Tech Tidbits

Tech Tidbits provide a short (25 minutes or less) presentation about a technology topic, tool, application, or skill that you could turn around and begin using in your classroom, with your staff, or bring efficiency to some of your professional tasks. Each month will have a different presenter and a new topic. Tech Tidbits is offered at two different times, one before school and one after school. Additionally, the sessions will be recorded and made available for those who request them.

Brisk AI: More Than Just a Refreshing Iced Tea - March 28 - Recording

Jeremy discusses the emergence of AI programs focusing on the educational field, such as Brisk, MagicSchool, and School AI, in contrast to more general AI like Chat GPT and Gemini. Brisk is highlighted as an AI platform designed specifically for educational purposes, offering various tools as a Chrome extension for teachers and students to use for free. The extension allows users to create educational resources like lesson plans, quizzes, presentations, and provides features for giving feedback on student work. It emphasizes the importance of caution when using AI writing detection tools and showcases how Brisk can streamline tasks for educators while offering additional premium features for advanced use.

Figjamming in the Classroom - February 28 Recording - Presentation Slides - Interactive FigJam

Presented by Sherri Keller, Tech Integrationist at North Branch In this short session, educators will learn how to integrate FigJam, a collaborative digital whiteboarding tool, into their classroom instruction. Participants will explore the various features of FigJam and discover how it can be utilized to enhance student engagement, promote collaborative learning, and facilitate visual brainstorming activities. Practical examples and use cases will be shared to demonstrate the versatility of FigJam in supporting a wide range of teaching and learning objectives. By the end of the session, educators will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively incorporate FigJam into their instructional practices, fostering a more interactive and dynamic learning environment for their students.

Create a Newsletter Template with Google Slides (Recording) - January 30 - (Sample Newsletter Template)

Jeremy shares how you can use Google Slides, a product you are most likely familiar with to create a simple Newsletter that can be a template you modify each week/month.

Become a Hogwarts Teacher with Magic School AI! (Recording) - November 30 - (Presentation Slides)

Are you ready to embark on a spellbinding journey into the world of educational magic? This is your chance to blend the wonders of Hogwarts with the marvels of modern technology, enhancing your teaching with the enchantment of AI! In this magical session, you'll learn to wield the power of Magic School AI tools, transforming your classroom into an interactive and captivating learning environment. Just like the revered professors of Hogwarts, you'll master the art of creating engaging lessons, personalizing education, and connecting with the wider wizarding community. We'll also delve into the best practices for integrating AI in your lessons, ensuring your teaching remains as human and heartwarming as it is technologically advanced.

What's New Google? Part 1 (Recording) - September 19 - (Presentation Slides)

Want to find out about some of the latest Google features and updates to take advantage of for your classrooms this school year? Then check out this Tech Tidbit presentation by Jeremy Mikla (ECEMCC - Instructional Tech). Jeremy will share several new features and tips for using Google Slides, Docs, Classroom and Chrome. Because of all the great features, this Tech Tidbit will be offered in 2 parts. Part 1 focuses on Google Slides and Google Docs.

What's New Google? Part 2 (Recording) - September 28 - (Presentation Slides)

Part 2 focuses on updates and features of Google Chrome and Google Classroom.

Digital Life Organization (Recording) - April 26 - (Presentation Slides)

Do you have so many tabs open that you don't know where the music is coming from? We have all been there. Organizing your digital world can be overwhelming, especially when we add new documents, ideas, links and more almost every day. In this session, learn strategies you can use today to easily access the websites you need when you need them and how to organize your Google Drive. It is possible!

Thank you to Jodi Johnson, Instructional Technology Coordinator - Princeton Public Schools

Jam Out With Jamboard (Recording) - March 2 - (Presentation Slides)

Jamboard is a fun and easy-to-use collaborative interactive tool that works well on both touchscreen and non-touchscreen devices (works great on Clevertouch panels too!). Jamboard integrates with all your favorite Google Tools! You can use Jamboard in any subject area and at any grade level to create interactive assignments, whole-class collaboration activities, check-in's, exit tickets, morning meetings, virtual gallery walks, and so much more.

Thank you to Brittany Misuraca, Technology Integrationist at Watertown-Mayer Schools for presenting this Tech Tidbit.

Let's Chat about ChatGPT (Recording) - Jan. 24 - (Chat Comments) - (Presentation Slides)

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Conversation about ChatGPT, what it can do and how it impacts Education. If you are looking for more information about All Things AI in Education, please check out the Wakelet of Resources I am curating. Websites, Presentations, Articles, and Videos are being added to it all the time. Here are a few I definitely would highlight:

ChatGPT, Chatbots and Artificial Intelligence in Education by Matt Miller - Ditch That Textbook

ChatGPT in Education by Torrey Trust

ChatGPT Through an Educator Lens by Nicole Zumpano, Lynne Herr, et al.

Accessing Accessibility (Recording) - Nov. 21 - (Presentation Slides)

Thank you to Sherri Keller, Rachelle Weinand, and Melissa Kleschult from North Branch for presenting this Tech Tidbit. They share many great features that are built directly into a Chromebook or in the Chrome Browser which are excellent tools to help students navigate more seamlessly the educational content available to them digitally on their devices.

