Tuesday, January 24, 2017

GUSHDtech Connect - January 24, 2017


Welcome to the first issue of GUHSDtech Connect. Since the first Chromebooks rolled out in carts three years ago, GUHSD teachers have started the process of modernizing instructional practices, embraced the innovator's mindset, and focusing on teaching 21st-century skills to all of our students. And this is just the beginning!
This monthly newsletter will provide you with ideas, resources, and upcoming events. Thank you for reading.

Google Classroom Update: Give Individual or Group Assignments!
More info:

New ideas beyond GUHSD

El Cajon Valley teacher Kelly Verioti challenged her biology students to identify and research a genetic disorder, apply their selected genetic mutation to an organism, and analyze the potential effects. To demonstrate their understanding, her students then created a persuasive video that included their findings and opinion on genetic testing. This collaborative project masterfully brings together the new Next Generation Science Standards and the potential of FutureForward. Take a few minutes to watch some of her student’s videos. Here are the details of the project.
Kelly created this project as part the Ninja 2.0 program using WeVideo - an online editing video editing tool that works on all Chromebooks. Do YOU want to take a project idea to the next level? We can help! Contact a DLC and they can talk through the idea with you. 2017-18 Ninja 2.0 applications will be out in May.

Upcoming Workshops

  • DLC Support Request - Digital Learning Coaches are available to help you use technology with your students.
  • Tech Support - Need help with Infinite Campus? Forget a password? Is your computer not connecting to the network? This resource shows you how to get the help you need!
  • GUHSDtech Vault - Looking for tools and ideas on how to use technology with students? The Vault is packed full of tools, tutorials, and practical examples of how to use tech in the classroom.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

The Hour of Code is coming!

The Hour of Code is coming!

December 5-11, 2016


Are you ready to do it again? Because of your students and your stories, the Hour of Code movement keeps changing the world. We hope you’ll join other teachers in the GUHSD to make this year a turning point for computer science in our schools. If you’ve participated in the Hour of Code before, please know that there are new modules on the tutorials page, like Disney’s Moana and Code Combat.


Sign up now to host an Hour of Code during Dec. 5-11 at https://hourofcode.com.
Registering your participation will add your event to the map of over 110,188 events being held globally for the Hour of Code Week.  

Handout
Here’s a handout you can share with your students so they know what to expect.

History of the Hour of Code
The Hour of Code takes place each year during Computer Science Education Week. The 2016 Computer Science Education Week will be December 5-11, but you can host an Hour of Code all year round. Computer Science Education Week is held annually in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906).

Pick a date. Share the tutorials. Let your students learn to code! The Digital Learning Coaches (DLCs) would be happy to come out and assist with this if you’d like.


Monday, November 7, 2016

GUHSD Makes an Impact at SDCUE 2016

Almost 60 GUHSD teachers attended the annual SDCUE Technology Fair at La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad. The annual event offers teachers a wide array of learning opportunities on how to integrate technology into the classroom and provide innovative experiences to students.

Additionally, 12 sessions were presented by 20 GUHSD teachers and administrators. With the backdrop of our FutureForward program, GUHSD continues to empower teachers to bring relevant and modern strategies into our classrooms. These teachers illustrate that leadership within the district and across the county. Visit this link for a full list of GUHSD sessions and resources: https://goo.gl/0GFvtJ

The El Cajon Valley Instructional Technology Team presents their program.
IDEA Center teachers spend a day learning new ideas.



Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Open Educational Resources in GUHSD

GUHSD is starting a three to four-year process to develop Open Educational Resource (OER) Curriculum Collections to replace and supplement our traditional textbook model in some subjects. We are joining a national movement called #GoOpen that was kicked off at a White House event in November. GUHSD representatives attended that event and a follow-up event in March near San Francisco where districts across the nation shared best practices and strategies for successful implementation of OER materials.


This comes at a perfect time for our district. FutureForward provides us the opportunity to rethink how curriculum is delivered in a world where digital content dominates our lives. This is an exciting and daunting idea. We need to be deliberate and focused in our continued efforts to ensure our students get equal access to quality resources and instruction.


The idea was first presented to many teachers and administrators in December. Between December and March, GEA and the district established some key guidelines to ensure that OER development and integration of the finished products were reasonable and fair to teachers while being systematic and scalable. During that process, we know there was a lot of discussion at sites and subject area councils. We are now able to share specific information, including the curation process, roles, and some examples. All of this information is now available at the GUHSDtech website: http://tech.guhsd.net/oer


Once you have reviewed the GUHSD OER materials, we would like to hear your interest and thoughts on this new program. You can complete the Open Educational Resource Interest Form here.

Monday, March 7, 2016

TechFest 2016 a Success!

On Saturday, February 20, Grosmmont Union High School District hosted the 3rd annual East County Tech Fest at West Hills High School.  This collaborative effort included speakers from Cajon Valley, Grossmont, and Santee school districts as well as attendees from all over San Diego county.

