Create with Google Gemini

Google Gemini, like ChatGPT and other generative AI tools, allows you to create text, do research, learn, and more. We use Gemini because it's part of Google for Education, which makes it usable for students and staff of all ages and because we have a SOPPA agreement which means our data is protected.

Recently, Google announced new features in Gemini that can be used to propel creativity: Create Images, Create Video, Learn, and Write.

Create Images

Photoshop is a professional, robust tool for editing images. Gemini 2.5 Flash, the latest free version of Gemini, now performs many tasks normally reserved for tools like Photoshop. For example, I uploaded the Barrington 220 photo of myself, and then asked Gemini to change the background to Bora Bora, give me facial tattoos like Post Malone, and change the color of my shirt from blue to red. Here is the result.

This technology allows teachers across all grade levels and content areas to use photo editing for engaging, contextualized learning. Primary students can use background changes to place self-portraits in new worlds for creative storytelling and descriptive writing. Intermediate students in social studies can apply outfit changes and background shifts to dress themselves or a figure in historically accurate contexts, fostering empathy and an understanding of different eras. For middle school science, students can use the "marking" or "tattoo" feature to visually represent abstract biological concepts like infections or mutations on diagrams, demonstrating their understanding of complex systems. Finally, high school media literacy classes can use all editing features (background, clothing, markings) to create satirical images, helping them analyze and deconstruct the powerful role of visual rhetoric and symbolism in media.

Create Videos

For a Google Veo video example, I wanted to create a video of me running on a track at Barrington High School and suffering a hamstring injury.

In primary science, students could use a simple prompt like "a butterfly flying from a chrysalis to a flower" to visually demonstrate the life cycle, bringing abstract concepts to life in a way they can easily understand. An intermediate social studies class might generate a short clip of "a Roman soldier marching through a busy ancient marketplace" to visualize daily life and setting, making historical periods more tangible than a textbook description. Middle school ELA students could generate a scene, such as "a mysterious, fog-covered forest with a lone figure walking toward a glowing cabin," to create a captivating video trailer for a short story or literary analysis, prompting deeper understanding of mood and plot. Finally, a high school geometry class could use Veo to create a video showing "a three-dimensional cube rotating slowly in space with its net unfolding," which helps visualize complex spatial relationships and solid geometry concepts.

Learn

Guided Learning acts as a personal AI tutor to help build a deep understanding of a subject. It uses step-by-step breakdowns, questions, and interactive elements to actively engage learners.

Write

Canvas in Gemini is an interactive workspace where you collaborate with the AI to draft, refine, and organize documents, code, or other creative projects. It allows for direct text editing, an advantage over Brisk that does not allow students to make edits inside a Boost experience. Teachers can program Canvas similarly to Brisk by creating a Gem.

We hope these exciting updates lead to more guided and supported AI use with students! 

MacBook Air and iPad Swaps Near the Finish Line

The end is in sight for our massive district-wide Apple device refresh! Since early April, the Technology Department, working closely with our Library Technology Assistants (LTAs), has been hustling to get new iPhones, MacBooks, and iPads into the hands of staff and students across every building. It’s been a huge undertaking, and we've successfully rolled out the vast majority of new devices.

Just a Few Left—Let's Get You Swapped

We know that a handful of our colleagues weren't able to make it to the main swap events. Don't worry—you haven't been forgotten! You will get a shiny new device, too.

The Tech Department will be spending the next couple of weeks compiling the final list of staff and students who still need to swap. Once that list is finalized, we will be reaching out to you directly via email with a clear plan to get your exchange done. Keep an eye on your inbox soon for that communication.

Your Quick Prep Guide for a Speedy Swap

When it's your turn, we want to get you back to work with minimal downtime. You can make the final swap ridiculously fast and easy by taking two simple steps now:

• Google Drive is Your Best Friend: Please make sure all your important documents and work files are backed up to Google Drive. This is the key to a quick exchange—it means we don't have to wait for large transfers, and you won't lose any critical data when you power up your new machine.

• Password Power: The biggest delay we see is forgetting a key password. Make sure you know your current passwords for both logging into your computer/network and Infinite Campus. If you have those ready, the swap process is smooth sailing.

A little preparation goes a long way! Thanks again for your patience as we finalize this huge project.

Who do I contact for tech questions in my building?

Guest Author: Kathrine Clarke, LTA at Barbara Rose Elementary School

Who do I contact for Tech Questions in my building?

Your building LTA, Library Technology Associate, is a great start to answering your tech-related questions. LTAs have a wide range of expertise on the different subscriptions that are available to staff and students. Your LTA can help with:

• Troubleshooting technology for students and staff
• Submitting tickets if extra help is needed
• Adding new students to digital platforms
• Help choosing apps for classroom use (examples: Canva, Google Suite, Nearpod, Wayground, etc.)
• Acquiring curriculum materials (e.g., ordering books and consumables from the district office or district libraries)
• Managing electronic testing (e.g., creating users and answering testing platform questions)
• Managing subscriptions (LTAs have admin access for tools like):
• Explore Learning
• Schoology
• MyOn
• iReady
• …and more!

