Stop Windows from Looking Online for Drivers

Have you ever plugged in a USB device, only to find that Windows insists on downloading the driver from the Web, even if your computer already has a compatible driver?

You can stop that from happening by following these instructions.

Installing Office 2016 for Home Use

If you are an employee of PISD, you have the option of downloading and installing Office 2016 (specifically the Office 365 ProPlus version) on as many as 5 personal computers.   

WARNING!!!! - This install should NEVER be used on a district computer.

• Installing (upgrading) to Office 2016 on a district-issued computer and while you are at school should be done through the Software Center. 
• Ask your campus technology liaison or call the Help Desk (x70260) if you need information about installing this at school.

Here are instructions if needed for installing Office 365 ProPlus version of Office 2016 on a personal computer:

1. Go to  https://products.office.com/en-us/student/office-in-education
   -- Enter your PISD email address
   -- Click "Get Started"
   -- Click "I'm a teacher" - You should receive a message that reads: "You have an account with us"
   -- Click "Sign in"
   -- If prompted, click "OK, Got it"
   -- If you ARE NOT automatically sent to your Office 365 online account, continue with Step 2
   -- If you ARE sent to your Office 365 online account, skip to Step 7
2. Go to login.microsoftonline.com
• You can also get to this link by going to the PISD Portal and clicking Office 365 tile
• Or go to the PISD Home Page, hover over Staff and click District Email/Office 365
3. Enter your PISD email address
4. Click Sign In
5. Enter your PISD network password
6. Click Sign In
7. Go to your email (if you aren’t already there)
8. At the top right, click the Settings Button (looks like a gear)
9. Click Office 365 near the bottom
10. Click Software

WARNING! – This should not be done while you are at school! It will not install correctly.

10. Click Install
11. Continue to answer the prompts to complete the install

Fun Winter Resources!

No matter who you are, there's always something to celebrate during winter!

Click here for a list of Winter Resources.  
There's something for everyone!

Chat with Santa!

Santa Hang-Out with TCEA

Join TCEA as they spend time chatting with Santa!

Tuesday, December 12
2:00pm
Click here for information.

Live video stream

Create Your Own Music ...Write Your Own Lyrics!

Fun Writing Activity

I’ve always thought it would be fun to provide students with opportunities to create their own instrumental music, then write their own lyrics ....and then why not get a chance to perform in front of the class!!

Here are some fun instrumental music sites:

http://www.buttonbass.com/

http://www.incredibox.com/

https://chrome.soundation.com/

http://www.jamstudio.com/Studio/indexStudio.htm

Clutter Caught My Eduphoria Email Notifications!

Are you missing out on your Eduphoria email notifications and reminders?

These emails sometimes get caught in “Clutter”, an Outlook feature that quarantines emails that it "thinks" are spam or junk.

Here are instructions on turning this off:

https://pasadenaisdorg.sharepoint.com/sites/InstructionalTechnology/handouts/_layouts/15/guestaccess.aspx?docid=0ea2c4f6174854d2b9342cf924679b0e8&authkey=AS0r2KqVN1jWTWwMtUoF3gE

Flash Issues When Using Chrome

Chrome and Flash can sometimes have a volatile relationship....

When certain online applications aren't working correctly, it can oftentimes be related to Flash. Recently, users of online application such as DreamBox and Schoology have encountered issues.

So, here are some steps you can take to help prevent the interruption of online services when Flash seems to be the issue:

Open Chrome
Click the Menu button (3 vertical dots at the top right)
Click Settings
Scroll to the bottom and click Advanced
Under Privacy and Security, click Content Settings
Click Flash
Turn off "Ask first" by clicking the blue dot on the right

On the same window, you can click Add (to add the website location that is having issues)
For example, if DreamBox is having a problem, do the following:
Click Add
Type [*.]dreambox.com
Click Add
Close the Settings Tab

What will this do?
[*.] is like saying "anything" -- dot -- dreambox.com = Play flash if needed.

ALL: Think Through Math Goals Completed! 05/31/17

Congratulations to the students and teachers from these campuses who set and met their class goal in Think Through Math!!

