Kincaid IT highlights new cloud-based management suite toaddress Google’s upcoming storage changes at FETC conference

Kincaid IT highlights new cloud-based management suite to address Google’s upcoming storage changes at FETC conference

KIT Central Storage+ developed to help technology administrators better manage storage and save money

As organizations grapple with the impact of Google’s upcoming changes to storage limits, Kincaid Information Technology recently launched a cloud-based SaaS designed to help educational institutions meet this challenge while saving both money and staff time. 

Kincaid IT Storage+, which is featured at the Future of Education Technology conference during January 2022, is an all-in-one cloud management suite that supports Google Workspace. Tools available within KIT Central will help technology administrators manage their organizations’ storage with user-friendly dashboards, reporting and options to eliminate excess storage usage.

“We are currently the only company offering a web-based product that gives organizations the resources they need to efficiently monitor and manage their Google storage,” said Dr. Amy Bailey, Kincaid IT chief innovation officer. “As institutions  prepare for Google’s 2022 storage changes, Kincaid IT is ready to help organizations make informed decisions and thus effectively manage and take action on data within the domain before they face the new limits.”

While developing the management tools, Kincaid IT (KIT) piloted KIT Central in collaboration with several schools with a variety of enrollments and storage needs. KIT Central launched during spring 2021 and has received positive feedback from a number of organizations.

Google’s decision to change its storage limits, with enforcement beginning in July 2022, makes managing storage at the admin level increasingly important. 

Although Google offers a handful of tools to help administrators determine storage, KIT Central provides additional features and insights, all via a web-based dashboard. Examples include:

  • Allowing admins to see top storage users and the files they are storing
  • Searching an organization’s drive files with filters
  • Notifying individuals whose storage usage is not in line with policies and limits 
  • Scheduling files for deletion
  • Allowing the deletion of files instantly
  • Managing user memberships from a single pane
  • Resetting user passwords with granular delegations.

Based on Google’s 2022 storage changes, it is estimated that KIT Central’s Storage+ application could save a mid-sized school district thousands of dollars while universities — with their employee, student and alumni accounts — could see savings totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. These cost savings are based on an organization’s ability to reduce the need to purchase additional Google storage and licenses by better managing storage. KIT Central was also created with technology department staff members in mind, offering tools specifically designed to save time for an organization’s admins.

For more information about Kincaid IT Central, to schedule a demo and learn more about Google storage changes, visit this webpage. Pricing is based on the number of users within an organization. 

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Benefits of a Domain Audit

Kinzie Wooderson

Technical Writer for Kincaid IT

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If there is one constant with Google, it is that features change. I think we can all also say the same with our users’ needs.

Whether your organization’s Google Workspace environment was thrown together quickly during pandemic closures or it’s been in place for years, an audit is a great check of its health. If there is one constant with Google, it is that features change. I think we can all also say the same with our users’ needs. This often leaves us making updates on the fly to prevent a change at Google from impacting our users (until we have time to learn more about it) or to resolve end user issues that are affecting instruction. Closures brought different needs for even the most senior of Google Districts. Now is the time to take a step back and figure out where we are!

Laptop with Gmail logo on the screen

Similar to other industry standards for things like cybersecurity, Google has published an in-depth list of best practices for Education users. These recommendations help ensure that your Google Workspace is secure, fine tuned for young users and in compliance with industry standards and regulations. With a Google Workspace Audit KIT through Kincaid IT, an in-depth report will be provided for key areas such as your domain, organization, apps and security. 

The professionally compiled report will provide you with best practice recommendations alongside your current settings. This is a great support for important conversations with key stakeholders, such as your school board or executive team, on changes that may be critical to ensuring smooth operations and compliance with regulations such as the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). 

After getting the report, you and your team can review, prioritize and if appropriate document why you’re using settings other than what is considered best practice. This is great to have together in case of an incident or an outside audit by an insurance provider or other third party seeking accountability. 

