April, 2023

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5 Clear Ways Digital Benefits Learners

A Principal's Reflections

The education landscape is undergoing a continuous transformation, something I elaborate on in detail in Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms. While not new in any sense, digital tools continue to play an immense role as they are constantly evolving. By understanding how these tools impact teaching and learning, educators can determine which ones to use and how to implement them effectively.

Classroom 477
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Avoid These Four Pitfalls When Implementing Online Education Software in K–12

EdTech Magazine

Technology is no longer a complementary tool in the classroom; it’s the primary operational hub for education. Case in point: Ed tech adoption in K—12 grew by 99 percent in 2022. Yet, this rapid development has come with cybersecurity and data privacy concerns that call for better policy compliance and security enforcement from third-party apps and ed tech vendors.

Education 422
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New Google Docs features you NEED to know

Ditch That Textbook

Google Docs is getting some updates! Keep up to date with this core tool in the Google Workspace productivity suite. Here are some new Google Docs features we're excited about. For many of us Google Docs provided us with our first user experience with Google's productivity suite -- Google Apps, then G Suite, now Google […] The post New Google Docs features you NEED to know appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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11 Online Resources About Physics

Ask a Tech Teacher

Here are popular online resources for physics classes (click for updates): CK12 Physics simulations Concord Consortium –chemistry, earth science, engineering, life science, physics Crash Course: Physics (videos) Monster Physics PhET Simulations for chemistry and physics Physics Catalyst Physics Classroom Physics Forums Physics instructional videos Roller coaster simulator Simple Physics Copyright ©2023 askatechteacher.com – All rights reserved.

Resources 442
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The Battle of the Authoring Tools: A 10-Point Comparison for Picking the Right One

Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions

There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.

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What Do I Do If I Think Chat GPT Wrote my Student’s Paper?

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Perhaps the first thing teachers, students, and just about anyone who has used Chat GPT thinks is, "Oh no, we're in trouble. What will happen when kids figure out they don't have to write their paper -- that Chat GPT can do it for them." After I share the information with you in this post, you'll be even more concerned, but perhaps will find some ways that you can work with students until we have AI to help us with t

Policies 448
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Exploring different types of web filters for K-12 schools

Hapara

Listen to an audio version of this post: [link] Every school district needs to protect learners and educators as they navigate online, as well as protect the network and school devices. That’s where a powerful web filter comes in to keep out malware, protect privacy and restrict harmful and inappropriate content. There are several types of web filtering software for schools, though.

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Choosing an Edtech Framework

A Principal's Reflections

When it comes to technology in education, there is a natural tendency to see it as just another thing that somebody must do. In other cases, it is viewed as being more work. Let me tackle the second issue first. When we try implementing anything new, there is always a learning curve. It is important to remember, though, that the time and effort put forth will reap the rewards when it comes to improving practice and, in turn, learning outcomes.

EdTech 371
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The Station Rotation Model: Arrange Your Furniture to Maximize Focus and Engagement

Catlin Tucker

As teachers, we know that the physical environment of a classroom can have a significant impact on how students engage with the material and each other. From the color of the walls to the lighting and temperature, every aspect of the room can contribute to a student’s ability to feel comfortable and stay focused. Have you considered how the furniture placement in your classroom can either reinforce or distract from the specific tasks we are asking students to do?

Classroom 392
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A Short Guide to Interesting Teens in Shakespeare

Ask a Tech Teacher

William Shakespeare is internationally regarded as one of the greatest playwrights and poets in history, and his works have had a profound impact on our cultural heritage. Learning Shakespeare is a valuable and rewarding experience that can enrich our understanding of literature, language, and culture. Here’s a quick overview of how to get teens interested in Shakespeare: A Short Guide to Getting Teens Interested in Shakespeare If you’re a high school teacher, you can probably hear the gro

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How to Teach Better: Master Reading Differentiation Strategies

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter This podcast with Jennifer Seravallo is dedicated to helping reading teachers improve their teaching methods by providing practical tips and in-depth insights into differentiated reading strategies. If you're a reading teacher looking for ways to make your teaching more effective, you're in the right place.

Strategy 443
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The Art of Making Engaging and Effective Learning Videos

Speaker: Joseph Suarez - Learning Experience Designer at Suarez Media Production

What makes an instructional video engaging and effective? Why do Learning and Development professionals often struggle to produce quality videos? What can we do to change that? In this webinar, Joseph Suarez will break down the craft, the art, and the science of video production and reveal how to leverage the production process to create great videos of all types and sizes.

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Guest Post: How We Can Reframe Edtech Selection to Promote Equity

Digital Promise

This three-part blog series, featuring guest authors from The Learning Accelerator and MA DESE OET , highlights the importance of centering equity in edtech selection. In this first post, the authors outline how they centered equity as they developed an edtech selection, implementation, and evaluation guide for school systems leaders. Technology in schools can be a critical tool in advancing equity.

