Tech Tip: Google Drive

You know you've made it as a company when your name is synonymous with the service you provide. Need to know something on the Web?  Just "Google" it!  But Google provides more than just a search engine.  Google Drive is an outstanding tool for collaborating and communicating "in the cloud" (i.e. on the Web).  All you need to get started is a free Google account.  From there, you can create and share Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Forms (Surveys), and Drawings.  Sharing options include View or Edit.  You can also store your original documents like PDFs, Word Documents, PowerPoints, and even video files on Google Drive and access them from any Internet enabled device.  View the video tutorial below to learn more. Click here for more support from Google. In the coming weeks, I will be blogging about each of Google Drive's services, including Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and Forms.

Tech Tips: Three Ring

Now that you have a year's worth of experience with APPR under your belt, it may be worth your time to explore Three Ring, an iPad app for capturing artifacts that represent evidence of student learning.

From Three Ring's home on the iTunes Store: 

"The easiest way to capture qualitative evidence of student learning. Three Ring allows teachers and students to document anything, organize it in seconds, and have it seamlessly available at school and at home. Three Ring is your ultimate instructional resource and the easiest way to make portfolios, save artifacts for IEPs, demonstrate student learning in non-tested subjects and the Common Core and much more."

Getting started with Three Ring takes just a few minutes.  Content is organized around three types of information to allow for easy retrieval later on:  Class Name, Student Name(s), and Tags.  Tags are a labeling mechanism you create--subject area, type of activity, Common Core Learning Standard, etc.  The app allows you to capture video, audio, and/or photographic evidence and upload it to the Three Ring website.  Once it is uploaded, you can access your artifacts on the Web, share them with parents via email, and download/save them to your computer.

Check out the video tutorial below to learn how to use Three Ring.

Tech Tips: Kid Blog

By now, you have probably heard about the concept of blogging, or writing a "web log." If not, check out this short video from Common Craft, Blogs in Plain English.

Have you ever thought about setting up a space to enable your students to blog? Take a moment to read a blog post from prominent edu-blogger and practicing education administrator George Couros, as he outlines some key benefits of student blogging.

One of the tools I have found to be useful to support safe student blogging is Kidblog. Kidblog allows students to exercise digital citizenship within a secure, private classroom blogging space. From their website:

• Teachers have administrative control over all student blogs and student accounts.
• Your students’ blogs are private by default – viewable only by classmates and the teacher. Teachers can elect to make posts public, while still moderating all content.
• Teachers can add password-protected parent and guest accounts to the community at their discretion.
• Comment privacy settings block unsolicited comments from outside sources.
• Kidblog is fully COPPA compliant and does not require any personal information from students.

Check out this brief overview of Kidblog and learn how you can get started today!

Model Schools Summer Professional Development

 

Model Schools Summer Professional Development

The catalog of summer professional development events from the CNYRIC's Model Schools Program is now available:   http://www.cnyric.org/itdpdevents.cfm

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• All of our offerings are covered under the Model Schools CoSer--there is no additional charge for participants to attend. 
• We are offering on-line courses as well as face-to-face workshops at a variety of venues including the CNYRIC, Tully High School, Cortland Jr.-Sr. High School, and more.
• To register for events, participants can click the hyper-linked date in the far right column, which will take them to MyLearningPlan.
• If you would like to host a Model Schools workshop in your district, please contact the Model Schools Coordinator to schedule an event.  You will not be charged a Model Schools day so long as 20% of the seats are open to participants outside your district.  If you would like to host an event that is exclusive to your district's faculty, you would be charged a Model Schools day (each district has 3 days via the Model Schools CoSer).

We are looking forward to serving your teachers' and administrators'  technology integration needs!

ITD TALKS: Dr. Howie DiBlasi TALKS about Empowering the 21st Century Educational Leader

  

Dr. Howie DiBlasi, Digital Journey
Change is Good, You Go First: Empowering the 21st Century Educational Leader

March 14, 8:00 - 12:30

Keynote:  Change is Good, You Go First
"We need to prepare students for the world that is their future, not the world that is our past." Prepare students for the world that is their future. Engage learners, change the learning environment, and transform the way students are taught. Educators and administrative leaders can be the “Agents of Change” to upgrade our classrooms in the 21st Century. Empower our teachers, educational leaders and students by giving them more control over their own learning. Learn how to boldly step up to the challenges and the need for teachers to be prepared to teach in a technology-rich learning environment and meet the demands and challenges of 21st Century learning.
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Upon completion of the session participants will be able to identify, plan and evaluate:

• Technology that will develop proficiency in 21st century skills and support innovative teaching and learning
• Publish and share projects and communicate with students and adults worldwide
• Use software and the digital process to Integrate programs into the classrooms with new knowledge and skills
• Understand Social Media, PBL, collaboration, integration and how to implement into the classroom
• Connect students with Global Communities

Please join us for a great opportunity to meet with our keynote speaker and network with other curriculum and technology leaders! Register here.

