AI Task Force Next Steps - JOIN US!

In the 2025–26 school year, we plan to focus on deepening Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills among students. We plan to introduce lessons and experiences that teach students and support teachers on how to use AI effectively, learn with the support of AI tools, and validate information from AI resources critically. Students will learn not only how to engage with AI, but how to do so thoughtfully, ethically, and responsibly.

We plan to focus on skills such as:

• prompt engineering—communicate clearly with AI
• lateral learning—use AI as a learning assistant
• critical evaluation—detect bias, misinformation, or incomplete reasoning in AI use

The spectrum of AI tools available in education is evolving rapidly. In Barrington 220, we are committed to continuous evaluation and adaptability, ensuring that our instructional practices, professional learning offerings, and AI tool selections reflect the latest research, emerging technologies, and best practices. By remaining flexible and reflective, we can continue to lead in preparing students for a future shaped by innovation—a core cultural value in Barrington 220.

Through the next phases, we will continue to lead with intention, preparing students not just to succeed with Artificial Intelligence, but also with their Human Intelligence.

If this interests you and you'd like to help create opportunities and supports for developing these skills using AI, please email Joe Robinson (jjrobinson@barrington220.org) to join our AI Task Force.

This video provides an addendum to our focus on AI in education.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH3npL4WTDM&list=WL&index=39

Registration for 2025-26 School Year is OPEN!

Online Registration for the 2025-26 school year opened on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 10 a.m.! Families planning to attend Barrington 220 Schools in August need to register and update student and family demographic information before May 31, 2025. Students cannot be officially registered for the 2025-26 school year until Online Registration is completed.

If you are a Barrington 220 parent, the registration link will be in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account. Once logged in, refer to the left side of the page, and click to select the More option. Once the list expands, click to select the Online Registration option.

Parents are asked to update contact information, medical information, and answer all required annual parent permission questions. Once you SUBMIT and our staff reviews your registration documents, a confirming email will be sent. Please allow 5-7 business days for an email confirmation to arrive.

Little Broncos Registration Is Paperless for 2025-26

We are excited to announce that beginning the 2025-26 School Year, Little Broncos parents/guardians will be participating in Online Registration via Infinite Campus. 

Please provide feedback regarding your registration experience to registration@barrington220.org.

Collaboration in Apple Apps is Coming Soon!

Starting soon, students and staff will be able to collaborate in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote to boost creativity and multimodal literacy, using new Managed Apple IDs!

Managed Apple IDs also include

• 200 GB of iCloud storage
• easier sharing of Apple documents between staff and students
• and more secure data privacy.

Last week, some staff/students received an email from Apple with an important action item. 

Please read the directions below carefully and use the steps below.

August Camps, Meet School Store

The Barrington 220 Student Information System (SIS) team, in collaboration with the August Camps Administrators, is excited to announce the launch of a pilot program that introduces a new way for families to register for August camps. Beginning May 1, 2025, registration for August Camps will be available directly through the School Store in Infinite Campus, offering a more streamlined and convenient experience for parents.

This pilot is designed to simplify the registration process by integrating it into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal—where families already access grades, attendance, and other student information. By using the School Store feature, parents will be able to view camp offerings, select sessions, and complete payments—all within one familiar platform.

The SIS team and August Camps Administrators will be closely monitoring this pilot to gather feedback and assess the effectiveness of the new system. If successful, this approach may be expanded to additional programs in the future. Families interested in registering for August Camps should log in to their Infinite Campus Parent Portal and visit the School Store to get started.

Decrease the Google Docs Tools After Using Command + to Enlarge

Some Mac "power users" have learned various keyboard shortcuts over the years to save time and make everyday tasks more efficient. However, a few users have observed that one common shortcut sometimes goes awry in the Safari web browser: using the command + shortcut to make the Google Docs view bigger, and command - to make the view smaller. (Technically, the "make larger" command uses the = key that shares the + key, but most users remember these shortcuts as command - and command + .)

Occasionally, when using command +, the Google toolbar stays HUGE on the screen and only the document window gets smaller when using command - to make the view smaller:

After a great deal of searching, trial, and error, we discovered that the secret to returning the tools to normal is to add the shift key to the shortcut:

shift command -

This key combination will make the entire screen, tools and document window, "zoom" smaller. Please note that you may occasionally need to close Safari and reopen it to make this shortcut work properly.

Key's Quick Tips - Options for Word Prediction in the iOS Keyboard

Key's quick tips are provided by Kelly Key, Assistive Technology Coordinator for Barrington 220.

Have you seen the words that appear above the iPad keyboard to help you and your students type faster? That’s called word prediction!

Did you know you can customize several features in your iPad settings to make word prediction even more helpful for your students, like having the iPad read the suggested words aloud before selecting one?

