Ideas for Using the Digital Camera in Your Classroom
By Peggy Steffens More and more schools have digital cameras. Schools have purchased digital cameras through grants, funds from PTO's, Fry's receipts, or site allocations. Digital cameras are great because you can take the pictures, delete the ones you don't like, and put the images in your Word, Kid Pix, and Power Point presentations, without paying for film or developing costs. Ask your Technology Coach if there is a camera available at your school to use.
Students can use the digital camera to take pictures. It is a great tool for students who are learning a new topic or language to capture images and write about them. Mathematics students can use images to explain concepts, write story problems, and solve problems. Students in social studies classrooms can use the camera to document cultural events, community history, and personal biographies. Science students can use the camera to document a field trip or changes in experiments. Teachers can take pictures to use as story starters, or for sequencing activities. Art students can take pictures that concentrate on line, composition, shape, color or pattern.
Have students use the camera to take pictures about:
pencils, 3 crayons, 3 swings, etc.)
For more ideas and lesson plans on using photo images in the classroom, go to Kodak: K-12 Lesson plans at http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/edu/lessonPlans/lessonPlans.shtml
New Printers in Amphi - Lexmark
By Matt Weber After many months of testing and evaluating, we have decided to start purchasing Lexmark printers. These printers will provide the same level of performance and reliability; yet cost well below that charged by our current printer vendor, Hewlett Packard. You will start seeing these printers showing up around the district as new printers are ordered. Lexmark also provides an employee purchase that is well below retail price for all district employees and students. A link to this purchase program has been provided off the Amphi technology Printer Price Sheets web page at http:/www.amphi.com/depts/technology/priceprint.htm.
A New District Gradebook Program
By Patti Greenleaf The district purchased a new gradebook program called Easy Grade Pro. This program replaces MicroGrade as the Core Software for the district. This means that the Technology Department will no longer support MicroGrade. Easy Grade Pro is an easy to learn, user-friendly program that people who have started to use it really like. It seems to be much more suited to the elementary level than MicroGrade, yet doesn't lose any functionality for the secondary level. One of the biggest problems we had in the district with MicroGrade was the amount of bugs the program had; Easy Grade Pro has run without a hitch so far. If the program has not been installed on your computer yet, you need to ask the Tech Specialist at your site to do this for you. There are two classes offered this Fall on how to Easy Grade Pro. The first one is on September 7th at Wetmore and is focused on showing the basics of the program and how to set up your own gradebook. The second class is a two-part class offered at Coronado on September 11th and 18th and will cover the program in detail. If you have any questions about the program, feel free to call me at 5218.
Teachers and Staff Busy During Summer
By Patti Greenleaf The Instructional Technology Department had a busy summer training district teachers and staff. We had 1412 registrations for 94 classes from 177 registrants. A variety of classes were offered ranging from introductory courses to creating web pages.
Many of our classes focused on information that teachers could take back and utilize in their classroom. Some of the topics covered were how to:
Teachers were excited about all the hands-on activities they were able to make to take back to their schools.
A few teachers spent many hours taking technology classes this summer. Here is a list of the teachers taking the most classes this summer:
Katya Suryadevara 38 classes
Nancy Byrd 27 classes
Ann Faulkner 22 classes
Alrene Hibbon 21 classes
Gerri Beth Borga 20 classes
Cathy Crockett 19 classes
Barbara Robeson 17 classes
It was a joy to have these teachers along with the many others who took classes this summer. They came up with excellent ways of incorporating technology into their classrooms.
If you would like a chance to participate in staff development focused on incorporating technology into the classroom, look at the Academy classes in the Fall Technology Class schedule at http://techreg.amphi.com. These classes are designed to give teachers a chance to learn a new technology, develop lessons for that technology, and then come back to share and revisit the topics learned.
What Technology
Classes Have I Taken? Searching the Archives for Recertification Credit
By Chrissy Cox
The Technology Department offers classes for all district employees. When the district first began offering technology classes everyone filled out a registration form. The information was entered manually by someone and only a few people had access to the information. So, if someone wanted something changed in his or her schedule, it had to be sent in on paper or called in.
In Fall 1998, the online registration database, techreg.amphi.com, was introduced, opening up many possibilities. People can now register online for any and all classes. An individual can check his or her schedule, add or cancel classes, and get more information about certain classes. All of this, available online.
One of the main questions asked is "Is there any way that I can find out what classes I have previously taken?" There is! There is a link off of the techreg homepage called "Search the Archives." Under this option you can find out information about previous classes.
