life to run more smoothly and efficiently. 

Reflective Post #2 EDU 780

Reflective Post #2

By: Deanna Mulay

Image Source: https://www.globalfocusmagazine.com/tag/technology/ 

1. Now that you have finished the course, what is your stance on your role as an educator of Digital and Media Literacy? Has this changed from the beginning of the course?

    Now that I have completed the course, I have learned what digital and media literacy is and why it is important to have in our classrooms. At first, I thought that digital and media literacy was just having students use tools, such as social media or use different sites to research topics. Now that I have learned more about digital and media literacy, I know that it is a way for students to use critical thinking skills, be more engaged in lessons, and allow all students to participate. Digital and media literacy is also a great way for enhancing lessons. Technology is not suppose to replace lessons, only enhance them. In terms of my role as an educator of Digital and Media Literacy, I take more of a stand on different technology platforms for students to use and for me to advocate to enhance lessons for every classroom by  using technology. Technology may seem like a distraction, but educators need to find ways of using the tools to make more lessons engaging for all students. 

2. How can you continue growing as an educator of Digital and Media Literacy?

    I can continue growing as an educator of Digital and Media Literacy by taking risks with technology tools and continue looking into different tools to add in my technology toolbox. I can also create and attend different professional developments to help discover new tools to use for teachers and students as well. During this course, we were asked to find a new tool and also create a professional development. By repeating those assignments, I will be able to continue to grow and develop my skills as an educator of Digital and Media Literacy.  

3. Overall, what will you take away from this course?

    I will take away many ideas from this course. However, the one point that sticks with me is that technology is NOT meant to replace lessons. I think many educators, including myself, thought adding a technology tool at the end of the lesson was a way to incorporate more technology. In reality, technology should be included in every part of a project that students are working on. This course has given me a different take on technology and how I view it in the classroom. It is NOT a distraction or add-on to a lesson, rather an enhancement to the lessons to support all students. 

4. Any other feedback regarding this course (suggestions, questions, feedback etc.)

    I really enjoyed taking this course because I learned so much. I really enjoyed the Cool Tools Show-and-Tell. I think it was a great activity to learn more about different tools. It was also great to read about other educators' tools that they chose. I would like to do a similar activity in the future. I have really enjoyed this course and have learned so much!

Image Source: https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2021/03/15/reflection-in-action-a-case-for-case-studies-amid-covid-19/

Implementation Reflection

    I really enjoyed being a part of an implementation plan at my school. We did not use any technology for science or social studies, plus the students were not engaged in the lessons. I really enjoyed learning about two technology platforms that I did not even know existed until this project, Makers Empire and Tinybop Schools. I thought the most positive aspect of this plan was learning the new platforms and seeing how the students went from zero engagement to complete engagement with science and social studies. I am very proud of our team because all of us, classroom teacher and three instructional aides, went out of our comfort zones to try something new with our students. We were able to collaborate and communicate more than we ever have this year. The students really enjoyed Makers Empire because they were able to create their own animal with the guidelines that we provided them with. The challenge that we did face was when we tried to have our students try Tinybop Schools independently. The students were becoming frustrated and we could see their engagement drop. However, we quickly thought about a whole group lesson, which really pulled the students back into our lesson. When we did Tinybop Schools as a whole group, the students were able to verbalize their thinking while using this platform. Overall, I really did not think we had too many challenges besides switching our one platform to a whole group lesson rather than independent work. 

    I love that I was able to learn more about my topic of incorporating more technology into our classroom. I believe that it is so important to have the technology because it allows students to have real-world experiences. I believe that if we choose to include/look into new platforms, we can use the same approach to implement different platforms with our students. 

Image Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/jobs-and-careers/story/10-uses-of-technology-in-21st-century-jobs-1358394-2018-10-08

    As a future Technology Leader/Change Agent, I realized that there is tons of planning that goes into an implementation plan. This was a simple new technology addition to our classroom, but it made me realize that we had to learn about these platforms, make sure they were going to support our students in more ways than one, if we needed to pay for them, etc. This project has given me a bigger appreciation for the role of Technology Leader/Change Agent. 

