Tech Newsletter for 5/16

Have you noticed the New Team Drive in your Google Drive. This is a collaboration  space where all team members can share and collaborate on files and folders. Most of the Google apps can be moved and created in Team Drive and they are owned by all members in the Team Drive. The items won’t be lost when a member  moves in and out of the organization. Take some time to learn about Team Drive and think about the possibilities for your Teams next year.

Congratulations to Cave Springs Elementary School for receiving their STEM Certification!

Last #floydpln Chat is Tonight!

Join us for our last Twitter chat this evening at 8:30 pm.  Following the hashtag #floydpln on Twitter to join in on the conversation.  Thank you to everyone that has lurked, tweeted, and grown their professional learning network on Twitter.

Are you a teacher with at least 18 graduate hours with in a content area outside of education? Art History, Science, Math, anything? Would you be interested in teaching college level courses to high school students? We are gathering information for a future initiative. Please click below to let us know if you are interested.

Move on When Ready/Dual Enrollment Teacher Interest

$ Innovation Grant $

Go here to apply for an Innovation Fund Grant from GOSA.

Retiring?

Use Google Takeout Transfer to move files from your @floydboe.net account to a personal gmail address.

Click Here for Instructions

Tech Newsletter for 5/9

Floyd County Schools was among a whole host of Google subscribers that were affected by the latest Phishing Scam. The issue has been addressed by Google (Link) , but this is a good reminder to us all to use strong passwords and check your device history. Google has created a device check up tool that allows you to check your device history and report any suspicious activity. Your best defense is to regularly change your password and use the most complicated password you can remember. Using characters in place of vowels can be effective, i.e. J@k!

Students in our middle school technology classes had a chance to participate in the #Makerkitchen challenge this past Friday in honor of #GaStemDay. Students were challenged to create something inventive, using  a bag of provided “ingredients” (batteries, pipe cleaners, rubber bands, etc.). Click here to view a few pictures and videos of the final products!

Ready to take a deeper dive into Twitter?  Explore Tweetdeck to be able to track multiple feeds, notifications, and scheduling Tweets.  This is command central for participating  in a Twitter chat.

Last Friday was #GaStemDay and Floyd County Schools represented well. THe focus of the day is to have students build, break, and reiterate their tasks. This day was full of it! From the #makerkitchen at the middle schools and CCA to the Cave Spring Bridge Building Challenge, there were makers all over the place. Want to make stuff happen with your kids but don’t know where to start? Let us help you out!

$ Innovation Grant $

Go here to apply for an Innovation Fund Grant from GOSA.

If you are presenting at the FCS

Kickoff Classic this year, remember the Presenter’s Orientation on 5/11 at 3:30 at the County Office.

Retiring?

Use Google Takeout Transfer to move files from your @floydboe.net account to a personal gmail address.

Click Here for Instructions

If you are presenting at the FCS

Kickoff Classic this year, remember the Presenter’s Orientation on 5/11.

Tech Newsletter for 5/2

Only the first ten with the GUTS will dare to brave our first, one day intensive, Google Boot Camp to earn their Level 1 Google Certified Educator. This is first come, first serve, so TEN HUT!

July 25, 8-3 at the Central Office. $100 stipend for attendees.

Ready to take the deep dive into Google?  Earn your Level 1 and Level 2 Google Certification to highlight your use of classroom technology integration.  

Year long online cohort.  Limit of 20 people by application.  $100 stipend a semester after becoming certified.

GaETC 2017 registration is now open. The link provided (left) is an application

limited to 20 people from FCS. This is a great opportunity to sharpen your technology skills and knowledge.  Slots will fill up fast, so don’t delay.

Conference dates are November 8-10, 2017.

Next year get ready to experience professional development in a whole new way. This is a shift from sit and get to show and tell. You’ll be able to show your instructional practice and get rewarded along the way. Get ready to Level Up!

Mark your Calendar for

GA STEM Day on May 5th!

2017 GA STEM Day Video

Check out these STEM activities from last week’s newsletter and use #flocoSTEM on Twitter!

$ Innovation Grant $

Go here to apply for an Innovation Fund Grant from GOSA.

If you are presenting at the FCS

Kickoff Classic this year, remember the Presenter’s Orientation on 5/11.

Tech Newsletter for 4/25

Do you want to continue follow up activities for Earth Day? Missed Earth Day altogether? Just want some cool access to Google Earth? Google now gives you and your students access to Google Earth on their Chromebooks. Give it a try.

Google Earth

Courtney Twilley, media specialist at Model Middle School, has been hard at work designing a media center makerspace for students. Mrs. Twilley is excited to be opening the doors to her makerspace this week! Follow @TwilleyMediaEdu to keep up with the great things happening in the MMS Media Center.

Are you ready for STEM Day on May 5th?

Be sure to tell us about how you are incorporating STEM Day in your classroom/school or post pictures of events using #flocoSTEM.  Check out some current ideas for classroom STEM projects by looking at #STEM on Twitter.