Who can parents contact for Tech Questions?

Allowing students to come to their building library to ask their questions to the LTA is a great way to foster independence and grow self-confidence. If parents want to reach out: 

• Elementary: Contact the classroom teacher first.
• Middle School: Start with the counselor, if the issue continues, include the LTA in an email.
• Middle School and High School students can send a Schoology message or email directly to their LTA.

To find the LTA information for your building, look on the district website for Library Media Services in the Families tab.

Don't Miss YES Discovery Week for IC Training

YES Discovery Week is November 17–21, 2025!

Get ready for YES Discovery Week, happening November 17–21, 2025! This week is dedicated to exploring new opportunities for professional growth through a variety of sessions focused on Infinite Campus. Whether you’re looking to deepen your understanding or discover new tools, there’s something for everyone.

Classified staff who participate in two sessions they have not previously trained in will be eligible to receive board credit.

Please refer to the email sent on October 22 for complete details on registration and the process for applying for board credit.

iPadOS 26 Provides New Accessibility Features & Updates

Key's Quick Tips from Kelly Key, Assistive Technology Coordinator for Barrington 220

The new Generation 11 iPads are here, and they come with iPadOS 26, packed with exciting accessibility updates and improvements! Here are a few highlights: 

• Accessibility Reader (formerly Spoken Content): The text-to-speech feature has a new name and expanded capabilities, including options to read and customize website content. 
• Share Accessibility Settings via AirDrop: You can now easily share accessibility configurations between iPads—a huge time-saver! 
• Text Detection in Live Text: In addition to snapping a photo of a worksheet to have it read aloud, you can now simply hold the iPad up to printed text, and it will begin reading automatically. 
• New Head Tracking Controls: Along with eye tracking, users can now control their iPad using subtle head movements. 

Explore all the new tools and features designed to support our students in reading, writing, math, access, and overall accessibility HERE. (The linked sides include step-by-step visual directions and video demonstrations for each tool.) 

Check out this Google Doc with new iPadOS and iOS features in version 26 HERE.

Positive Progress So Far with Social Media & Digital Citizenship Guidelines

On October 21, 2025, district leaders presented an implementation progress report regarding this year's new Social Media Awareness & Digital Citizenship Guidelines to the Barrington 220 Board of Education. Early results show positive impacts across staff, student, and parent groups.

Our report provides an in-depth update on the current data and information used to measure the effectiveness of the Social Media Awareness and Digital Citizenship Guidelines that were accepted by the Board of Education on May 20, 2025. The report included information from several sources and reported on August 19–October 3, 2025—the first 32 days of school. Positive early indicators of program success include higher student engagement across all grade levels, reduced classroom distractions, greater awareness among students about responsible technology use, and improved consistency in reporting of digital-device-related incidents. Eight next steps were recommended to strengthen the further implementation, consistency, and long-term impact of the guidelines.

Report Summary

The first 32 implementation days of Barrington 220’s Social Media Awareness & Digital Citizenship (SMADC) Guidelines demonstrate meaningful progress in cultivating responsible, focused, and engaged learners at all grade levels across the district. Through sustained collaboration among students, staff, and families, the district is incorporating digital citizenship into our mission to empower personal excellence in every learner. 

The SMADC Guidelines were developed during the 2024–25 school year through a collaborative, cross-functional advisory committee process involving administrators, staff, students, parents, and community members. Accepted by the Board of Education in May 2025 for implementation in the 2025–26 school year, these guidelines promote healthy digital habits and minimize non-academic device use, while fostering student engagement and well-being.

The implementation phase spanning August 19–October 3, 2025, included a focus to measure the effectiveness of these guidelines. A variety of data and information conveys the success of the guideline implementation so far:

• Student Survey Results
• Staff Survey Results
• Student Behavior Incident Reporting
• Parent & Student Interviews
• Upcoming Presentation Preparations
• Communications
• iPad Use during Middle School Lunch

A set of conclusions and next steps are also included.

Student Survey Results

Over 4,300 students (Grades 3–12) participated in the fall survey assessing engagement, technology behaviors, and perceptions of the new SMADC Guidelines.

Key student survey findings included:

• Engagement Gains: More than 75% of students reported equal or greater participation and collaboration compared to last school year. Off-task device use also decreased across all levels.
• Feedback on the B Here. B Now. B Engaged. initiative: Students in Grades 3–5 valued clear rules and engaging lessons and requested consistency across classrooms. Middle school students supported the program’s goals, but requested limited personal-device use and reduced blocking of educational websites. High school students emphasized trust and autonomy, while asking for expanded access to educational resources.
• Mentorship Opportunities: Students proposed integrating peer-led digital citizenship mentorship into existing clubs and creating new social-media-related clubs.
• YouTube & Web Filtering: Students expressed concerns about limited video access, noting that educational content is often blocked. Many students interpreted the extension of district filtering outside of school as new website restrictions.
• App Request Process: Roughly 90% of students had never used the app request process and asked for easier access to request new apps and services.

