Category Archives: Uncategorized

Netbooks – The Dell Lattitude 2100 is now available on the purchasing picklist.  The 2100 is shipping with a Linux operating system called Ubuntu.  Novell, Groupwise, and Office products are not loaded on this netbook.  We are shifting to more open source tools such as Google Docs, Open Office, Moodle, Linux, etc.  There will not be a Windows XP version.  We recommend training for any teachers or staff who plan on using netbooks.

Interactive White Board Research – Dr. Robert Marzano completed a study last spring to determine the effectiveness of Promethean technology in classrooms.  The study is available online, and there are some key findings that may assist teachers in understanding how to utilize these tools more effectively.  Please go to
http://www.prometheanworld.com/staged/server.php?show=nav.18731

Moodle – Through a comprehensive review process we have made a decision to implement the use of a content management system.  Moodle is an inexpensive application that allows teachers and staff to create effective online learning sites for their students.  Moodle will allow us to create secure social networks, wikis, forums, and many other Web 2.0 tools to assist educators in teaching our students.  An administrator training is planned, and we will be offering classes for teachers this year.  Please watch our website (www.apsdoit.org) for more information.

Instructional Technology Grants – The competitive grant process to acquire instructional technology tools for classrooms are nearly ready to be launched.  This grant process is an effort to develop effective 21st Century Classrooms and beyond.  Final timelines and edits are being made to the application, and we expect the grant applications to be out by August 21.  All communication will go to site principals.  Please watch our website (www.apsdoit.org) for more information.

Instructional Technology web-based resources – There are a large number of online resources paid by our e-Rate funds to support classroom teachers in providing rich, dynamic, and up to date resources to enhance student learning.  Some of these resources include Discovery Streaming and Science, Nettrekker, Atomic Learning and World Book Online.  Through the monitoring of use by individual sites we have seen some major decline in usage at some sites and in some cases, non-use of these resources.  We will continue to monitor site usage, and we will share this information with school sites.  If sites are not using these resources, we will reduce the number of licenses being paid  at the district level.  All of these resources can be accessed at  http://discovery.aps.k12.co.us

Will you be using WordPress with your students?

If you have a new Dell Latitude E6400  Laptop. The district’s wireless key needs to be imported before you can use the wireless network. This means that you won’t be able to log in to the network either. Here’s how to get the wireless working.

1.  turn on your E6400 laptop
2. check the “workstation only” box and hit “Enter” on the keyboard
3. After the laptop has fully turned on click on “Start,””Programs,” “Dell Wireless,” and finally “Dell Wireless WLAN Card Utility”
4. Now we have to import the Key. Click on the little arrow next to the “Options” button. Click “import.” SEE IMAGE
5. Browse through the computer to find and double-click on apsnet1397.wpn. Click on “My Computer > Local Disk C > DELL > DRIVERS > Network > Wireless 1397 > apsnet1397.wpn. Once you click on apsnet1397.wpn, click “open.”
6. Now your wireless will work within the district. Restart and try logging in.

Here’s “Part 1 of Dr. Robert Marzano addressing the question “What do we know about the effect of technology on student achievement?” at the CUE 2009 Conference on March 6, 2009.” (thanks Ivan)  Not surprisingly his studies show an increase in student achievement when instructional technology is used effectively and a decrease in achievement when instruction is focused on the tool rather than the learning.

The deciding factor of success is whether the teacher has a good understanding of pedagogical and content knowledge prior to using instructional technology. This just underscores for me the importance of teaching how to use instructional technology within the framework of instructional strategies. This is definitely an ongoing pursuit for me, as I tend to skip directly to how to use the technology rather than when or why.

Anyway… if you are preparing to write a grant soon for instructional technology, this is a great resource to book mark. The points that Marzano speaks of, relate directly to the work that the recipients of the DoIT Grant have worked to achieve with the technology they received. They have done some fantastic work! Check out their projects… and be sure to check out Marzano’s presentation.

image by Punya Mishra

Gwynn Moore & Shannon Wentworth have teamed up with the AEA to offer the Technology Integration Caucus (Flyer). Excerpt from flyer below.