Educational Technology

We are excited to announce the date of our in-person Educational Technology Conference! 🎉 This half-day conference for teachers will take place on February 28, 2026, and will be focused on digital tools in service of instruction and learning. The sessions will be appropriate for teachers at all grade levels. This year we are bringing a Science-Fiction theme to EdTechCon 2026 – A Universe of Discovery! 

Presenters and Volunteers are needed!  

Presenters – Share your interest here. 

Volunteers – Share your interest here.  

Registration will open in January, 2026. 

Note: This event is optional and teachers are not compensated for attending.  

For more information, including the event schedule, click here  

Or email us at edtech@fresnounified.org

Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Time: 4:00 – 5:30 PM
Location: Virtual (Microsoft Teams)

Join us for a 90-minute interactive workshop designed to introduce existing multimedia tools available to teachers and students. Participants will explore how to empower students to show what they know in creative ways through multimedia tools like Canva, Clipchamp, and Teams Assignment Video Response. With these creative tools, students can share their learning through projects that build digital literacy skills from the TK-12 Tech Scope & Sequence.

What you’ll learn:

• How to use Canva for visually rich student projects
• Video creation and editing with Clipchamp
• Adding video responses to Teams Assignments
• Strategies for integrating multimedia into lessons to boost creativity and engagement

This webinar supports Fresno Unified’s Life Skills goal, as it guides educators in how to provide opportunities for students to show their creativity and develop real-world digital skills.

✅ Register now: EdTech Webinar Registration Form

The month of October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month! Every October we recognize this important topic to create awareness and to meet the requirements of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). As you know, digital citizenship and cyber safety are critical to preparing our students for college, career, and life. This competency is also called out in our district-adopted Graduate Profile.

During the week of October 20-24, 2025, all students, K-12, will participate in the district’s Cyber-Safety Week. The requirement is that all students receive at least one cyber-safety or digital citizenship lesson during this week or sometime during the month. 

Where to find Lessons:

The EdTech team has curated a variety of resources for teachers to tap into. Cyber Safety and other Digital Citizenship lesson plans can be found on our Digital Citizenship support page. Here you will find resources from Common Sense Media, Netsmartz, EVERFI, Google Interland, and more. The lessons include important topics like password protection, staying safe online, digital etiquette, social media, cyberbullying, identity theft, digital footprints, and more.

Leaders and teachers alike can take this opportunity to surface one or more of these important topics with staff and students.

Microsoft Teams EDU has recently received a set of exciting updates, and teachers everywhere should take note. These updates include shortcuts in grid view, giving quick access to Posts, Assignments, and Classwork directly from each team tile. Another long-awaited improvement is the ability to rename the General channel—finally letting you turn it into something more purposeful, like “Announcements.”

Teachers will also appreciate the option to resize the left navigation rail, creating more room to work, and the new Tips light-bulb, which delivers just-in-time training and updates right inside Teams. Power users can now customize keyboard shortcuts and utilize an expandable, formatted feedback field—perfect for richer student comments or quick speech-to-text notes.

My personal favorite? The new Loop component integration. This turns channels into collaborative spaces with live-editable tables, checklists, and Q&A boards—essentially bringing wiki-style collaboration directly into Teams. It’s a game-changer for student engagement and group projects.

With these features, Teams EDU 2025 continues to refine teaching, learning, and collaboration for the modern classroom. Want to see how to use these new features. Check out the video below taken from a recent webinar lead by the EdTech team.

Tired of digging through endless folders to find the files you access regularly? Windows File Explorer has a simple feature that can save you time and clicks: Pinning folders to Quick Access.

By default, File Explorer already keeps essentials like Desktop, Pictures, Music, and Videos pinned at the top of your sidebar. But here’s the real power—you can add your own frequently used folders to that list. Just navigate to the folder you want, right-click it, and choose “Pin to Quick Access.” Instantly, it appears at the top of your sidebar for one-click access anytime.

The benefits are huge:

• Save time by jumping straight into your go-to folders.

• Stay organized by keeping your work or project folders in view.

• Reduce clutter since pinned folders stay fixed, unlike recent folders that come and go.

Whether you’re managing school projects, work files, or your favorite photo collections, pinning folders makes navigation effortless. It’s a small trick that creates a smoother, more productive workflow.

Wanna see the process in detail? Check out this quick video tutorial. 👇

We’re doing it again! Another year of the EdTech Webinar Series! 

This year's series is a sequence of monthly professional learning opportunities designed to empower Fresno Unified educators with the skills and confidence to effectively integrate technology into instruction. Each session is strategically aligned with the FUSD Student Outcomes Focused Governance goals and the district's Technology Scope and Sequence, focusing on practical, relevant, and accessible training. 

