Visions
Alumni Program Updates for the 2007-2008 School Year
August, 2007
Re: Important Message for all GUHSD Visions Alumni for the 2007-2008 school year
Hello Visions Alumnus,
We hope you are having a wonderful summer, and we also wanted to remind you about some of the primary Visions (Alumni) Program updates and information that you need to begin to act on for the coming school year.
1) Firstly, please remember that your Visions Annual Requirements are due to be completed for the coming year by May of 2008. YOU CAN OFFICIALLY BEGIN COMPLETING THESE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS COMING YEAR AS SOON AS YOU’D LIKE.
a. All Visions participants choosing to continue in the Visions program after next year must again complete your annual requirements. The Visions Requirements Database for 2007-2008 will be open for completion starting in July of 2007. Particular Alumni session choices, including training sessions and curriculum writing assistance sessions, will be posted in the summer and offered from the Fall of 2007 through January of 2008 (T.B.A.)
b.
Requirements will be the same as for 2006-2007 (2
“reflections,” 2 extension activities/sessions, an accessible web presence, and
3 shared items in the TeacherExchange). The
only modifications to the requirements are as follows:
i.
By May of
2008, Visions teachers need to have web-posted a “version of” your syllabus or
course outline (general classroom information), at a bare minimum, or
(optionally) some version of grades posted for student/parent monitoring.
ii.
Minimum
required alumni session of 2 hours instead of 4 hours.
2) Secondly, all participating Alumni must complete at least one basic “Alumni session” each year (paid or substitute provided). You can choose from among a variety of options throughout the Fall term for completing your specific Alumni annual session. All Alumni sessions are offered on a first-come, first-served basis – there are registration limits for each date, so it’s best to sign up for particular dates that work best for you as soon as possible. All Alumni need to participate in one of the following session types:
o 2 hours in a brief afterschool annual Alumni session [Paid at $25/hr]
o Single day inservice [substitute or stipend provided]
o Single day of integration-focused curriculum development time (brief proposal & mini-conference required) [substitute or stipend provided]
REGISTER FOR YOUR ALUMNI SESSION
CHOICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, GO TO: http://edtech.guhsd.net/visions/v_enroll.php
(or you can contact the Technology Resources office (sahlers@guhsd.net or 593-2700) to ask any questions and/or register your session choice)
VISIONS ALUMNI SESSION CHOICES:
Go to http://edtech.guhsd.net/visions/v_enroll.php
or Contact Technology Resources (sahlers@guhsd.net
or 593-2700) to register your session choice
3) Thirdly, remember that part of the Visions participation requirements includes participation in a minimum of two (2) additional technology integration development activities on your own beyond the standard Visions Alumni sessions during the 2007-2008 school year (anything between June, 2007 and May, 2008). Please remember to log in your Visions Requirements webpage any such activities that may satisfy this requirement.
4) Lastly, please remember to contact our office if you
have any equipment or educational technology needs at any time – we’re here for
YOU!
Be on
the lookout for more updates and information via email or the http://edtech.guhsd.net website. If you
have any questions or suggestion, please contact the Technology Resources
office at 593-2700 any weekday between 7:30 and 3:00. We hope you’re all having a great summer!
Thank you!
Your Technology Resources team
.
June, 2007
Based on a few
questions in reply to my prior Visions email, I wanted to clarify a few
answers for those of you who might wonder the same things.
1) Having completed
the basic, introductory Visions Institute set and the annual
requirements for 2006-2007, you are all considered active Visions Alumni through at least the end of next
school year (to May, 2008). You are
already eligible and active as an alumnus.
2) To remain eligible
and active for the following year, you will have to complete anew the Visions
annual requirements (web database in TeacherExchange
area available starting again in July of 2007) and attend at least one paid
or sub-provided "Alumni session."
Alumni session choices range from a single 2-hour afterschool Alumni
session to any number of all day Alumni workshops or individual-choice
curriculum development assistance sessions. These limited-space session choices
will be announced in emails throughout the summer and Fall,
so you need to choose your preference as early as you can to assure priority
registration in your choice.
3) We "highly
recommend" that you try to complete your annual requirements portion as
early as possible, especially during the Alumni sessions, if possible.
Those of you feeling rushed to complete at the end of this year can guess why!
;-)
4) If you haven't already done so from the prior email, please
click the following link to review some important Visions updates
and notices for the summer of 2007: http://edtech.guhsd.net/alumniupdate/alumni/
Ken Quisenberry &
Your Technology Resources Team
.