Explore this and other powerful word prediction options below to better support your students' writing!

Hold to Speak Predictions

Open the Settings app on iPad and navigate through the following settings:

Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content  > Typing Feedback > Hold to Speak Predictions > Turn on Speak Words > Turn on 

 
This feature will allow the student to press a word in the prediction bar and hear it out loud. It will also say each word out loud when the student types. Many students have shared that this keeps their attention on their writing task and also helps them catch errors while writing. 

Change the Predictions to Grammatical Predictions with Additional Choices

Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Assistive Touch > [scroll all the way down] Extended Predictions

Alternate Add-on Keyboard - Co:Writer

Do you have a student who needs a keyboard with additional choices and phonetic spelling support? Check out the Co:Writer add-on keyboard! Click here for directions and see the video demo below!



Please reach out to me if you have any questions or need additional support!
kkey@barrington220.org

Did You Know About This? Tips That Could Change Your Life!

Have you ever accidentally closed a Chrome window and lost a deeply organized set of tabs? 

Do you create Google Slides presentations with sloppy screenshots that include ugly borders from your screen? 

Have you pasted text from another source and created a Franken‑fonted document? 

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, we have solutions for you—today!

Chrome’s "Where‑Did‑My‑Window‑Go?" Undo

1. Open a new window, then click History.
2. Navigate to Recently Closed and select Restore All Tabs.

Fix Sloppy Screenshots with Masks

1. Double‑click any image → an instant crop mask appears.
2. Drag the black handles to refocus or swap shapes (arrow ▼ next to the crop icon) for circles, stars, or other shapes.
3. Hit return to lock the mask. No extra menus, no right‑click hunt.

Paste and Match Style (No More "Franken‑Fonts")

1. Press and hold: shift+option+command and simultaneously press V

[I find it helpful to place my left pinky finger on shift, my left middle finger on option, my left index finger on command and press the V with my right index finger.]

If you know another helpful tip, please let us know. Any shared tips we include in future blog posts will be credited to you! You'll be a published blog contributor!

AI Task Force Update - Student-Facing AI Tools for TODAY!

This year, our AI (Artificial Intelligence) Task Force—made up of Grades 3–12 teachers, instructional coaches, building leaders, and district staff—has been exploring student-facing AI tools that pair well with Brisk, our teacher-facing AI tool.

After months of research, pilots, and conversations, we’re excited to introduce two tools we believe have real potential to improve teaching and learning. All staff and students can access both tools TODAY!

🤿 Snorkl

Snorkl helps students get real-time feedback on their thinking in math and writing. Students write or draw their responses while verbally explaining their thinking, and Snorkl gives instant, standards-aligned feedback on what’s working and where to revise. Teachers can guide the process and review student progress, but students stay in the driver’s seat—reflecting, revising, and improving at their own pace and with as many tries as it takes.

You can learn more about Snorkl, including how to get started, here.

🤖 Brisk for Students

Brisk for Students builds upon the existing teacher-facing tools found in the Brisk Chrome extension to give students in-the-moment support with conventions, organization, clarity, and more in their writing. It’s like a coach sitting beside them, offering nudges and suggestions as they write. Teachers stay in control of the prompts and feedback focus, aligning it with specific learning goals and gaining visibility into how students use the AI bot for support.

You can learn more about Brisk, including how to get started, here.

We are ready for all staff and students to access these tools next school year in 2025–26. We will continue to explore new AI tools as they emerge and mature. 

Residency Checks Begin in April 2025

The Student Information Services Team will be working on Residency checks in early April 2025. 

Thomson Reuters CLEAR is a software tool that helps the district research and investigate data that has been provided by parents/guardians to the District. This system is used by law enforcement, school districts, and other organizations to prevent fraud. 

Notifications will be sent to families who do not pass the electronic verification process prior to the opening of 2025–26 Online Registration.

Barrington 220 Boundary Map

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Barrington 220 Managed Apple IDs

Barrington 220 will soon be providing managed Apple IDs for use by staff and students. Your Apple ID is the key to accessing additional Apple services, especially the Collaboration features among key apps such as Pages, Keynote, and Numbers.

These new Apple IDs will be tied to staff and student district email addresses. We are aware that staff and students have used their Barrington 220 email address to create personal Apple IDs, and Apple has a process to address these situations that we will roll out in the coming weeks.

