Information literacy, the ability to find, analyze, manage, present and share information as well as the ability to adapt rapidly to the changes brought about by the availability of information, is a critical skill for 21st century citizens. Students need to become skilled in the use of the range of technology resources they will encounter. These skills will not come from special computer classes or from drill and practice computer use, but through the full integration of technology in their education. As 21st-century jobs become increasingly information based, workers need to: • use multimedia tools to communicate and present ideas and concepts orally and in writing • separate the important, relevant information from the vast mountain of information available • quickly learn specialized information in an ongoing fashion • work effectively in physical and virtual groups The District’s philosophy of integrating technology into the instructional program reflects these issues. Half Hollow Hills’ Professional Development courses aim to support staff members in becoming efficient users and integrators of technology within their classrooms.
The Google Suite 15 hours Location: HS East Library Mac Lab Date: Dec 6, 13, 20 and Jan 3 and 10 Time: 3:45 PM to 6:45 PM Instructor: Patrick Rendon Even though Google completes 112 million searches every day, few educators utilize the dozens of other Google applications. Many of these apps can facilitate learning and create new, novel lessons that will engage students. We will discuss the merits and uses of Docs, Forms, Voice, Scholar, Calendar, and other functions. You’ll even learn how to search more efficiently (and teach your students that searching is more complicated than clicking on the first result). Participants will leave with projects that they begin using in the classroom. Introduction to Blackboard – Secondary Teachers 7.5 hours Location: HS East Library Mac Lab Date: Jan 11 and 18 Time: 3:15 PM to 7:00 PM Instructor: Patrick Rendon This course would be designed for teachers who are interested in setting up a Blackboard class website. Participants will initiate their account, design the layout, and begin creating a robust, multimedia site. Blackboard combines eBoard, iNotes, Turnitin.com, wikis, and many other tools. It is a great way to get students engaged and working collaboratively Reading and Researching Using 21st Century Library - K-12 15 hours Location: HS West Library Date: April 19, 26 and May 3, 10 Time: 3:15 PM to 7:00 PM Instructor: Linda Lennon/Donna Miceli Become proficient in accessing newspapers, periodicals and databases online utilizing the HHH schools and community library subscriptions. Learn about electronic books and how they work with computers and portable devices such as Playaways, Nooks and Kindles. Create research projects electronically. We'll address plagiarism using turnitin.com
Memories: Creating a Class DVD 15 hours PDP Location: Chestnut Hill Room 302 Date: Jan 26 – Planning Class May 17, 24, 31 and June 7 Time: 3:45 PM to 6:45 PM Instructor: Robin Ciavarella Investigate the technology and classroom management techniques needed to enable your students to develop and distribute their own video dvd utilizing iMovie and iDVD. This course will guide participants to assist students in producing digital memories. Differentiate by developing activities for each student role. Instruction in the use of digital still cameras, digital video camcorders, digital video and audio editing software, and DVD burning and duplicating. *please bring cameras, headphones and microphones if you have them **laptop teachers please bring laptop (you need not be a laptop participant to take this class Animoto – K-12 5hours PDP Location: West Hollow Mac Lab 1 Date: May 7, 14 Time: 3:45 PM to 6:15 PM Instructor: Diane Calise Unlimited Videos For You and Your Students. Enhance your digital classroom with Animoto, the perfect tool for creating videos and presentations. It takes just minutes to create a video which can bring your lessons to life. In this PDP, learn to turn your photos and music into stunning video slideshows. You provide the photos, you pick the song, and Animoto will add the magic.
iMovie ’09: “Have Your 15 Minutes of Fame!” - K-12 5hours PDP Location: West Hollow Mac Lab 1 Date: April 23, 30 Time: 3:45 PM to 6:15 PM Instructor: Diane Calise Create, Collaborate & Share, all with iMovie 09. In this PDP you will: 1. Review the iMovie 09 screen to learn some of the Menus and Buttons. 2. Create a New iMovie 09 Project. 3. Import Video Clips/Pictures into iMovie 09. 4. Previewing Your Movie 5. Organizing Clips 6. Adding Clips to Your Projects 7. Adding Media 8. Adding Titles 9. Adding Transitions 10.Sharing Your Video 21st Century Information Literacy: Accessing and Evaluating - K-12 5hours PDP Location: West Hollow Lab 1 Date: March 5 & 12 Time: 3:45 PM to 6:15 PM Instructor: Diane Calise In this complex Information Age it is imperative that we as well as our students pay attention to the increasingly technical and ethical issues of information literacy in traditional print, multimedia, and computing arenas. This workshop will explore the ability to find, evaluate, process, use, and cite information found in each of these areas. Discover how to assist students in identifying reputable resources of value to meet their information needs. Experience a taste of iWorks ‘Pages’, to be able to present the skills learned in this class to our computer ‘savvy’ students.