May, 2007
· Congratulations on completing your Visions Alumni annual requirements! Remaining in the program has many benefits, including:
a. GUARANTEED access to an up-to-date and capable instructor laptop computer and LCD projector (including hassle-free, rapid, and FREE resolution for burnt bulbs, broken pieces, equipment failures for any Visions equipment) while you teach in the Grossmont District.
b. Access to Visions-only curriculum resources (such as Inspiration, UnitedStreaming, and the latest Office suite, and more to come...)
c. 3-year refresh plan for Visions instructor laptop computer for ongoing participants
d. Priority in helpdesk & training support, as well as Visions equipment technical assistance from Tech Resources staff
e. Individualized choice in annual training and curriculum writing opportunities (with substitute or stipend provided)
f. Association in an ongoing (limited access) professional development program (for your portfolio, resume, professional growth certification needs, Curriculum Vitae, etc.)
· Visions Annual Requirements for the 2007-2008 school year:
c. All Visions participants choosing to continue in the Visions program after next year must again complete your annual requirements. The Visions Requirements Database for 2007-2008 will be open for completion starting in July of 2007. Particular Alumni session choices, including training sessions and curriculum writing assistance sessions, will be posted in the summer and offered from the Fall of 2007 through January of 2008 (T.B.A.)
d. Requirements will be the same as for 2006-2007 (2 “reflections,” 2 extension activities/sessions, an accessible web presence, and 3 shared items in the TeacherExchange). The only modifications to the requirements are as follows:
i. By May of 2008, Visions teachers need to have web-posted a “version of” your syllabus or course outline (general classroom information), at a bare minimum, or (optionally) some version of grades posted for student/parent monitoring.
ii. Minimum required alumni session of 2 hours instead of 4 hours.
e. To get a head-start in fulfilling your requirements, check out these great offerings!:
i. Tech Resources’ all-Summer “Technology Assistance Sessions” schedule at http://edtech.guhsd.net/enroll.php including drop-in sessions, digital imagery, iLife, Making the Grade, and much more....
ii. Summer Institute sessions in the first 2 weeks of August: (http://intranet.guhsd.net/dialog/prof_dev.html)
1. Dan McDowell’s Google Educator Tools, Webquests, Web2.0
2. Tom Eklund’s Teacher Website Benefits
3. Coin Digital Career/College Planning service for all students & teachers
4. Edusoft Assessment Management system for all teachers
· Alumni Session Topics: Just as a reminder, we are continually looking for suggestions on Alumni session topics and formats. Let us know if you have any ideas or recommendations as to good session topics or themes! Also, we are always open to suggestions from those of you who would like to offer your own sessions for Visions work....let us know if you’re interested in sharing what works in the classroom at an Alumni session!
· Groupwise email client for Intel MacBook:
a.
For those who’d like an alternative to using the
Groupwise Web version to manage your District email
account, the new Groupwise Intel-Mac email client is
out for interested Visions teachers. While
generally only usable while on the District network (just use Groupwise WebAccess from home),
the client is generally faster, more efficient, and fuller featured than the
web version alone. If interested and
unable to get Tech Specialist assistance on installing it, you can get the
installer by saving this linked file to your desktop and installing: http://edtech.guhsd.net/dtabnk/gw702cmacius.dmg
i. After installing it into your Applications folder and running it, just put in your username, password, an "ip" number of 10.4.0.15, and the "port" of 1677 in the login screen initially to set it up.
b. If you’d like help installing and getting started, check out any of our “open lab” drop-in days during the summer (see schedule here: http://edtech.guhsd.net/enroll.php) or set up a time for help this summer with us at 593-2700.
·
Equipment Reminders and Tips:
a. Epson Projector filter cleaning reminder:
i. At regular intervals (every few months at least), you should remove and clean your Epson Projector filter to ensure long life and dependability. The filter is generally located on the bottom of the projector and has a tiny door or sliding insert to hold it over the intake. By removing and gently patting down or blowing over it to remove built-up residue and dust, your projector will run longer, cleaner and cooler
b. Mac updates reminder: Remember to perform your System updates as frequently as possible (at least once per month). To run updates manually, click the “Apple menu” at the top left of your screen and click “Software Update” while connected to the Internet. Install all Apple software updates that appear on the list.
Please remember that the Educational Technology Resources is here to serve you....and we will be open throughout the summer for any assistance or inquiries from all staff.
Have a fantastic summer!
Your Technology Resources Team
(619)593-2700
301 North Mollison
Help Requests: http://edtech.guhsd.net/request/