Ten Tech Tricks to Start the New School Year

Welcome back, Dragons! Here are ten tech tips and tricks to help you get settled into the new school year:

1. If your Promethean board will not turn on:

• If the AMX or Calypso panel does not turn on the board, try unplugging the power cable on the projector and plugging it back in to reset the board. 
• If the board still will not power on, enter an Eduphoria Helpdesk ticket (click here for directions on how to do that).

2. If your Promethean pen does not work:

• Check the USB cable and make it is plugged into the laptop and wall.
• Try a different USB port on the laptop.
• Enter an Eduphoria Helpdesk ticket if the pen still does not work. 

3. Add a district network printer:

• On your computer, click the Windows "Start" button in the bottom left corner. Type \\cisdprint02 in the search box and press the enter key, as shown below:

• A list of district printers will appear. Find the printer from your campus and double-click on it to install. 
• You will find installed printers by going to the Start button and clicking on "Devices and Printers" on the right side of the Start Menu.

4. Outlook Client vs. Outlook Webmail:

• The Outlook Client is the Outlook software that's already installed on your computer. You can find it by going to the Start button (in the left corner of your computer) > all programs > Microsoft Office 2013 folder (or you can search "Outlook" in the search box at the bottom of the Start Menu). This is the full Outlook software and the version we recommend you use when possible. 
• The Outlook Webmail version is the lite/free version (shown below). 

• Note: The district cannot fix issues you may experience with the web version of Outlook, which is why the client/software version is preferred. Eduphoria Helpdesk requests can be entered for issues that may arise with the software. 

5. District staff links:

It is good practice to bookmark the staff links in case the district website is not available. Click the words below to access the links, and then bookmark them on your staff computer:

• Skyward Educator
• Eduphoria
• Skyward Employee

6. Google Chrome vs. Internet Explorer:

• Chrome allows users to sign in to their Google account, which saves all bookmarks to the browser, no matter what device is used. (The Chrome Web Store also has some pretty handy extensions you can install into Chrome to give it more features!)
• Internet Explorer saves favorites to your device only; users must export and import bookmarks. 
• Some district applications work better on different browsers. If you notice that a district application (such as Skyward or Eduphoria) experiences difficulties, try switching browsers first.

7. Skyward Educator app for attendance:

• Click here for the Skyward Educator iOS App
• Click here for the Skyward Educator Android App

 

8. Snipping Tool:

This tool allows you to take a picture of anything on your computer without having to take a screenshot of the entire page. 

To find and use this tool:

• Click the Windows Start button in the bottom left corner of your staff computer. 
• In the search bar, type "snip," as shown below:

• Click on the Snipping Tool program, and the window shown below will pop up on your screen:

• Now click and drag anywhere across the screen to take a screenshot of the content of your choice. Afterward, a box will pop up to allow you to preview your snipped selection. Be sure to save it somewhere on your computer before exiting. 

9. Pinning applications to the taskbar:

Right-click on an application. Choose "Pin this program to taskbar" for it to stay at the bottom of your screen at all times (whether the program is open and in use or not). 

10. Voice dial:

Dial 8221 on your classroom/office phone to access the audio directory. Say the name of the person you wish to dial, and the directory will dial the number for you!