A little about your new Macbook air

So I got this brand new computer....now what?

With change, often comes anxiety. For those with little to no experience using Apple products, the switch from your PC desktop computer to your new MacBook Air laptop might take some time before you are fully comfortable. For others, the switch will go seamlessly and you are probably well on your way. My post this week is to help catch those up who may feel a little hesitant or intimidated by their new Macbook Air. For those who are comfortable with the Mac, you may pick something up you didn't know, or you may have tips to share with me or others!

Your Dock

At the bottom of your screen is an area where multiple icons are housed. This is called your dock. It gives you quick access to your favorite apps and files. You can add and remove items from the dock by dragging and dropping the icons on or off the dock. There are other things you can change about your dock like its size and the ability to hide it. You can find more information about customizing your dock here.

System Preferences

Here is where you can customize many features of your MacBook Air. Click on the "gear" logo and you will open up a menu that allows you to adjust/set-up just about anything.

Finder

You may be used to using "my computer" on your PC to find files. On a Mac, you can click anywhere on your desktop and "Finder" will appear at the top of the screen. You can also choose to go to your finder by clicking the icon that looks like a split face on your dock.  Here you can access things that are on your computer such as applications (programs), stored files, and downloads.

Open Windows and Quitting Applications

On a PC, you may be used to clicking the "X" button in the upper corner of windows to close out of them. On a Mac, there are three buttons (Red, Yellow, Green). 

The Red button closes the window, but unlike a PC, it does not close out of the program. You can still find the program as "open" on your dock (it will have a little dot below it). If you want to completely close out of the program, you should make sure you are in the program (it will say so at the top menu), and then click on the program's name at the top and then choose "Quit _____". You can also push cmd+Q while in the program to quit. 

The yellow button is the minimize button. Clicking this will hide the window in your dock, but not close out of it. You can find it on the right side of your dock to open later. (useless but fun tip: Try minimizing a window holding the shift key...Slow Motion!)

The green button is the zoom button. It often times will make a window go full screen, thus covering up the top menu you are used to seeing (don't worry, it's still there, just put your cursor at the top of the screen). 

For more information on these three buttons, go here.

Other Resources
SWITCH BASICS: On Windows, I used to....
What is it called on my Mac?
Common Keyboard Shortcuts

TECH THIS OUT!.....
Each week, I will highlight a free/cheap app or site that could help you in your classroom.

   Name: Photomath

Type: App

Subject: Math (duh..)

Grade: Any

What it does: Uses the camera on a device to solve math problems.

My Take: I wish I had this app when I was in math class! This app uses your camera to view a problem and instantly solves the simplest math equations up to quite complex algebraic problems. I downloaded the app and played around for a bit and it worked seamlessly. It even has a feature to show you each step you would take to solve the problem. The one hiccup I came across is that it does not read hand-written problems, only typed/printed problems (they say they are working on changing that). I think this would be a great app to have on an iPad in class where students could check their answers while working on practice activities/centers. I know what you are thinking...Couldn't students use this app to cheat? Absolutely! However, I still think it has a place in the classroom and can enhance student learning with proper placement and supervision.

Link: https://photomath.net/en/

Check this video out for more info on Photomath:

As always, Thanks for reading and HAPPY HOMECOMING! GO INDIANS!!

New BASD Technology website!

BASD Technology Website Overview

This week, I am going to give you  a quick tour of the new BASD technology website. The website is currently linked up to the main district page under "District Information." You can also get to the site by clicking here.

It should be noted that this site is a work in progress and is pretty bare bones right now. One thing I really could use is some pictures of you and your students doing "techy" things. If you are doing an activity that uses technology, please take some pictures or video and send my way. If I am available, I would love to come and see it first hand and take the pics/vids myself. Please let me know!

REQUEST HELP

There is a page on the website that makes getting help from me very easy. There are two options:

1) You can request a how-to video or tutorial sheet be created. This would be the best option for questions/issues that you have and that you know others are struggling with as well.