The "Searching the Archives" is broken down into two sections: Classes before Fall of 98 and Classes from Fall of 98 On. It's setup this way for several reasons. Since the registration before the Fall of 98 was done manually, we didn't require ID numbers. People were listed under last name. So, in searching the archives before 98, you have to search using your last name. Make sure to check every possible way your name could be entered into the database - nicknames or different last names (i.e. Elizabeth Nelson and Liz Nelson, Lisa Pratt and Lisa O'Keefe).
You should receive a list of all of the classes you signed up for. If you have a Y in the attendance category, it means you attended the class.
With registration after 1998, ID numbers were introduced. So, if you are searching after Fall of 98 you have to use your ID number to find it.
You should receive a list of all of the classes you signed up for. If you have a Y in the attendance category, it means you attended the class. If you receive a message that says "No records returned" it means that you are not using the ID associated with that last name. If you can't remember or aren't certain about your ID number, click on Forgot Your Member ID on the techreg.amphi.com page.
If you have any questions or have any suggestions, call me at 5215 or Email Chrissy Cox at techco@amphi.com.
Notes from the Director
By Ron Shannon Another summer has come and gone and during that time the Technology office has been busy trying to get ready for your return for this school year. We have offered many technology classes, repaired lots of computers and video equipment, upgraded servers and computer systems, completed several construction and cabling projects, maintained the phone and voice mail system, and installed new computer systems around the district.
While we were doing all of these things, we maintained all the network and Email accounts, and supported all the users on computers and phones that were working during the summer.
I can't believe that we accomplished all the things we did, and yet there are so many more things to do this year.
Hope you had a great summer and have a very good school year. I am sure that the Technology Department will have a positive impact this year with either more technology or service to keep it running or training to show you how to use it.
FREE Computers!
The School Facilities Board (SFB) has allocated 629 computers to our District in an effort to equalize student access to multimedia computers across the State. Based on the number of students as of the 100-day report in the 1999/2000 school year, and the number of multimedia computers we already had, we qualified for 629 free computers to make a student:computer ratio of 8:1! We are given a choice of several different computer brands from several vendors. Once we have had an opportunity to evaluate them, we will place the order. We expect to be able to do this by the end of September.
At the same time we are doing this, we hope to replace some of the older non-multimedia classroom computers with new computers. The reason for doing this at the same time is because some schools don't have space for additional computers, so it will be easy to simply replace them.
Windows 98 and Office 2000
By Raul Bejarano
All of the computers at Painted Sky and new computers that will be purchased this fall will have Windows 98 and Office 2000. There are some slight differences in how Windows 98 runs and looks compared to Windows 95. Windows 98 will navigate just like 95 with some added help features. Over all, the operating system is more stable and fixes some of the problems that 95 had with USB and other peripheral devices. On the software side 98 enables you to run more labor-intensive programs and multimedia presentations run smoother.
The best way to learn about 98 is to use the computer and explore the programs and features within your computer. Use the Help option under Start whenever you have questions or contact your Tech Specialist.
Automatic Software Installs ... Coming Soon to a Computer Near You
By Matt Weber As part of the continuing upgrades of the networks here at Amphi we are ready to start implementing automatic and remote software installations. Some sites saw this at the end of last school year. The rest of the district will see these changes this fall semester. This will allow the technology staff to keep the software on the 3000+ workstations around the district up-to-date and standardized far faster than is now possible. The current method requires a technology staff member to visit each site and work on every computer. We don't have the personnel to maintain timely updates in that fashion. What this new system means to you is that it will soon be standard to receive updates to your software when you log into the network. It will also allow applications to be rapidly reloaded onto workstations if they become damaged or corrupted. The first phase of this will be the update of the NetWare client software across the district. You will be notified when work is ready to start at your site. When you login you will see a message that your client software is being updated and several different screens listing the files as they are being installed on your system. Your system will then reboot and return you to the login screen. You can then login and continue using your computer as normal; the installation is complete. This process will continue as we update all of the core software that the district uses and will only take a few minutes when the computer is first logged in for the day. It will be possible to load updates on the computers across the district in a matter of days instead of the months required now. This will allow you to have access to the latest software and enjoy the latest features without the current wait.
Email Password Change - New Procedure
By Kathy Sheppard To make a long story short, over the summer we installed a new Email server with a new operating system. So there is a new method to changing your Email password. Here it is.
Note: For this method you must know your current password.
Overview:
You'll need to run a telnet session to mail.amphi.com, login, use Pine to change your password, logout.
Details:
1. Click on your Start button on your Windows Desktop.
2. Select Run.
3. Type telnet in the text box to the right of the word Open:
4. Click OK
5. When the Telnet window appears, select Connect.
6. Select Remote System.
7. In the Host Name box type in mail.amphi.com
8. Select Connect.
9. Login with your Email name and current password.
10. When the Pine application window appears, press the Enter key on your keyboard.
11. Select S for setup.
12. Select N for New password.
13. Enter your current password.
14. Ok, here is the hard part. Next you'll be prompted to enter a new password. Your Email password must now be 6 characters or more, cannot be a real word or name and should contain a combination of numbers, and upper and lower case letters. If you enter a password the system doesn't like, it will tell you. If you fail to please the system 3 times, you'll get bounced back to step #11 on this list. You can start again.
