Teaching with Technology

I know lots of teachers have wanted to use the Quizdom Personal Response System (clickers) this year but haven’t found the time to sit down and “play around” with the software. The software is installed on teacher laptops, so if you want to look at it over the summer (or just remember this post for next year), the Quizdom website contains some step-by-step tutorials you can check out to help. An example of one is below.  To see more, click here.

When visiting the site, I suggest you focus on the tutorials under in the middle of the page:

Please let you know if you create anything! It would be nice to gather a collection of Quizdom activities to be used across the division!

I’ve had a few questions lately about upside down and sideways computer screens.  There’s an easy fix to this problem!  The following keystroke combinations will change your computer display:

• Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow — right side up
• Ctrl + Alt + Right Arrow — sideways 90 degrees
• Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow — upside down or 180 degrees
• Ctrl + Alt + Left Arrow — sideways 270 degrees

There are handouts for most of the programs we use at school (and some websites too) available in the blue box to the right. Here’s how you find them:

Use the arrow at the bottom of the box to scroll though the list of handouts. When you find one you want, click on it.

Then click on DOWNLOAD.

Choose a place to save the handout on your computer so you can find it. Then click save.

I’m dedicating the next two or three posts to answering some Smartboard questions that have been asked since our recent in-services. This is one I’ve heard a lot:

How do I use my Word Documents and PowerPoint shows with the Smartboard? It just so happens I ran across two really great 60 second videos to show you how!

Inserting a Word Doc into Smart Notebook:

Inserting a PowerPoint into Smart Notebook:

A big thanks to the Brighton School System and their blog, 2020 Schools, for posting these videos! Check out their channel in itunes called, “:60 Sec. Tech.”

This past year I’ve noticed that a bunch of educators in our system have started blogging. One of the easiest ways to keep up with all these new blogs (in one place) is to use RSS. Here’s a simple explanation created by commoncraft:

I use Google Reader, but there are other feed readers out there like Pageflakes or Netvibes. If you want one already set up for you, check out this one on Pageflakes–it’s all set up for Salem City Schools, complete with RSS feeds for the blogs I know about (let me know if I’ve missed yours), local weather, and local news. You can bookmark it and use it like it is or create your own account so you can add your own things.

SCS Feeds Page on PageFlakes

Download Video: Posted by tcoffey at TeacherTube.com.

Update (1/7/08)

I’ve noticed that Pageflakes sometimes runs really slow at school. If you are having trouble, you can use Netvibes instead. I’ve set up the same feeds there too. Netvibes does take awhile to load initially, but if you login and save the page, the next time you visit, it will load a lot quicker. Click here to try: After you click on this button, make sure to choose “yes” to preview the page and “yes” to add it to your page, even if you do not have a Netvibes account yet.

I’ve been frequently asked about learning to use the Smartboard. Well, here are some links that will help you get started!

First, if you are on a computer that doesn’t have the Smartboard’s Notebook software (for instance, if you are working from home), download it by clicking the link below:

SMART software

After you’ve played a bit with the Notebook software, you might want to download some pre-made lessons. You can search for content from within the Notebook software (see picture).

You can also search by grade and subject on the SMART Technology Website:Download pre-made lessons from SMART Technologies

You may also want to check out this handout to help you out:

Creating Lessons with Notebook Software

A couple of other things to explore:

Lesson Activity Toolkit

My delicious links for the Smartboard

1. Log into your teacher account.
2. Click on the settings tab.
3. Select all your students by clicking on the first person, holding down the shift key, then clicking on last person.
4. Left click on the small triangle under “program assignment.”
5. Choose what problems to assign.
6. Green circles will appear by each child’s name. This means they are ready to start!

For full color directions (and pictures), please find the Fast Math handout in the blue box.

Did you know that there is a calendar for your school right in your email account?  Here’s how to find it:

1. Log into Kerio webmail
2. In the folders pane to the left, scroll down until you see Public Folders
3. If there is a + beside the folder, click on it. It will change to a - and open the folder.
4. You should be able to see different calendars. There should be one for your school and one for the division.

I try and keep it up-to-date as soon as the princpals send out the Monday News.  If you know of something that needs to be added, please let me know, and I will be glad to do it!

You should periodically change both your network and email passwords.  Remember that good, strong passwords contain numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and characters.  

Click here to read a great article on how to create a strong password!      

To change your network password:

(1) log in as usual
(2) press Ctrl+Alt+Delete
(3) click Change Password in the Windows Security dialog box
(4) type the information needed in the boxes for your Old password, New password, and Confirm password 
(5) click OK

To change your email password:

(1) open a web browser
(2) go to https://mail.salem.k12.va.us (make sure you type the “s” in “https”)
(3) log into webmail as usual
(4) click on the drop-down arrow beside Settings and select Change password
(5) type the information needed in the dialog box–Old password, New password, and Confirm password
(6) click OK

In Accelerated Reader, students are locked out if they enter their password wrong too many times.  This prevents students from trying to guess each other’s passwords. If a student is having trouble logging into Accelerated Reader, use these steps to clear all locks.

Log in to Accelerated Reader Management

Click on Go / Students

Click on Students / Clear All Locks

If a student continues to have difficulty logging in, and you know they are using their correct login name and password, please let me know via help.  Thanks! 

I need some help!  In the past, people usually email me the names of new students that need to be added to AR or tests that need to be deleted.  Usually when I receive the email, I’m in the middle of working on something else, so I can’t handle it immediately.  Lately when I’ve gone back to work on it, I have had trouble finding your requests in my email…they just get lost in all the other things that are coming in.  Since people don’t use the same subject lines, it’s hard to even search for them.  I’m really afraid that I’m going to forget to do it for you, and in some cases, I already have.  So, I’m going to make two changes:

1.  I need you to start putting requests for me to add students in databases on the help page.  This way I have one place to look to find them when it’s time for me to do it.  *Remember*–I need full given names (first, middle initial, and last) and ID numbers.

2.  Teachers have permissions to delete tests from a student’s account (if they take it by mistake, for instance). 

To do this, you login with the password “admin.”  

On the top bar, click on go / reading practice. 

Select your class’ name and click OK. 

In the top pane, click on the student’s name.

Click on the test in the bottom pane that you want to delete.

Press Delete on the menu to the left. 

It will ask you if you really want to delete the test.  Click yes. 

If you are having problems, I’ll be glad to show you personally.  Thanks for your help!