Focus On the New Focus Mode in iOS 15

One of the topics we discuss frequently in the world of educational technology is “digital distraction.” While we most often talk about student digital distractions, I have both witnessed my educator peers being digitally distracted, and I, myself, am sometimes distracted by the pull of digital options while I am supposed to be doing something else.

Whether users are drawn to Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, games, messages, or any flashes, dings, or bings—we can all use an occasional intentional break. A new addition to iPadOS 15 offers a software-based solution: Focus. 

Apple describes Focus as “a new feature that filters notifications and apps based on what a user wants to focus on” by setting which “people and apps are allowed to notify them.” Further, when Focus is set on one Apple device, it can be set to automatically apply to other Apple devices (Apple, 2021).

I describe Focus as “Do Not Disturb 2.0.” Once your iPad is updated to iPadOS 15, you can begin using Focus. To turn on and set up this feature, go to Settings and tap Focus. Once open, you can customize your settings for when you turn on Do Not Disturb and for when you Sleep. Further, you can turn on Personal Focus settings to allow notifications only from certain people and apps, and share with others who contact you so they know your notifications are silenced.

You can set up similar settings for when you are at work. The Work settings add the possibility of a location-based feature where your options will turn on automatically when you arrive at school.

When you have the Focus feature set up, you can enable it in just two motions: swipe down to get to the Control Center and tap Focus. 

Best of all, if you use the same Apple ID across all your devices, you can select a setting that applies your Focus settings to all your district iPad and MacBook Air when you turn it on/off on one of those devices.

Jacob Woolcock, Head of Computing and Digital Learning at Penpol Primary School in the UK and an Apple Distinguished Educator, made this excellent short video to describe and set up Focus. The video shows an iPhone, but the setup is the same on iPad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0yOHruPH6s

References 

Apple. (June 7, 2021). iOS 15 brings new ways to stay connected and powerful features that help users focus, explore, and do more with on-device intelligence. Retrieved from www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/06/ios-15-brings-powerful-new-features-to-stay-connected-focus-explore-and-more/

Infinite Campus National Training Week Videos Now Available!

In November 2021, Infinite Campus held their second National Training Week (NTW) in a virtual format. Barrington 220 purchased access to the week's events for all staff in the district, and many took advantage of the sessions that were offered during the week. Almost all of the sessions were recorded, and Infinite Campus has made these videos and presentations accessible for the next couple of months starting December 3, 2021.

To access the Infinite Campus NTW training, visit this page, and click on a video to learn where to find the sessions and materials.

The information for accessing the videos is posted on Campus Passport, and Phil Hintz will also send an all-district email reminder. These new videos provide a great way for our district to participate in just-in-time or on-demand learning so that you will be able to not only learn and take the class on your own time, but also replay the learning as needed.

Our district will have access to these videos until June 30, 2022!

National Training Week Fun Facts

Thanks to our teachers and staff, Barrington 220 had over 200 people attend these trainings "live" (virtually) while they were happening during National Training Week! Infinite Campus recorded attendance this year and here is how this year stacked up across the nation:

• 38 different states attended
• 698 different districts participated
• 5,764 total attendees
• 44,350 total number of "seats" registered
• 4,301,033 total number of students from districts that signed up
• 144 different session topics including demos and sales
• 390 approximate number of sessions presented

Key's Quick Tips: Text to Speech on iPad

Key's quick tips are provided by Kelly Key, Assistive Technology Coordinator for Barrington 220. Each month, Kelly features a tool that is available universally for all of our students in the district. 

This month's featured tool is built into the iPad. 

Do you have students that could use support with editing their writing? Do some struggle with reading text above their reading level? Do you have students who benefit from hearing the text read out loud? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, then using the Text to Speech (also known as Spoken Content) feature built into the iPad is for them! 

Click the link below to watch a short video (less than 2 min) to meet Alex and learn how incredible the text reader is on the iPad when you add this voice.

Click here to see TTS in action and meet Alex!



If you turn on one simple feature in settings on the iPad, you can make any text read out loud, just like the example above.

