Be sure to check out the New Teacher Academy on the Issaquah Connect website.

View meeting information by month:  [August] [October] [November] [January] [February]

AUGUST

Morning session Prezi

Afternoon ppt presentation -  mini-booklets, NTA yearlong program, syllabus writing, curriculum night, 100%

Logging into the ISD computer network

Accessing email

Resources available on the ISD computer network

Requesting a substitute

Basics of the Skyward web based grade book

Working from home

Creating your own classroom web presence

Accessing state standards and grade level expectations

#1       Logging into the ISD computer network

You will need to log into the ISD computer network to use any ISD computer.   Your username is usually your last name followed by your first initial (for example, Jon Doe would have the user name “doej”).  Before using the network, please familiarize yourself with the ISD Acceptable Use Procedures for Technology.  Please note that substitute teachers have their own user name and password, so there is no reason for you to give out your personal login information when you will be absent from school. 

#2       Accessing Email

The ISD uses Microsoft Outlook 2007 for email access.  Once you are logged into the computer network, no matter what computer you are using, you will have access to your own emails, tasks, calendar and contacts.  Try opening Microsoft Outlook now.  If you are not familiar with Outlook, take some time to familiarize yourself with the software.  A web based Outlook 2007 user guide might be a helpful resource.

#3       Resources available on the ISD computer network

There are many resources available for you to use on the ISD computer network.  The primary location of all digital resources is the district intranet.  The intranet can be accessed from the ISD webpage.  Click though DISTRICT > STAFF RESOURCES > INTRANET. 

You will be asked to log into the intranet.  Your username is your school domain (SHS, LHS, MMS, etc) followed by a backslash (\) followed by your network login username.  The password is the same as your network login password. 

Once you are logged into the intranet, you will see links to many helpful resources.  Please find and click the links to familiarize yourself with the following:

Send a rave!  Read a rave!  A weekly staff recognition program for acknowledging the great work of our colleagues.

New Teacher Academy – links to a site on which NTA resources, agendas, minutes and files will be posted.

Personnel Services - you'll find several important pieces of information such as: contract, salary schedule, certificated negotiated items, PGIF and ARC forms

Curriculum and Instruction – click the discipline specific link to see what resources have been posted for your use.

T-Home:  Instructional Technology – the homepage for all classroom technology related resources.  Especially helpful resources are:

YouTube override access – the ISD blocks access to YouTube unless an override password is submitted.  To access the YouTube override information, click the CURRICULUM tab from the T-home page.  Follow the link for gaining YouTube access.  Please note:  this password is for teacher use only.  Never give students the password for accessing YouTube.

Tech training opportunities – Click for the schedule of tech classes offered through the ISD. 

Support - you'll find resources and links for assistance on software.

The ISD is migrating the existing Intranet to a new website called “CONNECT.”  Connect can be accessed from the bottom left column of the ISD webpage. 

From the Connect homepage, click the link for GETTING STARTED > EMPLOYEE.  Follow the directions to sign in to your connect account.

Many of the resources on the Intranet are most easily accessed through Connect.  Once you are logged into Connect, use the search bar to search for the New Teacher Academy. 

From the New Teacher Academy page, click to ADD SITE TO FAVORITES.

Now, when ever you log into connect, you will have quick access to the NTA page and the posted resources.  Simply click the favorite places tab on the top right of Connect.  Explore Connect and add other favorite places.

#4       Requesting a Substitute

To request a substitute teacher, click the link for the substitute office from the ISD webpage (DISTRICT > STAFF RESOURCES > SUBSTITUTE OFFICE). 

On the resulting page, click the link to “Continue to I-SAM.”  You will be directed to an online substitute request system.  Login using your last name as the password, your district substitute ID number as the password and select the Issaquah School District.

On the resulting page, you will be asked to enter the details of your absence.  Once complete, be sure to hit the SUMBIT button at the bottom of the page.

At the beginning of the year you will be asked to fill out a substitute information sheet that will go in your sub folder at the school.  Each school's form may be slightly different.  You may want to also attach such documents as:

Classroom rules

Helpful/problem students

Seating Chart

Assembly directions

An "emergency sub plan" in case you had to leave at the last minute and could not put something formal together.  This may be a video, a game, a reading, etc.  It should be something that could be relevant at any time during the year. 

#5       Basics of the Skyward web based grade book

Questions to consider before setting up your grade book:

Do your department and school have an existing policy?  Talk to your department head.

What are effective grading methods?  Read some of the research below:

o        Effective Grading Practices.  Article from Educational Leadership, Feb. 2008.

o        What are Grades for?  Chapter 2 from Marzano's Transforming Classroom Grading.

Accessing the Skyward grade book:

Go to:  http://eaplus.issaquah.wa-k12.net/

Login using your Skyward ID and password. 

Things to do by first day of school:

Print out Class Rosters (you can also convert to Excel to manipulate these how you want)

Make Seating Charts

Download Student Grade and Test History

Setting up your grade book:

Setting up Grading Categories

Establishing "Weighted Categories"

Adding Assignments

Taking attendance:

By name

By seating chart
 

If you get stuck with the grade book - click on "View Tutorial" in the upper right corner and then select "Secondary Grade Book" to see the various topics.

#6       Working from home

To access email from home, type in the following address (putting your username in place of the "username" at the end)

http://mailsvr.issaquah.wednet.edu/exchange/username

Your login name will be your school domain (ex. pcms, ims, shs, ihs) followed by your username

Example:  shs\picassop

Your password is your standard login password. 

To access file stored on the school computer network, follow these directions on how to set up a virtual private network (VPN). 

#7       Creating your own classroom web presence

The teacher contract mandates that all teachers maintain some form of a web presence for their classroom.  You may elect to host your classroom website through a district platform (i.e. Connect) or through a third party web service provider.  Work with your mentor and school level personnel to determine which web format will be best for you.  If you utilize an external web hosting service, be sure to check out these guidelines.

#8       Accessing state standards and grade level expectations

Check out the subject specific digital tools and ideas posted on Connect.   You may want to add this site to your Connect favorites for quick access in the future. 

If applicable, click the link for the state standards for the discipline you will be teaching.  You can also access the standards at the state site (http://standards.ospi.k12.wa.us/).  If you don't have it already, download the full pdf file for the courses you are teaching.  Email the document to yourself.

OCTOBER

We met on October 17th for the first of our six scheduled secondary new teacher academy meetings.  You can check out the presentation here (pdf) The meeting had three main components:

1.  Logistics of the NTA program - who, what, when, where, why...

2.  New teacher evaluation system  -we looked through the summative evaluation form (pdf) and brainstormed  a list of evidence (pdf) you can incorporate into your administrators observation and debriefing to help ensure yourself a contract for next year.

3.  The 100% strategy - techniques to ensure that 100% of your students are attentive during your instruction.

NOVEMBER

We met on November 14th for the second of our six scheduled secondary new teacher academy meetings.  You can check out the presentation here (pdf).  Our meeting focused on the function and process of teacher questioning in the classroom.    We brainstormed the reasons teachers ask questions and compiled a list of guidelines to use when asking questions (doc). 

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

Our February meeting focused on parent communications.  We brainstormed pro-active and re-active strategies for working with parents and role played  various parent interaction scenarios.  You can check out the presentation here (pdf).  The use of Skyward as a means of mass communicating with parents (pdf) was outlined . 

Our next meeting will occur on March 5th.  See you then!