Summer+Conference+Handouts+and+Resources

=2010 Newton Conover City Schools Summer Educator's Conference=

On August 2 and 3, 2010, I will present at the 2010 Summer Educator's Conference. The focus of my sessions at this conference is not about using computer technology as an instructional, but using it manage the day-to-day tasks of being an educator. Computers can complicate our lives or they can simplify our lives. Many educators find the email load itself unmanageable, and are encouraged when there are technology solutions to make their jobs easier. That was the purpose of these series of presentations.

Making Tasks Easier
There are many things inherent in the design of computers and their software that make for more efficiency as we carry out our administrative tasks. Many educators suffer from desktops loaded with so many icons that it is impossible to find anything. Their "My Documents" folder is even more unusable because it has so many sub-folders that it is impossible to find anything. There are some easy strategies to help educators get organized that can implemented that take advantage of computer software and other capabilities inherent in technology. This presentation seeks to help educators make the most of their computers in getting organized.

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Presentation Handout:

Managing Multiple Tasks
Every educator knows that the "To-Do List" we have never gets shorter. In fact, if your's is like mine, more items get added each day than get taken off. Managing the workload of an educator can be simplified by taking advantage of some simple tools. Participants in this session learned how to make the most of such solutions as Google's Built-In Task List with Google Apps, Remember the Milk, Task Coach, and Hott Notes. These are easy to learn solutions to keeping up with all those tasks we face each day as educators.

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Presentation Handout:

Managing Your Calendar
Now that we have converted to Google Apps, what do I do with my calender? The Google Calendar offers users many powerful features that can make our jobs as educators easier. This presentation focuses on how to make the most of that application.

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Presentation Handout:

Keeping the Inbox Empty
Email can easily overwhelm its users. Teachers and administrators receive a great deal of email during the course of the day, and trying to find a way to respond to and manage this load is a challenge. This presentation focuses on some simple strategies to make email more manageable. It is possible to have an empty inbox at the end of the day.

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Presentation Handout:

Developing and Growing a Professional Learning Network
In the 21st century, it is impossible to navigate the information overload without the assistance of others. There is a world of educators fighting the same battles we do every single day. With Web 2.0 tools, it is possible for educators to create a Professional Learning Network that is world wide. It is like having ongoing professional development all the time and on demand. Here are the handouts and information from that session.

Handouts and Information Forthcoming

__General Personal Learning Network Information__

What Are Personal Learning Networks? Why Should We Care? [|Develop a PLN from Richard Byrne] [|5 Ways to Build Your Personal Learning Network from The Innovative Educator]


 * Twitter Online Resources **

[|Blog Tips: Perfecting the Art of Nerdy Tweets] [|Blog Tips: Twitter for Dummies] [|Nine Reasons Why Teachers Should Use Twitter] Video: Twitter in Plain English [|Twitter, Not Frittering: Professional Development in 140 Characters] __Twitter Groups: Teachers__ TweetDeck Seesmic Ultimate Guidebook for Twitter


 * Facebook Online Resources **

100 Ways You Should Be Facebook in Your Classroom

Open Source Solutions for Educators
Open source software abounds, and there are a number of solutions that educators might find useful. Here is a list of the handouts and some links to some of the software solutions discussed in our presentation.

Handouts and Information Forthcoming

__Web Resources for Open Source Software__

[|K12 Opensource Blog] [|K12 Open Source Wiki]