Welcome to the latest snapshot video on acuity. Have a great week!
Sup’s Vlog
Superintendent Snapshot – Sup’s Personal Giftshop?
All,
Check out the superintendent’s latest snapshot video. Also, see recent postings on other questions that have been submitted. Keep sending your questions here! Thanks,
Question – A/C in the Summer
Question – There are people who have to work year round, and with the new air conditioning systems in the schools, will they be on throughout the summer time?
Response – Most of our schools utilize zones for the A/C systems that will allow janitors to turn on portions of the A/C as necessary for summer work. Additionally, all administrative offices should be on their own zone to allow for use during the summer without cooling the entire building unnecessarily.
Thanks to Support Services for their assistance in responding to this question.
Question – Lab Time for Testing or for Kids
Question – I find it such a challenge to lose the computer lab from the 16th of April until the end of May for CRT testing. Any suggestions?
Response – We feel this teacher’s pain as well as a number of you who submitted similar questions regarding lab use and other issues. We continually lobby the USOE to create tests that do NOT have to be administered exclusively in a computer lab setting. As such, the current testing model for CRT’s demands lab settings and prescribes the testing window. However, soon all of our schools will have student response devices (clickers) this year that will allow for Granite’s online assessments – quarterly benchmarks and the Acuity Progress Screener – to be administered in the classroom if the teacher so desires. We wish the same were true for the CRT’s, but we’re not in charge of them. We hope that with the rise of alternative technologies that more of these types of assessments can be performed directly in the classroom with a reduced need for computer labs overall.
Please know that the 5-Year Plan contemplates one-to-one student technology AND the infrastructure to support it. The superintendent considers computer labs an anachronism and we’re looking to build the research, production and assessment capacity of a lab into each classroom.
Thanks to the Teaching and Learning Department for their assistance in responding to this question.
Question – Technology Intergration?
Question – I was excited last year to hear that our district was making a push to get teachers on board with utilizing technology by creating and maintaining class web pages via Canvas. I was also excited for a new gradebook system that promised improvements. However, both have turned out to be major disappointments. Gradebook seems to be much more complicated with little payoff and doesn’t connect with Canvas. Why as a district are we spending so much money developing and maintaining two separate systems that can’t even integrate? As a secondary teacher, I have to upload and arrange files for 3 different courses that I teach. For two of those courses, I have to upload each item 3 times or import the content into the second and third course EVERY time I want to add something new. Are there any plans to simplify these systems and have integration between gradebook and Canvas? Also, are there any plans to make Canvas more teacher friendly? I embrace the idea of keeping our classrooms current and want to maintain an online course, but I can’t keep up with uploading the same files to multiple places every time I want to post a new resource or assignment.
Response – Thank you for your willingness and excitement in creating and maintaining a digital framework with resources and guidance for students to access beyond your face to face classroom!
Here’s some context and then I’ll respond to your question. The state passed a law requiring every school district to report its student data in a certain format – with a 2013 deadline. This forced us completely rework our Discovery system, effecively unhooking it from Gradebook. So, our programming resources have needed to be pulled away from the Canvas/Gradebook sync we were working on, as we believed the Discovery/Gradebook sync took priority. With the timeline we were given (don’t feel like the Lone Ranger out there when you go to work in the morning and think you know how you have a plan for the day and the world shifts out from under you :-), it happens to the district too), that sync isn’t done yet, as you know as you’ve tried to look up grades, or access the parent portal. As it is, I think we’ve found a work-around on the student access side, but the sync should be complete mid-November. At that point we’ll jump full bore back into the Canvas/Gradebook side. in the meantime we’re evaluating our legal options with the hardware providers for the servers that keep crashing. I was asked the other day why we didn’t wait to implement things until they’d been piloted and perfected. Actually, the Cyprus Network piloted the new Gradebook for most of last year, we thought the bugs were worked out, the Discovery requirements have complicated that process. In any event, if we wait until things are perfect to to implement, we’d still be riding horses to work. I’m dealing with a recurring car issue right now that make horses attractive… Anyway, enough context, now your questions.
The Learning Management System Canvas is a relatively new product that is has been willing to accept our feedback and try to make adjustments to their product to better serve K-12 face to face and blended learning teachers. We hope that continued work with this company will make the most user friendly product possible for Granite Teachers. Along those lines – Canvas offers assignment, quiz, and grading features that primarily center around Online and Higher Ed. Functionality.
