Tech Bytes
Carthage ISD Technology Department July 1, 2014
Professional Development
Summer Conferences
Summer is a perfect time to rest, relax, and renew to prepare for the upcoming school year. It is also the perfect time to attend workshops and conferences to help motivate and energize staff with new ideas that can change the classroom.
If you are not a member of TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association), I want to encourage you to do so for only $40 per year. This is no longer an organization just for computer geeks. Their primary focus is on integrating technology into the PreK-12 environment and providing members with state-of-the-art information through conferences, workshops, newsletters, the Internet, and collaborations with higher education and business. This organization provides ongoing professional development for its members such as free weekly Lunch and Learn webinars. If you sign-up for a webinar but the time does not match your schedule, they will email you the link to watch at your convenience. If you are not a member, TCEA is offering a free virtual event on August 5 from 2-3:30 pm entitled, "Recharge your Batteries 2014" . Check out www.tcea.org today. You will not be disappointed.
Website of the Month
App of the Month
The Hour of Code is coming! Are you ready?
Technology Staff busy this summer
Staff attends TCEA Area 7 conference
Technology help available
Staff installs upgrades to computers
As teachers and staff enjoy their summer vacations and much needed time off, the Technology Staff is busy upgrading computers by adding more memory to every computer in the district. This added memory will allow the machines to run much faster. Technology is also cleaning computers and projector filters in every classroom. Once the custodial staffs are finished cleaning rooms, Technology will be reassembling computers for the next school year.
If you have a school district laptop that is still running Windows XP, please put in a technology ticket and we will be happy to upgrade it for you. If the laptop is too old to run Windows 8, we will provide you a quote for a new laptop if you wish to have the upgrade.
Technology Department
Email: ajohnson@carthageisd.org
Website: www.carthageisd.org
Location: 424 Hubbard St.
Phone: (903) 694-7550
Technology Staff
Annette Johnson, Technology Director
Martin Martinez, Technology Specialist
Mark Baisden, Technology Specialist
Richard Sullivan, Network Administrator
Terry Caudle, Systems Administrator
Debby Simpson, Administrative Assistant
Message from the Director
As I begin my 19th year in education, my fifth in Technology, I too, still learn new things all the time. Within the last six weeks, I have been to three technology conferences: Lufkin, White Oak, and Galveston. There is a wealth of information out there about integrating technology into curriculum. My advice....Don't try to do it all! After two days at the Tots & Technology Conference in Galveston I can tell you that it can become very overwhelming. Try one thing and stick with it. Add other tools as you feel comfortable and as you have time. Also, remember that we are here to help. We want you to be successful, but most of all, we want the students to benefit in the long run.
I have wanted to publish a monthly Technology newsletter since my first year in this department. After learning about Smore.com at the conference, I am finally fulfilling my goal. Even with a journalism background and lots of desktop publishing experience, I learned something new that I hope will benefit you this year. Please let me know if there is a topic or a tool that you would like to know more about. I want to cover areas that are most important to you.
Have a wonderful summer and learn a lot!
Annette