If you are successful you will go back to the main menu.
15. Select Q to quit.
16. Enter a Y to tell it you REALLY want to quit.
17. You may get a little box saying the connection to the host was lost. Select OK.
18. Go to Connect and select Exit.
If you don't know what your password is, please contact your site secretary if you are admin/support or the tech coach if you are a teacher or instructional staff. They will Email the necessary information to me and I will make the change for you as the system administrator.
Good luck!
A Note on Passwords
By Jim Davis For those of you returning, welcome back! And to those just now joining our happy Amphitheater family, Welcome! Now, on to the point.
While going around the District, I have noticed that more than a few people have been confused over all the different passwords we use.
The Novell log in, the little red box you get when you first turn on your computer, will give you access to the local server at your site. This will give you access to printers, and allow you to backup your data. The password must be at least five alphanumeric characters (that is, combinations of letters and/or numbers). Novell passwords are not case sensitive. To change your Novell password, all you need to do is:
The Internet Email password allows you to retrieve your Internet Email. The rules for this password are a little different. Please see the article written by Kathy Sheppard titled Email Password Change - New Process for information on how to pick a good password and how to change it.
Some of you use other passwords too, such as SASI and Pentamation, and maybe even a few others. It is important to understand that they are all different and allow access to different things. Thus they should all be different. It is an easy trap to fall into to make them all the same and be done with it, but this is bad.
If you have any questions about this important issue, please feel free to give us a call and ask!
Educational Internet Sites
By Peggy Steffens Below are some Internet sites that you and your students might try.
EBoard.com - an online corkboard where you can post messages, photos, and links in your own private place for free.
http://eboard.com/home.html
Afro Americ@ - provides information, culture, history and Kid zone. Kid Zone provides activities, brainteasers, games, myths and fables and information about Africa for students.
http://www.afroam.org/index.html
National Geographic - provides interactive features, adventures and exploration, maps, photography, links for kids, news, education, and more.
http:/www.nationalgeographic.com/
AOL School - great resources for students, teachers and administrators. It has many activities including games, pen pals, puzzles, current events, stories, and more.
http://www.school.aol.com/
The American Presidency - provides information from 3 different encyclopedias written at different grade levels, current presidential information, historical election results, trading cards, and more.
http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/preshome.html
Greek Mythology - illustrated encyclopedia on Greek mythology.
http://www.cultures.com/greek_resources/greek_encyclopedia/greek_encyclopedia_home.html
Classical Net: Quick Composer Reference - provides biographical information about many of the great composers.
http://www.classical.net/music/rep/lists/index.html
Georgia Learning Connections - provides lesson plans and activities tied to Georgia State Standards. The site has teacher and student resources that open in Microsoft Word or Claris Works that can be modified and saved to meet your needs. Some of the lessons include Power Point presentations you can adapt as well.
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/
Marco Polo - provides standards-based Internet content for the K-12 teacher and classroom, developed by the nation's content experts.
http://www.wcom.com/marcopolo/
Eduhound - provides a carefully edited directory of more than 15,000 educational Internet links. It has Eduhound Espa¤ol sites for Spanish speaking students.
http://www.eduhound.com/
VMyth.com: Truth About Computer Virus Myths and Hoaxes - provides information about computer virus myths, hoaxes, urban legends, and the implications if you believe in them. You can also search a list of computer virus hoaxes from A to Z. http://www.vmyths.com/
Electronic Emissary - a "matching service" that helps K-12 teachers and students locate other Internet experts for curriculum-based, electronic exchanges among the teachers, their students, and the experts.
http://www.tapr.org/emissary/about.shtml
Search Engine Watch - provides a list of search engines, tips for using search engines, reviews of different search engines, search engine submission tips, and updated information about search engines.
http://searchenginewatch.com/
Bartleby.com Great Books Online - a comprehensive public reference library. Allows users to search for information in the following areas: reference, verse, fiction, and nonfiction. This site has the 1914 Oxford edition of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations and Strunk's The Elements of Style.
http://www.bartleby.com/
Math.com for Teachers- provides lesson plans, curriculum resources, career information, standards, and worksheets for math teachers.
http://www.math.com/teachers.html
Math.com for Students- provides games and puzzles, homework help, calculators, converters, equation solvers, math practice, study tips and more.
http://www.math.com/students.html
MathWorld Interactive - a site that has math challenges, problems, and activities for students in grades K-12. Registration is free.
http://forum.swarthmore.edu/mathworld/
New York Times Learning Network - a site with educational actitivities tied to the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/index.html
Technology Coaches
and Specialists
By Peggy Steffens
Tech Coaches
Each school has a Technology Coach whose primary purpose is to help teachers integrate technology into the curriculum. They provide professional development classes at your site, share ideas at staff meeting and mentor teachers in department or grade level meetings. The Tech Coach is the perfect person to ask for help with what to do when you take your class to the Computer lab or how to effectively use the one computer in your classroom.
