Volume 5, Issue 14
TIS & THAT February 24, 2017
Snow Day Alternative By Mary Martin
In this issue:
Snow Day Alternative
Read
The West Virginia Department of Education has given each county in WV the opportunity to utilize a plan for learning when students are off for inclement weather.
Across America
National
Beta Club
Women’s History Month
Web 2.0 tools in the classroom
Preston County School system has created a plan for such incidents of school cancelation, to ensure they meet the 180 days of mandated instruction. The plan is entitled “Brain Freeze” and has been developed by the county academic coaches and TIS’s using the Office 365 Class Notebook platform.
Spring
Regional TIS meeting dates
Contributors
Each student in the WV school system has access to their own account and may download Office 365 on 5 devices at home. Students are able to access their assignments, receive instructional support and submit their assignments all remotely, using their Office 365 accounts.
The lessons include learning websites and instructional content that are rich in literacy and math and integrates social studies, science and the fine arts. As a trial run, Class Notebooks were created for each grade level and subject area by the TIS/academic coaching team. According to Steve Wotring, Preston County Schools Superintendent and Michelle Berry, Curriculum Director, the goal is that Class Notebook will assume a progressively larger role in the “traditional” classroom. With the move towards 1 to 1 device per student ratio, the use of Learning Management Systems and paperless classrooms will most likely become more of a norm in the school system. In preparation for the new snow day plan, Mark Moore, Coordinator of Office of Technology Integration & Support came for a day of training and support. Mark shared all kinds of useful apps that are included in our Office 365 “waffle”. Mark has created lessons that are on the WV Department of Education website. This included Office Mixes on OneNote and Class Notebook. Here is a link to the technology tutorials that are updated continuously.
http://wvde.state.wv.us/technology/office365/
Using technology as a platform for education allows more flexibility and individuality and thus increases student achievement.