Minutes

This page contains the minutes of meetings held by the OMS Technology Vertical Team:

= 2014-15 Meeting Minutes =

April 29, 2015
D DeJong, J Bell, M Dickenson, B McLellan, B Knoot

Deb shared the Tech Plan (ITP) evaluation form that will be shared out with staff next week (once approved by Dr. Cooksley). May 6 is designated as a Tech Sharing Day. Staff will be given the opportunity to share the tech things they learned this year in a large group setting. Deb will send out an email on Friday or Monday to inform staff of this opportunity.

April 8, 2015
D DeJong, J Bell, H Hoven, M Dickenson, J Bandstra, B McLellan, B Knoot, K Braundmeier

//Reactions to myHomework/Teachers.io apps:// most didn't have much of a reaction; some people are reluctant to learn "another new program" but see the benefit to this program that syncs with the student planner. //Suggested ways to handle reporting of Individual Tech Plans:// Deb will create a Google Doc with some basic reporting questions. //Anticipated PD needs for next year:// Teachers.io & myHomework, offer mini-sessions vs large group sessions, Flubaroo Other:

March 25, 2015
B McLellan, M Dickenson, B Knoot (others were here for 30 seconds before heading to coaching duties)

Discussed form to complete for app/extension/website addition approval Discussed array installations for the music/art wing

March 11, 2015
H Hoven, J Bell, B McLellan, M Dickenson, J Bandstra, D DeJong, B Luck

Discussed 1:1 perceptions among staff - attitudes seem positive Discussed Chromebook usage/monitoring Deb shared the options for student agendas (MyHomework w/Teachers.io vs Google Classroom) Betsy will be checking wifi connection issues in the gym area Deb will put a link on the 1:1 website for teachers to request items to be included in the Osky Chrome Store

January 14, 2015
B Knoot, J Bell, H Hoven, D DeJong, M Dickenson, B Luck, B McClellan

Talked about the results from the survey given in December.
 * 1) 1 - Discussion about a tech person being at the MS next year.

HS students will not get computers 2015-16 (in discussion) MS labs (except for DeJong and one other) will be going to OES next year.

December 10, 2014
K Braundmeir, B Knoot, J Bell, B McLellan, H Hoven, J Bandstra, D DeJong, M Dickenson

Deb gave a report on the purchasing of the Chromebooks Chromebooks will be distributed to staff during PLC time on January 14th 10 extra Chromebooks will be available for support staff to check out so that they are familiar with how the Chromebook works Andy is working on a plan to make PD available to support staff

November 12, 2014
K Braundmeir, B Knoot, J Bell, B McLellan, B Luck, H Hoven, J Bandstra, D DeJong

Q. How did the move to Chrome go last week? A. no real concerns. A few people were on different browsers and need to change the habit to always use Chrome. no more Firefox, Safari, etc :-)

Deb reviewed what was discussed at the Tech meeting on Tuesday night. Chromebooks will be handed out to teachers in early January. Need to let Shari B know if there is any "old technology" to be recycled. Teachers will be getting new laptops Fall of 2016.

Tech help for Chromebooks... no new hire for the MS, a possibility of Student helpers from the HS may be able to come down to help with tech.

There will support for the middle school. I will advocate for this. We will likely have to do some sharing but the support we need will be there. Andy

There are still wireless concerns especially in the East wing of the Middle School. Is there a way this summer to have all of the Chromebooks on in the MS at the same time to trouble shoot wireless problems before the 2015-16 school year? There are still needs for mounted short throw projectors in the Middle School. Vocal/ Orchestra room, Art, East Gym, Fribley,

October 22, 2014
D DeJong, B Luck, H Hoven, B McLellan, Richardson, M Dickinson, K Braundmeir, B Knoot, J Bell

Reviewing the responses from the survey for needs/wants for tech PD. Suggested sessions for Oct 29 -- Advanced Drive (Marion/ Sam Hoven??), Classroom (Sandi/ Kir??), Forms (Deb) and Calendar (Betsy/ Susan??) ... Have 4 sessions offered with them choosing 2. Make the sessions 1 hour long with more time for questions and time to work on actual projects. Sessions will be taught two times that afternoon.
 * 2:30 - 3:30 || Calendar- Hoven || Adv Drive - Room 211 || Classroom - Fribley || Forms - DeJong ||
 * 3:30 - 4:30 ||  || Adv Drive - Room 211 || Classroom - Fribley || Forms - DeJong ||
 * 3:30 - 4:30 ||  || Adv Drive - Room 211 || Classroom - Fribley || Forms - DeJong ||

September 10, 2014
Members present: D DeJong, B Luck, H Hoven, B McLellan, M Dickinson, K Braundmeir, B Knoot, J Bell

The team reviewed the recently submitted Individual Tech Learning Plans to look for common topics for the learning plans. It was evident that learning to use the Google Tools is a high priority. A synopsis of the middle school ITLPs can be viewed using the link below. Team members were asked to go back to their respective PLCs to determine if there is interest in Google training sessions prior to the first Tech PD day on October 29th. Deb has volunteered to hold several 30-60 minute mini-sessions if staff desires training before that date. She will wait to hear back from PLCs to set up any mini-sessions. If anyone has a specific request for training, please don't hesitate to ask.