The Google Workspace Audit KIT through Kincaid IT provides an understandable framework to guide you in management of this critical resource and what has become a core to both business and educational operations. With the audit in hand, you will know where you stand and have a comprehensive map to where you are going. 

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Learn, Rejuvenate and Stay Focused with Summertime Professional Development

Julie Jensen

Learning and Innovation Manager

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Joining an asynchronous, online, self-paced course gives teachers the option to learn on their schedules in any location. Teaming with colleagues allows instructional teams to collaborate and plan together.

It’s June! Time to step off of the roller coaster ride of the 2020-21 school year. Educators have come a long way with many twists and turns, jerking from side-to-side while moving upside down then right side up, hanging on tight, screaming every so often, in the company of the other disoriented passengers. If you rode this coaster again, you would have experience to draw from as well as colleagues to debrief about this journey. However, the ride you take next is your call.

green rollercoaster

After you catch your breath, consider focusing on something you control — your own professional development journey. Do you plan to continue implementing technology into learning? What can you do to keep up the momentum of using technology? Would you like help with using technology when it makes sense rather than when technology is the only choice?

Joining an asynchronous, online, self-paced course gives teachers the option to learn on their schedules in any location. Teaming with colleagues allows instructional teams to collaborate and plan together. Summer time is precious time. Finding professional development topics that allow teachers to integrate their curriculum with the technology already in use in order to learn new ways to implement learning helps rejuvenate educators over the summer. 

Some topics of interest include: 

  • Moving beyond the traditional learning environment and into a digital, blended space that addresses the needs of all student learners
  • Offering feedback using Google Workspace and other free tools
  • Guiding students to ask relevant questions and then selecting the best resources in order to analyze, record and organize the findings.

Currently Kincaid IT has a catalog of 10 courses to choose from that provide opportunities at all skill levels. With 10 months of access to each course, you don’t even have to finish this summer! 

Wait, there’s more! Teachers can opt in to purchase Continuing Education Credit from the University of Central Missouri (UCM) for the completion of a course, whether you live in Missouri or another state. These valuable Continuing Education Credits can be used toward salary advancement or credential renewal at many school districts. At this time, this course credit is not eligible to be used toward a graduate degree at UCM, but it is a refreshing way to keep one foot learning while the rest of you relaxes. 

“Once you know where the roller coaster is going, are you in for the ride?”  – Robert Fulghum

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Kincaid IT’s Experts Share the Secrets of Successfully Managing YouTube for Students

Wike Wallace

Kincaid IT’s Cloud Lead

Cody Rozell

Kincaid IT’s Cloud Deployment Specialist

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Parents are able to use  videos found on YouTube to refresh their thinking on a topic or as the home tutor for many subjects.

Instructional Technology Coach:
YouTube has an array of amazing videos. Many of these videos are instructional with teacher-created YouTube channels offering additional authentic resources for their students. Parents are able to use  videos found on YouTube to refresh their thinking on a topic or as the home tutor for many subjects. YouTube videos can embed into Google Slides, Google Classroom and other Learning Management Systems with sites like EdPuzzle offering teachers effective tools to create interactive learning experiences that also provide data. 

Youtube application screengrab

However, it seems YouTube is completely blocked for many districts, because the array of videos are not always school friendly. Is there a way for districts to allow YouTube to be safely used in schools?

Cloud Specialists:

Yes, especially when students are using Chromebooks. When the Chrome settings are set to restricted mode, teachers have full access to YouTube. When teachers find an instructional video on YouTube, they can approve it for student access. Approved videos on YouTube can then embed into other resources for students to view. Any YouTube video not approved cannot be found or viewed by students when using Chrome on their district-issued device. In the long run this creates a district collection of approved videos.

The restricted mode is only in the Chrome Browser. That’s what makes Chromebooks so great. There is not a work-around for students since this is the only option on a Chromebook. Therefore, while on district devices, students are restricted to what they can view. On the other hand, when students are using other devices offering additional options for web browsers, YouTube is not blocked. Therefore, students can simply go elsewhere to find videos. Just remember if extensions are enabled and wide open for students, they can download other browser extensions and bypass many security measures by simply using these browsers instead.