Are you looking to step your game up for the coming school year. According to businessman Jim Rohn you are the composite of the five people you spend your time with. In the digital ecosystem of education, who do you grow with/from? Thanks to a great conversation generated by David Mowery from this article on building engagement via Twitter, how do you choose to engage? Who are the five people that sharpen your blade? How do you interact with them to build Mad Skills? Let us know at #floydpln who you are the composite of.

Mark your Calendar for

GA STEM Day on May 5th!

2017 GA STEM Day Video

Check out these STEM activities from last week’s newsletter.

Grades 3-5...How about an Interschool Popsicle Bridge Competition?

*Click here for more information and to apply to compete in the Cave Spring Invitational

on May 5th!!

Tech Newsletter for 4/18

K-5 STEM Activity

Young engineers will love these building activities that use craft sticks, cups and cubes.

Let your students use their creativity, critical thinking and problem solving skills. Let them design, build, fail and rebuild and then celebrate all their amazing structures.

Click the picture below for ideas.

6-12 STEM Activity

If you are looking for a quick and easy STEM Challenge, check out the STEM Tower Challenge. The beauty of this activity is that you can easily tailor the challenge and utilize supplies you already have, such as: index cards, blocks, newspapers, balloons, pipe cleaners, etc. If you want to make the activity more challenging, consider adding specific stipulations or categories, such as, “Who can build the tallest tower that has the narrowest foundation?”

Looking for more STEM activity ideas? Check out this resource which includes an Army Man Launcher Challenge, Design a Life Jacket Challenge and more!

GA STEM Day is Coming May 5th!

Educators: Incorporate fun and innovative STEM activities into your classroom.

*CLICK TO REGISTER YOUR ACTIVITIES

Grades 3-5...How about an Interschool Popsicle Bridge Competition?

**Click here for more information and to apply to compete in the Cave Spring Invitational. 

Maker Kitchen

Have you ever seen the show Chopped? Well, Maker Kitchen works kind of like that. You hand students bags of ingredients and let them get to creating. Instead of rutabaga or flank steak you give students batteries, yarn mini speakers, and popsicle sticks. Then you turn them loose to create something awesome. Check out #makerkitchen on Twitter for more information. Want to build a class set? Here’s a list of recommended supplies but it can be anything you want.

Mark your Calendar for

GA STEM Day on May 5th!

2017 GA STEM Day Video

and use #flocoSTEM on Twitter

There will be a national Kidblog webinar with April Cummings on April 19 from 4:30 - 5:00

Sign up HERE

There will be a national Kidblog webinar with April Cummings on April 19 from 4:30 - 5:00

Sign up HERE

Tech Newsletter for 4/11

fcsclassic.com

Kickoff Classic : Preview of Featured Speakers

Casey Bethel

Casey Bethel is the 2017 GA Teacher of the Year. Mr. Bethel is a science teacher at Manchester High School in Douglas County Schools. He earned a Master’s Degree in Plant Genetics and conducted experimental research at the Center for Applied Genetic Technologies at the University of Georgia. Lessons he designed have been published in The Journal of Chemical Education. For the past five summers, he has sharpened his skills as a scientist, conducting experimental research in a Biochemistry lab at Georgia Tech. To learn more about Casey Bethel, follow him on Twitter @2017GATOTY and check out this inspiring video clip.

Tony Vincent

The only thing Tony Vincent likes better than teaching is learning. He currently resides in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but he used to teach fifth grade in Nebraska. Since 1998 he’s been a pioneer in digital learning, having a classroom website before many classrooms even had internet access. In 2001 he had a 1:1 classroom full of Palm Pilots, and in 2005 he started one of the first podcasts from an elementary school. Click HERE for more information about Tony.

Bernadette Lambert

Bernadette Lambert loves o write. It is who she is. She studied broadcast journalism at the University of Georgia. From there, she worked many other jobs – newspaper, college registrar, photographer, and even a buyer for nuclear plants in Georgia. Then, she worked for 10 years in the public school system teaching and eventually coaching teachers in all things literacy. Later, she joined Scholastic as a national reading specialist. From there, she joined the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) to spread the word about how rigor and relevance and learner engagement could change our classrooms.

Hackberry Labs

HackBerry Lab is a space for creative individuals to engage in designing, inventing, building, and problem solving. Home to the Berry College Creative Technologies program, it is a special place which houses the tools, technology, and community to support students and others need to let their ideas take shape. These tools include a variety of 3D printers, laser cutter and vinyl cutters, an extensive woodworking shop, welding equipment, and the tools and materials necessary to program and develop electronics from prototype to professional circuit boards. Housing programs like HackBerry RND, HackBerry Hands, and HackBerry Motorsports, we provide students opportunities to develop their specific skills and interests and share them with the community at large.

Additional Outside Speakers* Active Shooter - Michael Ruple Code.org - Tanya Cleeves Differentiation - Dr. Gilda Lyon Discovery Education - Aubrey Legrand GALILEO - Russell Palmer Gender Differences - Dr. Gary Ross Habitat for Humanity - Bruce Day Inclusion - Ray Hammett SLDS - Tammy Silvers Tech Fair - Bucky Bush University of West Georgia - Dr. John Ponder Workshop Model - Terry Haney *We are still confirming and seeking out specific outside speakers.