Fake News & How to Avoid It (Recording) - Oct. 18 - (Presentation Slides)

With so many sources of information online, it has become difficult to make sense of what content is based on fact, half-truths or lies. The use of digital platforms to share things we believe to be true when they may not be can have a powerful ripple effect, influencing others to see them as facts. This can be especially dangerous for children and young people who can be persuaded to take on distorted views of the world that could cause them or others harm in the real world. Join this presentation as Jeremy Mikla (ECEMCC - Instructional Tech) offers a strategy to INFORM which, when shared with students, can help avoid the acceptance and spread of Fake News.

What's New Google (Recording) - Sept. 14 - (Presentation Slides)

Texthelp – Tools to Support Literacy and STEM for ALL learners – March 25 – (Presentation Slides) from Rachel Kruzel and Conor McCarthy from Texthelp – focus on products Read & Write and Equatio.

Website Accessibility – March 23, 2022 – (Presentation Slides) – Mark Johnson (Chisago Lakes - Technology Integration)

Copyright Friendly Image Resources – February 23, 2022 – (Presentation Slides) – MaryJo Vickers (Milaca - Elementary Media Specialist)

Personal Cybersecurity – February 3, 2022 – (Presentation Slides) – Bill Groskreutz (East Central - Technology Coordinator)
Bill also has several resources and links below to check out.

Out of Your Password Minder – The Ellen Show video

What is Your Password – Jimmy Kimmel Show video –

Passphrase Ex.: https://www.useapassphrase.com and https://www.grc.com/haystack.htm

List of Password Managers: https://bit.ly/2n0LtXa and https://cnet.co/2Nh6BaO

Google’s 2 Step Verification Options

How to check if you’ve been Compromised

Check you Credit Reports

Freeze your Credit: Equifax Experian Transunion

Freeze your Minor Children’s Credit: Equifax Experian Transunion

FTC Website

Have you been a victim of Identity Theft

Security Awareness: Be Internet Awesome Common Sense Media S2Me

ECMECC Security Links

Edpuzzle 101 – Jan 24, 2023 – (Presentation Slides) - Caitlyn Munson (Edpuzzle Trainer)

Demonstration of Scrible – Jan. 12, 2023 – Victor Karkar (CEO Scrible)

12 Apps of #EdTech-mas - Dec. 21, 2021 – (Presentations Slides) - Jeremy Mikla (ECMECC Instructional Tech)

Here is the list of Apps found in the videos:

Apps 1-2: Toby and EdPuzzle (Screen Recorder)

Apps 3-4: Jamboard and Classroomscreen

Apps 5-6: OrbitNote and EquatIO

Apps 7-8: GoNoodle and BookCreator

Apps 9-10: Goosechase and Mote

Apps 11-12: mmhmm and Slidesgo

Get to Know Pear Deck – Nov. 18, 2021 – (Presentation Slides) – Amanda Thompson (East Central Teacher & Tech Integration)

Tech Trick or Treat – Oct. 27, 2021 – (Presentation Slides) – Jeremy Mikla (ECMECC Instructional Tech)

Rethink Newsletters & Parent Communication with Seesaw! – Oct. 14, 2021 – (Presentation Slides) – Jodi Johnson (Princeton Instructional Tech)

Make the Mote of It – Sept. 29, 2021 – (Presentation Slides) - Jeremy Mikla (ECMECC Instructional Tech)

2020-2021 (Wednesday Bytes) Presentations

SEL Tools for Building Resilience and Supporting Wellbeing – Apr. 2021 – Nic Van Oss

Google Stuff – Apr. 2021 – Dihanna Fedder

Icebreakers – Mar. 2021 – Jeremy Mikla

Distance Learning and Copyright – Jan. 2021 – Mark Johnson

Supervising in Go Guardian – Nov. 2020 – Amanda Thompson

Google Vids - April 2 - Presentation - Recording - Transcript

Unleash the power of your device's camera and empower your students to do the same! Forget clunky video editing – Google Vids lets you create dynamic, engaging instructional videos in a snap, right within Google Workspace for Education. Imagine: mini-lessons, student feedback, flipped classroom magic, all at your fingertips! But that's not all – think student projects, creative presentations, digital storytelling, and peer-to-peer tutorials, all made possible by your students with Google Vids. We're talking quick, easy recordings up to ten minutes, seamlessly managed and shared in Drive, just like your favorite Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Ready to transform your teaching and ignite student creativity with the click of a button? Join us for Tech Tidbits and dive into the world of Google Vids! Learn how to introduce this powerful tool to your students and watch their learning come to life!

AI Prompting Strategies - February 27 - Recording - Presentation

Unlock the power of AI in education with strategic prompting techniques! This session will introduce the CREATE Method—a framework for crafting clear, concise, and effective prompts using Context, Role, End goal, Audience, Task, and Examples. Learn best practices for refining prompts to get accurate, meaningful AI responses, whether for lesson planning, student support, or classroom engagement. By mastering prompt engineering, you'll become a more efficient AI user, maximizing its impact in your teaching. Join us to transform the way you integrate AI in education!

