Saturday, September 30, 2006

Looking for an online project to do with your class?

I met Jennifer Wagner, online, she is a teacher/project coordinator in California. She offers great lessons, projects and ways for you to have your classes collaborate.


Check out a project that is just waiting for you and your students. Tell Jennifer I sent you.

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Conversations on a Flat Planet

You can read my post at TechLearning.com/blog, I was invited to be a guest blogger. Pretty cool, pretty international. Remember you are all in my network!

Over and Out

Cheryl



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Monday, September 25, 2006

A first!

Today was the first day, I did not have a phone message, phone ringing, phone vibrating or a missed call all day long! Prior to today, I've been available by cell phone, which has been my office for the past 6 weeks. I think technology has turned the tide at WOCSD.  Dare I say this, yes, the vision of the end of the tunnel is approaching. Are there still areas where the printing is not functional 100% of the time, sure, but not for much longer. The goal is to have the technology be seamless, with your help and support we will get there together.


Next.... working with students and teachers and displaying and demonstrating evidence of all the great technology being used in the WOCSD district.

If you have something you want to share, email me and I'll find a way to share your news!

WOCSD where our students touch the future!

Over and Out,

Cheryl Oakes


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Wednesday, September 20, 2006

TechTalk update September 20, 2006 Progress has been made!

Hello to all!

K-12 WOCSD Technology Status         September 20, 2006

Thanks for your patience.
Please share this email with others who I may not have on my email list. I keep adding new staff as soon as I get them

Today September 20, 2006, ADS, our outsourced network provider,  was scheduled to be at WHS to finalize the movement of some staff to the new DOMAIN. Due to an  illness they were unable to come down. The lead programmer has bronchitis , so we will reschedule. John Osterday and Cheryl were able to get Adult Ed. moved over with some remote assistance from ADS. John Osterday and Cheryl finished getting 12 people moved over to the domain and linked up to their files.

Dan Gagner, our MLTI/ibook consultant, who happens to be a retired technology integrator, by Thursday will have processed 650 ibooks through his data base, moved to the domain and they are ready to hand to students depending on how the High school and Junior High are ready to move forward. Dan is also moving the old MLTI laptops to the domain and half will remain at WJHS, the other half will move to WES. A huge thanks to Dan and all his work!

There are 6 more people to move over at WES.

We are thinking we have moved all staff to the new domain in terms of laptops.

So.... if  you are not able to go on the Internet, not able to get email, not able to print, we do want to hear from you. Find a computer and send off an email. It is great when I hear from you and I move around the district, but my hand gets full of notes and I run out of space. Go ahead and email me.

Since you have been moved to the domain, you can log onto any computer in the district. Please share with the ed techs that they too can log on and have access to their email and a folder to save their documents. Ed Techs all have the same password that was the standard, color password.

There have been printing issues with the new copiers and we are trying to isolate what the problems are.

Next we will begin working on getting classroom computers and students at WHS onto the network. Classroom computers will be added to the domain we will be getting around to you.


Be ready to change your password. Here are the directions again for the protocol. Have some fun with  your password sentence!

Here is a republish of my summer time hints for password protocol.

This ADS network will standardize the district with all staff logins, student logins in all buildings and
a new login/ password protocol. Our standard login will be first initial -last name, (
exceptions will be for similar logins in which case the next letter in the first name
will be added).
**** Bulletin*** Extra***Extra***
The other part of the protocol will be that student passwords will change on a 90 day
rotation basis(3 x a year: not for Wells Elementary Students), STAFF passwords will
change at 180 days (2 x per year). This change represents a more security acceptable
protocol.  So, I am going to ask you to do some summer bummer homework. Be thinking of a
way to come up with your own password that you will remember. I?ve been reading about
passwords and some of the latest recommendations.
Here are the guidelines:
           Passwords must use a variety of kinds of symbols and keys
           At least 8 characters
           A lower case letter, an upper case letter, at least a number
           Optional use of non-alphabetic characters

The reason we will be following this protocol is to prevent hacking programs from
cracking your codes. Also, we will ask that you NOT write down your network password,
which defeats the whole protocol.

SUMMER BUMMER HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
You will not be graded on this, but you will be happier having done this ahead of time.
Think of a favorite saying or sentence. You can write this down at home and try it ahead
of time to see how easy it is to type, that will be critical! Take the first letter of
each word and make up your password. Here is how to create your code.

My sentence:

Sugarloaf is best for skiing and snowboarding. ( only 2 more months to ski season.)
My password will look like this at first

Sibfsas


However, I could use & for the word and, then add a number and I am done.
Finished password:

Sibfs&s1


So, I challenge you to come up with your security password. Oh, in 6 months when we have
to change this, I will have another tip for redesigning your password.

           THE NOTS, YOU MAY NOT DO THE FOLLOWING:
           Do not use your names, children?s name, pet names, school name, titles etc
           Do not use WORDS
           Do not use DOB, SS#, anniversary , phone number
          I will post most of this on my new TechTalk blog. Comments are welcome.

Information about passwords was gathered from this article. People, problems and
passwords by Victor Bobb, ITtrends, 2nd quarter, 2006
http://www.flmicro.com/ittrends.html

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Sunday, September 17, 2006

Great new links!

Well, in spite of all the network changes in the district, instruction still happens and more often with technology. Here are a couple great sites you may find content to support your course.

NobelPrize.org

Here you will find Nobel Prize winners and learn about them through games and simulations. This is a comprehensive and thought provoking site. Good for elementary and secondary.


World Wildlife Fund

Learn about the delicate biological balance of the world through interactive maps, photos, quizzes and games! This is for elementary and secondary.

BEEweb

Here is an education community where students are encouraged to become each other's teachers. SpellBEE, PatternBEE, GeograBEE and MoneyBEE- with two player games in which students log on and test each other's knowledge. This one is for elementary.

Sadlier-Oxford Phonics Interactive

Explore phonetics with this extensive education resource stie that uses word-math games, memory cards and a host of in-depth activities to teach studetns about letters, sounds and words. Elementary.

Quiz Hub

Free, cross-curricular, thinking games, quizzes and logic puzzles at this fee based site. Elementary and Secondary.

Try out some of these sites, and share them with your peers.

Over and out.

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Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Back in the Swing

We are in full swing with students, staff and NWEA's at Wells Ogunquit! The network migration is still very, very rocky. Thanks for all your patience.

Here are some things to look forward to this month.

Teachers, a reminder that there are a couple grants coming due:

Te@ch at Best Buy. Check this out, it is due 9/30/06.

NSA Awards due October 12, 2006. This is a science focus.

NWEA's began Monday, 9/11/06 at WJHS and WES. WHS will begin by 9/18. The testing will continue through the rest of September. Students do not test more than one time a day, and usually enjoy the challenge of getting better scores than they did the previous test time. Staff will be using the information on our first early release day 10/4/06.

A consultant, Dan Gagner, is working on getting the new ibooks ready for 7th and 8th graders. The staff just received their new ibooks and are looking forward to learning more about the new software available to them.

My son told me, that I had to get more into the 21st Century, and lose my old saying Over and Out. He suggested I try, Goodnight moon and have a great day! It is catchy, what do you think?

Over the moon and have a great day?



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