    One of the next steps that I need to take for my journey in the Technology Specialist Program is to complete two more courses with confidence and pride when I think about my dream job. I want to make sure I am continuing to pursue my passion of teaching students about technology and the importance of how teachers can utilize technology in their classrooms. One of the steps that I am nervous about is to take the Technology Content Exam. That being said, I know that if I focus on my passion for my dream career, I know that I will pass my exam!

Image Source: https://www.teachingquality.org/learning-to-lead-together-harnessing-your-change-agent-superpower/

It's a Start!

As a technology leader, there are a lot of little details to be aware of when implementing new tools in a classroom. I quickly realized that you have to think of the platforms, how much they will cost, are there any legal situations involved, etc. This role has made me think more about the role of a technology leader, rather than someone who just creates lessons and collaborates with other teachers. The aspect of being a technology leader that I perceive to be most challenging is to make sure that I am confident enough to say to coworkers and administrators what our students need and how we can provide those resources to our students. I am a very shy person and I often “hide behind the screen” with emails. I need to work on more face-to-face interactions. I feel that I have many great ideas, but I need to practice more how to tell others what I am thinking and how the resources I find can help support our students. 

Image Source: https://medium.com/thrive-global/why-you-should-harness-the-power-of-reflection-4a8f6d7710d4

During these first four weeks of this course, I had realized that there are a lot of little things that go into becoming a technology specialist. For one, time frame. I really thought this implementation was going to take longer than it has. I was thinking about two weeks of practice for teachers and then using it with the students. But we had our meeting with the Library Director and we practiced for one day on both platforms and felt confident using them with the students. We are going to introduce the Tinybop Schools to the students this Friday (February 12th) for our social studies lesson. Friday we will be collecting our data to see if this implementation is a good fit for our class. Next week, Wednesday, we are going to use Makers Empire for science. I have really enjoyed learning about our new tools to use with the students. I think that the students will be more engaged in our lessons, rather than the teacher talking all the time. I think that this project has made me realize all of the steps that go into a technology leader and how I can implement new tools for students. 

Image Source: https://mattharrisedd.com/2015/06/28/educational-technology-leadership-2/

Professional Development Reflection

I have been working on a project for the past eight weeks about developing professional development for our teachers. The professional development is for tools that are rarely used on SeeSaw and Google Classroom. I have been very excited for our professional development to take off because my passion is to help teachers with technology. Oftentimes I see educators either hardly using technology or using the same tools over and over again. During this school year, I have seen a great decline of student engagement, but my hope is that teachers will be able to learn a new tool on platforms they are already familiar with. 

Image Source: https://www.gpb.org/blogs/education-matters/2015/07/15/top-10-edtech-tips-seesaw

Overall, this process has been very smooth. I think that the teachers have been looking for new ideas to use technology and this is a way that we can all get together and have a discussion rather than having one person talk for the entire meeting. My favorite part about my professional development is that I built in a two week trial for the teachers to try out SeeSaw and then another two weeks for Google Classroom after our initial meetings. I believe that having time for teachers to try out the tools on the platforms will make the process a lot easier for them to use the tools with their students on a regular basis. 

Image Source: http://blog.ncce.org/2019/09/19/google-classroom-users-have-you-seen-the-new-originality-reports/

One challenge that came up was that a few of the teachers’ access codes were not working correctly. We were able to correct the problem by communicating with IT to replace the access codes with new ones. After checking that everyone had the access codes, it was pretty smooth sailing for both SeeSaw and Google Classroom. 

I think this project has helped me come out of my shell and force me to work with other teachers that are not part of my grade level or teachers who teach specials. This has made me realize how many ideas for the use of technology are actually in the next room over or down the hall. Instead of looking on the internet for ideas, we can help and support each other as a team. My passion for becoming a Learning Resource Center Director has blossomed during this experience. At first, I was doubting if this project would ever take flight, but it has actually been one of the highlights of the year for my educational career. The more I put into this project, the more excited colleagues got to learn new tools/ideas to use with SeeSaw and Google Classroom. I think that the positions for Learning Specialists and Instructional Designers have great opportunities to help other educators create a strong learning environment for all students. There are ups and downs for any job, but at the end of the day, we can make a difference in our students’ lives.

