Istation Update: ISIP Español Tier Adjustments 11/21

Important Istation Update

ISIP Español Tier Adjustments:

As previously announced, Istation has added additional items to the ISIP Español comprehension subtest for the 2014-15 school year. These items target students in pre-kindergarten through 1st grade. We have been making adjustments this year to tiers and in October noticed an issue with Fonética and Vocabulario that was not present in September. We waited until November to verify this issue, but going forward we will be adding Fonética and Vocabulario to the list of adjusted tiers.

Adjustments will not change the students' scores, just the tier assignments. All Overall, Comprehension, and other scores are valid and are not affected by this action. Delay reporting tier assignments externally until after the middle of each month.

Istation is making the following adjustments:

• Remove instructional tier goals for Overall Reading, Fonética, and Vocabulario for pre-kindergarten through 1st grade for future assessment periods. (Removing the instructional tier goals for future periods will prevent tiers from being assigned at the time of assessment.)
• Publish updated instructional tier goals for Overall Reading, Fonética, and Vocabulario by the third week of each month and update related reports.

What Are YOUR Favorite Thanksgiving Dishes? 11/21

Use this interactive, online document to have students rank their favorite Thanksgiving foods.  Use the Explanation field to describe why they like this food or what the food tastes like, etc.

http://my.hrw.com/nsmedia/intgos/html/PDFs/Rank_Order_Chart.pdf

Other ideas and tips for using this tool:
Sequencing events associated with a Thanksgiving topic.
When students read texts that tell stories, explain processes, or recount a series of events, they often need support to clarify the sequence of events or to infer cause and effect relationships.  After selecting a text that would benefit from such support, provide students with this graphic organizer.  In the downward arrows on the left, students can write a brief label/key phrase for the event.  In the boxes to the right, ask students to summarize the event, provide a reaction to the event, or explore cause-effect relationships among events-whichever is most appropriate to the text they are reading.  Have students use the back of the sheet to summarize or synthesize the text as a whole.

• For students who need additional support, provide the graphic organizer with some or all of the key events already identified in the left-hand arrows.
• If students are reading different sections of a text as part of a jigsaw activity, have them complete one portion of their organizer.  When they meet with their classmates, they can use the other portions of their organizer to jot down key information from the other sections of the text.
• Students can use the organizer as a prewriting activity for a narrative text or to prewrite for a summative review of sequential elements that come from more than one text or learning experience.

Thanksgiving Dinner Sequencing Activity 11/21

Use technology to help create Thanksgiving Dinner!

Use one of these online, interactive Order and Sequencing documents to have students organize and write about "How To Create Thanksgiving Dinner".  

Each student (or group) will have a dish to cook for Thanksgiving Dinner.  

Have them use one of these online documents to enter the steps in the correct order for creating that dish.

http://my.hrw.com/nsmedia/intgos/html/PDFs/Flow_Chart.pdf

http://my.hrw.com/nsmedia/intgos/html/PDFs/Sequence_Chain.pdf

http://my.hrw.com/nsmedia/intgos/html/PDFs/Sequence_Chart.pdf

Websites of the Week! Celebrating Thanksgiving 11/21

Ode to the Turkey. I Will Survive! (just for fun)
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/11/egreetings/image/01.swf

The First Thanksgiving:
http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/

BrainPop Thanksgiving video:
http://www.brainpopjr.com/socialstudies/holidays/thanksgiving/

Cornucopia Coloring Page:
http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/thanksgiving/games/cornucopia/

Silly Turkey from Starfall:
http://www.starfall.com/n/holiday/turkey/play.htm?f

Thanksgiving Dinner Bounce (mouse skills for PK-K):
http://www.akidsheart.com/flash3/thbounce.swf

Thanksgiving JigSaw Puzzles: 
http://www.billybear4kids.com/jigsaw-puzzles/animated/online/Thanksgiving.swf
http://www.billybear4kids.com/jigsaw-puzzles/animated/online/ThanksgivingTurkey.swf

Dress Tom Turkey:
http://www.cyke.com/thanks/tom.swf

Thanksgiving Symbaloo:
http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/thanksgiving
(You will want to check these before using to make sure they are appropriate and that they are unblocked under the student login!)

