EdTechChris

Here are a few simple ways that teachers can use ChatGPT with students, along with step-by-step instructions: Set up a ChatGPT instance To use ChatGPT, teachers will first need to set up a ChatGPT instance. This can be done by visiting the OpenAI API website (https://beta.openai.com/) and creating an account. Once you have an account, you can access the ChatGPT API and start using it in your…

Example of using OpenAI’s ChatGPT to write a classroom essay

Below is an example taken directly from ChatGPT when given the following prompt “write an 8th grade essay on the main conflicts in Tom Sawyer.” The writing is likely going to be an obvious improvement over many students’ writing styles, however it takes much of the work out of generating the content.  There are AI content detectors such as the one on https://writer.com/ai-content-detector/…

Should we use OpenAI in the classroom?

What is OpenAI? OpenAI is a research organization that focuses on promoting and advancing artificial intelligence in a responsible manner. One of their key projects is GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer), a state-of-the-art language processing AI that can generate human-like text. For example, your students may already be asking it to do things like “write an 8th grade essay on the main…

How to Burn ISO to DVD in macOS Catalina

You can easily burn ISO to DVD in macOS Catalina using the Terminal app. In this example, I need to create a Ubuntu 19.10 DVD. After downloading the ISO from Ubuntu’s site I simply enter the following command in terminal.

Though this doesn’t come up as often these days, it’s still pretty handy to know.

hdiutil burn ubuntu-19.10-desktop-amd64.iso

Note: Your version may change, so I…

Automate Tasks on a Schedule in iOS with the Shortcuts App

The Shortcuts app in iOS and iPadOS is an awesome utility that lets you automate tasks on your iPhone or iPad. Tasks can be automated to trigger based on time of day or even location. You can get started exploring using Shortcuts with a few easy steps. In this example, we will automate launching an app at 9:00 PM every evening. It actually gives a notification for you to tap “Run” to launch the…

Jamf Parent App Lets You Manage Your Child’s School Issued iPad at Home

Homework without distractions. Help parents to keep their children focused. Simple to use.

Jamf Parent is a free app that allows you to manage your children’s school-issued mobile devices. Using Jamf Parent, you can restrict and allow apps and device functionality on your children’s devices. You can manage your children’s devices with Jamf Parent during the time periods specified by your school’s…

Setting App Specific Restrictions in Apple Screen Time for iOS 12

Apple Screen Time is a great new tool to set healthy browsing and app limits on iPhones and iPads running iOS 12. Parents can easily set restrictions on the amount of time allowed for specific categories of apps. Screen Time works well on personal or even school owned iPads. (Learn more about ScreenTime: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208982)

Apple Screen Time for iOS helps you monitor and…

iOS 12 Now Available with Some Amazing New Features

iOS 12 brings performance improvements and exciting new features to iPhone and iPad. I’ve been testing the beta releases all summer anticipating the final release. Many new features for schools, personal users, and enterprise users alike. Check out the links below to learn how to use some of these exciting new features.

What’s Cool in iOS 12

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/09/17/apple-releases-ios…

3 Ways Apple Can Better Support K-12 IT Departments

Apple provides excellent support for education customers, including services like Apple School Manager, the Device Enrollment Program, Apple Professional Learning, new apps like SchoolWork, Apple Classroom on macOS, and even a ClassKit framework for developers. However, there are a few things they could do to improve support for K-12 IT departments.

Identity Management

Identity management is a…

Can AI and Protective Intelligence Help Keep Our Schools Safe?

Starting the new school year can be a time of great excitement. Time to meet new teachers and friends, reunite with classmates, don new backpacks, new shoes, and cool clothes. This excitement, on the part of teachers, administrators, and parents, is dampened with concerns about student safety. In the wake of Parkland and Santa Fe, many districts are increasing efforts to improve school safety. So…

Can Apple TV Help Keep Our Children Safe in School?

Back to school season brings with it thoughts of bulletin boards, backpacks, sharpened pencils and school safety. More relevant than ever, safety is at the forefront of concerns for school administrators. Traditional alerts, including bells, email, texts or audio announcements, may no longer be sufficient to address today’s increasingly complex security and safety needs.

Carousel app for Apple TV…

Taming rf Unicorns and Other Fantastic Beasts

Taming rf Unicorns and Other Fantastic Beasts – Resources from PSU MacAdmins Conference 2018 session on using the Ekahau Sidekick’s spectrum analysis to identify and troubleshoot problems with Wi-Fi. Click here for official conference page: http://macadmins.psu.edu/2018/05/01/psumac18-277/

Description: Wi-Fi Muggles rejoice! Your time has come. The wonderful world of wireless and wizardry is…

Cisco Sparkboard could be Hott in EdTech

Cisco’s Sparkboard is an interactive 4K display that integrates all the collaborative features of Spark with flexible, high def videoconferencing. The links below will help you learn more about this intriguing new display and how it can be used in education.

Here’s the Lance Ford EDU video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgELeZyze8E

Simple Cisco VR for Spark vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h…

9 macOS Security Features That Make Apple Unique

What 9 macOS security features are unique to how Apple approaches security? The foundation of macOS is formed by integrated and secure software that protects critical system resources while sandboxing applications and other processes. As you read, be sure to check out the links to different Apple KBs to gain a deeper understanding of how these different macOS security features help keep your Mac,…

Apple Security Updates 4-24-2018

Apple posted additional security updates 4-24-2018 to close up some vulnerabilities in Safari and webkit. They always recommend to keep your OS and apps updated in order to receive the latest patches, updates, and fixes. Find out more about Apple Security Updates 4-24-2018 and others at: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222

Get the latest software updates from Apple

Keeping your software up…

Health Insurance Costs Hurt Texas Teachers

Health Insurance costs for Texas teachers are expected to increase again even though the state legislature hasn’t increased its funding to the program in over 15 years. Education jobs are among the lowest-paying occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree, and teacher salaries consistently fail to keep up with inflation. The rising cost of healthcare compounds this problem.

TRS Health Insurance Costs

Apple Announces New iPad for Education

Apple announces new iPad in it’s Education Event today along with several other new features targeting the edu market. These announcements reinforce Apple’s commitment to education, schools, and to this market.

New iPad

Perhaps the biggest improvement in the new iPad will be its interactivity with Apple Pencil. With a 9.7″ display, these units are priced at $299 for education. The updated iPad…