December 2013
Lake Orion Community Schools
LOCS Technology and Media Newsletter Other Exciting Technology Developments Sharepoint Coming Soon!!
Microsoft SharePoint allows for the webbased storage of documents that can be accessed by students and staff from anywhere they can use a computer with Internet access. Staff and students can work on documents at home or at school without needing to copy files to a flash drive or other portable device. Staff will have private storage areas, as well as shared areas in which they can store files that can be shared by other staff members and/or students. Students will have a semiprivate storage area (also accessible to teachers), as well as access to a shared area. We are currently working on the development of the Scripps Middle School site to start. We hope to have this site fully developed and tested by early January. Once we have one completely finished, we will provide a detailed schedule of when we expect the rest of the schools to be completed. New Help Desk in the Works! The creation of a new Help Desk system that will provide a more robust and streamlined process for implementing and tracking help desk tickets both on the user end and on the tech resolution side is currently in the early development stages. The new Help Desk will provide technology staff the ability to access computers remotely and conduct troubleshooting and provide resolution more efficiently. Users will be able to track the status of their tickets as well as make follow-up comments without needing to create a new ticket. Additionally, there is a new feature called a “Knowledge Base” that will include links to documents and troubleshooting guides that will be accessible to all users to assist them with various technology needs. More details to come as this develops over the next few months!
New Technology on the Horizon Thanks to recent funding approved by the school board, Lake Orion staff and students will see new technology coming to a school near you over the next 6-9 months that will help support teaching and learning. See the details below. 1.
Computers All elementary schools will receive 30 new computers for their computer lab, as well as 15 additional laptops to help create one mobile classroom. Orion Oaks does not have a computer lab and will receive 45 laptops. • Each middle school will receive 6 laptop carts housing 16 laptops each. • The high school will receive 10 laptop carts housing 16 laptops each. • Expected implementation – Early Spring, 2014
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Interactive Projectors – Interactive projectors will be installed throughout the district in classrooms that do not currently have mounted projectors. Full details on each classroom that will receive a projector will be determined in conjunction with the building principal and final outcomes of the RFP bid process. Expected implementation – Late Spring/Early Summer, 2014
3.
CERC Server Room – The existing server room that houses all of our district equipment is receiving a much needed makeover. Renovations will include increased space to properly house district servers and network equipment, new racks to properly organize equipment, and electrical upgrades to ensure proper power supplies to equipment. Expected implementation – Winter, 2014
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Network Edge Switches – The switches located in network closets throughout the district are extremely outdated and do not provide the adequate speeds needed for supporting instructional technology needs. All network edge switches will be replaced which will result in increased network traffic speeds and more efficient distribution of network processes. Expected implementation – Summer, 2014 January Instructional Technology PD Day January 20, 2014
The survey results are in and planning for the January 20, 2014 Instructional PD day for over 400 staff members is under way! The LO TechnoDragons are working hard to make the sessions interactive and meaningful that will provide you immediate take-aways for use in your classroom!
Resources
Newsela – News from Around the World
Prezi for the Classroom Many of you are familiar with Prezi and are already using it in your classrooms with students. If you haven’t used it yet or just want to see a great example, check out the Independence Tour, a Prezi created by LOHS students for their history class. This Prezi provides an interactive tour of the battles and other important aspects of the American Revolution.
http://newsela.com/ This website compiles stories from a consortium of 50 different newspapers around the world. When you pick an article, you can change the reading level and assign that article to an entire class. Then, you can change the reading level on the SAME article and assign that article to a specific student(s).
Create Interactive Story Maps Have your students create interactive maps to tell a story. For example, they can document a historical time period, follow the travels of a book character, or create a travel guide. The Esri website provides templates for a variety of storytelling maps to help your students get started. Check out the templates here: http://storymaps.esri.com/templategallery/
“Waldon Middle School bulletin board created by Kat Montei” Lake Orion Community Schools
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December 2013 Technology Newsletter
Mobile Device Resources Visual Learning for the iPad The See. Touch. Learn. App by Brain Parade was designed specifically for use with those with autism or other special needs. The free version includes a set of images and 60 exercises. The app has 4.5 star rating in the Apple App Store and has received multiple recognitions and awards. Learn more about the app in the App Store by clicking here.
30 Apps Perfect for BYOD Classrooms Check out the Symbaloo created by Katie Lepi from Edudemic found in her article “30 Apps Perfect for BYOD Classrooms,” that identifies 30 different apps that are ideal for use in classrooms that allow BYOD. Many of the apps may be used with multiple platforms or are web-based and many of the apps would be useful in single device classrooms as well.