Staff Survey Results

Over 500 PK–12 staff members participated in the SMADC implementation survey.

Key staff survey findings included:

• Positive Classroom Impact: 95% of staff reported student participation, interaction, and collaboration were the same or better than last year. Off-task use of school and personal devices dropped as well.
• Reduced Classroom Disruption: Teachers reported fewer redirections and less time spent managing devices—especially smartphones and smartwatches.
• YouTube & Edpuzzle: 71% of staff agreed they can effectively use YouTube and Edpuzzle, though many cited barriers. Over half requested professional learning on video integration.
• Web Filtering: 87% of staff said students can complete assignments effectively. Some middle and high school teachers cited occasional blocking of instructional websites or videos.
• Mentorship: Staff recommended embedding digital citizenship mentorship in student leadership groups such as Student Council and media-oriented clubs to strengthen student voice.

Student Behavior Incident Reporting

Behavior data from Infinite Campus and Intellispark revealed that the number of incidents reported has increased over the past three school years. This increase is likely a result of the focus on our SMADC guidelines and not an actual increase in student behaviors related to inappropriate technology use.

Parent & Student Interviews

Comments from video interviews with parents and students reinforced survey findings. Parents expressed appreciation for the district’s leadership in addressing social media challenges and the consistent messaging around healthy device use. Students highlighted feeling less distracted in class and more aware of digital expectations, though many requested more access. Both groups supported continued communication, flexibility, and education around responsible technology use.

Upcoming Presentation Preparations

The SMADC Leadership Team is preparing to share a variety of topics through student assemblies and family engagement nights during the school year. Upcoming events will include community discussions on digital citizenship, well-being in a connected world, and responsible online behavior, featuring experts and local law-enforcement partners.

Communications

District communications since August 2025 have emphasized clarity and transparency in implementing the SMADC Guidelines, including the B here. B now. B engaged. initiative. Updated handbook language, district newsletters, and a new webpage now outline the new expectations for student device use, filtering practices, and strategies to help families manage digital devices at home.

iPad Use During Middle School Lunch

Middle school lunch period observations confirmed that a relatively small percentage of students (20%) are using iPads during lunch and that the vast majority of lunchtime iPad users (97%) are socializing while using the iPad. Middle School principals will continue to monitor iPad use during lunch periods and will implement supports for families or individual students if necessary.

Overall Guidelines Implementation Conclusions

Initial implementation of the Social Media Awareness and 
Digital Citizenship Guidelines has resulted in measurable improvements in student focus, engagement, and responsible technology behaviors across grade levels. Staff members also report smoother classroom management as a result of the guidelines. Both students and parents show growing awareness of digital citizenship concepts and increased engagement in classroom activities.

Areas for continued improvement include:

• Clearer and more consistent enforcement of expectations across classrooms and schools.
• Expanded access to educational video platforms under managed filtering conditions.
• Enhanced training for staff on classroom device-management tools and instructional video integration.
• Continued communication with families to ensure understanding and support of device guidelines at home.

Next Steps

Our recommended next steps for the Social Media Awareness and 
Digital Citizenship Guidelines include: 

• Strengthen Consistency
• Balance Access & Student Engagement
• Expand Student Leadership & Mentorship
• Enhance Staff Professional Development & Resources
• Continue to Strengthen Home/School Partnerships
• Improve the App Request Process
• Continue Data Monitoring & Reporting
• Cultivate Social-Emotional Learning & Wellness

These early results indicate that Barrington 220’s Social Media Awareness and 
Digital Citizenship Guidelines are achieving the intended impact and provide important context for improving the initiative moving forward. The recommended next steps emphasize consistency, balance, leadership, and communication to ensure that every school models responsible technology use, supports student well-being, and builds upon our district’s shared culture of digital citizenship. 

More Information

Further information is available about the implementation of Barrington 220's Social Media Awareness & 
Digital Citizenship Guidelines:

• Download and view the full report (PDF)
• Download and view the full presentation (PDF)

November Tech Tools Update

We have a number of updates to share about technology tools here in Barrington 220. 

Personal Privacy Reminder

First, we wanted to share a reminder that even if an app is approved AND we have a SOPPA agreement, staff and students should NOT be sharing any personal information. For example, students should NOT put their personal information like their address with their first and last name into a book about them on Canva. Similarly, staff should not copy and paste text with student first and last names and home addresses into Google Gemini.

Recently Approved Apps

• McEduHub from Marshall Cavendish, an app for MCE for K–5 students and all staff on iPadOS.
• 3D Brain from Coldspring Harbor, an app with in-depth, interactive visuals of the human brain for 9–12 students and all staff on iPadOS.
• Google Drive from Google, an app for easy organization and file transfer for all staff for macOS.
• Notability from Ginger Labs, Inc, an app for note-taking for all staff for macOS.

We have also approved a number of apps for specific users who need special software to run soundboards, access photos from a yearbook photo company, update STEM robots, and more. 

If you're looking to request an app, Google API, or service, you can complete this form: Barrington Request for Apps, Google APIs, and Services.

