Target Group: Only for educators who have ActivInspire available to them on a district laptop.

Prerequisite: Staff who work with ActivInspire on a near daily basis and have taken an introductory training of some kind.

ActivInspire is a powerful tool that teachers can use in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard, slate, or set of interactive response systems to create and share lesson material with students. Through monthly user groups, teachers already working with Promethean hardware and software will learn, work and network with other users as they learn how to:

become aware of and increase the interactive elements of their flipchart lessons

embed files and resources from other applications into a flipchart

access Promethean Planet, a free network of teachers and resources for ActivInspire users

access St. Vrain shared flipcharts and online conversations around their use

save and publish their flipcharts

Target Group: Mead HS teachers

Mead High School is opening with a lot of new technology in the classrooms which teachers need to be trained in the use of. This study team will become familiar with this technology so they can utilize it in daily lesson plans and also be able to train new teachers as they come on board.

Target Group: Classsroom teachers who have access to Macintosh computers. (Note: a Windows podcasting course will be taught at a later date).

Podcasts are subscribe-able media files that can be listened to on a computer or a portable device such as an iPod. While there are thousands of free podcasts online, creating your own with students is a great way to share class news or summarize learning. It´s easy to get started with your own podcast series using GarageBand.

By the end of this course, you will:

Identify existing podcasts that relate to your curriculum area

Record and edit audio using GarageBand

Add effects, jingles, and visuals to a GarageBand recording

Explore advanced audio editing tools in Garageband

Develop a classroom podcast project to complete with your students

Understand how to use district resources to publish the final product

Target Group: All Staff and Community Members

Prerequisite: Registrants need to have an Outlook account

Just beginning to use Outlook as an e-mail and organizing tool?

This class is for you.

Learn:

• the basic skills to send and receive e-mail

• save, store, file and retrieve e-mails

Target Group: Nutrition Service Staff Only

Prerequisite: Registrants need to have an Outlook account

Just beginning to use Outlook as an e-mail and organizing tool?

This class is for you.

Learn:

• the basic skills to send and receive e-mail

• save, store, file and retrieve e-mails

Target Group: All Staff and Community Members

Prerequisite: Registrants need to have completed "Using MS Outlook to Increase Effectiveness and Productivity (Basic)"

Need more time in your day?

Interested in using the capabilities of Outlook to:

• decrease the emails in your inbox
• create group e mail lists
• use the task function to organize your day
• use the calendar effectively
• create notes and much more?

This is the class for you!

 

Target Group: All Staff and Community Members

Prerequisite: Registrants need to have completed "Using MS Outlook to Increase Effectiveness and Productivity (Basic)"

Need more time in your day?

Interested in using the capabilities of Outlook to:

• decrease the emails in your inbox
• create group e mail lists
• use the task function to organize your day
• use the calendar effectively
• create notes and much more?

This is the class for you!

Target Group: Fall River staff

Fall River will develop a way to document data. This group will:

understand the basic functions of Excel and how to effectively use it

develop systems to organize data that will help guide classroom instruction

create more efficient records for RtI data

create groupings of students for enrichment/intervention time more efficiently

make data tracking systems that easily make comparisons and draw conclusions

Target Audience: Classified Staff who need to create good looking materials.

After learning the basics of the MS Publisher program, including newsletters, Quick Publications, advertisements, table tents, etc., participants will create a simple newsletter using templates, clip art and text boxes.

Bring ideas for your newsletter as well as other publications you might want to develop.

Prerequisite Skills required:

• You must have basic MS Word skills to participate in this class.
• The class will include practice activities in the form of homework.
• If you have actual work tasks that you can use to apply the skills such as fliers, newsletters, etc., this would be ideal.

Target Group: Central Elementary teachers

This group will work hands-on with computers and related technologies to develop a thorough understanding of each form of technology and how each can be used in our inquiry-based classrooms.

Target Group: Teachers new to Black Rock Elementary

New staff members will learn about the features of the technology at Black Rock Elementary. They will learn creative ways to use it to improve instruction and student learning.