[|Synopsis of Middle School ITLPs]

**April 23, 2014**
Members present: D DeJong, K Braundmeir, M Dickinson, B McLellan, B Knoot, S Fribley, C Farner

Because of the upcoming 1:1 Initiative at the middle school, it seemed logical to merge the PBL and the Tech Vertical teams. The focus of the two teams will now be to compile a list of sites/resources/tools that teachers can use in preparation for the 1:1 rollout (in the fall of 2015). The team spent most of the meeting time discussing questions and concerns they had regarding the 1:1. Deb reported information received from a tech meeting the previous night. It looks as though the district is leaning heavily toward the purchase of Chromebooks. Shari has two different Chromebooks (11" HP & 13" Toshiba) that she is trying. She also has an 11" MacBook Air, however there is a $700 cost difference between the MacBook Air and the cheaper Chromebooks. We still haven't given up on the idea of purchasing the MacBook Airs, but it is highly unlikely that will happen as $$$ tends to dictate matters such as these. IF the district chooses to go with Chromebooks, the two newer Mac labs (the one in Deb's room & the one in RM 211) will likely be reserved for the middle school.

The team is working on compiling a list of resources on a shared Google Doc. That document will be shared with the rest of the staff when more resources have been listed.

Andy visited the team meeting shorty before adjournment, and, with his approval, it was decided that the entire staff needs to meet for the purpose of addressing questions and concerns they have. This meeting will take place sometime in the near future.

Deb demonstrated a tool (symbaloo.com) that she feels would be beneficial for teachers to use when the computers are in the hands of students. She will prepare a Symbaloo webmix of resources that will then be shared with staff. She also shared a webmix of resources she has shared with her students. If you would like more information regarding Symbaloo or would like to see the webmix she shared, please contact Deb.

**April 9, 2014**
Members present: D DeJong, K Braundmeir, M Dickinson, B McLellan, B Knoot

April 16th is the next scheduled PD day. As indicated by an email from Mary Cooksley, this day is set aside for teachers to work on their Individual Tech Learning Plans. It would work best if teachers were allowed to work in their own rooms to do what it takes to complete their ITLP. Members of the Tech Vertical will be available to call upon as needed.

We discussed some recent information given to us regarding the 1:1 initiative at the middle school. It is highly possible that the MS could have devices as early as third trimester next year. The committee would like to know 1) Where are the funds coming from? 2) How has the 1:1 initiative at the HS impacted student achievement? 3) What will happen to the current computers in the labs at the MS? (Deb is concerned that some of the software she currently uses in her classes will not be compatible on the new student devices.)

Question 1: It is possible that we could have devices ready for roll out as early as 3rd trimester next year. Although, I don't think it is likely. We should know for sure soon if that is a possibility. Even if we do have them available, I would have to be convinced that it would be a good idea to roll them out that late in the year. I could be convinced - but I have concerns. Question #2: Answering this question is a difficult one. I'm not sure anyone has data to suggest that 1:1 initiatives has or has not impacted student achievement in a positive way. The thing that it does address is equity and access. Another important positive (I believe) is it's use toward increasing the level of rigor and student engagement in the classroom and our project-based learning efforts. Question #3: At this point, I don't expect to remove our current labs, they should stay. It's likely the device we choose to use for our 1:1 initiative will be Chrome Books or IPads or the like and not laptops.

**March 12, 2014**
Members present: D DeJong, B Knoot, J Bandstra

Things seem to be going pretty smoothly. No new concerns have come up since the last meeting. The April tech day is coming up - this will allow teachers time to work on their tech ILPs.

**February 26, 2014**
Members present: D DeJong, J Bell, B Knoot, K Braundmeir, M Dickinson, B McLellan, J Bandstra

Teacher webpages seem to be coming along. Most teachers have a decent handle on their webpages. It seems, however, that there might be some confusion regarding expectations of the webpages and the frequency of updates. If anyone needs additional help with their individual webpages, please let a tech vertical team member know and we will gladly assist you. We discussed progress on individual tech learning plans - not much has been said about them since the beginning of the year. Toward the end of April, we will getting in contact with staff regarding completion of the tech ILPs. April 16th has been set aside as a tech day - our plan at this point is to give people time to work on their individual tech plans.

**February 12, 2014**
Members present: D DeJong, B McLellan, B Knoot, J Bell, K Braundmeir, J Bandstra

Discussed effectiveness of our school-wide Vertical day where we updated our Websites. We thought things went well and found the session to be worthwhile. Deb informed us that next year we will not be using the same type of student accounts... How does this affect us? What can we do to prepare / if anything? Discussed problems associated with a flash drive only model. Talked about BYOD drawbacks and benefits.