There are some key differences between managed Apple IDs and personal Apple IDs:

Feature	Personal Apple ID	Managed Apple ID
Who Creates It?	User	School/District Tech Team
iCloud Storage	5GB free (+ paid options)	50GB free
Device Access	Any Apple device	School-managed devices
App Store Purchases	Allowed	Not allowed
Apple Music	Yes	No
Find My Device	Yes	No
Family Sharing	Yes	No
Collaboration	Yes, with iCloud Drive	Yes, within school network
Password Control	User-managed	School-managed

Managed Apple IDs enhance data security, provide centralized app and service management, and enable collaboration for staff and students in Apple apps such as Pages, Keynote, and Numbers.

More details will soon be shared with staff and students regarding our managed Apple IDs, including how staff and students can update their personal Apple ID if it currently uses a district email address.

Stay tuned…

New iPad and MacBook Air Devices Coming Soon!

The Board of Education voted on March 31, 2025, to enter new leases to update Barrington 220’s iPad devices and MacBook Air laptops for staff and students. These devices will continue to support our district’s One to World program that provides iPad devices to all students, allowing access to real-world learning experiences while supporting our mission to empower personal excellence in every learner. The new leases follow the district’s lease cycles established back in 2019 where we keep our iPad devices for 3 years and laptops for 4 years.

Over time, the Tech & Innovation Department has learned that the lease cycles we use represent a “sweet spot” in allowing our students and staff to use current technology, maintain strong asset recovery pricing, and allow the Tech Team to efficiently support a fewer number of devices. Notably:

• Our devices are fully supported by Apple and are able to run the most current operating systems (including mission-critical security updates).
• Students and staff are able to use new hardware-dependent features within a predictable timeframe.
• All students and staff devices have access to the same devices and features.
• Asset recovery (sell-back pricing) has returned approximately 25% of the original device cost back to the district budget when we sell our used devices to third-party services at the end of our leases.

The 2025–26 school year represents the first time in the past decade where both of our major leases (iPad and laptop) are renewed at the same time. While this timing challenges the Tech Team to swap all our devices within a few months, we will provide a detailed plan to complete the implementations soon after the delivery and setup of our new devices. 

The specifications for our new devices are as follows:

iPad

• A16 processor (Generation 11)
• Silver, 11-inch display, Wi-Fi, 128GB storage
• iPad Accessories
• STM Dux Plus Case for iPad A16 (red, includes Logitech Crayon/Apple Pencil storage)
• Logitech Crayon for iPad (USB-C)

MacBook Air

• M4 processor
• Silver, 13.6-inch display
• 10-core CPU/8-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 256GB SSD storage

"Let's Try It!" Classroom Update - Notebook LM in Grade 3

We introduced “Let’s Try It!” classrooms in this newsletter and blog last month to promote and support environments where students and teachers feel safe to explore and experiment with new ideas.

Grade 3 teacher Michelle Kulwin and instructional coach Jen Parisi jumped right in—trying out Notebook LM, a free tool from Google (currently restricted to staff) that uses AI to help users generate insights, ask questions, and summarize content from connected resources like YouTube videos, Google Docs, etc. It’s designed to support deeper thinking, reflection, and planning.

Michelle and Jen uploaded student essays along with standards and a rubric, then prompted Notebook LM to generate feedback—one essay at a time. With a single click, they used the Audio Overview feature to create 5–6 minute audio tracks for each student group. The tracks feature two AI-generated voices offering detailed, thoughtful commentary on their shared writing. 

💡 What happened next?

• Students locked in.
• They paused, re-listened, and reflected.
• They revised their essays—using the feedback in meaningful ways.

It was a powerful example of how the right tool can deliver timely, meaningful feedback that helps students grow as writers.

Thank you to Michelle Kulwin and Jen Parisi for stepping up to be the first "Let's Try It!" classroom. 

Who's next?

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

Let's try it!

Technology Support Bits and Bytes

A "bit" is the smallest unit in computing, representing a single binary value, whereas a "byte" comprises 8 bits. In this tech support context, a bit is a single support idea, while a byte includes a few more details to enhance your technology-use experience.

Bit: Reboot Your Computer Often

The longer you go between reboots (restarting your computer), the more likely it is that your computer's OS or a computer application will begin misbehaving. So please, reboot your computer weekly to keep things running smoothly. To reboot, pull down the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen and select Restart...

Bit: Back Up Your Data

You never know when that cup of coffee might end up seeping between the keys on your keyboard and into the delicate circuitry of your laptop making it unusable. Make sure you're keeping your important files on your Google Drive so should you need to recover from such a catastrophe, the pain can be kept to a minimum.

Bit: Update Your Computer

The more often you update your computer, the less time each update takes, so don't procrastinate. Update your computer as soon as a new update becomes available and avoid the annoying reminders—or the dreaded locking of your computer.

Byte: Use Your Browser for Video Conferencing

There are several options for video conferencing—Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex Meetings—just to name a few. Barrington 220 staff are licensed to use Zoom for creating meetings. When you join a Zoom meeting you can use the Zoom client on your computer or iPad since the district offers that software in Self Service and helps you keep it up-to-date. 