The Tech Coaches for 2000-2001 are:
AHS Dean Packard
Alternative John Weismiller
AMS Jeannie Wager
CDO North David Thatcher
CDO Casey Smythe
Copper Creek Mary Damiani
Coronado Elem Liesl Mitchell
Coronado Middle Anne Booth
Cross Laurie Celaya
Donaldson Judy Dodge
Donaldson Nancy Jimmerson
Harelson Susie Gilbertson
Holaway Rosemary Beck
Keeling Mike Schaefer
La Cima Cynthia Rolewski
Mesa Verde Suzi Cook
Nash JoLynn McNeil
Painted Sky Cathy Burg
Prince Norma Bartley
Rio Vista Lisa Boyer
Walker Karyn Vick
Wilson Elem Jan Horetski
Wilson Middle Joanne Lazarus
Technology Specialists
Most schools also have a Technology Specialist. The primary responsibility of the Tech Specialist is to set up and maintain the technology at the school site. They coordinate all repairs; if your equipment isn't working they will try and solve the problem and if they can't, they are responsible for calling it in to be repaired. They can assist teachers in planning activities in the computer lab; however, the teacher is responsible for instruction in the computer lab.
The Tech Specialists for the 2000-2001 school year are:
AMS Karen Rutynowski
CDO Bill Maginnis
Copper Creek Angela Neibel
Coronado K-8 Gary Lerch
Cross Frank Machado
Donaldson Debbie Anthony
Harelson Jeff Homoki
Holaway Lisa Elliott
Keeling Deborah Caponigro
La Cima Sheri Gimlin
Mesa Verde Mark Lee
Nash Stephanie Quimby- Green
Painted Sky Donna Allsman
Prince Michelle McCallum
Rio Vista Deborah Caponigro
Walker Lisa Elliott
Wilson Mike Alvarez
Help Mr. Wizard!
By Richard Coca Another school year has begun and there are many new faces and technical equipment. Even though a lot of our equipment is new or fairly new, problems are going to arise and equipment is going to fail from time to time. In the event that the technology does not work, your Amphi Technology Team is ready and willing to respond as quickly as we can.
If you work at a school, it is best to check with your site contact person, your Technology Specialist, and see if they can remedy the problem or if it needs to be called in for repair. When your Tech Specialist has to call in a piece of equipment for repair they will need to provide detailed information concerning the equipment's problem and its description. This will allow us to respond more efficiently to your problem. Here is information that you should provide to your Tech Specialist before they call it in:
These descriptors help us to identify the type of equipment and help to obtain the specific parts quicker if any are needed. The other thing is to identify the specific problem as accurately as possible, being brief but giving as much detail as available. Please give your Tech Specialist any error messages, previous symptoms or any other information that you think might help to identify and isolate the problem(s). With your help, we will be able to help you and serve you better.
A Message from Claudiovisuals
By Claudio Araya We have so many new and exciting products it will be impossible to list them all in one article. If you think I sound like a sales person it's only because we want you to buy into the idea of interactive technology in the classroom. In this article I would like to introduce the latest CD-ROMs added to the Amphi Media Center collection.
That's a Fact Jack! Read
CDR 192 Examining Values, CDR 193 Discrimination and Prejudice,
CDR 194 The American Civil War
CDR 195 Discrimination and Prejudice in America
CDR 196 Surprising Animals CDR 197 The 19th Century in America.
"That's a Fact Jack! Read" is a great way for your students to review literature in a fun and engaging game show format. The program allows students to test their understanding of a book, not just their ability to recall facts. It is also a forum for students to explore and understand how evidence is used to construct and support an argument. The programs include questions about events, themes, issues, and facts for a lot of carefully selected books.
CDR 198 Mapmaker's Tool Kit
This program contains an extensive library of over 450 current and historical maps. It gives the tools to customize any map to illustrate a lesson, report, or presentation and it makes it easy for students to publish a map in print or electronically with Mapmaker's Slideshow, or on the Internet.
CDR 199 Math Mysteries: Fractions
CDR 200 Math Mysteries: Measurement
CDR 201 Math Mysteries: Whole Numbers
"Math Mysteries" offers an effective way to teach the basic skills for solving word problems. These CD-ROMs are a tool to help you teach students about the key steps in the problem-solving process: understanding the problem, collecting important information, solving the problem, and checking the answer. With its mixture of instruction and practice, Math Mysteries will help prepare your students to tackle the math problems found on standardized tests and in real-life situations.
