ClickNotes
The Technology Services Department is excited to introduce ClickNotes! This site will serve as another avenue for sharing the amazing uses of technology around our district and communicating any district technology updates.
ClickNotes will provide monthly highlights of classroom technology integration, useful resources, support links and tools to support and enhance learning.
Technology Integration Around BPS
Want to share how you are integrating technology? Send a photo or video clip (10-60 sec.) with a description to allewellyn@birmingham.k12.mi.us
Mrs. Rowe's 4th Graders (Harlan) created and described a series circuit. Students took a picture of their work, labeled the parts and then annotated and narrated the process in Seesaw. Parents could see their work immediately. Great tool to make student thinking visible!
Seaholm students went to Quarton Elementary for its annual QUARTON STEAM NIGHT to share student-made projects and get our younger kids interested in Computer Science! Seaholm students created programs and games in their Programming A class and shared them with the younger students. What a great way to model a love for Computer Science!
Mrs. Paesani-Smith's 1st graders (Pembroke) started coding with Code.org and reflected on their learning in Flipgrid so families at home could share in their learning. Key terminology and important learning habits, like persistence, were incorporated throughout the lesson.
Milo Lego Coding.mp4Mrs. Smith's 1st graders (Harlan) explored the question "How do humans explore a place their body cannot go?" With Lego WeDo education kits, students created and coded their own space rovers. So fun!
Candace Greer-Jefferson, Berkshire Media Specialist, collaborated with Engineering Tech for a week of coding. The Makerspace located in the Media Center is open for lunch recess giving students the opportunity to discover, explore, create and collaborate.
Mrs. Heckman's 3rd and 4th grade Engage sudents (BCS) are using Minecraft Education to work collaboratively to research an animal’s habitat & build optimal zoo enclosures. Using "classroom mode" tracks where everyone is on the map and can control student activity. Students document their work with a camera and portfolio.
News From Tech Services
Self Service Password Manager -New Tool from Technology Services!
Technology Services is always looking for ways to help our users get their issues resolved as quick as possible. One of the most common requests we get is to help staff members reset their passwords because they have been forgotten or expired. This is especially common when users go away from the district for an extended period of time, like the upcoming Midwinter Recess. To help with this we have implemented a tool that will allow you to reset, unlock, or change your password on your own!
Like many other tools it can rely upon you setting up and answering verification questions or even utilize your cellphone to receive a secure PIN to use during the reset process. This will empower our users to take this task into their own hands and complete this process whenever it is needed or convenient!
We currently have 323 of our users successfully using this service!
The tool can be found by visiting this website from anywhere in the country, including your mobile phone.
https://password.birmingham.k12.mi.us
You will need to enroll yourself in the service before you have a need to use it. We recommend doing this as soon as possible. Directions to complete the enrollment process can be found here.
You may receive an email from the Helpdesk reminding you to enroll after 60 days if you have not completed the process. You will also now begin to receive emails from the Helpdesk 2 weeks before your password is set to expire reminding you to change it.
If you have any questions or concerns please let us know by contacting the Helpdesk or your building TOA directly.
Be Alert!
- Many of our district users are still receiving phishing attempt emails requesting network credentials, health information and in certain instances gift cards or money. Please be diligent in your inspection of the emails you receive and keep in mind that any emails that begins with our new message (see below) only displays from external senders.
- As our technology services team members move throughout the district we often notice users computers not locked when left unattended. Always keep in mind that this leaves you and the district vulnerable to individuals gaining access to areas of the network that you have unique permissions for or even our student information system PowerSchool. The fastest way to lock your Windows desktop or laptop is to hold the windows key and press the letter L or Ctrl-Alt-Delete and select Lock.
District Wide Outage -Friday 2/22/19
Technology Services is finalizing work on the District’s main data center next Friday. This work will start this Friday (2/22/19) at 7am. As of that time, all District computer services will be down. Here are some specific examples of what will be affected during this outage:
- Internet access
- District phones (bring/use a personal cell phone if you are in the District)
- Login to any District computer
- Networked building HVAC controls
- Guest wireless access
- Security cameras
- VPN and remote access
- Mapped drives
- Printing
At this time, we are expecting that all of these services will be restored by sometime on Friday afternoon/early evening. This is a major project in the District’s main data center. We are doing everything we can ahead of this outage to ensure that things go as smoothly as possible.
