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!