Articles Archive For: May 2012
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Three Blog Posts We Loved in May
April showers bring May flowers, but what comes in June? It’s hard for me to believe that another month has come and gone! And as much as I have loved the May flowers, I am looking forward to the summer break in June.
So as we wave goodbye to May and the end of the school year, I would like to highlight some blog posts that touch base on what we all love—summer! Here are three blog posts that I found invigorating:What Schools Can Learn from Summer Camps, shared by MindShift, …
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PowerSchool SMS 8.0 (formerly Chancery SMS) is here!
We are pleased to announce that PowerSchool SMS 8.0, ParentCONNECTxp 4.1, and PowerTeacher Mobile for PowerSchool SMS customers were all successfully launched today!
What was formerly known as Chancery SMS is now PowerSchool SMS 8.0, and it brings new features and enhancements too! Rest assured, this is still the same product you have come to rely on for all of your student data management needs and with a fresh new look, this release provides you with workflow and usability enhancements throughout the application. Combined with customer feedback and the latest web design standards, the overall user … -
Announcing PowerSchool 7.2 and PowerTeacher 2.5!
We are thrilled to announce that PowerSchool 7.2 and PowerTeacher 2.5 are now available for download on PowerSource! The release includes new features such as a new PowerTeacher seating chart with free-form and standard drag-and-drop functionality that includes attendance tools for teachers. We are also announcing user-configurable data validation and reporting, comment bank enhancements, session management, and more! We could not have done this without the requests, suggestions, and feedback from our customers.
PowerSchool 7.2 Key Features Include:User-configurable data validation rules for student and teacher records
Data Validation Report to identify … -
Four Ways to Effectively Communicate with Parents
It’s no mystery that the way we communicate is continually changing. The other day I walked out to my mailbox to grab my mail, and I couldn’t keep my mind from pondering the thought of how messages are more effectively communicated to me when it comes from my computer or smart phone. I am more apt to taking action or responding, and the probability that I will remember the message is much stronger– that’s if my mind isn’t boggled down with a million other things.
So with this thought in mind, …
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Please, Not Another Post About Common Core State Standards
Is it just me? Or are we seeing a significant increase in the number of articles and stories about the Common Core State Standards in newspapers, on television, and in the blogosphere? I guess it makes sense that the closer we get to the 2014-2015 school year (the first year that students will be tested on the new standards) the more public interest in the standards will develop.
What surprised me recently, however, is the amount of this coverage that is controversial. I first encountered this when a neighbor of mine … -
What I Did on My Summer Vacation: I Went to PowerSchool University!
Remember that age-old, first-week-back-to-school writing assignment, “What I Did on My Summer Vacation”? To be perfectly frank, my summers growing up were usually filled with yard work and babysitting my younger siblings. I was always jealous of the “my-family-went-to-Disneyland” kids…
Another summer approaches, and if you had to write an essay at the end of it, what would you want to say you accomplished? If you join us at PowerSchool University (PSU), you could say something like:
This summer I was able to visit _________ (fill in the blank: St. Louis, Disneyland/Anaheim, … -
End of Year Teacher Reflection
Self-reflection at the end of each year is an important part of professional development. Teaching is a unique profession in that it allows us a fresh slate at the start of each new school year. We can keep what has worked in the past, toss the failures, and implement new strategies and approaches.
If you have time, you might ask your students what worked for them this year. Were there any units or activities that really stood out to them? Was there anything they would not do over even if they …
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Awesome Android™ Apps for Education
Tech news sites love to debate Apple® apps versus Android™, and just about everyone you ask (your students included!) will have an opinion on which is better. Apple® products gained an early foothold in education, but Android™ is not far behind and they’re gaining fast.
Google Play now offers a wide variety of excellent education apps for Android™ smart devices. Here are a few worth sharing with your students:
Oregon Trail: American Settler– If you grew up playing this classic game in your elementary school computer lab, you’ll be glad to see …
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Encouraging Summer Reading
According to Commissioner of the New York State Education Department, John B. King, Jr., “Statistics point to the disappointing loss of learning that takes place when young people are not in school during the summer. The effects of summer learning loss are especially dramatic for students from high-needs communities.” One study showed that students lost up to one full month of learning during their summer break. Creating solid summer reading habits can greatly reduce “summer slide.”
Many public libraries offer fun summer reading programs for kids and teens. Encourage students to …
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Teacher Appreciation Week 2012
A leader is someone who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal. When one reflects about whom a leader is, he or she may be quick to think of a CEO of a large corporation, a president or prime minister of a country, or a modern day coach of a major professional sport. However, while these leaders are spectacular, some of the most underexposed and unspoken leaders of our time are those who stand in front of a classroom.
I want you to think of a small …