iLife ‘09 Suite: iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iDVD, and iWeb 15 hrs PDP Location: HS East Art Lab Rm 553 Date: April 17, 24 May 1, 8, and 15 Time: 3:45 to 6:45 PM Instructor: Ben Wiley This hands-on course introduces teachers to the features and interface of iLife '09, and how it can be utilized throughout their classroom. iLife '09 is a suite of digital authoring tools that comes with every Mac: iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iDVD, and iWeb. Teachers will learn to create media-rich digital projects, and share them online with a few clicks. Featuring footage and images taken by course participants, the focused lessons will cover organizing and sharing their photo library to create polished video and soundtracks. Along the way, teachers will produce photo albums, movies, and music useful within their learning environment. Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop/Indesign Illustrator - Secondary Teachers 5 hours PDP Location: HS East Art Lab Rm 553 Date: Feb 7 and 14 Time: 3:15 PM to 5:45 PM Instructor: Ben Wiley High School Teachers 9-12 Explore the multiple attributes of the Adobe Creatiive Suite, and how the programs can be used in and out of the classroom. (Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign) Smartboard 15 hrs PDP Location: Candlewood Rm 708 Date: Jan 9, 30 and Feb 6, 13, 27 Time: 3:45 PM to 6:45 PM Instructor: Jolynn Sapia From the novice to the expert, learn how to navigate the Smartboard to be part of your daily teaching routine. You will learn how to take your pre-existing lessons and curriculum and enhance and develop them. Learn how to search educational platforms to find other relevant sources to integrate into your own lessons.
Databases Infused into the Curriculum 15 hours PDP Location: Candlewood Lab 112 Date: March 7, 14, 21, 28 and April 4 Time: 3:45 PM to 6:45 PM Instructor: Jolynn Sapia Take some of our existing databases such as Brain Pop, Soundzabound, Discovery Ed, and Enchanted Learning, and learn how to pull from these to create your own tailored lessons. Power Up Your Lessons with Powerful Tools: BrainPop/World Book Kids/Culture Grams 5 hours Location: Signal Hill Date: Feb 4 Time: 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM Instructor: Danielle Reed Investigate how the District subscriptions to BrainPop and World Book Kids can help infuse your lesson with some of the best educational content on the internet. Find images, graphs, video and sound bytes to enhance your instruction and entice your students. Learn about Culture Grams, a wonderful resource that can enhance curriculum with age-appropriate, high-quality digital content from primary and secondary sources spanning thousands of titles and multiple media types. Help your students learn about the many cultures in the world. iOrganize=iSaveTime 5 hours Location: Signal Hill Date: March 3 Time: 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM Instructor: Danielle Reed Are your files a mess? Do you always forget your favorite websites? Learn how to organize your files into folders and how to easily search for them. Discover the tips and tricks to navigating Microsoft Word. Save time and frustration by learning quick ways to format and convert documents using Zamzar.com. Bookmark and sort your frequently used websites.
Reading A to Z & Raz Kids – K-5 5 hours Location: Signal Hill Date: Jan 21 Time: 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM Instructor: Danielle Reed This is a wonderful online resource to support independent and guided reading at all levels. This website offers lesson plans, leveled books, and developmentally appropriate comprehension & phonics worksheets. The website also includes Raz-Kids talking books – ideal for emerging and challenged readers. This site offers interactive, animated, audio books and quizzes for students to utilize at school and at home. Participants will be given time to build rosters, assign books and learn how to track student reading activities. The iWork Classroom: Pages 10 hours Location: West Hollow Mac Lab Date: Jan 11, 18 and 25 Time: 3:45 PM to 7:05 PM Instructor: Milton K Strong The iWork Classroom: Pages, will look to use this specific application to enhance the overall classroom experience for faculty, students and parents. Offering a wide range of options, the course will explore the creation of Newsletters, Posters, Brochures, etc. that will undoubtedly enhance the connectivity of your instruction program. To provide meaningful experience for all participants, it is asked that you select a specific project that will guide your work. The iWork Classroom: Keynote 10 hours Location: West Hollow Mac Lab Date: Feb 1, 8 and 15 Time: 3:45 PM to 7:05 PM Instructor: Milton K Strong The iWork Classroom: Keynote, will look to use this specific application to enhance the overall classroom experience for students. As a dynamic presentation tool, Keynote takes PowerPoint to the next level. Boasting awesome effects and powerful graphics, Keynote has the power to peak your students’ interests while building a stronger bridge to your instruction program. To provide meaningful experience for all participants, it is asked that you select a specific project that will guide your work.
