District Wide Information

Profile for Technology Literate Students
This week's example is from the Profiles for Technology Literate Students for grades 3-5.
10. Apply previous knowledge of digital technology operations to analyze and solve current hardware and software problems. (4,6)
This profile is best with general troubleshooting techniques when having trouble with a computer.  Such as restarting or making sure all cords and cables are properly plugged in.  It is important to remind students that although they often feel that they know how to solve technology problems at home it is sometimes best to ask for teacher help at school so students are not held responsible if they make the probem worse.  (I've witnessed students trying to solve a computer problem only to further damage the computer).  There are many teachable moments in the classroom and with technology this is an important time to remind students frequently what is appropriate in solving technology problems and when it is better to ask for further assistance.
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Spellathon
http://www.spellathon.net/
The global and digital Spellathon is a new free resource for teachers and students to practice English spelling in the classroom and at home in a fun and engaging way.
Spellathon has been a successful, paper based annual fundraising event for learning disability charity Mencap for the last 18 years. In 2011, went digital where Spellathon will reach a global audience.
Registration is now open, so check it out to see how Spellathon can be a great resource to you and your students in your class or at home.