The three day weekend is over. It was nice while it lasted. A great part of this kind of weekend…when you come back, it’s already Tuesday…makes for a nice short week. Of course this week is turning out to be a cold week.
As I’ve been walking through the buildings, I’ve seen several projectors being left on with no students in the classroom. Because projector bulbs are expensive, please make sure you are shutting off your projector when it is not in use (conference period, lunch, etc.). Using the shutter/blackout mode does NOT save your bulb. The bulb is still burning, it’s just projecting black. If you’re leaving your projector on during your conference period, over the course of the school year, you’re wasting approximately 20% of the bulbs life (not to mention a lot of electricity). Using the projector responsibly, you can make a bulb last 5-6 years. If your bulb dies in less than 3 years, you may want to evaluate your usage and turn it off when it’s not needed.
The week of February 3-7, I will not be on campus. The CITS team will be attending the annual TCEA conference in Austin. We will be learning new ideas and sharing ideas with educators from around the state and country. As a presenter at this conference, I love being able to share with other districts that great things that are happening in LCISD. During this time, I will have limited access to my e-mail, but will be checking when time and connectivity permits. I will be back to my campus schedule starting February 10.
At a Glance:
- INTERACT 2014
- What Are the Sneakiest Ways to Cheat on a Test
- 8 Tips to Power-Up Your Classroom Presentations
- PBS Learning Media
- Entertainment
- Staff Development Opportunities
What Are the Sneakiest Ways to Cheat on a Test – website – Cheating has always been a problem. There is always someone looking for the easy way out or the free ride. That is no different in education. Over the years students have become more and more clever in their methods. As a teacher I have seen a wide variety of techniques used from simply leaving a sheet on notes on the floor next to the desk to hiding answers under a mouse pad on the desk. This website will show you several unique techniques that students employ. Several of these techniques will quickly explain why the strictest of teachers want the desk and floor clear of everything. Be on the lookout. This is not a comprehensive list by any means. One of the best preventative measures is the teacher moving throughout the room during the assessment.
8 Tips to Power-Up Your Classroom Presentations – website – This is a great article on improving presentations that are used in everyday life. The article discusses many different ways to make your presentation a success. Too often a presentation is created as a verbatim speech. If you are going to put all your words into the presentation, make it easy on the students print it out and give it to them. To keep your students paying attention and engaged in the lesson, make them listen to what you have to say. Anyone can copy straight from the screen.
PBS Learning Media – website – PBS Learning Media is a FREE digital media content library designed to support curriculum-based teaching and learning from Pre-K through 12th grade. Register today to explore over 35,000 lesson plans, interactive games, primary sources, and videos from PBS and trusted media partners. Registration is free, but if you’re not sure if you want to register for something else, take a look around. The site will let you view a few resources without having an account. The site covers a large range of content areas.
INTERACT 2014 – website – It is hard to believe, but we are in the beginning phase of INTERACT 2014 already! It is time to start thinking about forming a team so you can apply from your campus. The rules will be similar as last year. All information you need to know right now is posted on the iCafe.
We are just giving you plenty of notice to get you thinking about applying and allowing you time to form your team. Once your team is formed be sure to follow this link and complete the Intent to Apply Form by January 31. If you have any questions, please let me know. I hope to see you there!.
Entertainment – Try this with your students: Think of a number. Double it. Add six. Half it. Take away the number you started with. Your answer is three.
Technology Staff Development Opportunities – Log into ASCEND to register
| Date |
ASCEND Section# |
Training | Location |
| January 28 | 98004 | Introduction to Microsoft OneNote | iCafe |
| February 11 | 98006 | Promethean ActivInspire Intermediate | iCafe |
| February 13 | 98007 | INTERACT Video Assistance Open Lab | iCafe |
| February 18 | 98008 | INTERACT Video Assistance Open Lab | iCafe |
| February 20 | 98015 | Dive in Deeper with Edmodo | iCafe |
| February 25 | 98014 | Engaging Minds with QR Codes and Augmented Reality | iCafe |
| March 18 | 98016 | App Smashing 101 | iCafe |
| March 27 | 98009 | Tips and Tricks for Office 2013 | iCafe |
| April 8 | 98010 | Become a Skydrive Pro | iCafe |
| April 24 | 98005 | Introduction to Microsoft OneNote | iCafe |
| January 27 | 98017 | Webinar 1 – 21st Century Learning Design – Intro to 21CLD | Online |
| February 3 | 98018 | Webinar 2 – Knowledge Construction | Online |
| February 10 | 98019 | Webinar 3 – Collaboration | Online |
| February 24 | 98020 | Webinar 4 – Use of ICT for Learning | Online |
| March 3 | 98021 | Webinar 5 – Real-World Problem-Solving and Innovation | Online |
| March 17 | 98022 | Webinar 6 – Self-Regulation | Online |
| March 24 | 98023 | Webinar 7 – Skilled Communication | Online |
| March 31 | 98024 | Webinar 8 – Certification Presentations | Online |