CDR 202 Science Seekers: Hidden in Rocks
CDR 203 Science Seekers: Safe Water
"Science Seekers" is a series of CD-ROM based packages, developed with the American Museum of Natural History, that combines multimedia, cooperative learning, and hands-on activities to engage students in core science content.
CDR 204 Fizz and Martina: Caves of Blue Falls,
CDR 205 Fizz and Martina: Project Sphinx
"Fizz and Martina's Math Adventures" is a series of elementary school CD-ROM titles that help students understand and apply important basic math concepts. At the heart of each title is an exciting animated adventure story, starring Fizz and Martina (two curious and creative kids from the town of Blue Falls). When math problems arise in the story, students work in teams to find solutions and articulate their strategies. This process helps students build skills in problem solving in context, mathematical communication, and teamwork.
CDR 206 Prime Time Math: Cliffbound
CDR 207 Prime Time Math: Adrift
CDR 208 Prime Time Math: Lost
"Prime time Math" is a series of classroom CD-ROM titles that engages math students in real-world problem solving within a dramatic context. The dramas follow the challenges of professional rescue and emergency teams as they face an everyday crisis. Students watch video, record data, solve math problems, and cooperate as a team in response to the scenario. They also articulate their problem-solving strategies, as well as their mathematical answers, in a whole-class activity.
Science Court Explorations
CDR 210 Heat Absorption,
CDR 211 Pendulums
CDR 212 Pockets
CDR 213 Magnets
CDR 214 Friction
CDR 215 Flight
Science Court Explorations has everything you need to turn your students into scientists. A funny and compelling animated story on CD-ROM introduces a question. Students working in cooperative teams make hypotheses and then use hands-on materials to test the answer. Just like real scientists, students follow the scientific method. They make a guess, create a hypothesis, test it, and then revise it. Short videos walk students through the process step-by-step and even illustrate how to set up the hands-on experiments. Each kit contains a set of manipulatives designed for each title.
All these items can be ordered by filling out the media order forms available in your libraries. You can also call Claudio at 6214 or Email caraya@amphi.com.
Instructions For Copying Microcassette Tapes To Phillips Cassette Tapes
By Gordon Larsen Preparing the equipment - hooking them up
1. You will need a microcassette player capable of playing the speed at which the original tape was recorded (1.2cm/s, 2.4cm/s), with an earphone, line-out, or speaker jack. You will also need a regular (Phillips) cassette recorder with pause, line-in jack, auto or manual record level and signal level meter or indicator. You may need an attenuator, if the cassette recorder only has a mic jack and no line-in jack.
2. You will need a 3-foot patch cord, with the proper ends in order to connect the two machines together. The earphone jack usually requires a mini phone plug. The microphone jack or line-in jack requires a mini or ¬ inch phone plug. If an attenuator is used the end will require an RCA or phono plug. These cords and the attenuator can be obtained at Radio Shack.
3. Place the equipment close to one another, and near an electrical outlet. Plug them into the outlet. Plug one end of the patch cord into the earphone jack of the microcassette player. Plug the other end into the line-in jack or into an attenuator and then into the microphone jack of the cassette recorder.
4. Put tapes in their respective machines (original in player and blank tape in recorder). On the cassette recorder press record-pause. Play the microcassette. Adjust the volume of the player and the record level of the recorder (if not using auto-record level) until the level indicator peaks at the 0 point of no distortion on the loudest passages.
Preparing the tapes for recording
1. Cue the record tape up such that the border between the dark colored tape and the spliced on leader is centered in the space where the erase head would protrude into the cassette. You can advance the tape to this position by turning the take-up reel with your finger or a pencil (in the counterclockwise direction).
2. Rewind the original microcassette tape to its beginning on side A. Microcassettes do not have a leader spliced on to the beginning or end of the tape.
Making the first copy
1. On the recorder press record-pause.
2. When ready to start, release the pause. After the dark colored tape gets past the record head, push play on the microcassette player.
3. Continue recording until the end of the recorder tape is reached or until the player content ends. Stop both machines.
4. Rewind the recorded tape a little and then play it back to find an appropriate place to stop the recording (pause or change in speaking or material content).
5. Rewind, play and stop the microcassette tape to find this same end point.
6. Erase that portion of the recorded tape that will be recorded on side B or another tape. This can be accomplished by recording with the record level on minimum and/or not playing the original tape.
7. Rewind, play and stop side A until the end of the recorded material is reached. Flip tape over to side B or install a new cued up tape.