Campus	Class/Teacher	Goal Completed
Frazier Elem	Perez, Taylor	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Laura Welch Bush Elem	Vega	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Laura Welch Bush Elem	Duron	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Laura Welch Bush Elem	Payne	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Laura Welch Bush Elem	Vega	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Laura Welch Bush Elem	Duron	Papa John's Party - $50
Laura Welch Bush Elem	Payne	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Laura Welch Bush Elem	Stark	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Laura Welch Bush Elem	Blevins	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Laura Welch Bush Elem	Duron	Papa John's Party - $50
Laura Welch Bush Elem	Stark, Velez	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Aguirre	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Aguirre	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Martinez	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Martinez	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Mellen	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Mellen	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Mellen	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Mellen	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Mellen	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Aguirre	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Mellen	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Aguirre	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Mellen	Pizza Hut Party - $50
Miller Intermediate	Mellen	Pizza Hut Party - $50
South Houston Elem	Barrera	Domino's Pizza Party - $50

ALL: Free Stuff To Do This Summer! 05/31/17

Enjoy budget-friendly sights for little or no cost!

Houston for Free

Houston on the Cheap - 95 Things to Do in Houston
(Summer 2017)

5 FREE Things To Do In Galveston, Texas

Free Admission to SeaWorld in San Antonio

For the rest of 2017 (not good for Aquatica)

Go to SeaWorld of San Antonio

Log In or create an account in Id.me

Fill out form (You can upload a screenshot of your SBEC teacher certificate as proof)

NOTE: 

You can get your teacher certificate verification at SBEC Online  

EL/MS/INT: Istation This Summer! 05/31/17

Students have access to Istation this summer and can log into it from home, from the public library, or any mobile device (except Kindle Fire). They can click on the Books/Libros tile in the Istation App to open up hundreds of books in English and Spanish (depending on the grade level).

So, encourage your students and their parents/guardians to read all summer with the books available in the Istation Application.

What do teachers need to do?

Turn off the password protection for the Books/Libros in Istation: Instructions for Campus Managers

Istation - Home Use (English)
Istation - Home Use (Spanish)

Download Istation

Enable the Parent Portal and access the parent letter using your Istation Account: Instructions

Contact any of these people for more information.

• Your campus ELAR Peer Facilitator
• ELAR Instructional Specialists
• Emily Bourgeois 

ALL: Web 2.0 Tools 05/31/17

Looking for some new Web tools to use with your students or to create more engaging presentations?
Need something to do over the summer vacation?

Try looking into some of these Web 2.0 tools.  You might find one that you want to use next year!
Disclaimer: I don't know much about these and some require the user to be a certain age and/or get parent permission to use.  Read the Terms of Use!

OurBoox
Ourboox.com - Simple platform for creating online eBooks.

Sample ebooks -
Eco Friendly Actions E-Book
The Restaurant
Mi Vida del Futuro

Terms of Service - You must be 18 years of age or older or have the permission of your parent or guardian to use the Site or the Services. In the event such use is made by minors in connection with school assignments, you can also have the permission of your school teacher and use the Site or the Services under his/her supervision.

Tolks
Tolks.io - Free siet to easily and visually put talks, conversations, stories and scenes online.

Requires logging in using Facebook or Twitter account.

Sample - Cyberbullying by Expert Eyes


Explania
explania.com - Watch hundreds of animated explanations, interactive tutorials and instructional videos, and feel free to embed them on your own web pages.

Sample animations - 
The Human Heart
Renewable Energy


Seesaw and Seesaw Plus (new)
web.seesaw.me - Elementary teacher looking for a way to engage your students using a variety of electronic devices (iPads, Kindle Fire, Chromebook, Android, Laptops, etc.)? If you haven't tried Seesaw yet.....don't miss out on an opportunity to learn about it this summer!  

See All The Features - Digital Portfolios for any Classroom

Seesaw Plus! - Now there's Seesaw Plus, with greater assessment capabilities for a relatively small price per year.

MS: Istation Spanish Updates 05/31/17

New updates to Istation Spanish for 4th and 5th grade!

Istation has added new content to its “World of Genres” within Lectura Avanzada (4th and 5th grade) with several new lessons and games available for students and teachers!

What’s new in Lectura Avanzada (4th and 5th grade)?

In March we introduced the “World of Genres” within Lectura Avanzada to teachers and students. As students explore the Past Land (Pasado), they will be exposed to four different genres now: Plays, Biographies and Autobiographies, Myths and Legends (new with May release), and Informative Articles (new with May release).

A typical lesson structure for students goes through these stages:

1. Intro to Lesson with visuals
2. Teach with audio and visuals
3. Guided Practice with short reads
4. Independent Practice and Quiz
5. Reteach with a new selection and game

Read about each stage in the lesson structure in more depth here.