When someone else sets up a meeting using one of the other options, you need to use your browser to join the meeting. Please don't try to download software for Teams or Webex, etc.—simply join the meeting in your browser, which is the quickest and easiest way to join. You may continue to use the Zoom client for Zoom meetings.

Infinite Campus Messenger 2.0 Last Call for Training

We will be wrapping up our final trainings on Infinite Campus Messenger 2.0 in April 2025. Please reach out to Linda Ryan, lryan@barrington220.org if you are still in need of training. Access to Messenger 1.0 will end in June 2025 as Campus retires Messenger 1.0. 

  

AI Task Force: You're Invited!

Our AI Task Force, which includes 30+ teachers from Grades 3–12, met last week to finalize their recommendations for student-facing AI tools. We will soon share our plans for adopting a student-facing AI tool in the Fall. Our group tested Brisk, MagicSchool AI, SchoolAI, and Snorkl with students. Professional learning for using student-facing AI tools will begin this summer.

The next steps of the AI Task Force include curating and creating resources for helping our students develop AI literacy skills. AI literacy skills include critical thinking, ethical awareness, adaptability, prompt engineering, and lateral learning to name a few. With teacher-facing and student-facing AI tools available in the Fall, now is a great time for staff to build and strengthen AI literacy skills.

In a recent episode of The Digital Learning Podcast, hosts Holly Clark and Matt Miller highlighted the need for AI literacy skills. They discussed the ACE Framework they've developed: Awareness, Critique, and Exploration.

As a school leader, I use lateral learning with AI all the time. In a recent LETRS for Administrators meeting, we reviewed information spanning the Reading Rope, Science of Reading, Structured Literacy, and other concepts. Although I felt I knew the basics, I wanted more details. I used ChatGPT to provide summaries to complement my knowledge so I could learn laterally during the training. 

If you're interested in this work, please email me (jjrobinson@barrington220.org) to join the AI Task Force.

Barrington 220 Department of Technology and Innovation Update

Each year, the Department of Technology and Innovation in Barrington 220 shares a Department Update with our Board of Education. This article provides a summary of the key areas that define our department’s work.

About the Department

Dr. Matt Fuller, Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Innovation, oversees the Department of Technology and Innovation in Barrington 220. Our department’s three primary areas include:

• Instructional Technology and Innovation—Mr. Joe Robinson, Director of Innovation
• Technology Services and Infrastructure—Mr. Russ Vander Mey, Director of Technology Services
• Student Information Systems—Ms. Tracy Harper, Director of Student Information

In addition, our department supports the district’s Teacher Librarians, elementary STEM teachers, Transportation services, and our district Print Center (located at Barrington High School). Our department is highly collaborative and works with other district departments to support all technology and innovation needs across the district. Our department is responsible for implementing all Future Readiness objectives, supports all other Framework 220 objectives, and maintains strong ties to the Health and Well-being and Personalized Learning objectives.

Barrington 220 One to World Program

The Barrington 220 One to World program is a district-wide initiative that integrates technology into teaching and learning. Since its introduction in 2013–14, the program has expanded to all grade levels, providing 24/7 device access with iPads as the primary learning tool for PK–12+ students. 

The Department of Technology and Innovation collaborates with the Teaching and Learning Department to provide training for staff through Summer University, featuring topics like Apple Teacher Certification, blended learning, AI tools, and classroom technology management. Resources for families are available through the One to World for Families website, and instructional technology team members regularly join PTO meetings to share updates and gather feedback.

Technology Support & Device Management

Technology support in Barrington 220 follows a tiered model, starting with Library Technology Assistants (LTAs) at schools, escalating to the district Technology Support Team led by Technology Support Supervisor Mark Polzin (housed at Barrington High School serving the entire district). Device management includes app distribution, software updates, lost device recovery, incident tracking, security enhancements, inventory control, and other features.

Recent infrastructure upgrade projects include:

• VoIP Telephone System Upgrade, enhancing communication, safety, and security.
• Classroom Display Upgrades, replacing aging projectors with flat-panel displays and Apple TV for wireless sharing.
• Wi-Fi Equipment Upgrades, ensuring reliable network access among our 700+ wireless access points.

Barrington 220 prioritizes cybersecurity awareness, implementing monthly phishing training and using 24/7 endpoint security for threat detection. The district participates in MS-ISAC, a national cybersecurity collaboration.

Student Information

The district uses Infinite Campus as its Student Information System (SIS). Director of Student Information Services Tracy Harper leads the student information team, along with Assistant Director Tim Woomert. This department offers Infinite Campus professional development, is working to improve online registration (OLR), and worked with the district administration to develop a comprehensive Attendance page for our families. New Point-of-Sale machines were also introduced in food service areas this year.