Other Updates

• Apple Clips is no longer being supported by Apple. That app may stop operating in the near future.
• Everyone Can Create is still a thing! There are many great ideas and resources you can find in the Apple Learning Center.

Secure Your Logitech Crayon in the iPad Case

Now that we are at the very end of our iPad swaps at all our buildings, a few users have asked how to store the Logitech Crayon as securely as possible.

Use these easy steps to secure your Logitech Crayon:

• Place the Logitech Crayon button-side down.
• Point the tip of the Logitech Crayon toward the volume buttons.
• Slide the Logitech Crayon so the tip is as close to the volume buttons as possible.

In case your students have not yet discovered this "secret," please download and post this PDF and hang it in a location it will be seen by all users.

Brisk Next - BIG Updates!

Recently, Brisk added a few new features. You can follow all of the newly released updates on the What's New page. This article discusses some updates to the Brisk Button and to Brisk Next.

Brisk Button—Now with Next Level and Bundles

Looking for next-level teaching ideas? The Brisk extension just got a refresh! Now you can chat with Brisk to brainstorm and refine ideas from the content on any web page with Next Level. In this example, I clicked the Brisk Button and selected Next Level from a student essay in Google Docs.

Brisk Next Level analyzed the document and created options for what I might do next including create a slideshow, a 5-minute podcast, or engage in a brainstorming Student Boost.

You can learn more about Next Level in this video.

Bundles are a way to turn one resources into a full set of learning materials from the Brisk Button. Choose up to three materials to create such as guided notes, a slideshow, or a podcast, and Brisk creates all three at once. Using the same essay as above, I selected three materials to be created in the Brisk Button.

For each, I shared a prompt, grade level, standards, and more details.

Brisk created all of the materials at once in short order.

You can learn more about Bundles in this video.

Brisk Next—Next Ideas, Library, and Batch Feedback

You can now create Brisk materials directly from the Brisk Teaching website with Brisk Next Ideas. All of the same functions as the Brisk Button, but now without needed to start with a document or website.

In My Library, you can quickly access all of your Brisk-created materials. Pro tip: check out the search bar for an even easier way to find what you're looking for.

And, a feature that will save you time, the all-new Batch Feedback, where you are mass upload documents for the same feedback. You still have the option of giving the OK for each piece of feedback, but now without the need to repeatedly select the Brisk Button on every student document.

Those are some really exciting updates from Brisk. We hope you're making learning and teaching better for students and staff.

Secure Your Logitech Crayon in the iPad Case

Now that we have finalized our iPad swaps at all buildings, a few users have noted that, depending on how the Logitech Crayon is placed in the compartment in the case, it can have the tendency to fall out.

However, there is an easy way to store the Logitech Crayon so it remains secure at all times:

• Place the Logitech Crayon button-side down.
• Point the tip of the Logitech Crayon toward the volume buttons.
• Slide it all the way to end so the tip is as close to the buttons as possible.

In case your students have not yet discovered this "secret," please download and post this PDF and hang it in a location it will be seen by students.

Give Students Safe, Interactive YouTube Access with Edpuzzle

YouTube is full of amazing learning videos—but letting students roam unconstrained can lead to distraction or off-topic content. Our Social Media Awareness and Digital Citizenship Guidelines now require the use of Edpuzzle for teachers to assign specific YouTube videos to students.

Edpuzzle provides a simple process: you choose the video, embed checks for understanding, and let students safely explore via Student Projects. Here’s how to do it.

Install and use the Edpuzzle Chrome Extension to make sharing links super easy:

1. In Chrome, go to the Chrome Web Store and install the Edpuzzle extension.
2. Navigate to any YouTube video you wish to use. Click the Edpuzzle icon under the video.
3. Save the video. It’s now in your Edpuzzle library. You can share the link with students.

Use Student Projects for Safe YouTube Search for Students

1. In Edpuzzle, go to Add New in the top left-hand corner and then select New Student Project.
2. Create the project and Save and assign to give students access. You can share the link with students.

You can find more support for using Edpuzzle on Barrington 220's Digital Learning Hub for staff under the Edpuzzle heading.

New App Replacing Co:Writer and Snap & Read Coming Soon

Key's Quick Tips are brought to you by Kelly Key, Barrington 220's Assistive Technology Coordinator

Apple's New Operating Systems

Get ready for the newest operating systems for your iPhone, iPad, and Mac! Apple has released iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe 26, bringing a big redesign and powerful new tools to your devices. The biggest change you'll notice right away is the new look, called Liquid Glass. This new design makes icons, menus, and controls look translucent and fluid—like actual glass—giving your screen a fresh, modern, and consistent feel across all your Apple products. Whether you're working on a school project on your Mac or studying on your iPad, the experience feels more connected than ever before.

You might be wondering why the names jumped from versions to iOS 26. Apple made this change to simplify and bring consistency to their entire family of operating systems. Before, each product's software had a different version number (like iOS 18, macOS 15, and watchOS 12), which could be confusing. By switching to a year-based naming system (the last two digits of the year 2026), it's now much easier to know which software is the most current and to understand that all devices—iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more—are getting a yearly update at the same time. This new naming makes tracking the latest tech updates easier.