The series kicks off on Wednesday, September 17th, with our first webinar: Digital Assignments and New Features in Teams EDU. This session will help educators start the school year strong by exploring the latest updates in Class Teams with a focus on Teams Assignments. Participants will learn how to streamline digital assignments and leverage new tools to enhance daily instruction. 

This webinar will be held virtually in a Teams Meeting from 4:00 to 5:30 PM and is open to all FUSD teachers. To register, simply complete the EdTech Webinar Registration Form. Additional details and resources are available on the Ed Tech Webinar Website. 

TK-12^th grade teachers, get ready for a morning of inspiration, innovation, and collaboration at EdTech Camp, Fresno Unified’s educator-led event focused on educational technology.

Held at the Farber Educational Campus on Saturday, September 27, 2025, the event begins at 8:00 a.m. with check-in, coffee, and a light breakfast. Participants will then co-create the day’s schedule through a collaborative session board-building experience. The learning continues with three engaging session blocks, each led by fellow teachers and centered on practical, tech-integrated strategies for the classroom.

The event concludes by 12:30 p.m., offering a flexible and energizing start to the weekend.

 Spots are limited—register today!
 👉 https://forms.office.com/r/HWqZpAHD04

Note: This event is optional and does not include compensation.

For More Information:
📧Contact the FUSD EdTech Team at edtech@fresnounified.org
🌐Visit the EdTech Camp website.

It's that time of year again! Last year's Class Teams will be archived, and new Class Teams and School-Wide Teams will be generated and rostered for all class sections in ATLAS. What and When? July 29, 2025: 23/24 Class Teams are Deleted July 31, 2025: 24/25 Class Teams are Archived August 11, 2025: 25/26 Class Teams and School-Wide Teams begin populating, and all will wrap up 2-4 days later. If for some reason, you need a Class Team restored, it can be done within 30 days of deletion. To make such a request, please create a support ticket or call the help desk: go.fresnou.org/support Resources: The document linked below provides important information regarding how and when Class Teams are created, archived, and eventually deleted. It is critical for all teachers to be aware of this process so that, if desired, they can back up their content and access their Class Teams.  We also recommend creating a Team for the purpose of housing assignments and other content that you may want to reuse. Teams that you create will never be deleted. Teams Creation and Archiving Process Related Content: Microsoft Teams Support Page

If you’ve logged in recently, you may have noticed a sleek new look to the M365 home screen. This redesign is all about making your workflow smoother and more intuitive—perfect for our busy educators, students, and staff. Please note that the URL is also changing from office.com to m365.cloud.microsoft and update your bookmarks as needed.

Where Did the Waffle Go?

One of the biggest changes you’ll notice is that the app switcher (a.k.a. the waffle icon) is no longer visible on the main home screen. Don’t worry—it hasn’t disappeared completely!

How to Access Your Apps Now

To open your favorite Microsoft apps like Word, Excel, Outlook, or Teams:

1. Look to the bottom left side of the new home screen.
2. Click on “Apps”—this is your new gateway to all the tools you know and love.

It’s a small change, but it helps keep the interface clean and focused.

The Waffle Returns—When You Need It

Once you’re inside any Microsoft app or document (like Word Online or Outlook), the waffle icon will reappear in the top-left corner. This means you can still quickly switch between apps while you’re working—just like before.

Pro Tip

Pin your most-used apps for even faster access! Just click the three dots next to any app in the “Apps” menu and select “Pin to launcher.”

Want to watch a video tutorial to help you navigate M365 more efficiently? Check out the video below, created by the one and only - EdTech Evangelist! As always, if you have any questions or need a hand, don’t hesitate to reach out to the IT Help Desk.

Hey there tech enthusiasts! 👋 Today, I'd like to share another great Windows 11 tip: The Taskbar. It's more than just a bar; it's a powerful command center waiting to boost your efficiency. Let's make it work for you.

Your Taskbar, Your Rules: Key Features for Productivity

1. Pin & Unpin for Quick Access:

Got favorite apps? Pin them to your taskbar for one-click access. Just right-click an app in search results and select "Pin to taskbar." For less-used apps, unpin them to keep your space tidy. A clean taskbar means faster navigation and less visual clutter.

2. Customize Taskbar Items:

Head to Taskbar Settings (right-click a blank space on the taskbar). Here, you can toggle off default icons like Task View and Widgets, if you don't use them. Reclaim that valuable taskbar space and reduce distractions.

3. Master Corner Icons & Behaviors:

The far-right corner holds system tools (Wi-Fi, volume). In Taskbar Settings, you can choose which overflow icons always display. Under Taskbar behaviors, enable options like:

• Automatically hide the taskbar: Maximize screen space.
• Show badges on unread message counter: Stay informed at a glance.
• Select the far corner... to show the desktop: One click to hide all windows and access your desktop instantly.
• Align the taskbar back to the left if that suits your style better

By customizing these features, you transform your Windows 11 taskbar into an efficient tool that saves clicks and boosts your focus. Want a video that shows how to customize the Taskbar? I thought you might. Check out the video tutorial below created by your pal, the EdTech Evangelist.