Check out this Tech Tidbit session in which Jeremy will share about Effective AI Prompting. Leave with techniques and skills to more effective harness the powers of AI tools.

Check Out ECMECC's VR Headsets - January 23 - Recording

Recently, ECMECC purchased a set of 8 Umety VR Headsets, along with supporting curricular content. We would LOVE to lend them out to schools and classrooms to use. Check out this Tech Tidbit session in which Jeremy will discuss VR classroom experiences, possibilities, and available content for VR (and other) devices. Additionally, discover how to reserve the VR Headsets for your school.

View Presentation. View Recording. View VR Directions. View Checkout Form

Clean Up Your Google Drive - December 3 - Recording - Presentation

What’s hiding in your Google Drive? Is it a serene digital paradise or a chaotic jungle that gives you the heebie-jeebies every time you try to find a file? Fear not! Let’s dive into some clever tips and tricks to tidy up and transform your Google Drive into an organized oasis!

We will explore the basics of Google Drive including folder structure and organization; and help develop a method to stay organized in Google Drive to make it easier to find, work in, and share files.

Flip(grid) Alternatives - October 30 - Recording - Comparison Chart

As a classroom teacher, I loved using Flip (formerly Flipgrid) and even have some swag to show my support! However, recent changes by its parent company, Microsoft, have put the platform behind a paywall, making it inaccessible to many educators who rely on other digital ecosystems, like Google and Apple.

In this session, we’ll explore three great alternatives that are worth considering:

Gravity
Screencastify Submit
FigJam + Vimeo

Jeremy will introduce and demonstrate each platform, showing how they can be used as classroom-friendly tools for student video creation and sharing.

What's New Google 2024-25 - September 24 - Presentation - Recording

Back to School means that Jeremy has his What's New Google Presentation queued up and ready to go.

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Visualize 2026: Creating Infographics with Gemini

Do you have a great idea for a visual lesson aid, but dread the time it takes to actually design it? Do you find yourself staring at a blank Canva or Slide template, unsure where to start?

In this session, we will cover: Instead of asking AI to "do the work for you," we’ll show you how to use Gemini as your personal content strategist and layout editor. We will explore the "Rough Sketch" Workflow, including:

From Scribble to Structure: How to describe a messy notebook sketch (like a confusing "Branches of Government" diagram) and get a clean, organized layout in seconds.
The "Egg-to-Frog" Method: Using AI to identify missing steps in sequential processes (like life cycles or timelines).
Visualizing the Invisible: How to get Gemini to suggest concrete metaphors for abstract concepts (like the Carbon Cycle).
The Power of Iteration: Why the first answer is rarely the best, and how to use "Follow-Up" prompts to simplify text for specific grade levels.

Links:

Hidden Gems: Unlocking Custom AI Assistants for your Classroom

Have you ever used ChatGPT or Gemini and felt like you had to spend 10 minutes explaining exactly what you wanted, only to have to do it all over again the next time?

It’s like having a substitute teacher every single day. You have to re-explain the rules, the tone, and the format every morning. It’s time to upgrade from a Substitute to a Teaching Assistant.

In this Tech Tidbit: Hidden Gems, we will cover:

💎 What are Gems? How to "onboard" Gemini so it remembers your preferences forever.
📝 Real Classroom Examples: Creating instant Rubric Architects, Differentiation Designers, and Email Concierges.
⚡ Live Demos: Watch me build a custom tool.
🎁 Free Resources: Access to a library of pre-made "EduGems" you can copy immediately.

Links:

Fueling Fluency: Five Fabulous Phonic-Focused Finds

Finding the perfect resource to boost phonics skills, build fluency, and connect it all to comprehension can be a constant challenge. In this fast-paced, 30-minute Tech-Tidbit, discover how AI can become your ultimate time-saving literacy assistant!

We'll explore "Five Fabulous Phonic-Focused Finds"—a curated list of innovative AI tools you can use immediately. Get a first look at how LitLab.ai and Snorkl create dynamic literacy activities, and see how to generate your own custom decodable texts—with matching images and comprehension questions—in minutes using MagicSchool and the new Gemini Tools. Then check out the "Write with AI" tool inside Google Classroom's ReadAlong.

This showcase is all about saving you precious time while delivering targeted, high-interest, and differentiated materials that build a solid bridge from decoding to deep understanding.

Recording
Presentation
Resources:
- Snorkl: https://snorkl.app/
- LitLab.ai: https://www.litlab.ai/
- LitLab Tech in 10: https://youtu.be/F067da4WVJg
- MagicSchool: https://app.magicschool.ai/tools

What'a New Google

In this 2 Part Tech Tidbit, Jeremy shares the latest Google Workspace Updates.

Part 1 Recording
Part 2 Recording
Presentation Slides

Dive into AI Feedback with Snorkl

Jeremy Shares how and why to use Snorkl to provide students with AI generated formative feedback

Recording
Presentation Slides