Initial testing by some Barrington 220 users has confirmed that macOS 26 is running smoothly with no noticeable conflicts. We will soon be making macOS 26 available for everyone and encourage you to upgrade as soon as possible. If you're still on macOS 15 and don't have access to macOS 26 yet, please update to the latest version of macOS 15 necessary to ensure you have the latest security updates. 

Finally, since Apple has removed access to older versions of iOS and iPadOS, we strongly encourage you to update your iPads and any work or personal iPhone—upgrading is the only way to take advantage of the latest features and essential security protection.

B Here. B Now. B Engaged.

B Here, B Now, B Engaged is Barrington 220's initiative to minimize non-academic device use during class time, promoting engagement, learning, and well-being.

These guidelines were generated by the Social Media & Digital Citizenship (SMADC) Advisory Committee, which represents a cross-functional group of stakeholders in the Barrington 220 community. These guidelines represent a full year of research, community engagement, focus group data analysis, and district and building administrator feedback. With lawmakers in Springfield considering a ban on cellphone usage in classrooms across Illinois, Barrington 220 is ahead of the curve in enacting these guidelines now ahead of the 2025-2026 school year.

Expectations across District 220:

• Personal devices brought to school must remain powered off and out of sight.
• Elementary schools: This applies to the entire day.
• Middle schools: This applies to all instructional periods. There will be an opportunity to use devices at lunch.
• High school: During instructional time, devices must be powered off and stored out of sight in designated phone storage locations/lockers in all academic and support settings as directed by classroom teachers. They can be used during non-class time (e.g., before school, lunch, passing periods, after school).
• Devices are not to be used in restrooms or locker/changing rooms. 

School Day Expectations (this includes recess, lunch, school buses, and other school environments).

Discover Magazines in Sora!

This article was contributed by guest newsletter author Pam Meiser, Teacher Librarian at Rose Elementary School.

Notebook LM - IYKYK...

Notebook LM. It's a digital notebook that leverages AI to support student learning in transformational ways. Imagine a notebook that doesn’t just store your files and notes, it reads them, makes sense of them, allows you to ask deeper questions. In addition, it produces podcasts, mind maps, study guides, and video summaries, flashcards, quizzes too! Maybe best of all, it only uses content added to the notebook.

Using the example that we're preparing for AP US History, we can upload PDFs, Google Docs, Google Slideshows, links, Edpuzzle videos, and more into our notebook.

Using this notebook, we can ask questions and have them answered with links to the source materials! We can create Audio Overviews, podcast-style reviews with AI-generated voices talking like it's a real podcast to review the materials added to the course. We can study using Mind Maps (interactive visualizations of the information), Study Guides, Flash cards, and Quizzes. We can even create videos summarizing the information. And, these materials are customizable for length, tone, language, format, and accept prompting.

You can even create the notebooks and share them with students.

Please let me know if you're using this amazing tool with students. Email me at jjrobinson@barrington220.org.

Let's Try It! Help Us Build a Spatial Video Library for Apple Vision Pro

Barrington 220 is exploring the power of Apple's Apple Vision Pro device (AVP) to transform teaching and learning. The Apple Vision Pro is Apple’s new spatial computer that blends digital content with the physical world. Unlike traditional screens, it allows users to interact with apps, media, and experiences in a fully immersive, three-dimensional environment.

As part of our Apple Vision Pro investigation, a program officially sponsored by Apple, we’re working to identify educational experiences that are amplified by the use of this technology. One key focus is building a repository of spatial videos that transport learners into historically and culturally significant places.

Here's how you can help! 

We’re asking our community to capture spatial video at locations of historical or cultural importance. Imagine students stepping inside places like:

• Salem, Massachusetts to provide background for students reading "The Crucible"
• Civil rights landmarks in the South for students learning about civil rights
• Art museums abroad for students in our art classes
• Scenes while traveling to provide cultural perspective for social studies and world language classes

These immersive videos will allow students to experience places they may never physically visit, creating powerful opportunities for authentic learning.

If you are visiting an interesting place that potentially connects with the Barrington 220 curriculum, and if you have an iPhone that can capture Spatial Video, please contact jjrobinson@barrington220.org

iPhones that can capture Spatial video:

• iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16 and 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max

Attention BHS Teachers! 

We’re also looking for BHS teachers who would like to try an Apple Vision Pro demo firsthand. Experiencing the device is the best way to understand its potential for instruction and student engagement.

If you’re interested in scheduling a demo, please reach out to Joe Robinson, Director of Innovation. jjrobinson@barrington220.org 

Join Campus Community TODAY!

The Campus Community provides all Campus users with single sign-on access from Infinite Campus directly to:

• Knowledge Base - Online product information, updated with each release
• Campus Forums - Connect with other Campus users
• Customer Events Calendar - Learn about upcoming events and user group sessions
• Surveys - Share your opinion and feedback
• Campus News - Find out more about Infinite Campus, customers, and industry information
• Campus Passport - Provides training opportunities for all districts

Click the Community icon in your upper right navigation panel and register. 

