Tech Tools - Management

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Common Goal’s TeacherEase aids school administrators in managing and monitoring the gamut of what an elementary or secondary school does, so that teachers and administrators can concentrate on students and learning. It integrates curriculum,
standards, lesson plans, grades, and report cards into one interface. A free trial of the program is available. www.schoolinsight.com; 630-592-4200

From schedules to online applications, PCR Educator aims at nothing short of putting every part of a modern school’s operations online. There are web-based segments for admissions, scheduling, development, and registration, as well as a module for summer programs. www.pcreducator.com; 301-947-7380

Rather than struggling with separate programs for managing all the things a school does, RenWeb integrates the needs of the class, office, and home into one interface. The software can handle everything from grades and attendance to medical records and student information in one database and provides access to administrators and teachers based on need. www.renweb.com; 866-800-6593

STAFF AND FACILITIES

With modules for creating work orders, scheduling preventive maintenance, and the ability to track a school’s assets, SchoolDude makes better use of a custodial staff and also cuts expenses by controlling every aspect of maintenance. The software can alert administrators to neglected items and even send wireless messages to maintenance workers to better manage limited resources. www.schooldude.com; 877-868-3833

With HealthMaster’s HealthOffice 5.2, the school nurse can stop worrying about immunizations and health records and concentrate on the well-being of students. The software helps build care plans, documents every visit to the nurse’s office, and adds to the school’s bottom line by identifying those services that insurance or Medicaid can cover.
www.healthmaster.com; 248-960-8900

By using eLunchroom, schools can turn the cafeteria from a loss leader into a moneymaker by tracking all student purchases and ease working with the federal school lunch program. Capable of generating a variety of reports, the software works with cash registers and shows which meals are selling well and which are being joked about.

Teaching With Technology: Techno Tools for Assessment
Adapting technological gadgets like video cameras and cassette recorders and even digital cameras and web sites for classroom use can enrich parental involvement with their young students. When teachers communicate with parents using such hi-tech methods, parents can gain a better idea of their children's ongoing development.

From the Beltway: Tech Support That Works
Four inexpensive tech-support options to help your school achieve a successful technology implementation.

Face to Face: Alan Kay Still Waiting for the Revolution
Since inventing much of the technology behind personal computing in the late 1960s, Alan Kay has dedicated his work to developing better learning environments for children. Now a senior researcher at HP and the president of Viewpoints Research Institute, Kay is launching Squeak, a multimedia authoring tool that allows children to construct dynamic simulations of real-world phenomena.

LESSON PLAN

Let's Learn About Firefighters! Presents a lesson plan focusing on fire safety and prevention through reading, writing, and brain storming sessions.