Digital Citizenship & Social Media Awareness

The Social Media Awareness and Digital Citizenship Advisory Committee (comprised of over 60 members, including students, staff, parents, and community members) collaborates to promote responsible technology use. The district has worked with Dr. Devorah Heitner to study social media impacts and align digital citizenship curriculum with AASL National School Library Standards.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration

Barrington 220 has been actively exploring AI tools to support learning. The AI Task Force that includes over 25 educators is evaluating AI applications, including Brisk, MagicSchool, SchoolAI, Khanmigo, and Snorkl, ensuring tools align with iPad compatibility, teacher autonomy, and student engagement monitoring.

If you are interested in reading the full Board of Education Update, please access it here.

Introducing Let's Try It Classrooms!

In our pursuit of fostering innovation within our classrooms, we are excited to introduce the idea of "Let's Try It" classrooms. We want to bring the success of our innovative programs in Barrington 220 into our classrooms.

Educational thought leaders like Dan Meyer advocate for creating environments where students and teachers feel safe to explore and experiment with concepts. In his discussion on "Creating 'Let's Try It' Classrooms," Meyer emphasizes the importance of nurturing a classroom culture that values diverse thinking and encourages students to engage deeply with material. We want our teachers to share this feeling of support for new ideas, too!

We see two pathways for getting started with Let's Try It classrooms. First, we will share an idea through these blog posts and offer for teachers to apply to try it. Second, we would love to hear from you! If you have an idea for a new instructional strategy or technology, let us know and we will work together to try it.

Our first Let's Try It classroom opportunity features Snorkl, an AI-driven platform that provides instant feedback on students' verbal and visual explanations. Snorkl empowers students to make their metacognition audible, promoting deeper understanding, and engagement. Teachers gain valuable insights into student thinking, allowing for more targeted instruction. Here is last month's article about Snorkl. 

We invite you to participate in this initiative by integrating Snorkl into your teaching practices. To get started or propose your own Let's Try It classroom idea, please email me at jjrobinson@barrington220.org.

Related: Here is a list of 40 AI Tools from Matt Miller.

Let's try it!

2025 Summer School Registration is OPEN!

Registration is open now for Summer 2025 programming in Barrington 220. 

Registration for August 2025 programming, which includes Camp 6th Grade, will open in May 2025. Parents and guardians of incoming kindergarteners and/or students new to the district, please visit the summer school web page for additional registration information.

Academic summer school courses begin on Monday, June 9, 2025, for all grade levels!

Course guides and a registration link are available on our summer school web page.

Registration for both high school summer school sessions will close on June 2, 2025, and registration for elementary and middle school classes will close on June 12, 2025. June/July 2025 camp registration will remain open until the day before camp begins. 

As staffing decisions are made based on registration, the district is unable to offer refunds after May 9, 2025.

Campus Community Role-Specific Resources

Infinite Campus has some Role-Specific Resources in the Campus Community. The page offers specific training based on the following roles:

• Counselors & Administrators—Academic planning, behavior, and early warning
• Front Office Staff—Online registration, messenger, and attendance
• Teachers & Curriculum Directors—Teaching center, grade book, and progress monitor
• Technology Staff—Reporting, user security, and auditing options
• Parents and Students—Stay informed about school, fees, forms, assignments and grades

Access the resources here: Role Specific Resources

Marie Kondo Your Google Chrome Tabs!

Do your tabs spark joy? Each time I present, I feel the anxiety of being judged for having roughly 515 tabs open in my Google Chrome browsing window. If you're like me, you're probably ready to hear some Marie-Kondo-inspired advice for getting organized.

1. Acknowledge the Chaos and Gather All Tabs

Before organizing, take stock of your open tabs. Click the disclosure triangle (downward-pointing carrot) in the top-right corner of Chrome to see all open tabs at once. This is a great way to quickly navigate to a tab when I can't see any part of the tab (because I have too many tabs open).

2. Keep Only the Tabs that Spark Joy

Ask yourself: Does this tab serve a purpose right now? If not, follow Elsa's advice and Let It Go!

3. Give Everything a Home with Tab Groups

How to Create a Tab Group

1. Right-click a tab
2. Select "Add Tab to New Group"
3. Type a name and a select a color
4. Drag other related tabs to the new Tab Group

Pro Tip: You can click on the Tab Groups to expand or collapse the entire Tab Group.

4. Pin the Essentials (Your Digital Keepsakes)

For tabs you use daily, pin them to keep them tidy and accessible.

