Google Docs now supports Columns!

If you have not noticed yet...Google Docs now supports Columns!  Yes, you heard that right. We have waited and asked for this feature for years and Google has finally added it.  Check it out by opening a Google Doc and choosing Format.  You will have a choice of 1, 2, or 3 Columns.

Google Help Pages - Columns

How can WCS students log into District programs from home?

Westerville City Schools is working with Clever allowing students to log into their District provided programs at home.  Clever is a service that uses a student's Google account information as a portal to log into different technological tools that the district has provided to it's students. Clever provides student access at home to the following programs.

• Dreambox
• Lexia Core 5
• Tenmarks
• Schoology
• Studies Weekly
• Learning A-Z
• Gale Learning
• Code.org
• Khan Academy
• Typing.com
• Vocabulary.com

Please go to our Clever Update page for further explanations, directions and a printable handout with directions to send home to your parents.

 
 

Attention Westerville Educators!  Would you like to present your expertise in Ed Tech at the state conference?

Ohio Educational Technology Conference:  Call for Workshops, Sessions, & Displays

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 OETC is seeking innovative and fresh workshop, session, poster and display proposals for the 2017 conference. Presenting at OETC17 offers a unique opportunity for Ohio educators, technology experts and industry experts to gather and collaborate on ways to improve the quality and delivery of education to all Ohioans. 

The deadline to submit an Education Session proposal is September 30! Workshop submissions end this Friday, September 9th!

Click here to visit our Presenters’ Page for information on how to submit a session proposal.

If you are interested in submitting a proposal to present at the state conference- email Jen Fry.

Schoology Professional Development

Online PD opportunity!
Schoology is offering a series of Back to School Webinars for both the new user as well as the experienced user.  These webinars take place August 2nd- August 18th.  You can sign up to attend a session and will be sent the playback link if you miss it.


Read more about this here.

Announcing Technology Solutions!

Westerville City Schools Technology Solutions

As part of the Learning and Teaching Roadmap, we have purchased both devices and digital content to support the district’s vision for educating students in a 21st Century Learning Environment. As the use of technology tools in our district has grown tremendously, so have the number of requests for repairs and assistance to the IT and the Ed Tech departments.  In order to provide staff with a user friendly and timely experience in having their technology needs addressed,

The IT and Ed Tech departments are pleased to announce

the “Technology Solutions” help desk!

The cornerstone of this initiative is a new ticketing system that will allow us to quickly receive, respond and resolve your technology requests, such as:

• Hardware (Computer, Laptop, Chromebook)
• Software
• Google Apps (GAFE)
• Projectors
• Network or Internet issues
• Copiers/Printers
• Phones/Voicemail
• PowerSchool (including PowerTeacher and the Parent Portal)
• Digital Content (Schoology, Lexia, Dreambox, Clever, TenMarks, A/R Star, etc).
• Technology Integration Professional Development (Technology Integration Coaches)

So that we may efficiently and effectively address your technology issues,

it is extremely critical that ALL requests are submitted via our new ticketing system:

Click HERE for the link to the help desk

Your login for the ticketing system web portal will be your Windows/network username and password (ex: BaileySh).

Once logged into the system, you will be able to:

• Submit your own ticket to Technology Solutions using the website here.
• Receive updates through e-mail or SMS text
• View a history of tickets you have submitted
• Access FAQ’s addressing common issues

The new ticketing system will be available for you to use beginning June 1st.

Thank you for your cooperation as we bring to you the Technology Solutions help desk!

The following video provides more information on how to submit a work order:

End of Year Wrap Up for Schoology Users- Important Information!

Hello Schoology Users!  As we wrap up the school year, here are some important directions for how to finish out the year with Schoology.

Please know that your old courses never truly go away, but they do become archived at the end of the grading period.  Reading about archived courses below, as well as how to save your course materials so that you can easily access them again next school year.

Use this handy Schoology Rollover Course Checklist: Instructors to help you end the year and start again in August!

As always, if you have questions, reach out to your Technology Integration Coacht:  David Hayward, Lane Halterman or Kim Niles.  Enjoy your summer!

