Script for Staying Connected Through Technology Webinar

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Staying Connected Through TechnologyWelcome to East. My name is Jason Taylor, and I’m East’s Community Coordinator. In this video, we will look at some computer-based resources you can use stay connected with East and support your scholar.

With the right know-how and in the right context, computers can provide you with easy to access and useful information. The purpose of this video is to help you understand just some of ways you can use a computer to stay connected with East and informed about your scholars’ education. You can use whatever combination of resources that we’ll talk about in this video in order to support your child in the way that works best for your family.

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Learning ObjectivesSo let’s get started and look at the specifics of what we’ll cover. We’ll start from square one by getting to know the basics of a computer. Next we’ll learn how to sign-up for an email account. If you’re someone who already regularly uses a computer, you can probably skip to the third section. Here we’ll explore tons of resources that are on the East webpage. We’ll also learn how to stay connected with East’s social media sites and how to use ParentCONNECT and the RCSDlink app. All of these are computer-based resources that can be used to stay connected with East and to support your scholar.

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Computer Hardware and Software 101Alright, so let’s start from the top with the briefest introduction to what it takes for us to use a computer. The first thing in our computer supply chain here is internet provided by an Internet Service Provider, or ISP, such as Spectrum or Comcast. For most of us, we pay these companies to connect their internet service to our homes through cables. This bring us to the second part of our supply chain. Often, we have a router and modem in our home that allows us to connect the internet from an Internet Service Provider to our devices, such as a computer. Computers are made up of hardware, which is the actual physical stuff that you can touch that makes up the components of a computer. This includes the computer itself but also the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. However, when we actually use a computer we spend most of our time with software, which are the programs that make a computer do the things we want, such as browsing the web or writing in a word processing program.

So that’s it—computer hardware and software 101. Everything else we’ll chat about operates off this framework.

We already mentioned a few ways that computers can be used, such as browsing the web, but they can also be used to send and receive mail. Email—or electronic mail—enables you to send messages, photos, web links, and documents to other email users almost instantaneously. Email is an efficient way to quickly communicate with other people, such as your scholars’

teachers. We’ll look at how to sign-up for an email account so you can send and receive messages with East staff members.

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Creating Your Gmail AccountWhile there are a number of different organizations through which you can sign-up for an email account, such as Yahoo or Microsoft Outlook, we’ll look at an email account through Google, called a Gmail account. Signing up for a Gmail account is free and simple. One of the benefits of a Gmail account is it gives you access to Google Drive where you can write, save, and send documents for free. To sign up, just go to “gmail.com,” click “create an account,” and you should see a page similar to the one that’s on the screen. Simply fill out all the sections, and you should have your own Gmail account. Now with your very own email account you can send and receive messages with your scholars’ teachers as needed. Most people’s email accounts will be their firstname.lastname@rcsdk12.org. However, there’s a way you can definitively check a teachers’ email address on the East website, which we’ll explore next.

So if you take only one thing from this video, just remember that your scholar needs to earn 22 credits and pass five regents exams in order to graduate with their regent’s diploma. They can do it, and we’re here to help.

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The East Webpage Parents WebpagesThe East website is an important resource that’s available 24/7 at www.rcsdk12.org/east. There are many pages filled with great information to explore on the website. We’ll take a look at just a few here.

A great place to start is the parents webpages.

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Parents WebpagesHere there is lots of information and resources tailored for East parents and family members. There are reminders about how to join the Family and Community Engagement Team; how to contact East’s Home-School Assistant; a calendar with community events; a page with links to helpful documents, such as the Family Handbook and Collaborative Partners Handbook; and a page with links to other webinars like this one. The parents webpages are a great place to start exploring the East website, and they’re continuously updated with information tailored just for you.

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The East Webpage Let’s TalkOkay, now back on the main East page, is another great resource called Let’s Talk. By clicking on either the Let’s Talk banner or the navigation link,

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Upper and Lower School Scholarsyou’ll be brought to the Let’s Talk page where you can submit questions, suggestions for improvement, or compliments on what’s going well at East. You can select a topic that’s on your mind, submit your feedback, and that will go directly to an East staff member. You can leave your contact information in order to get a personal response, or you can submit your comments anonymously. Let’s Talk available for you to communicate with us 24/7, so please take advantage of this opportunity.

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The East Webpage “Information for Parents and Community Sidebar” and Teachers Webpages

Lastly, there are two more parts of the webpage we’ll look at. On the homepage is a sidebar for “Information for Parents and Community.” There are always quick links to documents and events there that will be helpful to know about. Also, a wonderful resource is the teacher directory page. Every East teacher has their own webpage, often with their teaching schedule, assignments, and study tips. You can check out the webpages of your scholars’ teachers to get their email addresses and check on what’s going on in class.

Alright, so that’s a quick look at our webpage. There’s plenty more to explore, so please do visit it frequently to check for important updates and access useful information.

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East Social Media Sites

Another way to stay connected is through East’s social media platforms. You can follow East on Twitter @EastEPO, find us on FACE book by searching East High School, or visit our East Upper and Lower Schools YouTube page.

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The East Webpages Link to ParentCONNECT and RCSDlink app

The last computer-based resource we’ll look at is ParentConnect and the RCSDlink app. Both of these resources are provided through the district, and the easiest way to access them is through the East webpage. On the right hand side of the webpage is a little phone icon.

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ParentCONNECT and the RCSDlink app

Clicking on that will bring you to the district’s page for both PareentConnect and the RCSD link app. ParentConnect is a resource that you can sign-up for where you can check your scholars’ grades, attendance, and assignments as often as teachers update information. This means that you can stay up-to-date with your scholars’ performance in almost real time. If you have a smart phone you can also download the RCSDlink app. This app can be used similarly to ParentConnect, show you your scholars’ grades, attendance, and assignments. However, if you select East as a school, it will also directly link you to East’s social media sites, Let’s Talk, and the school calendar. Both ParentConnect and the RSCDlink apps are great tools you can use.

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In Summary…

Well that’s it! We looked at a number of different computer-based resources that you can use to stay connected with East and support your scholar’s education. Don’t forget about some of the following things: You can share your most up-to-date contact information with your scholars’ teachers, and that you can communicate with them through email. Also, both the East and RCSD Office of Parent Engagement webpages hold great sources of information. Additionally, Let’s Talk enables you to communicate with us, confidentially if necessary, 24/7. Both ParentConnect and the RCSDlink app enable you to see an indepth look at your scholar’s performance. Lastly, feel free to reach out to East’s parent liaison at any time. We are here to support you, and we value the roles that families and community members play as partners in successful education.

We hope you enjoyed this webinar.