Along with setting YouTube restrictions, districts can limit access to students using other video hosts and other browser extensions by not having the Google Chrome Store wide open for students. When the Chrome Store is open, students can search for other internet browsers that will allow them to bypass a lot of security measures. To learn more about Extensions, check out our post, Kincaid IT’s Cloud Specialists Explain How to Make the Most of Chrome Web Store Extensions, which explains how to limit access to some Extensions for students while still granting access to teachers.  

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Kincaid IT’s Cloud Specialists Explain How to Make the Most of Chrome Web Store Extensions

Wike Wallace

Kincaid IT’s Cloud Lead

Cody Rozell

Kincaid IT’s Cloud Deployment Specialist

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Just like websites, Extensions should be investigated to meet district standards.

Chrome Web Store Extensions

Educator:

Extensions from the Chrome Web Store are useful tools that can individualize the digital work experience for individuals. Some of my favorites are CraftyText, Eye Dropper and Sir Links-a-Lot. There are excellent Extensions for students too. Why would these be shut off?

Cloud Specialists:

Just because an Extension is listed in the Chrome Web Store doesn’t mean it was created to be used by students in schools. Just like websites, Extensions should be investigated to meet district standards. Some Extensions interfere with other applications and cause issues for the user. There’s really no way of knowing which ones will do this. When there are too many being used and multiple issues being reported, it’s just easier to block Extensions from being added and start over with an approval process.

Laptop on table half open

Just like YouTube, there is a way to divide permissions in the Chrome Web Store to allow teachers access to explore and use any Extensions while only giving students access to approved Extensions. For the Extensions that are not appropriate for the school setting or those causing other technical issues, Tech Admin can use the black list method to block all users from accessing. 

In addition to safety concerns, more issues seem to arise with teachers and Extensions affecting their teaching peripherals, such as SmartBoards, document cameras, etc. When an Extension is added, there is no way to tell if it will interfere until it’s used. Because of this, one troubleshooting suggestion is to shut off or remove recently added Extensions. 

Educator:

One thing I hear you saying is when the Chrome Web Store is open to all, it causes those managing the Admin Console a lot of headaches trying to keep up with the “free-for-all” downloading of Extensions. This not only causes more work with the increase in technology help tickets, but it also makes all staff and students vulnerable to their login information getting into the wrong hands. Is there a good solution to this issue? 

Cloud Specialists:

Yes. The solution is simple: 

  • Black list all inappropriate or problem-causing Extensions.
  • Open the Chrome Web Store for teachers to find and use the Extensions that help them do their job. There are many productivity tools for adults that students may not have any interest in using.
  • Create a Student Chrome Web Store for your district that becomes the only area students can access. 
  • Use a request and approval system for Extensions to be added to the students’ Chrome Web Store.

Free Resource: Digital Clean Up of Extensions for Students 

It is relatively easy to find Extensions that catch our interest. However, we are sometimes slow to remove the ones that didn’t work out. Teaching students how to clean up the clutter of unwanted Extensions is a life-long digital skill. 

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Google Workspace for Education

Google Workspace for Education: Google Docs for the Novice

Julie Jensen

Learning and Innovation Manager

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Have you ever heard, The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the next best time is now? This is also true with implementing technology tools into your classroom.

Have you ever heard, The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the next best time is now? This is also true with implementing technology tools into your classroom. If you consider yourself a novice, you can quickly grow into a competent tech-user soon after you start.

You probably already have the safest and most versatile tools waiting for you: Google Workspace for Education (formally known as G Suite for Education). If you only used the tools in Google Workspace and team these tools with what you already know about quality instruction, you will quickly gain the confidence to apply these tools into your lessons. 

