TechTips
- Get Bleachbit for your Windows and/or GNU/Linux computer | View video tutorial
- Get OnyX for your Mac computer
Five Stages of K-12 Ed Tech Adoption: Part 2 #tcea #tceajmg
Dig into the last two stages of the five stages of ed tech adoption. Get more examples, infographics, and ed tech tools for the classroom! When teachers grow in confidence, they change the way they teach using technology. This is Stage 4 of the Five Stages of Ed Tech Adoption in K-12; the last stage is Innovation and Leadership (Stage 5). Let’s dig into these last two stages.
Digital Tools for World Password Day
Explore and adopt digital tools to generate safe passwords and secure them from prying eyes. Be sure to check out the TCEA TechNotes blog entry, World Password Day: A Free Game To Teach Password Security.
Digital Tools for World Password Day
Use these digital tools below:
Tool #1: Secure Password Generator and Vault
Generating secure passwords has gotten easier, but people still stumble with keeping track of them. Tools like Bitwarden, Keepass, and others serve as a secure password generator and vault. Bitwarden, which is free for personal use on all your devices, allows you to also generate two-factor authentication codes (2FA).
Tool #2: Authentication App for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
What is it?
2FA is an extra layer of security used to make sure that people trying to gain access to an online account are who they say they are. First, a user will enter their username and a password. Then, instead of immediately gaining access, they will be required to provide another piece of information. This second factor could come from 1) something you know like a PIN or answer to a secret question; 2) something you have, like a credit card number or last 4 digits of your SSN#; or 3) something you are, like a fingerprint, an iris scan, or a voice print. (adapted from source)
Authentication software and apps rely on generating a code. But how do you know what code to use? A digital authenticator like Authy can help:
Tool #3: Removing Old Internet Files
Cleaning out your computer can help out a lot. Use Bleachbit to clean out old deleted files still on your computer (Windows, Mac), or securely wipe your internet history. Bleachbit is also available in a portable version, which means you can run it off a USB flash drive or external drive.
Learning to use these tools is easy. Most come with a video tutorial you can watch.
More Tools
Here are some additional tools for your consideration.
ClassQuiz: A Free Tool Supporting High-Effect Size Instructional Strategies #tcea #tceajmg
Wish you had a free no-cost, open-source tool that supports evidence-based strategies but doesn’t violate student privacy? Try ClassQuiz.
Digital Spring Cleaning Made Simple #tcea #tceajmg
Need to clean, protect, and back up your digital files? Learn some tips and tools for digital spring cleaning. Get started now!
How to Easily Convert Quizzes Between Platforms #tcea #tceajmg
Need to get a set of quiz questions from one system (e.g. Quizlet, Kahoot!) into another? Find out how to convert quizzes easily!
TEA’s K-12 Cybersecurity Initiative Offers Funding and Resources #tcea #tceajmg
Ready to safeguard your school district network and devices? The Texas Education Agency can help with cybersecurity funding and resources.
A Countdown Timer for Every Occasion #tcea #tceajmg
Keeping track of time can be a full-time job for some students in a group. Why not make that job easier with a countdown timer? Even as an adult, when leading workshop sessions and classroom activities, one app is close at hand for me: either the iPhone Stopwatch or a Google time keeper. Let’s take a look at several free timer options you can use in the classroom. FREE is the key word for all time trackers on this list. Paid countdown timer solutions abound, like CountingDownTo or CountDownKings, but this list will give you quite a bang at no cost.
#tcea #tceajmg
Google for Education’s K-12 Cybersecurity Guidebook #tcea #tceajmg
Google announced its updated K-12 Cybersecurity Guidebook. The guidebook starts with key points from CISA’s Protecting Our Future report and covers NIST’s (National Institute of Standards and Technology) updated Cybersecurity Framework. For certain, cybersecurity is keeping people up at night. Let’s take a moment to explore these changes and potential implications.
#tcea #tceajmg
13 Security Browser Extensions and Sites You May Not Know #tcea #tceajmg
Worried about contracting a virus or messing around with malware via your browser? Almost twenty percent of computers are subject to web-based malware attacks. Your browser and the plug-ins or security software you add to your browser can help to prevent web-based attacks. Let’s explore a few more security tools during Cybersecurity Awareness Month! We’ll look at some add-ons that can protect your browser and some websites that offer information for school personnel on safeguarding against cyber threats.
#tcea #tceajmg
Encrypt and Protect Sensitive, Confidential Data #tcea #tceajmg
Safeguarding your data and devices grows more important every day. In July 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a new certification program for smart devices, like your television set. This cybersecurity and labeling program is intended to assist Americans in choosing safer devices. As the Biden-Harris Administration continues to shine a spotlight on cybersecurity focused on the Internet of Things, schools must do the same with their data. That’s why the Texas Education Agency (TEA) approved cybersecurity funding for schools. But more can be done.
#tcea #tceajmg
Get Your Digital Business Card
Looking for a quick and paper-free way to share your info? Use one of these digital business card creation tools. Or make your own!
13 Firefox Extensions and Sites You May Not Know #tcea #tceajmg #Firefox #WebBrowser
Did you know that Firefox offers a host of security features and is a viable alternative to the Chrome browser? If you’ve not used Firefox, it might be worth giving it a try. Let’s explore a wealth of extensions for Firefox that I use every day. And maybe you can, too.
#tcea #tceajmg
Securely Back Up and Encrypt Data
It’s easy to see the massive cybersecurity threats facing schools as “not my problem.” That is, “What can I do to help protect sensitive data?” The answer is to protect your devices against malware and encrypt your data. With ransomware incidents increasing, backing up your data in encrypted format is critical.