Tag: Digital Resources
EdTech Next
Join the LTC in picturesque Galena for a two-day kick-off to the new school year. Designed for teachers, principals, instructional coaches, and technology integrationists, EdTech Next offers a one-of-a-kind professional learning experience to help attendees take technology integration to the next level.
During the conference, we take a deep dive into the 4 Shifts Protocols, a discussion protocol intended to help facilitate educator conversations about deeper learning, greater student agency, more authentic work, and rich technology infusion. Through the lens of the 4 Shifts Protocol, we will help make lessons, units, and instructional activities richer, more robust, and more relevant for the global innovation society in which we now live. Attendees will also have an opportunity to network in person and enjoy an assortment of relaxing amenities around scenic northwest Illinois.
Across Illinois, classrooms are beginning to offer renewed opportunities for in-person learning. Now is the time to establish a new normal and make today’s digital learning apps, platforms, and best practices part of every classroom’s pedagogy going forward.
Spaces for this intimate event are limited, so don’t wait to reserve your spot!
The Closer: Plug & Play Lessons to Finish the Year Strong
We’ve got your end-of-year lesson plans covered! Join us to discover how Everfi’s student-driven, standards-aligned, and self-graded resources can help your classroom finish out the school year on a high note. School leaders are also invited to learn how Everfi’s free online and offline resources can be incorporated in a productive PD plan for next fall.
Breakout rooms will cover:
* Positioning Our Students as Global Citizens: Advocacy, Respect, & Character Development
* Career Day 2032: Preparing your students for jobs of the future
* Real World Skills for K-5 Learners
* School Leadership: From Selection to Execution – Impactful Curriculum & Partnerships for your District
Illinois educators who attend live can earn 1.0 PD credit.
EdPuzzle for Students with Autism
The accessibility features built into EdPuzzle make it an ideal tool for use with students with autism or other special needs. In this presentation, we will explore how to create impactful, personalized learning opportunities and tie them into Common Core standards that meet your students where they are at. We will also look at how you can incorporate EdPuzzle into your student support programs and create videos that allow you to easily track your students’ data and progress.
Lesson Design for the Post-COVID Classroom
Teaching in the post-COVID classroom is going to present significant challenges for teachers. In this presentation, we’ll explore how EdPuzzle can help address some of those challenges, including bridging the achievement gap, freeing up time to spend with individual students, and reshaping your classroom routines for more personalized learning. K-12 Teachers, Tech Coaches, and Curriculum Directors are all encouraged to attend and learn new ways to utilize this popular platform in your post-COVID classroom!
ISPA Resource Update – February 2021
Over the course of February, the Learning Technology Center (LTC) team has been hard at work helping districts across Illinois prepare for the new Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA), which goes into effect on July 1. This has included creating and publishing a variety of resources designed to make understanding compliance stream-lined and intuitive.
Here are a few of our newest SOPPA-related resources, as well as complete listings of all of the new originating data privacy agreements added to the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC) database over the course of this past month.
February 9 Updates
Resources
- Videos related to SOPPA and ISPA. Current videos include walkthroughs of the IL-NDPA and the ISPA/SDPC Database Tools
Recent Originating Data Privacy Agreements
- Big Ideas Math
- Calvert
- Carnegie Learning
- CPM (College Preparatory Mathematics) ebook
- CrisisGo
- E-Hall Pass
- EduNovela
- Follett
- Gaggle
- Gizmos
- Holt McDougal Curriculum Resources
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: Ed Your Friend in Learning
- HUDL
- Imagine Learning
- Kahoot!
- Kami
- Learning A-Z
- MeisterLabs, Inc.
- Mote
- My Playhome
- Nearpod
- Noteflight
- Pearson EasyBridge
- Pictello
- PLATO Courseware | EdOptions Academy
- Proloquo2go
- QuaverEd
- Reading Plus
- Reflex Math
- Remind
- Securly
- Seesaw
- Waterford
February 16 Updates
Resources
- New LTC-published document, “Sample ISPA Communications”, for initiating the agreement procurement process and possible ongoing conversations with vendors and operators
- Two new LTC-published flowcharts on SDPC usage workflows: “Using ISPA to Comply with SOPPA” and “Managing Agreements with ISPA”
- Video recordings and slide decks from weekly “All Things SOPPA” webinar discussions
Recent Originating Data Privacy Agreements
- Book Creator
- Breakout Edu
- Buncee
- Canvas
- Desmos
- Doodle Lab Paint Draw for iPad
- ESGI
- Lexia Reading Core5
- QuiverVision Apps
- Teachers’ Curriculum Institute (TCI)
- TypeWell
February 23 Updates
Resources
- Videos related to SOPPA and ISPA. Current videos include walkthroughs of the IL-NDPA and the ISPA/SDPC Database Tools
- Video recordings and slide decks from weekly “All Things SOPPA” webinar discussions
Tips and Suggestions
How to
Recent Originating Data Privacy Agreements
- Coach’s Eye
- Dolphin Easy Reader
- EDPuzzle
- Explain Everything
- HearBuilder Auditory Memory
- Hopscotch
- Imagine Learning
- Math Slide: add & subtract
- News-O-Matic for School
- Osmo Apps
- Socrative
- Sphero
- TeachTown
- Wakelet
- WeVideo for Schools
Stay Up-to-Date with SOPPA
One of the keys to SOPPA compliance is staying on top of the latest recommendations and suggestions from seasoned experts. The LTC makes that easy through our weekly “All Things SOPPA” webinar series.