Print out a colorful page of the May Spanish release here:

English version

Spanish version

EL/MS: Codeo Competition May 8-12! 04/21/17

It’s the first annual Texas Codeo! Learning.com invites you to register your school to participate in the Texas Codeo, a fun and informative coding competition, which will be held May 8th-12th, 2017.  All schools that register will be entered into a drawing for six amazing prizes including the grand prize of a school subscription to EasyCode Foundations for the 2017-18 school year. Ready to get your students coding today? No problem! As a Learning.com customer, you already have access to EasyCode Basic with your current EasyTech subscription! If you’re going to start coding right away, it’s important that you register so you can get credit for stars earned before the official contest period.  All you have to do is register to be entered into the competition and you can start now.

ALL: Earth Day 2017! 04/21/17

Earth Day is right around the corner!
April 22, 2017

• Climate Education Toolkit
• Create Your Own Act of Green
• Houston Earth Day Calendar of Events
• Best Ways to Celebrate Earth Day in Houston
• Party for the Planet at the Houston Zoo

ALL: Money Smart Week (April 22-29) - 04/21/17

Money Smart Week is April 22-29. 

Check out these Money Smart resources:

Money Minutes - quick and easy video introductions to financial topics.

Financial Literacy Games

Teacher Resources

Teach Children to Save

ALL: Geocaching TPWD! 04/20/17

Geocaching is a modern-day treasure hunt using a smartphone app.

The weather is beautiful these days and summer is right around the corner! Teach your students about Geocaching and learn about Texas Parks and Wildlife at the same time!

Texas Parks and Wildlife

Take A Day Trip!  
Here are some local events coming up in April and May:

• Geocaching 101 - Martin Dies Jr. State Park
• Lake Livingston State Park
• Brazos Bend State Park
• Geocaching 101 - Galveston Island State Park

Check out these events and others all summer! - Geocaching Events

EL/MS: Seesaw and Google Apps! 04/21/17

Seesaw users might want to check out this announcement from the Seesaw Team. Not a Seesaw user? Might be worth checking out! ----------------------------------------- Seesaw + Google Apps = ❤️

We're excited to announce a powerful new integration that makes using Seesaw and Google together in your classroom seamless. You can now add work created using Google apps, like Docs, Slides, Sheets or Drawing, directly into Seesaw portfolios!  View the iOS tutorial View the web tutorial View the Android tutorial Learn about Google & Seesaw! Say goodbye to messy link sharing and problems with students or families not being able to view files. Seesaw will automatically convert files into PDFs for easy sharing beyond the classroom! Update your apps to get access to these new features today. Have fun!

EL/MS: Financial Literacy Lessons 04/21/17

April is Financial Literacy Month!

The following excerpts and links are from http://financialliteracymonth.com/

Make Your Money Count - Income Worksheet Form

To develop an accurate picture of the amount of money you will have in the future, take a look back.  Decide if your income will be from the same or from different sources and the amount of income you can expect to earn in the future. Use the Income Worksheet Form to help you determine the amount of income you can realistically count on. http://financialliteracymonth.com/30Steps/Step7.aspx

Assess your financial situation

Start your journey with a self assessment designed to motivate you. Completing this simple quiz can help you assess your current financial situation.
http://financialliteracymonth.com/30Steps/Step2.aspx 

Set your priorities

Creating a list of needs and wants can help you establish your financial priorities. Provided below are some items that might be useful in getting you started. There are also some blank items to record your family’s needs and wants. Check whether the item is a “need” or “want.”  Then, rank the item’s priority based on importance. When you are finished, put this worksheet in a safe place, it will be very helpful when setting financial goals!

http://financialliteracymonth.com/30Steps/Step10.aspx

Set short-, mid-, and long-term goals

Personal financial goals will differ in the length of time needed to achieve them. Short-term goals are priorities that can be accomplished within two years. Be sure every goal has a specific purpose, a dollar amount that it will cost, and a realistic target date.

Mid-term goals are priorities that can be accomplished within two to five years. Make sure your goals are realistic and flexible. If you set your goals too high, frustration will keep you from reaching them. Long-term financial goals are priorities that may take more than five years to accomplish. Most long-term goals require regular savings.

http://financialliteracymonth.com/30Steps/Step12.aspx

Here are some lessons from Learning.com if you are looking for ideas:

Kindergarten  - Needs and Wants

Grade 1 - Spend, Save, Share

Grade 2 – Rainy Day Savings

Grade 3 – Stand by your Plan    

Grade 4 – Be Money Smart

Grade 5 – Decisions, Decisions!              

Grade 6 – Take some Credit

Grade 7 – Philanthropy 101

Grade 8 – Building a Balanced Budget

ALL: Free Images to Use 04/5/17

Need some free images to use in lessons and handouts? Here are some websites that offer this.  Be sure to read the Terms Of Service to make sure you aren't breaking their copyright guidelines!!!

