#EMSISDITS Tech Talk

Techy Talk for Teachers

Team Update

Some of you know that Tim Hyunh accepted a job in Denton ISD as the Coordinator of Blended Learning. Although we miss him, we are thrilled to welcome our newest Instructional Tech! Please help us welcome April Dunning to the team. April taught ELAR and AVID at Boswell before moving to CTHS as the librarian. Most recently, she managed (and overhauled) our district and campus websites as our District Webmaster. April is excited to be able to spend more time working with our teachers and students in classrooms throughout the district.

If you have questions related to the website, please reach out to the fabulous Kris Hill.

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Phishing- It's not just a lazy day on the lake.

Whenever we walk out of our front door, there is potential for danger and peril. We do our best to avoid it, but sometimes it happens. The same is true when we go online. We can get ourselves in trouble by spending too much money at our favorite online store front, or too much time on our favorite websites. Sometimes, we may fall victim to the many online scams and viruses that are out there. These scams and viruses come in many shapes and sizes. They might look like a valid email from your bank, employer, or even from one of your saved contacts. They might look like an innocent hyperlink or embedded image in a web page. Much like the world around us, combating this type of malicious behavior is a constant struggle. In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission processed 1.4 million fraud reports totaling $1.8 billion (with a B) dollars. (Douglas, 2019) That is crazy!

To ensure that you are not one of those victims, be diligent when using email and surfing the internet. If you think an email looks suspicious, don't click on any links in the email until you have verified its authenticity. Never give anyone your personal data until you are certain that they are legitimate. Don't download any content from the web that is not from a trusted site, and beware of callers asking you to go online and perform tasks such as opening accounts, submitting personal data, or sending money over the web. If you follow these guidelines, you will be able to have enjoyable online experiences and stay safe while doing so.

Douglas, R. (2019, June 21). Trends and statistics about identity theft. Retrieved from http://www.consumeraffairs.com/finance/idetity-theft-statistics.html.

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Novel Effect

Have you tried Novel Effect yet? If not, you (and your students) are missing out. Novel Effect is an iOS or Android app that uses music and sound effects to enhance story time. All you have to do is install the app, choose a book from their vast inventory, and start reading to your kids. Novel Effect will listen to your voice and add music and sound effects at just the right time. Check out the video below for a demo.

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Use TEAMS to create a Class Notebook

Using a Class Notebook with your students is awesome! Each notebook comes with 3 distinct sections. The Content Space is an area where you can post read only material that cannot be edited or deleted by students. There is a Collaboration Space that allows you and your students to read, edit and add content for everyone to see. The third section is a space for you to communicate with individual students. Each student has their own private notebook space that only you and that particular student can see and edit.

The only problem, especially if you're a middle or high school teacher, is that you have to add each student manually to your Class Notebook. Now there is a easy way to avoid this. In TEAMS, you have a "TEAM" setup for each class where you are the teacher of record. When you open the Class Notebook associated with that TEAM, it will already have all of your students populated in the document.

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Need to send a large video file?

Sometimes video files are too large to attach to an email. Whenever that happens, all you have to do is upload the video to your OneDrive and then share the link with the person you want to send it to. Piece of Cake!

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CSES Tech Day

We shared Nearpod with the Commanche Springs ES Spurs and now they are hooked! They also got a taste of Minecraft for Education. We can see the wheels turning.

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SES Breakout

These Stars rocked a breakout on the Earth's rotation. They were excited, engaged, and dialed in for this awesome activity.

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BES Minecraft

Teachers at BES were introduced to PlayCraftLearn (aka Minecraft for Education). It's learning through gaming. What a great way to engage students!

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Blogging using SWAY at PVMS

Students in GT Humanities at PVMS learned how using SWAY can be a great tool to get started on a blog about regulating new technologies. They are ready to post!

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DES Promethean Training

The teachers at Dozier enjoyed learning about Activinspire for their Promethean Boards. We can't wait to see the interactive lessons they create!

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BES Mystery Skype

These Bobcats had a blast playing Animal Mystery Skype with a class at Elkins. Byson students knew their Koala Bear facts and now they know more about the naked mole rat thanks to students at EES.

Single Sign On | Quick access in to your EMS Digital Resources

Device Checkout | Need to borrow something for a less? Reserve it here!

Microsoft Educator Community | High Quality, Anytime, On-Demand PD

The Jenallee Show | On-the-spot PD videos, featuring many EMS Superstars

Promethean Board Tips & Tricks | Growing playlist of quick instructional videos

EMS Tech Tools | Check out or recommended tools (scan QR code to save on your device!)

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We can help!

Need help planning a blended lesson? Do you need an extra hand while tackling a technified lesson with your students? Are you ready to add some technology to your classroom but don't know where to start? The #EMSTechsperts are here to support you! Contact your Campus IT today!