Lower School MiniLab Schedule 2012-13

Hi all,

Below, you will find the new LS MiniLab schedule.  If you would like to sign up for time in the lab beyond your tech classes, Catherine Miller will keep the schedule on the door, and you are welcome to sign up. 

Charlie Hennessy's Beginning of the Year Presentations

If you missed any of Charlie's presentations this morning, or would like to review any of the finer points of his wisdom, the links to the Prezis can be found below:

Changes at HTS:



Strategic Plan:



Discerning Meaningful Action:



News Updates:



Grades, Grading and Testing:



Rules, Reminders and Legal Restrictions



Schedules:



Technology at HTS:

Welcome Back to School!

A Few Notes for HTS Tools 101

Following is the outline Chris Clark will be working from on Tuesday afternoon.  We'll add more how-to notes if needed later in the week.

Overview of HTS website - www.htsdc.org

• frequently used links
• calendars
• student directory (has not been updated for 2012-2013 school year yet though)
• faculty page --> password:  stignatius
• schedules, class lists, how-to's, forms, etc. etc. can be found here, but is a little under construction at the moment

Network Drives

• H drive for personal stuff (only you and a few admins have access)
• N drive for NetDocs (all faculty/staff has access)
• shared documents
• report cards
• T drive for SAT files (all faculty/staff has access)
• documents regarding students with special needs
• generally NOT a good idea to share things on the C drive or "My Documents" folder

HTS Email

• webmail version
• sync with Microsoft office (requires an admin to set up for you)
• add to iOS (iPhone/iPad) or Android or home email program (Mail) like a regular Gmail account (willing to help if needed) 
• you may email a group of people:

allschool@htsdc.org

assistants@htsdc.org

classof2012@htsdc.org

classof2013@htsdc.org

classof2014@htsdc.org

classof2015@htsdc.org

early@htsdc.org

gavigan@htsdc.org

lower@htsdc.org

office@htsdc.org

technerds@htsdc.org

tutors@htsdc.org

upper@htsdc.org

Cornerstone - our online database/ online gradebook (used by upper school only)

• entering grades
• household viewable setting --> YES for everybody now, may change to NO for Lower School pending administrative approva
• printing class lists

Wordpress - for teacher webpages

• where students can find your page
• updating current page
• changing color of text
• making a link to a webpage
• uploading & making a link to a file
• weekly task of archiving****
• saving current week to new draft
• renaming the newly created copy
• going back to the current week's page and editing that page (should be page with just your name in the web address)
• linking newly created last week's page to HW archive page

SMART Notebook - 

• not too much detail here because of other workshops
• posting PDFs of SMART Notebook files to website

Google Calendar

• adding a test date, long-term project due date, special event
• can add more special events to "Grade Level Public Events" or "HTS Main" and it will automatically display on the HTS homepage
• excellent way to communicate to students, parents, colleagues, and principal

Use the technology!

• it's transparent (website, Cornerstone, Google calendar) - for your students and their parents
• more questions, confusion, and misunderstandings if you are not transparent
• less questions, confusion, and misunderstandings if you are transparent
• allows students and parents to know how well they are doing (Cornerstone)
• eliminates many (but not all) student errors of doing the wrong page, wrong problems, etc. (website)

• allows students to review material on their own time if needed (SMART Notebook, website)
• keeps a record in case you ever needed to look back (website, Cornerstone)
• communicates much easier than email
• more questions, confusion, and misunderstandings if you are not transparent
• less questions, confusion, and misunderstandings if you are transparent

technology blog maintained by Mary Beth Morell (http://htstechnologyblog.blogspot.com)

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technology wiki maintained by Polly Sileo 

happy to install software you may wish to use…please just ask

generally only users with administrator privileges can install new software on computers

Christopher Clark

Charlie Hennessy

Mary Beth Morell

Polly Sileo

Notes for the Strategies for Searching, Researching and Citing Sources

Following are some notes and resources from Monday afternoon's session.

1. The Library is the place to start when guiding students to do research - and most resources can be accessed from home.

The library web page is under Academics on the home page.  Open the HTS Library page.  

The link can be found here.  

