Tech2Teach monthly CCISD Office of Instructional Technology - October Issue 1

In this issue:

  • Instructional Technology Team
  • Upcoming Events and Training
  • Google Tips
  • Tech Teacher of the month - Emily Shellinger
  • The Top 6 Apps for integrating into your lessons
  • The Red Book Reference
  • Technology Spotlight - Meet the Technology Help Desk

Introducing the Instructional Technology Team!

Introducing the Instuctional Technology Team

Instructional Technology team includes : (front row) Roxanna Guerrero, Melissa Gonzalez, Kathy Mendiola, Irma Muniz. (Back row) Seth Caylor, Cary Perales, Brandey Addison.

Who are we?

The Instructional Technology Team is made up of a diverse group of individuals with backgrounds in all content areas, technology hardware and software expertise, web design, video production, and instructional strategies. Each member has been trained in four major areas: Web 2.0, Devices, SMART Notebook, and Google Drive.

How will we support our District?

All training that we provide will include TPACK model, SAMR model, Technology Application TEKS, and SBEC standards to ensure that teachers understand how Instructional Technology connects to their PDAS, as well as to their students’ success.

We follow the State mandated Long Range Plan for Technology and provide professional development in four main categories: Web 2.0, Smart Notebook 14, Google Drive and Beyond, and Devices. Also, we use Marzano’s nine high yield strategies and all recommendations from the Enhancing the Art and Science of Teaching with Technology by Robert Marzano and Sonny Magana. The team has also selected the top six apps that all teachers should know and use in their classroom. Professional Learning opportunities will be provided on these top 6: Google Docs, Plickers, Quizlet, Prezi, Jing, and LucidChart. We are currently designing custom training for individual campuses to support technology initiatives and projects as well.

The Tech2Teach Monthly, Instructional Technology website, and Tech Savvy Saturdays were developed to support teachers, principals, curriculum assistants, and ITAs. The ultimate goal is to provide our educators and leaders with timely support, so students will thrive in a digital environment.

Click to view images

Tech savvy saturdays

  • Saturday October 24, 2015 Get Googled/SMART Newbie 9am-12pm Veterans HS
  • Saturday November 14, 2015 Get Googled/GaGa for Google/Google Forms/SMART Newbie/SMART Intermediate 9am-12 pm Veterans HS
  • Saturday January 23, 2016 GaGa for Google/Google Forms/Google Classroom/SMART Intermediate/SMART-y Pants 9am-12pm Veterans HS

This month's Google tip is: Sharing Video

Did you know that you can upload and share video from your Google Drive? Video can be uploaded into your Google drive and accessed from anywhere there is an Internet connection. After it has been uploaded, it can be shared just like any other document or file in Google drive.

Click the following link for a cool video showing you how.

Tech Teacher of the Month - Emily Schellinger

Tech Teacher of the month - Emily schellinger

Meet Emily!

Emily Schellinger is a fifth grade teacher at Crockett Elementary School. She loves teaching, and she REALLY loves teaching with technology! Emily uses Plickers, one of the Top 6 Apps she learned about during Curriculum Writing 2015. Sharing Plickers with her grade level colleagues, this techie teacher helps others integrate technology across all core content areas. The students in Mrs. Schellinger’s class are engaged and giving feedback about the information they learn.

Way to go, Emily. You are our “Techie of the Month!”

Top six apps

These apps were chosen and written in to the curriculum for this year. They were chosen for there ease of use, easy accessibility, and integration simplicity.

Quizlet

Quizlet is a free online database of over 400 million flashcard sets created by students, for students. All the information is user-generated and includes both text-based and visual study materials. The range of topics covered on Quizlet is pretty amazing. Students can browse these sets by category (Arts & Literature), then narrow down by type (Books), then specific subject (The Great Gatsby). For each set of flashcards, Quizlet also auto-populates a few study activities, including matching and fill-in-the-blank games and timed quizzes. In creating flashcards, students can upload their own photos or choose from Quizlet's database to add a visual element. While students can browse for study materials from users around the world, many teachers make and share custom study sets just for their classes.

Plickers

Plickers​ is a powerfully simple tool that lets teachers collect real­time formative assessment data without the need for student devices.

Google

Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.​

Jing

Jing​ is a computer service that lets you capture basic video, animation, and still images, and share them on the web

.

Lucidchart

Lucidchart​ is your solution for visual communication. Online flowcharts, diagrams, UML sketches, and ER models have never been easier.

The Red Book reference

The “Red Book” is our primary resource for instructional technology integration. Co-authored by Sonny Magana and Robert J. Marzano, Enhancing the Art & Science of Teaching with Technology offers teachers practical ideas that can be implemented in the classroom immediately. In Chapter 1, Magana and Marzano discuss the research and theory behind technology use in the classroom within the instructional framework detailed in the book The Art and Science of Teaching (Marzano, 2007.)

Three lesson segments within this framework signify the main types of procedures used in the classroom. They are:

routine events content on the spot

These are broken down into 9 design questions and 41 key elements of effective teaching practice which are discussed in subsequent chapters.

Chapter 2 Let’s take a look at the first design question!

What will I do to help students effectively interact with the new knowledge?

Element 1: Providing clear learning goals and scales (rubrics)

Element 2: Tracking student progress

Element 3: Celebrating success

The “Red Book” does not discuss technology or instruction in isolation. You will learn “how specific technology tools can be used with specific instructional strategies.” (p. 22)

Element 1 Highlights

Create Interactive Whiteboard (SMART board) pages to communicate learning goals.