Each Tuesday, join the LTC’s Chris Wherley for a focused discussion on the process and procedures of achieving SOPPA compliance. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and share their experiences with peers around Illinois, as well as receive the latest SOPPA updates as July 1 approaches.
Be sure to bookmark the LTC’s Data Privacy hub, as well. There, you’ll find regular updates about the latest best practices for protecting student data – including new resources for achieving SOPPA compliance.
Join ISPA
Resources and updates like those listed above are provided regularly to Illinois Student Privacy Alliance (ISPA) members. ISPA is a free consortium that allows school districts to access tools and resources for managing data privacy agreements. When used in conjunction with clear policies and procedures, ISPA allows districts to comply with Illinois’ new Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA).
All Illinois school districts are invited to join ISPA. Membership is free and can offer districts access to resources through the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC), a collection of 31 states working collaboratively to address similar data privacy concerns and legislation.
To learn more about ISPA and its benefits to all Illinois school districts, visit the group’s homepage on the LTC website. Questions about joining ISPA can be directed to Angela Veatch at aveatch@ltcillinois.org.
Building on Digital Citizenship Week 2020
Digital Citizenship Week 2020 (October 19-23) has come and passed, but that doesn’t mean your students have missed out on an opportunity to grow their 21st century skillset. Many leading EdTech companies and organizations offer resources and tools for year-round digital citizenship education.
If you’re still looking for ways to include digital citizenship essentials in your class’ curriculum, be sure to check out the following resources and tools while drawing up your lesson plans.
What is Digital Citizenship?
In essence, “digital citizenship” is a collection of thoughts and actions that promote positive, honest, and critical discussions among digital community members. Often, digital citizenship takes the form of adaptable routines that allow an individual to safely and securely navigate digital content – both in and out of the classroom.
Without a doubt, digital citizenship is important for students to learn year-round. Even a lesson or two on the core principles of digital citizenship can help students implement it in their daily lives. Building awareness for these principles starts in the classroom, though, which is why educators across the spectrum should consider utilizing the following digital citizenship tools and resources.
Resources for Year-Round Digital Citizenship
Be Internet Awesome
Be Internet Awesome is a recent Google-led initiative to empower students to make educated decisions online.
This initiative’s curricular materials focus on teaching students both the knowledge and practical skills needed to be smart, alert, strong, kind, and brave online. Each lesson has also been designed to stand on its own. As a result, educators who want to make the most of their classroom time can drop a lesson into their pre-existing curriculum.
Google has also produced a high-quality, interactive adventure – Interland – that students of numerous grade levels can enjoy. Each Be Internet Awesome curriculum lesson is capped with an Interland experience, so students will be able to immediately put what they’ve learned into practice.
Common Sense Education
Common Sense Education has recognized an ongoing need to build flexible, contemporary skillsets for navigating the open internet. That’s why they’ve created a variety of curricular resources for grades 5-18 – each of which include age-appropriate activities that will help students take ownership of their digital lives.
Common Sense Education’s digital citizenship content is also designed with simplified incorporation in mind. That’s why they’ve also put out this useful Implementation Guide for free. In it, you’ll find planning guides, case studies, and classroom posters that can help your department form a unified approach to teaching digital citizenship.
New for 2020
This year, Common Sense Education again added to their Digital Citizenship Week catalogue of free resources. In particular, their Digital Citizenship Week 2020 collection includes new ways to engage grade, middle, and high school students. This includes short and long lessons centered around open-ended questions, such as “how am I being a digital citizen today?” and “how can I think critically about the things I see, create, and share?”
All of these new resources can be implemented efficiently, as well. Each set of lessons comes with a customizable planning calendar and student activity sheets that align with each lesson’s goals.
Tools for Supporting Digital Citizenship
Securly Auditor
One key aspect of digital citizenship revolves around the prevention and elimination of cyberbullying, as well as other negative online behavior patterns. While that can take some practice over time, Securly’s Auditor engine can support an educator’s efforts to spot violence and graphic content in student-related communications before they become a problem.
At the same time, Auditor can help identify at-risk students early on. In particular, Auditor’s interface allows educators to continuously scan emails, attachments, and documents – all within Google Suite. Any tagged material is then brought immediately to an admin’s attention via a responsive alert system.