On some of these sites, part of the images are free....and others are for a cost.  
Use these sites responsibly!


Flat Icon  
http://www.flaticon.com/
Terms of Use - http://www.flaticon.com/terms-of-use 

Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/
Terms of Use - https://pixabay.com/en/service/terms/ 

edupics
https://www.edupics.com/
Terms of Use - https://www.edupics.com/copyright.php 

Phillip Martin Clip Art
http://phillipmartin.info/clipart/homepage.htm
Terms of Use - http://www.phillipmartin.info/clipart/terms.htm

ALL: Powtoon EDU 04/05/17

Powtoon now has an educational version which can be used by students under the age of 18.

And what is Powtoon?

The terms of use state the following:
NOTE: Users under the age of 18 may only use the "for Education" version of PowToon. PowToon 4 EDU account types are listed on the PowToon EDU Pricing Page (https://www.powtoon.com/pricing/edu/ ).

ALL: Pixar in a Box 04/05/17

Pixar in a Box is a behind-the-scenes look at how Pixar artists do their jobs. You will be able to animate bouncing balls, build a swarm of robots, and make virtual fireworks explode.

The subjects you learn in school — math, science, computer science, and humanities — are used every day to create amazing movies at Pixar. This collaboration between Pixar Animation Studios and Khan Academy is sponsored by Disney.

https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar

EL/MS: Istation Español Updates 04/05/17

From Istation Blog:

http://blog.istation.com/new-updates-to-istation-spanish-4-and-5-instruction

Updated on March 27, 2017

Istation Español is growing it’s curriculum! Lectura Avanzada is introducing the students to the essential features of fiction and nonfiction genres. As students explore the Past Land (Pasado), they will be exposed to four different genres: 

1) Plays 

2) Biographies and Autobiographies 

3) Myths and Legends, and  

4) Informative Articles. 

The Student Experience

Within the first two minutes of entering the World of Genres, students will begin designing their unique avatar. Students will visit the lands of the past, present and future to read various genres of text. Selections will include plays, poems, and expository readings. At the end of a lesson, students can track their own progress. Students will receive coins in exchange for rewards based on their performance.

Typical Lesson Structure

1.) Intro to Lesson with visuals: The lesson’s intro begins with an instructional look with fun and engaging compare-and-contrast illustrations. Note- and test-taking skills are modeled, and tips and notes are embedded within each mini-lesson.

2.) Teach with audio and visuals: Visual and auditory corrective feedback is incorporated throughout the Teach portion of the lesson. The instruction is differentiated across grade levels. Teaching tools include graphic organizers, T-Charts, Venn diagrams, and compare-and-contrast illustrations.

3.) Guided Practice with short reads: Both fiction (play) and nonfiction (biography) reading selections appear in each lesson along with a graphic organizer. Students are tasked with comparing the themes of the two genres.

4.) Independent Practice and Quiz: Questions follow a standardized test format. Three sub-quizzes contain six questions that assess vocabulary and  omprehension skills and two questions in which the student must compare and contrast the readings (for a total of eight questions per quiz). Other features include a question progress bar and a speaker button to hear the question read aloud. Audiovisual feedback is provided after each answer.

5.) Reteach with a new selection and game: If a high performance score isn’t achieved, then students see a reteach section that provides reinforcement. First, they see a review of the genre’s characteristics. Then they practice applying their knowledge of vocabulary and genres. Finally, they read a new nonfiction selection and answer some questions following the same scheme as in the independent practice.

Get the handout for "Istation Presents the 'World of Genres' for Lectura Avanzada" here:

English 

Spanish

ALL: TumbleBookCloud! 04/05/17

Over Spring Break, PISD TumbleBook access was updated to include TumbleBookCloud in addition to the “regular” TumbleBook Library that we have had in the past.

Contact your campus librarian if you want more info regarding links and usernames/passwords.

TumbleBook Library - The same content as before. Target audience is Elementary.

TumbleBook Cloud - NEW content. Target audience is Middle-High School.

About TBC:
TBC is a collection of videos and chapter books in categories which include: Ebooks (Shakespeare, poetry, non-fiction, science, history, geography, etc.), Read-Alongs, Graphic Novels, Videos (from National Geographic!), and Audio Books. Our books feature adjustable text sizes, full narration, and a read-along function which highlights text as it is read. As a subscriber, you have access to lesson plans, quizzes and our Common Core Portal! These features make TBC a great tool for reluctant readers and ESL students. Plus, all these options can be switched to manual so readers can read at their own pace.

TumbleMobile:

You can also access TBC via any reading/mobile device that has an internet connection (for example: colour nook, kindle fire, Ipads & Ipod touch).

