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 at a Glance: Week 11 (November 7-11th)

  

• Don't forget to check your timecard by going to this website:  http://10.1.2.51/clock.in/    Don't forget...yellow forms, if absent last week, are due to Ms. Dailey by Tuesday morning.  (Log-in is ID badge # and last 4 digits of SS#)  If there are any mistakes, e-mail Ms. Dailey and cc: Ms. Schuler, so corrections can be made.

Monday

Tuesday

Student Holiday District Staff Development Day (Click here for Schedule) Election Day

Wednesday

Tech Lounge in the Science Lab (during all conferences)

Thursday

Math & Technology Night 5-6:30 pm

Friday

Veterans’s Day Grades DUE for Progress Reports

Saturday

Title One Super Saturday at Aldine MS

Lesson plans must … …be in Eduphoria by 7:30 AM Monday …include authentic hands on activities. …all bulletin boards must be up and relevant to instruction. ….classroom libraries must be organized by topic, category and interest	Upcoming Events 11/8       Staff Development Day 11/9       Tech Lounge 11/10     Math/Tech/Music Night 11/11     Grades DUE for Progress Rpts 11/14-18   College Go Get it Week! 11/16 Progress Reports Go Home 11/21- 11/25 Thanksgiving Break
Staff Birthdays

ATTENDANCE MUST BE TAKEN EACH DAY AT 9:30 AM (send folder to front office)

All Anchor Charts need to be organized by subject and neatly arranged.   Please make sure charts are relevant to the unit of study.

This week’s WISE Thought:

Important Gradebook Information

This is an important message from Student Services:

What to expect with the Progress Report grade pull scheduled for 4:30 on Friday, September 30.

ALL grades and IEP/Reteach notes will become available to parents through Home Access Center starting Monday morning.

When we start the grade pull at 4:30 on Friday their Interim Progress PR and PRC (secondary schools) columns will go gray and become read only.  

This means that no changes to those marks by that teacher can be made.  Assignments that are entered into the gradebook as of that time (4:30) will be used to calculate the average.

However the Comment and Special Code (elementary) columns will remain open and can be edited up until the time the reports are printed.

We are letting you know this because we don't want people to think there is something wrong with the program when they can't change the information in the PR or PRC columns of the Interim Progress.

Example of what the Interim Progress screen will look like after 4:30:

This is how the grade pull process works for determining the grade that will be imported:

If teachers have assignments in their gradebook, the progress report grade pull will load the average based on the average seen on the Gradebook Entry page (any existing IPR marks loaded by the teacher will be overwritten with the exception of the 5 scenario's below). This average will be a 0 if the assignment grades are blank. This average will be blank if all assignments grades are EX, M, Abs or if no assignments exist in the class.

Grades that teachers can enter on the IPR screen that will be used for import:

EX - no grade will be given for that student in the course

I - usually used for newly enrolled students would haven't yet had time to get grades

DC - grade for a duel credit course taught at the collage (High Schools Only)

P - pass/fail grade on some after school PE courses (High Schools Only)

On-line Learning average ... (High Schools Only)

For an on-line learning classes where there should be no assignments in the gradebook (no assignments is the key) they are to enter the percentage average grade directly on the Interim Progress page in the PR column. This percentage will be imported (because there are no assignments to average).

Important Gradebook information