It's no secret - BISD has gone Google! All BISD staff members have an account in the Birdville Google Domain (@g.birdvilleschools.net). Staff can create, collaborate, and share anytime, anywhere using their Google Drive account.

BISD students in grades 3-12 have access to Google Drive and GMAIL through their new account.

Note: students in grade 3-8 will be in the walled-garden, meaning that they will only be able to share and email within our Google domain and with their teachers who send and receive email through Outlook. This is best practice for under-age students.

Learners of all ages can maximize their understanding and use of Google Apps for Education. Visit the Google Apps Learning Center today to get started.

"The facilitators were considering how best to collect PLC minutes throughout the 2015-16 school year. It made sense to use technology, and Google Forms was ideal because it would allow customization to meet each PLC team's needs. We were able to easily incorporate their most common PLC activities, as well as attendance information. Best of all, the Google Sheets database will maintain information that campus administration may utilize as they assess how Watauga's PLCs operate and the links to student achievement." ~Christine Thompson, Watauga Middle School

"Google is providing the platform for my blended classroom. On the days that I don't see my students it keeps us connected. In just the first few days, I see their excitement in a new independence with a sprinkling of interdependence as well." ~Karen Bland, North Oaks Middle School

"Google Drive helped one of my students who could not write at all. He was able to go in and type his stories and responses and keep his work organized." ~Teresa Nickell, Snow Heights Elementary

"We create, edit, and revise documents, presentations, and spreadsheets in our Google Drive. We don't email documents back and forth or have to worry if we have the latest revision." ~The Digital Learning Team

As we embark on the 2015-16 school year now is a good time to reflect on our own professional learning. Just like our students, we must always have a mindset of growth and learning. Your Digital Learning Team is committed to support you in your own professional learning because research shows that it will have a direct impact on student learning.

Please take just five minutes to view the following video to be encouraged by other educators as they share what it means to be in a mindset of continuous learning and growth.

Remember, "You're a work in progress; you're never done." ~Rebecca Mieliwocki, 2012 National Teacher of the Year

Click the link below:

Each week the elementary and secondary Digital Learning Teams will provide just-in-time information that is targeted to your teaching level. Be sure to click the links below to learn more.

The Ladibug document cameras installed in classrooms can do more than just show a book or document! Visit the Elementary team's Tech-cited blog to learn more!

You can now access it also just by typing in www.birdvilleschools.net/resources

Twitter Chats will resume on Tuesday, September 8, at 8:00 PM, following the Labor Day holiday. This gives you one week to make sure you have a Twitter account setup so that you are ready to participate!

If you need help getting started, visit the Digital Learning's Twitter resources page.

First the Digital Learning team, of course! Just search for Birdville_DL and click the Follow button. Also search the hashtag #bisddlp and read everything tweeted by our team and other BISD Twitter friends when discussing teaching and learning with technology.

Here are some more awesome K-12 educators and administrators to follow: The Top 15 Educators to Follow by Education Week

To date, the BISD Technology has rolled out over 1350 Project Innovate iPads to the staff, and we are anxious to resume training this fall so that more staff are able to utilize iPad devices to:

1. participate in personalized professional learning, anytime, anywhere,
   
2. access resources for increased productivity, communication, collaboration, and creativity, and
   
3. model the use of technology as a tool for learning.
   

Training dates and times for the Fall semester will be published in a future Digital Learning News Brief as soon as additional iPads are ordered and arrive in the district.