Each participant will create a flipchart for use in their classroom. Participants will share their flipcharts and ask questions about how pages were made, how videos and other media were embedded, and how effects were created to engage students and keep them focused on the lesson. Each participant will post their flipchart on the virtual campus so that teachers at other buildings can view and use these flipcharts.

Target Group: Niwot HS teachers

This project will start with the basic Promethean software and hardware that is being installed in many of the NHS classrooms. They will then break into groups based on needs - some teachers may feel it less than necessary to learn all the bells and whistles of the Promethean boards and may want to spend time developing lessons with other technologies.

Target Audience:

Have you been asked to create a budget, track members of an organization, or put together an expense sheet for a school fund raiser and you did not know how to begin?

Excel is just the program to learn and this is your class! If you have never used the program before but, have PC Windows and Excel on your computer, register for the class!

Overall outcomes:

• Understand the basic tools and functions of Excel
• Hands on experience creating spreadsheets
• Learn some simple tricks to impress your co-workers and supervisor.
• Introduce Atomic Learning and Excel Help

Target Audience: All Staff, i.e., District employees who need to use Excel to do data analysis and data entry as part of their work requirements. and Community members

Requirements:

• Participants must have completed "Using MS Excel to Increase Effectiveness and Productivity - (Basic) or obtain instructor permission

• Participants must have a use for MS Excel applications in their job in order to register for this class.

• Participants must bring actual work tasks requiring the use of these Excel with them to work on in class Prerequisite skills:

Unlock the power of Microsoft Excel. Learn tricks that will allow you to automate your work and eliminate room for error. Save time by learning how to make Excel work for you. Topics include navigating excel effectively, using formatting features, using graphics features, using excel¡¦s built in tools, using conditional formatting and functions, customizing excel, and moving information from excel to word efficiently.

Overall Outcomes

Participants will:

• Demonstrate more proficient use of tools and concepts within Microsoft Excel

• Develop a portfolio of work related documents

Sessions 1 & 2: Focus ¡V Review Spreadsheet Usage

Outcomes:

• Basic Commands and Shortcuts

• Navigating Workbooks

• Formatting Cells

• Merging Cells

• Advanced Formatting Tools

• Creating Tables

Portfolio Evidence:

• „P Produce a variety of work-related documents that show proficiency with intermediate level spreadsheet usage.

• „P Create a workbook that will be used to practice concepts covered in future sessions.

Sessions 3 & 4: Focus ¡V Creating Captivating Spreadsheets

Outcomes:

• Using Color

• Working with Clip Art

• Adding Passwords

• Keeping Documents Protected

Portfolio Evidence:
„P Produce a variety of work-related documents that are both useful and eye-catching.
„P Update workbook created in 1st session using advanced formatting and design elements.

Sessions 5 & 6: Focus: Data Analysis

Outcomes:

• Sorting Data

• Filtering Data

• Using Formulas

• Creating Charts

Portfolio Evidence:

• Produce a variety of work-related documents that show proficiency with data analysis tools.

• Update workbook by adding formulas, charts, and data analysis tools.

Sessions 7 & 8: Focus ¡V Advanced Topics

Outcomes:

• Using Online Help

• Getting answers to questions

• Using Hyperlinks within a Spreadsheet

• Using Document Templates

• Moving Information to and from Word

• Review

Portfolio Evidence:

• Produce a variety of work-related documents that show proficiency with intermediate level excel usage.
  

Target Group: District Employees and Community Members who need to learn how to use Microsoft Word.

This course provides an overview of basic instructions for the Microsoft Word. This course will create groundwork of introductory and basic Word skills to create proficiency for beginner users. It will also provide definitions of many Word features as an introduction in order to build on skills and expertise into later Microsoft Word courses.

Prerequisite skills: Since this is an introduction to Word, prerequisites consist of a desire to learn Windows with the understanding of how to use a mouse and VERY basic computer abilities and currently use the computer for e mail and to access district computer from home if you have a home computer.  

Requirements:

• Participants must have a use for MS Word applications in their job in order to register for this class
• Participants must bring actual work tasks requiring the use of Word with them to work on in class
• Participants attend all four sessions to receive credit.