Image Source: https://www.wordwritepr.com/blog-2/stressing-the-importance-of-professional-development-within-your-organization

Reflection of the Professional Development Project

  I have been working on a project for a few weeks now, and it is time to reflect on the progress that I have made so far. My project is to have more professional development for teachers using SeeSaw and Google Classroom. Both of the platforms are currently being used by teachers, however, we continually fall into the routine of doing the same activity, but different topics. The goal is to have teachers learn more about the different features on SeeSaw and Google Classroom. So far the process has been really great. I believe that this project has strengthened the collaboration process between the classroom teachers and the library staff. For example, the Learning Resource Center (LRC) Director and I have been working together on learning new features, such as using the links to incorporate into a lesson. We discussed that we can link a different website to SeeSaw, but then the students can do an activity in SeeSaw. Students would be able to explore new websites, but they would also be able to write/draw about what they learned from that site. 

Even though this project has gone pretty well, we wanted to include more technology platforms, but it was too much to explore at once. We are trying to mainly focus on SeeSaw and Google Classroom, but we have only really talked about SeeSaw. We are struggling to find the time to discuss Google Classroom, but I think we need to first finish SeeSaw and then start a new plan for Google Classroom. I think that these are only a few minor problems, but I am sure we will be able to make accommodations. I am very excited about our professional development because it will not only benefit our teachers, but also our students. I think that this professional development is also going to strengthen the bond between the staff, while also learning new information about the platforms we already use so much. 

During this planning process, I have seen the bond between myself and the LRCD when we discuss what the teachers need to learn. We are also looking into different sites, such as Kodable, for our Kindergarteners to use and then have them create their own map on SeeSaw. I believe that I have even seen a more positive aspect with my relationship with technology. I would always try to avoid the tools because I never knew how to use it or just never had time to devote to the tools. Just from planning out the professional development has helped me in my classroom use more technology and realize that it is fine to not know how to fully use the tool. With time and practice, teachers will become more fluent with the use of the technology tools.

In terms of the Technology Specialist roles of Learning Specialists and Instructional Designer, I really enjoy this role. I think that we are able to help the entire school, rather than just one classroom. This process has made me realize that becoming a Technology Specialist/LRCD is fulfilling and can really make an impact on the staff and students. I have seen a huge confidence boost when I use technology with my students, but I feel excited that I am going to help share the information that the LRCD and I have been gathering over the past few weeks. I am looking forward to continuing our professional development for teachers and find new information to help our staff feel confident with the technology tools. 

Image Source: https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1037075/pages/professional-development-planning-steps?module_item_id=6311520

It's Just a Story...

Storytelling is something much more than telling a story. This is what I thought storytelling was and that was the end of that. However, I read an article called The Power of Storytelling. At first, I thought this article was just going to talk about the ways stories can impact education for the better by reading and discussing books with students. Am I still right? Yes, but there is so much more to storytelling than it is just a story and then we talk about it. The way that I look at storytelling now has made me realize that all of the memories, all of the photos from posts are more than just memories, just pictures, and just posts.

Image Source: http://pathwaysexperience.blogspot.com/2018/06/connect-with-storytelling-at-global.html

As I started to read more into the article, I realized that storytelling happens every day. When we talk about a favorite memory, we are telling a story. When we post about an event that happened that day, we are still telling a story. The article talked about even though we post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and so many other sites, we are still storytelling, but it is shorter and on our time. The picture can share what a person was doing for the day or an event they attended. When someone posts a picture, we can look at our feeds anytime of day to view that story and read the post that goes along with it. 

As educators, we read stories to our students all the time. Now more than ever, technology can be used to create stories with students. For example, students can post a picture of an event or their family on SeeSaw. Students and teachers can then read the post and look at the pictures to view the students’ stories. Students and teachers can comment and like the post, which not only incorporates storytelling from a student perspective, but it also includes technology. I have mentioned this time and time again...technology is not going to go anywhere, anytime soon! 

At one point I thought storytelling was long and had to include a book of somesort. What I realized is that storytelling happens all the time. We share a memory or a photo. We can tell and show someone in person, or we can type and post a photo online. No matter the memory, the story will never end.   

Image Source: http://blog.clickdimensions.com/12-types-content-post-social-media/