Hands typing on keyboard to navigate to Google Workspace for Education

Below is a list of several robust options within Google Docs. If you are not familiar with these tools, open a Google Doc and try them. Whether you find a use for the tool or not, show each to your students. They might find the one connection to make transferring thoughts to text possible. 

  • Voice typing: Tools > Voice Typing > Click to speak
    No keyboarding skills required. This one tool is a game changer for many purposes: primary students can watch their spoken words become text, learners can translate spoken word to text from one language to another, researchers can restate into their own words and students who struggle with processing can say it. 
  • Version history:  File > Version History
    No more copies of copies and wondering which is the correct one. On one Document, writers can view version history to see their writing process from the beginning. Writers can name versions and even restore them while never losing any part of their writing.
  • Linked objects:  Tools > Linked Objects
    If you find you have multiple files, like Google Slides and Sheets, that center around the same topic, you can link them all to one Doc to quickly view and update charts, tables, slides and drawings.  
  • Make available offline: File > Make Available Offline
    No Internet? No problem, as long as you have opened the document and requested to make it available offline. From that point forward, this document can be accessed with or without the Internet. When the Internet is reconnected, the document syncs the updates. 
  • Personal dictionary: Tools > Spelling and Grammar > Personal Dictionary
    Tired of your name always being underlined in red? Add the correct spelling of your name or any words not found in spell check to your Personal Dictionary. No more red lines (unless you have a typo). 
  • Compare documents: Tools > Compare Documents
    Working in one document, users can compare the current document with another document in their drive or shared with them. This will create a third document that shows suggested edits. 
  • Citations: Tools > Citations
    Writers can select citation styles of MLA, APA or Chicago to add to their writing. Pair this with Google Classroom Originality Reports for a powerful combination.  
  • Explore: Tools > Explore
    Within the document, writers can seamlessly bring a search to them. They can explore their own Google files, the web, images and more. If a resource is used, there is an option to click and cite that source as a footnote in the document. 

After you and your students have used and discovered which tools are preferred, using the technology quickly becomes second nature and the learning of the topic becomes first.

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What is Google Vault and How to Set it up for Success?

Kinzie Wooderson

Technical Writer for Kincaid IT

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You will need to ensure that the interpretation of the retention policies and regulations is consistent to ensure that Vault rules are set up to meet the need.

Whether it takes place in Gmail, Chat or Drive, school districts frequently use Google Workspace for both communication and recordkeeping. Overall governance of how long items are maintained will be set by an organization’s policies or perhaps state regulations. Google Workspace addresses data governance and eDiscovery with Vault (vault.google.com). Having a solid strategy for managing communication and data within and beyond your default retention timeframe is key to ensuring data that is critical in personnel, student or legal matters is not mistakenly lost. 

From establishing a solid retention strategy to managing potential issues throughout their lifecycle, it is important to develop strong partnerships with both your organization’s legal counsel and the district administrators responsible for managing these matters.

Person typing on laptop with Google on screen

You will need to ensure that the interpretation of the retention policies and regulations is consistent to ensure that Vault rules are set up to meet the need. They will also be responsible for notifying you of the need to create a new matter and associated holds, be requesting data from the system and advise of the closure of matters. 

What is eDiscovery?

Electronic Discovery (eDiscovery) is the process of reviewing and investigating electronic content for legal purposes. In K-12 education we often see this overflow into student discipline issues; requests for records as allowed by legislation such as Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or Sunshine Law; and personnel matters. 