Podcasting with GarageBand 15 hours PDP Location: Candlewood Rm 112 Date: March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Time: 3:45 PM to 6:45 PM Instructor: Valerie Levy In this 15 hour workshop, participants will develop several sets of vocabulary lists, phrases and/or lectures that they will narrate and then “podcast” for student viewing and listening after mounting them on the District’s Podcast Server. An “enhanced podcast” uses still images (photos you take yourself and/or high resolution images culled from the Internet and/or slides from a PowerPoint presentation) simultaneously with recorded narration and/or music to impart information to an audience. The resulting product is a set of slides with narration that will then be placed on the District Podcast Server which will also allow downloading onto an iPod or viewing directly on the web. The slideshow can also contain hyperlinks to websites so that the viewer can be pointed to more resources. Podcasting, using GarageBand, can be taught to students so that they can create their own illustrated narrations which can be collected for assessment. These student works can be posted on the District Podcast Server. A great way to post student exemplars. **Participants must come prepared with vocabulary lists and/or phrases/topics of what they will be recording. Prezi: The Powerful Presentation Tool 5 hours Location: West Hollow MS Mac Lab 1 Date: Jan 10 and 17 Time: 3:45 PM to 6:15 PM Instructor: Jaclyn Tannazzo This workshop introduces participants from all content areas to the exciting and innovative presentation tool Prezi. Prezi is a web-based program that allows the user to create a non-linear presentation. Unlike other presentation programs, Prezi shows your audience how all the material connects and relates without the same repetitive “slides”. Prezi utilizes a spin and zoom tool to present the information. Your students will stay engaged during your entire presentation wondering where the screen will zoom and spin next. Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to create a Pezi during the first session and then during the second session you will use what you learn to create your own Prezi for immediate use in your classroom.
“Blogging” in the Secondary Classroom 5 hours Location: West Hollow Room 229 Date: March 7 and 14 Time: 3:15 PM to 5:45 PM Instructor: Jeannine Ortiz Many teachers have started to experiment with blogs. For some, a blog is an electronic notebook – one students can’t lose (or claim the dog ate). For others, it’s a forum where a class discussion can unfold 24/7. Either way, blogging can be a powerful educational tool. Participants will learn how to se up a blog, protect students online, and use the blog for a variety of purposes (personal expression, creative writing, online notebook, classroom discussions, and an introduction to using it with online web tools for media creation and productivity). Internet Productivity and Creativity in the Secondary Classroom 10 hours Location: HS East Room 229 Date: March 21, 28 and April 4 Time: 3:15 PM to 6:35 PM Instructor: Jeannine Ortiz Learn to harness the power of mashing (embedding) Web 2.0 projects into the secondary Language Arts or Social Studies curriculum. Participants will discover a variety of teaching ideas for enhancing the curriculum and making media-rich, student centered classrooms. “Blogger” will be the forum for the mash-up, where a variety of student work is published in a secure social network. Discover the potential that these exciting new learning opportunities can unleash in your students when they’re empowered with the ability to create and professionally publish for an audience of networked peers. Create an On-line Professional or Student Portfolio 5 hours Location: HS East Room 906 Date: March 3 and May 5 Time: 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM Instructor: Becky Merejo Teachers will learn to create a website that showcases their work, samples of students’ work, classroom, etc. Teachers will provide a sample of each of the domains per HHH portfolio requirements that incorporates 21st century skills. This workshop is geared for probationary teachers creating their portfolio, as well as for tenured teachers who wish to update their portfolio or have an online portfolio. Participants can also create a model so they can have students create online portfolios to showcase work done in the classroom.