Issue 2

Thought for the Week
In prosperity our friends know us; in adversity we know our friends.
-- John Churton Collins

Calcasieu Principals Go Wireless!

As part of continuing professional development for district principals, training was conducted by the Technology Department during August to acquaint school administrators with their new HP Tablet PCs. Equipping our principals with the latest wireless, tablet technology will enable them to provide "just in time" feedback to teachers via wireless email connections. Principals will be able to have access in real time to data and district online resources as they move around their school campuses. District plans include the installation of wireless access points throughout the schools as funds are available. Commendations to Calcasieu principals and district administrators for "stepping up" to the challenge to increase their technology proficiency and productivity! Click on the photos below to see a larger image.

Install Office Scan NOW!!!

As you may be aware, the MSBlast virus has infected computers at several schools and we have been forced to disconnect those schools from the CPSB network to prevent the virus from spreading. The virus did not come into our network from the Internet; it came in on school desktop and laptop computers checked out for the summer that did not have the OfficeScan anti-virus software installed.

It is very important that OfficeScan is installed on every networked PC (Dell, Compaq, HP) at your location because some people may be infected and have no idea they are infected. It only takes ONE overlooked computer to perpetuate this code, thus forcing us to disconnect your school from the network.

OfficeScan can be installed via the Tech Support web site. Go to http://help.cpsb.org and click on the “Anti-Virus” link. On the OfficeScan main page, go to the “Installation” section and then click on the “click here” link to begin the install. Answer “Yes” to all the prompts until the software is finished installing.

Fall INTECH II Social Studies (3 1/2 days)
Participants must have successfully completed either 7-12 INTECH or K-6 INTECH.
October 7, 8, 14 and October 29 (1/2 pm)
8:00am-4:00pm (except for October 29 which will be 12:30pm-4:00pm)
Calcasieu Parish Technology Center: Lab A
*Participants for this session will be notified by September 29*

Fall INTECH II Science (3 1/2 days)
Participants must have successfully completed either 7-12 INTECH or K-6 INTECH.
December 10, 11, 16 and December 17 (1/2 pm)
8:00am-4:00pm (except for December 17 which will be 12:30pm-4:00pm)
Calcasieu Parish Technology Center: Lab A
*Participants for this session will be notified by November 4*

For questions e-mail: kim.leblanc@cpsb.org

2004 Inspired Teacher Scholarship Announcement

Announcing Inspiration Software's sixth annual Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual Learning! To support professional
development efforts and to encourage the integration of visual learning and technology into the curriculum, Inspiration Software will again award 30 scholarships in the amount of $750 each to educators who champion visual learning and technology in the classroom.

Scholarship applications are due January 28, 2004, and winners will be announced March 10, 2004. Application materials will be posted online September 15, 2003.

Visit http://www.inspiration.com/scholarship to learn more about the 2004 scholarship program and to sign up to receive notification when scholarship materials are available.

Excel Tip

Fill series of dates in Microsoft Excel

Select Cell A1, and press Ctrl+;.
Select Cells A1 through A10.
From the Edit menu, select Fill and then Series.
In the Series dialog box, select Date and Day.
Click OK.

Using the shortcut menu to enter a series of dates

Select Cell A1, and press Ctrl+;.
Select the Fill handle in the bottom right corner of the cell. The cursor changes to a plus sign (+).
Right-click.
Drag vertically, and release the mouse.
From the shortcut menu, select the series you need.

World Book Online

Once again, educators will have a tremendous online resources available to use with their students. Educators and students across the state have access to World Book. The name and appearance of World Book has changed. The site was renamed the "World Book Online Reference Center" to reflect the variety of information available on the site. For those of you who have used World Book Online, the Home page and navigation area at the top of each page will feature a new design. The re-design, which is in line with the latest Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 accessibility standards, will make using World Book an equally great experience for everyone.

At this time, World Book Online Reference Center can be accessed by going to http://www.lcet.doe.state.la.us/worldbook. This site requires a login and password. If you do not know the login and password, email kim.leblanc@cpsb.org

MS Word Tip

Want a different look for different pages?
To display different headers and footers on different pages, click the Page Setup button on the Headers and Footers toolbar. In the Page Setup dialog box with the Layout tab open, select the Different odd and even check box, select the Different first page check box, or select both. You may now insert a different footer and header on every page.

