MacBook Navigation Basics

Having trouble using the touchpad on your new MacBook or want to know more about what it can do for you?

Check out this support page that helps you figure out all of the useful navigation tools that are built into your MacBook.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4721

Also discover the trackpad on your own by going to System Preferences>Trackpad. This will allow you to modify your trackpad to fit your needs. Change the Point & Click, Scroll & Zoom options or explore More Gestures.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from your neighborhood Tech & Media Team!

2nd Grade MacBook Basics {Tech PD Recap}

Yesterday I was able to meet with most of our second grade team to learn more about their new MacBook Pros.  They are a dedicated group of teachers!  We met early in the morning and despite the early hour, they were awake and ready to learn more about their devices.  As stated in a previous post, our Tech & Media Team is focusing on providing teacher-directed professional development, so based on the feedback we received, the meeting met their needs, as it was driven by their input and questions.  I introduced them to our new approach to PD that integrates the adopted learning design model as well as Kagan structures and they were very receptive and eager to learn new strategies that they could implement with their students.
In surveying the teachers, they identified many areas that they would like to learn more about in regards to their MacBook Pros.  All information was recorded in a presentation (found below - if you are unable to view the presentation below, please click here) and was used as a reference during the meeting.  Also included in the presentation is a link to our meeting agenda. This was our third meeting with teachers since we implemented our new professional development approach.  I feel with each meeting, we are becoming more comfortable and reassured with our approach to our professional development.  When reviewing the feedback from the post-PD survey, a teacher left the following quote regarding the PD session:

"I love the way you incorporated usable ideas for lessons and also features that I was unaware of but will find extremely useful. MORE of the same. I love the small groups and appreciate you taking the time to individualize this to our needs."

We couldn't be happier to read this, and know that teachers are taking more away from our professional development other than just technical knowledge. We are working towards a more integrated model of technology use, where the computer or other device is a tool that supports teaching and learning. This quote reaffirms that we are definitely moving forward and teachers value their own professional learning time.

Rebel U Fundraiser - Water Bottles!

Every year we like to re-evaluate our Rebel U program and make any changes and adjustments to meet the needs of our teachers (and subsequently, students).  Some of the things that teachers would like to see and we would like to do to enhance our program cost money and we would like to try our best to make those things happen for our awesome teachers!
The GLPS Tech & Media Team is doing a fundraiser to raise money to support our Rebel U teacher professional development program.  The design for our water bottle is given below in the form with the 4 available colors.  The water bottles are similar to that of the "Nalgene" brand water bottles and cost $10 each.
All payments are DUE by THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013.  If payment is not received by then, your order will NOT be submitted.  Payments may be submitted to the Administration Office.
You will be notified by email or phone when your order is ready to be picked up.
All water bottles will have to be picked up from Sarah Wood at Lee High School no later than Friday, December 13, 2013.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sarah Wood.
If you are unable to view the form below, please click here.

3rd Grade Apple TV Basics {Tech PD Recap}

This past week, we met with part of the third grade team who wanted to learn more about how to effectively utilize their Apple TVs.  In keeping with our approach to professional development this year, we designed the professional development meeting where it was aligned with the adopted learning design model as well as integrated Kagan structures to increase teacher engagement and participation.

In surveying the teachers, they identified many areas that they would like to learn more about in regards to their Apple TV.  All information was recorded in a presentation (found below - if you are unable to view the presentation below, please click here) and was used as a reference during the meeting.  Also included in the presentation is a link to our meeting agenda.

Before our meeting, a few teachers already had Apple TVs installed in their rooms while others would be receiving theirs soon.  With this being said, some had already utilized their Apple TV a bit and had questions about the functionality, while others had questions as to what exactly the device was and how it fit in with the use of their new MacBook Pro.  As some were unfamiliar with the purpose of the device, the Kagan Pairs Compare activity was not beneficial to all members in the group, but did spark new questions and discussion points.  Based on the feedback collected from the post-PD form, each teacher was able to learn something new about their Apple TV and were happy to learn about how to be able to turn the connection code on and off as needed.  As the rest of them receive their Apple TVs become more comfortable with their new MacBook Pros and iPads, I know they will have great new teaching and learning opportunities to share!

To view a spreadsheet with cumulative data about the professional development that our third grade teachers have participated in, please click here (includes school improvement correlation).

5th Grade MacBook Basics {Tech PD Recap}

Our meeting with fifth grade kicked off our new professional development offerings for the 2013-2014 school year.  All of the fifth grade teachers had requested help in learning more about their new MacBook Pros.  As stated in a previous post, we are focusing on providing teacher-directed professional development.  A couple of our Tech & Media Team members have been working with coaches to provide effective, teacher-driven professional development.  We have been working to provide professional development that integrates with the adopted learning design model as well as integrating Kagan structures to increase teacher engagement and participation.

