Here’s a post from the APS Technology Learning Fair committee.

This year, APS will host its first annual Technology Learning Fair. Planning is still underway, however we are looking for a few good people to help with planning and carrying out this event. If you would like to help, please email Shannon Wentworth (scwentworth@aps.k12.co.us) or Gwynn Moore (gmmoore@aps.k12.co.us).

FAQs

What is a Technology Learning Fair? A Technology Learning Fair is very similar to a science fair. Students complete special projects which have a strong emphasis on technology and then gather to share what they have learned and how they created their projects.

Why hold a Technology Learning Fair? Technology is no longer the future of education. It has become an important part of today’s education. Students need to have a well-rounded twenty-first century education which means providing them with access to twenty-first century tools and techniques. A Technology fair helps showcase what our students can do with today’s technology tools. A technology fair is also a way for schools across APS to share their visions and achievements with each other and the community.

When will the Technology Learning Fair be held? The Technology Learning Fair will take place on Thursday, April 17th. Set up will occur from 3:00-5:00 PM. Judging will take place from 5:00-6:00 PM. Entries will be open for public viewing from 5:30-7:00 PM. The Awards ceremony will begin promptly at 7:00 PM.

Where will the Technology Learning Fair be held? Hinkley High School will be the location for the Technology Learning Fair.
Hinkley High School
1250 Chambers Rd.
Aurora, CO 80011
303-340-1500

When are applications due? Student applications will consist of pages 2-4 of the Student Notebook (downloadable from the Technology Learning Fair website http://www.apstech.wikispaces.com). Applications need to be submitted via inner-school mail to either Gwynn Moore at Paris Elementary or Shannon Wentworth at Sixth Avenue Elementary no later than February 29, 2008.

Where can I learn more about the Technology Learning Fair? Click here to learn about the rules of the Technology Learning Fair.

If you have a class set of palmtops, loading the software on each and every palmtop can be extremely time consuming. Here’s a way to save you some time. The directions assume you have a class set of thirty charged palmtops by Palm and are numbering them 1 - 30.

1. Load the palm software on the laptop/desktop and name that palmtop 01.
2. NOTE: Be sure to load ALL of the software essentials too, i.e. Docs to Go, ereader, etc.
3. Be sure to synchronize palmtop #1 and test out all of the software before proceeding.
4. Open the Palm Desktop on the laptop/desktop. Click on the drop down arrow in the upper-left of the screen. Click on “Edit Users…” Begin adding users 02- 30.
5. Once you have 30 users, you have to add the software for palmtops 02 - 30. Rather than installing the software on each palmtop, you can just copy the files into the new folders. Close Palm Desktop.
6. Open the 01 folder located in My Computer>C: Drive>Program Files>Palm>01. Select all and copy the files. Then go up a folder and paste the files into folder 02, 03, 04 … 30.
7. Now that each folder has the software files of 01, you can begin synchronizing each palmtop to the laptop/desktop. Be sure to go in order with palmtops that are labeled so as not to accidentally synchronize the same number twice. Test out the software on 02 before proceeding.

Patty McCool is ready to rock the world of publishing with her palmtop publishing carts! We worked through the day yesterday putting the finishing touches on three carts of 30 palmtops. All of the palmtops are charged and have been synchronized with a laptop that resides on the cart. The next step is to get the 90 palmtops cataloged in Destiny for checkout. The attached picture shows Patty standing behind the three carts. The two carts on the right are designed so that the teacher can see at a glance how many palmtops have been returned to the cart and who they belong to. The cart on the left is designed with a elegant yet simple appearance. Teachers can see that all of the palmtops and keyboards have been returned (at a glance). Her students are fortunate to have such a dynamic and tech savvy instructor.

NETS-2a: interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

NETS for T-II: D. plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities.

Patty McCool the Technology Teacher at Murphy Creek K-8 is using handheld computers to give all of the 5th an 6th grade students an easy way to work on their writing. Using a handheld and a keyboard they’ll be able to type up their stories, edit and revise. When they are ready to publish, students will synchronize their handhelds with a laptop, open their file and print.

We tried three different ways to organize the carts. We thought about standardizing the carts. However, after talking to the teachers we discovered that each teach preferred a different cart setup. So a teacher can choose the style of cart that matches their preferences and provide all of the students in her/his classroom a way to work through the writing process on a computer.

Here’s what the carts looked before being organized. Soon I’ll post a picture of what they look like now. I can’t wait to see the students using them!

NETS-2a: interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

NETS for T-II: D. plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities.