Does your school district have a Copyright Policy?
In my class blog, I was reading the student handbook and did not find anything about copyright; however the technology handbook has a little blurb about it. "Comply with trademark and copyright laws and all license agreements. If you are unsure ask a teacher, network administrator, or principal." I think this is pretty brief and general. We do say something (non-written) to our teachers at the in-service before school about copyright laws. We do not go into them to indepth, but we have never had any questions about them.
• Does that Copyright Policy need to be updated to reflect technology issues?
I don't know. I feel it covers a lot by being brief and vague. I do think we should cover more with students, but this is also something that is taught in some classes. I guess as administrator it is something all kids get educated on every year.
• Does your school district follow copyright laws?
Yes
• What are your feelings about copyright laws?
I guess I dont have any feelings one way or the other. I feel copyright laws are something we need to abide by and follow.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
NSBA site
The NSBA site has already been implemented into our school. I am a big fan of the saying "an ounce of prevention is worth more than a gallon of cure." I think that is how the saying goes, but it is close :). We are constantly looking for ideas to educate our students on cyberbullying and internet safety. This site offers new ideas for not only me but my computer teacher (k-12) and the technology coordinator. It even gives lesson plans and projecst that are not "corny.."
This is a great site that I have bookmarked and will continue to use throughout the school year.
This is a great site that I have bookmarked and will continue to use throughout the school year.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Quiz #1
1. Why should a school district have a website? What should be on that site?
A school district should have a website to market the school. The school can market its students by giving pictures of students, pictures of students in activities, student accomplishments and students test results (of course not individual results to harm a student). The website can also have teacher's webpages or wikis along with a teacher's lesson plans and goals for classes.
Student handbooks, teacher handbooks, athletic handbooks, technology handbooks, links to students gradebooks for parents, DSTEP results, menus, school information, calendars, schedules, etc. the list could go on about what can be on a school website. I think it is very important to keep the webpage up to date, easy to use and in a way fun to use. If people enjoy your website, they are more likely to view it on a regular basis.
In my first year as an administrator (about 5 years ago) we interviewed candidates for a couple teaching positions. We had one of them candidates view our website to find out about the school. This past year we had more positions open, but we had every candidate except one go out (on their own) and view our website. So, we have possible future teachers viewing our website. We have had future students and potential students view our website. I think it is very important to keep your website up to date and be very useful for people.
2. How do administrators and school boards keep a current vision of technology and the future?
I think a lot has to do with the administrators, teachers, and the school board being on the same page. If one of them has an open mind to look into something in the technology line, they will look into it if they know their ideas will be listened too. If a teacher says they would like to buy ipods for their class and you know they will be used, the school is more likely to purchase them. The school board is the pulse of the community (or should somewhat be). So, they have an idea the community would like to go. If the school board wants to integrate more technology, they can let the administration know and vice verse.
I also think the students play a major role in this as well. Students know as much as anybody about technology.
Workshops, in-services, and classes can all help see the vision of the future and incorporate the vision into the school district. If administrators are equipped in the technology (they do NOT have to be experts) then they are more likely to understand it and push for technology.
3. What information from the CEO Forum website is most useful? How can that information be used?
The star chart was very useful and the reports were as well. From both of these, I was able to see where are school was in regards to goals and outlines set up. I could see our school needs more professional development. I liked the idea of having teachers look at a report with the goals on the report (but not the year) and see how they are doing in regards to the goals, and then show them the year for the goals to get an idea of their progress.
4 What are Web 2.0 tools? How can these tools be used by schools to enhance classroom instruction?
The Web 2.0 tools are the tools that allow interactions. The email, facebook, blogging, podcasts, twitter, etc. are all examples of Web 2.0. These tools allow the student to connect to their world. It brings a calming effect and they enjoy the school work because that is what they deal with on a daily basis. It allows them to go deeper into a subject matter rather than just pen and paper. It allows them to interface with technology, other students, the class and the subject matter. I think it basically takes the class to the next level.
5. What is Cyber Bullying? What can schools do to help prevent CyberBullying?
Cyber bullying is bullying through the Internet in simple terms. It is one person demeaning or harming another person in some form through the Internet. The picking on the kid on the corner of the playground has turned into getting on facebook, email or whatever form of Internet and calling sally every name in the book or threatening sally or lieing about sally in a negative manner.
School can put policies in which prohibit cyber bullying and I am pretty sure this is mandated. A main thing they can do is educate their students on what to say and what not to say on the Internet. Another thing school can do is enforce the policy.
A school district should have a website to market the school. The school can market its students by giving pictures of students, pictures of students in activities, student accomplishments and students test results (of course not individual results to harm a student). The website can also have teacher's webpages or wikis along with a teacher's lesson plans and goals for classes.
Student handbooks, teacher handbooks, athletic handbooks, technology handbooks, links to students gradebooks for parents, DSTEP results, menus, school information, calendars, schedules, etc. the list could go on about what can be on a school website. I think it is very important to keep the webpage up to date, easy to use and in a way fun to use. If people enjoy your website, they are more likely to view it on a regular basis.
In my first year as an administrator (about 5 years ago) we interviewed candidates for a couple teaching positions. We had one of them candidates view our website to find out about the school. This past year we had more positions open, but we had every candidate except one go out (on their own) and view our website. So, we have possible future teachers viewing our website. We have had future students and potential students view our website. I think it is very important to keep your website up to date and be very useful for people.
2. How do administrators and school boards keep a current vision of technology and the future?
I think a lot has to do with the administrators, teachers, and the school board being on the same page. If one of them has an open mind to look into something in the technology line, they will look into it if they know their ideas will be listened too. If a teacher says they would like to buy ipods for their class and you know they will be used, the school is more likely to purchase them. The school board is the pulse of the community (or should somewhat be). So, they have an idea the community would like to go. If the school board wants to integrate more technology, they can let the administration know and vice verse.
I also think the students play a major role in this as well. Students know as much as anybody about technology.
Workshops, in-services, and classes can all help see the vision of the future and incorporate the vision into the school district. If administrators are equipped in the technology (they do NOT have to be experts) then they are more likely to understand it and push for technology.
3. What information from the CEO Forum website is most useful? How can that information be used?
The star chart was very useful and the reports were as well. From both of these, I was able to see where are school was in regards to goals and outlines set up. I could see our school needs more professional development. I liked the idea of having teachers look at a report with the goals on the report (but not the year) and see how they are doing in regards to the goals, and then show them the year for the goals to get an idea of their progress.
4 What are Web 2.0 tools? How can these tools be used by schools to enhance classroom instruction?
The Web 2.0 tools are the tools that allow interactions. The email, facebook, blogging, podcasts, twitter, etc. are all examples of Web 2.0. These tools allow the student to connect to their world. It brings a calming effect and they enjoy the school work because that is what they deal with on a daily basis. It allows them to go deeper into a subject matter rather than just pen and paper. It allows them to interface with technology, other students, the class and the subject matter. I think it basically takes the class to the next level.
5. What is Cyber Bullying? What can schools do to help prevent CyberBullying?
Cyber bullying is bullying through the Internet in simple terms. It is one person demeaning or harming another person in some form through the Internet. The picking on the kid on the corner of the playground has turned into getting on facebook, email or whatever form of Internet and calling sally every name in the book or threatening sally or lieing about sally in a negative manner.
School can put policies in which prohibit cyber bullying and I am pretty sure this is mandated. A main thing they can do is educate their students on what to say and what not to say on the Internet. Another thing school can do is enforce the policy.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
ceoforum
I was not the most impressed with the webpage. The forum members all appear to be computer businesses or a token education association. The education groups do not appear to be that strong. I tried to go to the STaR chart links from the top of the page and once clicking on the charts it was not connected, that is not a good sign for a technology report. Also the year 1 report link from the bottom of the page does not work!!!
I felt the reports were a lot of what I have heard for years. We need to incorporate more technology. Technology needs to be used in professional development. Schools have come a long ways, but yet there is more to go. The next thing says we are not making the improvements we need to make. It also talks about new staff and hiring staff to make sure they incorporate technology into the curriculum.
I felt the reports were a lot of what I have heard for years. We need to incorporate more technology. Technology needs to be used in professional development. Schools have come a long ways, but yet there is more to go. The next thing says we are not making the improvements we need to make. It also talks about new staff and hiring staff to make sure they incorporate technology into the curriculum.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
School Websites
What are your reactions to the websites you looked at?
I enjoyed looking at the websites. I generally look at websites from our area and those of similar size throughout the state. I usually do not look at bigger ones like these that we looked at for our assignment. It is interesting how some of them are updated regularly and some of them have certain areas that have not been updated in a while. I guess all schools are busy this time of the year.
Is a website like this useful to a school district?