Understanding the Basics of Google Vault

Vault has a new interface roll out at vault.google.com which makes this a little bit easier to understand over the “classic” (ediscovery.google.com) if you were a previous vault user. Here is a basic breakdown of what you will be using: 

  • Retention: This is where you set up how long things are kept (even if deleted by the user) in Vault and how things will be handled after this window of time passes. This is broken down by the type of record (Mail, Drive, Chat, etc). These settings can be domain-wide or more granular (i.e. staff vs students). Be sure to work with leadership on what these rules should be to keep in line with policies and legislation.
  • Matters: This is where you will build out different situations that are requiring discovery. Examples would include a principal contacting you regarding a student discipline concern or human resources reaching out to request items be kept related to an employee matter. Within a matter you will have:
    • Holds: This is where you establish extra retention. This prevents items from following the actions of the end of their retention period (such as to delete). 
    • Searches: This is where you will pull results for defined criteria such as things that are between specific people or include a specific phrase or word. 
    • Exports: After finding specific items you need to take out of the system to handoff, you will export them. The progress of the export will show and they will be available for a temporary period for you to download in MBOX or PST format.
    • Audit: This is the section where you can see logs about what has been done in Vault for this specific matter. This is a compliance piece but can also be helpful in confirming your efforts or diligence.
  • Reports: This is similar to the audit section for a matter but is on a Vault-wide scale. It’s going to provide details on all matters, regardless of if they are no longer listed. 

Tips and Tricks for Google Vault Implementation

  • Avoiding deletion of accounts on hold: One of the few things (if not the only thing) that can overrule retention rules is account deletion. Unfortunately, Google sees a deletion as just that. Data will be lost, and matters and holds will not be taken into consideration by Google. If you are using automation, you’ll probably have the same people on holds in your Active Directory system. Setting up a process to exclude these users from normal cleanup is key. Establishing a tracking system for who, what and why people’s accounts are to be held is important. This can be maintained in a Google Sheet with references in account descriptions. This spreadsheet also provides a great place to review with those individuals who are managing the matters with legal counsel and others to determine what has been resolved and can be closed out.
  • Conversion of files: Once you export into MBOX or PST, usually you will either hand off the export to legal counsel who will have it in its “raw” form to import into their eDiscovery system or you will need to make it usable for an administrator to process through (such as a principal working a discipline issue). Using a mail client to open these is less than ideal if handing off to an administrator as it will put things into a folder structure. I have found it works well to use a converter tool to make the files into PDF. An example of this is the product Aid4Mail. Redaction tools through a favorite PDF application can then be used if necessary. 
  • Document your use: Keep good notes and descriptions on matters. I create a new matter for each situation even though the discipline ones all start to be similar and low impact. Because of the high level of access and visibility to everyone’s information you have — including Superintendent and Board Member level email — you want to leave no question on if your actions were legitimate, who requested the information, etc. I’ve found using my email as a paper trail works well. I generally ask that specific requests be emailed to me and I reply back or, when sending the email with the results, I start with “In follow up to our conversation” and provide details of what search terms were used. If you were to be called in by the legal council and asked to explain everything on the Reports Audit page, would you have the breadcrumbs to do so? The names and descriptions of matters are a great way to tie user and requestor information to the matter as well.

Want to dive into the new Vault interface? Or need a better understanding of what Google Vault provides? Knowledge KIT: Vault can provide the overview and training that you need to get up to speed.

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You will need to ensure that the interpretation of the retention policies and regulations is consistent to ensure that Vault rules are set up to meet the need.<\/strong><\/p>“}}]}]}],”name”:”Quote Section”},{“type”:”section”,”props”:{“style”:”default”,”width”:”default”,”vertical_align”:”middle”,”title_position”:”top-left”,”title_rotation”:”left”,”title_breakpoint”:”xl”,”image_position”:”center-center”,”css”:”.el-section{\n margin-left:20%; \n margin-right:20%;\n}\n.el-section img{\n box-shadow: 0 64px 64px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.10), 0 16px 16px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.10), 0 4px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.10);\n margin:50px 0;\n}\n\n@media (max-width: 960px) {\n\t.el-section{\n margin-left:5%; \n margin-right:5%;\n }\n}\n\n@media (max-width: 480px) {\n\n}”,”padding”:”xsmall”},”children”:[{“type”:”row”,”children”:[{“type”:”column”,”props”:{“image_position”:”center-center”,”media_overlay_gradient”:””},”children”:[{“type”:”text”,”props”:{“margin”:”default”,”column_breakpoint”:”m”,”content”:”