8. Repeat steps 1-7 until all material is recorded. Start with new cassette tapes as needed.
The above procedure is similar, if you want to tape from any other sound source. These can include TV's, radios, VCR's, record players or CD players.
Saving Damaged Documents
By Seth Butler On occasion when you try to print a document from MS Word or another program your PC gives a big error message before printing. This is usually an issue with some type of formatting or actual data corruption in the file you saved.
To resolve this problem you could start from scratch, but I suggest another option, use the copy and paste feature in your editor to copy the "undamaged" page(s) to another document. You should now be able to print this new document without losing too much time or pulled hair.
Apple Hit list
By Jim Davis As of 5/31 the following Apple computers are no longer supported. We have a few parts on our shelves for just a few of these items.
Apple/Mac
Apple (ALL)
MacIIvx/vi
Classic/ClassicII
Color Classic/ Color ClassicII
LC/LCII/LCIII
Power Books
PB 140/145/145b/170
PB 160/165/180
PB 165c/180c
Duo210/230/250/270c
All Quadras except 630/840av/900/950
Performa 200/400/600
LaserWriters
LW Pro 600/630/810
LWII (ALL)
PLW SC& NT/NTR
PLW LS/L
Looking for Web Lessons that Incorporate Higher Level Thinking Skills? Give WebQuests a Try
By Patti Greenleaf WebQuests are a type of web lesson first developed by Bernie Dodge a professor of Educational Technology at San Diego State University. Teachers from all over the world have incorporated his ideas and have developed lessons in all grade and subject levels. The lessons are student-based inquiry lessons in which some, if not all, of the resources students utilize are from the Internet. While the format of the lessons can vary from teacher to teacher, most of the lessons are set up with the following components: The introduction sets the stage for the lesson. The task provides the motivation and involves higher level thinking skills. The process and resources provide information and Internet links for the students to help them complete the lesson. The evaluation and conclusion bring closure to the lesson.
While you can create your own WebQuest, they can be quite intensive in their development especially for the first one you create. If WebQuests sound like something you would be interested in, my suggestion is to look at some of the sites that provide directories of WebQuests already created and try some that other teachers have created before trying to create one of your own. Below are some of the Internet sites that provide directories of WebQuests.
The WebQuest Page-This is the site of Bernie Dodge the creator of WebQuests. Go here to find out more information about WebQuests or click on the link that says Examples to see a directory of WebQuests.
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquest.html
San Diego City Schools Technology Challenge Grant-This site provides some great examples of WebQuests.
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/
Dr. Alice Christie's WebQuest Page-This link provides information and a matrix of WebQuests created.
http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/webquest.html
A Phone is
Not Just a Phone By Tom Gill
Three years ago our district purchased the current phone system called "Meridian" manufactured by Northern Telecom. This state-of-the-art phone system has a plethora of capabilities from the usual hold, transfer, and forward functions, to the customizing of voice mail distribution lists. These phones are digital which make them quite different from the conventional telephone you would have at home. Depending on your individual needs, knowledge on how these phones work can be a vital part of your job. A class on Meridian Voicemail and the phone system will be offered on October 26, 2000 if you are interested in learning more about your phone.
There are two types of phones we have throughout the district:
The function keys on these phones are programmed from the system not the phone. In other words, the system administrator (in this case, me) would do the programming of each button tailored to the users needs. Each phone is built on a custom platform, so in the event of moving a phone it would need the appropriate programming to the new location done by the administrator. Also, 2008HF and 2616HF phones cannot be interchanged "on the fly" because they are programmed on different templates.
The "Meridian" phone system does an array of system diagnostics to make sure all aspects of the system are functioning properly. One diagnostic is a system line tally which makes sure all phones are plugged in and working. This test occurs at 12:00 a.m. everyday, so if a phone has a problem or is unplugged when this test occurs, it will disable the phone line. This is done to preserve the phone system's memory by shutting down ports which need to be fixed. The solution can be as easy as changing a faulty cord or just plugging in the phone. Please note that the phone will not start working until the line tally diagnostic is done the following day or is manually re-enabled by the administrator.
As I already mentioned, these phones are digital which allow capabilities far superior to any regular phones. The telephones and their instruments are unique to the "Meridian" phone system, so no other accessories from other manufacturers should be used unless they are approved by Northern Telecom or your esteemed administrator. Once you have established a basic understanding of your phone equipment, it will ensure efficient execution of your communication responsibilities. Remember not all phones are equal, and what we have at the district is at the forefront of technology.
Note: Any specific operating problems regarding the phone equipment can be directed to me at the Information Technology Office or by e-mail at tgill@amphi.com.
