iPad Resources at BVSD

I’m pleased to see that many BVSD teachers are starting to integrate iPads into their classrooms. iPads and other tablets are intuitive and easy to learn, especially for our students, but they also need to be managed and supported when they are used in an educational setting. If you have more than one in your classroom, you already know that there are considerations beyond what the personal user might encounter, such as setting up accounts and syncing apps across multiple devices.

The BVSD Ed Tech team has collected and created resources on their iPad site to help support iPad users at BVSD. Check out their website if you want more information about:

iPad Basics

Learn about the basic hardware features of your new iPad, and how to start using your iPad from the moment you turn it on. Also, find out how to sync apps between your iPad and your computer.

Volume Purchase Program (VPP)

Get information about VPP, the Apple program that allows educational institutions to purchase apps in volume and distribute them to their users. This is a great program if you need to purchase the same apps for a classroom set of iPads. Todd Shahan, our Apple Coordinator, can help your school get set up to use VPP. 

iPad User Group

Looking for next steps in using iPads to enrich student learning? Join the iPad User Group, a professional learning community dedicated to exploring how to integrate iPads to create a 21st Century learning environment. The first meeting is October 3, 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Arapahoe Campus Computer Lab 121. 

iPad Articles & Websites

Connect with the growing community of educators around the world who are using iPads. Many excellent online resources are posted on the Articles & Websites page. You can also subscribe to this list of resources as an RSS feed. (What is RSS?)

I hope you take a few moments to browse Ed Tech’s iPad Site. This is a very exciting time for teaching with technology, and this team has made sure that you are getting the best, most timely information and support.

Please chime in with your thoughts.  Be sure to sign in first in the upper right-hand corner.

Andrew

Google Groups Go Live at BVSD!

​One of the great collaborative features of Google is Google Groups. A Google Group is an online environment for discussing items related to a specific subject, such as high school football, or related to a group of people, such as principals or all BVSD staff (which I’m using to communicate this blog). 

Last week the ability to create Google Groups was enabled for everyone at BVSD. With this ability comes an assumed level of responsibility in regard to naming your groups. 

Naming Conventions

1. Names should be descriptive and specific, not generic like “Football Team” (think of how many football teams we have in BVSD).
2. Names should follow this format: descriptor.name of group
1. Some examples: A chess club at Monarch High would be MOH.Chess Club. A lacrosse team at Emerald Elementary would be EME.Lacrosse.

Below is a list of descriptors for each school or function. Most school name descriptors are constructed from the first two letters of the school’s name, with the third letter designating the level.

If the appropriate descriptor is not in the name of your Google Group, the Group will be automatically removed. With that in mind, if you have a Group that does not conform to this critical naming standard, please update it no later than Sept 7, 2012. 

You can find more information on BVSD usage/creation of Groups by clicking here. You can find more information about Google Groups from Google by clicking here.

If you would like to comment on this blog, don’t forget to login to the blog site in the upper right hand corner.   

Andrew

Passwords and Account Security

The start of a new school year is a great time to think about BVSD account security. Everyone plays a part in keeping data safe. We in IT manage the servers that store your data and the networks that transmit your data. But the most powerful and effective way to protect BVSD data is for everyone to have a strong password. Like locking your front door, a strong password will deter thieves, especially those looking for an easy way into your account.

During the past year we had several issues with spammers, who were able to send millions of spam/phishing emails via hacked BVSD accounts. Unfortunately, one of these attacks rendered all BVSD email addresses blocked (blacklisted) for several days. Not only were the individual accounts affected, but all BVSD accounts were unable to send or receive messages outside of BVSD.

Incidents like these can be avoided if we all follow a few simple guidelines. 

Create a Strong Password (now required)

1. Create a strong password with at least eight characters and a minimum of three of the four characteristics below (this is a new BVSD requirement):
1. Must have at least one capital letter
2. Must have at least one lowercase letter
3. Must have at least one number
4. Must have at least one symbol
5. Click Here to change your password now
   
2. Change your password every 90 days (planned implementation in January).
3. Don’t reuse the same passwords.
4. Don't use repeating digits like 1111, 7777.

Keep Your Password Safe

1. Don’t share your password with anyone.
2. Don’t use the same password for multiple services.
3. Don't send your password in an email or instant message. IT will never ask for your password. Be suspicious of anyone who asks for your password.

Consider Using a Passphrase
An even better way to create a strong password is to create what is called a passphrase. A passphrase can be an entire phrase or an abbreviation of a phrase. For instance, The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog! becomes Tqbfjotld! A passphrase should be:

1. Known only to you   
2. A minimum of eight characters    
3. Hard to guess -- even by someone who knows you well
4. Easy for you to remember       
5. Easy for you to type accurately   

Security is a shared responsibility. We need your help to keep BVSD accounts safe and to keep email running smoothly. 

Please chime in on what you think by first logging into this blog (upper right corner) and then responding. 

Thanks, 
Andrew