Thanksgiving History, Information, and Research:   (You will want to check these before using to make sure they are appropriate and that they are unblocked under the student login!)
• 1627 English Pilgrim Village • Jamestown Online Adventure • Life on Plymouth Plantation WebQuest • Mayflower II Interactive • Pilgrim Hall Museum • Pocahontas • Talk Like a Pilgrim • Thanksgiving Celebrations: Different Cultures -5th • Thanksgiving Symbols • The Mayflower and More • You Are the Historian

Social Studies Textbook Adoption Evaluation Info 11/21

Social Studies Textbook Adoption will be evaluated this year (for use next year in PISD).  For information on the various companies presenting materials for evaluation, see the information below.

The website for the K-4 SS evaluation materials is located here:

http://pasadenaisd.libguides.com/content.php?pid=615080&sid=5204206

Companies that are part of this evaluation include:

• American Legacy Publishing
• Herff Jones / Nystrom Publishing
• Pearson 
• Teacher Created Materials 

Windows 8 Tip of the Week! - Searching 11/21

To search for anything on a Windows 8 machine, go to the Tiled (Metro) page and start typing what you are looking for. 

A search box will appear from the right-hand side and give you items that are similar to what you are searching for.

Refine your search by choosing where you want to search.

Click here for a more detailed and illustrated view of these instructions.

Windows 8 Tip of the Week - Closing Apps 11/14

Many of you are using devices that have Windows 8 installed (either at home, at several schools in the district, and/or both).  We will be adding Windows 8 Tips of the Week to the blog to help transition to this functional (yet sometimes challenging) operating system.

Thanks to Sherrie Grounds for the tips!

Computer Screen is Sideways!?! 11/14

My Screen Has Turned Sideways! 
What Do I Do?

Believe it or not, it is relatively easy to accidentally turn your computer screen sideways on a Windows 7 display.  

To change the screen position, use the combination of the following keyboard keys: CTRL + ALT + Arrow Keys (Up, Down, Left or Right).

You can also correct the screen position this way: 

Right-click the desktop and choose Rotation--->Rotate to Normal. 

To prevent this from happening over and over (either by mistake or on purpose), you may disable the functionality by doing the following:

Right-click the desktop. 

Choose Graphic Properties--->Hot Keys--->Disable.

Thanks to Ricardo Llanes (Parks Elementary) for this tip!

Promethean Board Disconnect Tip 11/14

Promethean Board Loses Connection After Power Surge!  What do I do?

There seems to be a rash of Promethean Boards losing connection with the computer, resulting in the pen not working properly.

We have found that this occurs (oftentimes) after a thunderstorm or some other situation that created a power surge in the building.

If this is the case on your campus, try simply unplugging and replugging the Promethean power supply.  The power supply looks like a black rectangle with the Promethean logo on it.  There is generally a beige cable connected to a black thin cable on the power supply.  If this is successful, you should hear 3 chimes from the Promethean Board and a "double thump" sound from the computer.  And, on the computer task tray at the bottom right, a window will display indicating the ActivManager has found the device.  

Try this unplug/replug troubleshooting tip, and it just might do the trick!

If not, you may need to work your way through these other steps to re-establish the connection:

http://etnpisd.blogspot.com/2014/10/troubleshooting-activboard-connection.html 

Unite for Literacy! 11/14

Unite for Literacy!
Narrated books in a variety of languages.

http://uniteforliteracy.com/

1. You set your location to start.
2. Then, click the book you want to read.
3. Click Narration at the top left to change languages

Avervision U15 Document Camera 11/07

There's a new document camera appearing on some campuses these days.  It is the Avervision U15 document camera.  

Here is an overview and picture of it:

http://www.averusa.com/education/document-camera/u15.asp

Software it uses:  Sphere

Overview video of Sphere:  http://youtu.be/qPHCl27xWAc

(Two (2) minutes into the video, there is a demonstration of the tools available in this software.)