This half-day conference kicked off with a keynote from Jen Roberts, a Point Loma High School English teacher, Google for Education Innovator, and author of Power Up: Making the Shift to 1:1 Teaching and Learning.  Three sessions followed with topics covering a wide variety of educational technology tools, instructional strategies, and methods for enhancing and rethinking traditional instruction. With 125 educators in attendance, there were plenty of opportunities to share ideas and connect with teachers around the county.  We look forward to continuing this great event and expanding its reach so more educators can experience a great day of learning.

If you would like to access the presentations and resources for the conference, please visit: www.ectechfest.org.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

GUHSDtech Update - January 14, 2016

Believe it or not, the first Chromebook carts were distributed only two years ago! Since then, we have seen a dramatic increase in available technology and professional development opportunities for all staff. As we move into 2016, we will once again significantly expand access and support. The Instructional Technology team looks forward to working with you.

Updated Website
The new year has brought a new look to the GUHSDtech website. The resources have been reorganized and the navigation streamlined. We hope you find it useful.

GUHSDtech Vault
Not sure how to bring a webtool into your classroom? Check out the GUHSDtech Vault! This comprehensive collection of online applications is organized by subject area and type of activity. Additionally each tool has a dedicated page that describes how to use it in the classroom and examples of its use by students. As you plan for next semester, make sure to check out the GUHSDtech Vault.

GUHSDtech Math and Science Summit
We are happy to announce the first of several subject area technology professional development opportunities. The Math and Science day will be on Tuesday, March 1. Led by innovative GUHSD teachers, this workshop will provide a variety of topics designed specifically for math and science teachers. Interested in attending? Complete this registration form. Look for more workshops this spring that cover the Humanities, World Languages, WeVideo, and Digital Lesson Design.

Collaborate with a DLC
The Digital Learning Coaches are available to help you integrate meaningful technology practices into your curriculum. Visit the DLC Support Request Page for more information.

From the DLCs
Our Digital Learning Coaches continue to reach out to teachers across the district. Click here to read about some of their in experiences at El Capitan, Merit, and Mount Miguel. Click here to read the full post.

Upcoming Events

  • 3rd Annual East County TechFest - Saturday, February 20 at West Hills HS from 8am - 12pm. Click here for more information or to register to attend.
  • Global School Play Day - February 3, 2016. Unstructured play time is an essential piece of a child’s development. Visit the GlobalSchoolPlayDay.com for how you can participate.

Update from the GUSHDtech DLCs

Happy 2016 from your GUHSDtech Digital Learning Coaches, Reuben and April!


We hope you had some time over the break to relax and unwind a bit.  This semester has been full of new experiences for us and for so many teachers around the district.  It’s been truly inspiring to see the innovative teaching and risk-taking with technology integration over the past semester.  As we move toward second semester, we wanted to share a few highlights from the past two months.


MERIT Academy Day of Code - The week of December 7 - 13 was the 2015 Hour of Code event.  Hundreds of thousands of classrooms across the world participated in this amazing experience which gave students of all ages the opportunity to learn more about coding and computer science.  One very special event in our district occurred at MERIT Academy.  We spent a fun-filled morning helping over 20 MERIT students learn coding skills.  They even got to participate in a Google Hangout with a former GUHSD student who is currently studying computer science at San Jose State University. The enthusiasm and engagement of the students was fantastic, and we highly encourage you to try Hour of Code with your students!  For more information visit our district’s Hour of Code resource page: http://tech.guhsd.net/resources/hour-of-code


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MERIT students trying new coding games


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MERIT students asking SJSU student, Charles Leon,  about computer science

Innovation is more than just technology, and we’re seeing it everywhere! - Although our official title is Digital Learning Coach, we get excited when we see any type of innovative learning experiences taking place in our district.  On our district’s first annual Innovation Day, April visited the science classroom of Sonia Gahloff at Mount Miguel.  Her students were working on calculating the proper settings to determine the correct trajectory of a ball shot out of a Pascoe Long Range Projectile Launcher.  It was awesome to see students celebrating when all their hard work paid off with a direct hit on the center row of the target!  


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Finalizing their calculations

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Determining target placement  


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Success!


Cool Tool Highlight - One technology tool that we’ve seen teachers using with a lot of success is Kahoot!  Kahoot is an free online program that engages students with review and practice quizzes.  It’s very easy to use and is great for group settings.  Students can play on any device with an internet connection.  Kahoot is great for a unit review, vocabulary review, reading comprehension checks, or even a quick exit ticket!  If you haven’t tried a Kahoot, take a look at our Kahoot resource page for tutorials and example activities.  


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Students reviewing content with Kahoot in Chi Ping’s first-year Chinese language class

We’d like to send a huge thank you to all the individual teachers, departments, support staff, and administrators who are supporting technology integration in our district.  We can’t wait to what’s coming in the months ahead.


Until next time,

April and Reuben