"Parent's Plug-In"
~ February 2016 ~
McKinney ISD Department of Instructional Technology
A monthly newsletter for parents, grandparents, families and the community dedicated to updates and information on how McKinney ISD uses technology in the classroom.
Freshman Laptop Initiative Parent Meetings
If you are the parent of a current MISD 8th grade student and would like more information on the 1:The World High School Laptop Initiative, please plan to attend one of the informational meetings being held this spring. Meetings will be held at all three high schools and you are welcome to attend any meeting that will work for your schedule regardless of your future home campus. Please see THIS LINK for more information on the 1:The World Initiative.
Online High School Courses for Students in Grades 8-12
MISD students have the option of accelerating their course work by taking an additional course online during the Spring of 2016.Courses are provided by Apex Learning and taught by MISD teachers. There are no course meeting times, and classes can be accessed 24/7 for the duration of the term. See THIS BROCHURE and your counselor for more information on class registration deadlines, tuition costs and class listings.
*App Info- What is it and what does it do?
- Snap Chat- This app allows a user to send photos and videos to anyone on his/her friend list. The sender can determine how long the receiver can view the image and then the image “destructs” after the allotted time.
- Kik Messenger- An instant messaging app with over 100 million users that allows users to exchange videos, pics and sketches. Users can also send YouTube videos and create memes and digital gifs.
- Yik-Yak- An app that allows users to post text-only “Yaks” of up to 200 characters. The messages can be viewed by the 500 "Yakkers" who are closest to the person who wrote the Yak, as determined by GPS tracking. "Yaks" are all anonymous.
*The descriptions here are informational only. This is not an evaluation or endorsement of app choices for students, but a tool for parent involvement.
Who to "Follow" on Twitter...
The following Twitter accounts are great resources for supporting parenting in a digital world:
- Dr. Alec Couros @courosa
- Alan November @globalearner
- Todd Nesloney- @techninjatodd
- Caines Arcade- @cainesarcade
- Amber Teaman- @8amber8
- George Couros- @gcouros
- Amanda Gavin- @agavin7910
- Lynda Swanner- @iamlswanner
We Want YOUR Opinion!
During the window of Feb 22-March 18 the department of Instructional Technology will be collecting parent feedback on technology use in the classroom through BrightBytes. BrightBytes gathers ideas from experts in the field and creates evidence-based frameworks that are combined with world-class research and analysis giving us the tools to understand and quickly improve student learning outcomes with technology in our classrooms. We will be asking for feedback from parents, teachers and students during the survey window. Each survey is totally anonymous and available 24/7 via a link provided by your child's campus. Please be looking for information from campuses concerning how to access the surveys. Your opinion matters! Learn more about BrightBytes HERE.
What is 21st Century Education?
What is 21st century education?
McKinney ISD Department of Instructional Technology
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