• Saving & Sharing Courses for Next Year
• Archiving Courses
• Saving Course Materials 
  Consider the following scenarios when determining the best way to save and/or share your materials for next year:
• I’m teaching the same course at the same school again next year. How do I save and reuse my materials?
• I’m leaving my current school/organization/department, and I want to share my materials with the instructor who is taking my place.
• I am leaving my current school/organization/department, and I want to take my materials with me.
• Saving & Reusing Your Grade Set Up

Summer Professional Learning Opportunity! Blended Learning in Grades 4-12 Book Study

The EdTech team would like to invite staff to join an online book study on the book, Blended Learning in Grades 4-12, but Katlin R. Tucker.  In this book study, educators will learn the process for integrating online learning with face-to-face instruction in a way that is aligned to the Common Core Standards.  This class will address the issue of “how to blend?” using the online environment to increase engagement and drive higher-order thinking. It is appropriate for those who work with students in grades 4-12.

The book study will run for six weeks from June 1, to July 18, 2016 and will take place in Schoology.  The book study may be taken for one Muskingum college credit or for 1.5 CEUs (15 contact hours). Muskingum credit will cost $130.00.

View the Syllabus

Sign up by June 1 to participate!  The first 20 people to sign up will receive a free copy of the book!

Right Side Chat

Here is a quick tip on how to move your Chat window from the left column to the right side of your Gmail page.  This does not change any functionality, it gives you more space on the left to view your labels.

Directions:

1. Open Gmail

2. Click the Settings Wheel, Choose Settings

3. Choose the Lab tab

4. Scroll down to Right Side Chat, Choose Enable

5. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page

6. Enjoy!

Take an Inspirational Journey Across the World

360°  Technology-Take an inspirational journey across the world with your students on

a virtual reality adventure right from your classroom.

Mark Twain’s 4th grade classes did just that with Mrs. McCoy’s and Mrs.Glaser’s students.

“WOW”,  that was the the response when the students explored

the 360 Virtual Reality technology!  Each student had an opportunity to explore Patriotic

Landmarks and then took a helicopter ride over the Polar Seas.

 

Many websites now provide Virtual Reality experiences to provide realistic visits to many cities and places. Fourth Graders explored the below Patriot Landmarks link: https://s.nearpod.com/j/9EC63BF9D57DBB03AD111F3575FE0E5D-1

Are you getting ready for a summer vacation?  Below are some 360 links to explore before you leave.

Statue of Liberty-http://www.360cities.net/image/statue-of-liberty-side

Mount Rushmore-http://www.360cities.net/image/mount-rushmore-usa

Grand Canyon-http://www.360cities.net/image/grand-canyon-mather-point-overlook

Golden Gate Bridge-http://www.360cities.net/image/golden-gate-bridge-from-the-air

Washington Monument-http://www.360cities.net/image/washington-monument-washington-dc

Old Faithful-http://www.360cities.net/image/old-faithful-geyser-eruption-usa

Immerse yourself in the world's first 360° documentary Polar Sea 360 film that explores the drastically changing Arctic landscape. Watch this with you google cardboard viewer and create a realistic experience.

Good Morning Huskies!

Good Morning Huskies! Every morning the 8th grade news team at Heritage Middle School starts their day recording the daily announcements, sports updates and any news of the day.  Daily announcements provide a great way for students to get involved in school, build school community and pride and have a little fun to kick off the day. The team is supervised by Kellie Sheely, Kris Konik and Patrick Acocks who support the project helping the team write and edit scripts, filming and posting the final video daily in Schoology.

Recording daily announcements is not a new concept at Heritage but using tools like WeVideo and Schoology have helped with editing and distribution of the video to the staff and students. In the past, videos were posted to the Shared Drive for teachers to access and show during 1st period.  This year the news team began posting the morning announcements to the Heritage Middle School Group in Schoology.  “Using Schoology to post our videos allows teachers easy access to the videos,” explained Mrs. Konik. “It also provides a reason for our staff to get into Schoology each day and has helped in supporting the transition to building student centered blended learning environments.”