August 2010 news

First of all, welcome back to a brand new school year! How often do we get redo’s? In Education, you get them every year. As a teacher, a principal, a tech person, a superintendent, whatever your roll, you get to start fresh every year. Fresh new faces, fresh new floors, the fresh smell of a clean building, the list goes on and on. Are you planning on trying a fresh new idea, a technology tool that you have been wanting to try? I would encourage you to try it. If it doesn’t work out, who cares? You can always try again. If you need help along the way, feel free to ask. Kim and I are here to help your classroom be successful with technology.

Cadres

This year you may not see many technology specific workshops. At ESU 4, we are beginning to form cadres of teachers and technology will be a part of each of those events. We are starting with a few cadres this year and hope to add more in the future. I do plan to have some specific trainings as the need arises. More specifically, if your school needs some assistance, please feel free to contact me for a visit. I will gladly come to your district as my schedule allows.

Adobe Connect Pro

With the implementation of our cadres, we will be starting to use Adobe Connect Pro. A lot of technology integration topics will be taught along with our cadres. Suzanne, Ellen, Mitzi, and I will be working very closely this year. As part of that process, we hope to include many more of you in our trainings. Also, we are going to start to develop online webinars - small conferences using a product called Adobe Connect Pro. These short meetings will last between 30 minutes to an hour and could include technology topics, cadre topics, etc. It is such a nice piece of software that you can sit in your own classroom and follow along. Look for these types of opportunities in the upcoming newsletters, our website, or through our facebook page.

Einstruction training

Once again, Dustin Frank, from eInstruction will be coming to ESU 4 to share his expertise with the CPS clickers, ExamView, MOBI’s, and the Pulse Pen. We will tailor this day to fit the needs of those in attendance. If you have never used clickers in the classroom and would like more information, please attend as well. Mark your calendars for Oct. 26, 2010 from 9 AM to 3 PM.

Reminder

The Manila server will be shut down on Oct. 1, 2010. If you currently have a Manila site hosted with ESU 4, then please find another place to put your content. You have several options: Google Sites, Weebly, Wordpress, etc.

Website of the Month:

Free Tech 4 Teachers - from free downloads to video tutorials to Google, this site has many things to offer any teacher who wants to use technology in the classroom. Follow the blog and get frequent updates to this web site, so you never have to visit it again.