MACRO CONNECT BLOG & NEWS
Why Have Count Day?
The kids are back in class and everyone has finally settled into the rhythm of the academic calendar. Hopefully that means you’re ready for one of the most important rituals in Michigan education: Count Day. Twice a year, once in October and once in February, you take...
read more
Hot and Trending EdTech Topics: Our Week at ISTE
Last week our team headed to Chicago for R&D on hot and trending edtech at the ISTE Conference & Expo. The ISTE Conference & Expo is the most recognized, prominent education technology event in the world and each year it draws thousands of educators and technologists...
read more
Experiment, learn alongside innovators at WLCSD
Looking for great technology PD run by local educators during the back-to-school window? On Thursday, August 23rd Walled Lake Consolidated School District will open its doors for yet another home-grown conference featuring sessions run by and for educators (and a few...
read more
10 Reasons Why Technology is driving the Future of Education
Technology is slowly becoming the norm rather than the exception in K-12 classrooms. Originally thought of as a distraction or barrier to learning, adaptations in the way that students are able to use technology for the purpose of learning has evolved over...
read more
Don’t fear ‘brain drain’ this summer with these camps and activities!
Almost three months without school is a lot for kids with developing brains, wandering imaginations, and a ton of energy. Keeping them occupied can be a challenge for parents let alone actually teaching them something during their time off. Camps and workshops afford...
read more
What Does an IT Company Do
To some people the world of information technology is a big mystery, so we're here to help shed a little light on what companies like us actually do. Hope you enjoy! IT Companies Provide Data Management Information Technology companies like Macro Connect provide a...
read more
How Students Can Excel with STEAM in the Summer
With a few months without school, it’s important to keep kids moving, engaged, and continually learning. There’s no better time than the summer to integrate STEAM concepts into playtime. Outside of the classroom environment, learning can be disguised as pressure-free...
read more
What’s On the Agenda at ISTE?
In a few weeks our team will make the trek to Chicago for a dedicated R&D sabbatical on emerging practices and innovation in edtech. As part of our commitment to keeping our schools' IT and Data practices ahead of the curve, we regularly head to (and often present at)...
read more
Common IT Questions Answered
The world of information technology can be a scary one if you aren't up to date on all of your tech talk, so the guys and I here at Macro Connect decided it would be a good idea to address our customers and the readers of our blog about some of the most common...
read more
10 Questions to ask yourself about your PowerSchool Strategy
PowerSchool is currently the most popular education technology platform in K-12 schools across the world. Serving 32 million students, 66 million parents, and 100 million users, PowerSchool offers a unified classroom experience by providing in-class online solutions...
read more
Features of PowerTeacher Pro Reporting
Through the test of time, technology has empowered us to solve a lot of the issues we experience on a daily basis. PowerSchool has brought this phenomenon to the world of education. The effective use of technology in the classroom has been proven to boost student...
read more
Small Giants Visit Macro Connect
Turning an Idea Into a Dream The Small Giants Community was nothing but an idea back in 2006 when founder Paul Spiegelman read the book Small Giantsby Bo Burlingham. Spiegelman resonated with the leaders he read about and decided to reach out to Burlingham, beginning...
read more
How PowerSchool Supports The Needs of Educators
K-12 schools around the country are beginning to recognize the value in IT services used for educational purposes. Technology has become such a large part of our everyday lives that it only makes sense to utilize it’s many functionalities to teach and learn. Some...
read more
How Parents and Administrators Both Win With an Online Student Registration System
Most data management in the educational industry is turning digital, and for good reason. While in some instances the use of technology overcomplicates a simple task, when it comes to the collection and organization of student data, the pen and paper have met their...
read more
Presentation Recap: Which Pupil Accounting & MSDS Reports Should You Be Using?
A couple weeks ago our School Data team hit the presentation circuit again, this time at the Michigan Pupil Accounting & Attendance Association's (MPAAA) Spring Conference. A huge crowd (~250 people) came to soak in the learning. The topic: navigating and...
read more
How Outsourcing IT Services Hurts Local Businesses
If you own a business you already know how tempting it can be to outsource work overseas for the sake of cost. However, have you stopped to think about what you are doing to your local economy? Small businesses in Detroit, and all across of America are struggling to...
read more
What is PowerSchool’s PowerScheduler?
Does your master scheduling sometimes look and feel like the image above? Scheduling for all your staff and students can be a difficult and stressful activity for administrative teams, which is why on an annual basis we offer our PowerScheduler coaching series in the...
read more
How To Become a Microsoft Innovative Educator
The following is a guest post from Microsoft Learning Consultant Shavonne Smith: What are you doing to keep you going until the end of the school year? Maybe it’s extra time in the gym, getting lost in a new book series, taking a plunge in the pool, or grabbing...
read more
How To Write a Great RFP For Education Services
Writing a request for proposal (RFP) can be a tedious experience. In some instances, schools choose to copy the language of other districts RPF’s in order to make the process simpler and take less time. This is truly the easy way out because it doesn’t...
read more
Standards to Assess the State of Your Student Information System
A Vehicle for Turning Your Student Information System Into the Highly Functional Information Powerhouse You Signed Up For Most teachers and administrators have a love-hate relationship with their student information system. Systems like PowerSchool are...
read more