What does a tech integration coach do all day?
The answer is simple and only takes two words: Fantasy Football.
Just kidding. Really, I have been spending most of my time creating some resources for you. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the new technology website that you can access on the school district website. If you haven't checked that out, I encourage you to do so. Let's take a look at some of the other resources that are now available to you...
BASD Tech Chat
I mentioned this a few weeks ago as well, but now it is up and running. BASD Tech Chat is a place to pose and answer questions about technology. Please respond right on the tech forum rather than through email so others can see your response. Participation hasn't been real high, so to encourage that, the first 3 people to post a question or response on the BASD Tech Chat will receive a prize! You can access this through our tech website which is off of the BASD site under district information.
Educator Effectiveness Website
Another project I have been working on is creating a resource for those who are going through the educator effectiveness cycle. This site is now live and can be found under "Staff Access" on the BASD website. It contains all the expectations and due dates that you would need. It also has samples and templates for you to use, as well as how-to videos to upload artifacts to My Learning Plan. Everything on this site is tailored to the BASD educator. If you have anything that you or your department uses (rubrics, surveys, etc.) that you want me to post, I would be glad to put it up. Just send it to me.
New Tutorials to Check Out:
I have been trying to create many tutorials on the function of some basic google apps. I will continue to add more down the road. You can always find the latest tutorials on the tech website. If you need help with any of the following, please check out these new tutorials I made this week:
*as always, feel free to request for a tutorial to be made through the tech website.
Finally, the best new resource that is available to you is.......ME :)
I have been in some classrooms already, but because I have been so involved with creating these other resources, I haven't been out and about as much as I would like to. A big part of my job is to be available to help you in your planning and delivery of lessons that can utilize technology.
Let's say you are doing a science lab that collected data and you want me to show your class how to create different graphs and analyze data: Perfect! Sign me up!
Perhaps, you are wanting students to do a presentation, but you don't want to do the standard poster or powerpoint: Talk to me! I'm all over it!
Maybe you have a lesson that you have done for a few years, but want a way to bring it to the 21st century: I have ideas that can help!
I don't have all the answers, but I will work hard to find them. The more I can help you and get to know your technology needs, the more I learn and can pass on to the next teacher. I understand it is hard to ask for help and can be uncomfortable to bring in some new punk to help teach your class. However, that is exactly what we ask of our students (ask for help when you need it, use resources that are available to you) because we can't be expected to be experts on everything. You can reserve a time slot with me by going here or by going to the tech website. I can't wait to help you achieve your goals.
Thanks for reading this week. Don't forget to post on the Tech Chat for a chance to win a prize! Have a great week!
HEY...Tech This Out!!!
Name: Snagit
Type: Chrome Extension
Subject: Any
Grade: Any
What it does: This extension takes screenshots and saves them right to your drive. It makes a folder in your drive, and stores all your screen shots there. You can take full screen shots, or selective.
My Take: In my position, I use screen shots (pictures of my computer screen) all the time. I make handouts and how-to sheets for my students and for teachers. I think this extension would be useful for teachers at any age. Having trouble copying and pasting? Take a screen shot and now you have an image to paste anywhere. Students can also use this to help show you things on their screens. It helps show the process of what they do if they can take screen shots along the way. Perfect for making portfolios of their work!
Snagit also features a video capture function that I have not used. I use a different program that I will write about in a future post.
The advantage of using Snagit over keyboard shortcuts (cmd+shift+3 for whole screen capture on mac or cmd+shift+4 for selective capture) is that it saves it directly in your drive versus your desktop. This makes for quicker editing. From drive, you can edit the screenshot and draw arrows or add text.
To get Snagit you can go to the chrome web store and search for it. It goes on your chrome web browser and puts a little icon just to the right omnibox(address bar).
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