Create your Campus Community account TODAY and discover the infinite possibilities!

Messenger 2.0 - Have you MOVED your messages?

This is a reminder that Message Builder will be deprecated at the end of October 2025. After this date, any messages saved in Message Builder will no longer be accessible.

What You Need to Do:

If you have saved messages in Message Builder that you want to keep, they must be recreated in Messenger 2.0 before the end of October 2025. This is the only way to ensure your templates and communications are preserved.

Why This Matters:

Saved messages in Message Builder will not transfer automatically to Messenger 2.0.

After the deprecation date, you will lose access to any content that hasn't been manually recreated.

We strongly encourage all users to review their saved messages as soon as possible and begin transitioning to Messenger 2.0.

Thank you for taking prompt action to ensure a smooth transition.

Opening Day Authentic Learning Update

On Opening Day for 2025–26, we kicked off our journey into Authentic Learning across Barrington 220. Thank you to everyone who brought energy, ideas, and curiosity to the first session!

Participants accessed the Authentic Learning course in Schoology, where they:

1. Listened to an introduction to Authentic Learning.
2. Completed Phase 1, which used Brisk Boost to guide learning.

In Phase 1, participants demonstrated their understanding of the district’s definition of Authentic Learning by identifying its key components in both hypothetical lesson ideas and actual videos from Barrington 220 classrooms.

If you completed Session 1 on Opening Day, thank you! You’re ready for Phase 2 coming later this Fall.

If you didn’t get the chance, you can access the course using this Join Code: 6FDS-PHDK-SCNMH

You can start by clicking through and reading Authentic Learning Phase 1, the Google Slides document in Framework 220 Authentic Learning, and then move on to the two Defining Authentic Learning AI-guided activities.

For each activity, click the square+arrow icon in the top-right corner before getting started. Please be sure to enter your first and last name to record your progress.

Click Allow cookies to proceed.

Please follow the directions on the first slide. The arrows in the bottom-left allow you to navigate between slides. The text box on the right is where you can type in your responses to the Brisk Boost chat.

As you meet the lesson objectives (outlined in the top right), you will see an increasing amount of green filling the Lesson Objectives progress bar. Once you complete each task, close the window, and your progress will be saved.

The upcoming sessions will build on this foundation and include moving from defining Authentic Learning to applying it in your classrooms and teams.

If you have any questions, please email me, jjrobinson@barrington220.org

"Let's Try It!" Brisk Next Beta

"Let's Try It!" If you know about an innovative instructional practice, structure, or tool and you'd like to give it a try, let us know! We hope to continue to sow grassroots innovation by providing support for ideas—like NotebookLM and Snorkl last school year.

In Barrington 220, we’re exploring how AI can support learning and teaching in ways that align with our strategic plan. Three years ago, teachers began using Brisk Teaching, a tool that empowers teachers to give AI-created timely, meaningful feedback to students that is aligned to state standards and follows a teacher-created prompt. Brisk continued to evolve, and last year teachers began setting up students to use Brisk Student Boost to allow students to control the timing of the feedback they received. We adopted Brisk Student Boost as part of the first Authentic Learning sessions at Opening Day 25–26.

Recently, Brisk announced Brisk Next. Think of Brisk Next as your AI co-teacher, designed to streamline planning and open up space for more student-centered learning.

With Brisk Next you can:

• Start from a lesson plan, a standard, or just an idea.
• Generate class materials, student activities, and quick assessments.
• Bundle resources into collections to assign or share.
• Use Boost Activities to see exactly what students will experience—and track their progress.

"Try it!" here: Brisk Next and follow the steps here: Getting Started Guide

Who's next?

To get started or propose your own "Let's Try It!" idea, please email me at jjrobinson@barrington220.org.

Let's try it!

Guest Author Feature: Are students more likely to believe a TikTok than their textbook?

Submitted by Nancy McFadden, Barrington High School Teacher Librarian

Information overload is a daily occurrence for our students. How do we help them sort through the noise and learn to be more discerning about the information they absorb? While students are likely to judge the trustworthiness of a TikTok or YouTube video based on the number of likes or views, we want to push our students to be more thoughtful in how they evaluate a source. Media literacy skills emphasize the concept that all messages are created with a purpose and that the medium containing that message is important to understand its meaning.

To begin, we need to help students understand the difference between three kinds of misinformation. These differences are primarily based on the intention or motivation of the creator.

Misinformation is false information that is inadvertently spread—the intent is not to deceive; it's simply a mistake. In contrast, disinformation is false information that is deliberately created and shared in order to influence or obscure the truth. Finally, malinformation refers to false information that is specifically designed and shared with the intent to cause harm.

To deepen students' understanding, this topic can be paired with a quick Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lesson on recognizing our emotions. False information often aims to trigger strong emotional responses, which can short-circuit our ability to think critically. By teaching students to recognize these emotional cues, we can train them to pause, ask critical questions, and analyze information through a more reflective and informed lens.

