Bits & Bytes

This month's newsletter highlights News from the Office of Technology, Hour of Code and Teacher "Bright Spots."

If you would like further assistance with any of the information that is delivered in the monthly newsletters, please feel free to contact one of the Technology Content Coaches - Ed Duclos or Debbie Matchett.

Happy Holidays,

EdTech Team

Microsoft Office - Home Use Program

Certified staff are eligible to purchase Microsoft Office 2016 for use at home for under $10. Follow the link below and use program code: 2BA1E70A92

http://hup.microsoft.com/

To celebrate this year’s Hour of Code, the EdTech Team partnered with members of the science department and with elementary principals to provide students with opportunities to learn the basics of computer science and to develop critical thinking skills.

Participating students selected from a list of coding games that included novice, intermediate, and advanced challenges. “The Hour of Code was awesome!” said Orchard Hill Principal Mike Tortora, “The kids were so excited, and the teachers found the Hour of Code information page easy to use.”

In Dianna Roy’s sixth-grade classroom, students made dragons fly. In Deb Bajorek’s science class, students used coding to help Maui and Moana defeat the Kakamora, and Pete Lapak’s students completed a series of Angry Birds challenges.

The Hour of Code is a global movement that reaches over 100 million students in over 180 countries annually, including students in our K – 5 schools and at Timothy Edwards Middle School.

Open this link to try your hand at coding

Teachers within district are making great strides with integrating technology into the classroom. We hope to showcase these "Bright Spots" in each newsletter. Our intent is to help spark ideas on different ways to utilize technology within the classroom. If you would like share how you use technology in the classroom, please Click Here.

December Bright Spots: Interactive Posters and Screencasts

Elementary and Middle School teachers are utilizing Google Slides as a digital tool for students to create interactive posters as the product of the performance task. Students are inserting links, images and embedding videos into their posters. The once one-dimensional poster has evolved into a live, interactive piece for students to showcase their work and research. View the video below to learn more.

High School and Middle School teachers are using the Chrome Extension Screencastify to develop short instructional videos that foster student learning. Students can access the videos within Google Classroom. This tool provides the students with the ability to be part of the class if absent and the ability to review the lesson at their own pace.

Screencastify is on the District App Approval list. Therefore, students are free to use the app to make screencasts of their own!

View the video below to learn how to create a screencast.