**January 8, 2014**
Members present: D DeJong, B McLellan, M Dickinson, B Knoot, J Bell, K Braundmeir

Deb cautioned us about relying solely on the cheap flashdrives given to us as the only backup. It might be more logical to upload documents to Google Drive for storage. We reviewed some of the steps for using Celly to contact students via text message without using personal cell phone. ANDY - Would it be more logical for the calling tree to go to a version of Celly or Remind101 as a way for weather related notifications or reminders about meetings? This would not be used as a crisis notification - the regular calling tree would be used for that? Most people got cell notifications via KCCI (or other) several minutes (up to an hour) BEFORE the phone call.

**December 11, 2013**
Members present: D DeJong, B McLellan, M Dickinson, K Braundmeir, B Knoot, J Bandstra

Band room can no longer get Internet access in the practice rooms since the Airport router was moved into the hallway area. Deb will take that issue to Shari. Deb reported on some of the AUP revisions that will be coming soon. The new AUP for staff will address social networking issues.

**November 13, 2013**
Members present: J Bandstra, D DeJong, J Bell, B Luck, B McLellan, M Dickinson, K Braundmeir, B Knoot

Betsy shared some of the technology apps she learned at a recent PE conference.

Ubersense (video recording) - shows before/after videos side by side. This is a great way to demonstrate a correct way to do something along side another video (i.e. a student is learning a task, but not quite getting it right).

Splashtop - iPad becomes your computer. You can control your computer through Splashtop.

Interval Timer - countdown timer

Pro Metronome - self explanatory

Cel.ly - great way to communicate with students via cell phone text messages without exchanging cell phone numbers. Students do not have to have a Smart Phone to receive messages (they do not need to download the app). Initially students have to type in a pre-determined code and send it as a text message. The administrator then accepts them to the group and conversations can then take place via Cel.ly. All conversations are then saved on the administrator's account as a record of the conversation. Great way to protect oneself from dangerous "relationship" situations.

**October 23, 2013**
Members present: J Bandstra, K Braundmeir, B Knoot, D DeJong, B McClellan, M Dickinson, B Luck

Feedback from OMS tech day session... positive overall

- create a trouble shooting sheet to have for teachers to help with tech issues (print and laminate for each classroom)

- still concerns with student's pulling keys off keyboards.

ILP's of members: - Betsy is waiting for next tri for her classes to make videos. - Joe spoke about LearnPads. The main concern he shared is the wireless connection at times. Could a wireless router be moved with the LearnPad set?

Updating websites for all teachers. Both Weebly and Google site are both good starting points FREE!

Submitted by Betsy Luck

September 25, 2013
All members were present! The plan was set for next Wednesday, Oct 2. We are planning on having a 2 hour PD to teach all MS teachers more about GoogleDocs. Our hope is that by the end of the PD all teachers will have basic knowledge to use spreadsheets for Mark's discipline forms, etc. We will also look at document, spreadsheet, presenter and form tools that would be very helpful for all teachers to have an understanding of. First hour = basic Second hour = more advance GoogleDocs or go to your room to work on other technology concerns/ issues. (Deb will be coming up with a plan for the day and share it with the group before next Wednesday)

Music will be talking to Rich W about when they will be getting together about learning about Finale.

Joe shared the LearnPad. Filled us all in about how they work. Cool piece of technology!



September 11, 2013
Assign roles – Betsy – Secretary Deb- facilitator

Deb touched on the Technology links that she has created. Very cool for each subject group to use.

Members need to put their info on the “meet the team” page. We are almost there!! J

Patricia was here to share about the Virtual Learning Commons. To share resources and ideas. [] Her goal is to encourage our students to use the Media Center as this “learning area” for our students. We watched a quick video that she brought about “learning commons”. Take time to read the article that Patricia sent to us about virtual learning commons.

Deb showed us Symbaloo. Very cool!!! Could be a big benefit for our kids. Much more visual than other “learning communities” Have kids use “Sweet Search” instead of Google.

Joe filled us in on LearnPads. The Social Studies Dept received training yesterday. Sounds really cool!! Going to have them in their classes next week!

There are still printing concerns from a few people.

ILP’s GoogleDocs training is #1!!!!! And Padlet

August 28, 2013
- Reviewed what our goals are for this team. -- to help create our Tech In-service days

- Set up a Google Doc spreadsheet: (that was shared with the Vertical Tech team)
 * made a list of teachers who have turned in their ILP's froms
 * to find what similarities there are between the ILPs
 * Looked at the ILP's that are already in to see if their SMART goal "is smart" (is written in a "correct" manner)

- Determined, after putting the spreadsheet together, that GoogleDocs looks like one big area of need.