If you pass by rooms 22, 24 and 26 in Perry Junior High, you will notice some exciting things going on with technology integration in the modern (formerly known as foreign) language classrooms. Recently, through a past bond issue, the three classrooms have each been equipped with a ceiling mounted LCD projector, a new screen, a DVD/VCR player and a SuperDrive eMac all hooked up to a sound system which is broadcast through six ceiling mounted speakers. There is also a cart of 25 MacBook student laptops. Each MacBook has a built-in iSight video camera as well as wireless file server and Internet capability. The concept was derived from a committee made up of language teachers and the district technology team. The objective was to create a functional, yet practical, language lab in the junior high that would address the modern language teacher’s needs in instruction while incorporating technology trends into the curriculum. After months of research and discussions, the language lab concept developed into three language lab “capable” classrooms where the teachers have been able to implement many new projects. For example, students in Srta. Homa’s class (a few of which pictured above working with Srta. Homa on one of the new laptops) will soon do a newscast for their MUT in Spanish where they will make an iMovie without a Camera. The images for the project will be imported via iPhoto and student narrations in Spanish will be recorded in iMovie. he laptops also have a new software program on them by Apple called Photo Booth. Used in combination with the laptop's bulit-in camera, students can take a picture of themselves and/or items in relation to the project and then add cool, fun effects to the images captured. Students can import these images into iMovie and add them to their news story along with the pictures they gathered or captured elsewhere. Students will be evaluated on a rubric which is an adaptation of the 6th grade’s “Gods and Goddesses” iMovie project being used as part of the district’s evolving SDLP initatives. On a daily basis, the ML teachers have been using the LCD projectors and their computers for the “bell work” of the day. Often a website, PowerPoint or podcast are used to engage the students in the lesson of the day. Many have used YouTube and Google Video to show short videos of cooking, sports, house and home, art and other topics which are all in the target language for students to see the culture and hear the pronunciation. As for other instructional iniatives with the new equipment, Sr. Groah has used Garageband to create short podcasts of the vocabulary lists in Spanish and French which students can access on his school webpage. Some of Sr. Groah’s students have also used the laptops to present vocabulary and basic verb conjugations for their Midterm project. Srta. Homa’s students have searched two internet scavenger hunts on their laptops in which they can “visit” the Prado museum or “order” from a menu in a Spanish restaurant. Sra. Pérez-Belcher and Mrs. Bibik have created PowerPoints for instructing their students showing various grammar points and cultural vignettes.  Frau Lehmann had her students create a PowerPoint presentation of their dream home in German. Madame Grimmer has used the sound system for students to listen to authentic French while Sra. Moll has filmed her Spanish Level 1 students speaking to be made into an iMovie. And, those are just a few of the projects that have been done. ¡Qué maravilla! To learn more about what the language teachers are doing with technology, stop by one of the new digital classrooms. Hopefully, these exiciting technologies will be coming a classroom near you soon!

Most Word users are familiar with how to add bullets to create a list of items in Word. You simply select the items you want bulleted and click on the Bullets button. Simple dots lead each line and indent the items in the list. What many people do not realize is that there are many types of custom bullets that can be easily applied in Microsoft Word documents to help make a document look more attractive, better organized, or to highlight content in a creative way.

Microsoft Word provides users with a variety of bullets to use in documents. Just a few simple "clicks" of the mouse allow you to customize the type of bullets used in your documents. These steps show you how to create a customized bulleted list. (The following instructions assume that a bulleted list has already been created.)

1. Select the bulleted list you want to customize.
2. From the Format menu, select Bullets and Numbering...
   The Bullets and Numbering dialog box appears.
3. Select the Bulleted tab and you will see a number of default bullet types other than dots that are available for use.
4. Select a new bullet option and then click OK. The new bullet style will be applied to your list!
5. To create a new custom bullet style based on a default one, choose the style and then click the Customize... button. The Customize Bulleted List dialog box appears.
6. Under Bullet character, select the desired bullet character.
   
   To change the font color and size of the bullet, click Font... In the window that appears, choose a new font size and color and then click OK.
   
   To select a new symbol for your bullet, click Bullet... In the window that appears, choose a new font and symbol and then click OK.
   
   To select a picture for your bullet, click Picture... In the window that appears, choose a new picture and then click OK.
   
7. The new custom bullets should be appear in the Bullets and Numbering dialog box. Make sure its selected and then click OK. Your new custom bullet style will be applied to your list!

AwesomeStories is a gathering place of primary-source information. Its purpose - since the site was first launched in 1999 - is to help educators and individuals find original sources, located at national archives, libraries, universities, and government web sites. The site evolved from the idea that sources held in archives, which document so much important first-hand information, are often not searchable by popular search engines. One needs to search within those institutional sites directly, using specific search phrases not readily discernible to non-scholars. The experience can be frustrating, resulting in researchers leaving sites without finding needed information. AwesomeStories is all about these primary sources. The stories exist as a way to place original materials in context and to hold those links together in an interesting, cohesive way (thereby encouraging people to look at them). It is a totally different kind of web site in that its purpose is to place primary sources at the forefront - not the opinions of a writer. Its objective is to take a site's users to places where those primary sources are found, and to which the site's users may otherwise not go. The author of each story is listed on the "chapters" page of the story. A link to the author provides more detailed information.

This educational learning tool also is designed to support state and national standards. Each story on the site links to online primary source materials which are selected and positioned in context to enhance reading comprehension, understanding and enjoyment. A wide variety of experts have approved stories on the site, or have assisted with the site's concept. Take a few moments to explore the site to see what it can offer you or your students! The QuickLinks above in this newsletter directly connect you to some of the key areas of this outstanding website.

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Eager to learn about new ways to use Mac OS X even better? Come to our monthly OS X "Talk, Tips & Tricks" session. Find out more.

Below are select technology courses to be offered by the Teacher Center this month. To learn more, log onto My Learning Plan then click the links below for more details about each class and/or to sign up right now online!

Tuesdays, February 6 & 13
Putting the Fire into Fireworks (Intermediate)

Wednesday, February 7
Transfering Your Cassettes & Records to Compact Disc

Thursdays, February 8 & 15
iPhoto Books, Calendars, & Cards - Oh My!!

Wednesday, February 14
How to Develop & Get Content the Plasma TV

Wednesday, February 28
SchoolCenter School: Exploring the New Features of Your School Website - February

iCal Users
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