Basic+Steps

=Basic Tasks for Teachers =

About
Welcome back to Wakisha. If you are a returning teacher, the following tasks are a good reference if you need a reminder how to do various things, or if you are looking for more information. If you are a new teacher, the following tasks will help you finish the New Staff Technology Orientation. These tasks are designed to help you complete everyday tasks within Wakisha Charter School.

This is also a reminder that the principal has requested that each of you send a postcard or letter to your students welcoming them to Wakisha and provide them a list of supplies needed for the start of the school year. We are required to ask each parent to write a letter or note telling about their child and the student write a short autobiographical letter or note. As teachers get their rosters and meet with the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade teams this process will most likely ensue. Teachers who teach more than one grade should make sure to participate in some way with all the grade teams their students are from in order to facilitate this process.



Setup Your Telephone
The following document contains the instructions for setting up the telephone in your room. A tip: when asked for password, simply hit the # sign again and you will be prompted to enter a new password. The following document is a user key to operating the telephone.



Setting up your computer
Your login for your computer is your firstinitial plus your last name (ie: John Smith would be //jsmith//). Your initial login is wrti901. It is highly imperitive that you change it to a password of your choosing. (Hold //Ctrl// + //Alt// + //Delete//, at the menu then select the //Change Password// button.)


 * Using printers.** Not all printers are available to all the Wakisha family. The following list describes the printers you can access when you print a document and who can use which ones.


 * Lock Print.** You can create one or several locked print jobs which holds your document(s) until you reach the printer physically and input your copier code. This helps to avoid mixing up the printout with others or the document being pick-up accidentally by others. This function is useful when you want to print confidential documents. Here's how:

Using Email
Teachers are expected to check their inboxes and their email daily. Therefore, it is important for you to know how to access your email.

There are two methods for using your email from a school computer. It is recommended that you use //Outlook// for your classroom computer and the Internet method from a school computer that is not your own.

>
 * ** Using //Outlook//. **
 * Select //Outlook// from your desktop.
 * Follow the instructions for the Outlook Mail Wizard.
 * At the screen prompt asking you for **Exchange Type**, select Microsoft Exchange Server
 * At the **Exchange Server Settings** screen,
 * type in //netcon// in the **Microsoft Exchange Server** field.
 * type in your user name (first initial plus last name, like //jsmith// for John Smith) and the password you selected for your computer.
 * Click the **Finish** button.
 * You are now set up. In the future, just click the //Outlook// button to access your email.


 * ** The Internet Method. **
 * Click on the **//Internet Explorer//** Button on your computer desktop.
 * Click on the link called //**(web-based mail)**// [[image:homepage.JPG]]
 * ** Log in with your login and password. **

If you want to log in and check your Wakisha email from a computer outside of Wakisha, just click the below link. You may want to email this link to your home/personal email account so you’ll have it at home. http://mail.wakisha.net:19107/exchange The login and password are the same as for your school computer.

Preparing Lessons
The following are some tips from the University of Hawaii in preparing lessons:

"One of the primary roles that you will perform as a teacher is that of designer and implementor of instruction. Teachers at every level prepare plans that aid in the organization and delivery of their daily lessons. These plans vary widely in the style and degree of specificity. Some instructors prefer to construct elaborate detailed and impeccably typed outlines; others rely on the briefest of notes handwritten on scratch pads or on the backs of discarded envelopes. Regardless of the format, all teachers need to make wise decisions about the strategies and methods they will employ to help students move systematically toward learner goals.

"Teachers need more than a vague, or even a precise, notion of educational goals and objectives to be able to sequence these objectives or to be proficient in the skills and knowledge of a particular discipline. The effective teacher also needs to develop a plan to provide direction toward the attainment of the selected objectives. The more organized a teacher is, the more effective the teaching, and thus the learning, is. Writing daily lesson plans is a large part of being organized.

