So, How do I. . . .

I cannot tell you how excited I am to see all of the awesome work being done by our JCCS teachers in terms of technology integration. However, with so many new systems and tools in JCCS, there are often times that I receive emails or texts requesting support. I always do my best to get back to everyone in a timely manner, but I know I could do better. That is the topic of this week's blog post.

My personal goal this year is to go beyond using technology at the substitution level of tech integration (hello SAMR Model) and work to leverage technology to transform student learning. Great idea, right? But I understand that to do that we need to ensure that all of your supporting tools works as advertised. With that in mind, I am also going to work on getting support to teachers for the mundane tasks of ensuring students can log into their GAFE (Google Apps for Education) accounts, that teachers can use Hapara, Haiku, and GoGuardian seamlessly in their classrooms. While each of these tools offers a robust support library, it is often better to see the support from within our own systems.

I have started a folder on this blog, the JCCS Tech Folder linked on the right column of this blog), which will contain job aids for how to accomplish specific functions with the tools that we have. I am also including a Google Form (see image on the left) on the blog where you can request a job aid or to meet with me to discuss technology integration, your student GAFE accounts, tool support, or tech planning in your classroom. Once you complete the form, I will do my best to get back to you within 24/48 hrs. I can usually get back to you sooner, but I do not want to over-commit myself and have some frustrated colleagues. I hope to add many more job aids to the folder and to continue to offer classroom support for you this year!




To end this week's blog, I have to share a picture from last weekend's GAFE Summit Bakersfield. I have been fortunate enough to work as a featured speaker for EdTechTeam at many of their summits around the country. Last summer, I asked Cheryl Lynch and Natalie Priester to present at the GAFE Summit Riverside to share some of the English and Math work they have done with JCCS students. I am proud to report that this is now Natalie's third GAFE Summit event and Cheryl's second event as presenters. I couldn't be prouder of our teachers and the work they do with a very needy population. If you see them, please ask about their experience. I would love to see more JCCS teachers sharing their great work with a larger audience!
Be Awesome,
jeff

Welcome to Your New Source for JCCS Tech News and Information

As we begin our new school year, I must admit I am very excited to work with everyone in our organization to spread the love of all things tech and learning!

For the last few years, we have been working on making JCCS a 1:1 chromebook environment. We are getting close to this realization. While this journey has been long, I think it will ultimately make our students better prepared for a tech-infused world. Now that we have the tools, it's time to use them to transform student learning and connect students to a diverse global society. 

Speaking of the world, I had the incredible opportunity to take my family to Europe this summer. As part of this trip, I visited the Google offices in Amsterdam and participated in a Moonshot Summit. It was a gathering of 50 global educators with the desire to change the world of education. If left there energized and hopeful. I hope you are all as excited as I am for the new school year. 

I have spent the better part of the last two weeks getting all of the tech structures in place. I am very close to having Hapara, GoGuardian, and Haiku at full capacity. I have communicated with many of you over the last two weeks and you have been very helpful with feedback on how the systems are working. Please continue to communicate with me as we work to make the back end tech seamless and functional.

Changes have been plentiful, but it is important that you know where to go and who to talk to to get your tech needs met. To this end, I have worked with Jacquie Mallard, Rodney Gast, Stephanie Austin, Aaron Jacobson, Wendell Callahan, Erica Balakian, and Sean Morrill to give you a list of who to call based on your tech needs. You will find the flow chart at the top if this blog and it's in the JCCS Tech folder linked on the right.

Please feel free to leave a comment on this blog post if you have any questions or would like to connect with me in the near future. I plan to update this blog on a weekly basis to share the awesome work I see in my travels and to share cool ideas I discover through my personal learning network (PLN).

Be Awesome,

jeff