To Learn Twice

This question came up today in the Google Apps Certified Trainer Group.  It is actually pretty easy to do.  To make the change you add &hl=XX where XX is the   language code   to the embed code . So - this calendar With this embed code:  <iframe src=" http://www.google.com/ calendar/embed?src= jkloc408t9h5rdv686c8d567hs% 40group.calendar.google.com& ctz=America/Chicago " style="border: 0" width="400" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Requires  a simple change to display in Spanish (&hl=es)   <iframe src=" http://www.google.com/ calendar/embed?src= jkloc408t9h5rdv686c8d567hs% 40group.calendar.google.com& ctz=America/Chicago &hl=es " style="border: 0" width="400" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Pretty simple! Some of our ESL teachers are displaying their h

As we gather more data using Google Forms and Spreadsheets there are a lot of questions out there about how we can reformat and share this data in a more consumable understandable way. In the last couple of months the Maine 207 technology team of Mark Ordonez and Janice Cacciatore and Hank Thiele have tackled this issue on several projects and as a result have created a reproducible Google Script that takes the information off a spreadsheet and ultimately creates a unique document that can be shared with anyone. Our initial purpose of attempting this was not that exciting of a project, however it proved a concept that we believe will make gathering and sharing data in Google Docs a more powerful, dynamic, and interactive process. What we initially set out to do was take a spreadsheet with information about school payments and create letters that would be mailed out to individual families. This has developed into this repeatable process: To make this easier to replicate we

Here is a tech tip I just sent out to my staff: I wanted to share a neat feature that Gmail Labs offers us for communicating with our students, parents, and community. You have the ability to turn on "Message Translation" which will use  Google Translate  to convert a message from another language to English (or to another language of your choice). Here are the simple steps to turn this on in  Gmail (link) . Of course, it isn't as good as having a live native speaker translate for you, but it will allow you to receive messages in 58 different languages (and growing) and it translated. I showed this to a group of parents last night and they were empowered with the idea that they could reach out, in a language where they are comfortable writing, to someone at school. Even understanding that it might not be perfect, but getting a general idea across was possible, brought tears to one mother's eyes. Please take a moment to set it up and ask a student or co-worker to h

Each year when staff return to school I send out a review (through email) and sign-off form (using Google forms) related to our  district acceptable use policy (AUP) . This is something I do to help my staff clearly understand what responsible use of technology is, and it helps protect the district when someone acts inappropriately. Just in case you are doing something similar,  follow this link  to read the email and gain access to our FAQ's regarding our AUP.  After I sent this out last week, no more than five people followed up with questions. Most of them had to do with copyright and accessing personal email. In the past week two-thirds of the staff have followed up and have signed off on the agreement. I will continue to follow up with every last staff member until their questions are answered and everyone is comfortable signing off on the form. Having an AUP only protects the organization if people understand how to follow it. Image Credit: " Back to School

I am excited to help to announce an upcoming first time ever event. The Midwest Google Apps Summit on November 3rd and 4th at the Glacier Canyon Lodge in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The summit will feature several Google Certified Trainers from across Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, will feature members of the Google Apps for Education Team, and will also have representatives from vendors listed in the Google Marketplace.  The two days will offer presentations around a  variety of Google Apps topics and tools. Sessions will include from hands-on, best-practice, classroom examples, success stories, and much more. The conference costs $250 and includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, refreshments, and LEARNING! Rooms are available for $70 per night.  Details and registration for the conference can be found at  tinyurl.com/MWGS11  and a flyer is here:  http://goo.gl/NQqrE We hope to see you there!

Notice of Board Workshop.9-15-11.pdf - Powered by Google Docs test 2 post 3 Estimado padre, - Powered by Google Docs test Posted from Diigo . The rest of my favorite links are here .

Although many of our teachers have been back for a few days, today kicked off the opening events in our district. By all accounts it was a great morning, and the room was electric with the energy of a new school year. In each of the past 4 years there has been an announcement about the changes we have made, or the cool new tools available. I actually covered this in a big email to the staff the other day. What is striking about today is that it was different because it wasn’t about stuff and nobody talked directly about technology. What happened this morning was remarkable. We had several speakers and the morning culminated with a panel of teachers discussing the work they have done as a PLC. Throughout these discussions there were all kinds of indications to the advances in technology in our district. Statements like: “check our blog for information on this topic” (from the Union President), and “everything you need is available form the website” (from the Educational Foundation)

School District 207 in Park Ridge, Illinois is offering a 1 week intensive program , August 1-5, to prepare individuals to apply to become Google Certified K-12 Apps Trainers . During the course of the week we will dive into each of Google Applications in the K-12 education suite, prepare you for the exams, provide tips on leading staff development around Google Apps, and provide opportunities for you to practice working with teachers that are learning to use the tools. This course will be led by Google Certified Trainer Aida Awad , Science Department Chair at Maine East High School, and will be assisted by Hank Thiele who is a Google Certified Teacher, Administrator, Trainer and is one of the founders and leaders of the Illinois K-12 Google Apps User Group. Over the course of the week we will be virtually joined by several volunteer guest speakers including: Rachel Wente-Chaney : Chief Information Officer High Desert Education Service District Oregon and a Google Certified Trai

http://www.maine207.org/assets/1/15/2011-12_Tentative_Budget.pdf These numbers will change over the next month Legal Guide for Bloggers | Electronic Frontier Foundation tags: blog credentials press don't get caught: credentialling bloggers: 13 examples The White House credentials bloggers for formal news conferences.The Supreme Court sometimes credentials bloggers--on a case-by-case basis, and with specific requirements for having covered earlier progressions in a case currently before the Court.Target, on the other hand, "does

Contact Us - Google Apps Help tags: google google apps form upgrade nonprofit YouTube - CIC 2011 - Learning Games Interview w Henry Jenkins Scott Traylor of 360KID interviews media theorist and educator Henry Jenkins  tags: youtube learning games Posted from Diigo . The rest of my favorite links are here .

