Tech Happenings
Housekeeping, WOW, and edTech in the News
HOUSEKEEPING
(aka, the Boring Tech Stuff that you should know)
- We've started a tech "Genius Bar" on Fridays at lunch, for problem-solvers to help those with problems. If you know of a patient, yet persistent student who would be great at this job, and would love a cool T-shirt, encourage them to join! Fridays at lunch, Room 113.
- If they ask, students should not update their software to iOS9. If their iPad is turned in to the tech team for repair, when it goes through our machine it automatically updates. We are learning what bugs may exist. App companies are updating their programs as fast as they can.
- Make sure you are regularly updating both your laptop and iPad with your own, personal Apple ID. You may choose to wait on your iPad until your students are updated.
- UPCOMING iPAD COLLECTION DATES: 5th grade: Nov 2nd, 1st per, 6th grade: Oct 29th, 1st per, 7th grade: Oct 28th, 2nd per, 8th grade: Oct 27th, 1st per. All grades will be distributed back the following day, during the same period they were collected.
- New app suggestions for the upcoming collection need to be emailed to helpdesk@district90.org by October 21st. Paid apps need to come from your department or grade level budget.
- Did you know you could book time with Lindsay just to learn something about tech in areas where you feel behind? She loves working in your class with kids, but also loves making sure you feel knowledgeable and empowered. Just shoot an email!
WOW! Did you know this was happening?
Karrin Burns, kindergarten teacher at Lincoln, has been using Storify to aggregate all of our #D90Learns tweets into a neat bundle. If you aren't a daily tweeter or reader, you can catch up once a week, mailed Sunday nights, to hear what people are sharing. Email burnsk@district90.org if you'd like to be included in that listserv.
Did You Know?
Did you know that Karen Feeley, Juliana Costabile, Sonny Mann, Laurie Hendrickson, and Leeann Wille are taking the edTech class from Dominican University now? It's a ton of work, but they're growing so much! They've already learned about augmented reality tools Aurasma, curation sites like Symbaloo, and participated in their first Twitter Chat!
edTECH IN THE NEWS: Virtual Reality
An article in the NYTimes today, Google Virtual-Reality System Aims to Enliven Education, discusses a new, free "field trip simulation" program offered by Google called Expedition. It uses Street View and Google Cardboard, a DIY virtual reality system that uses cardboard and a cell phone to make the viewer.
In District 90 we have the privilege of teaching many well-traveled students, but consider this quote: “It’s not always about the most spectacular images,” said Jennifer Holland, program manager for Google Apps for Education. “It’s also about being able to see different things that you otherwise wouldn’t.” What virtual trip might benefit your students?