1. Right-click the tab
2. Select "Pin"
3. The tab will condense and move to the left

5. Let Go with Gratitude

Sometimes, I hold on to tabs out of fear that I will need them later. Guess what? You can reopen closed tabs that are saved in your tab History!

1. Click the three-dot menu
2. Select "History"
3. Select the missing tab from "Recent Tabs"

"A cluttered Chrome window leads to a cluttered mind" (Robinson, bsd220tech Blog, 2025). 

Feel more focused, productive, and at peace with your digital workspace.

Summer School Course Previews Available Soon

Summer School course offerings will be available to preview during the second week of February 2025. Registration for courses will open the first week in March 2025.

macOS Update/Upgrade Reminder and a Thank You

Real estate experts often remind us that three most important aspects of a property are "Location, Location, Location." When it comes to technology, the three most important things are "Security, Security, Security."

Over the past several months, the Department of Technology and Innovation has strongly encouraged (dare I say "nagged") you to upgrade and update your computers to the latest versions of macOS. Thanks to you, our district has been very successful. When you first received new MacBook Air laptops in 2020, they were pre-loaded with macOS 11 ("Big Sur"). Now, in 2025, all of us are on at least macOS 14 ("Sonoma"), and the vast majority of us are on macOS 15 ("Sequoia"). We should definitely give ourselves a round of applause for our efforts.

Of course, our efforts don't end today. Going forward, we will continue to keep our devices updated and develop the digital habit of updating and upgrading as often and as quickly as we can. The more often we update, the less time those updates take. More frequent updates both maximize our time and lessen Barrington 220's security vulnerabilities.

So, from the bottom of our Apple silicon hearts, thank you for helping us help you keep our Apple fleet secure and up-to-date!

Make Your Mac Laptop Fill the Entire TV Screen on macOS 15

If you are using a district-issued MacBook Air running the latest macOS 15 (Sequoia) AND an Apple TV, you may have noticed that your Mac screen no longer fills the entire TV screen when screen mirroring—leaving annoying black bars on both sides of the TV. This behavior is known as "letterboxing." 

An easy fix is available.

After you have shared your Mac screen to your TV using an Apple TV, re-select Screen Mirroring.

Click Change.

Select Entire Screen, then click Start Mirroring.

In my tests, performing these steps causes the Mac to fill the entire TV screen on subsequent Apple TV connections. (However, you may need to re-do the steps if you connect to a different screen.)

AI Feedback on Handwriting & Audio Explanations with Snorkl

Most AI tools being used in Barrington 220 offer timely, meaningful feedback or content creation for teachers and students in text, slides, or images. 

Snorkl offers something more. 

Snorkl analyzes student handwriting and drawing alongside their recorded voice as they explain their problem-solving process. Students using Snorkl to solve math problems, balance chemical formulas, draw graphic organizers—anything that involves drawing or writing can now receive AI-created feedback as prompted by their teacher.

Snorkl's features:

• Multimodal Analysis: By offering both handwriting and spoken explanations, Snorkl offers insights into student metacognition.
• Timely, Meaningful Feedback: AI uses embedded standards and teacher-guided prompting to assess student work and provide immediate feedback so students can learn more quickly.
• Four-Point Scale: Snorkl's clear, concise rating system gives both teachers and students a quick, targeted snapshot of the work.

Here's a video of Snorkl demonstrated:

Snorkl is a natural extension of Barrington 220's AI Task Force work as the team explores student-facing AI tools. If you're interested in joining the AI Task Force in exploring Snorkl with a teacher account, please reach out to Shawndra Shelton. Once you try it out, please share your feedback or invite us to see your students using Snorkl.

Verify Your Staff Data for Emergency Notifications

To guarantee that we can provide timely and accurate information to our Barrington 220 staff, we kindly ask you to take a moment to review and verify the accuracy of your demographic details in the Infinite Campus - Information Center.

Your demographic information includes crucial details such as your current address, contact numbers, emergency contacts, and preferred modes of communication. Ensuring this information is up-to-date is essential and will impact your ability to receive communications. 

To verify your demographic information, visit My Account > My Demographics. You may need to select a building at the top if you are a staff member that has access to multiple buildings. If you do not select a building, you may not have the rights to UPDATE your account. If you see that message, select a building. 

Confirm that Phone and Email are correct. Staff email must be your district email. Confirm that Voice, Text, and Email for EMERGENCY are all checked. If you are updating Text this is an OPT IN and you will receive a text once your request is processed.  

If you notice a correction is needed locate the BLUE Request Demographic Update button at the top and make the necessary updates and enter the update type and save request. 

Key's Quick Tips - Be More with Core [Vocabulary]!

Key's quick tips are provided by Kelly Key, Assistive Technology Coordinator for Barrington 220.

