A few lucky students at Fossum Middle School have received a special and unique learning opportunity.  They are members of the Fossum Tech Squad.  They are receiving hands-on instruction on repairing Apple mobile devices. 
 
The district provides safety equipment, work area tools and supplies, and replacement parts.  Their teacher, Mr. John Larson, provides instruction on workplace safety, industry best practices, and step-by-step disassembly/assembly procedures. The Tech Squad students receive their training during their Enrichment Class.
 
The six current members have already repaired 29 iPads. Mr. Larson says, "It is an interesting program, the students learn a specific useful skill, gain confidence, and build self esteem." Mr. Larson reports that there are a number of other students anxious to join the Tech Squad. This program can potentially save the district as much as 50% on each iPad repair.  The district is planning to expand the program to McAllen High School soon.

Have you tried these locations, McAllen Public Library, Boys and Girls Club, Convention Center, McAllen Police Department?
 
For more free Wi-Fi access locations, click here: http://www.mcallen.net/departments/it/wifi.aspx
 
Here are a few more ways to find free Wi-Fi access spots.

Apps Downloadable from the App Store 
*Free Wi-Fi Finder
*TWC WiFi Finder
*WiFi-Location finder USA ($1.99)

This year our students will have an opportunity to create a 90 second video sharing interesting things found in the Rio Grande Valley, helping their classmates get the most out of their iPads, or keeping their classmates safe while on the Internet!

Topics:
1. Interesting People, Places, or Things in the Rio Grande Valley
Do you know any interesting people? Have you been to an exciting place in the Valley? Do you know of something that you would like to share with others?

2. Learning with my iPad
How has your iPad helped you to learn? Help others to get the most out their iPads by sharing how you use yours in and out of school!

3. Playing it Safe on the Internet
Show you classmates how to keep safe while on the Internet. You may save someone's life!

For Additional Information: Click Here

We're happy to feature Mrs. Wendy Gilbert in our newsletter this month. She's originally from Connecticut but has been here in the RGV for almost 20 years. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from UTPA with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2008. This is her fifth year teaching. She taught her first three with IDEA teaching Art and Technology and this is her second year at De Leon teaching Art. She's passionate about the role art and technology can play in education. She received her iPad last year and right from the start got involved in helping others in the district use this tool effectively. Students in Mrs. Gilbert's class use the iPad to do a drawing as a warm-up exercise on a daily basis using a popular App called Paper by Fifty Three. This App allows students to sketch, draw, outline and add color to their drawings. Essentially the App allows for the student to keep a journal of their artwork and even add notes about the drawings they are creating.

She uses an Edmodo classroom to allow students to share their work. She also uses SchoolFusion to post the actual assignments and uses Blogger and Edmodo to share and discuss the artwork. Along with these applications, she incorporates Google Docs Forms for student to submit information about their assignments. Essentially, this allows for Ms. Gilbert to easily manage the information about the artwork that is being submitted by the students. Besides using these Google tools she uses an App called Three Ring that allows her to take pictures of student work and keep track of them online. It's a fast and simple way to organize and present students' real world work, from handwritten assignments to classroom presentations. The App is also practical to show the parents the work their son/daughter is doing in the classroom since it creates a digital portfolio of the student's work. Mrs. Gilbert is always on the look-out for Apps that are handy for the students using the iPad.

However, one of the limitations she faces as a classroom teacher is the accessibility of some of these Apps by her students. The best art Apps are rather expensive according to Mrs. Gilbert. She mentions that the biggest challenge with students using the iPad is teaching them to use the device responsibly. Nonetheless, the iPad has certainly become an essential tool in the classroom and outside the classroom that she will continue to integrate in her teaching.

Flipped Classrooms is a new method of teaching that inverts the traditional teaching methods by delivering instruction online and outside of the classroom and moving "homework" into the classroom.  In a flipped classroom model, students watch short video lectures at home (at their own pace) before the class session and spend in-class time doing interactive exercises, activities, projects and/or discussions. 

Flipped classrooms allow teachers to repurpose class time and allow for more one on one interaction with the students allowing development of higher order thinking skills and engagement in richer learning experiences. For more information about Flipped Classrooms and resources, click on any of the links below.