MyFavorites:

Add your favorite title(s) to the My Favorites section for easy access any time. This feature is cookied onto individual computers.

MyCloud:

This feature allows teachers/librarians/students & patrons to create secondary accounts and create customized playlists that can be access from any computer!

Common Core Portal:

Allows educators to click on a specific standard and see which of our TumbleBooks falls in that specific category. Lesson plans and quizzes can also be found here.

TumbleSearch:  

Our online search allows you to search by title, author, publisher, language, keyword and reading level.

Automatic/Manual Button: 

TumbleBooks are designed to be experienced in either automatic or manual mode. In automatic mode, the pages turn by themselves and are narrated; in manual mode, the readers turn the pages at their

own speed.

The Pause Button: 

Both the student and teacher can use the pause button to stop the story at any time in order to practice story prediction, interpret pictures, discuss new vocabulary words, empathize with a character, discuss possible consequences of actions, encourage problem solving, or provide historical, geographical, or other perspectives.

Reading Levels:

Each title has recommended reading levels: Grade, Lexile and Accelerated Reader information. Click on the reading level to see other books at the same level.

TumbleQuizzes: 

Each title has an accompanying TumbleQuiz: a fun, flash-animated, multiple-choice quiz that each student can take online after reading a book to test their reading comprehension. Quizzes are also available with audio. 

ALL: Spring Break on the Cheap! 03/06/17

Spring Break is almost here!
Low on cash? 
Need some free or cheap entertainment for the family!?

Check out these options:

Houston For Free:
https://www.visithoustontexas.com/things-to-do/attractions/free-things-to-do/


Free and Cheap Spring Break Activities and Events in Houston:
http://www.click2houston.com/news/free-cheap-spring-break-activities-and-events-in-the-houston-area


Houston on the Cheap 
small spend.  big fun!
http://www.houstononthecheap.com/


Houston Museum District 
Enjoy seven museums for free each Thursday in Houston’s Museum District. 

• Houston Museum of Natural Science: 2 pm – 5 pm 
• Children’s Museum of Houston: 5 pm – 8 pm 
• The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: 10 am – 9 pm 
• The Health Museum: 2 pm – 7 pm 
• Holocaust Museum Houston: 2 pm – 5 pm 
• Houston Museum of African American Culture: 6 pm – 8 pm
• Buffalo Soldiers National Museum: 1 pm – 5 pm

Emily's Houston Museum Tip: 

Show up early when it opens and the crowds aren't there yet! And parking is a breeze!

Wait two hours after opening.....and you'll be fighting some mighty big crowds!

And check out Groupon for some pretty good deals!

ALL: Class Tools 03/06/17

Haven't been to ClassTools.net in a while? 

Need something to do over Spring Break?

There are lots of new online interactive tools you might want to check out!

http://www.classtools.net/

ALL: Pindex (aka Pinterest for Educators) 03/06/17

The so-called "Pinterest for Educators"

Disclaimer: I'm not really a Pinterest fan, but this seemed interesting.....

Pindex was launched by Stephen Fry early last year.

It is a a self-funded online platform that creates and curates educational videos and infographics for teachers and students.

User's Guide:
http://www.pindex.com/b/curiosity/a-guide-to-pindex-


Larry Ferlazzo wrote the following about Pindex:
It really is a “knock-off” of Pinterest, so one might wonder why the world needs it. I think it might be useful to educators for two reasons — one, with luck, since it’s focused on education, school content filters might not block it as so many do Pinterest; and, secondly, because it has a nifty quiz-making feature that lets track if students have completed them. In other words, teachers can create a board which students study, followed by a quiz. After students complete a quiz (after they have registered for Pindex), their username appears under the quiz for its creator to see.

ALL: Create Online Interactive Worksheets! 03/06/17

A new way to create worksheets!
Easily create online interactive worksheets.  

Wizer
http://app.wizer.me/


Check out these examples:

• Interactions of Living Things:
  http://app.wizer.me/preview/YHJ26H
• Penalty Shoot-Out:
  http://app.wizer.me/preview/LMO3YH
• Cell Theory:  
  http://app.wizer.me/preview/F5LX2P
• Technology Study Guide:
  http://app.wizer.me/preview/JRR6HS

Full Wizer Gallery:
http://app.wizer.me/gallery

ALL: Adobe Spark 03/06/17

Create impactful graphics, web stories and animated videos with Spark’s free graphic design app.

https://spark.adobe.com/

Watch how Adobe Spark users bring stories to life....
and how easy it is!
Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWEVOghjkaw


How to create using Adobe Spark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD81ew_UvGU