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TWTW Teaching with the Web |
The Instructional Technology Journal of Volume 2, Number 4 August 15,
2006 |
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Laptops Come Back to School OK 8/15/06 The new school year started with almost no
problems with laptops being attached to the network. There was only one computer reported with
viruses and it was caught before it could infect the rest of us. Only three laptops required physical
repair. One had been dropped and the
screen was shattered. Another had been
dropped and the CD/DVD drive was broken.
And the third had been dropped while the flash drive was attached and
all four USB ports had been damaged. That means that more than 580 laptops
returned to school from the summer in full working condition. Re-distribution of laptops – turned in
by teachers who left the district over the summer – to new hires is almost
complete. OCS staff have been checking
school inventories (kept in Follett) to determine that all laptops were
returned, checked in, and then checked out for the 2006-2007 school
year. That process will be completed
the week of August 21. All classroom
teachers should have their laptops by the end of that week. Teachers new to the district for
2006-2007 will soon be scheduled for a three-hour training session. The session will have a short “how-to”
component – but the great majority of the time will deal with using the
laptop to plan for instruction and for direct teaching. Those sessions will begin the week of
August 28. |
Important Teacher Notes · One of the first things teachers
should do to start the school year is to get parents’ email addresses. Email is an important tool for
communicating with parents about student behavior, assignments, attendance,
grades, projects, and other important topics. · Teachers should be sure to have
their laptops at work every day. The
laptop is an important teaching tool.
In addition, it is the main tool through which teachers are to take student
attendance, give student grades, and regularly check their district
email. · Each school is served by an OCS
staff member or by an on-site technology specialist who will assist with
problems related to your classroom laptop and projector. · Each school also has one staff
member who has been designated the on-site technical support person. That person is the “first responder” to any
technology problem at each school.
Find out who is your OSTS person and know how to contact her or him. · The best way to get help with a
technology problem is to email a detailed description of the problem to your
OSTS person with a copy to your OCS staff member. |
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Instructional Technology Coach 8/15/06 District 50 is interviewing candidates for
a new position, the Instructional Technology Coach. The qualifications for the position can be
found at http://www2.gwd50.org/Vacancies/VacancyList.htm. The
essential duties and responsibilities of the ITC will include assisting
teachers in using technology as a tool to support instruction, developing
standards-based model lessons that include the use of various technologies in
the learning activities, planning staff development for teachers in the use
of various technologies for teaching and learning, collaborate with
principals and instructional specialists in planning to help all teachers
improve technology-based teaching skills, and more. The ITC will work with the directors of
elementary and secondary education to develop technology-based resources for
closing the achievement gap and to meet standards-based instructional needs
that can have an impact on AYP and school report card results. The ITC position will be filled as soon as
possible. Helpful Hint: Your laptop’s battery will last about two
hours between full charges. Keep it
plugged in as much as possible to maintain the best charge. |
Site Survey: Websites that Educate,
Enlighten, Entertain, and Engage ·
PE Central ·
K-12 Resources for Music Educators ·
Bartleby.com ·
Colouring Book |
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The Laptop-and-Projector Project Website Instr. Resources:
http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/StaffDevResources.htm
Previous TWTW Issues: http://www2.gwd50.org/techplans/TWTW-Index.htm
Tech Project:
http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/TechPlan2006.htm
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