SCSD Teachers To Begin Creating Their Own Web Sites

School Desk to Help Improve Communications and Sharing

As part of the implementation of Socorro Consolidated Schools’ new web hosting program through School Desk, all teachers will be encouraged to create web sites for the classes that they teach. The goal is to improve communications and the sharing of information between teachers and their students (and the students’ families).

This new project was developed by the Technology Department for several reasons. First, several innovative teachers were already creating their own web pages through a number of different providers, and the School Desk solution will give all teachers a single source for their web hosting needs.

The site is very user friendly, so parents and students will be able to easily search and locate the home page for any teacher. Pages are easy to create and modify, and teachers can create as many pages as they need. Teachers will love the site because there are a number of great modules that can be included on their page.

Some of the modules immediately available will allow teachers to publish Announcements, Assignments, Blogs, Calendars, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s), Recommended Links, School Supply Lists, and Surveys. Teachers can also upload digital video and audio media that will stream ON their website’s built-in media player.

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Socorro Consolidated Schools Approved for Erate Funding in 2009-2010

SCSD Receives over $151,000 to Support Communications

The Technology Department at Socorro Consolidated Schools is pleased to announce that SCSD has received its 2009-2010 Funding Commitment from the Schools and Libraries Divison of the Universal Service Administrative Company (commonly known as Erate) for a total of $151,289.60. This is the largest amount of Priority One funding that SCSD has ever received.

These funds will support several initiatives from the Technology Department. Most importantly, SCSD is upgrading its Internet service from two blended T1 lines that provide 3 mbps (mega bits per second) to a DS3 service which carries data at 45 mbps. This will dramatically increase the user experience for staff and students across the district and will also make streaming video/audio more accessible.

SCSD is also making dramatic imrovements to its web site with a new vendor, School Desk. Besides a new, crisp look, the site is “state-of-the-art” and it will allow users (teachers and students) to create and publish web content rather than reading content developed by a few at the district level (or from other web sites). This is the current trend in technology, often referred to as Web 2.0. Each school will have its own web site, created and managed by their own personnel with support from the Tech Department.

The funding will partially pay for the new district’s new wireless provider, Sprint, in addition to the monthly Qwest phone bills. Funding has also been approved to develop a faster, wireless connection between the Network Operations Center (on Franklin Street) and the two “remote” schools (Midway Elementary and San Antonio Elementary). The wireless project, however. is pending another joint venture that involves New Mexico Tech.

Consortium for 21st Century Learning Funded!

Socorro Consolidated Schools and Partners Win a $250,000 Grant

The Technology Department at Socorro Consolidated Schools is pleased to announce SCSD’s teachers will benefit from additional funding through the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) stimulus program from the Federal Government. As partners in the Consortium for 21st Century Learning (C21CL), SCSD will share in $250,000 dedicated to training teachers on how to integrate technology into their instructional practices.

The partnership falls under the umbrella of NMSU’s Regional Educational Technology Assistance program and includes Socorro Consolidated Schools (as the Local Educational Agency managing the funding), Carrizozo Municipal Schools, Dexter Consolidated Schools, Animas Public Schools, Las Cruces Public Schools, Lordsburg Municipal Schools and Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools. Please click HERE to download the complete 163-page grant application (prepared under the leadership of Holly Rae Bemis-Schurtz From RETA RETA, and it is truly a masterpiece!)

SCSD will receive $35,000 through this program to fund professional development for technology integration by teachers and the GenYes program led by Sarracino’s Michael Torres. Included in SCSD’s allocation is an additional $16,000 for teacher stipends over the next two years. Combined with the district EETT grant awarded to SCSD, the Technology Department will have $31,000 in stipend funds available for teachers.

Socorro Consolidated Schools Receives $60,000 EETT Grant

Grant to Benefit Teachers and Students

On Friday, August 7, Dr. Cheryl Wilson received the long-awaited letter from Dr. Veronica Garcia, New Mexico’s Secretary of Education, with congratulations for having been awarded an Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) District Competitive Grant. The total allocation is for $60,000, including $15,000 committed to teacher stipends for technology training.

You can download and read the document that explains the entire project and its goals by clicking HERE. SCSD is still waiting for the State of New Mexico to release the award notification letters on Partnership grants, and SCSD could win another $35,000 (with an additional $16,000 dedicated to teacher stipends for technology training).