Brief Tutorial on Sphere:  http://www.averusa.com/education/software/sphere.asp

If you need any assistance with it, contact Instructional Technology at x-78108.

Websites of the Week! Celebrating Math! 11/07

Stone Age - http://www.edupup.com/stoneage_html_files/stone_age.swf

Addictive math addition game!

Math Man 2 - http://www.edupup.com/mathman2_html_files/mathmanE-06-ang-mochi.swf

Help Mathman defeat the evil robots by using integer addition and subtraction. What are you waiting for? Go out and get those robots! 

Dino Math - http://www.edupup.com/dinokidsmath_html_files/Dinokidsgame05.swf

Adding numbers.  Starts easy.....but it gets harder!

Counting Money - http://www.mathnook.com/math/games/counting_moneyPR.swf
Online interactive math manipulative for counting money.  Click on the denominations in the cash drawer so that they add up to the correct answer – Basic Counting ($0.01-$0.99).

Counting Money - http://www.mathnook.com/math/games/counting_moneyintPR.swf
Online interactive math manipulative for counting money.  Click on the denominations in the cash drawer so that they add up to the correct answer – Basic Counting ($0.01-$100.00).

Counting Money - http://www.mathnook.com/math/games/counting_moneyadvPR.swf
Click on the denominations in the cash drawer so that they add up to the correct answer - Advanced Counting (make change)

Sequenz - http://www.mathnook.com/math/games/Sequenz.swf
Find the next number in the number pattern before the time runs out.

Math Shooter - http://www.mathnook.com/math/games/MathShooter.swf
Solve the equations by popping the right bubbles and work your way through all the levels.  Starts out with addition and works up from there.

Space Sum - http://www.mathnook.com/math/games/game2.swf
Brush up on your addition skills....in a hurry!

Istation Books/Libros - Turn Off Password Protection 11/07

Turning Off Password Requirement for Books/Libros

Scenario: Students are required to enter a password in order to access Books or Libros from the Istation Desktop Application.  If the teacher would like this password requirement deactivated, he/she can request that the Campus Istation Manager turn this off for the individual teacher.  

Here’s how:

1.     Go to www.istation.com

2.     Click Customer Login

3.     Make sure the correct campus is displayed

4.     Enter your username and password

5.     Click Log In

6.     Click Classroom at the top of the page 

7.     Click the drop arrow to select the correct Classroom/Teacher 

8.     Click the Blue Pencil icon at the left near the word About 

9.     In the Classroom Information section, click Without a teacher’s password 

10.  Click Update Classroom Information


Contact Emily Bourgeois (78102) or Christy Foster (70143) if you need assistance.

Hour of Code! 11/07

Dear Educator,
20,000 classrooms worldwide are now signed up to for the Hour of Code! Don’t let your students miss out. Ask your school to get involved

Kick off your Hour of Code with Sheryl Sandberg or Bill Gates

We just announced an exciting roster of Hour of Code ambassadors who will welcome classrooms to their first Hour of Code during December 8-14.

·         If you sign up your class: 100 lucky classrooms will be selected for live video Q&As with a tech titan or tech-loving celebrity.

·         If you sign up your school: You’ll also qualify to win $10,000 worth of technology. One public school in every state will win. The deadline to qualify is Nov. 14, so register now.

New tutorials are coming soon

We can’t wait to share them. Let us know if you’ll be doing the Hour of Code, we’ll email you as soon as this year’s activities are ready to try.

Anybody can participate. No experience needed, no computers either.

With 5 weeks to go, give your students a chance to learn foundational 21st-century skills and help the Hour of Code get to 100 million students!

Join in


Hadi Partovi, Code.org

Istation - Writing Rules Report 11/07

Recent popular question re: Istation:

How can I print a report of what my student (or class) is doing in the Writing Rules activities, including the text they are writing?

This information and other Istation documents re located here:

\\pisdshare01\public\Instructional Materials - Electronic\Istation\Handouts