2009+-+Session+II+Workshops

=NCAIS TECH 2009 - Session II Workshops =

**BucsNet: CCDS Behind the Scenes**
John Burke (Charlotte Country Day) Angelo Otterbein (Silverpoint) //**updated 3/20/09**//

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BucsNet is Charlotte Country Day's intranet, and has evolved from a home-grown site managed in FrontPage to a fully customized branded intranet with class pages, bulletins and the like. But the evolution was not without lessons learned. This presentation will include a tour of BucsNet with John Burke, Manager of Information Systems, and Angelo Otterbein, President of Silverpoint, with a focus on how the site evolved to meet the school's needs, including surveys to parents and managing feedback from division heads.======

What Should You Expect from Your SIS Vendor After the System is Up and Running
Ed Magni ( Veracross)

A discussion, led by a former Technology Director at an Independent School, on what technology departments need (or should expect) from their SIS vendor once the system is in production. Broad areas of discussion will include infrastructure, data, application support, updates, and customization requests.

Social Media and the Web with finalsite
Rob DiMartino (finalsite) Since 1998, finalsite has been bringing interactive web design & software to leading independent schools & educational organizations around the world. finalsite currently serves over 250 independent schools and a total of nearly 700 schools & educational organizations around the world. Please join us for an exciting informational session with Rob DiMartino, Director of Business Development at finalsite, a leading provider of web software & services for schools
 * updated 3/16/09**

**Inside the Communication Director’s Essential Web 2.0 Toolbox**
Jason Ramsden (Ravenscroft School) //**updated 3/3/09**//

Web 2.0 is today’s buzz word when it comes to collaborating on the web. So who’s to say communication professionals should not use the bevy of free tools available to better communicate with their school’s constituents? Whether you are trying to reach alums, parents, grandparents or even current students, this session will provide you with several outside the traditional toolbox tips, tricks, and strategies for enhancing your communications and widening your reach.

When Tech and Pink Collide: How Technology and A WHOLE NEW MIND Changed How I Teach English and Web Design
Brian Kelly (The Montclair Kimberley Academy)
 * //updated 3/2/09//**

Over the past three years I have made a conscious effort to "walk the walk" in my courses. Pink says that in order to prepare our students for success in this century, we as teachers need to emphasize both logical, left-brained thinking (math, science, tech, etc.) AND creative right-brained thinking (art, design, etc.). As a result, I purposely de-emphasized some content in my Advanced Web Design class in order to add principles of good design, the result of which has been a marked improvement in the aesthetic quality of my students' finished work. Upon reflection, however, I also discovered that integrating technology into my Medieval Literature course enabled me to change how I assess and simultaneously enhanced student creativity, encouraged students to take intellectual risks, and deepened student understanding of both the concepts and content.

"Extraordinary Made Simple" –Learn How to Create Engaging Activities in Notebook 10 along with the SMART Document Camera.
Shayla Rexrode ( SMART Technologies )
 * //updated 3/2/09//**

As the 21st century classroom evolves, so do the products and software offerings from SMART Technologies. In this session participants will learn about the features in Notebook v.10, see how the new document camera adds an exciting level of interactivity to any lesson, and discover some of the new educator resources available on-line.

Digital Media in Schools: Enhance Communications, Safety, and Education Excellence
Richelle Selzer (Cisco)
 * //updated 3/2/09//**

School communications consume a lot of time and paper. Parents need to be informed. Students want to know what's on the cafe menu. Staff need in-service training. Teachers want to select videos from the content library, not just their own collection. And, everyone needs alerts about campus emergencies. Now, schools can communicate more effectively with less time and effort. Cisco Digital Media Systems is a comprehensive suite of digital signage, desktop video, and enterprise TV applications that you can manage centrally. Check it out!

Blending Moodle into Your School's Learning Environment
Karl Schaefer (Durham Academy)
 * //updated 3/2/09//**

Moodle is a great Content Management System (CMS) that can be used to extend your classroom. Moodle is open-source software so there is a low cost to setting up and keeping a Moodle server at your school or even one for your class. Learn from a Moodle advocate who will explain the ins and outs of setting up Moodle for your school. You will see how teachers are blending Discussion Forums, Assignments, Glossaries, Journals, Quizzes, and other activities to engage their students and extend their classrooms. Attendees will have access to the Durham Academy Interactive Learning Environment (DAILE) Moodle to view active classes.

Videoconferencing with Skype and DimDim
Brandon Herder (Christ School)
 * //updated 3/2/09//**

With webcams being so inexpensive, and Skype offering a free calling/video service through the Internet, what’s not to love about video conferencing? Come learn how to use a webcam and how to videoconference through Skype. Also, check out DimDim, a free web conferencing software that allows a presentation to be given through the internet. With this technology, you could bring a guest speaker to your class through your computer.

Creating Learning Studios
Matt Scully (Providence Day School)
 * //updated 3/2/09//**

The Sages - Robinson, Pink, Kawasaki, Wagner, Shirky, Gardner, et al, claim that change is needed. Today's schools are not preparing students for tomorrow's future. Their books highlight many theories and big ideas, but what does this new change look like? Hear one teacher's first small steps toward modifying his classroom that will lead us into a brainstorm session to design the classroom of tomorrow. Our goal will be to find practical, real world ways to use technology to modify classrooms to put the students at the center, shift the focus from passive recipients to active producers, and create learning studios.