December Tornado Technology
A Newsletter for 5th - 12th Grade Teachers
The Hour of Code is this Week!
Technology Goals
Do You Know There are 43 Apps Installed On All Student Chromebooks
Here's How You Find Them
Cyber Security News
CyberheistNews Vol #5 #38 Sept 1, 2015
Scam Of The Week: Drowned Syrian Boy
Lowlifes are exploiting the recent picture of three-year-old Syrian boy Alyan Kurdi. He drowned while attempting to reach Greece with his family and other refugees.
The picture is used for a variety of scams, Facebook spammers to start with. Their goal is to get as many Facebook likes as possible for their pages, which are called "like-farming scams". Followers are used later for other nefarious uses and sold to marketing firms. This Scam Of The Week focuses on the tactic “1share = 1prayer” which tricks people into sharing the post. I would send the following to your users:
"Scam Of The Week: Edited pictures of a three-year-old Syrian boy Alyan Kurdi. He drowned while attempting to reach Greece with his family and other refugees. Lowlifes use it in several scams, from phishing attacks trying to trick you into charitable gifts at bogus sites to scams on Facebook that use “1share = 1prayer” tactics, but later sell your information to other scammers. Remember, any time you see shocking news that tries you make you do anything, Think Before You Click!"
Makerspaces are Still Transforming
CMS Makerspace has been up and running for sometime already (Great job Mrs. Manhart). More work on how to tie your lesson content to the makerspace is being developed!
WES Makerspace has added some much needed storage. Additional materials for "making" are in the plans to make this space more usable for all content areas. If you need ideas on how to connect the makerspace to your content area contact me! Come by the CHS Makerspace on Thursday to see a demo of a laser printer!
The Research Behind the Classroom Sound System
Here are just a few of many sources that explain the research.
There are many possible interventions that can occur when a child performs poorly in school, but one that can be easily overlooked is a hearing check. Yet a growing body of research indicates hearing loss--even a minimal amount--can have a dramatic effect on everything from attention and behavior to academic performance. At the same time, data indicates, and experts in the field believe, that the introduction of sound reinforcement and sound amplification systems can help with this problem.
Classrooms can be noisy places. Any teacher who leaves work with a sore throat knows this, and research from audiologists and speech-language pathologists backs it up.
But because people can’t see noise—the rumble of trucks and cars outside a window, the whoosh of a heating and air-conditioning system, the squeak of chairs and desks sliding across tiled floors—eliminating noisy distractions gets short shrift when educators are thinking of ways to improve student performance, some researchers believe.
They suggest that classroom-amplification systems are needed for all students. In the most sophisticated of such systems, teachers wear microphones that project their voices to speakers strategically placed around their classrooms. These “soundfield” systems, usually about $1,000 a classroom, provide a smoother, louder sound with little reverberation and no feedback.
SmartTech.com
In fact, research has shown that classroom amplification can improve standardized test scores by 10 percent.*
A Study of Classroom Amplification Systems in 21st Century ...
Clinton Public Schools Technology Department
Use this site to plan a one-on-one visit with any of our tech specialists
CHS - Vanessa Perez
CMS and WES - Beth Richert
Email: beth.richert@cpsreds.org
Website: http://cpsreds.org
Phone: 580-323-1800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/329377420476316/
Twitter: @Tech4T3achers