2) You can book me to come to your class or to meet with you individually. This is a great feature that will allow you to see when I am available and select what time works for you. If you are planning a techy lesson, want some extra help during the lesson, or want some basics on using your technology, book me!

BASD Tech Chat

Another feature that I am really excited about is the google group discussion called "BASD Tech Chat." This works like a discussion board or forum where teachers can ask questions or ask for ideas and other teachers can respond. This will be a great collaboration tool for those looking for more tech integration ideas. It only makes sense to tap into our greatest asset here at BASD: THE TEACHERS! Also, feel free to share with people outside of our district (teachers or not) who may be valuable contributors to this discussion. The more the merrier.

How-To Library

This is where you can find videos and how-to sheets that I have put together. I know it was a little overwhelming getting all the videos emailed to you in the first week or two, but I had no other way of getting them to you. Now I do :). I will continue to provide instructional videos when things arise, but as with any tool I share, it is your choice whether you use it or not. If you are busy and don't have time now, please know you can go to the HOW-TO library and find this information later.

Tech Favorites

This is a place where I will post apps and sites that others in the district are using. I will also include a brief description and try and sort it by age level and subject area/purpose. This area is not quite ready to go yet, but check back soon.

Tech @ (your building)

There are three pages dedicated to sharing highlighted technology lessons in each building. I am looking for teachers to help contribute to this page by getting me their techy pics/vids as I mentioned earlier. 


I hope that you find this site as a great resource for you. It isn't much yet, but it's a start. It will get better with more contribution from all of you! Next is a new section that I will include weekly:


HEY, TECH THIS OUT!! (see what I did there?...Clever huh.?!?)

Each week I will feature a free or cheap app or site that I think would be useful for at least some in the district.  Here's this week:

Name: Nearpod

Type: App/site

Subject: Any

Grade: Probably more MS/HS

What it does: Mirrors your screen to your student's screen

My Take: If you give presentations, this is a great alternative or addition to using the projector. Students can get the app on any device and by entering a unique code associated with your presentation, they can join and see what is on your screen (I think up to 25 or 30 kids for free). I liked it because I didn't have students head-bobbing or squinting to see my projector screen as they all had the presentation right in front of them on their chromebooks (or smartphones or tablets). I had it loaded on my desktop computer so I could still project it, and also on my ipad so I could change slides from anywhere in the room. When I didn't use it, students would often ask me to do it.

Link: www.nearpod.com

Here is a quick preview video if you want to see it in action.

As always, thanks much for reading! Feel free to comment and share your thoughts and ideas. Have a great homecoming week next week!

Welcome to the BASD Tech Blog

WELCOME!

Hello and welcome to my first post on the BASD tech Blog.  This is where you will find information that will help you implement technology into your classroom. There is so much to share, but I will try to keep it to one or two main points each week. This week, I would like to preview what is ahead as well as review what has been done.

Here are a few things that you can look forward to in the coming weeks at BASD:

1) An updated technology website that will house all the tutorials and information that I send out. This will also have a feature that will allow teachers to request assistance, book a time with your technology integration coach (me), and can request topics for future inservices and tutorials.

2) A forum where teachers can share questions/answers/ideas with each other (especially regarding technology usage).

3) A new portal on our district website that will be a central hub to get you to the technology website, advanced learning website, Teacher effectiveness site, and more!

What's been happening so far?

I appreciate everyone taking time to fill out the tech survey this week. The information is very valuable to me. I have been in multiple classrooms already this year and have seen a lot of great uses of technology. Keep up the good work! I hope the videos I created were useful for many of you. Again, I am working on a site that will house all of them for future reference. For the time being, if you missed any of them, here are the links:

Accessing the common folder or 's' drive on your mac 

(files you may have on your old computer)

Creating bookmarks and desktop shortcuts

Setting up Locked Print Settings

Opening your gradebook on your mac

I hope your school year is off to a stellar start and as always let me know if I can be of assistance to you!  -BB

P.S. For those needing a laugh, here is a funny clip from SNL that keeps popping into my head whenever I help a teacher on their computer: