GPE Technology Updates

Greenspoint Teachers and Staff!

I know how emails can and often times do get lost the daily shuffle so I decided to create this blog post so you can refer back to it as needed.

Here’s a tiny(but it might get lengthy) technology update from afar. Please complete the following procedures and steps so we can help each other out while I’m away:

First things first:

If you have any technology issues, please submit a TECH REQUEST first. Yes, Mrs. Benitez is helping in my absence, however, she is the librarian first and to make sure that all of your issues, concerns and problems get handled-- I need to see them on the tech request form. I am hearing and seeing lots of issues from others but not on the tech request forms. The form can be found on the Aldineisd.org Bookmarks:

Those who have submitted their issues, have gotten a responses from Aldine’s Tech Services. They are aware of our current situation and will pick up, schedule and handle all issues as they are submitted. However, if you don’t submit them--but tell Mrs. Benitez, when she remembers I will then notify you to submit a tech request. NOTE: no request is too small. If it’s an issue for you--it deserves attention.

If it’s something small, I will contact you directly to contact me and I will assist you virtually using Google Meet (meet.google.com). It’s Google HangOut and works from all devices.

Gradebook Help:

Some of you have had issues with your gradebooks. Some of the issues that I have assisted with:

• Attempting to enter grades in wrong grading period
• Grades won’t save
• Grades being deleted after you entered them

Please notify me via TECH REQUEST if you are having any of these issues. I understand that we have been in school only 20 days, however, these few steps can help fix these issues:

• please enter grades every week.
• if you are working on your grades from home, please make sure to sign out. You are only allowed to sign in to the gradebook at one location at a time. If you are logged in--even in multiple windows--your grades won’t save.
• Keep an eye out for what reporting period you are in.
• Lastly, if you haven’t submitted your Gradebook Schoology certificate of completion to me, please do so ASAP.

Here’s a troubleshooting guide for the gradebook in digital form and remember you can also use the Schoology Gradebook Course as a resource!

Student Badges:

An email went out to all teachers on September 18th. The process was suppose to start this week. However, with the current situation--a new date is coming. However, we still need your assistance.

Please check the folder below for sheet (for your HR) and make sure it is filled out completely for every student who purchased a badge. You should have received an email from me, sharing your form. No need to make a copy. (Thanks Mrs. Thomas, Morris, Mr. Becerra, and most of the first grade team for completing this!!!)

Mrs. Benitez will be taking photos for the badges shortly. You will receive more information on this from her directly with schedule. Please complete this form by this FRIDAY.

Check this folder for your student BADGE sheet.

Projectors and Promethean Boards Updates:

Thank you to those of you who have notified me about your projector issues. Here’s some of the issues we are intermittently having with the Interactive Projectors:

• Flickering (especially when attempting to show a video)
• Can’t find either HDMI port
• On screen mouse not coming up at all
• Lost of touch functions

If you are having any of these issues, please submit a TECH REQUEST) Sadly, Aldine Tech Services cannot service these projectors. The issue that is causing all of these problems is being address by the contractors, however it is an intricate process to repair and most likely won’t happen when you have students in the classroom. The have found the remedy and I will keep you posted on the status of this process.

These boards….

So many of you currently have access to your board. I came around and finished setting up your boards. I am currently working with Ms. Schuler and Tech Services for a formal training date. Look for a blog post on PB (Promethean Boards) for tips and a mini guide. If you board isn’t ready yet for use, the district is sending people to the campus to complete the setup process. If I didn’t get a chance to domain your board, please complete this form.

If you can, the district is offering several trainings on the Promethean Board and Microsoft 10 (here’s a few coming up soon)

They all can be found in ePortal.

If you are having ANY ISSUES with your board--please submit a TECH REQUEST.

Those of you that don’t currently have a promethean board and are suppose to get one on wheels. The contractors are out delivering them to campuses now. Yours should arrive shortly. You will receive an email from you regarding this today.

Chromebook Carts/Level Up Refresh

Most of you should have your Chromebook Carts in your rooms with your keys. This means that you have completed the Level Up Level One REFRESH! Congratulations!

Those of you who have not completed the course yet, please know that I get notifications every time you complete assignments. After you complete the course, we can discuss the process to get your chromebook cart and keys.

Ok. This is pretty lengthy so I will stop here for now. Please keep me in your prayers as surgery is near and so is recovery!

And….Thank you all for the calls, texts and emails. I am working hard everyday to help each of you as you prepare our students using the latest and greatest in technology at one of the best schools on the PLANET!

More Blog Posts coming for the following information:

• Update on staff badges
• Clever on the CBs
• Coaching
• Professional Development
• Technology Committee Updates

This Week's TECH News: Week 4 (Sept. 15th)

Here's this week's TECH News Update. Please review in it's entirety. If you have any questions or concerns, please see Mrs. Glass.

USING the CHROMEBOOKS in your Classroom

• Did you know you could request your Teacher Chromebook? Please CLICK here to fill out a request. If you have not completed Level Up, you can still get your teacher Chromebook.
• BEFORE your students can access the Chromebooks, ALL HR Teachers MUST Reset the students Passwords in the Aldine Cloud (see Level Up for more details)

• All student passwords must be change to First Initial + Last Initial + ID#, example: SG123456 (note, this will be the same as their username)
• Also, my schedule is ready for you request a co-teach session for Digital Citizenship for KIDS lesson and/or the Chromebook Crash course (which includes student initial sign in) Click here to sign up for a time. Note: if you don't sign up, I'll just stop by to check on you. 

ONLINE COURSES 

Have you completed the following District Schoology Courses? Not sure of the Due Dates, but they should be completed. Remember you do get INVEST Hours for all of these courses!

• Level Up Schoology Course: Join the course in Schoology using the Access Code: BWSPK-D7BVM
• eSchool for Educators. (Required for all teachers who take attendance and/or give grades) Course Code: VNP28-FRND5. Please send an electronic copy of your certificate to Mrs. Glass via Google Drive.
• Special Education course (Required for all Greenspoint Staff) Please print or send an electronic copy of your certificate to Ms. Grimage, our school diagnostician. Course Code: Q4GGW-2BJXW
• Counseling courses: Everyone needs to take the Sexual Abuse  and Suicide Prevention Training, but only professional staff new to the district need to take the Mental Health Training.
  
  
  All Staff must submit a copy of their certificates to the counselor. If you took the Mental Health Training last year, the counselor need a copy of your certificates.

  
  

                    - Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Schoology Course Code: CDTZF-5FX38

                              - Mental Health Schoology Course Code: WR45W-HZ58P

                              - Texas Youth Suicide Prevention Course: Click Here for Directions. 

SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATE 

Have you starting Tweeting yet? Still trying to figure what that is? As we dive deeper into this "Innovation Thing", as a campus we will share our happenings with the world using Social Media.  If you want to venture out and share what's happening in your classroom or even around campus, please using the following hashtags and twitter handles (names). 

• Greenspoint's Twitter Handle: @GreensptElem
• Our Campus hashtag: #GPeInspires
• **New: Grade level Hashtags (Courtesy of 3rd grade teachers: Morris and Washington)

                          - #GPe1stgrade

                          - #GPe2ndgrade

                          - #GPe3rdgrade

                          - #GPe4thgrade

Share your grade level successes with our campus hashtag(s)! 

WHAT'S THIS BLOG?

  

So...I know you have seen it. But have you read it? What am I talking about????? The campus BLOG(s) of course! Since your arrival at Greenspoint Elementary, there has been various forms of communication--coming from EVERYONE and literally everywhere! 

We all understand that there's not enough time in the day to read all the emails AND there's not enough hours at night to catch up on them...which is where blogging comes in. 

There's two of them. One SPECIFICALLY for staff. 

The other is for what's happening on campus that we would like to share with our parents, the community and ultimately the world! whew!--yes, that's a mouthful!

Check this daily. You may not get an email--or truthfully you might miss one or two. The skills are using this as their way of communicating. Have you heard this statement yet: "Did you see my blog post?" If you have, that's because ALL the happenings on the campus is HERE! 

Shout outs to Ms. Dettwiler, Mrs. Benitez, and Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Bobb for posting to the blog. Give it a try. Communication is key right. We are just trying to place it all in one location!

NOTE: Soon, very soon-- I will start asking if you wouldn't mind sharing what's happening in your classroom. This will develop as a request to become a contributor to the blog (remember the conversation at the beginning of the year???) Don't panic. Just remember: We are the settlers of this school, the beginning, the contributors to its CULTURE. It takes a village and WE are it!

Special note: If you have a blog, have started a blog, or even follow a great blog that you think might benefit the staff, please comment to this post or share on our campus Google+ community! We learn and grow from each other!  

USING GOOGLE CALENDAR as a CAMPUS

Please check the campus Google Calendar for dates from following: 

• General Campus
• Technology
• Math
• Upcoming Events and/or holidays

Don't forget to sign up for the following ONLINE Programs:

OTHER TECH REMINDERS:

• Don’t forget to submit tech requests (this can also be found in my signature via email)
• no longer accepting email issues/concerns.
• Shout out to all the Educators that completed Level Up and eSchool Courses!
• Please shut off your projectors and Lumens when not in Use!
• You can NOW submit your Lamination/Posters and More...
• Don’t forget to sign your Ethics and AUP Agreements in ePortal
• check the EduBlog Daily!