Good Morning,

Happy Tuesday!



Here are your tech tips for the week 🙂

Meet the Tech Ambassadors 👋🤝

​During the back-to-school updates, we introduced your tech ambassador to you.  Now you get the opportunity to meet the tech ambassadors from other campuses!

Katie Ciani, Howe High School



My name is Katie Ciani, and I teach English IV, Dual Credit English, and Theatre at the high school. I got my bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Digital Media from Abilene Christian University, my master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Dayton, and am currently in pursuit of my M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction with dual focuses in Educational Technology and Theatre Pedagogy from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. I have been at Howe all nine(!) years of my teaching career. 

I love to read (shocker, I know!), and my favorite book is the Harry Potter series followed by Ender’s Game, but if you need any recommendations in the thriller/mystery category, I’m your girl! I typically curl up on the couch with a book and my puppers and I’m happy to call that a good time! 

If you didn't get a chance to catch Katie's awesome session over "Video Tools to take your Lessons from the Ordinary to the Extraordinary!" please check them out below:

Link to Multimedia Tools Presentation:  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/102zEPy0-2rY0Xxm4x0pu9PgCitXByJJqF6CyVWtK5lk/edit

Link to Multimedia Tools Smore: 
https://www.smore.com/wth2r

Using video tools with your students automatically levels up anything you are doing in the classroom.  Students LOVE to be on camera!  By allowing them the creativity and freedom to express themselves on video, you are getting a clearer picture of what your students can do and how they are thinking about a lesson objective.  In Katie's presentation, she discusses video tools just for teachers and some that are specific to students.  I highly encourage you to check them out and start implementing them into your classroom routine.  Peer to peer collaboration is wonderful but having video evidence of those discussions holds the student more accountable with their work. 

IT Reminders 📋✅
  • Please make sure to submit a ticket for all issues- If we are not aware of an issue happening in your classroom then we cannot fix it in a timely manner!
  • If you have not done so already, please restart (turn off/turn on) all student iPads in your classroom.  We have made a lot of changes to our network in the past week!
  • Please make sure to visit our solutions portal on the helpdesk site for Frequently Asked Questions.  We have added a ton of articles since the beginning of school.
Preparation is Key 🔑

In a perfect world students would show up to class prepared for the day: charged iPads, materials, ready to learn (you know this rarely happens!).  Here are some great reminders on how to prepare for the "unexpected" in your classroom and keep the learning going, no matter what:

  • Make sure to test out any classroom videos ahead of time with a student login (username:  lastname.firstname@howeisd.net, password:  6- digit lunch number)
  • Not sure that a website you are wanting to use is going to be blocked?  Test it out ahead of time with a student login.
  • Remember that you have to "approve" videos for students to watch ahead of time- if they are not approved, they will not play for students.
  • Make sure modules are published in Canvas and/or assignments are showing in SeeSaw
  • Restarting a device is the first thing to do when things are not working as they should- this applies for student iPads and Teacher desktops
  • Have a few paper copies as a backup to whatever you are doing online:  testing, worksheets, quizzes, etc.  You never know if a student charged their iPad ahead of time, if their internet login is working, if their account is messed up in any way, etc.  This will allow for the learning to continue while we research a solution!
Have a great week- please submit a ticket for any questions or training requests!

Thanks,


Maggie Donohoe, M.Ed. | Instructional Technology Specialist

Howe Independent School District | | www.howeisd.net

P: 903.745.4021 | 105 W Tutt Street, Howe, Texas 75459  



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