EdTech 276
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K–12 Schools Use Mixed and Virtual Reality to Immerse Students in Future Careers

EdTech Magazine

A student slips a mixed reality headset over her eyes and immediately she is face-to-face with a life-size skeleton so realistic, she reaches out to touch it. “And you can go inside of it too,” she hears another student say. “Really?” she asks. “Yes, you can go up close,” she’s told. “Walk up to it.” She takes a few steps forward and is suddenly “inside” the skeleton, looking out at the world from inside the rib cage.

Study 446
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10 Ways to Grow as a Pedagogical Leader

A Principal's Reflections

I have vivid memories of my early days as an assistant principal and principal, where overseeing instruction was just one of many duties that came with the job. Managing budgets, developing memos, attending meetings, responding to emails and phone calls, and other tasks also consumed a significant portion of my time. The advent of social media introduced yet another responsibility into my already packed schedule: digital leadership.

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Shifting from Teacher Generated Review to Student-Generated Review

Catlin Tucker

Spend less time preparing for tests! Generating high-quality review materials and engaging review games takes time. It is also a cognitively challenging task since it requires thinking about the key concepts in a unit or learning cycle and producing a collection of questions to guide students in recalling information and developing a deeper understanding of the material.

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The Roses and Thorns of an LMS Strategy: How to Flourish with the Right LMS

Speaker: Amanda Davis, Chief Experience Officer and Liam O'Malley, VP of Association Solutions

The "new normal" is now a little less new, a little more normal. Does that mean your current LMS strategy is in need of a refresh? Is your organization or association leaning into the always-evolving eLearning environment to ensure you have the tools and content to remain relevant through all this change? There are many complex decision-making processes within your learning & development strategy and LMS lifecycle management, including: Selection.

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18 Things Teachers Do Before 8am

Ask a Tech Teacher

This is inspired by Jennifer Cohen over at Forbes who wrote a wonderful article on “ 5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8am ” (few of which I do, though I can claim #5). She includes chores like exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, map out the day–all great ideas, but not pithy enough for the average teacher I know. Here’s my list of what the average teacher accomplishes before her first class of children crosses the threshold of her domain.

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Join in 80 Days of AI and HI – Day 1 #80DaysOfAIandHI

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Today I showed seventh graders Chat GPT-4. We are writing ebooks, and the original topic of conversation was how we could use AI to be more creative. But when I realized that many didn't know anything about this tool, we took a trip into my GPT-4 account since they are not old enough to get their own account.

Classroom 454
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Five digital citizenship activities everyone should know about

Hapara

Listen to an audio version of this post: [link] Whether you teach elementary, core subjects or electives, making digital citizenship part of your instruction is essential for all of your learners. Our students use technology for learning, connecting with friends and entertainment. But it can be overwhelming at times, and it’s important to develop skills to navigate the internet in healthy and safe ways.

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Q&A: Laurie Salvail Urges Schools to Adopt and Teach Cybersecurity Best Practices

EdTech Magazine

In March, the Biden administration released the National Cybersecurity Strategy, adding to the recent federal attention paid to online security. K–12 schools have been particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks over the past few years, and IT leaders are eager to learn tips to keep staff and student data safe. In addition to creating guidelines and strategies to help schools make learning safer, the federal government also wants to ensure schools build a stronger cybersecurity workforce through edu

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Building the Foundation for a Modern K-12 Classroom

K-12 looks different these days. But one thing remains the same: you need a reliable learning platform that serves as the foundation for teaching and learning––for all students, in a variety of learning experiences. Discover how the Instructure Learning Platform supports today's K-12 classroom through: A central, consistent, connected hub of the digital learning environment.

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Hire People That Will Make You a Better Leader

A Principal's Reflections

Being a leader is not a solo endeavor but a collective effort that involves everyone in the organization, school, or district. While a leader may occasionally have to make critical decisions that require going against consensus, such instances are rare and insignificant in the larger scheme of things. To succeed, it is crucial to foster a culture of open-mindedness where people are motivated to change on their own accord rather than being coerced into it.

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10 ways Curipod engages your students with AI

Ditch That Textbook

Curipod creates interactive slide presentations in seconds using artificial intelligence. See how it can engage your students and save you time.Post sponsored by Curipod Imagine arriving at school in the morning and realizing, "Oh no! I need some slides for a lesson -- today! I'll never have time to create something good!" Then, you remember that […] The post 10 ways Curipod engages your students with AI appeared first on Ditch That Textbook.