We have been in discussion with Canvas to integrate our K-12/face to face/blended learning needs into a seamless LMS/Grade book system. They have not been quick to make changes to their structure. At this point we are working with them to develop functionality where assignment scores entered in Gradebook will also show in Canvas. Progress has been slow but they seem to see where changes to their product for K-12 purposes could be profitable.
Please know we continue to work with the vendor to find the best solution for our teachers.
Thanks to Instructional Technology Department for their assistance in responding to this question.
Question – Blocked Websites
Question – There seems to be more blocked websites this year than in the past and I feel like it is hindering my teaching. I have submitted requests to the help desk to see if these sites can be unblocked and I have not received any response, and they have not been unblocked. The sites are very valid and useful educational websites.
Response – As a requirement to receive federal funds to help offset our district cost for internet connectivity to schools we are required to do internet content or web filtering. We also believe as a district it is in our best interest to protect our students from inappropriate content. To accomplish this we purchase a web filter along with the service from the company to categorize all the millions of web sites for us. We receive frequent updates automatically from the vendor on web sites as to their content on a subscription basis. The administration of the district has determined the categories the web filter provides us with of which to block. Obvious ones like Pornography are easy to categorize and block. There are some categories that are very broad in nature. Some of the web sites in these categories could be appropriate some not. We have been on the side of caution for those categories and blocked them. Two of the sites you mentioned are in that category those being the KQED and icebreaker. We did validate in our schools that they are blocked. We also checked the other two web sites at 3 separate schools and neither educemic nor YouTube were blocked at those sites. If you are still having problems at your site please contact your STS/LMETS or NE for help.
We understand that since we blocked a very general category that we need to make exceptions. Those exceptions should go through the Education Technology Department not information Systems and the help desk. ET is in charge of assessing the best tools to be used to deliver curriculum. They take under consideration the site that is asked to be opened and it’s educational value. Then they contact I.S. to ask them to allow the site. You should see in the near future a better method in requesting a site be allowed and or blocked in our schools.
Thanks to I.S. and Ed. Tech. for their help in responding to this question.
Question – iPods in the Classroom
Question – Our school has been fortunate enough that a few teachers got to take an iPod training and then they received an iPad or iPod lab to use. As excited as I am for them, it has already created a feeling of “that’s not fair” in my classroom. And as a teacher who enjoys using technology, I would love the opportunity to create more learning opportunities for my students as well. Are there plans to increase the availability of IPods to other classrooms?
Response – Thank you for your email and interest in use of technology in the classroom! The iPod carts that have been provided has been a fairly large project in terms of cost and professional learning. Due to limits in resources (both in funding and in time), we have not been able to provide this opportunity to all teachers. We hope to continually add technology integration into all classrooms. The technology tools will obviously change over the years, but our vision and goals of always looking to provide as many opportunities to teachers will not change. This year we were able to modify restrictions on how textbook funds can be used – to include certain technologies. As you may have seen in our 5-Year Plan, we intend to have one-to-one technology with students and, just as importantly, the infrastructure to support it. Thanks again for your commitment!
Question – Impact of Grade Reconfiguration on Special Needs Children
Question – I am a teacher at KHS. My concern is the size of the self-contained classes when you add another year of students. I currently have 12 students on my class list for next year. Adding 9th grade will add 3-4 students. Can the district promise added support in this era of budget cuts and withdrawal of needed support for special needs students?
Response – The Special Education Department staffs it’s programs based on the number of students assigned to the program and additional program needs in accordance with state caseload guidelines. As conditions change, the Special Education Department actively responds to changes that may result in additional needs on an individual basis. As such, appropriate levels of ongoing support for special needs students would not change based on a potential grade reconfiguration.
Thanks to the special education department for their assistance in responding to this question.
Another question about movies in the classroom
Question – What if I wanted to show a carefully selected clip from a movie that was rated PG, PG13, or R. Would it be acceptable to show a 5 or 10 minute clip from a movie, that would ordinarily require permission. Perhaps the entirety of the movie wouldn’t be acceptable for classroom viewing, but a section of it would be illustrative for students who struggle with English. For example, I’m thinking of using a short, edited clip from the movie Amistad to show what the middle passage was like for slaves. If I did this without prior approval and without sending permission slips, would I be breaking policies (or laws)?
Answer – A link below outlines our full policy on movies in the classroom.
Supertintendent Snapshot – Welcome Back!
Welcome back! Here is the latest superintendent snapshot regarding A/C projects and holes in walls. Don’t hesitate to send your questions to superintendentsblog@graniteschools.org.