Technology and Software

September 2014

As fledgling OWLS, you are out of the nest and flying high!  It is September and this school year is well on its way.  This month's blog targets technology and software available to you.

First of all, let me share district technology plans for 1:1 implementation.  Last year, SCSC was awarded a Digital Learning Grant.  We have used this funding for training and to begin distributing devices to students.  Seymour has deployed Chromebooks to sixth grade students and to AP students at SHS.  The plan is to expand distribution each year to include more students.  The goal of the 1:1 initiative is to increase engagement, apply 21st Century skills, and increase achievement.   SCSC has dedicated time and resources to train our staff to utilize these tools effectively.  Our plan is to continue distributing devices to new grade levels each year and to offer training as the initiative grows.  In addition, we have spent time presenting information to parents.  We want to provide as much information to all involved as possible.

It is an exciting time to be a member of the Seymour Community School Corporation team!

The remainder of this blog will provide you with some information on various aspects of this initiative.

SOFTWARE

Seymour Community School Corporation has developed a list of all the software programs available in our school district.  This document provides information on the title, grade access, cost, and contact persons.  

To view, please visit:   

Software List 2014
(You will need to log in to your Google Account to view)

This list continues to grow and grow.  This year you will see listings for My On and IXL.  We have just added these to our list so they may not be fully operational just yet.  We hope to have them up an running as soon as possible.

We are also in the process of identifying individuals at each building to serve as the contact for the various programs.  Since Seymour Community School Corporation moved to a new student management system, Information Now.  We are in the process of getting all of our information migrated to the new program.  Once this initial process is completed, Mr. Rodman, Technology Director, will be training the building contacts on how to manage each of the programs.  Once trained, the individual listed should be able to be your first helpline to obtain usernames/passwords, manage content, or help answer questions.  Until this training takes place, we will do our best to assist you.

USERNAMES/PASSWORDS

As you can see, we have an extensive list of programs that continues to grow. Each of these has websites to visit that require usernames and passwords.  You need to develop a system to keep track of your access codes.  It is a skill that we not only need for ourselves, but also need to teach students.  As our 1:1 technology initiative continues to grow, more and more students will need to manage their own usernames/passwords.  There are many online programs (lastpass, passwordbox...) that can be used to help you remember this important information or you can go old school and keep a paper/pencil record.

EMAIL

I wanted to use this month's post to share some advice on using email.  Whether you are a brand new teacher or a seasoned veteran, we can all use a little email etiquette guidance from time to time.  Think of me as your own Miss Manners...

1. Be informal, not sloppy. Your colleagues may use commonly accepted abbreviations in e-mail, but when communicating with parents or community members, everyone should follow standard writing protocol. Your e-mail message reflects upon you and our school corporation, so traditional spelling, grammar, and punctuation rules apply.
2. Keep messages brief and to the point. Just because your writing is grammatically correct does not mean that it has to be long. Nothing is more frustrating than wading through an e-mail message that is twice as long as necessary. Concentrate on one subject per message whenever possible.
3. Use sentence case. USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS LOOKS AS IF YOU'RE SHOUTING. Using all lowercase letters looks lazy. For emphasis, use asterisks or bold formatting to emphasize important words. Do not, however, overuse such devices.  After a while it loses its effect.
4. Use the blind copy and courtesy copy appropriately. Don't use Blind Copying to keep others from seeing who you copied; it shows confidence when you directly CC anyone receiving a copy.  Be cautious with your use of CC; overuse simply clutters in boxes. Copy only people who are directly involved.
5. Don't use e-mail as an excuse to avoid personal contact. Don't forget the value of face-to-face or even voice-to-voice communication. E-mail communication isn't appropriate when sending confusing or emotional messages.   If you are upset about something and on the verge of sending a lengthy, emotional email, have a friend read it first.  Often such emails only add another layer to the problem.  Email statements can be taken out of context.  Emails do not permit you to read the body language of the sender so you can often misinterpret the intention of the email.  If you have a problem with someone, speak with that person directly.  Because email can seem so informal, many people fall into this trap.  Always remember that email is forever!
6. Remember that e-mail isn't private. Employees can be fired for using e-mail inappropriately. E-mail is considered Seymour Community School Corporation's property and can be retrieved, examined, and used in a court of law. You should assume that e-mail over the Internet is not secure. Never put in an e-mail message anything that you wouldn't put on a postcard. Remember that e-mail can be forwarded, so unintended audiences may see what you've written. You might also inadvertently send something to the wrong party, so always keep the content professional to avoid embarrassment.  There are times you will need to share information about a student with a colleague.  When communicating about a student, we suggest you use initials or Student One/Student Two.   Remember any comment you make about a student or parent in an email is fair game in a court of law. 
7. Be sparing with group e-mail. Send group e-mail only when it's useful to every recipient. Use the "reply all" button only when compiling results requiring collective input and only if you have something to add. Recipients get quite annoyed to open an e-mail that says only "Me too!"  
8. Use the subject field to indicate content and purpose. Don't just say, "Hi!" or "From Laura." Use this line to identify the purpose of the email.  It could be helpful in searching for the email at a later date. 
9. Don't send chain letters, virus warnings, or junk mail.  It is the advice of Seymour Community School Corporation's Technology department to avoid opening any email that you do not recognize the sender.   In addition, do not click on attachments from senders you do not know, these often carry a virus that can impact our systems.   In addition, we suggest that you direct personal e-mail to your home e-mail account.
10. Remember that your tone can't be heard in e-mail. Have you ever attempted sarcasm in an e-mail, and the recipient took it the wrong way? E-mail communication can't convey the nuances of verbal communication.  Also, don't assume that using a smiley :)  will diffuse a difficult message.
11. Use a signature that includes contact information. To ensure that people know who you are, include a signature that has your contact information, including your mailing address, position, and phone numbers.
12. Picture Attachments.  Be aware that attaching pictures to an email and then sending it out to all employees will impact the entire email system.  Pictures and videos eat up space on our server.  If you have picture/video you'd like everyone to see or a notice for everyone, such as, an item for sale, you can contact Shawn Mahoney, Director of eLearning.  We have an area on our staff website for this purpose.

The last thing I would share about email, is remember to delete.  You should delete or archive emails that are not immediately relevant to your work.  This keeps our system working efficiently.  Remember to watch not only your mailbox but also your sent items.  If you find your system seems bogged down, take a look at the number of emails in these areas.  You may need to do some house cleaning!  If you need help in learning how to archive, please contact Mr. Mahoney.    

Our next meeting:  October 30, 2014 at Central Office      4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Welcome 

to 

Seymour Community School Corporation!   

Your blood runs purple as of today!  "OWL" be the first to say, we were hootin' and hollerin' when we heard you were going to join our team!  We are looking forward to a great year!

We will be using this blog over the course of the school year to communicate and support each other.  It provides our new friends with a way to ask questions, give advice, or share resource information with others.  Through this two-way professional dialog, we can stay connected between our induction meetings. 

I look forward to learning about you and your classroom.

Your first task is to locate this blog and post a response to this question:

If you could be a cartoon character for just a day, who would you be and why?