Justin Cason's TRT Website

Just finished evaluating the last (I think) of the WordPress websites created by participants of my “WordPress for Beginners” Professional Development.  It’s intriguing to see how much more “classroom-ready” these websites are, as opposed to some of the ones created at the in-person WordPress P.D.s I’ve led in the past.  I suppose that website creation lends itself best to an environment where the creator can go at his/her own pace and have time to get more in-depth on certain aspects of the site!

(Just testing this widget before I add this to Clark Middle’s website, so don’t Submit anything!)

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Good article from CNET about how to speed up your Mac:

http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57408131-285/five-tips-for-cleaning-and-speeding-up-your-mac

Gave a 45-minute training over Smart Notebook software (version 10) to Providence Elementary staff (2nd-5th grade only).  Required some “brushing up” on my part – especially with the multi-touch gestures – but teachers left with a better knowledge of how to utilize their new mounted SmartBoards to meet the Common Core and Core Content.

Formerly, morning announcements at CMS were broadcast closed-circuit to the room tvs, but due to 1) signal cross-talk and 2) not everyone in the building have a television, we decided to broadcast (and archive) the announcements online using Ustream Producer Pro.

This means we can reach everyone with a computer or internet-connected device, and it also allows us to show multiple camera inputs, pre-recorded videos, still images, and even other computers’ desktops.  The announcements can be watched at:

http://ilearn.clarkschools.net/web/ClarkMiddle/?page_id=2559

 At STLP Regionals, two of our four STLP Showcase projects qualified for the State Competition in the spring.  Here’s a link to the story on our district website…

http://www2.clarkschools.net/home/index.php/en/component/content/article/42-rokstories/473-clark-county-stlp-moves-on-to-state

This article from eSchoolNews provides some helpful and unique tips for teaching internet safety in your school and/or district:

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/11/11/10-ways-schools-are-teaching-internet-safety/

 We recently purchased the Tricaster Studio.  This hardware/software combination is a video production device allowing up to six camera inputs, two iVGA inputs (to show the desktops of other computers), video editing and chromakeying, and streaming capabilities (both intranet and internet).  Our plan is to use the Tricaster as much as possible, in such scenarios as videoing standards-based lessons, creating how-to tutorials, and recording school board meetings and other events.  Because of cost, we purchased the Standard-Definition model (not the HD one).

We have just completed giving our Idea Lab a much-needed facelift. After several years of old equipment and random “stuff” kind of thrown together, we finally added some more up-to-date technologies (and we even cleaned up, too!). We wall-mounted a SmartBoard and an Interwrite DualBoard; of the two projectors calibrated to them, one is a brand-new Epson short-throw. We also even have a cart of Macbooks. We ran all the wiring, connected a document camera as a video pass-through, procured our CPS clickers sets, and purchased a desktop computer powerful enough to handle all the software. This lab will now serve as a better, more interactive way to present our Professional Developments, and for others to host important meetings.

 Got iPads ready to go at GRC… a small classroom set (7 iPads) will be in use in the classroom, most likely starting tomorrow.  Used the iPhone Configuration Utility to disallow student app purchases, music downloads, and a few other features, then synced all seven to one central computer (because no syncing station purchased yet).