Not the Same Old Server
by Will McCullen Welcome back everyone. There have been a few changes over the summer to the Email and web services for the district that I would like to pass on to you. Last school year, Email services and web services resided on the same computer. This presented quite a challenge since there was only 4 Gigabytes of disk space. Once the space filled then we needed to put a call out requesting everyone to delete mail off the server. This one computer shouldered the load faithfully for some time but it became necessary to finally update the box and distribute the load. This kind of project needs to be done very carefully since these services play such a large role. The original box could be accessed through several domain names which all led to the same address. The old box was named www.amphi.com, sun1.wetmore.amphi.com, mail.amphi.com and amphi.com just to name a few. These names all functioned just fine since all these services all resided on one box. Well, that is no longer feasible. Now we need to separate some of these services and set a new standard. The first part of this transition occurred when we moved all the web services on to a new machine. Many folks had their home page set to simply amphi.com. Today if you want to go to the Amphi homepage you need to go to www.amphi.com.
The other problem cropped up with the Email. To be able to use Email it is necessary to enter an address for both the incoming and outgoing mail in the configuration of your Email client. For inside the district this address will be mail.amphi.com for both. Our co-student Chrissy Cox has written a step by step guide that you can access by pointing your browser to http://www.amphi.com/depts/technology/internet/email.htm. If you are using district Email from outside the district you will no longer be able to send Email through the district servers. This was necessary because spammers were using our server to do their mailing for them. You will be able to read your district mail but to send mail you will have to do it with the outgoing server set to your local Internet service provider if they will allow it. Seth Butler has written a guide for home access at http://www.amphi.com/depts/technology/internet/email.htm. Both servers now have significantly more disk space and greater security, which will promote steady service.
Win an Alpha Smart for Your Classroom
By Peggy Steffens The AlphaSmart is a simple, portable and affordable computer companion. It enables students to type, edit and electronically save text, and to practice keyboarding, without having to be at a computer. It is compatible with any computer, Macintosh or PC, and with most printers. Students type information into the AlphaSmart and can either directly print it to a printer or transfer it to any computer for formatting. Its portability allows students to use it anywhere and anytime (for example, in the classroom, at home or on field trips). It is very easy to use; students turn it on and begin typing. It operates on 3 AA batteries and will run for 200-500 hours. We have several schools that have purchased a comparable product called a DreamWriter that provide similar capabilities. The schools have purchased carts with enough of these devices to have an entire class type reports or practice keyboarding. It is an option your school might consider, as you can get a cart with 30 devices for about $8,000.00.
I won an Alpha Smart at the AzTEA technology conference and I would like to give it away to a teacher who will use it with his/her students. It has cables to work with either a Mac or PC. Here is what you need to do. Send me an Email (psteffen@amphi.com) with the following information:
Your Name
Where and What you Teach
How you plan to utilize the AlphaSmart: list projects, curriculum units and specific ideas.
Where will students use the AlphaSmart?
Why I should select your proposal?
All applications must be Emailed by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 13, 2000.
A winner will be selected, and everyone who entered will be notified via Email. Good Luck!
Printing Problems
By Sue Sledge Many repair calls that come into the hotline involve network printers that don't print. You will save yourself some downtime if you try the following steps before submitting a repair request.
1. Make sure you are sending your job(s) to the correct printer;
2. Make sure connections to the printer are secure;
3. Make sure your print job is in the print queue;
4. Restart your computer AND the printer.
If your work doesn't start printing after following these troubleshooting tips, call your request into the hotline 5078 - option 2 for a local printer and option 4 for a network printer.
TLCF Corner
By Patti Greenleaf The Technology Literacy Challenge Fund grant is a program in six Amphitheater schools. The purpose of the program is to provide teachers with opportunities to become more familiar with technology and the Internet. The schools that are participating in the grant are AMS, Keeling, Nash, Prince, La Cima, and Holaway. There are a variety of lessons that have been developed by the teachers at these sites and a web page has been developed for others to see and utilize these lessons. The lessons include TLCF Web Guides, TrackStar Lessons, Internet Projects, and other lessons created to integrate technology into the curriculum.
The purpose of the article each issue will be to highlight a few lessons that the teachers have created.
Internet Project
Title: Bunny Readers
Bunny Readers URL: http://comsewogue.k12.ny.us/~ssilverman/bunnies
Susan Silverman's Internet Project URL: http://www.kids-learn.org/
This Internet Project had classes from all over the country participate. The project focused around books that dealt with bunnies. The students in the different classes would read a book and then using language arts activities share information about the books they read. The stories and pictures they developed were then posted at the Bunny Readers site for the classes in the project to enjoy.
The creator of this Internet Project site has created many similar projects and usually offers different ones every year. Go to this site to take at look at what has been done and possibly find an Internet Project of your own to participate in.
Web Guides - Web Lessons that have been created by TLCF teachers; they have a teacher's guide and student activities.