Use Todaysmeet.com, a polling software that can be used on student mobile devices (Ipads, Laptops, Smartphones, etc.) to have students paraphrase learning goals.

Display and discuss scales or rubrics on an IWB giving students a clear idea of what they need to do to achieve the learning goal.

Post the learning goal and the scale or rubric on a class website to stimulate discussion prior to the learning.

Allow students to post comments to demonstrate their understanding of the learning goal.

Tracking Student Progress- Element 2 Highlights

Formative assessments may be created collaboratively with student input.

Use different types of assessments

Utilize multimedia tools such as Jing, ScreenChomp, Educreations, or TouchCast to allow students to document learning.

Chart student progress in a digital journal using Google Drive or Evernote.

Celebrating Success- Element 3 Highlights

Highlight student products or performance during final status and knowledge gain celebrations.

Use the class website to post exemplary work.

Use Jing for students to record tutorials for other students and post on the class website.

Monitor how many views student postings have received using websites like ClustrMaps.

Provide verbal or written feedback using publishing software to create certificates/awards to celebrate growth.

Celebrate success by posting on the class website.

Send short emails or text messages to parents noting student success.

Read about Mr. Ensey who teaches with technology on p 33-37. Mr. Ensey seamlessly integrates technology and shows teachers how integrating these three elements can improve instruction and learning.

CCISD TECHNOLOGY HELP DESK

Meet the heLp desk heroes

Ana, Marie, and Priscilla

Who is at the other end of your HelpDesk request? That’s Ana, Priscilla, and Marie.

We had the opportunity to get to know these three, and this is what they had to tell us.

We know that you guys must be very busy. How many end-users do you support? Ana and Priscilla answer calls, emails, and Heat Self Service requests for about 5,000 employees.

There are only three of you answering to all 5,000 of us. Yikes! You can’t possibly keep track of all those requests. Can you? We can’t help but wonder how many help desk requests you get in a week? In August and September we receive anywhere from 700 - 800 requests a week. October through May about 300 - 400 a week. A month? August and September: 2800 – 3000, October – May: 1000 – 1600 A year? 10,000 – 14,000

Mind blowing! That’s a lot! So, when we request help we need it as soon as possible. We all want to know what we can do to help you help us. If you could provide everyone in the district with one simple technology tip, then what would it be? Please be descriptive (include service tag, model of equipment, and any error messages) in your request when emailing the Help Desk or placing a work order through Heat Self-Service.

With such a heavy workload, you ladies must find ways to relax on your time off. When you aren’t fielding technology questions at work, how do you spend your time outside of work? Marie tells us she stays busy with soccer every weekend. Ana says you can catch her taking it easy watching TV, reading books, and walking her pup Suzie Q. Priscilla likes spending time with my family… Cooking, cleaning, football games, cheer practice, etc! She says that she stays very busy!

We are curious. You must get some interesting requests for help. What is the most interesting help desk request you have ever received? We received a request to spray a classroom for ants and roaches.

Ok, admittedly when my technology isn’t working correctly, I panic a little. Many of us do. (Right?) Sometimes you ladies are the first person we encounter while we are in panic mode. Tell me what you are thinking while we are in distress. We really love helping our customers. We share your frustration, your happiness (especially when things are fixed immediately), and we always appreciate your patience.

Technology Systems

Technology Systems Project Updates

Technology Supports Services continues to update network infrastructure at schools. Network upgrades include the following products:

  • Wiring closets to support new equipment and cabling
  • Faster access to network resources for student/staff computers
  • WIFI access throughout the entire campus to support laptops, iPads, Chromebooks and personal devices
  • IP telephones in classrooms and offices

Completed Upgrades School Year 2014 - 2015

Coles HS - Completed April 2014

Windsor Park ES - Completed May 2014

Jones ES - Completed July 2014

Mireles ES - Completed September 2014

Dawson ES - Completed February 2015

Montclair ES - Completed April 2015

Expected Completion Dates for 2015 - 2016

Mary Grett Completion Date - September 2015

Barnes ES Completion Date - October 2015

Club Estates ES Completion Date - January 2016

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this network upgrade project make my computer run faster? An updated network improves the performance of wireless and wired computing devices. However, computers that are considered obsolete (older than 5 years) can still perform poorly due to the internal hardware and software of the computer. It's important to enter a work order to have maintenance performed on your computer to ensure it's running at optimal performance. Internet bandwidth is also a reason for slow connections on a computer. An average of less than 50% of our bandwidth is used daily. Internet bandwidth should not be a problem.

Will this help with CCISD-WiFi? Yes, wireless access points are deployed throughout the campus including classrooms and common areas.

Has my campus received network upgrades? With the exception of Barnes, Club Estates, and Mary Grett, all campuses have received network upgrades. Barnes, Club Estates, and Mary Grett are scheduled for fiscal year 2014 - 2015. All projects are contingent upon funding per fiscal year.

Do we still have closed circuit television for morning announcements?Yes, you will have the ability to do morning announcements?

Can I use my personal device on the CCISD-WiFi? Teachers are approved to use CCISD-WiFi this school year. Students will be able to use BYOD school year 2014 - 2015.

Visit our BYOD website for more details.

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