"Several lesson plan outlines will be presented. You as a teacher will probably begin by choosing a desirable outline and sticking fairly close to it. Planning and classroom delivery innovations usually come once you are in the classroom with your own set of learners, have developed your own instructional resources, and have experimented with various strategies. Although fundamental lesson planning elements tend to remain unchanged, their basic formula is always modified to suit the individual teacher's lesson preparation or style of presentation. "The lesson plan is a dreaded part of instruction that most teachers detest. It nevertheless provides a guide for managing the learning environment and is essential if a substitute teacher is to be effective and efficient. Three stages of lesson planning follow: Stage 1: Pre-Lesson Preparation Stage 2: Lesson Planning and Implementation Stage 3: Post-Lesson Activities
 * 1) Goals
 * 2) Content
 * 3) Student entry level
 * 1) Unit title
 * 2) Instructional goals
 * 3) Objectives
 * 4) Rationale
 * 5) Content
 * 6) Instructional procedures
 * 7) Evaluation procedures
 * 8) Materials
 * 1) Lesson evaluation and revision

"Lesson planning involves much more than making arbitrary decisions about "what I'm going to teach today." Many activities precede the process of designing and implementing a lesson plan. Similarly, the job of systematic lesson planning is not complete until after the instructor has assessed both the learner's attainment of the anticipated outcomes and effectiveness of the lesson in leading learners to these outcomes. "One final word. Even teachers who develop highly structured and detailed plans rarely adhere to them in lock-step fashion. Such rigidity would probably hinder, rather than help, the teaching-learning process. The elements of your lesson plan should be thought of as guiding principles to be applied as aids, but not blueprints, to systematic instruction. Precise preparation must allow for flexible delivery. During actual classroom interaction, the instructor needs to make adaptations and to add artistry to each lesson plan and classroom delivery. "

Wakisha Grading Standards:
* All subject grades are cumulative from September to June
 * ~ Grade ||~ Average ||~ Standing ||
 * < A ||= 94-100 ||= Advanced ||
 * < B+ ||= 90-93 ||= Proficient ||
 * < B ||= 84-89 ||= Proficient ||
 * < C+ ||= 80-83 ||= Proficient ||
 * < C ||= 74-79 ||= Proficient ||
 * < D+ ||= 70-73 ||= Basic ||
 * < D ||= 64-69 ||= Basic ||
 * < F ||= 0-63 ||= Below Basic ||

 Grades come out four times a year: November, February, April and at the end of the school year. You will need to submit your final grades by way of PowerSchool, so please take advantage of the on-line tutorials and professional development opportunities to learn how to input grades.
 * === Quarterly Grades ===

Interim reports will be issued approximately one month prior to the distribution of report cards. This report will inform parents of students who are failing, performing successfully, misbehaving and having attendance/lateness problems. Interim reports are mailed to parents and a copy is kept at school.
 * **Interim Grades****﻿**



School Calendar
In addition to the school calendar on this website, school calendar, we have a school calendar in Outlook. After you set up your Outlook account, go to the All Public Folders to find our school calendar. It currently has holidays, staff birthdays, PSSA testing, and a few school events. Once you find it, you can drag it to your Favorite Folders for ease in viewing. As dates for class/field trips, fundraisers, teacher team meetings, PTSA meetings and other school events that you are planning are finalized, please add them to the calendar so that everyone will be informed and supportive. Importantly, we don’t want to over-schedule so please refer to the calendar as you plan. If you have any difficulty adding items, please email the dates to cblack@wakisha.net and she will be happy to add them for you.



Using PowerSchool
We have powerful software for teachers that enables you to


 * look up student information
 * get your class roster
 * take or check attendance
 * post assignments and grades

To access PowerSchool, Find the icon on your desktop: At the login screen, use your first initial and last name as your login and the password you have been provided. Go here to find directions on using PowerSchool. At PowerSchool, set up your first assignments for your classes and build yourself a seating chart to be ready to go on your first day of school.

Technology Experience Poll.-
Follow the link to our poll to tell us a bit about your experience with technology both in the classroom and outside of the classroom. The poll can be accessed on this page.



Editing Your Teacher Web Page
Teachers are expected to maintain a teacher web page. A web page has already been started for you. On the //Scholastic// web page, you will go to the [|web site builder] Iin order to edit your web page. Your log-in is **//your email address//** and your password is **wrti901**. It is highly recommended you change your password immediately. Using this web page, you can easily communicate with parents and students about daily homework assignments, project deadlines, and other classroom events you want parents and students to know. You can also post reminders about due dates for papers, quizzes, and tests. In this manner, you can keep a running log of assignments and due dates that any student in your class can access from a computer at home or at the library. Your students can log into your website by using **//wakisha&your room number//** (ie: wakisha202) for a login and **//wakisha//** for a password. Click here for a quick look at the teacher web pages.

Setting up a class wiki page
Some teachers enjoy having a web site that students be a part of or contribute to. You can create a wiki for your classes. It is not required to have a wiki page but if you would like to participate in making a wiki for your classes, you can follow the directions below to create your very own classroom wiki. The following directions will explain how to create an educational wiki and create a log in to Wikispaces.