EACS Technology NewsletterApril 23, 2015

1. For teachers in grades K-12: Do you know Kahoot? Kids love it! (A direct quote from several EACS students) Kahoot is a free, game-based classroom response system where students play thought-provoking games, taking control of their own learning. Kahoot is easy to use, easy to create, and highly engaging. Accessible from any Internet device, go to https://getkahoot.com to access Kahoot and create a free account.

2. For teachers in grades K-12: have you or your students updated to iOS 8.3? If not, please do so. If you continuously update your iPad, this is a small update, taking about 7 minutes. One nice feature is that you have the option to not need to enter an Apple password with every App downloaded, as long as you are within 15 minutes of the last download. Students in grades 7-12 need to update by the end of this school year, please.

3. For teachers in grades 9-12: ever consider a digital resume for students? iTunes U courses are free to create, and students could use the iTunes U platform to build their own digital resume by uploading documents, videos, and other resources for prospective employers or universities to view and consider. Get the iTunes U App: https://appsto.re/us/LgcoD.i, or watch a great video on how to build an iTunes U course: http://youtu.be/9ezaHkw4hDo

4. For all teachers and students: how familiar are you with the iPad accessibility options? If you go to Settings, then Accessibility, you can turn on closed captions (for hearing impaired, if available), video descriptions and voice over (for visually impaired), and my personal favorite, the speak tool, now with speak screen: a two finger swipe down will now read a whole book, fast or slow, highlighting word, with several different accents (I prefer Australian).

5. Excellence in Education: Do you know Brenda David? Brenda has worked for EACS for 21 years. Brenda's primary responsibilities include managing all technology purchases district-wide, managing iPad repair billing, and overall support for the Technology Department. Soon, Brenda will be moving to the Accounts Payable Department, and Brenda will be missed.

Fun technology fact: Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute invented the first computer mouse in 1963, and it was made of wood.