One practical strategy for analyzing information is a technique used by professional fact-checkers called lateral reading. This digital literacy skill helps identify misinformation by prompting students to ask one essential question: Who created this content, and why? Unlike traditional vertical reading—where we evaluate a website by scrolling through it and looking for clues—we encourage students to leave the site entirely, open a new tab, and investigate what other reliable sources say about it. This shift in approach helps them better understand the context, credibility, and potential bias behind the original source.  Students can ask any or all of these questions: Who created this? What is the evidence? What do other sources say? What is the author’s intention?

To accomplish all of this, a terrific source for teachers to know about is the News Literacy Project’s Daily Do Now slide deck. This is a weekly collection of bellringers to increase student awareness of different aspects of digital manipulation. See which one makes you stop and think and then try it with your students.

When we equip students with the tools to navigate misinformation, we’re not just teaching media literacy—we're fostering resilient, independent thinkers.

To find more ways to embed Digital/Media Literacy, team up with your teacher librarian to co-teach media literacy lessons that help support critical thinking skills and balanced research strategies.

*Some phrasing in this article was assisted by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Key's Quick Tips - New iPad = New AT App Request

After you and your students receive your new iPads, please note the following:

App Requests

If a student with an IEP or 504 plan requires an app that is not available in Self Service, you will need to submit a new app request using the form below. This applies even if the app was previously requested and available on the old iPads.

bit.ly/220ATapps

Accomodations

You will also need to re-enable any accessibility features or accommodations your students previously had on their iPads. Examples include:

• Turning on text-to-speech
• Installing and logging into the Co: Writer add-on keyboard 
• Adding accessibility keyboards or other tools

Directions and video tutorials can be found here: AT Features and Set up Instructions

Important Note

Communication iPads and large-vision iPads provided directly by me will not be replaced. No action is needed for those devices.

Coming Soon

We will soon be rolling out a new app that will replace Co: Writer, Snap & Read, and Grammarly. More information to come!

The Role of AI in Opening Day 2025–26

Welcome back, everyone! On our 2025–26 Opening Day for staff, the Barrington 220 Executive Council was pleased to present Opening Day Live (ODL), a Saturday Night Live (SNL) themed production that we created to introduce our district’s educational themes for the year: authentic learning, culture, and our new hashtag theme, #BReal. Like SNL, we also riffed on current and relevant topics including, but not limited to, our student device guidelines (B Here. B Now. B Engaged.), our SEL curriculum, general back-to-school sentiments, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

Before a brief exploration of our use of AI in this production, I’d like to specifically thank the amazing staff who served in writer, director, and leadership roles in the production: Nicki Gavin, Writer & Director; Mark Domanico, Opening Day Live Band Leader; Brandon Pemberton, Choir Conductor; and Brigid Tileston, our Coordinating Producer. I have also included the full production credits below in case you missed the scrolling credits at the end of the ODL production.

If you have been in Barrington 220 for at least a couple of school years, you may remember that last year, we created an original mini-musical using AI as a “creative partner” that we performed during Opening Day. That entire process taught us that AI was a high-quality tool, but that it did not replace “human intelligence.” For example, we found that AI worked well for generating an initial working story and script, but the script needed to be heavily edited and rewritten. The dialog, in particular, needed the most help to sound more human. Last year we also attempted to use AI for composing music and creating choreography, but we abandoned AI's use entirely when we found that the AI tools of the time did neither of those things well. However, we did find that AI-generated lyrics provided a good starting point for our songwriters, but they also required significant human rewriting in all three of the songs. 

This year, we had similar experiences, but found a few new uses for AI and saw AI improve in a few areas. Since our production this year consisted of several derivative works/parodies of known SNL characters and scenarios, we were able to use AI to help us create initial scripts. However, the scripts needed considerable rewrites to make the dialog believable and to improve the jokes and humor. In fact, as we saw last year, the more our students and staff actors rehearsed, the more the scripts were improved through improvisation and suggestions by the performers.

Of course, the amazing Opening Day Live Staff Band and Barrington High School and Staff Choirs delivered phenomenal live performances without any AI assistance. However, the opening theme song to the “Dougie Downer” sketch was “composed and performed” by AI. 

For the "Dougie Downer" 20-second opening, the AI music creation tool Suno was used with considerable trial and error. First, I felt that the lyrics generated by Suno were not optimal so I attempted to write them with the help of ChatGPT. After 20 or more attempts, I abandoned ChatGPT and wrote them myself. The writing process using ChatGPT was likely valuable to help me generate ideas along the way, but the AI-generated lyrics never had a structure that seemed to work. The ability to add original lyrics to Suno is a new feature since last year so I was able to paste my original lyrics into this tool and then add descriptors about the style I wanted. This process took 12 iterations to arrive at the theme song heard on Opening Day. At the end of that project, I’m not sure I saved any time using AI, but the 20-second song sounded very impressive and matched my description: “1950s TV theme style, 120BPM, major key, happy, bouncy, harmonized female singers, 20 seconds.” 

