N E W   D E V E L O P M E N T
The developers are in Palo Alto working hard on relaunching Schoolbinder. They are redesigning the look and feel of the application to better fit your workflow. Everything is based off of “School, Teachers, Classes and Students.” It is a natural way to get to the info you are trying to find. You should notice some performance enhancements too.

Remember that you guys have a huge say in what gets developed in these rounds. We are always open to ideas. Tell us what works and what doesn’t work. Now is the best time to get those ideas in.

P R O S P E R
It looks like the first version of the Prosper interim assessment importing and reporting has been completed. Hopefully you guys are using it and figuring out what you like and dislike. Let us know what your ideas are and we will add it to the next development cycle.

What other interim assessment software is everyone else using? Try to get in contact with a school that is using our Prosper Reporting tool and ask them to explain how it is being used at their school. Let us know if you want us to develop something like that for your assessment software…or maybe you consider switching to Prosper?

A R I S   A N D   S T A R S
We have not decided on what data would be helpful to import into Schoolbinder. Is there anything we can download from Aris or Stars that would be useful to have at your fingertips?

Q U A L I T Y  R E V I E W
The QR form and reports are completed. I’m not sure if anyone is using them yet. I’m thinking that by having a dozen or so QR walkthroughs done on Schoolbinder you should have a good data set to look at in the QR reports. This is all ammunition for you for when the time comes.

O B S E R V A T I O N S
The CFN and NYC 6 forms are being used. That is a good sign. It looks like the Robert Van Wyck school has made Schoolbinder an everyday thing. We are getting 10-20 walkthroughs a week from just that school.

Another principal has submitted an idea for a form that he wants to use for walk throughs. It looks like he spent some time on it and has some good ideas behind it. Look out for that one soon. It will take a couple of weeks to get the dynamic portions complete (reports and letter) but its on our list.

Many other forms have been created:

• Classroom Walk Through
• Instructional Rounds
• Interim Assessment Analysis Meetings
• Lesson Targets
• School Leadership Meeting
• School Safety Meeting
• School Visitors
• Student Formative Assessment
• Teacher Goals

We excited about all of these requests. We originally expected to work on one master form per network/district but now it seems like everyone wants their own form. It is a lot more work for us but it shows us that you get the point of working with Schoolbinder. TELL US WHAT YOU NEED.

If you are using Schoolbinder’s learning management system (grade book, assignment calendar, discussions, student goals) and are interested in our school performance management features just fill out this form here.

We are glad to announce that for the next two weeks we will be able to offer these special professional development courses for schools in the NYC/NJ area. The following are the special rates for PD scheduled to be conducted during October 11-22:

• 1 day in-service: $500

• 3 day in-service: $1,400 ($100 discount – If desired, 3 1-day in-services can be combined and will still receive the discount.)

• 5 day in-service: $2,200 ($300 discount – this would most likely be a combination of several classes or involve our helping in a consultative or planning capacity.)

* The rates are the same for all courses offered. Course prices are for up to 35 people.
½ day in-service: $250 (Two half day in-services can be combined for a full day. A ½ day in-service can also be 3 hours after school.)

Schoolbinder Professional Development

Schoolbinder: Getting Started – Best Practices – 1 DAY WORKSHOP
This 1 day workshop will help teachers to learn how to use Schoolbinder’s main features (examples are Grading, Discussions, Bookmarking,  etc…), and use Schoolbinder to drastically improve the communication and community in their school and classroom. This class is recommended to be taken as soon as a Schoolbinder account is created so that Schoolbinder can be used by the teachers and students right away; they will not have to relearn new procedures after the teacher decides to implement partway through the year. Teachers will leave with an understanding of Schoolbinder’s main features and can get started using Schoolbinder right away.

Schoolbinder: Delivering and Planning Instruction – Best Practices – 2 DAY WORKSHOP
This 2 day intensive workshop will help teachers to learn how to use mostl of Schoolbinder’s main features and use Schoolbinder to drastically improve the communication and community in their classroom. This class is recommended to be taken after the Getting Started workshop. Teachers will leave with a full understanding of all of Schoolbinder’s features and at least 1 fully completed lesson plan.

Schoolbinder: Feature Focus – 1/2 DAY WORKSHOP
This 1/2 day workshop will help teachers to learn how to leverage any one of Schoolbinder’s new online tools. This class is recommended to be taken after the Getting Started workshop and any time Schoolbinder releases a new online tool. Teachers will leave with a full understanding of that feature.