50+ iOS 7 Tips and Tricks Think you have the new iOS 7 completely figured out? Check out the 50+ Fantastic iOS 7 Tips and Tricks article by Jesse Virgil from the AppStorm website that provides over 50 tips that you may not be aware of and can help you optimize your iOS 7 experience on your iPhone or iPad.
Apps for Mobile PDF Creation Looking for ways for you or your students to create a PDF with mobile devices? Check out the article “3 Powerful Apps for Mobile PDF Creation” on Edudemic’s website.
Lake Orion Community Schools
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Visualize Math & Science Concepts with GeoGebra GeoGebra provides teachers with a vast array of dynamic math and science resources to support teaching and learning at all levels. The site contains tens of thousands of free materials including thousands of interactive worksheets and activities that can be downloaded to your computer or embedded into your Moodle page! Just go the GeoGebra home page and click on “Materials.” GeoGebra also has free apps for use with mobile devices. Use the links below to connect to the version you need. iOS version in the App Store Windows 8 version in the Windows Store Android Version in the Google Play Store
Create Chemical Reactions with goREACT goReact was created by the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and allows the user to interact virtually with elements and chemicals. You can create chemical reactions between elements, view images and videos of molecules that you create, or view an image of each of the 118 elements found on the Periodic table with a fun fact. The app has 5 star app rating in the iTunes app store. goReact is also available on Google Play. Both versions are free! Apple App Store Version Android App in Version Frog Dissection The Frog Dissection app for iOS devices provides “a greener alternative for teaching dissection in the classroom,” according to the description on iTunes. It’s been rated one of the best apps for replacing live frog dissections and since it’s only $3.99 in the iTunes store, it also offers an affordable option. This app is especially designed for middle level students and contains lots of vivid 3D images. For more details, check out the Frog Dissection app in the Apple App Store. December 2013 Technology Newsletter
Video and Photo Resources
Web 2.0
PBS Math Club Finding ways to make math interesting for middle school students can be a challenge, so PBS created the PBS Math Club. The club offers a web series via YouTube that utilizes other kids to teach middle school math topics aligned to Common Core standards. The videos include pop culture references to engage students including fun parodies and spoofs of movies. The series also includes quizzes for the students to complete after watching each episode. Check out the PBS Math Club. 197 Educational YouTube Channels You Should Know About The proliferation of videos available on YouTube can be overwhelming. Check out this recent article from the informED website that identifies some of the best YouTube channels for educators. Although 197 different channels may seem like a lot to go through, the list is broken up into various categories for easier perusing. Check out the full list by here. ArtBabbel ArtBabble.org features videos on art and artists from institutions around the globe. They have a special section just “for kids,” that are designed specifically for use with K-12 students.
ARKIVE – Science Pictures and Videos Arkive.org is a site with a wide variety of beautiful pictures and videos of animals, plants, fungi, and more! It also includes easy to read information about the species. You can search by species, place, or topic. If you see an image marked with a green flag or with the Creative Commons logo, than these pics and videos may be reproduced for educational purposes. Lake Orion Community Schools
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14 Web Tools for Teaching without Student Logins Want to utilize Web 2.0 tools without having to keep track of numerous student user names and passwords? Check out these 14 suggestions from Edudemic.
Augmented Reality Have you heard about the latest Augmented Reality (AR) trend? Check out this article by Techlearning.com that describes Augmented Reality and 15 great sites and apps for implemented Augmented Reality into the classroom. “15 Sites and Apps for Augmented Reality” AnswerGarden AnswerGarden (answergarden.ch) is fun way to gather feedback or conduct online brainstorming. Quick and easy and can be utilized in many ways. To check out an example, go to my AnswerGarden and provide a one-word answer to the question – “What is your favorite technology tool or resource?” Please respond even if you already see your answer on the screen. As more people answer, the words will populate and if people provide the same answer, those words will appear larger and darker to indicate a higher frequency of responses. 10 Terrific Mind Mapping and Brainstorming Tools This list of tools, provided by the Free Technology for Teachers website, includes mind mapping and brainstorming tools that be used in a variety of platforms including web based, iOS devices, and Android devices. Some of these tools you may have seen before, but several may offer something new! Check tools our here.
Practicing Grammar with Technology Check out these fun, interactive resources for practicing grammar skills with students provided by Tech&Learning. Two of my favorites Grammar Ninja Grammaropolis
December 2013 Technology Newsletter
All Digital citizens Protect private information for themselves and others.
Respect themselves and others in online communities.
Stay safe online by listening to their gut feelings.
Balance the time
Stand up to cyberbullying
they spend using media and doing other activities.
when they see it happening.
For information and resources about digital citizenship, visit www.commonsense.org/educators. Š 2012 www.commonsense.org
Link to Digital Citizenship Poster Lake Orion Community Schools
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December 2013 Technology Newsletter