As we approach school year's end, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your hard work over the last year.

And, as I look forward to the Summer Semester, as well as the new school year, I just have to take a moment to share with you what we have planned.

In this update, we share the following:

ACTION ITEM
CTR Selection for 2006-2007 School Year Summer Workshops Planned SCRIBE Initiative: Blogs and Podcasts Digital Storytelling Academies Planned Student Email Accounts SchoolFlix Initiative PowerMedia Plus Availability and Training Departing Instructional Technology Team Member ACTION ITEM: CTR SELECTION FOR 2006-2007 SCHOOL YEAR Please work with your principal THIS year to update the CTR Data Center for NEXT year at http://itls.saisd.net Let us know who your Campus Technology Representatives will be for next school year so that we can get off to a fast start!

SUMMER WORKSHOPS PLANNED
You can now register for workshops offered through Instructional Technology. Those workshops are available online via the Professional Development Planner (PDP) at http://itls.saisd.net/pd

You can do a Fast Search to access workshops. BTW, this will be the last summer the Professional Development Planner is used. We hope to negotiate the transition to the new learning management system in Fall, 2006!

SCRIBE INITIATIVE
Over the last few months, we've been experimenting on publishing student writing, drawings and audio through the use of safe blogging software. Students' voices appear as digitally recorded audio, also known as "podcasts," and students have experienced success. You can find a list of campus student academic blogs online at http://itls.saisd.net/scribe

We're now ready to take the initiative district-wide!

Interested? Be sure to follow these steps...

DIGITAL STORYTELLING ACADEMY
A big part of the SCRIBE Initiative is the Digital Storytelling Academy (DSA). You can find more information online at http://itls.saisd.net/scribe/?page_id=6

STUDENT EMAIL ACCOUNTS
Please remember that you can get student email accounts quickly with advance notice. Student email accounts are created in advance of the school year, so for high schools where students need email accounts, consider using a district email account (iMail) rather than sending students off to Hotmail or other free web-based email account. It's recommended your students use District iMail accounts. Contact the Office of Instructional Technology for more information.

SCHOOLFLIX
SchoolFlix provides basic a self-paced learning system for San Antonio School District employees who want to improve their skills in the following applications:

• Microsoft Access-a database application.
• Microsoft Excel-a spreadsheet application Microsoft Outlook-a email and scheduling application.
• Microsoft PowerPoint-a presentation application.
• Microsoft Word-a word processing application.
  

Find out more at http://itls.saisd.net/schoolflix

NEW DIGITAL VIDEO DISTRUBTION SYSTEM - POWERMEDIA PLUS
The District's contract with AIMS Digital Curriculum expires in August, and the Instructional Technology--in collaboration with several other Curriculum and Instruction Offices--has investigated PowerMedia Plus. Last year, CICs found PowerMedia Plus--the new system-- to be of good value compared to Digital Curriculum (you can view the results of that survey online). The new system will be available to students, teachers, and parents on June 1. Information about the system will be released on May 25th at http://itls.saisd.net/dvds

DEPARTING TEAM MEMBER IN INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
We wish Jim Baldoni good luck as he pursues a Coordinator of Instructional Technology position in NorthEast ISD! You can wish him well at jbaldoni@saisd.net until June 1, his last week in SAISD.

Again, thank you for your support in keeping the conversation and dialogue going. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at mguhlin@saisd.net or phone at 210-527-1400.

Wishing you well,

Miguel Guhlin
Director, Instructional Technology Services
Email: mguhlin@saisd.net
Web: http://itls.saisd.net
Phone: 210-527-1400

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Ask not what computers can do with students,
but rather, what students can do with computers.
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