Welcome to the 2010-2011 School Year

Welcome back everyone! Technology has been working hard to get ready for this school year. Here are a few technology tidbits:

• The CAT 6 cabling project is drawing to a close. It took about 7 months, but its done!
• FSISD moved to TxGradebook with RSCCC this fall.
• The new Apache wing is nearing completion. The new computer lab is the only thing left to complete. We hope the construction will be completed by end of September.
• We have placed 150 PanoLogic Virtual Desktop devices in a few labs around the district: HS Lab 1, MS Reading Lab, Intermediate Integration Lab Rm 28, Alamo 2nd/3rd grade lab, and 40 of them at the Technology Training Labs.

Welcome New FSISD staff! Everyone have a GREAT year!

FSISD Networks Gets a "FaceLift"

Fort Stockton ISD will be upgrading the network infrastructure this summer.  Beginning July 11, 2009, the network will be down as old equipment is coming out and new equipment is going in. The change-over will be completed by July 22, 2009.

TCEA2008 Product PodCasts

Gadgets and Gizmos Galore!

TCEA2008 was probably the BEST TCEA conference ever. Partly due to the very cool sessions and vendor EXPO and partly due to the great FSISD teacher team attending.

I specifically targeted sessions and vendors that dealt with WEB 2.0 tools that FSISD teachers could readily implement into their lessons. But, there were many, very COOL gadgets and gizmos on display at the 500+ vendor EXPO, and I would like to share some of them with you. Luckily, Tim Holt, Director of Instructional Technology at El Paso ISD, created some very informative Podcasts of a few of the vendors and their products and he agreed to share them with us. Thank you, Tim! You did a fantastic job on these podcasts!

Tuff Cams- a very nice and "kid-proof" digital camera. This is a very cool digital cam for kids.
http://web.mac.com/timholt/Intended_Consequenses/Intended_Consequences_Podcast/Entries/2008/2/10_$179_Kid_Proof_Digital_Camcorder____.html

Tangent LOW cost, every kid has a computer solution: I fell in LOVE with this one! This is a very small and durable Linux based, fully functional laptop computer for less than $300
At just two pounds, the ePC has a 7-inch screen and comes in four models with up to 8GB of SSD storage and 1GB of DDR2 memory. There is WiFi and an easy graphic interface, which gives quick access to internet, email, etc.

PLUS, you can get them in 4 really cool colors! I kinda like this pink one...hehehehe.

http://web.mac.com/timholt/Intended_Consequenses/Intended_Consequences_Podcast/Entries/2008/2/10_Tangent_ePC_Low_cost_student_PC.html

Scope on a Rope is a handheld microscope that can magnify up to 400X! I think every science classroom should have this. I have seen these at the past 3 TCEA conferences. These gadgets are very cool, and kids would love them.
http://web.mac.com/timholt/Intended_Consequenses/Intended_Consequences_Podcast/Entries/2008/2/10_Scope_on_a_Rope____.html

Automatic Pass generator. I personally picked up information on this for Mrs. Espino and Mr. Nelson. This is so cool! It totally integrates the pass procedure and the barcoded student ID. Wow! This is a great thing for the front offices of the HS and MS.
http://web.mac.com/timholt/Intended_Consequenses/Intended_Consequences_Podcast/Entries/2008/2/10_Automated_Passes.html

I Support Learning, computer animation and game design curriculum- Some of the FSISD teachers attending TCEA this year mentioned to me about this product. This is a prime example of teaching kids using their technology. This is a cool software package that is TAKS aligned and makes learning REALLY FUN for the student.
http://web.mac.com/timholt/Intended_Consequenses/Intended_Consequences_Podcast/Entries/2008/2/10_I_support_Learning____.html

There are several more podcasts Tim created showcasing more TCEA2008 gadets and gizmos. Please visit Tim’s blog and click on any podcast that interests you.
http://web.mac.com/timholt/Intended_Consequenses/Intended_Consequences_Podcast/Intended_Consequences_Podcast.html

Many thanks to Mr. Tim Holt of EPISD for sharing his TCEA2008 vendor podcasts with us. We appreciate it, Tim!

Teachers Attending TCEA2008 bring WEB 2.0 to Fort Stockton ISD

It all really began last spring when I set up my first blog and began to see the immense possibilities web 2.0 tools could give Fort Stockton ISD teachers.  What is WEB 2.0?  This was the big question asked as 13 FSISD teachers drove to Austin to attend the huge Texas Computer Educators Association conference in Austin, Texas this past week.  Well, that "big" question was answered over the course of the week as teachers attended different workshops and seminars on WEB 2.0 applications and how they could be used in the classroom. Tim O'Reilly explains in his article, What is Web 2.0?  Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software,  http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html 

It was so awesome to see our teachers so fired up and excited.  I predict web 2.0 tools will be a large component of their next set of lesson plans, what do you bet?  Then I predict it will spread throughout the district.

It is the era when people have come to realize that it's not the software that enables the web that matters so much as the services that are delivered over the web. Rich Internet Applications, or RIA, bring the Internet "alive" and allows collaboration between teacher and students and students and students.  In a nutshell, web 2.0 applications are interactive apps.  Just think about this for a second.  Applications that allow your students to interact with you online.... Hey.... Wouldn't it be cool if you could post a topic on a blog and have the students respond to it?  Or, post a research topic on a Wiki and have students collaborate online and add to that Wiki. Hmmmm....  Teaching kids in a medium they know and love and excel!  Imagine bringing this richness to your classroom for greater learning experiences. Instead of writing papers and journals, have students post a blog, and more Wow!  How cool is this?

Look for WEB 2.0 apps being utilized in classrooms by Julien and Mary at the High School, Teresa, Michelle, JaneE, Celya, and Misti at the Middle School, Omar and Gail at Intermediate, and Collette at Alamo. Also look for online collaboration from Debbie at the Curriculum Department, and Brenda and myself at Technology! 

Coming Soon:  Trainings will be offered to anyone wanting to take advantage of these free online services.  These trainings will offer integration ideas for you and your students.  It's easy and quick!