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Google Bard Now Available for Staff

We are excited to announce that we have enabled access to Google Bard for our staff district-managed (@barrington220) Google accounts. Creating an account and accessing Bard is entirely optional for staff. Bard is a generative Artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can be used to create various resources. This is Google’s version of ChatGPT, with the difference that Bard has live access to the Internet. 

To sign up to use Google Bard, please follow these steps:

Visit bard.google.com 

Follow the instructions to sign in with your district-managed email address.

Your choice to use Bard is entirely optional. Here are some cautions or tips for using Bard:

• Be aware that Bard is still under development, so it may not always be accurate or complete.
• Resources created in Bard should be considered a starting point and never used without proofreading and editing by the staff member. 
• Since Google Bard is in an experimental phase, it has its own User Agreement (it is not part of the district's Google Workspace user agreement).

We are enabling access for staff members to use Bard in their workflow—not as a learning tool for hands-on students. Generative AI is potentially a powerful tool for students, but that is not the intent of this access. Google Bard should not be used by students aged 13 and under. Older students may decide to create their own accounts through a personal Google account, but students should not be compelled or required by staff to create accounts. 

I encourage you to try out Google Bard and let me know what you think. For tips, suggestions, and professional development in using Generative AI for teaching and learning, please reach out to me. 

New SSO Feature for Barrington 220

Barrington 220 implemented Single Sign-On (SSO) for staff members this past school year, and SSO is now used to sign in to many of our platforms (i.e., Google, Infinite Campus, Skyward, and Embrace).

We have now improved the multi-factor authentication (MFA) portion of this system to enhance security. This enhancement is referred to as “number matching” and is designed to reduce inadvertent MFA authorizations.

When MFA is required, the login screen will include a number that must be entered into the Authenticator app prior to approving the sign in. It's a quick and simple way to verify that the staff member logging into a system is truly who they say they are.

Here is what the new enhancement looks like:

On the Authenticator app, the same 2-digit number that is shown on the sign-in screen must be entered. If you are not the person trying to sign in to a Barrington 220 system, please choose the “No, it’s not me” option. Also notice that the Authenticator app shows a general location of the individual trying to access one of our systems:

If you have questions regarding signing in to Barrington 220 systems, please contact your building LTA staff or contact our tech support department at x1500 (224-655-1500).

A Long-Awaited PaperCut Setting Is Now Available

We have waited a long time for this and it’s finally here!

After you input your username and password the first time, PaperCut won’t ask you for them again!

To take advantage of this, you must install the latest version of PaperCut which you’ll find in Self Service. Once you’ve clicked on Install or Reinstall under the PaperCut logo, allow the software to install (you’ll know the software is installed when you see your desktop briefly flash) and then reboot your computer. 

After your reboot, open a document and print it. PaperCut will ask you for your username and password. Enter your credentials, and you’ll receive a notification that your print job is in the queue. Click OK. Then, print the same document again. This time PaperCut will not ask for your username and password, nor will it ask for your credentials later!

Should you run into an issue with the installation, please reach out to the Technology Department and we’ll help resolve the issue as soon as possible. You can reach us at ext. 1500 (in the district) or by emailing techsupport@barrington220.org.

Key's Quick Tips - AAC Awareness Month

October is AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) Awareness Month! Please read this article to learn how you can help support our students who use AAC to communicate and socialize with others.

There are MANY students in our district who use a core board or core-based communication device (a.k.a. AAC) to help them communicate. AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. AAC includes all of the ways that someone communicates besides talking. In this article, I share a variety of supports students use here in Barrington 220, and some tips on what you can do to support them. Be sure to check out our Barrington Communication Bill of Rights at the end of this article as well.

Barrington 220's 120-Word Core Board

Our communication boards and devices (AAC) are primarily made of core vocabulary words.  Core words are 80% of the words we read, write, and speak. It is imperative that our students who struggle with speech and language have access to these words at all times. There are many ways we provide core vocabulary for our students depending on their needs. This includes core boards, individual core binders, iPads with a communication app, or a dedicated communication device that allows for alternative access (see examples below).

Our students learn to use AAC to support communication by having the people who interact with them talk to them on the boards and devices. This is called modeling. I encourage you to get to know the setup of the core boards and devices and talk to your students using the AAC. 

Core Boards

Core boards are an excellent way to provide language visually and verbally. The words always stay in the same place for quick access through motor memory. We make sure core boards are available all over the school. We have many options, large and small!

 

If you don't have a core board available, you can scan this QR code to access our boards in English and Spanish. You will soon be seeing these throughout your school for quick access to core words! 

Communication Devices

Many of our students have an iPad or a dedicated communication device they use that has a voice output (it speaks the words they press). Some of the devices hold over 5000 words! Most students access their devices with their pointer fingers or thumbs, and some students use alternate access to communicate (i.e., with switches, eye gaze, or head control). If you see a student with an iPad with a colored foam case, this is their communication device. It only has one communication app on the iPad. 

Be sure when you see a student with a device, take a second to say "hi" to them or ask them a question just like you would any other student you work with! Our students who use devices may need a little extra time to respond, so after you make a comment or ask a question, please give them at least 10 seconds of wait time before you speak again or prompt them. 

Thank you for reading. 

Please be sure to check out & follow our Communication Bill of Rights below! 

Please reach out to me, kkey@barrington220.org, with any questions, to obtain core boards, or to schedule a training!