Open House 2021-2022

Today is Open House for the 2021-2022 school year. Links to the schedule and Zooms can be found on the HeathcoteGateway.

Some resources to get parents started for the year

• HeathcoteGateway – links to online services and tutorials for access and use
• HeathcoteTech blog – this site; a place for resources, tutorials, published work, etc
  • Posts of note
    • Responsible Use Policy – all students need to view the video and fill out the online Form with the help of a parent – we are not accepting paper copies
    • A word about Wifi – published last year to support hybrid but still a relevant post as we’re still in the midst of COVID and virtual possibilities

Here are some points about the start of the year that might answer some questions

• The technology program is back to the original format. What this means is technology is not a regularly scheduled prep. Instead, teachers book time with me and we plan and teach together to integrate technology into all aspects of the curriculum. Often this amounts to 1x a 6-day cycle, but when projects are in full swing there are often times I will push in to classes more than 1x a cycle or I will do quick pop-ins to check on progress and assist with question in between traditional lesson times.
• We are planning on opening the Lab and having students come to it, however we are not yet ready. The start of the year had the emphasis on getting devices into student hands as the number one priority. Now that things have settled down we will begin to build the lab. The need to “build the lab” is 2-fold;
  1. last year the lab was converted into a 1st grade classroom so it is a matter of getting all the necessary furniture back and setting up all the computers.
  2. we have to make adjustments to the configuration to ensure 3 feet of distance between students/desktops and that requires additional tweaks to power and ethernet cabling to ensure proper distance while also ensuring cable safety.
• Login access for apps are given out to students as the apps are introduced and reviewed during formal lessons. Some apps such as BrainPop and IXL get set up before apps such as CodeSpark because we focus on core-curriculum apps first. Students will be given access to tech-centric apps, such as Kodable and CodeSpark, during formal lessons after all core-curriculum setup is finished.
• The HeathcoteGateway has not only links for login but also directions. Not every app/platform has the same login process. This is a vendor-by-vendor configuration, we often have no say in how students log in to the various services and apps. The HeathcoteGateway exists to help facilitate login with specific app-by-app instructions and tutorials

Looking forward to another great year.