Whether it takes place in Gmail, Chat or Drive, school districts frequently use Google Workspace for both communication and recordkeeping. Overall governance of how long items are maintained will be set by an organization\u2019s policies or perhaps state regulations. Google Workspace addresses data governance and eDiscovery with Vault (vault.google.com). Having a solid strategy for managing communication and data within and beyond your default retention timeframe is key to ensuring data that is critical in personnel, student or legal matters is not mistakenly lost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From establishing a solid retention strategy to managing potential issues throughout their lifecycle, it is important to develop strong partnerships with both your organization\u2019s legal counsel and the district administrators responsible for managing these matters.<\/span><\/p>\n

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You will need to ensure that the interpretation of the retention policies and regulations is consistent to ensure that Vault rules are set up to meet the need. They will also be responsible for notifying you of the need to create a new matter and associated holds, be requesting data from the system and advise of the closure of matters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is eDiscovery?<\/b><\/p>\n

Electronic Discovery (eDiscovery) is the process of reviewing and investigating electronic content for legal purposes. In K-12 education we often see this overflow into student discipline issues; requests for records as allowed by legislation such as Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or Sunshine Law; and personnel matters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the Basics of Google Vault<\/b><\/h2>\n

Vault has a <\/span>new interface roll out<\/span><\/a> at vault.google.com<\/a> which makes this a little bit easier to understand over the \u201cclassic\u201d (ediscovery.google.com) if you were a previous vault user. Here is a basic breakdown of what you will be using:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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From Survive to Thrive During the Pandemic: What Happens Next?

Julie Jensen

Learning and Innovation Manager

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You have probably spent hours reflecting on your experiences with your students. After all, you just took a huge leap into what’s been called 21st Century Learning for the past 21 years. However, let’s take one step back from your students and reflect on changes in how you have communicated with and collaborated with your colleagues.  

If we don’t reflect and sort out what happens next, then everything we’ve learned will have been for nothing. You have probably spent hours reflecting on your experiences with your students. After all, you just took a huge leap into what’s been called 21st Century Learning for the past 21 years. However, let’s take one step back from your students and reflect on changes in how you have communicated with and collaborated with your colleagues.  

Laptop on desk with flower in background

Reflect on your experiences from March 2020 to today. When did you shift from teaching/working to surviving to teaching/working while you thrive? At what point did you find your rhythm and routine to know you’ve got this, even though it’s hard? What are your best takeaways from this experience? When we can all be together again, what will you take off your plate and never do again? What were the positive outcomes because of this experience? Think about the following:

Scenario:

Before the pandemic: Who was the “Techie Teacher” on your team or in your school?  Who was the go-to colleague who had an open door to drop everything and help with anything technology?  Perhaps the Techie Teacher created and led anything technology for the team while everyone else had divided duties such as planning a different lesson, organizing supplies for a project, etc. This evolved into a fair compromise for dividing time among the team to deliver lessons in a face-to-face situation while at school. 

March 2020: Major plot twist. Everyone is ordered to stay home and teach virtually. That means teaching via a virtual meeting platform. How comfortable were you with leading your students on the other side of the screen in March 2020? If you were the Techie Teacher, chances are your anxiety wasn’t as high as the teammates who never took on implementing technology with students, but it was just as challenging for you, too. No one was off the hook. In fact, the Techie Teacher was still the go-to person. Unfortunately, the Techie Teacher had to close the always open door for technology help. Even the most skilled teachers with technology had a lot of planning to do as well. Finding help was hard. The entire experience was hard.    

Fast forward to today: How has your team of colleagues grown with the implementation of technology into instruction? How have troubleshooting skills improved? Does your team collaborate and focus on learning goals rather than the technology used to deliver or engage students? Have you learned more about your students as individual learners because the evidence is created with technology? Have you discovered there are times when technology makes sense and times when we need to untether from devices?  