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#32: How to Use Art to Teach Grammar

Ask a Tech Teacher

Here’s a great lesson that uses every child’s innate love of color to learn grammar. All you need is MS Word or Google Docs), a quick introduction to the toolbars and tools, and about 25 minutes to complete. If you’re the tech lab teacher, this gives you a chance to reinforce the grammar lesson the classroom is teaching and teach tech skills students need (click to enlarge): From Structured Learning’s Tech Lab Toolkit Volume I Copyright ©2023 askatechteacher.com – All rig

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AI in the Classroom: A Complete AI Classroom Guide

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter The conversation is about Artificial Intelligence. Is it helpful? Should it be welcomed in schools? Should it be blocked? Today's three guests are expert authors of the newly released The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education. We need to get practical, past the hype, and work to do that in this show.

Classroom 449
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Transform Your Classroom with Apple

Speaker: Aaron Webb, Jamf

Apple empowers educators and students by design. Whether using Macs, iPads, or Apple TV, Apple devices encourage creativity and can simplify teaching with apps to make the classroom more flexible, collaborative and personalized for each student. To unleash the full potential of the technology and create the best learning environment, you need to understand the tools and resources available, and develop an education-focused, comprehensive plan, from equipment purchase to deployment, management an

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Announcing the 2023 Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Awards

Digital Promise

The post Announcing the 2023 Ciena Solutions Challenge Sustainability Awards appeared first on Digital Promise.

Learning 317
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As Cybersecurity Costs Rise, How Can K–12 Schools Ratchet Up Protection on a Budget?

EdTech Magazine

As if the worsening threat landscape weren’t bad enough, K–12 districts also face higher costs related to cybersecurity with the continued rise of ransomware demands, the financial impact of breaches and cyber insurance premiums. To help, the Consortium for School Networking submitted a petition to the Federal Communications Commission in 2021 asking it to expand E-rate funding to cover cybersecurity solutions.

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#EDvice: Do You Want to be "Developed"?

A Principal's Reflections

When it comes to education training, the main pathway to improvement is through professional development. Depending on where you reside or your school system, this typically consists of a few days to begin the new academic year and a few random days going forward that are often associated with student holidays. While the premise is positive, the result doesn’t always lead to sustainable change.

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How is technology addiction impacting teaching and learning?

Ditch That Textbook

This post is written by Joshua Ratliff. Josh is currently the Director of Education Initiatives at Trafera, in West Virginia. He holds certifications in Professional Teaching and Technology Integration for PreK-Adult, and is a Google for Education Certified Trainer. First things first. Let me say up front that the term “technology addiction” is a tricky […] The post How is technology addiction impacting teaching and learning?

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How Formative Assessment Supports the Learning Journey

Speaker: Todd Theobald, Noel Gomez, Marcus Painter

Join educators and assessment experts as they discuss the role of formative assessment in student learning, how formative practices can guide the teaching and learning cycle, and the positive impact assessment can make on your classroom. We’ll cover topics including: Reframing the value of assessments and focusing on learning opportunities. Using assessment data to make informed decisions about instructional strategies.

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Earth Day Class Activities

Ask a Tech Teacher

Every year, the world celebrates Earth Day on April 22nd, a day the United Nations recognizes as International Mother Earth Day. It is a day to remind ourselves of the importance of clean air, fresh water, and unlittered land. It’s when we can all participate in making that happen rather than accepting the trash-filled oceans, the smoggy skies, and the debris-laden land that is becoming the norm in our lives.

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Compare Google Bard and Chat GPT

The CoolCatTeacher

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter For me, this eighty days of AI journey is about looking at every AI tool that might be helpful to teachers. I know too many teachers who spend too much time creating their own materials. Unfortunately, many students and parents have bought answer books and answer keys for our materials.

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Using Powerful Technology to Advocate For Youth

Digital Promise

The post Using Powerful Technology to Advocate For Youth appeared first on Digital Promise.

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Without Supplemental Pandemic Funding, Digital Divide Risks Increase

EdTech Magazine

If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it's that many of our schools were woefully behind when it came to providing students with a 21st century education. Lockdowns revealed that districts were stuck in a 19th century framework, resulting in deep digital divides and leaving some students struggling to complete school assignments outside of the classroom.

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LIVE DEMO: Using PowerPoint to Create Compelling Presentations for Virtual Training

Speaker: Richard Goring, Director at BrightCarbon

Have you ever caught an employee sleeping during training? Compelling content is paramount, but trying to do so with the same tools you've always used is complicated, right? Wrong! Powerpoint has excellent features that, with a bit of creativity, can help you improve your presentations and keep your people engaged without going over budget. By utilizing newer components that enable interactive sequences, navigable content to respond to your audience, and pop quizzes for informal knowledge checks