Information for students and parents is given as well as links to encyclopedias and databases from home.  Explore, learn and have fun!

We encourage you to take advantage of Britannica Encyclopedias, Grolier Suite of Encyclopedias, SIRS Discoverer® and NoodleBib Citation Maker from home.  The school subscribes so our students can find credible information without ads or popups.  Britannica and Groliers have dictionaries and atlases and give MLA citations.  All need to have cookies enabled.  To use or sign up go to the Holy Trinity Home Page – HTS Local – HTS Library Main Page and choose Library Resources from Home.  Follow the directions .

Britannica and Image Quest by Britannica

Click on the Britannica link. The username is:  holytrinityes and the password is Ktwelve.

Choose a Level to Explore, Search, and Learn:  Pre-K – 2 Learning Zone, Elementary, Middle or High School or all may be searched.

Image Quest: Access more than two million rights-cleared images from over 50 of the best collections in the world.

Grolier Online Encyclopedias

Click the link that takes you to the enrollment page.  Answer the four questions and submit.

Patrons 13 and younger may need to wait for parental notification but patrons 14 and older get a username and password delivered to their e-mail box immediately with further instructions and tips for access.

We subscribe to six:  Encyclopedia Americana, Grolier Multimedia, New Book of Knowledge, New Book of Popular Science, Lands and People, and America the Beautiful.  When Grolier opens you will be in what they call their Passport section.  Grolier Online for Kids, aimed at younger students, can also be accessed from here, but all encyclopedias can be accessed from both.  A dictionary, atlas and Associated Press Daily News Section written for kids are also included.

SIRS Discoverer® 

Click on the SIRS link.  The User Name is Titans123 and the Password is 20007.  (Think mascot and HTS Zip code.)

Searching for a specific topic is done in a search box or by clicking on buttons for general information.  Sources returned come from reference materials, periodicals, newspapers, web sites, Comptons Encyclopedia, World Almanac for Kids, American Heritage Dictionary, Roget’s II: New Thesaurus and photographs.  When using the citation information choose MLA format.

NoodleTools

Each of our Upper School students should have an account with NoodleTools, which is helps them organize and properly cite their sources.

NoodleTools has a number of online tutorials to help you understand how to best use this website.  Some of the tutorials were mentioned in a previous blog entry, which can be found here.

Off campus a user who enters NoodleBib remotely will be prompted to log in to the subscription when he/she clicks "Create a Personal ID" on the login screen.  Use the name and password below for access and then create your Personal ID as above or if you already have one choose login.

Username: citations

Password: titans1112

Or if you have Microsoft Office 2007 on the References Tab are options for inserting Citations, Endnotes, Footnotes and creating Bibliographic citations.

Holy Trinity uses MLA style for citations. 

A Few Notes on using Destiny to find books in the HTS Library:

Searching and Researching on the Web - A few go-to resources.

If you would like to brush up on your Internet Searching Skills as you embark on a research project with your somewhat tech-savvy students, some of the best resources come from the website Common Sense Media, and Google Education:

Common Sense Media

I particularly like the resource to help students figure out how to identify high quality sites:

(click here for link to the handout)

Google in Education

One way to practice your own search strategies is with a Google A Day Challenge:

Go ahead and try it!  It's a bit addicting :)

Google has a number of wonderful posters, with simple search tips:

And a few notes on Wikipedia.  I covered this topic in a previous blog entry, which can be found here:

Any other questions?  We are always here to help...

Some Great Web 2.0 Tools for HTS Teachers

Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers on Prezi

Polly and I have been brainstorming, and have come up with a huge list of Web 2.0 tools to introduce in our workshop next week.   I thought it might be helpful to post our resources in advance.  If you have a few minutes to review the resources, and have any questions about how they might best work in your classroom, let us know. A number of "how-to" videos have been embedded in the Prezi, so you always have the resource sat your fingertips :)

If you have a few minutes to explore this Prezi, be sure to select the "full screen" option above the "more" tab.

Enjoy!

Mary Beth and Polly

Integrating Technology ... with Prezi

Hi all, I've spent the day experimenting with a super cool web-based presentation tool called Prezi...  I created a presentation for the Integrating Technology workshops Polly and I have been hosting - some which have already taken place, and others scheduled for a few weeks from now.

