May 2013
Lake Orion Community Schools
LOCS Technology and Media Newsletter Resources Create 3-Dimensional Models Your students can construct 3-D models with the use of two free online tools from Autodesk. 123 Design and 123D Make allow students to create a model and then print out the design to actually construct the model. In addition to online use, you download the tool for iPad as well as Mac or PC. Check it out - http:// www.123dapp.com/design#designApps Free Online Art View art for free from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art – over 20,000 art pieces are available for viewing on their online collection. LACMA houses the largest American collection of art west of Chicago. http:// collections.lacma.org/ Measuring America – People, Places, and Our Economy Measuring Amercia brings the United States census, from 1790 to 2010, alive online using photographic images. This online resource includes a section titled “Through the Decades: Fast Facts” which provides a pop culture context for any decade. http:// www.census.gov/history/www/ sights_sounds/photos/
Moving from Novell Netware to Microsoft Active Directory The Technology department is moving the Network Operating System (NOS) from Novell Netware to Microsoft Active Directory. We began this process last year by moving from the Novell GroupWise email system to Microsoft Office 365. We have been preparing the environment for the NOS migration throughout the school year and will begin implementation at the end of the current school year. The new NOS environment will enable the Technology department to more effectively and efficiently manage applications, printers and client workstations in addition to data security and availability. Furthermore, Novell is an outdated NOS that does not communicate well with newer systems. We ask you to please take note of the following information and necessary actions:
• Workstations and laptops may get reimaged over the summer. Please •
remove any pertinent data from the local C: drive (your hard drive & desktop) of your computer. Important data can be saved to your H: drive. H: drive (your user directory) content will be migrated over; however, to help aid in our effort to migrate the large amount of data to the new NOS environment it is critical that you remove any unnecessary or personal (pictures, music, videos, etc.) data from your H: drive.
• Teaching staff should complete the clean-up of both their C: drive and H:drive before they leave for summer break
• All other staff should complete the clean-up of both their C: drive and H:drive by Friday, June 21st - Remember, you only need to remove unnecessary or personal files from the H:drive. You will be able to continue to access your H:drive after June 21st.
• SHARED DRIVES: We will be moving data from the shared drives. However, please review the content and delete any outdated data that is no longer needed, especially in classroom project folders. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact your building technician through the help desk ticket system. They will be more than happy to assist you with all of your technical needs. http://www.getcaughtreading.org/
Featured App of the Month
iOS or Android Fun 5 Innovative Science Apps for Elementary Students Check out these science apps recently published by edudemic that might be useful in elementary science classes. http://edudemic.com/2013/04/innovative-science-apps-forelementary-students/
Nova Elements App The Nova Elements app is designed to be an interactive experience for students as they learn more about the periodic table. The app is broken into three main features: explore, watch, and play. The play feature is unique in that students are presented with common consumer goods and they have to identify the elements that are found in the products. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ nova-elements/id512772649
iOS or Android Fun 7 Ways to Use Your iPad in the Classroom This great article about using iPads in the classroom also comes with a nice infographic.
• • • • • • •
Show (on the big screen) Manage (the classroom) Assess (student work) Interact (with students) Access (your files) Make (instructional media) Learn (new things)
http://edudemic.com/2013/04/7-waysto-use-your-ipad-in-the-classroom/
2
Plant a Tree This free app is available for both Android and iOS, and with it students plant virtual trees and then must tend to and take care of them. Although the pages in the app store are written in Korean (Korean developer), the actual app can be played in English. iOS - https://itunes.apple.com/kr/app/id459727347 Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/ details?id=net.treepla.TreePlanet2&feature=search_result PBS Parents Play & Learn This free app is designed for use by parents with children 4 years of age or younger. The app includes 13 themed games that incorporate literacy and math skills. The app is available for iOS and Android devices. Check it out: http://pbskids.org/ mobile/pbs-parents-play—learn.html Photography Assignment Generator This free iOS app is great tool to use to learn how to become a better photograph. This app goes beyond the typical photo app because it includes assignments specifically designed to help the user learn the various elements of photography including camera settings, rules of composition, and creative shooting techniques. https://itunes.apple.com/app/ photography-assignment-generator/id590955218 46 Education App Review Sites for Teachers and Students This article curates resources across the web of sites that review education apps specifically for teachers and students. http://edudemic.com/2013/05/46-education-appreview-sites-for-teachers-and-students/
Resources PowerMyLearning is another great resource for teachers at any grade level. The site offers free online educational activities on a wide variety of subjects and topics for K-12. http://powermylearning.com/ Next Generation Science Standards The Science standards for the next generation are now available. Check them out here - http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards Popular Science Popular Science magazine is publishing their 140 years of archives online for free browsing. Each issue since 1862 appears just as it did at the original time of publication. What an excellent primary resource for teaching about science, history, and culture! http://www.popsci.com/archives Build a Paper Brain Using origami, student’s can make a replica of a brain that will help them learn the basic anatomy of the brain. Download the directions from the following website: http://www.newscientist.com/data/doc/teaser/mm/201304/paperbrain.pdf Nutrition in the Kitchen Fizzy’s Lunch Lab, produced by PBS, is a fun website to teach students about good nutrition, a balanced diet, and physical activity. The site includes recipe makers and fun themerelated animated videos. http://pbskids.org/ lunchlab/ Twitter Tips Still trying to figure out Twitter? Check out this article on 25 Twitter Tips for Students, Parents, and Teachers. http://edudemic.com/2013/03/25-twitter-tipsfor-students-parents-and-teachers/ Create a Visual Treasure Hunt Mission Map Quest (http://www.classtools.net/mapgame/game.php) is an online tool that can be used to create a treasure hunt of places around the world. You create the clues and students use those clues to find the location. When you finish creating the challenge, you can give students a web address or have them scan the QR code assigned to your Quest.
27 Ways to Flip the Classroom This relatively new classroom organization style has been adopted by countless teachers around the world. Typically, the kind of adoption flipped classrooms has seen is reserved for major things like the Common Core or even iPad integration. But flipped classrooms has teachers, administrators, and students all engaged and placing the learning on center stage rather than the teacher. http://edudemic.com/2013/04/27simple-ways-to-flip-the-classroom/
Resources MapStory Tell a story across geography as it unfolds over time using MapStory, a free online tool. To begin creating a story, you first select a dataset either from the MapStory or gallery or by uploading your own. Then you select a base map and create data points on your map. To see an example of a MapStory go to their website and check out the First Continental Railroad – http://mapstory.org/
American Government in Action Government in Action is an online 3D multiplayer game in which players get to play a member of Congress. This interactive game is a great way for students to explore American government that takes the player between Washington D.C. and their home district. This version is a demo only, but worth taking a look at for further consideration. http://www.mhpractice.com/products/GinA
Are You or Your Students Using Ev Ever ernote er note Yet? Check out this video of a 2nd grader who uses Evernote to improve her language fluency. http://edudemic.com/2013/03/ evernote-for-fluency/
20 Great Websites for Elementary Educators http://edudemic.com/2013/04/20-great-websites-for-elementary-educators/
4