In summary, the awarded EETT project will create a model technology lab at Sarracino Middle School that will serve a number of functions. First, it provides a desperately-needed third lab for students to be used for work other than MAPS/Compass and basic technology classes. Secondly, the lab will include a variety of new technologies and video/audio production equipment that can be used by all students and teachers throughout the district.

Welcome Back to School

Great Things Happening in Technology

Welcome back from what we hope was a wonderful summer vacation full of rest, relaxation, fun and adventure! The start of school brings a high degree of energy and a fair dose of stress … just remember that we are all going to get through the next few days and that this is going to be a great year. From our perspective in Technology, this may be the most exciting year ever for our students and teachers.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Actually, it is really a good news-bad news thing. The good news is that our $1,000,000 replacement of cabling and the installation of a wireless network at Sarracino, Zimmerly, Parkview and Midway is approaching completion. The bad news, as a result of delays with USAC and our contractors, is that we are behind schedule. Yuck!

Please … excuse the inconveniences and focus on the benefits. Any interruptions are temporary and will be worth the struggle. Tech wishes that we could have done more to make this happen faster and be done by the start of school, but please be assured that we have done everything we could. We are still pushing the contractors.

Now, let’s get to the good news. First, it is good to see that many of the schools have invested their stimulus money into technology products! The recognition of the connection between technology and student engagement is a major step in working towards improving student learning, performance and achievement. The popular choices seem to be interactive whiteboards and remote response devices. Please remember that technology needs to be properly blended with curriculum and pedagogical skills to be effective, and the Tech Team is prepared to help you in your lesson planning.

Let’s get to the really cool changes …

Technology Integration in the Classroom

A Summer Reading List for Teachers

Wow! We are already approaching the end of July and that means the start of school isn’t too far away. I am personally looking forward to this coming year as I get a chance to get back into the classroom, teaching one period a day at the high school. “Digital Media Arts” is a dual credit course with Western New Mexico University, and the first semester is Photoshop!

The class will be available on Moodle, a FREE online learning management system, and I will make it open for every teacher to see. It will be a model for what we will call “Hybrid” on-line learning. There will be more to follow about hybrid (or blended) learning in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, I hope you will take a moment to look up some of the following articles about technology integration. (Most should be available from INFOTRAC from Marian Royal’s Library Media Center for Socorro High School). Given some of the peace and quiet that comes during the summer months, I personally scanned through at least 100 articles to share the best with you while keeping myself ahead of the learning curve. I promise you that you won’t be disappointed and there is at least one good article for every single teacher regardless of grade level or content area.

Where possible, an online reference has been given … if you would like a printed copy of the artcile, you may stop by the Tech Office and make a copy for your personal use.

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Which Path Will You Take?

Movie by GenYes Students a Shining Moment for SCSD

Excerpt: Maybe old platitudes like “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” or “No pain, no gain” have become worn out and tired. But, then again, we have a tendency to forget that teachers do not need to expose themselves to risk when implementing a technology project. First, The Tech Team has two fully-certified K-12 teachers on staff experienced in coaching other teachers about technology integration. All you have to do is ask for help, suggestions, training, coaching and/or some good, old-fashioned TLC and hand-holding.

On April 30 and May 1, Innovate-Educate New Mexico took place at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque. A well-attended show with over 450 teachers and technology leaders from across the state, it was an excellent opportunity for collaboration with peers and a look-ahead to technologies available today and on the horizon. The one horrible technology gaff: Albuquerque Convention Center does not have wireless Internet connections or Wi-Fi available for visitors and attendees. Shame! Shame!

Socorro Consolidated Schools was highly honored by the Open Light Partnership for our partipation in and support of the three Open Light Conferences in 2008-2009 and for our attendance in the RETA Webinar Series. Several of our teachers and technology specialists were featured in a brief movie filmed by Vincent Gargotta entitled Open Light Movie. A link is available on the SCSD Web Page.

Howver, the stars of the conference were three Socorro students named J.R., Joel and Autumn, part of the GenYes program led by Michael Torres. GenYES is an innovative program that creates 21st Century leaders and learners. GenYES students help teachers use technology in classrooms, supporting effective technology integration school-wide. Their film (CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT) made me prouder to be an educator than anything I’ve done since teaching Second Grade. Please watch their movie so you can appreciate the comments that follow. It is also available on the SCSD Web Page.

What are YOU doing with Technology?

Where is Technology Headed in 2009-2010?