If you have a few minutes to explore this Prezi, be sure to select the "full screen" option above the "more" tab.

You'll find a huge number of resources here to spark your imagination.  We hope that you'll be able to take a bit of time to explore a range of techie options for your classroom next year.  I was able to imbed videos for TedEd, the Google World Wonders Project, Google Earth and more... so please take some time to explore those possibilities.

Let me know if you have any questions at all - or have other resources to add... and hope you are enjoying your summer,

mb

From iLearn Technology: Scholastic's Listen and Read

Thanks to a blog posting on iLearn Technology, I discovered this wonderful free set of ebooks from Scholastic.  I have reposted the entry below, with thanks to iLearn Technology - a blog dedicated to integrating technology into the classroom.  I recommend you subscribe by Email - the link to the blog can be found here:

 

What it is: Scholastic is constantly sneaking new great resources for the classroom onto their site. The other day I learned about one that I haven’t seen before from @rmbyrne on his great blog Free Tech for Teachers. Listen and Read has fantastic online reading activities for early learners. There are 54 nonfiction read-along books that include words, images and sound. You can sort books by subject including: Community, American History, Animals, Civics and Government, Environmental Studies, Plants and Flowers, Science and Social Studies. You can also sort books by level (A or B).

How to integrate Listen and Read into your curriculum: Non-fiction can be hard to read in the early years. It often includes unfamiliar words and vocabulary and concepts that students don’t have a lot of prior knowledge of. Scholastic’s Listen and Read is fantastic because it helps students navigate their way through non-fiction with the support of a read-aloud, sounds and images. These interactive books help students better comprehend content because they aren’t focused on the words they are stumbling through. At the end of the book students can click on the unfamiliar new vocabulary to hear the word said again. This follow-up exposure reinforces word recognition, vocabulary and ideas.
Scholastic Listen and Read can be set up on classroom computers as a reading center. Students can read and listen independently with headphones. After reading through the story, students can discuss with a partner (or as a whole class) what they remember about each of the “sound it out” words from the story.

If you don’t have the ability for students to read these non-fiction books independently, use a projector connected computer or interactive whiteboard to read as a whole class.

Tips: Some of the titles are offered in both A and B level. This is great for a little differentiation within the classroom (while gaining the same concepts).

Polly's Tech Tips

Tech Training Handout

May 9, 2012

www.wolframalpha.com

Great search engine. Better than Google because it gives you all information in one place.

www.qwiki.com
Gives you a “tour of info” when you do a search

Update your web browser to Google Chrome, there are so many benefits. Here are a few:

• Save favorites to one computer and they will show up on another (which will means you don’t have to remember all these sites!)
• Narrow down your searches (like recipes)
• Peal off a tab
• Conversions can go straight into the search bar
• Click the microphone to “speak” your search (might be good for little ones)

Save websites to favorites, either put them in folders or add them to the favorites bar.

If you have a remote for your projector you can pause the screen. This will keep the current view on the screen, even if you change the view on the computer. This will allow you to do things on the computer while leaving work up for the students. You can also mute the screen.  This will blacken the screen without turning the projector off. This is helpful if you want to quickly get the students’ attention and it will not take time to warm back up, as soon as you hit mute again the screen will come back on.

www.evernote.com
You can install the evernote app on phones and iPads. Then when you go to the site it will allow you to make notes, grocery lists, etc. They will automatically sync with your mobile devices and will be available on any computer.

www.pinterest.com
An app as well as a website. Follow people who you know will have things you are interested in, and then follow the people they follow. Pollygee, Tammy Worcester, etc. If we follow each other we can share ideas amongst the staff. There are lots of teachers on pinterest, and they are all sharing great ideas websites and apps.

www.ifaketext.com
Create a fake text message. Use it to get students attention, or have them create a text conversation as part of a project to show understanding of a historical event.

www.drawzit.com
A simple way students can draw and share. You can use it on the iPad, but it has flash so you have to use it through the app ROVER. You can have students draw and label parts of a flower, or heart, volcano etc., draw a picture to go with a story they wrote, draw a character or creature and then write a story to go with the picture, draw a scene that goes with their history book, make polygon people, etc.