Chicago Tribune Company v. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BOARD OF TRUSTEES, Dist. Court, ND Illinois 2011 - Google Scholar tags: FERPA the following public records with regard to each applicant in Posted from Diigo . The rest of my favorite links are here .

Understanding the Privacy Rights of HIPAA & FERPA in Schools | The National Law Review The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA") provides protection for personal health information held by covered entities. A covered entity under HIPAA is either: (1) a health plan, (2) a healthcare clearinghouse, or a (3) healthcare provider that transmits health information electronically in connection with certain administrative and financial transactions. Schools are obviously not a covered entity health plan or healthcare clearinghouse. However, many school districts employ nurses, physicians, psychologists, or other healthcare providers who serve students and staff. Would the employment of these healthcare providers qualify a school district as a covered entity "healthcare provider" under HIPAA? The answer to this question depends on whether the school district: (1) furnishes, bills or receives payment for heal

Inspiring Teachers: Tips for Using Journaling in Your Classroom Journaling is not an activity just for English teachers. The journal is one of the best ways to assess student learning after a lesson as well as a great way to provide one-on-one feedback for each student. It is important, however, for you to know exactly how you plan to use the journal in your classroom. What is the purpose of the journal and how does it help you meet curriculum goals?  tags: education resources journaling classroom This was an interesting read To encourage creative writing. Offer students a fun or wacky thought, sentence, or word and have them jo

10 Open Education Resources You May Not Know About (But Should) | MindShift  here’s a list of 10 cool OER and OCW resources that you might not know about, but should know: tags: education resources opencourseware OER Posted from Diigo . The rest of my favorite links are here .

Last summer we successfully launched our Maine Summer Institutes with just a few courses in cooperative learning and problem-based learning.These programs were very successful which has motivated us to expand our course offerings and repackage our summer program under the title,  "Maine 207 Summer Professional Learning Academies."  Throughout the summer, beginning with the week of June 13th, we are offering a variety of different workshops on these topics: Differentiated Instruction,  Cooperative Learning (Johnson and Johnson model), Problem-Based Learning (IMSA model), Data Driven Decision Making, Literacy and the Common Core Standards through the lens of one's discipline, Google Apps in the Collaborative Classroom, Google Certified Apps for Education Trainer Preparation Program, and Co-Teaching for Success. As was true last summer, we are making these courses available to all teachers, no matter what district they are from. Out of district teachers will be required to

8 - Hoover_Final.doc - Powered by Google Docs The First Amendment Implications of Facebook, MySpace, and Other Online Activity in Public High Schools tags: policy social media Posted from Diigo . The rest of my favorite links are here .

I am presenting tomorrow at TechForum Chicago on Social Media and Student Devices: Developing Guidelines We recently approved a new Acceptable Use Policy , which looks similar to the one from a few years ago. I believe this is a strong legal document, which we follow up with an email to students and staff that gives short highlights of what they should consider when following the AUP. You can read an example from the past and another in the coming weeks when I send out the updated version. We also strengthened our website policy to include guidelines and requirements when using social media. In my opinion the most important lines in all of these documents is referring to disciplining "actions that cause a disruption in the educational process". These are the types of actions, when appropriately documented are held up in court . We are in the process of getting a mobile phone policy approved, which we are piloting now , and I will post that policy after Board of Education

Update Feeds - What's New in Google Apps We know you don't want to miss any of the latest news about Google Apps, so we've consolidated key Google Apps blogs and Twitter feeds here. Make sure to check them regularly. Or, better yet, subscribe to these feeds to receive updates right to your door via email or RSS feed! To subscribe to a blog feed, just click its title just below the tab, and then choose your subscription under Subscribe Now. tags: google schools update Schools Using Google in Illinois - Google Maps tags: google schools How to Easily Remove Duplicate Tracks on iTunes [Windows] a free piece of software called Duplicate Music File Finder. T

I have been gathering a list of educational institutions in Illinois using Google Apps for Education. Here is what I have found: The map and list can all be seen in a larger format here . Please let me know in the comments if your school or district is missing. Illinois Seal Image from: http://www2.illinois.gov/about/PublishingImages/seal.gif

This is a question that comes up quite often when looking at Google Apps for Education: How do I block students from adding gadgets in Sites in Google Apps? The FAQ and Google Code Resources that answer this question makes it seem pretty simple, and it is, once you know the step by step instructions. First of all there are 2 main options of blocking gadgets in sites or on iGoogle pages: Blacklist Gadgets One at a Time:  I would only use this option for a domain that is for staff or adults only where I have a particular person complaining about a specific gadget Blacklist everything and then Whitelist Gagets One at a Time:  I would use this option if you want to protect students from any possible inappropriate gadget Either Option Starts out by creating a simple interface in a Google Site for Whitelisting and Blacklisting. Step 1 : Sign into Google Sites with an account that is an Administrator of Google Apps for Education and create a new site.  Step 2 : Name the site