Hey there, tech lovers! 👋
Do you ever wish you had a personal assistant who could type everything you say into a document, email or chat message? Well, guess what—Windows 11 has a built-in speech-to-text feature that’ll totally blow your mind (and maybe give your fingers a break too)! 💥

It's called Windows Dictate and all you have to do is press Windows + H, and a microphone toolbar pops up, ready to transcribe whatever you say. Once you start speaking, Windows 11 gets to work, turning your voice into text in real time. It even lets you toggle on auto punctuation, so you don’t have to say things like “period” or “question mark” out loud unless you really want to. There's also a feature called the voice typing launcher, which keeps the tool accessible whenever you're in a text box—so you can use it while filling out web forms, drafting posts, or jotting notes in just about any app.

In the video below, I provide quick demos in Word, PowerPoint, web email, and Microsoft Teams to show how versatile the tool really is. It’s not perfect—sometimes it might mishear something or insert a quirky bit of punctuation—but it learns your voice over time and gets more accurate the more you use it. You may still need to do a little cleanup afterward, but hey, it beats typing a long message one keystroke at a time.

Whether you’re multitasking, dealing with typing fatigue, or just want to boost your productivity, voice typing in Windows 11 is seriously worth trying. It’s fast, surprisingly smart, and built right into your system. So go ahead—press Windows + H, speak your mind, and let Windows do the rest. Your keyboard (and your fingers) will thank you.

For more Windows 11 tips and tricks, visit our Windows 11 support page here.

As testing season winds down, a great opportunity emerges for students to apply their new knowledge: collaborative, project-based learning (PBL). This is the perfect time to explore future-ready learning—where students engage in real-world challenges that build critical thinking, creativity, and digital fluency.

PBL isn’t just about applying new knowledge and completing a project—it’s about developing essential life skills. Students learn to collaborate, communicate, and problem-solve while using technology in meaningful ways. And the best part? You don’t have to start from scratch.

Tech Tools for PBL

The Fresno Unified EdTech team has curated a powerful set of tools to help you plan, manage, and elevate your projects. Here are just a few highlights from the Tech Tools for PBL guide:

• Teacher Planning & Management: Use Copilot to plan a standards-aligned project and Teams Assignments to organize tasks, track progress, and streamline communication.
• Collaboration: Foster teamwork with Teams Channels, Posts, and Whiteboard for brainstorming and group planning.
• Research & Data Analysis: Empower students to gather and interpret data using Excel, Forms, and Search Progress.
• Multimedia & Presentation: Let students showcase their learning through PowerPoint, Speaker Progress, Canva, Clipchamp Video, or Adobe Express.

These tools are not only easy to use—they’re already available to you and your students.

Ready to Get Started?

Click here to explore the PBL Tech Tools Menu and find inspiration for your next classroom project. Whether it’s a student-led podcast, a digital portfolio, or a community impact campaign, the possibilities are endless. And who knows - Perhaps after this experience, you may find yourself using PBL throughout the school year.

Have you noticed that Copilot is now available within the Microsoft 365 portal? You may have also noticed that Microsoft 365 is now Microsoft 365 Copilot. One of the most exciting new features? You can now attach files directly to Copilot and ask it to analyze them.

One word of caution! Be sure that you are logged into office.com with your district account and never attach files that contain personal or confidential information!!!

Whether it’s a complex Excel spreadsheet, a lengthy Word document, an image, or a PDF report, Copilot can:

• Extract key insights
• Summarize content
• Compare documents
• Generate charts or summaries
• Answer questions about the file’s contents
• Generate similar style images

This is a game-changer for professionals who deal with large volumes of information and need quick, actionable insights.

How It Works

Just drag and drop your file into the Copilot chat, and ask questions like:

• “What are the key trends in this sales report?”
• “Summarize the main points of this proposal.”
• “Compare this document with the previous version.”

Copilot uses advanced AI to understand the context and deliver precise, helpful responses — all while keeping your data secure and private.

Why It Matters

This update transforms Copilot from a helpful assistant into a true collaborative partner. It’s not just about saving time — it’s about unlocking new levels of creativity, clarity, and confidence in your work.

To see how this works in action, check out the video below.

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to have two windows side by side on your monitor to increase your work productivity? Well, what you say about three or even four windows equally arranged on your monitor? Did you know that there is a quick and easy way to do this in Windows 11? That's right - It's called Snap Layouts, and it allows you to quickly choose from open windows on your computer for a custom arrangement.

Snap layouts can be accessed from the top-right corner of any open window, where you can select a layout option and quickly choose where each application or window should be placed. Rather than try to explain it all here, we found a fantastic tutorial from the EdTech Evangelist himself. Check it out below and enjoy snapping those layouts and increasing your productivity! 🤓🎉