eTechNews: New Tools & Programs

The New eTechNews
With all the blogging tools available, it's time for eTechNews to dive in!

I've avoided doing so because users had to navigate to the blog or else set up a blog reader to download and hold the entries. Until now. With current options, users can still subscribe to eTechNews via their email.

Take a look at the box to the right. Type in your email address and click Subscribe. You will get an email confirmation with a link to click on. Voila - you'll still be on the recipient list and continue to receive tech news in your inbox. Please do!

The same features will continue to be available: tech news, teacher toolkit, recommended links, and upcoming workshops. They will just be in new locations. Look for news here in the main body of the blog. Look for links, toolkit, and workshops on the right. Additionally, we an do new things - like surveys. Plus all the editions will be automatically archived. The new eTechNews in blog format. Hope you like it. Feel free to comment below today's entries.

Google Teacher Academy, June 25
The Google Academy is a free professional development day designed for K-12 educators at the Mountain View campus. This intensive, one-day event introduces participants to Google's free products and other innovative technologies. Via an online application process, Google selects 50 Bay Area teachers to participate. Applications are due Wednesday May 28. Click here to see more information. Click on "Apply Now" at the bottom of the page to see the application.

Successful Mail Migration
During the first weekend in May, IT staff moved all District mail accounts to a new, more robust server. Such a move does not come without a few aches and pains! After a weekend without email (oh my!), all District employees started back with the new Exchange Webmail. During this month, IT technicians will reconfigure all 1700 staff computers so that you can get back to a regular mail client like Entourage, OS X Mail, Thunderbird or Outlook. If your desktop support tech has not reached you yet, hang in there - s/he is coming! In the meantime, contact me or IT staff with questions. Plus there are How To's posted on Bob - text, screen shots, and video.

iConnect "Loan-to-Home" Update
iConnect is the new PAUSD program that loans a computer for home use to families who do not have one due to financial reasons. During this school year, iConnect started with students in grades 6 and 9. By June, we expect to have deployed 25 computers. Plans are underway to continue the program next year, again in grades 6 and 9.

iConnect loans eligible families a desktop computer and a pocket flash drive to move computer files easily between home and school. As a family contribution to the program, parents/guardians agree to maintain a home Internet connection to support their students’ academic program.