Dr. Howie DiBlasi was recognized as “Vocational Teacher of the Year” for the State of Arizona and nominated as a finalist in the “Top Secondary Leaders in America”. He has been featured in several magazines as “A CIO that really thinks outside the box.” He is a published author, "Change Agent", Educational Technology consultant and the Producer of the “DID YOU KNOW“ YouTube series, Versions 2-3-4-5-6. He was recently recognized by the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration with the "Pinnacle Award" for outstanding Professional Development Programs. Dr. DiBlasi has extensive experience in the education field (20 years), as a business leader (10 years), and as a CIO (14 years). His emphasis is on Digital Technology, multi-media, Interactive Video Conferencing and 21st Century Learning. He has presented to thousands of Educational Leaders, administrators and teachers from Bangkok to Boston. Howie is a member of the I.S.T.E Board of Directors, serves on the TxDLA Board, and is Communications Director of the I.S.T.E. Special Interest Group for Interactive Video Conferencing and a member of the Alan November Consulting Team.

ITD TALKS: George Couros TALKS about The Networked Leader

George Couros, Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning for Parkland School, Alberta, Canada
The Networked Leader
January 18, 2013, 8:00 – 12:30

Keynote:  The Networked Leader
As society changes, schools seemingly are staying the same.  As school administrators, it is important to not only be instructional leaders, but we need to model for our organizations that we are also learners.  As the face of our schools/organizations, it is important that we learn, connect, and humanize our schools.  Social media gives us the opportunity to do this in a way that did not exist before.  In this keynote/workshop, George Couros will be articulating why networked leadership is so important to our organizations, and then offering practical ways that leaders can connect with some of the most innovative educators in the world to help further their organizations.  Learning, sharing, and leading are synonymous; it is important that we share how this can be done in an effective manner in our schools today.  ^
Please join us for a great opportunity to meet with our keynote speaker and network with other curriculum and technology leaders! Register here.

George Couros is the Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning for Parkland School Division. He resides at the Centre for Education working closely with the all schools in the division, as well as the Future Planning Team, Lead Team, Learning Services Department and Information Technology Department where he pushes the leading edge in implementing Alberta Education’s new Goal Two – Educational Transformation. George has worked with all levels of schools from K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school based administrator. He additionally co-facilitates Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great Results leadership training, and is a leader on the effective use of social media to improve student learning. He is a sought after speaker on the topic of innovative student learning and engagement. George is also the creator of the Connected Principals blog site as well as the founder of Connected Canada.  His focus is to help organizations create optimal learning environments for innovation within schools. 

Although George is a leader in the area of innovation, his focus is always the development of leadership and people and what is best for kids.  He uses humor as a way to connect with all of those that he works with.  His presentations are known to be both informative and entertaining, yet creating an emotional connection that helps people move to the next level.  His mix of research, personal stories, and practical ways to implement new learning help participants feel comfortable in taking risks in their own learning.  You can learn more about George at his site http://georgecouros.ca/blog/.

ITD TALKS: Eric Sheninger TALKS About Leadership 2.0 and Anywhere, Anytime Learning

Eric Sheninger, Principal, New Milford High School, Bergen County, NJ
Leadership 2.0 and Anywhere, Anytime Learning
November 14, 2012, 8:00 – 12:30

Keynote: Leadership 2.0
The educational landscape is changing as a result of continuous advances in technology and changing learners. As a result, educational leaders must recognize this shift and lead by example in order to meet the diverse needs of key stakeholders in the 21st Century. The time is now to harness the power of digital tools and social media accessible today to improve communications, enhance public relations, establish a brand presence, increase student engagement, discover opportunity, and grow professionally like never before. ^

Breakout Session: Anywhere, Anytime Learning
Personal Learning Networks (PLN’s) have been around for centuries and can be defined as relationships that individuals leverage for learning. Come learn how 21st Century educators can utilize the Internet and Web 2.0 tools (micro-blogging services, social networking websites, social bookmarking tools, RSS feed readers digital forums) to create their PLNs and customize their “always-on” learning networks.

Please join us for a great opportunity to meet with our keynote speaker and network with other curriculum and technology leaders! Register here.

Eric Sheninger is the Principal at New Milford High School located in Bergen County, NJ. He is passionate about establishing and fostering learning environments that are student-centered, collaborative, flexible, and prepare all learners to succeed in the 21st Century.  As an educational administrator he firmly believes that effective communication, listening, support, shared decision making, and the integration of technology are essential elements necessary for the transformation of school cultures. Eric has emerged as an innovative leader in the use of social media and Web 2.0 technology as tools to engage students, improve communications with stakeholders, and help educators grow professionally. Eric is a NASSP Digital Principal Award winner (2012), Google Certified Teacher, ASCD 2011 Conference Scholar, co-author of "Communicating and Connecting With Social Media: Essentials for Principals", writer on education for the Huffington Post, co-creator of the Edscape Conference, and was named to the NSBA "20 to Watch" list in 2010 for technology leadership. He now presents and speaks nationally to assist other school leaders to embrace and effectively utilize technology. His blog, A Principal's Reflections, was selected as Best School Administrator Blog in 2011 from Edublogs.