This is the official blog for all things Instructional Technology at Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD.
Welcome Post
Hello Visitors,
Welcome to the official blog for Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD Instructional Technology. We will be posting all things related to instructional technology here. For this post we just wanted to say thank you for your interest and support in making Ed Tech an important component here at PBT. Just the fact that you are here visiting the site means you took the time to view something new technology wise and that is the first step in the right direction. We are linking our social media and websites below. Please take the time to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Sorry for the recent absence, the school year has gotten very hectic and we here at the Instructional Technology team just got swept up. We are back now and ready to get you some posts out before we celebrate Thanksgiving next week.
Katie Riley did her very first Tech Tuesday video this week and we think she did an amazing job. If you have ever wondered how to use Google Drawings, wonder no more. In just about 10 minutes, by listening to Katie, you will learn a bunch of amazing things that can be done with this great program.
If you have any suggestions for future videos or questions for the Instructional Technology team, please leave us a comment.
After a two week hiatus where Caleb was sick and then Caleb and Katie took a trip to Arizona for a conference, we are back with another Tech Tuesday. The topic of today's post is Google Slides. Google Slides is a slide presentation app similar to Microsoft PowerPoint, but based in Google. Users can create slide presentations over nearly unlimited topics. There are built in templates or you can start from scratch. In the video below, Caleb walks you through what Google Slides is and what all the menu buttons do.
If you have any questions about the video, or suggestions for future videos, feel free to leave us a comment or send an email to Caleb or Katie directly. The team loves to create content for you based on what you like to see.
The PBT Instructional Technology Team is proud to announce that we have a new member, Katie Riley. Katie started with us on Monday and is already proving to be a great addition to the team. She will be the Instructional Technologist for Crockett and the High School For our Tech Tuesday video this week, Caleb sat down with Katie for a quick get to know you interview. You can watch the video below.
We hope you will take some time to seek her out over the next few weeks and give her a warm hello. She will be shadowing Caleb for the time being before branching out to do her own solo thing.
Next week we will be back to our normal style Tech Tuesday videos with another Google related topic. In the meantime, if you have any questions or suggestions for future videos, or you would just like to say hello to Katie, please leave us a comment or reach out to Caleb or Katie via email.
Have you ever wondered what the heck a Google Doc was? Well wonder no more because in this week's Tech Tuesday video Caleb Magness takes you through how to create a blank Google Doc as well as browse through the pre-made templates to find the Doc that's just for you. He also shows what all the shiny menu options do as well. So wait no longer and watch the video below.
If you have questions about Google Docs or you would like to make a suggestion about future videos, please leave us a comment below or you can email Caleb directly.
In continuation of our theme for the first few weeks of Tech Tuesday, today's video is still focusing on Google Chrome. Chrome is a powerful web browser, and one of the things that sets it apart from other browsers is the ability to add extensions. What are extensions you may ask? Well they are small software programs added to Chrome to customize your browsing experience. In the video below Caleb walks you through where to find, manage, and add extensions to your Chrome browser.
As always if you have any questions about the video or suggestions for future videos, please leave us a comment or you can reach out to Caleb directly at cmagness@pbtisd.esc18.net.
With the school year firmly underway, we have our first Tech Tuesday video for you. In this video Caleb walks you through how to access G Suite and explains the most common apps teachers will use on a daily basis. Check out the video below.
We are always looking for your feedback, so if you have any questions or suggestions for future videos be sure to leave a comment below, or email Caleb at cmagness@pbtisd.esc18.net.
Well it is official, summer is over and the beginning of a new school year is upon us. We want to give a warm welcome to all of the new educators joining the PBT family at each campus this year. Thanks for choosing to come to this amazing district and add your talents to our team. We also want to say welcome back to all of our returning educators. This is shaping up to be a great year here in Pecos. With the new year beginning, the Instructional Technology team thought now would be the perfect time to put a post together about what Instructional Technology is and what our Instructional Technolgists do. So without further ado, lets dive in:
What is Instructional Technology?
Instructional Technology is one of the newer departments here at PBT ISD. It is our job to work hand in hand with the district and campus administration teams, along with the IT department to ensure that we have latest and greatest classroom tech, that our teachers know how to use that tech, and that we are mindfully integrating it into our lesson plans and overall vision for the district.
What does an Instructional Technologist Do?
For this section, we'll let our own Caleb Magness explain what he does via video.
Instructional Technology plays a huge role in ensuring our students receive the best education possible while they attend PBT ISD. If you have any questions about the department or what it is we do, feel free to leave a comment down below, or you can email Caleb directly. We hope everyone has an amazing year and can't wait to start meeting with you all again.
Below we have Caleb's final video from the Aggie STEM Teacher Boot Camp. In the video he gives his takeaways from the day and the week. Caleb has had a blast learning more about Robotics, the Education is Elementary curriculum, and Aquaponics, as well as a grab bag of other STEM teacher topics. If you have any questions or want to integrate some of the things he talks about into your classroom, please reach out to him via email or just comment here on the blog.
Be sure to check out the previous videos from this week, and be on the lookout for more posts and videos as the school year gets closer.
Caleb has his day 3 takeaways video which you can watch below. It seems like he is having a blast learning more about robotics, engineering, and the biological components of aquaponics. If you have any questions about these topics, don't hesitate to reach out to him.
Also, be sure to check out all the previous videos of his week.
You can watch Caleb's video below discussing his takeaways from day 2 of the Aggie STEM Teacher Boot Camp. It really seems like he is having a blast and learning a lot to bring back to the district. He is working on topics like robotics (moving beyond Legos), teaching engineering principles, and aquaponics (which seems like an awesome idea).
Be sure to check out the videos from the past two days, as well as Wednesday and Thursday's videos when you get a chance.
In the video below, Caleb walks you through his day 1 takeaways from the Aggie STEM Teacher Boot Camp. He shows some sights from the campus tours, including some amazing animal skeletons. He also walks you through what this year's schedule looks like and his thoughts from day 1. Be on the lookout for the day 2 video tomorrow, and be sure to check out our previous post on the intro to this boot camp.
If you are interested in any of topics Caleb discussed, like Robotics, Aquaponics, or the Engineering is Elementary curriculum, be sure to reach out to us via email or you can comment on the post itself.
Welcome to the first series that the blog is doing. One of our Instructional Technologists is taking part in a week long STEM teacher boot camp. He will be uploading videos to YouTube with his takeaways each day. The blog will link to the videos and provide some written commentary as well.
Welcome to the official blog for Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD Instructional Technology. We will be posting all things related to instructional technology here. For this post we just wanted to say thank you for your interest and support in making Ed Tech an important component here at PBT. Just the fact that you are here visiting the site means you took the time to view something new technology wise and that is the first step in the right direction. We are linking our social media and websites below. Please take the time to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
