Tools to Tell OUR ESSENTIAL (Ang Aming Mahalagang) STORY
DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
During the eight-week online course, TGC participants were asked to create a "Digital Learning Inventory" of their home schools and/or districts. Guiding questions were given to help explore the technology based resources available to fellow educators for their use in inhancing student learning. The inventory also provided TGC participants with a forum for brain storming recommendations for future growth of technology for their home schools and/or districts. Excerpts from Ms. Anderson's "Digital Learning Inventory", which solely reflects her observations about Park County School District #6 in Cody, WY are included below. The full text of her "Digital Learning Inventory" is linked to the right in PDF format.
Availability of Tools, Software, Operating Systems, and Equipment
Our school is a 1:1 Apple school in grades 5-12. For at least ten years every student has been issued a laptop computer. This year they were switched to iPads so now every student is issued an iPad at our school. We have several mobile labs. We have access to any virtual conferencing we would like to use. We have a WEN Video Conferencing Room in our library. Teachers requests for software and apps are supported within reason. We also have the following available for our use: iPods, SmartBoards, Promethean Boards, Document Cameras, and Ebooks. We provide many iPad/iPod Apps for our staff and students as well as the following: Various web-based tools, Vimeo, Google Apps, SchoolWorld, Compass Learning, Fasst Math, PowerSchool/PowerTeacher, PD 360, Lynda.com, Teachers are free to use whatever web-tool they need to be successful in their classroom. Favorite tools include the following: Favorites include, Dropbox, Edmodo, CloudOn, Google Drive, Wikiis, Gnowledge, Blogger
Use of School and Teacher Websites
Website usage is up to the individual teachers. In general they are for communication with students and parents. Some post basic class and contact information while it is the command post for others. Teacher and school websites are linked on the district site that is used to share informaiton with the community. Forms and such are availble on the district site as well.
Firewall Protection
Our firewall primarily blocks any sites that involve a chat room or anything that would be deemed “pornographic” or overly violent. If I discover a site that I need for class is blocked I just have to request that it be unblocked. It is a seamless process.
BYOD
The high school has a BYOD policy.
Highly Qualified Technology Assistance
All schools have access to a highly qualified and accessible technology coach plus IT staff who are caring, knowledgable, and responsive to both staff and student needs.
DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
During the eight-week online course, TGC participants were asked to create a "Digital Learning Inventory" of their home schools and/or districts. Guiding questions were given to help explore the technology based resources available to fellow educators for their use in inhancing student learning. The inventory also provided TGC participants with a forum for brain storming recommendations for future growth of technology for their home schools and/or districts. Excerpts from Ms. Anderson's "Digital Learning Inventory", which solely reflects her observations about Park County School District #6 in Cody, WY are included below. The full text of her "Digital Learning Inventory" is linked to the right in PDF format.
Availability of Tools, Software, Operating Systems, and Equipment
Our school is a 1:1 Apple school in grades 5-12. For at least ten years every student has been issued a laptop computer. This year they were switched to iPads so now every student is issued an iPad at our school. We have several mobile labs. We have access to any virtual conferencing we would like to use. We have a WEN Video Conferencing Room in our library. Teachers requests for software and apps are supported within reason. We also have the following available for our use: iPods, SmartBoards, Promethean Boards, Document Cameras, and Ebooks. We provide many iPad/iPod Apps for our staff and students as well as the following: Various web-based tools, Vimeo, Google Apps, SchoolWorld, Compass Learning, Fasst Math, PowerSchool/PowerTeacher, PD 360, Lynda.com, Teachers are free to use whatever web-tool they need to be successful in their classroom. Favorite tools include the following: Favorites include, Dropbox, Edmodo, CloudOn, Google Drive, Wikiis, Gnowledge, Blogger
Use of School and Teacher Websites
Website usage is up to the individual teachers. In general they are for communication with students and parents. Some post basic class and contact information while it is the command post for others. Teacher and school websites are linked on the district site that is used to share informaiton with the community. Forms and such are availble on the district site as well.
Firewall Protection
Our firewall primarily blocks any sites that involve a chat room or anything that would be deemed “pornographic” or overly violent. If I discover a site that I need for class is blocked I just have to request that it be unblocked. It is a seamless process.
BYOD
The high school has a BYOD policy.
Highly Qualified Technology Assistance
All schools have access to a highly qualified and accessible technology coach plus IT staff who are caring, knowledgable, and responsive to both staff and student needs.
Here are a few digital tools I have used in my classroom to help build Global Competency.
Model UN is a program ran by students in a variety of locations. In Wyoming, Jackson hosts an annual Model UN Meeting in Novemenber for high school students. Northwest Community College often brings a team of college students to the national college event in New York and the University of Wyoming sometimes participates in the program. It integrates Global Competencies into the curriculum by having students discuss real issues being debated at the UN. Students take on the role of being an ambassador from another country and work with other ambassadors to create resolutions to address the global issues.
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The Choices Program from Brown University can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. They offer access to primary sources addressing several prominent global issues and a digital curriculum collection that makes staying up to date on modern issues simple. I use this source when addressing the rapidly changing issues in the Middle East. Students debate policy options and choose a course of action they feel is best at the time. |
Virtual Tours offers links to hundreds of free virtual tours of museums and historic sites. It also has tours of contemporary locations that are of interest today. I have used this site to show students the amazing works of art and inventions created by the Abbasid Caliph and to take them to an area currently on the news. Students can even add tours that they like to the virtual tour collection.
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Fakebook is a mock social network. I use this site so students can take on other people's perspectives, imagine what a person from history might post and to respond to comments made by those who oppose the person from history being represented. It is helpful in building |
The I Like to Learn website works great for studying basic geography including the names of states/countries and the like. It allows students to move at their own pace and corrects their errors. Students can progress at their own rates. I have used this site to help students to locate the places we hear about on the news. |