This month, I am sharing information about using core vocabulary to help our students with communication needs.

Have you ever wondered what these posters with pictures and words are around your school? These are our district’s universal core vocabulary boards!

Our special services department has had a core vocabulary initiative going strong for over 15 years! This initiative has turned into a game changer for our students who struggle with communication. 

 


What is Core Vocabulary?

Core vocabulary words are all-day words. They are 80% of the words we speak, read, and write, so we make sure these words are available for our students to use as a visual guide for communication. Core vocabulary boards are our Tier 1 support for our students with communication needs. We have them in English, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish.

Click here for access to all district boards

Who can benefit from core vocabulary?

Core vocabulary is beneficial for any students who struggle with speech and language. We use these the most with our young learners, but students of all ages can benefit from having a visual support for communication. Especially when they are tired, frustrated, or have a communication breakdown. This quote from the PrAACtical AAC blog explains it well: 

"There are many people especially with Autism that speak well, have college degrees, hold good jobs and are raising families who have significant difficulty talking when they are tired, sick, or stressed. Core boards and devices help them during these times. They then go back to speaking normally when they feel better.”

How does core vocabulary help our students?

The words on the boards always stay in the same place. Our students learn the motor plan for where the words are (like typing on a keyboard) for quick access. Core boards provide a visual support for language. Using boards helps our students see language, expand their vocabulary, increase their sentence length, and build their language. It can also help with receptive language.

What are the students using on the colored iPads for communication?

For our students who need more robust language support (AAC devices), the majority of our students use the app LAMP Words for Life on an iPad as our tier 2 support. This provides them with thousands of core and fringe vocabulary words as well as a voice output. Similar to the core boards, students learn the motor plan for the words for quick communication. To learn more about the LAMP Words for Life app click here to watch a short video.

What can I do to help support students with core boards and communication devices?

Print out core boards and post them in your classrooms, offices, and schools (see link above). Send them to our 220 Print Center to print regular and large-size card stock boards.

If you would like a portable, mini core board for your lanyard, email me, Kelly Key, and I will send one to you!

Talk to the students on the boards and devices. Point to the words while talking to the students. Make positive comments like “I like that” or modeling what you think they may be saying “You are smiling, I wonder if you are saying 'That is funny!'”

Email Kelly Key with any questions or additional training needs!

ICYMI - Set Up the MiCollab Phone App on iPad (or iPhone)

You may want to take advantage of a new phone system feature—the ability to make and receive calls from your iPad (or iPhone) using your district phone number on your classroom or office phone.

Among other features, the MiCollab for Mobile app allows you to make and receive calls on iPad (or iPhone). If you make a call using the app outside the district, the call recipient will see your district phone number on their Caller ID—even if you are using the app on a mobile phone.

All staff members with an extension on the district phone system received an email from noreply@mitel.easydeploy.net when our new phone system was deployed at their building. The email included a QR Code to set up the MiCollab app. 

If you did not set up the app at that time, and if the email was delivered more than 30 days ago, you will need to request a new setup email from the district Tech Team. Requesting this setup email is easy: send your request via email to techsupport@barrington220.org. The Tech Team will generate a new setup email as soon as possible, hopefully within one working day from your request. Each setup email is customized to each user and contains a unique QR Code.

The full set of directions for using this feature, including the setup, is available in this handy guide:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hgm64XK9CtDfLfiVhtm0kjnbgNoxyeq3rnRUESUVZSA/edit?usp=sharing 

If you need additional help, please contact our Tech Support Team (x. 1500 in the district).

Barrington 220 Presents at IDEAcon 2025

IDEAcon (formerly the “ICE Conference”) is the region’s largest annual education conference that focuses on innovative practices. According to the IDEA (Illinois Digital Educators Alliance) website: “There is something for all educators through the hundreds of sessions that allow you to customize your IDEAcon experience based on your own comfort level and curiosity.” 

Download PDF

This year Barrington 220 will be represented among the live sessions by several presenters:

Revolutionize your Digital Learning Hub and Bolster Instruction with AI Tools

• Monday, February 17, 2025, 1:45–2:45 PM (Schaumburg A)
• Barrington 220 presenters: Joe Robinson and Matt Fuller

Jump into the future of education with a comprehensive digital learning hub that seamlessly integrates AI tools and software solutions for both students and teachers. This session will showcase how Barrington 220 created a dynamic, user-friendly digital platform that enhances learning experiences and equips educators with the skills to use AI effectively. Participants will explore how to organize and promote a variety of AI tools and learn how to support teachers and students to implement them to foster personalized learning, streamline administrative tasks, and support real-world problem-solving skills. Join us to discover how to build a digital learning ecosystem that prepares students for the future.