Flipped Learning Network - http://flippedclassroom.org
Flipped Classroom Video - http://www.techsmith.com/flipped-classroom-aaron-sams.html
http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli7081.pdf
http://www.techsmith.com/flipped-classroom.html

eBooks are a great way to present the written word in a mobile, convenient, and easy to use format. But better yet is their ability to include rich media such as audio files, active web links, and even video. These features serve to enhance reading as well as offer experiences not possible in a paper based book. Interactive books not only offer the enhanced and rich experience of an eBook, but they allow the reader to participate and interact with the story.

It is common knowledge that electronic mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches are wonderful as electronic book readers. They are great for enjoying the rich media in eBooks and InteractiveBooks. But not many know that you can now create your very own eBooks and Interactive Books on the iPad.

DemiBooks ($5.99) is the first iPad-based authoring software for creating interactive story apps. Produce richly interactive content apps with the same tool used by many independent story tellers and leading publishers such as McGraw-Hill Education and Kane Miller Books. Make tutorial and training manuals like Fabio Carraffa's Guitar Tutor and interactive Adventure Game book apps. Use Composer for design prototyping and interactive presentations.

Creative Book Builder ($3.99) enables everyone to create, edit and publish ebooks in a few minutes on the go. All published ebooks can be read by any ePub reader including iBooks. Everyone is a professional writer now! Creative Book Builder can import document from Google Docs and parse HTML output into chapter. The format of the book is in EPUB format that includes HTML, javascript, css, jpg, gif, mp4, m4a, mp3 and caf.

Book Creator for iPad ($4.99) is the simple way to create your own beautiful iBooks, right on the iPad. Read them in iBooks, send them to your friends, or submit them to the iBookstore. Its ideal for children's picture books, photo books, art books, cook books, manuals, textbooks, and the list goes on. Watch the video of Book Creator in action and find out more at www.redjumper.net/bookcreator.

eBook Creator ($3.99) is the simplest and easiest ebook creation application. Its interface is designed for all ages and skill levels so that young kids are able to make ebooks using the app.

eBook Magic ($3.99) is the app for making Books, Pages and iBooks with the most output & share options. Read yours in iBooks, Order a Printed Book online, and share with friends. Limited only by your imagination. eBook Magic can even create one-page letters or photo collages.

For more information, click here. http://www.technologybitsbytesnibbles.info/archives/6011

We are all aware that schools are a primary place that bullying can happen. Establishing a safe and supportive school environment where all students are accepted and understanding how to respond when bullying occurs are keys to making sure all McAllen ISD students are able to learn and grow.

McAllen ISD's TLC3 initiative has given each student the opportunity to have access to either an iPad or iPod Touch. Leveraging this technology, McAllen ISD is providing access to the app, Anti-Bullying, on every district-issued mobile device. One of the benefits of the app is that it can be a part of students' everyday way of life and integrated into their daily use of technology. This application creates an avenue for victims and bystanders to have a voice and empower them to report concerns without fear of retaliation. They may give their information to be contacted or can choose to remain anonymous. This ability to report incidents anytime and anywhere helps to create an atmosphere of intolerance for bully-type behavior. Even teachers and staff who have access to district-issued iPads may report any concerns.

Some of the highlights of the app are the various methods available for reporting a bullying incident, such as by photo, video or text. For example, a student can create a screenshot of a cyberbulling incident on their iPad/iPod Touch and then use the Anti-Bullying feature of reporting via Photo to submit their evidence. Ms. Debra Torres of the McAllen ISD police department notes how important this is in today's world since technology has made it extraordinarily easy for accused bullies to erase incriminating photos or messages in a matter of seconds. In addition to its reporting features, the app contains resources for students and parents. Crime Stoppers and the Suicide Crisis Hotline are just among the few of the resources provided for our students.

It is encouraged that all students become actively engaged in preventing bullying at their schools. Although the victim and the accused bully are integral in the bully cycle, it has become clear how important the bystander or witness to a bully incident is to the reporting of incidents. Bystanders are individuals that witness and wish to help but may not know what to do. The Anti-Bullying app will give those bystanders an opportunity to do their part in preventing bullying at their school. All users must understand the seriousness of reporting an incident via the Anti-Bullying app. Each report is taken seriously and will be investigate fully. Making a false report is a serious offense and charges could be filed. Also, this application is not intended to replace 911. For all emergencies, please call 911.