Want to Play? Want to Invent? What’s the Difference?

Invention at Play is great place for students to explore higher order thinking skills. Test your problem-solving abilities with fun puzzles. Use your powers of make-believe to conjure up a cloud of your own design. Build a track for a ball by tinkering with everyday objects. Add your own creativity by adding to others creative stories. Visit the website at: http://inventionatplay.org/index.html Appropriate for 1-5.

Teaching Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers and Child Care and Family Providers

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/teachingouryoungest/teachingyoungest.pdf

This publication describes experiences that promote childhood learning from birth through age five. This booklet for preschool teachers and child care providers draws from scientifically based research on ways to help children to develop their language abilities, increase their knowledge, become familiar with books and other printed materials, learn letters and sounds, recognize numbers, and learn to count.

Connecting a monitor to the All-In-Wonder card

If you receive a new Dell computer with an All-In-Wonder card, you will connect the monitor directly to the All-In-Wonder card. If your All-In-Wonder card looks like the Figure 1 and you connect your monitor using the cable with the BLUE ends, you will need to:

find the adapter that is shipped with your computer (see Figure 2)
attach this adapter to the blue monitor connector
connect the adapter to the All-In-Wonder card (circled in red in Figure 1)

Article Review

Qualities of Effective Teachers by James H. Stronge (Part 2 of 3)
Published by ASCD. ISBN # 0-87120-663-3

Effective teachers exhibit a special set of characteristics.

In reference to classroom management and organization, the following components were found to be prevalent in each effective teacher's classroom:

Positions chairs in groups to promote interaction
Manages student behavior through clear expectations and firm, consistent responses to student actions
Emphasizes students addressing one another in a positive, respectful manner
Provides positive reinforcement and feedback
Disciplines students with dignity and respect
Displays student works and calendar of student activities

When organizing and orienting for instruction, effective teachers exhibit the following characteristics:

Lesson plans are written for every school day and are clearly aligned with curriculum standards
A daily agenda of objectives and activities is provided to students
Student assessment and diagnostic data are available and utilized
Lesson plans include activities and strategies to engage students of various ability levels
Lesson plans address different learning modalities and styles

Each of the characteristics listed above are achievable through focused planning and consistent reflection on the part of the teacher. Which component(s) listed above needs improvement? What steps will you take to achieve the desired results? Could you serve as a mentor to another faculty member to help him/her achieve success? Together we can help to build the strongest foundation of effective teachers using proven strategies and techniques.

Top Ten Viruses Found on CPSB Computers

Here are the top ten viruses found on CPSB computers in the past 7 days. The stats are based on 85 infected computers out of a total of 3601 OfficeScan clients.

The information shows the name of the virus, the number of infected files found, and the percentage of the virus from the total. ALL school board employees need to ensure that their Dell, Compaq, HP, IBM or other PC classroom computers stay virus free. Go to the following link to download the district copy of OfficeScan: http://teacherlink.cpsb.org/officescan and your computer will automatically be updated daily to scan for the latest viruses. You must install the software using Internet Explorer 4.0 or later (Netscape will not work!!!!!) Please answer "Yes" to all prompts as the software installs. If you have any questions, please contact the CPSB Help Desk at tech.help@cpsb.org.

Best on the Net!! NEW FEATURE!! -- Visit this site for hundreds of websites for teachers! We would love to hear from you about the best educational sites you have found on the web. Please submit, via email, the sites you feel merit inclusion. Send to tech.connect@cpsb.org. Please include the URL and a short sentence about the site.

Featured Sites: (These sites were submitted by teachers in Calcasieu Parish)

The Biology Project
http://news.techlearning.com/cgi-bin4/DM/y/ecRY0FKk8W0E2U0B6HY0Ab
The Biology Project is a biology Web site presented by the University of Arizona that is in both English and Spanish. Main headings include: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Chemicals and Human Health, Developmental Biology, Human Biology, Immunology, Mendelian Genetics, and Molecular Biology.

TeacherFirst Web Content Matrix
http://news.techlearning.com/cgi-bin4/DM/y/ecRY0FKk8W0E2U0B6Hb0Ak
TeachersFirst lists links to sites and lessons for Elementary, Middle School, and High School teachers. Teachers can find lessons for almost any topic needed and use them easily. Many include Web Resources and Lesson Plans.

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