Schoolbinder Sites: Blogging for Students and Teachers – 1 DAY WORKSHOP
Blogging is an incredibly powerful mechanism for reflection, thought, powerful writing, and stimulating conversation. Teachers can make use of this to connect with educators all over the world, as well as parents and other stakeholders. It helps promote reflection, professional learning, and transparency. Teachers can also help students to blog to help them reflect on what they have learned, interact more with their peers, connect with experts, and discover their voice and passion.

** Any school taking the blogging course can also order a Schoolbinder school website for their school for only $500 per year. You can compare us to the other companies that offer the same features for much more **

Non-Schoolbinder Professional Development

These are our standard course offerings; however, every class is personalized to meet your needs. If you feel your staff needs something not listed below, please contact us and we will find a way to work together. Courses are divided below between 1/2 day courses, or 3 hours, 1 day, courses, or 7 hours with a 1 hour break for lunch, and 3 day intensive workshops.

½ Day Courses

Classroom Management with Computers
Teachers often spend a lot of time thinking about and planning classroom management strategies for classes in general, but bringing computers into the classroom presents a new set of challenges of which many teachers are not aware. This course will examine those new challenges and provide strategies for dealing with them by planning ahead. Teachers will leave with a technology management plan.

Digital Citizenship
This course helps teachers to avoid unintentional plagiarism and model good digital citizenship for students. It will show teachers where and how to find copyright free images and music, as well demonstrate how to model citing sources. There will be discussions on the law of fair use and its implications, the dangers of social technology, and safeguards that can be used to protect students and teachers when using social technologies.

1 Day Courses

Do-It-Yourself Interactive Whiteboard Board
Interactive Whiteboards can make any lesson more engaging when used effectively. However, the price is nearly prohibitive for many schools. Using a remote for the Nintendo Wii acting as an infrared camera, any projector can become a touch screen. This workshop goes over how to setup and use the interactive whiteboard system in the morning and then goes over best practices for teaching with the interactive whiteboard and websites where resources can be found. Add $100 for each desired set of equipment that can be installed in a classroom. Teachers will leave with at least 1 fully completed lesson plan.

Google Academy – Google Apps (Docs, Calendar, Sites), Reader, Earth, Scholar, Books, Contacts, and Gmail
Google offers an outstanding suite of free tools for education that can help students to learn on their own and learn from each other. There are several research tools as well as collaborative tools that help students to work together more effectively. This workshop goes over each of the main tools and provides examples and best practices for using them in the classroom. Teachers will leave with at least 1 fully completed lesson plan.

Digital Storytelling
Digital storytelling can be used in any subject and is an excellent medium for allowing students to think critically while maintaining some creative control. This class can be setup for Mac with iMovie or PC with Windows Movie Maker. We will also demonstrate Voicethread and Xtranormal, free online applications for digital storytelling, and Photostory 3, a free program only available on Windows computers. Teachers will leave with 1 fully developed lesson plan and an example digital story that they created.

Social Media for Schools
Social media can be an incredibly powerful tool for communication, both with students and with the wider community. Utilizing social media effectively can help keep students safe online and help them to learn in a motivating, interactive manner. It can remove the limits of the school day and building. Social media can help educators to connect with and harness the great power of parents and the community at large. Furthermore, it can be one of the most powerful tools for helping teachers to grow professionally.

Open-Source Tools for Education
Open-source is a movement in technology where the community of users creates programs and offers them for free to others who want to use them. The users are also free to change them however they want to. There are countless open-source tools in every area. Using open-source tools can save a school literally thousands of dollars in programs and licenses every year. The specific tools used and demonstrated with the teachers will be decided in conjunction with the needs of the school (also available as a 3 day in-service).

Introduction to Podcasting & Ways to Use iPods in the Classroom
Podcasting is an activity that students can participate in to influence the world around them and learn more about subjects they are interested in. This class goes over how to make an audio podcast, a video podcast (or vodcast), how to upload it to websites so other people can find, and how to find other people’s podcasts to use for personal or class enrichment. Also, teachers will see how iPods, specifically the iPod Touch, can be used in instructional settings and resources will be provided. Teachers will make a podcast of their own to experience the type of work that their students will be doing.