We encourage all students to install the app and become actively involved in preventing bullying and becoming a part of creating an exceptional learning environment and experience at McAllen ISD. In order to install the Anti-Bullying app, students/teachers must have enrolled in AirWatch. A web clip titled, MISD Apps, is then installed on their iPad. They can simply open that icon and proceed to download the McAllen ISD Anti-Bullying app.

iPads in the Hands of Students

iPads in the students' hands is one of the first steps in transforming the landscape of education. We recently heard from two McAllen ISD students who have just begun their learning journey using an iPad.

Baylee Moreno, a 7th grade student at Morris Middle School has been working with her iPad since November. She has downloaded and has been working with several educational apps including Edmodo, LL Spanish and some of her favorites, Dropbox and Notability.

In the short time since she has acquired her iPad, Baylee has noticed that she uses the textbook less and finds herself using the internet more often for up-to-date research and information. She has also learned to use iTranslate to translate text into different languages lending itself perfectly to the IB Middle Years Programme at Morris Middle School. She also noted that she has used her iPad for completing math assignments, but what she is most proud of is receiving 1st place in her division at the Morris Middle School Science Fair and advancing to the district Science Fair. She used the Pages app on her iPad to complete the entire science fair project research paper. When asked what other ways she would like to use the iPad in her schoolwork, she mentioned she would enjoy completing a project about animals and then creating a slideshow using photos. She also would like to see teacher-created videos that she could access in order to quickly review or learn new concepts. Apparently, Baylee is not the only student who has indicated that she wants more photography editing and video activities integrated into their classroom activities. A study conducted by NAACE indicates that these same activities are listed as what students overwhelming feel should be considered common usage of iPads in the classroom.

While exploring her new iPad, Baylee has also discovered some new personal apps that encourage creativity, spatial reasoning, logic and are simply fun for kids, such as Minecraft, Fun Run, and Subway Surfers. Plus, they are a great way to learn other iPad features and gestures.

Seven year old Audree Garza, a 1st grader at Gonzalez Elementary, received her iPad in October and has been working with some of her favorite educational math apps, such as Hungry Fish and Math Ninja. These type of age appropriate apps challenge users to strengthen their skills in fun and innovative ways. It most definitely beats the traditional math worksheet when it comes to practicing math fundamentals. Audree says she has also been using the iPad to work on learning new sight words and practicing her weekly spelling words. Not only is she learning to spell new words, she is acquiring new 21st century technology skills, such as keyboarding, that will be beneficial throughout her educational career.

Audree has taught her sister how to download music and may impress her own teacher with some new iPad skills she has accumulated in just a few short months. She recently learned how to use FaceTime, a video calling app on the iPad. FaceTime has been integral at schools implementing Challenge Based Learning projects and is often used for interviewing experts. Audree would like to see more examples of finished projects using the iPads, so she can get more ideas of how she can use it more with her own school work.

Although most McAllen ISD students have only had their new iPads for a few months, it is certain that they have begun to take charge of their own learning just like Baylee and Audree. We clearly have an exciting journey ahead. With students becoming comfortable with their devices so quickly, it should be a valuable tool for years to come.

Staff,

As McAllen ISD embraces transformational change supported by mobile learning we realize the need to redesign frameworks and processes to achieve improvements.  Transformational change is designed to be organization-wide and enacted over time.

To assist you with this process we are providing the following professional learning resources. 

• 2013 Spring Instructional Technology Sessions (For all staff and students)
• iOS sessions for all users
• NEW one hour online sessions
• Classroom Management
• Accessibility Features
• Tips and Tricks
• Digital content creation sessions
• A McAllen ISD student may attend a session with a staff member.  
• Click here for session dates/times.
  
  
• Atomic Learning (For instructional staff, students, and parents)
• 21st century concepts and content
• Tech integration projects
• Workshops on emerging tech topics, such as Facebook, Internet Safety and blogging
• Applying 21st century skills in the classroom
• 50,000 step-by-step technology tutorials
• Click here to logon.
• Instructional staff - enter your district email username and password
• Students/Parents – enter the 6-digit Student ID# as the username AND password.
• Access for instructional staff, students and their families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Use it as a resource for yourself, integrate it into your classroom, and invite your students to use it from home.

Thank You,

Carmen G. Garcia
Director Instructional Technology