Technology Department :: Instructional Services

The Technology Department's Instructional Services team is responsible for assisting with the integration of technology in classroom learning, providing software support and training for teachers, and assisting with curriculum development for the K-8 Technology TEKS and high school Technology Applications classes. In the spring of 2004, the Instructional Services team began administering an assessment of student technology skills.  Read the results of that survey in the 2004 Technology Assessment Report (pdf).

TEACHER RESOURCES FOR LESSONS

Internet 4 Classrooms  
Links, lessons, assessment practice, and ideas for all areas are easy to access on this great site.

Department of Education
This US Department of Education site offers a wealth of teaching resources, instructional materials, and ERIC-the largest education database in the world. 

I Keep Bookmarks
Teachers submit resources for all areas of instruction. 

Sail On
Subject area interactive lessons online provided by a collaborative effort of seven public school districts in the Houston area.

The Big 6
The Big6 is an information literacy model. When you apply the Big6 steps, you have an essential framework to approach any information-based question. Go to the LESSONS tab at the top of the page for ideas on how to implement the Big6 in your classroom.

Regional Technology in Education Consortia
The Regional Technology in Education Consortia (R*TEC) program is established to help states, local educational agencies, teachers, school library and media personnel, administrators, and other education entities successfully integrate technologies into kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) classrooms, library media centers, and other educational settings, including adult literacy centers.

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
The Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) is a private, nonprofit education research, development, and dissemination corporation based in Austin.  Improving teaching and learning has been at the heart of SEDL’s work for nearly 40 years.

SouthEast Initiatives Regional Technology in Education Consortium
The SouthEast Initiatives Regional Technology in Education Consortium (SEIR*TEC) is a group of national, regional, and university-based organizations dedicated to promoting the use of technology to improve teaching and learning by providing technical assistance, authentic professional development in the areas of curriculum and instruction, leadership for technology, policy, and planning and evaluation.

PBS TeacherSource
Find over 3000 free lesson plans and activities divided by subject and grade.

PBS Series POINT OF VIEW Lesson Information
P.O.V. documentaries are a valuable resource for teachers and students. Use these companion lesson plans to present P.O.V. films to your class. 
Note: P.O.V. documentaries can be taped off-the-air and used for educational purposes for up to one year from the initial broadcast. 

Marco Polo
MarcoPolo's classroom-ready lesson plans and other teaching materials make it easy to begin integrating Internet resources into your classroom. You'll find primary source materials, interactive student resources and grade-specific research lists to help you tailor materials to your teaching style and needs.

High Plains Regional Technology in Education Consortium
Here you'll find 6 free ways which can help you use technology to enhance teaching, learning, and educational decision-making. 

University of Texas at Austin UTopia
UTOPIA provides all Texas educators easy access to an array of K-12 lesson plans and student activities from The University of Texas at Austin. All the materials are searchable by grade and subject, and most of the lesson plans are TEKS-aligned.

eCybermission
eCYBERMISSION is a web-based science, math and technology competition for 6th through 9th grade teams. Winning projects and lessons are posted on the site.   

CIA World Factbook
The CIA (yes—that CIA) updates this site called the World Factbook to provide the most up-to-date county profiles and reference maps. 

Rubistar
RubiStar is a tool to help the teacher who wants to use rubrics but does not have the time to develop them from scratch. Sign up for free and save your rubrics from year to year.

TrackStar
TrackStar is your starting point for online lessons and activities. Simply collect Web sites, enter them into TrackStar, add annotations for your students, and you have an interactive, online lesson called a Track. Create your own Track or use one of the hundreds of thousands already made by other educators. Search the database by subject, grade, or theme and standard for a quick and easy activity. There is a fun Track already made for each day of the year, too!  

The Amazing Flash Card Machine
The Amazing Flash Card Machine is a FREE interactive web application that allows the user to create interactive web-based study flash cards.   

EasyTestMaker
Easy Test Maker is a FREE online test generator to help you create your tests. With Easy Test Maker you can create multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, short answer and true and false questions all on the same test. You can also insert instructions and divide your test into multiple sections. All your tests are saved for easy retrieval. You can make changes or print out additional copies of any test you create.

Social Studies

Mr. Donn’s Ancient History Page
Presenting lessons proven on the firing line, creative teacher Mr. Donn and his circus dog Maxie show how to immerse students in learning ancient history and keep them coming back for more.

DKC and MORE:  RESEARCH TOOLS FOR STUDENTS and Teachers

Internet Search Tools Quick Reference Guide
The Internet Search Tools-Quick Reference Guide is the latest resource from the ITRC and SEIRTEC. It helps you determine which search engine to use and how to use it.

Microsoft Applications Tutorials
Learn how to use and integrate Microsoft software in the classroom with in-depth step-by-step tutorial guides for students, teachers, and staff.  

Georgetown ISD’s Web Resources
Welcome to the Online Resource Center for GISD students, a joint project of the Georgetown school libraries.

National Geographic
Homework help from National Geographic—pictures, articles, maps and more.

World Almanac for Kids
Tons of information compiled since 1868! 

Wikipedia
Free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.  Great for most recent news and information from varying points of view. 

Owl at Purdue
The OWL at Purdue offers online writing, research, and MLA and APA style help to the world. Now celebrating its tenth year of operation, the OWL at Purdue receives over 50,000,000 visits per year.

BBC Schools
Interactive learning resources for home and school divided by age and discipline.

For more information about GISD's Technology Instructional Services, contact:

Kim Garcia
Instructional Technology Coordinator
GISD Technology Department
603 Lakeway Drive, Georgetown, TX 78628
(512) 943-5000 x. 6049
Email: garciak@georgetownisd.org