Newsletter 3/4/16 : Khan Academy, Wedge Grant Writing Opportunity

WEDGE GRANT WRITING OPPORTUNITY

WEDGE is currently accepting applications and will continue to do so until March 18, 2016 at 5 pm. (Note this is a clarification from the original notice) Anyone in the district may apply. 

In the past, the Foundation has awarded up to $1500 to teachers, student groups and staff as long as their project meets the trustee's review for innovation.  All applications must be approved by the school's principal.  

In the interest of supporting staff members who may want to apply, Brenda Harriss and Chris Kiec will be holding a set of two 1-hour session to help you with the application process. The sessions will be held Tuesday, March 15 at 3:00pm for HS/MS and 4:00pm for elementary. A stipend of $26 will be given to participants who would like to attend.

You must use this Google Form to sign up so we have accurate numbers.

If you are unable to attend, you can still apply.

If you have any questions regarding the application, they should contact Chris Kiec, Program Chair, at 216.276.0597 or by email at chriskiec@gmail.com. 

The following link:  http://www.wgef.dreamhosters.com/programs/ contains a discussion of what the board does fund and a link to the application.

Note: This information is also available under the “staff” section of the district main page.

Khan Academy

Chris Howell's Third Grade Classroom has been exploring the use of Khan Academy with her students. Using a combination of the computer lab and the classroom iPads, she has connected her students to the prescriptive math tools to support her lessons on fraction. I had the opportunity to stop by and check it out. I really enjoyed visiting with the class and seeing the culture of students helping students get more comfortable with the tech tools. Thanks for the invite.

Newsletter 3/1/2016: Ed Camp NEO, More with Code.Org, Wizer.me, Trouble Reporting

Ed Camp NEO

http://www.edcampneo.org/

On April 16 from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm, Mentor will be hosting a free Ed Camp. If you haven't had a chance to attend one of these, it's a great opportunity to learn how to use instructional tools for your classroom. There are many teaching ideas to be found and the chance to collaborate with others who have similar classroom goals. I am planning to attend. I hope to see you there.

Wizer.Me

https://app.wizer.me/

This is a great web site for teachers who would like to easily make interactive activities that can be shared with students through Google Classroom or link on a web site. It does allow for immediate teacher feedback. I attached a video that gives an overview. If you are trying it out and have specific questions, please let me know. I am happy to help.

Shout out to Josh Timmons and Richard Bryne for this cool web site. 

Code.Org Part 2

For teachers who are trying to help students who are struggling with classroom processes, as well as students who are interested in computer programming, this site offers a rich opportunity beyond the "Hour of Code" that you may have read about. 

This first video gives a basic overview of what a student activity looks like for Hour of Code.

The next video is an overview of the "teach" section of the site, lesson plans and resources available to teachers of all ages.

Trouble Reporting Tips

One of our goals in 2016 is to continue to improve the error reporting process so we get to your needs faster. This requires a little help from you. Please make sure you report issues early. If something is a reoccurring issue, please let us know so we can help. Don't let it get to the point of frustration. 

For High School: Please email HSTrouble.Reports@westg.org

For Elementary and Middle School: Please contact your AV/Tech Supplemental Holder. They will put is a Trouble Ticket that will make us aware of the issue. This is important because it allows us to organize and keep track of progress.

Information that we need from you:

Date: 

Time:

Room Number:

What is the problem you are having:

Were there any error messages? 

What were they?

Does this happen all the time or in specific situations?

The more you tell us, the faster we will pin down the actual problem and be able to resolve you issue. 

HOW TO SCHEDULE A TIME TO MEET?

The easiest way to contact me is through email at sean.whelan@westg.org. Please let me know what you'd like to meet about, your room number, free periods, and any other info that might be helpful to me in order to prepare for our meeting. I'd love to meet with you to see if I can help facilitate any issue you might be having. Also, if there is something I share that you would like to implement in your classroom or with your team, please let me know. I would be thrilled to help.