DCSD Tech Tidbits 09.06.16
September 06, 2016
Awesome Job!
Darlington High School teachers have so many things going on!
Studying French in the Courtyard
Who says tech will replace teachers? Technology gives teachers the opportunities to spend time with small group and/or individualized instruction.
Chalkboard Painted Desks for Math!
Math will always need to be worked out. This ingenious teacher used chalkboard paint on her desks so that students have space to work out problems.
English Class playing Kahoot!
Kahoot! is a gamified formative assessment tool. The students absolutely LOVE it and the teacher gets immediate feedback that can be used to drive instruction!
Curriculum Resources
Discovery Education's Spotlight on Strategies
Have Your Heard of TPT?
You can find flipcharts, templates for activities, ISN (Interactive Student Notebook) resources, and so much more! They also send out a weekly newsletter with link to free downloads - many of them are really good. Below you'll find the link to this week's newsletters (they have a different one for PreK-5 and 6-12. From here on out the current week's newsletter link will be included your weekly DCSD Tech Tidbits newsletter.
TPT - Vol 353 Grades PreK-5
TPT - Vol 354 Grades 6-12
App of the week: BackChannel Chat
Grade level: 6–12 for students
Why you’ll be better: Increase student dialog and collaboration.
Cost: Free
How to use it: If you’re not quite ready to turn your students loose on Twitter, Back Channel Chat is a good alternative. It’s like a teacher-moderated version of Twitter that can help you engage students in discussions that may transcend the virtual space.
What teachers say: With the discussion occurring online, the playing field becomes more level and thus more inclusive. Reluctant speakers—ELLs, special-ed students and those who might just be more introverted—can all become active participants. However, teacher moderation is key. Front-loading chat etiquette and expectations, as well as structuring discussions around specific objectives, will help you enhance the discussion and better support learning.
-via We are Teachers
The White House and Michelle Obama Release $250M ‘Open eBooks’ App for Title I and Special Education Teachers
-via EdSurge
To access the app, educators can sign up on the OpeneBooks.net site and receive codes for their students. Using those codes, students can download the free Open eBooks app to mobile devices and access a library of eBooks.
We're a GAFE district!
We've Gone Google!
DCSD is a Google Apps for Education (GAFE) district. All staff and students have Google accounts in the DCSD Google domain to facilitate communication, collaboration and publishing work.
Although Google Drive and other Google tools are accessible, teachers will continue to use MS Outlook for their email.
If you've never accessed it before, your Google login is firstname.lastname@darlington.k12.sc.us. Your temporary password is Password1 and then you will be prompted to change your password.
If you're having trouble logging into your Google account, please see your school wizard or a member of the DCSD Digital Transformation Academy.
Have A Personal Google Account? Learn How to Manage Multiple Google Accounts
Getting Schooled on Schoology
Our Schoology Enterprise (which syncs with PowerSchool) is now ready for use! If you're interested in playing around with it, here is how you log in.
URL: lms.dcsdschools.org
You will need to log in with your Active Directory (AD) credentials.
Username: FirstName.LastName
Password: The same password you use for your Outlook email
Click here for a list of your Schoology Master Trainers
#DCSDtransforms Weekly Podcast
#dcsdtransforms Slow Chat - Every Friday!
Join DCSDTech for reminders, tips, resources, and giveaways!
DCSD Digital Transformation Conference
Saturday, Sep 24, 2016, 08:00 AM
Darlington Middle School, Pinedale Drive, Darlington, SC, United States
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Darlington County School District - Technology Department
Diane Sigmon, Director of Technology
Carla Jefferson, Instructional Technology Coordinator
Joshua Bastean, Instructional Technology Coordinator
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/darlington.k12.sc.us/dcsddti/home
Location: 120 E Smith Ave, Darlington, SC, United States
Phone: 843-398-2298
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/129354490748962/
Twitter: @dcsdtransforms