Going from survive to thrive: About 20 years ago, Bernie Dodge, the Webquest guy, was the presenter of a professional development workshop using technology with inquiry-based learning. Before he dismissed our workshop, this was his final message: Be careful when you go back to your school that you don’t go back to normal. Change is hard and your colleagues won’t understand that what you’re doing is what’s best for students.  

Be careful when things go back to “normal” that you continue to embrace the learning you have struggled through and yet you have thrived. Continue to enhance your technology skills and grow your professional learning community to collaborate with educators outside of your normal network. Most of all, have honest conversations with your colleagues to avoid settling back into pre-pandemic habits/roles to ensure that you thrive with new ones.

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Google Classroom | Originality Reports

Julie Jensen

Learning and Innovation Manager

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Originality Reports are a time saver for teachers, too. Since the student has the ability to run their own Originality Report up to 3 times per assignment, submitted writing should be better.

Google Classroom has been a staple in digital teaching and learning since it was released in 2014. This free web service provides tools for teachers to collaborate with their students, formatively assess progress, send announcements to students and more.  

Women sitting on bed with laptop and notebooks

Along with the already complex tools and features in Google Classroom, G Suite Enterprise for Education (GSEfE) customers have an additional feature — Originality Reports. Since students are already submitting their written work using the Assignment tool in Google Classroom, they can now run a plagiarism check of their writing before submitting their final work. The teacher only has to add a check to enable students to use this feature.

The power behind Originality Reports is not simply about catching dishonest students. Rather it empowers students with skills to evaluate and edit while learning how to build upon their ideas and properly incorporate them into their work. Having this on-the-spot tool not only gives students valuable feedback quickly, it helps students be responsible writers and researchers.  

Originality Reports are a time saver for teachers, too. Since the student has the ability to run their own Originality Report up to 3 times per assignment, submitted writing should be better. Once writing is submitted, Originality Reports help teachers quickly access authenticity by comparing student work against web pages and books. The tool will highlight potential plagiarism and link to an external source to show the connection — all done within the Google Classroom grading interface.  

Here is how Originality Reports work:

The teacher:

  • Creates an Assignment
  • Clicks to select > Check plagiarism 

The students:

  • Open and complete the assignment 
  • Students can run an Originality Report up to 3 times. The reports will show the students any flagged passages. Students are able to improve their writing with the results on the report. 
  • The students will then submit the assignment 

The teacher:

  • Opens the submitted assignment. Opens the document.  
  • On the right-hand side, the teacher views the Originality Report.

Check out my approximately 2-minute video for a step-by-step look at this process:  https://youtu.be/cX7z4da4J-4 

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Kincaid IT Named Trusted Google Service Provider for 2021

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KC-based company awarded the opportunity to deliver IT Deployment as Google for Education partner.

Kincaid IT, a division of The Kincaid Group, was recently named a trusted Google service provider for 2021. Headquartered in the Midwest’s Kansas City area, Kincaid became a Google for Education partner in 2020, providing IT support to educational organizations throughout the region.

Learning institutions — both K-12 and higher education — that are buying Google Workspace for Education or Chromebooks and Chrome Education Upgrades in 2021 may be eligible for free services from Kincaid IT along with the purchase.  

As a trusted Google for Education partner, Kincaid IT was awarded the opportunity to deliver the IT Deployment services to qualifying organizations.

“Our goal is to provide quality IT service and support to districts to help them get the most out of these tools,” said Dr. Amy Bailey (formerly Amy Gates), Kincaid IT chief innovation officer.  

Kincaid IT’s team has extensive experience in education and IT, she added, striving to support schools as they implement the tools and technologies required to teach in today’s world.  

“Our vision is to be a trusted advisor and work in partnership with schools as they deploy, implement and continue to utilize technology to support their teaching and learning goals,” Dr. Bailey said.

To learn more about Kincaid IT as well as its IT Deployment services, visit the webpage.

 

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