Title: Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition URL: http://www.amphi.com/~tlcf/bartley/web3/
LewisandClarkTG.htm
TLCF Web Guides URL: http://www.amphi.com/~tlcf/guides.htm
This lesson was designed for 4th and 5th grade students. It focuses on different aspects of the Lewis and Clark expedition. There are a variety of different activities for the students to participate in.
Short Cut Bar is Gone,
Now I Have the Blues
By Seth Butler I have received a number of calls about losing the shortcut bar for Office 97. Here is how to get it back:
1. Click on the Start button and click on Find.
2. Click on Files and Folders.
3. Type in the word shortcut and click Find Now.
4. You should see a multi-colored 4-corner icon that says Microsoft Office shortcut.
5. Move your mouse over the top of this and right click and drag it over to a spot on your desktop and left click on Create Shortcut.
6. Double click on this and viol you have your tool bar back.
If you want the short cut bar to appear when you turn on your computer, do the following steps:
1. Double Click on My Computer
2. Double click on the C: Drive
3. Double Click on the Windows Folder
4. Double Click on the Startmenu Folder
5. Double Click on the Programs Folder
6. Double Click on the Startup Folder
and then Drag the Microsoft Office Shortcut Icon into this folder. The next time you start your computer the shortcut bar will be there.
Tech Talk Survey: Complete It and Win
By Peggy Steffens Last year we implemented an online survey to get feedback from you, our readers, to learn what you liked, didn't like and wanted more in Tech Talk. We want Tech Talk to meet your needs and we want to know if it is valuable to you. We had a random drawing from the people who completed the survey last April for a free year of Tech Classes this school year. The winners were:
Diane Koushki - Walker
Laura Crosby - Cross
Debbie Boggs - Wetmore
Theresa Vettore - Wetmore
Cathy Crockett - Coronado
We are again continuing our survey. Please log on to http://techreg.amphi.com/surveyweb/ASP/survey.asp and answer the questions. The prize for this survey is one hour of consulting at your site with Patti Greenleaf, Ron Shannon, or me. We will answer whatever questions you have about the core software, integrating technology into your classroom, or shortcuts to make your life easier. Log on and help us learn how to make Tech Talk better and possibly win free consulting.
Top Technology Problems and The Solutions
By Will McCullen Each issue we will try and highlight the top technology problems that you, the user, encounter along with what happens, why, how to fix it, and how to avoid it in the future.
What happens: The Computer locks up or performs an illegal operation.
Why: This is a fairly general problem and can be caused by many things. Some of the more common can include hardware problems, too many applications open at once or temporary files left over from previous improper shut down of the applications or the computer. Microsoft applications can create temporary files that are supposed to help the operating system recover in the event of a power loss. If too many of these build up they can hinder the normal function of the system.
How to fix: Delete the temp files and run scan disk.
1. Close all applications
2. Click on Start and click on Find and click on Files or Folders
3. In the Named: field type ~*.tmp (this will select all files that start with a tilde and end with a .tmp). The problem temp files start with a tilde. You can find the tilde by holding down the shift key while pressing the key next to the number 1.
4. In the Look in: field click on the triangle and choose C:
5. Click Find Now
6. Once it is done and the files are displayed click once on one of the files and hold down the Ctrl A. This will select all of the files.
7. Hit delete on the keyboard and when done empty the recycle bin.
How to avoid: It is a good idea to run scan disk and then defragment (on the same properties page as scan disk) the drive every month. Always run scan disk before defragmenting. Close applications when you are done and always shut down windows before turning the power off.
To run scan disk:
1. Double click on My Computer.
2. Right click on the C: drive and select Properties.
3. Select the Tools tab and click on Check now
4. Always have the Automatically fix errors checked and start the process.
What happens: Scandisk runs when the computer starts and is prompting me for information.
Why: On the later versions of Windows, Scandisk will start automatically if the operating system was incorrectly shut down. Normally this will simply run unless it finds a problem, which usually is due to a corrupt temp file. The program then tries to give you an option to save this corrupt temp file and if you are extremely lucky you might be able to extract some useful data from the file it saves. Usually it is best simply to delete it.
How to fix: Instruct Scandisk to fix the errors it finds and delete the files it tries to save. It will present you with these options. Simply use the left and right arrow keys and hit return to make a selection.
How to avoid: Shut windows down properly before turning it off.
What happens: Mouse has jerky response or sticks.
Why: Dirt collects on the mouse rollers.
How to fix: You can remove the mouse ball by rotating the plastic keeper in the direction of the arrows. With the mouseball removed then use a tool (even a narrow car key can work) to remove the crud with very, very gentle scrapes perpendicular to the rollers.
How to avoid: Keep the area around your mouse clean. One of the most common factors are erasure filings.