AACPS OIT Byte

 by Darren Towers, Instructional Technology Teacher Specialist LMS Every time I have interviewed for a job and was asked the question about what my strengths are, my first answer is always, “I am very organized.” Throughout my career as an educator I have used this strength to keep myself, my classroom, and my students on the right track. My organizational tools have changed and evolved throughout my career. In the beginning it was color-coded folders or bins and specific spots throughout the classroom students could ALWAYS find the materials they needed for learning. In recent years, as we have shifted to more online or even asynchronous learning, my go-to organizational tools have evolved into an elaborate system of Google Drive folders and sub folders, or even websites to point my students and other teachers toward necessary learning materials. When the Brightspace LMS came along, I was not sure what to expect when it came to organizing learning materials for students and other ...

By Kerri Lambert, Instructional Technology Teacher Specialist Sub plans. A necessary evil in the world of teachers. How many of us have gone to work sick simply because we dreaded having to write up lessons for the day? And when you find a good sub, you cross your fingers they never stop subbing! Adding to the stress of writing sub plans is the ever growing number of digital resources that substitutes need to access in order to fill in for the day. What can they access? What can’t they access something? How can they get all the links and videos needed? To help plan for those inevitable absences, here are some FAQs about substitute teachers and technology: Do I need to leave my log in for the sub? NO!!! Please don’t give your AACPS login information to ANYONE. This is a major security risk both for your personal information and that of your students.   Then how do subs login? All AACPS substitutes have their own AACPS username and password to get them into the system. This is what t...