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Daily suggestions and cool finds can now be found at http://techieteachnj.blogspot.com/
Teachers check professional development from
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Directions for logging on to the netbooks at home.
Youtube video of how to log netbooks onto your home wireless network.
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Davies Improves Global Insight Through Advancing Learning by Digitally Authoring Viable Inquiry of our Environmental Status (DIGITAL DAVIES) – a 21st century school where students are self-directed learners, teachers are facilitators and technology is just a tool for learning. To accomplish this, the William Davies Middle School and St. Vincent de Paul Regional School need to provide their staff with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools. With these, teachers can encourage students to become critical, empirical thinkers who can creatively and collaboratively problem solve real-world global and environmental dilemmas both electronically and face-to-face. Our intent is to increase students’ global awareness as well as prepare them for their next level of schooling and future careers.
Environmental and global issues are the forefront of the future. Through the TALENT21 grant the Davies and St. Vincent Schools will adopt a theme-based approach to bring these issues to the foreground across the core content and related arts areas (health, world languages, visual and performing arts, and technology education). This initiative will incorporate the revised 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards which are focused on global issues, to produce creative and collaborative learning using real world problems. Our newly revised district science curriculum uses a spiral approach and is aligned with the revised 2009 New Jersey Science Standards. Each grade level curriculum currently includes a unit that emphasizes our environment. The TALENT21 grant project will provide the district with the opportunity to expand our curriculum through the development of problem-based learning units and related lessons centered on real world problems. Beginning in sixth grade, students will explore and examine our local environmental issues, how these concerns affect their lives and their responsibilities for enhancing it. In year two, the seventh grade will build upon this experience and expand its cross curricular activities to include global environmental concerns as they study geography in social studies. Moving into the third year of this initiative, eighth graders will expand on our theme by developing insights into their civic responsibilities concerning global and environmental issues which tie into their study of civics in social studies. Students will be given one-to-one mobile technology to use as a tool to solve these problems. The problem-based learning units and student solutions will be published on the Internet and presented to the community at a planned event.
One of the most important aspects of the TALENT21 grant is that it will afford us opportunities to close the learning gap between the students with technological skills and those without; enabling all of our students to be prepared to meet their future. To provide the needed professional training, we will partner with the Southern Regional Institute and Educational Technology Training Center at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey who has a proven record of success with providing professional development. We will be establishing other partnerships to assist with this project.
Our schools will evaluate our end-goals by looking at data to ensure that all activities are rigorous and promote active involvement of all students. The data used will be derived from student portfolios, student technology survey, NJ ASK results, Learnia Assessment, and rubrics developed for this particular project. In addition, interpretation of student mastery from our school’s benchmarked performance indicators will be included in the overall assessment process.
Click here to view the 2010-2011 Talent 21 Resources page.
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Our TALENT21 school-based planning team consists of the following
overview ~ School Based Planning Team ~ Frequently Asked Questions ~ Resources ~ Pictures and Video ~ Back to Top
The District does not provide home Internet service; this service must be purchased from an Internet service provider. The tech department will configure your child’s netbook so that purchased home Internet service should operate on the netbook and use the District’s Internet filter.
Monitor your child's internet use. Remember, even the best filter available will not stop someone who is intent on visiting inappropriate sites. Parents accept full responsibility for supervising a child’s use when not in a school setting. Know that the best place for a child to work at home is in a “public” place in the house and not in his/her bedroom. Do not to attempt to override the Internet filtering software or other network configurations. Do not to disrupt the District’s computer systems and network, or log in as an administrator for the purpose of bypassing or changing restrictions or settings. Attempting to override the filter, use or access proxies, access the internal portion of the netbook, or disrupt the District’s systems or networks, will result in disciplinary action, which can include the possibility of felony charges.
Explore an embedded Glog to learn more about Cyber Safety or go to Glogster to see it.
· How do I care for the netbook?
It is the students’ responsibility to take good care of their netbooks and to treat them correctly. Do not do anything to the netbook that will permanently alter it in any way. Dropping it onto a desk or the floor can be damaging. Don’t fling it around. Don’t stack things on top of it. Don’t hold it by one corner. Instead use two hands. The screen should be cleaned occasionally with a soft, dry anti-static cloth or with a screen cleaner designed specifically for LCD type screens only. The netbook should only be cleaned with a soft dry cloth. Never use regular household cleaners. The LCD screen is the most sensitive part of the netbook. Heavy objects should never be placed on or stacked on top of the netbook. This includes books, musical instruments, sports equipment, etc. Users should not have food or drinks near netbooks. Food and drink do not mix with electronic devices. Liquids, even water, will cause corrosion on the electrical parts inside.
If there are any problems or if netbook is damaged immediately report this to the homeroom teacher and complete a tech assistance form. Accidental damage is covered through the school. If there is a replacement available the student will be issued one until their own netbook can be repaired.
Never “swap” or “share” netbooks with another student, friend, or sibling. Each netbook is assigned to an individual student and names should be visible on each netbook. Students are responsible for what happens to their netbook. Any damage occurring when a netbook is loaned will fall upon the student to whom the netbook was assigned. Loaning of netbooks is discouraged. Do not remove any serial numbers or identification placed on the netbook.
View an embedded Prezi on Taking Care of Your Netbook or go to the site to view.
Students must notify the school immediately if their netbook is missing. If the netbook is lost, the school district may require a parent conference with school personnel. If the netbook cannot be recovered, parents will be responsible for the reimbursement of the netbook. Reimbursement cost = $758.90.