Directions: Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Speak Selection > ON

You can also turn on the highlight content feature (as seen in the video) and choose the highlight colors (Turn on Highlight Content & choose the colors)

To add Alex as a voice: Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Voices > English > tap the cloud symbol to download Alex. Once it downloads, tap Alex twice until there is a check next to his name.

If you change the default voice to the voice Alex, (as seen above) he can:

• Analyze the sentence before he reads it out loud and will pronounce words correctly depending on the context of the sentence (i.e., bass [the instrument] & bass [the fish], read [present tense] & read [past tense]). 
• Read multiple languages and change his voice depending on the language. 
• Read numbers correctly. 
• Take deep breaths when punctuation is added (great for editing writing). 
• Sound very natural when reading to students. 

This is great to use to:

• Have students read texts above their reading level.
• Improve reading comprehension.
• Increase reading fluency.
• Edit writing by reading back what is written.

If you have any questions, would like a class demo, or would like to learn more, contact Kelly Key, AT Coordinator at kkey@barrington220.org

REMINDER: Classic Google Sites No Longer Viewable on 1-1-22

As we reported last month, Google Sites in the current format is remaining unchanged. Google will be discontinuing their service for “Classic Google Sites” by January 1, 2022. The transition has already begun. This change only affects Google Sites created over four years ago before the now-familiar purple interface was in use.

Here is Google’s timeline:

• Starting December 1, 2021, users will no longer be able to edit their remaining classic Sites.
• Starting January 1, 2022, classic Sites will no longer be viewable unless they are converted to new Google Sites.

If you created a Google Site over four years ago in the Classic format and still use it, you will need to do some work to update it. Google has made the update process very easy. However, the primary issue I encountered was that while no content was lost in my site updates, my formatting changed significantly in the move to the new Sites format.

For more information and directions on how to update your Classic Google Sites, please refer to the November #bsd220tech article.

SPARK Initiative Increases Opportunity for Co-teaching

For three years now, Barrington 220 elementary STEM Teachers and Teacher Librarians have collaborated in a SPARK program. In this initiative, teachers co-plan and co-teach a lesson synthesizing objectives from both content areas. Previously, this initiative was piloted at North Barrington, Grove, and Sunny Hill Elementary Schools. This year marks the first time we have full-year STEM at every elementary school in Barrington 220 and, therefore, the first year of the SPARK initiative happening at each school.

Here are a few examples:

• At North Barrington, Teacher Librarian Wendy Settles led students through a story where the main character was in a wheelchair. This led to a rich discussion about different human abilities and how to design the world as inclusive for all people. Students then spend time with STEM Teacher Rita Thurston designing or re-designing elements of our surroundings to better serve the needs of everyone.
• At Barbara Rose, Teacher Librarian Pam Meiser recently guided students through a nonfiction book about forming snowflakes. STEM Teacher Eden Becker-Mosoff then directed students through a coding exercise that was related to this topic. 
• Hough Teacher Librarian Taryn Parise led Grade 5 students through a library lesson to design advertisements for businesses they were building in their Fresh Inc. entrepreneurship experience. 
• Teacher Librarian Nancy Wadin and STEM Teacher Josh Wager invited Sunny Hill students to learn about the problem of homelessness then set out to design affordable, weatherproof housing.

Here are two videos that demonstrate these activities:

• North Barrington One-Minute Spotlight
• Hough One-Minute Spotlight

Students were given a rich experience in all of these cases because previously isolated content was combined into real-world, problem-based scenarios. Students learn better, and learning sticks longer when learning is personal, meaningful, real-world, and collaborative. 

While the SPARK initiative is currently being developed with elementary Teacher Librarians and STEM Teachers, teachers interested in the program can reach out to their building Teacher Librarian to discuss other co-teaching opportunities. Imagine the powerful connections that are possible in such combinations as:

• Science and STEM
• STEM and Art
• Music and Literature
• Social studies and Biographies
• Art and Music
• Science and Media literacy

The possibilities for rich, co-taught lessons are everywhere. Barrington 220 students stand to benefit from the collaboration of teachers in multiple content areas.