I think every website was useful in one way or another. With almost all of the websites, i found the infinite campus or the gradebook easly accessable so parents could check their child's grades. i think that alone is useful.
I had looked at Custer's in early 2000's for a college assignment and i had actually exchanged emails with their superintendent. When Doland was looking into the 4-day school week, we went back to their site again as one of the many forms of information.
Is it worth the time and effort to establish and maintain such a website?
Yes, but the time and effort are the key things... If a person is going to do it they must maintain it. Under BV's supenotes, it had not been updated in a while. I am sure not too many people look at that on a daily basis becuase of this. it is nice for all school reunions, extra curricular activities and such to keep alumni up to date on current issues and reunions for the district.
What is the condition of your school’s website?
I think it needs to be updated more, and i have been on our tech coordinator about it. Last spring we finally started to update some of our links. We had links on their that had not been updated in years. Our students have not been a "key" part of our website. I have strongly encouraged more student pictures. Afterall a school is about the students, so we want to focus on the kids and show more pictures of them. Our school website is very informative and very easy to use.
What information should be included in a school website?
Where should we start and stop???? I think the infinite campus (access to gradebook), student pictures, lunch menus, breakfast menus, teacher's websites and email addresses, the school information, school history, school acitivities. I could go on and on with sports schedules, daily announcements, handbooks, school calendar, testing schedules, Dakota STEP results, etc.
What role should the superintendent have with the school website?
My situation is a little different than most superintendents. I am superintendent, K-12 principal, and athletic director. So i am more involved in the school website than say most superintendents.
Should each teacher be required to have a link on the school website that contains information about their classes (such as assignments, web resources, etc)?
I dont know if a teacher should be "required," but i think teachers should be encouraged to have more information on the website whether that be a linke to their website or whatever. If we expect students to use the internet, than we should expect our teachers to use it.
How can students be involved creating and maintaining a school website?
We have a student tech coordinator who helps with the webpage. We also have "unassigned" students who keep us updated with ideas for the website. I would like to find more ways to involve students in the process. Our advanced computers class has looked at ways of doing maintaining the school website.
I enjoyed looking at the websites. I generally look at websites from our area and those of similar size throughout the state. I usually do not look at bigger ones like these that we looked at for our assignment. It is interesting how some of them are updated regularly and some of them have certain areas that have not been updated in a while. I guess all schools are busy this time of the year.
Is a website like this useful to a school district?
I think every website was useful in one way or another. With almost all of the websites, i found the infinite campus or the gradebook easly accessable so parents could check their child's grades. i think that alone is useful.
I had looked at Custer's in early 2000's for a college assignment and i had actually exchanged emails with their superintendent. When Doland was looking into the 4-day school week, we went back to their site again as one of the many forms of information.
Is it worth the time and effort to establish and maintain such a website?
Yes, but the time and effort are the key things... If a person is going to do it they must maintain it. Under BV's supenotes, it had not been updated in a while. I am sure not too many people look at that on a daily basis becuase of this. it is nice for all school reunions, extra curricular activities and such to keep alumni up to date on current issues and reunions for the district.
What is the condition of your school’s website?
I think it needs to be updated more, and i have been on our tech coordinator about it. Last spring we finally started to update some of our links. We had links on their that had not been updated in years. Our students have not been a "key" part of our website. I have strongly encouraged more student pictures. Afterall a school is about the students, so we want to focus on the kids and show more pictures of them. Our school website is very informative and very easy to use.
What information should be included in a school website?
Where should we start and stop???? I think the infinite campus (access to gradebook), student pictures, lunch menus, breakfast menus, teacher's websites and email addresses, the school information, school history, school acitivities. I could go on and on with sports schedules, daily announcements, handbooks, school calendar, testing schedules, Dakota STEP results, etc.
What role should the superintendent have with the school website?
My situation is a little different than most superintendents. I am superintendent, K-12 principal, and athletic director. So i am more involved in the school website than say most superintendents.
Should each teacher be required to have a link on the school website that contains information about their classes (such as assignments, web resources, etc)?
I dont know if a teacher should be "required," but i think teachers should be encouraged to have more information on the website whether that be a linke to their website or whatever. If we expect students to use the internet, than we should expect our teachers to use it.
How can students be involved creating and maintaining a school website?
We have a student tech coordinator who helps with the webpage. We also have "unassigned" students who keep us updated with ideas for the website. I would like to find more ways to involve students in the process. Our advanced computers class has looked at ways of doing maintaining the school website.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
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