Excerpt: Most leadership experts would tell you that great leaders facilitate change in many ways, one of which is to eliminate obstacles. Therefore, please accept the following statement as a commitment from the Technology Department. We will assist you in technology-rich lesson planning, we will train you to use the technology, we will make sure the technology is working and, if you’d like, we’ll be in your classroom to assist you with the lesson.

As the 2008-2009 school year enters into its final weeks, it is a good time for reflection by teachers and administrators alike. In the reality of budget crunches that stand juxtaposed with President Obama’s desire to enhance educational technology, we must wonder what we can do as educators to improve the technology experience of our students.

One of the best resources that has been available FREE OF CHARGE to every educator is the Regional Educational Technology Assistance (RETA) webinar series. RETA is dedicated to showing educators a broad variety of free tools that are teacher friendly and easy to integrate into instruction. At 6 PM on Thursday, April 23, RETA will present a webinar entitled Show and Tell, an opportunity to learn how your colleagues are using technology in their classrooms.

The Spring catalogue of the RETA webinar series concludes next week with sessions about two tools that students and teachers love. On Monday, April 27, at 6PM, Screencasting will show you how to use more audio and video technology in your classroom. On Thursday, April 30, at 6PM, Express Yourself Using Wordle will demonstrate this great tool that is can be used for any subject at any grade level.

Please, for your students’ sake, try to attend the live session or, if it is more convenient, view the recorded session at your leisure. All webinars are recorded and are available from the RETA Webinar Archive Page (click the ARCHIVED tab).

Spring Break has Arrived!

Finally … A Much Deserved Rest

Wow! It’s hard to believe that four weeks have gone by since the last blog posting. Maybe we can consider that my contribution to reducing web pollution! Before my mini-Spring Break starts tomorrow, this would seem an opportune time to catch up on a few nuggets of information for when we come back for the big final push to the end of the year.

NMSU’s Regional Educational Technology Assistance (RETA) webinar series resumes on Monday, March 30, with Intro to Podcasting, Zunes and iTunes and on Thursday, April 1, with Show and Tell (No Fooling!). The webinars are recorded and can be viewed at anytime after the live session by going to the ARCHIVE TAB on the webinar page to view the recorded session.

You won’t want to miss Show and Tell because the presenters, Jill Brown and Jim Carlton, are two great technology advocates here in New Mexico. Jill and Jim will demonstrate how they are using technology in their classrooms. They will be providing the audience with real-life examples of technology usage – the lessons and applications that have worked and maybe things that have not worked. This “show and tell” session will give participants tips, presenters will share their experiences and presenters will introduce different perceptions, environments, and interests.

In case you haven’t seen it yet, the Socorro Consolidated Schools web page has undergone some revisions in preparation for the conversion to School Desk for the 2009-2010 school year. By moving to School Desk, we will align our web hosting with the current “state-of-the-art” in Web 2.0 applications, making it easier for administrators, teachers and students to design, create and upload their own web pages.

Time to Play “Catch-Up” on Tech Stuff

Several Deadlines are Approaching

There are several deadlines approaching that require some immediate attention. In the coming days, there will be a registration deadline for the Third Open Light Emerging Technologies Conference on Saturday, March 7, at Hot Springs High School in Truth or Consequences. Letters to parents and students about School Central will be in the mail no later than Friday, Feb. 27. That means all teachers, activity directors and coaches need to set up group pages by Friday. Also, that same letters to parents will include staff telephone directories, so each staff member with a published extension must set up their voice mail by Friday.

NMSU’s Regional Educational Technology Assistance (RETA) popular and extremely informative Webinar Series continues with Inspiration 8 on Thursday, Feb. 26, Photo Story and Movie Maker on Monday, March 2, and Audio Discussions Using Vaestro on Thursday, March 4. The webinars are recorded and can be viewed at anytime after the live session by going to the ARCHIVE TAB on the webinar page.

There is a MARCH 4 deadline to register for the Third Open Light Emerging Technologies Conference on Saturday, March 7, at Hot Springs High School in Truth or Consequences. Over FIFTY (50!) RETA instructors and educators from several southwestern NM school districts will be in attendance, so it is a great chance to learn, collaborate and socialize with your colleagues. SCS personnel will receive a stipend for their attendance, but you must REGISTER before March 4 to select your two technology sessions and receive free transportation. Please contact The Tech Team or call ext. 3135 if you have any questions.

Many of us have some work to do in order to be ready for the formal launch of School Central to the Socorro Community. We have approximately 70 teachers, administrators and staff members who have registered to date. We need to get everyone registered quickly and “group pages” need to be set up. Please continue reading for important instructions.