Tech Teams Update
Design, Media, Instruction
Fall Learning
Happy Fall! Temps are dropping, pumpkins abound and scary creatures lurk around the corner this week! As the weather changes, we are focused on providing learning opportunities that meet the need of our awesome LISD teachers and staff. Do you have a learning experience that fits these learning spaces?
Design Learning. Create Connections. Lead the Way.
If you have an idea, please connect with Instructional Technology to find the right place to offer it. As we reshape our processes, we are working to provide more localized learning experiences that meet teacher's needs in LISD.
Digital Citizenship
We have a wealth of Digital Citizenship resources, activities and experiences. Library Media Specialists have built a Digital Drivers License course, Instructional Technology has compiled a multitude of resources and Design Coaches have worked with numerous campuses and teachers on what Digital Citizenship looks like for our students. In an effort to bring these pieces together, we will be redesigning a page on the 1:X Learning site that can be a centralized, one-stop place for our teachers, students and parents. Have thoughts? Please send them to Bethany Brant to include in the redesign process!
Using Apps in the Classroom - The Nitty Gritty
How do we deliver a common message about Terms of Service, Web 2.0 tools and using Apps in the classroom? Here are some common points that we should all be aware of:
- Terms of Service ALWAYS trump everything else: If the ToS says 'No Child Accounts Under 13 Years of Age' or 'You must be of legal age to form a binding contract', then that is the final answer. Our LISD Student Acceptable Use Policy allows for creating accounts ONLY when Terms of Service allow for it. Twitter, for example, requires students to be of legal age to form a binding contract and does NOT allow for account creation with parent permission.
- Teacher or Classroom Accounts can be used ONLY if the teacher maintains control of the login and password. In these scenarios, the teacher is posting the content and approving what is posted online.
- Terms of Service that allow account creation with parent permission: Our Student AUP allows teachers to create accounts with students in-class if the tool is listed on the 'Foundational Apps and Tools' page on the 1:X Learning site. Tools on this page do NOT require a letter home. It is critical that teachers still communicate which tools that students are using in class with their parents. Apps or Digital tools that allow for account creation with parent permission that are NOT on the Foundational Apps and Tools page must include a letter home, and in some cases (based on the specific Terms of Service) require a parent permission letter.
Using Apps in the Classroom Digital Learning Module
Instructional Technology is creating a Digital Learning Module that all teachers can experience to better understand the rules and logistics of using Apps and Digital tools in the classroom. This module will have built-in user interaction and be available to all LISD teachers. The module will be ready in November.
Introduction: Digital Learning Module
Using Apps: 4 Main Topics
Specific Content to Understand Details
Foundational Apps and Tools Page
Many have helped create this page (still in draft mode pending review by the 1:X Steering Committee), but Alan Kohutek has done some heavy lifting to get it off the ground. Please review and provide feedback. Many 'lists of Apps' ignore the details about Terms of Service and other 'nitty gritty' components of digital tools that can sometimes become barriers to classroom use. This page compiles this critical information for all teachers to access and better understand what is behind each App or Tool. They are all SO different in nature, and it is important to know that the rules are ever changing! Check out the draft page here: http://1tox.lisd.net/tech-tools/lisd-list-of-suggested-classroom-digital-tools/
Media: Melanie Sibley
I had a blast getting to know Melanie a little bit better! With 14 years in education, she has a wide variety of experience under her belt. From a trucking company to teaching German to Director of an Arts Theater to training for the Red Cross to being the 'Veteran on campus' ... Melanie melds her experiences into a multi-talented, Swiss Army LMS! Her Blue/Gold (Blue by 1 point) personality allows her to tap into different teams based on the need at hand. She has a passion for building relationships, for reading (of course!) and LOVES 'The Godfather: Part II'. This movie buff lucked into the world of Librarians while she was a travelling teacher at multiple campuses and ended up spending a lot of time working in the campus libraries. The rest is history! Hired at Liberty in 2006, Melanie loves the challenges and relationships that open up every day!
Location: Liberty Elementary School, Quail Run, Flower Mound, TX
Twitter: @melaniesibley