The site visit is a great time to stop in and chat with an Ed Tech Specialist, ask burning tech questions, find out about a new classroom tech tool, and make appointments for an individual meeting with a Technology Specialist.
We are available to plan, assist in the classroom with devices and students, collaborate with a PLC team or grade level, and assist you in taking over the world with Google (joking on the last one...really).
TTUSD Infrastructure Upgrade Update (From the TTUSD IT Department)
As many have noticed here on the DPR corridor we have seen a lot of vendor activity in preparation for our new phone system. All of the new wire pulls are almost complete. And some of the new wireless access points are starting to show up in classrooms. Over the next few weeks we will be finalizing all of the backbone work that is required before the new phones will be in place. The first site that will see the new equipment working will be THS followed rapidly by TES/SHS and finally the District Office.
Please expect to see new extensions at all of these sites. The new extension information is coming very soon but will not be functional at any site until the site cutover dates. No outside phone numbers will be changed only internal extensions.
1:1 Prototype Project Update
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| Ms. McNair's class using Chromebooks in Algebra |
The Chromebook roll out is on schedule. They are traveling with the eighth grade students from English to Social Studies to Math to Science class! In each class it is being used to enhance the student's learning. The students are learning about workflow in the virutal world as they create shared documents which are then "turned in" to a shared folder with the teacher. A Google form is used to notify the teacher that the assignment is in the folder and ready for feedback. Research skills are being introduced with how to parse a question to arrive at query (possible keywords) for searching. The amazing research tool inside a Google document is being utilized to look up information on a variety of topics. There are ongoing discussions about copyright and how to change the settings to "free to use, share or modify even commercially". The teachers are noticing a change in the classroom atmosphere and how learning is taking place. The students are motivated and eager to learn as they are able to look up answers to their individual questions using the Chromebooks.
Hour of Code is Coming!
What is Hour of Code? It is a campaign launched by Code.org to highlight the importance of computer science. The campaign is trying to give 10 million students a one hour introduction. Click here to link to the website to find out more. Many TTUSD students are participating! Why is computer science important? The world today is very connected through technology. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting a growth of computer programmer jobs between 2010 and 2020 by 30%. Not just programmers will be needed but many careers of the future will need skills taught through computer science such as problem solving, computational and critical thinking, creativity, design and innovation.
Lucidchart
Ms. Tierney at NTS is using a great mind-mapping/flowchart Chrome application (like Inspiration/Kidspiration) with her classes. It is called Lucidchart and it links directly into your Google Account. We were able to secure an educational license granting full access for 4000 users in TTUSD. Check it out by clicking your google waffle button and then scrolling down to the Lucidchart button.
Digital Citizenship Parent Outreach
Glenshire Elementary will be hosting a parent outreach night on January 14th from 6:30 - 8 PM. After a technology night at the end of last school year, parents have been excited to have more information about technology, how to manage it in the home, support learning, and keep their children safe when online. This outreach night will go over the general themes in technology, digital citizenship, and online safety, and we will be surveying the parents about their needs for future workshops. Please contact the EdTech department if you'd like to host a night at your school or classroom. Common Sense Media has a wealth of information and materials for educators and parents.
ask.fm - anonymous questions hurt
One of the newest, and very popular social media platforms is ask.fm. Like many other forms of familiar social media (e.g Facebook, Instagram), the tool can be used in a constructive, appropriate way. Though, there is the possibility that some use the tool for bullying and harassment of others. Ask.fm specifically allows users to set up an account and receive questions from other users. However, unlike Facebook or Instagram where an account has a user ID or name associated with it, the questions can be asked anonymously.
Read more about ask.fm
Where did my Google Black Bar go?Google is always innovating and improving their services for users. Though this can also be frustrating as well as functionality we have grown to use is changed or dropped. It finally happened. Google rolled out a more streamlined look to our Google Apps domain which includes the removal of the "Google Black Bar." If you have a personal Google account you may have noticed this already. More on the Google Black Bar and the new Waffle Button.
Macbook Air Recall
Our generation of the new Macbook Airs have a number of defective solid state hard drives. We have not had any recalled in TTUSD as of yet. Though, if you have not run the firmware update yet, see a tech specialist during your site visit or feel free to run the update yourself. See this blog post for more information and a firmware download link.
From around the web:
We've been using Google Apps for Education for a couple of months now. How can we use Google Applications to more effectively communicate with one another, our parents, and students? Ideas for using Google Apps in the classroom? Check this post on Google Gooru!
"The Google Translate Extension is a really easy way to translate the text of a website into your native language. There are plenty of languages available, and makes accessing valuable content really easy for those who may not speak the original language." - Google Gooru
January 2014: CUE to YOU - Google Workshop for Educators, Truckee, CA
March 20-22: CUE - Computer Using Educators Annual Conference, Palm Springs
March 22-23: Google in Education West Coast Summit, Palm Springs
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