Overall outcomes:

Participants will:

Develop a portfolio of work related documents within Microsoft Word

Session 1: Focus – Definitions of Microsoft Word menus, toolbars, and task pane

Outcomes:

• Define file, edit, view, etc. menus and submenus
• Define standard toolbar buttons Define formatting toolbar buttons
• Define drawing toolbar buttons
• Define and understand usage of Word task page
• Working with Word rulers and scroll bars

Portfolio Evidence:

• List of basic vocabulary words to increase understanding of terms
• Microsoft Word Quick Review Page

Session 2: Focus – Microsoft Word Usage

Outcomes:

• Opening / closing Word windows vs exiting application
• Minimizing documents / Word windows / application
• Copying / moving / saving / renaming Word documents Difference between save and save as…
• Entering text into a document
• Organizing documents within folders for efficiency

Portfolio Evidence:

• List of basic vocabulary words to increase understanding of terms
• Exercise sheet to complete tasks for review and understanding

Session 3: Focus - Microsoft Word Basics

Outcomes:

• Manipulating text and usage of fonts
• Basic text editing
• Understanding page setup settings and features
• Setting tabs / columns / paragraph settings
• Formatting paragraphs and documents
• Basics of thesaurus and dictionaries

Portfolio Evidence:

• Complete exercises from training book
• Exercise sheet to complete tasks for review and understanding

Session 4: Focus - Microsoft Word Basics

Outcomes:

• Basic usage of spelling and grammar check
• Using auto-correct features
• Selecting a printer / Print Preview / printing documents
• Save vs Save As… command
• More efficient use of office clipboard – copy / cut / paste
• Basic use of help menu / internet help
• Basics of headers and footers

Portfolio Evidence:

• Complete exercises from training book
• Exercise sheet to complete tasks for review and understanding

Target Audience: St. Vrain staff members and Community Members

Requirements:

• Participants must have a use for MS Word applications in their job in order to register for this class.
• Participants must bring actual work tasks requiring the use of Word with them to work on in class
• Participants will be asked to do homework assignments as part of their credit requirement.

This course provides an overview of the capabilities of Microsoft Word, including using tables, charts, and graphics, creating form letters and labels, creating forms and templates, collaborating with others, working with footnotes and bookmarks, creating tables of contents and indexes, and customizing Word.

Overall outcomes:

Participants will:

• Demonstrate more proficient use of tools and concepts within Microsoft Word
• Develop a portfolio of work related documents

1: Focus – Microsoft Word Intermediate

Outcomes

• Using the insert table button

• Using the draw table button

• Inserting text into a table

• Merging cells into a table

• Changing column width and row height

• Adding a border to a table

• Working with gridlines in a table

• Auto format table

• Selecting table areas

• Rotating text in a table

• Splitting table cells

• Deleting rows or columns within tables

Portfolio Evidence:

• Produce a variety of work-related documents that contain a variety of custom settings, fonts, layouts, and line spacing

• Create a multi-page document with a variety of layouts to show understanding of page breaks

2: Focus - Microsoft Word Intermediate

Outcomes:

• Working with basic graphic features

• Creating a draw object

• Object placement

• Fill effects

• Working with Clip Art task pane

• Importing data into a chart

• Assigning a password to a document

• Inserting and modifying a diagram

• Creating and editing a chart

• Inserting and modifying a chart

Portfolio evidence:

• Produce a variety of work related documents that include tables

• Create a document using the auto-format features to show understanding of template options

3: Focus - Microsoft Word Intermediate

Outcomes:

• Advanced use of auto format options

• Advanced use of auto format templates

• Working with footnotes and endnotes options

• Creating and using paragraph styles templates

• Using auto correct tool

• Using document templates

• Advance use of page options

• Using hyperlinks within a documents

Portfolio Evidence:

• Produce a variety of work related documents that include graphics and charts

• Create a document that contains a password and demonstrates creative use of clip art and fill effects

4: Focus - Microsoft Word Intermediate

Outcomes:

• Using the mail merge task pane

• Creating a data source for mail merges

• Creating mailing labels

• Printing labels

• Sorting and working with tables

• Merging documents

• Transferring documents between Mac and PC

• Advanced use of help menu

Portfolio Evidence:

• Produce a variety of work related documents hyperlinks, footnotes, and endnotes

• Create a mail merge