EdTech Bits 3/18/13

EdTech Bits Below are a few Educational Technology bits of fun for you. These bits take the form of Webinars, Resources, Conferences or other bits. Some offerings might occur in the school day but may have archived content later. Enjoy!!

Questions or Comments: krose@cedarburg.k12.wi.us

Webinar - http://goo.gl/xuDPj

Flipped Learning Primer Part I: Basics of Flipped LearningMonday, March 18, 2013****TODAY****
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (CST)
Flipped Learning - You’ve read about it, maybe you have even attempted it.  Educators in elementary and secondary schools for all disciplines are embracing Flipped Learning.  Our community will kick off its webinar program with a three-part Flipped Learning Primer that will cover all the basics of this powerful type of learning. Discover how to move direct instruction from the group learning space to the individual learning space so that class time can be used for active problem solving by students and one-to-one or small group tutoring with the teacher. Have students come to class ready to jump into the lesson, answer questions, work on collaborative projects, and explore the content further by providing short lectures for them to watch as many times as they wish on their own time. Join Flipped Learning Network’s Jonathan Bergmann and Kristin Daniels on March 18th to learn more about Flipped Learning and how to reach all of your students in every class every day.  They will introduce the concept of Flipped Learning, where educators actively transfer the responsibility and ownership of learning to their students.

Free Resource - http://edweb.net
edWeb.net
edWeb.net is a professional social network for the education community with FREE Professional Learning Communities and Webinars.  Join and receive their weekly email with links to free, quality materials. edWeb is a great way to expand your Personal Learning Network!

Free eCourse- http://goo.gl/mymi7
DIY: Web 2.0 Tools Course

Want to learn about Web 2.0 tools and start to develop your personal learning networks? Or maybe you're part of the year long Powerful Learning Practice Community experience, and just want to get geared up for your school's kickoff event. Either way, this Web 2.0 tools pregame is for you.

Webinar - http://goo.gl/U7wMe
BrainPOP and the Flipped Classroom
Wednesday, March 20
2:30 pm (CST)
Make homework fun and involve parents: try a “flipped” lesson! We welcome Katie Neville, master educator with more than 40 years of classroom experience and a current Technology Resource Teacher for Loudoun County (VA) public schools. She’ll show you how to build a flipped lesson using BrainPOP resources and our integration with Google. Explore different ways to engage parents and students in the process and hear some alternatives for those who don’t have internet access at home.

Webinar - http://goo.gl/b1syO
Blended Learning Strategies for Common-Core Math
Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 12 to 1 p.m.(CST)
School districts are tapping into online gaming, video instruction, and other blended learning techniques to teach math while also identifying the digital resources that pair with the goals of the Common Core State Standards. Our guests will review techniques and digital resources for math instruction that emphasizes the use of blended learning and meeting the new common-core requirements.

Microsoft Home Use Program: Office 2010

Take Office Home for $9.95
Microsoft Home Use Program Now available

Cedarburg School District Employees are now eligible to participate in Microsoft's Software Assurance Home Use Program (HUP). This program enables you to get a licensed copy of most Microsoft® Office desktop PC applications to install and use on your home computer.

Under the Home Use Program, our employees who are users of qualifying applications at work (e.g. Office 2010) may acquire a licensed copy of the corresponding Home Use Program software to install and use on a home computer. You may continue using HUP software while you are under our employment and as long as the corresponding software you use at work has active Software Assurance coverage. Please note that some product and language versions may not be available at the time you place an order.

An email with the instructions to access the Microsoft Home Use Program Web site was sent to all employees in September 2012. These instructions can be requested at any time by emailing the Helpdesk at helpdesk@cedarburg.k12.wi.us

Welcome Back!!

Greetings and Welcome Back from the  Technology Department

Over the summer, we have been busy preparing for the new school year and your return. This is just a quick update for you from the Technology Department detailing a few of the things that we have been working on for you and your students.

It’s Here – Google Apps for Education

Our transition began in the Spring of last year and was solidified on July 3^rd as our Groupwise email was put to rest.  We have over 70 seasoned Googlers as many of our staff members attended the summer training sessions in June and August. Don’t worry If you missed it,  there will be more opportunities coming soon to a computer lab near you!

In the meantime if you want to move your skills forward, visit the CSD Google Apps Portal Page  at http://google.cedarburg.k12.wi.us/ and on the left side of the page there is a green button that will link to  the CSD training and help topics.

Student Google Accounts

As you may know, students will also have Google accounts as part of our Google Apps implementation.  Student Google Account usernames are comprised of the first five letters of their lastname, followed by three letters of their first name and then their two-digit graduation year. 

For example, freshman Sheldon Cooper's Google Account username would be coopeshe16 and his email address would be coopeshe16@stu.cedarburg.k12.wi.us

• Students at the K-2 grade level have Google Apps accounts without email. The accounts are electronically monitored in compliance with CIPA. 
• Students grades 3 through 12 have Google Apps accounts with email.  The accounts are monitored electronically - additionally the email  is monitored and filtered in compliance with CIPA.  Students are able to email users within the district at this time. 

GroupWise Email Archive

GroupWise email along with some of our other longtime friends and colleagues has retired.  If you need to access your old email information, navigate to http://archive.cedarburg.k12.wi.us and log in.  You are able to view and print your old emails and information from this archive.

New Internet Filter Installed

We do have a new filter – its called the Rocket Box – sounds pretty cool, huh? As we are migrating from our current filter, the new client may not have been installed yet with your automatic updates.  If this is the case, You may need to log in with your username and password.  Please continue to submit blocked sites for review to the helpdesk.  Eventually we will have a new product to replace the Lightspeed Educational Video Library, but please continue use the EVL to practice safe video viewing habits with your students.

Wireless Infrastructure Updates

We have also completed updates to our Wireless Network infrastructure.  Wireless access is available in all buildings in all locations.  Other changes include a new CSD-public channel that is filtered with student level permissions and a CSD –Staff channel that first requires a wireless pass phrase that can be obtained from your building secretary.  Please do not share this password with students or write it down anywhere. After entering this password, you will login with your username and password to have access with staff level permissions.  The timeout for inactivity on the CSD-Staff access point  has been lengthened to 50 minutes.

New Computers

Our computer replacement cycle continues every summer with new or new to you computers in the District office CHS labs and offices and at Westlawn.  We are in the beginning stages of the district wide process of migrating to Windows 7 and Office 2010 – more information including training and support will be shared as the project progresses to your area.

Moodle

Our Moodle 1.9 server is being retired!  Our Moodle 2.3 server is up and running for use with students. Many teachers participated in classes and training this summer. We are excited to have this new moodle environment with new features to enhance our face-to-face instruction and move forward with blended learning environments.  More training and support is coming.

SMARTBoards and SMART Notebook 11

New SMARTboards have been installed in a few places in the district and we have continued the work from last year to upgrade machines to SMARTNotebook 11.  You will find a  "What’s new in Notebook 11" file that you can download here to help you with the upgrade if needed.  Training opportunities will be available later this year.

Looking ahead 

We are looking ahead to new projects this year...

• Revisions and updates to our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
• Writing and submission of the 2012-2015 Information and Technology plan for the DPI
• District and schools website revisions
• Developing new conduits for communicating important information from the technology office (like blog posts).  

And as always, please email the helpdesk if you have problems.

Again, welcome back, from Eric, Michelle, Nathan, Peter and Kirstin.  We are glad you are here!