AI was also used for other specific tasks including:

• Assisted in removing backgrounds from photos used in the “Dougie Downer” sketch opening.
• Generated background text for the Opening Day Update sketch opening.
• Generated the brick background image used along with the ODL logo.
• Generated the intentionally bad A.I. classroom image used in the Opening Day Update sketch.
• Generated the AI Robot animations (using Apple Memoji) for the Opening Day Update sketch.
• Assisted in creating general communication and organizational materials for the production. 

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumor that AI is poised to take over the world is greatly exaggerated—at least in the context of this production. 

From the beginning of the rise of AI tools in the last few years, we have taken a proactive approach here in Barrington 220. While many other school districts went on an AI-banning spree—or worse, decided to ignore AI—we created a staff task force to draft AI guidelines and tested several AI tools, both for staff and student use. We continue to find through our various trials that AI can be very helpful as a tool in certain circumstances under certain conditions, but it is currently not ready to replace humans.

As promised, here is the full list of credits for Opening Day Live on August 18, 2025. You will only find a list of humans here. For this production, I could not bring myself to credit AI any more than I would credit my SUV for helping me get to the production on that morning. 

Barrington 220 Opening Day Live 25/26

Cast, Creatives, & Crew

“Coach Ricky vs. AI”

Josh P., Coach Ricky Rawlins 

Brin F., Mrs. Bell

Maymuna M., Student 

Aspen R., Student

Ruhi Sh., Student

Logan T., Student

Nicki Gavin, Writer & Director

Opening Credits Sequence

Produced by BHS-TV

Aidan K., Director & Camera Operator 

Julia S., Co-Director & Editor 

Peter C., PA

Kevin H., PA

Dr. Jeff Doles, Teacher

John Roncone, Announcer

Opening Monologue & Message

Dr. Craig Winkleman, Superintendent

Tim Maguire, Authentic Audience Member

Brandon Duke, Authentic Audience Member

Amy Suessen, BEA President

Shawndra Shelton, BSEO President

“Together Two Twenty” Video

Eric Steckling, Producer & Editor

“Dougie Downer”

Doug Connell, Dougie Downer

Jenny Shannon, Staff Member

Shawndra Shelton, Staff Member

Erica Ward, Staff Member

Kevin Krivosik, Trombone

Doug James, Voiceover Artist

Nicki Gavin, Writer & Director

“Bronco Cheerleaders” Video

Amy Winkelman

Craig Winkelman

Nicki Gavin, Writer & Director

“Opening Day Update”

Nicki Gavin

Brad Gillette

Nicki Gavin, Writer & Director

“Learning 1980s Style” Video

Aspen R., Student 1

Brin F., Student 2

Josh P., Student 3

Ruhi S., Student 4

Written & Produced by BHS-TV

Aidan K., Director & Camera Operator 

Julia S., Co-Director & Editor 

Peter C., PA

Kevin H., PA

Dr. Jeff Doles, Teacher

Barrington 220 Choirs

Brandon Pemberton, Conductor

Ryan Palmer, Piano

Mark Domanico, Percussion

Barrington High School Choir

Sam B.

Ashley C.

Matias C.

Jayden C.

Lilah D.

Camryn F.

Ethan G.

Tilly H.

Ella H.

James J.

Eli L.

Ethan M.

Daniel M.

Mariana N.

Joshua P.

Aspen R.

Adrian R.

Maggie S.

Barrington 220 Staff Choir

Janet Blake

Riley Cook

Erin Donahue

Mike Duggan

Emily Durham

Lori Ford

Nicki Gavin

Kelly Haradon

Katie Hildebrand

Erin Kirby

Noemi Lara

Cat Lasky

Erin Lindsey

Amy Lovi

Tim Maguire

Diana McKee

Laura Minerva

Kate Moody

Katie Muhtaris

Nazarii Mykhailenko

Mike Nelson

Natalie Pollack

Kaitlin Popovich

Nancy Reed

Alison Rohrbach

Tom Root

Abby Schaub

Ben Sorce

Karen Tischhauser

Kateri Tumminello

BTP Candles Video

Junior H., Student

Ken Hoving, Special Education Teacher, BTP

Live Production Crew

Josie S., Prop Construction/Stagehand

Raaniya A., Stagehand

Jake M., Stagehand

Maymuna M., Stagehand

Aidan K., Camera Operator 

Peter C., Camera Operator

Opening Day Live Band

Mark Domanico, Band Leader & Bass/Guitar/Keyboards

Garrett Luczak, Bass/Guitar/Keyboards

Hector Ontiveros, Drums

Josh Beatty, Tenor Sax

Janet Blake, Vocals

Chelsea Hedges, Vocals

Alison Rohrbach, Vocals

Jeff Simon, Vocals

Jeremy Wemhoff, Vocals/Guitar

Special Thanks

Barrington High School Bands, Kevin Krivosik, Director

Barrington 220 Staff Interviewed for the Together Two Twenty video

Barrington Historical Society

Susan Buerckholtz

Willow Creek Production Staff

Brigid Tileston, Coordinating Producer