Tech+Team+Summer+2009+Assignments

=AWest Tech Team Summer Assignments List= 

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Welcome! Here you will find a list of items that would be great for you to do did over the course of the summer. Our goal will be to learn, discuss what we find, and then develop the teacher resources link on the left. When you get to a page that has never been edited before, the screen will tell you what to do. If you accidentally delete someone's work we can always revert back to the earlier version. You will be the leaders in our building in the fall, and here are some of the lessons we want you to learn.======  ===__Step 1:__ If you haven't already done so, create a wiki account so you can collaborate with us on these pages. === Wikispaces: Go to [|wikispaces.com] and create an account. Then go to http://arvadawesttech.wikispaces.com/ and join the space. Your membership will be approved in about 24 hours. Check your email account to confirm your email address with wikispaces while you wait. [|This video] provides a useful analogy as to why we are using a wiki and why it is so important with collaborations such as our tech team. Once you have access to the arvadawesttech wiki, use the links on the left side menu to explore and become familiar with the layout. Pay special attention to the "AWest Tech Team" page and the discussion board link at the top of the page, as this is where we will communicate with each other and share ideas over the summer. The "Teacher Resources" page has links to the documents and how-to sheets that we will be collaborating on during the summer in order to have them ready for the staff in the fall. "Training Opportunities" has a link to our Web 2.0 class from the fall. We never finished the work we started there. Familiarize yourself with the resources that are there for you to play with this summer. When you feel comfortable editing this wiki, help us develop those pages.

** __Step 2:__ Pick your project and sign your name next to it. We only want one person per project, but feel free to work with a colleague if you prefer by signing up for 2 projects, or more!!   **

 * 1.** **Jeffco Tech Standards (ET/IL) Benchmarks** Create a page for teachers related to these benchmarks. Break them down into a useable format, find ideas for staff development, skills assessments for teacher and students, ways teachers might incorporate them into their curriculum.


 * 2. Web 2.0:** Build a page for Web 2.0. What is it? Why should we care? go through resources on this wiki and weed out the bad, bring in some good.


 * 3.** **Google**: Create a Google resource page for teachers complete with directions on how to sign up for and use Google services and ideas on how to implement these in the classroom. Go to google.com and create an account. Sign up for email and then explore the other features that Google offers for free: [|igoogle], [|calendar], [|reader], [|documents and spreadsheets], [|site builder], [|web page creator], [|scholar] and [|blogger].


 * 4.** **SMART Notebook Software**: Build a resource page for teachers.
 * Go to http://smarttech.com/ and click on the Support Link at the top of the page. Download the full version 10 on your laptop, or home computer. Be sure to take note of the process and where a user might get stuck. You can use the serial number to get your activation code to proceed to the full version. Owning a smartboard gives you the right to download the software on multiple machines.
 * Go to http://smarttech.com/ and click around. Identify resources that teachers should be aware of.
 * Gather the items that are helpful from our "help documents folder" on the shared drive and put the useful items on the wiki.


 * 5.** **School Center**: Build a resource page for teachers. Pull handouts to edit/modify from our "help documents folder" on the shared drive. Find samples of great sites and add links to them for others to see.


 * 6.** **Blackboard:** Use [|these tutorials] to become familiar with Blackboard's capabilities. Sign in to your Blackboard account and explore 3 features that are new to you. Create a resource page for teachers.


 * 7.** **Discovery Education Streaming**: ("united streaming's new name"). Build a resource page for teachers. Go to unitedstreaming.com and log in. Using either the Assignment Builder, Quiz Builder or Writing Prompt Builder, develop a lesson for your content area using videos and resoruces available from the website. [|Here] is a list of ideas (as a pdf file) on how to incorporate this tool into your classroom.


 * 8.** **Clickers:** Build a for teachers. Include all 3 types of clickers: CPS, SMART, Engage Responders. Gather resources for using them from their websites, or from our "help documents folder" on the shared drive.


 * CPS Classroom Performance System: Go to einstruction.com and download the software onto your laptop. Watch the video on [] up the system and on [|using CPS with your class].
 * SMART Clickers - Go to [|www.smarttech.com] and download the software. Use the same site to find resources and tutorials. Edit/use documents in our "help documents folder" on the shared drive.
 * Engage Responders - Take home the resource binder and software. Identify


 * 9. Video:** Build a resource page for teachers. Where to checkout equipment, what they need to get started, how to take, edit and publish the video.


 * 10. Office 2007:** Build a resource page for teachers. How to install, and how to get help, create a "cheat sheet" for common problems you may encounter.


 * 11. Ning:** Build a resource page for teachers. What is it? Why is it useful? Samples of nings to belong to. Develop a ning for your department.


 * 12. Blogging and Podcasting:** Build a resource page for teachers. What is it? Why is it useful? Samples of quality blogs and podcasts to subscribe to. Weed the resources on this wiki and add more quality.


 * 13. QUIA:** Build a resource page for teachers. What is it? Why is it useful? Provide account set up information and ideas for implementing in the classroom.


 * 14. On-line curriculum resources:** Obtain a [|del.icio.us] or [|diigo] account and gather useful online resources for your department, sorted, tagged and organized for easy use. Provide a list of your links on your department page on this wiki.


 * 15. On-line Project Resources:** Obtain a [|del.icio.us] or [|diigo] account and gather useful online resources for students to use when doing classroom projects. Examples may include: Annimoto, TimeToast, Voicethread, Wiki. There are many out there. Build a resource page for teachers to use to get ideas for students. Include descriptions of each site and what product/assessment that the teachers might see from thier students.

OTHER IDEAS??? Add them here!  ===__Step 3:__ Prepare to present your resource page to our tech team before school starts and again to the AWest staff in August. ===