Problem-Based Lesson Planning
Research shows that problem-based lesson plans are more effective than many other models. Participants will learn about the philosophy behind problem-based lessons, work through examples created by other teachers, and make their own problem-based lesson units. These lessons can meet several standards simultaneously and usually take several class periods to effectively complete.

Microsoft Office Beginners Series
This class is designed for teachers with limited skills in Microsoft’s productivity suite which includes Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This course can be tailored for Windows or Mac computers. About 2 hours will be spent on each tool and users will become proficient with all 3 by the end of the workshop.

Advanced Excel with Formulas
This course is designed for teachers who understand the basics of Microsoft Excel. It will help teachers to understand the concepts behind writing formulas in Excel, how they work, and the educational benefits of using formulas. Teachers will leave with at least 1 completed template that they can use with their students. Templates created will be shared among the teachers.

Web 2.0 Tools – Tools tailored to the needs of the audience
Web 2.0 tools are part of the Read/Write web; they make the Internet interactive. This class will highlight several of the best Web 2.0 tools and demonstrate their instructional efficacy. Teachers will have time to use each tool to determine what will work best in their classrooms. Teachers will leave with a well-rounded knowledge of Web 2.0 tools and at least 1 completed lesson plan. This is a shortened version of the 3 day course and will be tailored to meet the instructional needs of the teachers.

Wikis
Wikis are extremely powerful tools that can increase community and communication in the classroom. They are student centered tools that help students to effectively work together. Teachers will be working with Wikispaces and other free tools. Teachers will leave with their own wiki or a written plan for using it in their classrooms.

Personal Learning Network – Blogs, RSS Aggregators, Podcasting Tools, Social Bookmarks, and Social Networking (if allowed in school district)
The Internet has tools that can really change the way that we learn. Teachers will learn about social bookmarking, the processing of sharing great websites, find blogs that can help learn more about what they do, find podcasts on subjects they are interested in, and learn how to network with other teachers online through social networks. Teachers will develop a personal learning network by locating resources that can help them to improve professionally.

3 Day Courses

Microsoft Office Academy – Beginner to Expert in 3 days
This workshop is designed for beginning to intermediately skilled teachers in Microsoft Office, which includes Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. This class can be tailored to either Windows or Mac environments. 1 day will be spent on each program. Some of the beginning of each day may be repetitive for those with experience with Microsoft Office. After 3 6-hour intensives, participants will have advanced knowledge of all 3 programs.

Web 2.0 Tools – Voicethread, Glogster, Ask 500 People, Wordle, Social Bookmarking, Wikis, and Blogs
Web 2.0 tools are part of the Read/Write web; they make the Internet interactive. This class will highlight several of the best Web 2.0 tools and demonstrate their instructional efficacy. Teachers will have time to use each tool to determine what will work best in their classrooms. Teachers will leave with a well-rounded knowledge of Web 2.0 tools and at least 1 completed lesson plan.

Professional Development 2.0
Professional Development 2.0 helps enable educators to take control of their own learning and growth. It follows the plan laid out in the eBook Professional Development 2.0. Participants will start to build their own personal learning networks through social networking, social bookmarking, blogging, and more.

During the next two weeks all courses will be taught by Jason T. Bedell.

Jason is an instructional technologist and educational consultant focusing on the effective integration of technology, assessment for learning, differentiation of instruction, and pedagogical coaching. He has served in many different roles in public schools, including English teacher, remedial reading teacher, school library media specialist, school technology coordinator, and district technology coach. He has had the privilege of co-planning and co-teaching in nearly every subject and grade level.

Jason T. Bedell has expertise in several areas. In technology, his specialties include Web 2.0 Tools, safe and effective use of social media, blogging and reflective writing with both students and teachers, training and implementing school wide course management systems, and tools for collaboration. He has written extensively on the subject of professional development, particularly utilizing modern tools to personalize and augment professional development. He has written a book on the subject which can be found on his website. Lastly, he is at the forefront of an exciting new movement in professional development: unconferences. Unconferences are free conferences organized by teachers in which everyone can fully participate and present if they are comfortable. He hosted the first TeachMeet in the country and helped spawn a movement of more than a dozen similar conferences in less than a year. He also hosted the online Reform Symposium conference, attended by over 2.000 educators worldwide. Schools can utilize these tools and ideas to revolutionize professional development for their educators, which will ultimately benefit every child.

Contact us if you are interested an any of the above.