How We Are Actually Implementing Real Authentic Learning

• Monday, February 17, 2025, 3:00–4:00 PM (Euphoria)
• Barrington 220 presenters: Joe Robinson, Melissa Byrne, and Matt Fuller

Discover how Barrington 220 is embedding authentic learning into classroom practices as part of our Framework 220 strategic plan. This session will showcase how we are using data and research to create authentic learning experiences for students, using a spectrum of flexible learning structures, and a web series featuring short videos that highlight authentic learning examples with teacher explanations, student work, and connections to the Framework 220 strategic plan. Participants will gain insights into creating engaging, real-world learning experiences and leveraging multimedia to enhance instructional practices.

Artificial Intelligence as a Creative Partner: Producing a Mini-Musical with Students & AI Tools

• Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 10:00–11:00 AM (Nirvana C)
• Barrington 220 presenters: Paula Levin, Brigid Tileston, and Matt Fuller

Beginning in February 2024, Educational Technology and Fine Arts leaders in Barrington 220 had the idea to involve students and staff in the creation and production of an original mini-musical using Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a creative partner. By that time the issue of AI in the Arts was already becoming controversial, and some districts had set out to block or otherwise ban the use of AI in schools. Rather than fear the unknown, we opted to embrace it by developing a framework to safely and responsibly try using various AI tools in the different aspects of creating an original musical theatre production, including ideation, writing, composing, visualizing, choreographing, and other areas. Our hope was to provide an innovative and collaborative opportunity to tell a story through dialog, acting, and song that involved various aspects of our district’s strategic objectives and aligned with our Learner Profile. We worked with over 50 students and staff members with experience in storytelling, songwriting, acting, singing, dancing, playing instruments, producing/directing, and other areas of arts, technology, and communication. Our efforts resulted in a 15-minute mini-musical titled “#ThePlaceToB - a mini-musical” that was premiered for all district staff on the 2024-25 opening day of school. This presentation will explain the process we used to co-create our show with AI tools and hopefully provide ideas and inspiration for others to use artificial intelligence in creative and authentic ways.

Think Better, Learn Better: Building a Habit of Reflection

• Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 1:00–2:00 PM (Prosperity, 2nd Floor)
• Barrington 220 presenters: Erika Inka and Meagan MacDonald

While we ask our students to reflect on their learning, how often do we have time to pause to reflect on our own teaching practice? When we do, how can we ensure those reflections lead to meaningful change?In this session, we’ll introduce MirrorTalk, an app designed to move beyond surface-level reflection and help cultivate a deeper, more intentional reflective practice. You’ll learn how to build a habit of quick reflections using MirrorTalk as a thinking partner, which provides AI-generated feedback to drive growth, guide next steps, and shape your teaching for the better. We’ll share insights from our yearlong journey with MirrorTalk, offering practical strategies to integrate quick reflection sessions in our professional lives and in the classroom. You’ll leave with tools to help build a culture of reflection for yourself and your colleagues and share ways MirrorTalk can help your students become more self-aware and reflective, too.Let’s turn reflection into a powerful habit that leads to better thinking, better teaching, and better learning for all!

IDEAcon will be held this year February 17–19, 2025, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, Schaumburg, IL. For more information, visit the official website:

www.ideaillinois.org/IDEAcon

Download a PDF featuring the Barrington 220 IDEAcon 2025 presenters.

Student-Facing AI Explorations

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, its integration into our classrooms presents new opportunities for enhancing student learning. We can develop both human intelligence skills and AI skills. Our next phase of the AI Task Force is to thoughtfully evaluate and implement student-facing AI tools. This group will be responsible for:

• developing a comprehensive rubric for assessing various AI tools.
• collaborating with students to investigate AI tool usability.
• sharing informed recommendations for the most effective AI tools.
• establishing best practices for AI tool use.
• designing professional learning opportunities to support educators in leveraging AI technologies in the classroom.

MagicSchool AI

During our meeting in December, our group of 30+ 3–12 teachers, teacher librarians, coaches, and LTAs brainstormed criteria for our rubric and participated in introductions to four AI tools for education with student-facing options. The four options met our baseline requirements:

• Must be SOPPA compliant
• Must be usable on iPad devices
• Must provide teacher autonomy over AI functionality
• Must provide teacher insights into student AI use

After the sessions, participants opted into at least two of the four options to compare the tools:

• Brisk
• Khanmigo
• MagicSchool AI
• School AI

The group meets in late January 2025 to compare notes, finalize a rubric, and focus on the final month of explorations. Upon completion of the exploration of student-facing AI tools, the group will make a recommendation in March 2025 with plans for professional learning in late Spring and adoption in the Fall 2025 of the 2025–26 school year.

Brisk for Students