CCSS Staff:

It is our hope that you will find the information in our regular newsletter helpful in your daily teaching. In each issue there will be short- to the point - helpful tips and links that are based on our contact out in the field with you to make your classroom as engaging as possible. Remember, we are not here to tell you what to do, but to listen to help you. Many of the topics will have links of interest and will also be archived on our website. You will find additional information at our training portal at http://www.coffeecountyschools.com/train/index.htm. Lets get to it!

Make a separate calendar for lesson plans: It is very easy to make another calendar in GroupWise. These instructions are for using the client (on your school machine) not the web interface. When you have the GroupWise client open, right click on the calendar the is in the left pane, then select new calendar. Then name the calendar lesson plan (or whatever you would like). If for some reason is says new calendar and does not give you the option to rename, simply right click and choose rename. Once you have named your calendar you may also want to change the colors of the events that appear on that calendar so that you will know the difference between your new calendar and the main calendar. Right Click on the "new calendar" and choose properties and then check the color box and then choose the color that you would like. To add an event to this calendar you will need to make sure that the new calendar is highlighted on the left. Then right click on the day that you want to add the event and then choose New , then Posted Appointment. Enter your event. Then if you click back on the main calendar you will see not only your events on the main calendar but now the events in the color that you had chosen that are in the new calendar. To hide the new calendar, just uncheck the box.

Replacement Links for Google Images:
Since we have been on ENA, our filter has blocked google images. Let me assure you, it is a good thing. Here are some other websites that you can go to instead of google images: (You may be able to still find what you want when using Google Images: in the search window do the following for searching for lizards:

Another site that you might want to try is http://www.internet4classrooms.com/graphics.htm#photos
Also on this link are links to sounds and movies as well. You cannot go wrong with www.internet4classrooms.com

Google Earth
When using Google earth you can do measurements. Once loaded and you have zoomed to the site that you would like to use, click on the ruler icon at the top of the page and then you can choose what unit of measurement you would like to use. A great way to use this is to learn about perimeter or conversion of meters to yards, etc.

Security Issues
Please do not give out any of your passwords to any students.
Security Issues will never be sent through this newsletter. If there is something about security in the subject from me it is a serious message and please follow any instructions that are included in the message.

Whiteboard Grants
The Tech Department is glad to be able to offer an internal competitive grant for a whiteboard that a teacher can use in his or her classroom. There may be more than one offered, but at the present time we can guarantee only one award. If you are interested please look for information about this grant early next week in your email.

Large Screen Projectors
We are working very hard to get as much technology out to the schools as we can. Over the next few weeks we are going to set up self contained computers with a projector at each school. There will be an announcement at your school when these are ready for check out. One statement I heard from someone was this: "If you could, what would you do to make the perfect lesson for your class". As you think about this, consider what technology you might use to achieve this goal. We will try our best to see that your "perfect lesson" can be realized.

Thanks and until next time

The Tech Team