Issue 6, Volume 10 September 24, 2009     Thought for the Week I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think. -- Socrates   Register Now For Upcoming Blackboard Classes In October Register now at the following site: https://www.cpsb.org/techclasses/ BB101: Introduction to Using Blackboard as a Classroom Website Dates of Training: October 7, 2009 (face-to-face orientation - 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.. Lab C) October 7 - November 3(online course) Location: Lab C Prerequisite: None Technology Requirements: Internet Access at Home CLUs: 6 The hands-on workshop (orientation session) combined with a 4-week online will guide the teacher through the creation of the Blackboard Classroom Website. Participants will learn how to customize the design of Blackboard, add documents, and utilize Blackboard tools. BB310: Blogging in the K-12 Classroom Dates of Training: October 12 - October 26 (2 weeks online) Prerequisite: BB201 Location: All Online Level: Intermediate Technology Requirements: Internet Access at Home/Computer Proficient CLUs: 2 This online class will serve as an introduction to using blogs within the K-12 classroom. * There is not face-to-face session for this class. It is all online. BB201: Utilizing Blackboard to Support Curriculum – Getting Students Involved (Last Chance to take this course this school year) Dates of Training: October 19, 2009 (orientation session - 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. - Lab C ) October 19 - November 9, 2009 (online course) Location: Lab C Prerequisite: BB101 or BB102 Technology Requirements: Internet Access at Home/Computer Proficient CLUs: 8 This hands-on workshop combined with a 3-week online class will guide participants through the enhancement of their current Blackboard Website to utilize with students during the upcoming school year. Participants will learn how to utilize the many tools of Blackboard to create a rich, engaging online environment for students extending instruction beyond the classroom. This class will allow students to have usernames and passwords to Blackboard for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year. BB311: Wikis in the K-12 Classroom Dates of Training: October 27 - November 10, 2009 (2 weeks online) Prerequisite: BB201 Level: Intermediate Technology Requirements: Internet Access at Home/Computer Proficient CLUs: 2 This online class will serve as an introduction to using wikis within the K-12 classroom. * There is not face-to-face session for this class. It is all online. Check for more Blackboard classes and register at https://www.cpsb.org/techclasses/. For further information, feel free to contact Kim Leblanc (kim.leblanc@cpsb.org). Edheads Would your students be interested in seeing a virtual knee surgery or hip replacement? How about a deep brain simulation? Edheads has unique, educational Web experiences designed to make hard-to-teach concepts understandable using the power and interactivity of the Internet. These innovative learning experiences motivate the student and promote additional learning and exploration beyond the classroom. The activities engage students in the pursuit of life-long learning that is both satisfying and enriching with quality experiences online. A teacher’s guide comes with each activity. Check it out at http://www.edheads.org/. Part Five of Flipchart Fundamentals (Step 5 in a Series of 6) For the past four weeks, we have begun covering the fundamentals of building effective flipcharts using ActivInspire. The first four steps involved using proven learning strategies, maximizing student participation, with experience comes confidence and take advantage of what you know. The fifth step is “sharpen your skills.” Planet's ActivTips section offers quick tips for integrating tools and techniques into various curriculum areas. Inspired by user suggestions and questions, the ActivTips section has something for everyone. The Forum and Blog is another fantastic area for sharpening your skills. With users just like you looking to sharpen their skills, there's always someone ready and willing to share an idea and offer a helping hand.  Be sure to log into Promethean Planet and check out the Teacher Feature section of Promethean Planet for great examples of lessons and videos showing award winning teachers in action. If you don’t already have an account for Promethean Planet, you need to create one. The account is free and allows access to flipcharts, resources, ACTIVtips, and more. The URL: http://www.prometheanplanet.com  Raise Up To $5,000 With Lowe's Toolbox For Education The Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant competition, an initiative of the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF), is open for the fall. Public K-12 schools and nonprofit parent groups are eligible to apply for grants up to $5,000 each. The purpose of the Toolbox for Education grants is to help schools and communities achieve their goals and dreams, with project such as creating a walking trail on school property, a school garden, a playground, a peer tutoring center, or a rotating art gallery. This year, however, basic needs will take priority in grant-making decisions because so many schools and community groups are struggling to make ends meet. Complete the application online; you are encouraged to apply soon. The LCEF stated that the application process will close if 1,500 applications are received before the deadline, so apply NOW! The deadline for applications is Oct. 16, 2009. For more info online, visit http://toolboxforeducation.com/index.html. Adding Text to a SmartArt Graphic To add a SmartArt object to your document, click a layout to select it and click OK. The SmartArt graphic appears in your document, your spreadsheet, or on your PowerPoint slide. Along its left edge (when selected) you'll see a pair of arrows — click these to display the text pane. While it is possible to type directly into the graphic, the text pane is a simpler way of entering your data. Type the heading for each of the shapes in the graphic and, to create a second level item, press Enter after the heading and press Tab. Exactly how the heading and other text displays will depend on the particular SmartArt graphic. In some cases the heading text appears in a separate shape and in other cases the heading and body text appear in the same shape, but they’re formatted and sized so they look different. By default, most SmartArt graphics include three headings and their associated shapes. You can add another shape by pressing Enter after the last heading, and you can delete a shape by deleting its associated text in the text pane. When you have finished entering your text, close the text pane. You can now format the SmartArt graphic. erZOOberance! Welcome to the largest virtual zoo in the world with hundreds of your favorite animals. We have more animal pictures and animal facts than you can see in a day so come back often. Make us one of your favorite places since we are adding wildlife all the time. The animal pictures and animal facts in our zoo are interesting and helpful for research projects. Parents, teachers, and kids of all ages love exZOOberance. This zoo has no cages so the wildlife can roam free. You will find animals, including hard-to-find endangered species, on every page. One of the largest virtual zoo in the world with hundreds of your favorite animals. The animal pictures and animal facts are interesting and helpful for research projects. The URL: http://www.exzooberance.com/  Transition To ActivInspire  Have you made the transition to ActivInspire? Do you want to learn the newest software from Promethean? Then, register now and come to the PRAI 205: Transition to ActivInspire. This two hour hands-on workshop is designed to help the current ActivBoard user transition from using ActivStudio to using ActivInspire. Location: Lab C - Technology Training Center When: 3:00-5:00 pm Dates: October 13th, November 17th, or December 7th. CLUs: 2 Register for any one of these classes https://www.cpsb.org/techclasses/. If you don’t already have an account to register for Tech Center classes, you will need to first create an account before you can register.   Add An Application To The Quick Launch Menu In Vista The Quick Launch menu is one of the most useful features in Windows, and Vista makes it even easier to add a program to the menu. For those of you who are total newbies, the quick launch menu includes the little icons to the right of the start button. You can either drag an application to the quick launch menu, or you can right click, and choose Add to Quick Launch. If the option for Add to Quick Launch does not show up, you can hold down the Shift key while right-clicking on it to make the option show up. Note that you could also use Pin to Start Menu.      Best on the Net!! -- 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) Barn Dance http://www.highlightskids.com/GamesandGiggles/HiddenPics/HIddenPixFlashObjects/V2_f5/h8HPI_V2_f5.asp?hpMode=1&n3=V2HPI_barnDance_f5.swf&varsIn=2 All the animals in this Highlights scene are hiding something, or perhaps they're just not aware of all the hidden objects. As students locate the objects they will colorize and animate. If they get stuck, simply click once, twice, or three times on the object to narrow down the area where that item is hidden.   A Day Full Of Popcorn http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Interdisciplinary/INT0015.html In this fall lesson plan for primary grades, students will use popcorn as a learning tool across the curriculum. They will be making popcorn shape books, learning a bit about the history of corn in North America, making their own popcorn in math, discussing all the senses involved in popcorn for science, and playing Popcorn Toss for P.E. Music and art activities are also included. Find instructions here for a great learning day with that well-loved American treat, popcorn.   Corn In The Food Web http://www.kycorn.org/kycgaprojects/education/corninclassroom/2lesson.pdf In this lesson plan, students will learn all about food webs and the importance of corn within that web, then create their own food webs to demonstrate understanding. Use the 2nd link below for a link to the student worksheet: http://www.kycorn.org/kycgaprojects/education/corninclassroom/2foodweb.pdf.   An official publication of the CPSB Technology Department If you have any questions or comments please e-mail the Webmaster. For Technical Support:  tech.help@cpsb.org Calcasieu Parish Homepage  Technology Department  Tech Help Site  Best on the Net Tech Guides  Computer Purchasing Information  Tech Connect Archive