Use www.google.com to search for sites according to reading level. Click Advanced search, then put your search in the search bar, use the “reading level” pull down menu and select desired reading level.

http://classtools.net/main_area/template_loader.php/?fruit_machine
Use this random name picker for a fun and fair way to pick students in your class. (If you have a list in word or excel, just copy and paste the list).

http://www.online-stopwatch.com

http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/clock.html - an interactive clock

http://www.kisstunes.com/

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/music/piano/guitar.htm
two options for turning your computer into a piano

www.exchange.smarttech.com
Do a search for a lesson you will be doing soon. You can combine slides from different
lesson you’ve downloaded. You will need to create an account but it’s free.
Find templates to make games.
Check out Teacher recommended resources and top download.

Smartboard Resources
Gallery – images as well as activities available, save into “my gallery” for easy future
access
Use Cloner and infinite cloner to make one duplicate of infinite number of duplicates
Lock images in place that you don’t want to move so the kids don’t move them
if students have trouble moving objects have them use their knuckle instead of their
fingertip

My Weekend with Pinterest

I'm continuing to explore treasures from the MSET Conference, and spent a few hours this weekend setting up a board on Pinterest full of techie teacher ideas:

According to the website Hongkiat.com:  "Pinterest is a platform that allows you to showcase your interest and ideas via the simple act of pinning. This pinned collection of yours is easily shared to your network of followers or friends. They, in turn, can continue pinning materials from your board to theirs and spread the info further, all at the speed of a click.

 The potential behind this information transfer is enormous and now that the technology for it exists, academicians and educators should be quick to jump on the bandwagon and start pinning as well. To help this process along, onlineuniversities.com has created this infographic showing the ways educators can use Pinterest to collect, organize, collaborate and encourage active learning amongst students. Think of it like the bulletin board you always pass by at the school corridor – only more regularly updated and with plenty of space for just about everyone to put their stuff up and show to the whole school and beyond."


One of the many things I pinned this weekend was the infographic from this website:

I would not encourage our students to use Pinterest, as there is simply no way to manage privacy settings within the site, but after even a little bit of time this weekend, I do think it would be an amazing tool exploring ideas with networks of like-minded teachers.

Treasures from the MSET Conference

Polly, Catherine and I had the opportunity to go to the MSET Conference last week.  As always, it was a treasure trove of great ideas for use of technology in the classroom.  I wanted to share a few resources we found with you all.

The first resource is an incredible blog titled: technology rocks. seriously.  If you are a Lower School teacher, I would recommend you bookmark it.  It is full of hundreds of resources to integrate technology into lessons - and also to use technology to make classroom management easier.  Be sure to consult the tag list to find resources that would work best for you:

http://www.technologyrocksseriously.com/

Tammy Wooster is always one of the most popular presenters at MSET.  She compiles exhaustive resources for using technology in the classroom... and creates excellent online reference sheets.   The list below will link you to her handouts for this year.  As we are beginning to introduce iPads into the Lower School, we were particularly interested in "Have an iPad - How do I Use it in the Classroom?"  For Upper School teachers who are increasingly using Google Docs, I think you would be interested in her resources on Google Spreadsheets and Forms (did you know you can create an online test that will correct instantly?) and Google Activities for Kids.

http://www.tammyworcester.com/TWHandouts/New_Handouts/Entries/2012/4/19_Common_Ground_2012.html

Catherine attended a session titled: Technology Power Hour.  The presenters used a program called Symbaloo to organize a comprehensive list of cool Web 2.0 tools that can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom.  Just click on each icon to link to a potential resource:

www.symbaloo/mix/technologypowerhour

A few of the resources we immediately thought could be used in HTS classrooms included:

Popplet - a graphic organizing tool

http://popplet.com/

Spelling City - a tool that turns weekly vocabulary lists into games and activities:

http://www.spellingcity.com/

Storybird - Storybirds are short, art-inspired stories you make to share, read, and print

http://storybird.com/

If you get a chance to peruse some of the lists and have any questions about how to best use some of these ideas in your classrooms, let us know... we'd be happy to help.