Backing Up Your Aspen Gradebook

I can't imagine the horror of losing even a single assignment to Aspen's digital whims, and really feel for anyone who lost an entire quarter's grades. The suggestion to backup your gradebook regularly is something I should have made long ago. For at least one colleague, backing up is too late. Did Aspen eat the grades? Was the wrong 'option' accidentally chosen? No one knows. But, understand that future loss of assignments and grades can be eliminated. The video below shows one simple, quick, solid method to backup your Aspen gradebook. Repeat after me:  "I will learn how to backup my gradebook today, and will backup my gradebook on a regular basis."

Aspen Average Errors

Aspen is presenting fuzzy numbers for some teachers in the semester 2 column of their Aspen gradebooks. I do not know why, and I am unable to offer a fix for the issue. Higher powers are going to have conjure a solution, or, perhaps, show us what we are doing wrong with our gradebooks. There is a view in Aspen, however, which will provide semester two averages using numbers that are in sharper focus. The settings you can use to display the correct semester 2 average are detailed in the video below.

On a related note, while researching the average calculation error issue, I discovered that not all teachers are sure about options for calculating quarter averages. Aspen does correctly calculate quarter averages, but uses one of four methods to do so. You need to choose the method(s) that make sense for your situation. This quick read highlights the various methods used by Aspen to calculate averages. You should review it to be certain that the averages are being calculated according to your preferred method. Understanding how quarter averages are calculated is important because order of operations differences between methods can sway quarter averages slightly. Again, you should review the quarter average calculation methods. The video below shows how the average calculation options can be set.

Plenty of bits per second

During a recent conversation with our IT Director, Jeff, he quoted some amazing numbers about our district's bandwidth.

• Bandwidth 2014-2015:  250 Mbps with burst rates to 375 Mbps
• 2014-2015 cost:  ~20K
• Bandwidth 2015-2016:  500 Mbps with burst rates to 750 Mbps
• 2015-2016 cost: ~20K

Nerds and bandwidth hogs rejoice. EWG's bandwidth is incredible!

Problem Solving in Grade 5 Math

A few weeks ago, students in Mrs. Gouveia's fifth grade math classes recently completed a collaborative problem solving project and they used flip chart paper to illustrate their solutions.

Flip Chart Problem Solving

Tuesday of this week, Mrs. Gouveia and her students used Google Drawings to collaborate on a similar project. I had the distinct pleasure of working with her students to demo the software and help squelch any technical issues. Happily, EWG's technology remained innocuous and once again, the wireless systems and Chromebooks rocked. Kids were not just engaged, but empowered, and used processes they will be expected to master for classes in Metcalf and beyond. Watching students move beyond simply 'getting the right answer' to describing in detail how a unique, correct solution was reached was an eye opener. Rich, collaborative conversation about how and why solutions work was had. In addition to solving the problems, students learned how to

• Use technology to illustrate and narrate a solution
• Use technology to collaborate
• Practice good digital citizenship
• Present completed works with technology
• Write about a solution
• Have a blast!

Digital Drawing Problem Solving

If you would like me to work with your students on similar projects, contact me. Let's have a conversation about student learning objectives and how incorporating technology can improve teaching and learning.

Two In One

Colleagues recently asked how to remove images from the library's iPads. Wether the images are consuming too much storage space, or the images are simply inappropriate, the following sixty second clip can help turn you into an iPad cleansing super power.

Occasionally, we all make mistakes editing documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. Sometimes, the mistakes are horrific, panic inducing events. Don't worry. Google's office tools have a feature called Revision History that lets you go back in time to restore documents to the state they enjoyed prior to your 'major whoops'.  The video below illustrates how to use revision history.

Windows Password and Wireless?

This morning, I worked with a teacher who could not connect to the ewg_staff wireless network with her MacBook Air. She is one of a few teachers who makes frequent use of a windows workstation connected to the EWG network. Interestingly, the same login name (first_last) used to login to an EWG windows workstation also permits wireless connections to ewg_staff. Last week, she changed her windows password. I'll leave what happens to your MacBook's connection to ewg_staff to your imagination. If you change your windows password, that new windows password becomes your password for accessing ewg_staff. Yes, you will need to reconnect your MacBook to ewg_staff using your *new* windows password. 

Metcalf's Wireless and Fourth Graders Rock!

Working with two fourth grade classes on a compare and contrast presentation project was a blast, today. Two classes of students packed into one classroom and opened 46 Chromebooks. Add to that a couple of Macbooks, a few phones, and an iPad, and we were over 50 devices.The Aruba access point(s) performed perfectly. No one dropped a connection, and the bandwidth was good enough to provide awesome responsiveness. I need an "I love my Arubua Access Point" bumper sticker.



I've mentioned a number of times that what is taking place in the elementary schools is going to be disruptive to the junior and senior high schools. I mean that in a good way. Third graders are using learning management systems, and sixth graders are editing video. Today, fourth graders made their first presentations. For all but a few, it was their first experience creating a presentation. Ever! The results were beyond our expectations, as the students created amazing work. Look out world! We'll post some samples later.