During this outage, you will have access to Office365/Google applications and mail using a personal device (with Internet access outside of the District’s network). E-mail delivery to/from District and Internet mail addresses will continue to work during the outage. Websites hosted outside the District (the District website, PowerSchool, etc.) will be accessible from a personal device.
Please contact the Technology Services Helpdesk (x33123) if you have questions.
Kialo: a discussion platform for 7-12 grade students around political and social topics. Students participate in discussions and debates while offering evidence to support their positions. Join active discussions or start your own. Discussions and debates are organized by supporting and opposing views. Students can read other comments, submit comments and/or vote for the statements they agree with.
Loom: a free screencasting, video recording software. Videos can be shared via a link or embedded. There is no limit on time or number of recordings. The .mp4 formatted videos can be stored on LOOM, with unlimited storage space. Great for tutorials, making student thinking visible, collaborating, feedback, etc.. It is offered as a Chrome Extension, always available from your toolbar.
What's going on in this picture?Images stripped of their captions from the New York Times. Students use "visual thinking" prompts to discuss the image and an optional, moderated discussion for viewers around the world is offered each week. Students 13+ or teachers of younger students can submit comments and ideas. Great discussion starters, writing prompts and visual thinking practice.
PD in 3! is another way to share resources, tools and integration ideas from staff across the district. A maximum of 5 presenters (Building Technology Resource Coaches) will each showcase a resource or tool they have integrated into their instruction. Each presenter will have only 3 minutes to demonstrate.
Tune in and watch LIVE at the above link and watch recorded sessions posted to the BPS website.
How do you like PD in 3! as another avenue to share technology integration across the district?
Feedback is welcome: allewellyn@birmingham.k12.mi.us
February 28, 2019 7:00 PM (3 minutes/demo.)
1.) Snowflake Lessons Online: Seats (Susan Arslanian)
2.) Create a class in EdPuzzle (Adrienne Fazzolara)
3.) Using Google Keep for research (Leslie Delgado)
4.) Using Lightbot on Clevertouch Board K-2 (Carrie Betts)
5.) Breakout EDU - Designing Teacher Guides (Sharla Lawshea)
March 7, 2019 7:00 PM (3 minutes/demo.)
1.) Snowflake Lessons: finding lessons and placing in Favorites (concentration on cyber-online safety for elementary) (Annette LaBelle)
2.) Clevertouch Multiteach Lessons for the High School classroom (Sharla Lawshea)
3.) Nearpod : interactive lessons K-12 and it's free! (Sherri Levitt)
4.) Google Expeditions: virtual reality teaching tool (Tim Stanley)
March 28, 2019 7:00 PM (3 minutes/demo.)
1.) Epic! Reading for Elementary Research and Self-Selected Reading (Elisabeth Stayer)
2.) YouTube: A teacher's best friend (Billy Jackson)
3.) Useful Google Extensions (Sherri Levitt)
4.) Follett Destiny Collections (Mignon Claybourne)
5.) Create reusable grading rubrics in Microsoft Teams (Pauline Roberts)
Digital Citizenship In Action!
Candace Greer-Jefferson, Media Specialist at Berkshire Middle school shared her approach to Digital Citizenship.
"I start off the school year with a brief introduction to Digital Citizenship and some of the areas and activities we will be looking at throughout the school year. I maintain a Google classroom for each grade level that includes a section on Digital citizenship which is referenced throughout the school year (see below). The students are guided through discussions and activities on Basic Digital Use, Being a Good Digital Citizen, Digital Footprints, and Social Media using platforms such as, Breakout EDU, Nearpod, and Common Sense Media during the lessons. I collaborate with the Engage teacher and ELA teachers to schedule lesson times. We also have scheduled grade level assemblies on Cybersafety each year."
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
