iTech Update

For those of you that follow my new job stats, here is the latest and greatest.. .for those searching for Peyton info... not this time :)

So we had our second staff meeting on Saturday. Great news #1- we now have our full staff hired, and we were all in attendance at this meeting. Great news #2 we got our new laptop computers. In fact... that's what I'm using now.... Now, I was originally told we were getting the PC versions of MacBook Air's... um no.. I have a 'lenovo ThinkPad' It's definitely not stylish... but what we lack in style, we apparently have in power with our usb hook-ups and such. I currently have a 14" screen version, but in August, I will be trading that out for a 15" version. All VPS teachers are getting the same one. Our students are the ones getting the 'stylish' computers that are thin. Not that this is particularly heavy, it just wasn't what I was expecting...

We also explored our new Learning Management Software program. It's from a company called Instructure, and the program is called Canvas. We went through an entire tutorial as students using the program. It's pretty cool! We can post assignments, documents, videos, discussions, quizzes and grades. We can interface through email, videos, and audio recordings. Students can be taken through a series of documents, links and videos for just about anything. It seems relatively user friendly, at least from the student side. I look forward to having access to the teacher side, sometime this summer.

After our actual meeting, we had a small social at our Science teacher's house. It's so strange to have such a small staff gathering. I am pretty sure my regular happy hour group is bigger than this whole staff! It will be nice to start this way though, hopefully all bonding and working well together :)

I also found out that I was one of the lucky 'chosen' ones to attend High Tech High's Summer Institute. I will be whisked off to San Diego June 25-27th for this training. I am attending with our principal, art/CTE teacher, and social studies teacher. Of all the trainings that are lined up for staff, this is the one I am most excited about. I hope to get some ideas about what this is all supposed to look like!

So my calendar is quickly filling up. My first actual day off (besides wknds, is not until June 28th). July looks pretty good and free... except AVID training in Sacramento July 7-11. Here's hoping I get a bit of time off :) I can't complain though. I love getting to go explore new places and ideas, the social side of me enjoys getting to know people better, and I get paid for all these trainings too! Can't complain.. though I am totally going to miss my Peyton and Chris too!