In surveying the teachers, they identified many areas that they would like to learn more about in regards to their MacBook Pros.  All information was recorded in a presentation (found below - if you are unable to view the presentation below, please click here) and was used as a reference during the meeting.  Also included in the presentation is a link to our meeting agenda.
 

As this was our first professional development meeting since starting our new approach this year, we couldn't be happier with how well it was received.  The teachers were very open and receptive to our new approach and their feedback (provided via the post-PD form) was encouraging.  They liked the teacher-driven approach and everyone was able to take something away from our meeting.  We had some good conversation and laughs as we went through our meeting activator.    The one thing that I felt as a facilitator that went really well was our Kagan activity (Pairs Compare).  The teachers were able to interact with one another, hear directly from their team members what each other already know about their MacBook, and share with one another.  Each teacher was able to create a list of all of the things they knew, as well as what other members on their team knew (as documented in the presentation above).  After their lists were compiled, as a group we went through and addressed the rest of their questions that were not already discussed through our activity.  I was happy to see the team interact with one another, teach each other, and openly ask questions so that they can more effectively utilize their devices.  I am excited to work with the fifth grade more and see how they translate their knowledge and use of their devices into instruction and student learning.

To view a spreadsheet with cumulative data about the professional development that our fifth grade teachers have participated in, please click here (includes school improvement correlation).

Identifying Phishing and Scam E-Mails

We've received a few e-mails from staff around the district asking about e-mails they have received and whether or not they were real.  So I decided to write a blog post on a few ways to identify a fake e-mail.

 The following is an actual e-mail received by a staff member:
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From: Miranda Killian 1
Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2013 2:16 PM
To: Miranda Killian 
Subject: IP Security Alert!! 2

This Message is From the Admin Help Desk 3. Due to our latest IP Security upgrades we have reason to believe that your E-mail account was accessed by a third party. 4

Protecting the security of your E-mail account is our primary concern; we have limited access to sensitive E-mail account features.

To resolve this issue you have to Re-validate your e-mail account. Failure to Re-validate your E-mail account as soon as you see this message will cause the deactivation of your E-mail account be warned. 5

Help Desk requires you to validated your email account by clicking HERE 6

Thank you for your cooperation.

Admin Help Desk 2013 © 3

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When I see an e-mail like this I break it down in my head, similar to diagramming a sentence.  Here is my thought process:

1.  Identity

The first thing I look at is who sent it.  Do I know this person/company?  Was I expecting this e-mail?  If you know for certain they're not part of your organization or a company you can't identify, then this is a red flag.  At a large organization it's hard to know every person that works there, so this can be difficult.  Try using a staff directory to be certain.  Don't reply to the e-mail and ask that person, of course they will say yes!  Ask someone you know for sure works for your organization.

2. Bait/Hook

The subject will often try to catch your attention by throwing out buzz words.  While this is also the case for legitimate e-mails, please use caution.  In this case these words are not used correctly and make no sense to a person who is tech savvy.  If they make no sense to a tech savvy person, they will definitely not make sense to a less tech savvy person.  Don't let tech words make you complacent.

3. Validation/Credibility

They will try to provide credibility by throwing out terms/titles that seem important.  This puts you at ease and makes you want to trust what you read after this.  Often it will be vague and not make sense.  Notice this does not mention any organizations?  Don't be afraid to do research on a search engine.  Others may have already seen the exact hoax e-mail you received.  They will often reword the body of the e-mail, but if you search for the subject or something like "Admin Help Desk 2013", you'll see results flagging this as a phishing scam.  This is where #4 comes in to make you ignore your reasoning ability.

4. Reason

They give you a reason (in this case scare tactic) why you should trust what they're telling you.  They may also entice you to trust them by promising money, items, or some other incentive.  If it's too good to be true, it is.  Greed and fear motivate people to do things they would not normally decide to do.

5. What do they want?

This is the most important part of these e-mails to pay attention to!  This is where they tell you what they want or what you need to do.  In this case they want you to "re-validate your e-mail".  Now if you followed the e-mail up until now, they're hoping you put little thought into this part and do not ask questions.  What are they REALLY getting from me? My e-mail and password.  This is the reason for the whole e-mail and should be your main concern.

6. Their Solution

They want you to visit a link and provide information.  Do not do it!  Links can easily be faked to look legitimate (hover your mouse pointer over the link and it'll show the actual website in the bottom bar of your browser). If someone informs you of a problem you didn't know you had, but has a solution handy, be suspicious (infomercials/telemarketers anyone?)!  If you were not expecting an e-mail, most legitimate organizations will give you instructions on how to change your password or validate your account by visiting the website (without using a link).  If you initiated a password reset or were expecting an e-mail confirmation from an organizations, then you know you the purpose of the e-mail.

Hopefully this thought process helps you in deciphering what's real and what's fake.