Technology Services Blog

DTC meeting this Thursday, April 24th

Agenda
1. Communications - For the good of the order.

• Thought provoking video: We Think
• DTC-ROP: 3-27-08
• Purchasing Flyer Update
• Network Updates: Email, bandwidth, latency, filtering
• Mac User group: Set dates and time for the rest of the year
• MySpace issue and resolution - Interesting Story
• Highlights from the Blog Watch

2. District Programs and Initiatives

• Status of the District’s strategic planning and technology
• Interactive Classroom Projects - Status, Visits and next steps

3. Staff Development

• Web 2.0 for PSD: We could have PSD Google accounts next year
• State of blogging in PSD. Should we do more?
• Next year and the DTC providing Staff Devlopment opportunties at their buildings

4. Focused Committee and Sub Committee Work

• None

5. After hours - 5:30 to 6:30

• Hands on training with Google Reader

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Resource for tech integration ideas based on Marzano’s work

I received this link from a teacher at Purdy. I think this goes a long way “filling” in some of the meat and potatoes for our recent technology plan. Have a look and I’d be interested if you think these ideas will work for us.

Check it out!

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“We Think”: The revolution of the 21st century?

I ran across this video and thought it may lead us to some clearer reasoning as to why Web 2.0 tools must be integrated into our educational system. This is Charles Leadbeater’s video and he is also is the author of We Think: The Power of Mass Creativity. It looks like it could be a good read.

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TechHead! A source for software specially priced for education

College and K-12 students and staff: Save hundreds of dollars on software delivered right to your door! In order to take advantage of these great deals on software from Microsoft, Adobe, and more, you must be enrolled at a participating college, university, or school district — or be a faculty or staff member. If you’re a K-12 student, you’ll need a parent or guardian to complete the process as well.

http://www.techhead.org/

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Screen capture for free!

Here’s another great tool I have been playing around with over the weekend. The best way to see it in action is to watch this YouTube video. It is a good overview of what you can do with it. Although this video is demonstrating the product on a Mac, it really does work the same way on a PC. Great classroom tool. Who wants to try?

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This makes me really think about the future

I have been taking about small, portable, wireless devices for students. Have a look at this….

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Social bookmarking just got very interesting

Watch this video about Diigo, a Web 2.0 tool that moves social bookmarking to a whole new level. Just imagine the possibilities for your classroom. I’d love to hear what you think.

Posted in District Technology Committee, Instructional Technology, Staff Development, Video | 1 Comment »

Are you a 21st century learner?

I think this video says a lot about what we as adults must confront when talking about learning and what it looks like in our society. It would be fun to show this at a staff meeting and see who may see themselves as a 21st century learner. The obvious question is should we be?

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District Technology Committee Meeting this Thursday

Agenda

Communications

• The ongoing conversation: A short video to help frame our thinking
• Technological Consumables - Who pays for projector blubs, laptop batteries, ink, toner, etc.? These have traditionally been and continue to be a building responsibility. The passage of a Tech Levy could change this if it becomes part of the plan.
• State Report: OSPI’s initiatives for Student GLEs, Draft Teacher Skills Standards (OSPI), Admin Draft Skills Standards (OSPI) and Draft Library Media Specialist Skills Standards (OSPI). These new drafts are a response to NCLB requirements that will also have a reporting element. (Think survey)
• What’s next now we have a state approved technology plan. You’ll need to think about a SIP plan with yearly technology strategies within at least one goal area, the annual tech inventory and tech surveys for students and staff
• Technical Services and Support Update on the Infrastructure and Plans for the Future 
  • Personal Email:  We need to be careful about the use of district accounts for personal communications. The help desk can not serve those requesting help with personal email issues in or out of the district.
  • Please submit all requests for work either through help desk calls or work orders.  Please do not contact people in the department directly.  It causes problems with issue tracking, and we can’t follow up on problems.
  • Phone display changes: Moving to a location based naming scheme only. Phones should never be moved! This is a 911 compliance issue.
  • Email Bounces: We are working with an outside vendor to fix the problems, but at this time we have no solution.  We will be notifying all staff when the issues are resolved.
  • Network Speed/Latency: We have been approved by K20 to get our bandwidth cap raised, but at this time we are maxed out.  We will be tripling our bandwidth, but it may be a couple more weeks.

Staff Development

• Review of available resources, promotion and building training opportunities
• Update on interactive technologies projects now underway at all buildings
• Web 2.0, RSS and how an aggregator can tame your web aggravations
  • JB’s “starred” Google Reader items

 District Programs Updates         

• None

Macintosh Users Group PLC - New!

• Drop in from 3 PM to 4 PM before the official committee meeting starting 3/27/08. Yes this means any committee member wanting to drop by and talk Mac and Mac support with Technical Services is welcome. 

After hours - 5:30 to 6:30 PM - New!

• A new voluntary Web and Classroom 2.0 training opportunities for committee members. The future is web based applications. For this installment JB will lead the group through setting up Google Reader  and RSS aggregation.

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Students do have something to say … Are we listening?

A short video summarizing some of the most important characteristics of students today - how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University.

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