Students are responsible for keeping netbooks safe and must keep netbooks with them or secured at all times. It is a target for thieves. Don’t leave the netbook sitting around unattended. Don’t leave it sitting in a car in plain view. Better yet, don’t leave it in a car at all (heat can damage the netbook). If the netbook is reported stolen, the school district will file a police report. After the report is filed, tracking software will be activated to assist the police with their investigation.
You should first check with your homeowners or renters' insurance company to see what is covered already. Most insurance companies will not cover loss. There are insurance plans available to insure against possible theft of the netbook, a police report must be filed. One such plan is available at www.studentinsurancepartners.com. However these plans will only reimburse for the cost of equipment, right now valued at $479, they will not cover the remaining $250 cost in fees the district will need to be reimbursed upon replacing the laptop.
Only a school issued netbook can be used on District network. Configuration issues, ownership issues, software licenses, and many other considerations prevent us from allowing other computing equipment to be used instead of the school issued equipment.
The netbook assigned to each student is to be used throughout their years at the William Davies School. If the same netbook cannot be used throughout their time at Davies, if possible one will be issued that most closely resembles the model and features of the original netbook.
Students will not be able to keep the netbook over the winter and summer breaks.
· What if all of my child’s files are erased?
Understand that the District is not responsible for replacing lost files or reimbursing for the time and money necessary to replace those files. Re-imaging, which is performed on all netbooks occasionally, erases a netbook therefore, only the files saved on District’s server can be replaced on the netbook. Students will have a network folder and digital locker in which to store their files and will be expected to keep their work saved and organized. Students are ultimately responsible for backing up files.
During the school day, students must have the netbook with them or stored in school lockers or designated storage carts. Netbooks must never be left unattended. Netbooks should not be left in classrooms or locker rooms. Unattended netbooks will be picked up by faculty and taken to the vice principal’s office. During lunch and gym, netbooks must be kept in lockers or designated storage carts. If involved in after-school activities, students must insure that netbooks are secure.
Files stored on the netbooks will not be private. The netbook belongs to the school district. Do not keep anything on it that is so private that it couldn’t be shared with a teacher, the principal, the tech department, or parents. Be aware that netbooks cannot keep secrets. Netbooks can be treated like a school lockers and can be searched. District personnel are authorized to review any and all files, data, messages, and email at any time with or without notice. School email can and will be monitored. It should be used appropriately. Any infractions may result in the loss of my email use or other consequences. Keep all passwords private. Sharing this creates a security risk to files and the network. If passwords are forgotten or need to be changed, see the homeroom teacher and complete a tech assistance from. From time to time the tech department may need to update netbooks and they can be remotely controlled to assist with technology problems.
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Each will be issued with a charging cord and the student is responsible for bringing their netbook to school fully charged daily. Charging stations will be available in classrooms for partial charging during the school day.
Use only the software given rights to by the network supervisor. Do not download or install any software, shareware, or freeware. All approved software installations will be performed by District technology staff.
Students are expected to act responsibly and with good behavior on any computer or communications system using Hamilton Township School District’s wired or wireless network services and must agree to follow all School and District rules for behavior and communications. Access is a privilege - not a right. It is the user’s responsibility to protect their own privacy by keeping passwords to themselves. Sharing a password, or logging in for someone else, is strictly forbidden. If a security problem with my account or someone else’s arises, inform the homeroom teacher and complete a tech assistance form.
Students may not post video, pictures, or recordings made with my school netbook to the Internet without teacher approval. Students may not make sound recordings without the consent of all persons being recorded as part of class. Students are not allowed to take pictures or video without the consent of all persons being photographed. During school cameras are to be turned off at all times except when being used as part of a class.
Students may not access, send, create, or forward any materials, communications, files, or images that are defamatory, obscene, pornographic, harassing, threatening, or illegal. If any student receives any of those items, they should report it to a school administrator. This includes creating a website or webpage (including blogs or sites such as MySpace.com), or adding to an existing website or webpage in order to “bully”, intimidate, denigrate, or harass another student or staff member even if they did not use district resources to create, modify, or access the site as this will be considered an interruption of the educational process at school (as per district policy 5512.02 Cyberbullying).
Disobeying any parts of this agreement will result in some type of punishment that may include loss of access and/or appropriate disciplinary actions according to building guidelines. Criminal charges may be sought, if appropriate.
Monitor your student's internet use.
Participate in an embedded Voicethread and learn more about netiquette or go to the thread online. Please register and leave your comments!
overview ~ School Based Planning Team ~ Frequently Asked Questions ~ Resources ~ Pictures and Video ~ Back to Top
6TH GRADE PROBLEM BASED LEARNING UNIT
7TH GRADE PROBLEM BASED LEARNING UNIT
STANDARDS BASED TECHNOLOGY
INTEGRATION RESOURCES
This Prezi includes pictures of the teacher and parent training sessions over the summer of 2010, and video of students using the netbooks in their classes.
The "Big Question" our students will be working to answer throughout the 2011-2012 school year in 6th Grade is, "As students, how can we reduce our ecological footprint on our local environment." Each 6th grade classroom will have a poster like the one pictured below displaying this question.
In 7th Grade our students will be working to discover how water impacts the lives of humans on Earth. Students will answer the question, "How can students increase awareness of global water issues?". Each 7th grade classroom will have a poster like the one pictured below displaying this question.
