Both the 2010 and the 2011 Coleman County Technology Institutes were a big success.  Plans are currently underway for the 2012 institute.  The institute will be held on June 5th and 6th this year. Plans are to have Pearson consultants return this year for some of the sessions with the rest of the sessions being led by Coleman County classroom teachers modeling their use of technology in the  classroom. 

The keynote speakers this year will be Ms. Marsali Hancock, president and CEO of iKeepSafe, www.ikeepsafe.org and Mr. Richard Guerry of IROC2, http://www.iroc2.org/.  Ms. Hancock will be speaking on "Creating a Positive Digital Culture" during the keynote address on June 5th as well as during breakout sessions that day while Mr. Guerry will speak on cybersafety for adults as well as our children on June 6th.

Effective Internet Search and Research Learn the Lingo!

 

Internet search sites can search enormous databases of Web pages, using titles, keywords or text. You can maximize the potential of search engines by learning how they work, and how to use them quickly and effectively. The challenge is to ask your question the right way, so that you don't end up overwhelmed with too many search results, underwhelmed with too few, or simply unable to locate the material that you need. As with most skills, practice makes perfect!

Digital Cameras in the Classroom Look What I ….

Whether it is a digital camera or the camera on your phone, are you using it to share ideas or have students share their ideas? If we are dealing with visual students we need to be able to show them real world pictures and we have just the tool at our fingertips. Learning to use it effectively involves not only taking the pictures but learning out to manipulate the images for inclusion in our lessons as well as on our websites.

Taking Full Advantage of the Document Camera! It’s Not Just For Worksheets!

The document camera is a great way to show the students a worksheet, but why limit yourself to a “boring” piece of paper. Bring your use of the document camera to life with experiments, models, and other options.

Including Technology in Backward Planning How Do I Get to Where I am Going?

They have to be ready for “the tests.” They have to learn all of this. My curriculum has nearly everything, but I worry that it is short on _____. How can I plan for addressing my concerns and how can I leverage all technology to enhance the components I am concerned about?

Integrating an iPad in the Curriculum Cool Toy, Now How Can It Help My Kids?

Cool, I have an iPad and my students might have one too! Let’s play Angry Birds and learn what? Oh, wait, you say there are thousands of iPad sites out there that can be used to support my classroom objectives? Where are they, how can I use them? Learn to use the iPad effectively and to quickly find sites that will support your classroom instruction. 

Microsoft Office Are You Taking Full Advantage?

You can type a letter, create a basic spreadsheet and make a PowerPoint, but can you quickly do formulas on Excel? What about creating newsletters in Publisher (They display great on a webpage!)? Learning to use the advanced options in Office and the less used programs will enhance your students’ understanding and help let “the world” see what is going on in your classroom.

PDF’s Can You Make Portfolios, Combine Docs, Cut Pages Out of Docs, etc

PDF’s are great ways to view documents and store them while using limited space, but more importantly, we can create our own from others, combine various documents into one portfolio, lock them and then share them with our students and parents. Learn to take better advantage of using Acrobat and improve organization!

Podcasting Across the Curriculum What’s On the Air Out There?

You have heard of podcasting and vodcasting and know it is available on your website. Now, how do you use it? Where do you find ones that will help improve your instruction and student understanding? Creating one is not hard and finding them is even easier. We will explore ways to quickly build a podcast and find others that we can share with our students.

Setting Expectations with Rubrics Why Did I Make THIS Grade?

Rubrics will ease student stress in your room and make your life more pleasant as well! When we carefully and clearly set our expectations for everything from behavior to grades everyone knows what must be done to be successful. Explore creating rubrics and the reasons behind them during this workshop that focuses on both the how and why of successfully using rubrics in the classroom.

Technology and the Project-based Classroom Sure I Can Use It, But How Do I Leverage It?

Great project, but I don’t have the time to get it all in! Where are the projects that are already built? Can I modify this project to fit my classroom? Using technology to make projects more varied and to address different learning styles is not as difficult as it sounds. There are multiple ways to take advantage of technology in the project-based classroom and we will explore examples and begin work on modifying one for your classroom.

            Showcase #1 Practical Uses of Technology in the Classroom

This showcase will consist of three different mini sessions which will include how one teacher turned all of her CSCOPE lessons into Promethean flipcharts, using Google Docs on your campus, and making journal entries available digitally to students who may have missed class due to absences or disciplinary placements.Showcase #2 Using Project Share with my Students

          

This showcase will highlight using OnTRACK lessons and workgroups in Project Share with students.

            Using Speech Recognition Software in Special Education Can I Tell My Computer What to Do?

In today’s technology driven world, introduce special and regular ed. students, as well as yourself, to another avenue of learning through the use of a computer by using Speech Recognition (SR). SR is part of windows 7 and allows students to maneuver through the computer with only verbal commands.  In addition SR can allow your struggling readers and writers to become independent I answering test questions or writing tests and can fall under a STAAR accommodation type II.

             Using the iPad and Promethean With PreK and K 
Whether it be in a center or a good behavior incentive, the possibilities available through these technologies with early childhood students are endless.
 
            Excel  Not Your Basic Arithmetic

Excel has many uses and options available that are useful for teaching as well as practical applications that students will be able to use in the world they are entering.

            Animoto Have You Tried This with Power Point

Put Animoto together with Power Point to create engaging classroom presentations.

            Edmodo Extended You’ve Been Using Edmodo, Now Try This

This session will help you take Edmodo to an advanced level as you work with Web 2.0 tools in your classroom.

            Responding Confidently to Digital Drama Why Did I Let that Cell Phone in my Classroom?

This session will focus on our responses as teachers and administrators to the drama created in our students' world through their use of digital media.

            Creating a Positive Digital Culture and Climate And I Thought This was Just a Tool!
        
As educators we need to make an effort to understand the digital lens through which our students see the world.  To them, digital devices are a way of life – not just a tool.  

              Cyber Consciousness
Awareness of the dangers lurking in the cyber world in which we all live can keep help keep us safe from cyber predators.  Not knowing the dangers leaves us wide open to those predators.

              Windows Movie Maker 
Use Windows Movie Maker as a teaching tool and for classroom projects. This is a hands on session, so please bring your laptops.

             Merging Within Microsoft Office

            Promethean make and take sessions

           
If you bring your laptop, you will leave these sessions with single page flipchart examples of the areas covered that you have created for use in your classroom!

 

Session 1

Teachers will have a better understanding of ActivInspire Beyond the Basic tools and capabilities. 
Step by Step hands-on instructions and integrated examples, including, but not limited to:

·      Translucency

·      Magic Ink and Layering

·      Color Manipulation

Participants will be given time to design and add to a flipchart or power point currently used in their classroom.

Session 2

Understanding of ActivInspire Beyond the Basic tools and capabilities.
Step by step hands-on instructions and integrated examples, including, but not limited to:

·      Actions (Send to back/Send to front/Hidden)

·      Drag a Copy/Label

·      Restrictors

Participants will be given time to design and add to a flipchart or power point currently used in their classroom.

Session 3

Teachers (HS/MS) will be introduced to Free Websites to use with their Promethean Board & LRS

·      Inserting Media HS/MS (pictures, Flash files...)

·      Linking (websites and files)

·      Desktop Tools

Participants will be given time to design and add to a flipchart or power point currently used in their classroom.

Session 4

Teachers (ES) will be introduced to Free Websites to use with their Promethean Board & LRS

·      Inserting Media HS/MS (pictures, Flash files...)

·      Linking (websites and files)

·      Desktop Tools

Participants will be given time to design and add to a flipchart or power point currently used in their classroom.