Impero Back:drop
Impero’s back:drop is another well-regarded digital classroom management platform that digital citizenship-focused educators should take note of. This free-forever platform is FERPA-, COPPA-, and HIPAA- compliant, making it ideal for use in schools where student data security is a top priority.
Purchasing Opportunities through ILTPP
Several of the companies mentioned above – including Impero and Securly – are vendor partners of the Illinois Learning Technology Purchase Program (ILTPP). ILTPP is an LTC cooperative program that aggregates buying power and expertise to procure technology products and services for educational institutions across the state.
Through ILTPP, your school or district may be able to obtain a discount when purchasing several of the digital citizenship-building resources and tools outlined above. Check out their website to learn more about ILTPP’s current purchasing opportunities.
The LTC also provides additional support and resources for educators who are looking to enhance their curricular offerings. Be sure to check our website often for new online courses, PD opportunities, and more.
The LTC EdTech Webinar Series Returns for the 2019-2020 School Year
The Learning Technology Center’s EdTech Webinar Series is back for another exciting year of anytime, anywhere learning. Hear from state and national experts on innovative classroom practices, educational apps/tools, networking and infrastructure, data security, accessibility, and more. The 45-minute sessions are free and open to all educators to attend. Each session will be made available on-demand, too.
Last year, the EdTech Webinar Series had over 500 viewers from all across the State of Illinois. Based on the feedback from last year’s series, we have a few changes this year:
- Webinars have been labeled based on target audiences.
- Sessions for Classroom Teachers, Instructional Tech Coaches, Library/Media Specialists, and Administrators will be held Tuesdays at 3:30 pm.
- Sessions for Technology Leaders, IT Staff, and Administrators will be held on Thursdays at 1:00 pm.
- Webinars have been increased from thirty minutes to forty-five.
Currently, sixteen sessions have been scheduled on a variety of topics such as:
- Digital Wellness, Online Safety, and Digital Citizenship
- E-Sports
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework
- E-Rate
- Design Thinking
- STEAM Resources
Find more information about all of the sessions and register today by visiting ltcillinois.org/webinars. We are currently scheduling sessions for the Spring semester. If you would like to present on a topic, please contact Brian Bates (bbates@ltcillinois.org).
LTC Monthly Tech Tips! – April 2019
PBL Idea Cards
The Buck Institute for Education’s new PBLWorks website features 63 downloadable projects for K-12 in English language arts, math, science, social studies, world languages, fine arts, health and physical education and other STEM topics.
Add a Google Drive File to Multiple Drive Folders
Open Google Drive through your web browser and select a file or folder. Now press Shift + Z. You’ll see an “Add to Folder” pop-up. Next, select the folder where you wish to add the selected files and click OK. Your file will be in both places, without making a separate copy of the file!
Add Screencastify Videos in Google Slides
You can add Screencastify videos directly to your Google Slides with the Screencastify for Google Slides Add-On. Open a slide deck and click on Add-Ons, then Get Add-Ons. Search for the add-on and then click the “+ Free” button. Now, when you record a screencast using Screencastify, you can just go to your add-ons and add the video directly to the slide!
Organize your Google Keep
Using the Category Tabs for Google Keep Chrome extension allows you to use colors in Keep to organize your notes. Learn more about this process in this helpful article from Carlos Jeurissen.
Add Emojis to Google Drive Folders
Do you love a good emoji? Add some to your Google Drive folder/file names to spice them up! In order to do this, add an emoji keyboard to your Chromebook’s keyboard options, or simply search for an emoji keyboard in a Google search. When you find the emoji that fits your folder or file name, copy and paste it into the name area. Now you have an exciting way to organize your Google Drive! 🤗 🤩
Manage Your To-Do List with Google Tasks!
Have you taken advantage of Google’s new and improved Tasks feature? Tasks is now located in the sidebar of Gmail, Calendar, and all other Google apps! This great feature allows you to create checklists that are manageable throughout the Google Suite of tools!
Follow Twitter Hashtag without a Twitter Account
Have you seen a Twitter Hashtag advertised but you feel left out because you don’t have Twitter? Well, it is possible to follow conversations on Twitter without a Twitter account! For example, if you would like to revisit the conversation that took place during the recent ICE Conference, cut and paste the following URL into your browser: https://twitter.com/hashtag/ice19?f=tweets&vertical=default . As Twitter users post about the things they are learning and sharing at the conference using the hashtag #ice19, the posts will show up on this webpage. So even if you don’t have a Twitter account, you can see what people are sharing from the conference.
Force Copy (and Preview!)
Do you know how to force someone to make a copy of a Google Doc? Did you also know that you can preview these documents before making an actual copy? Check out this 1-pager that shows you how to do both! Force Copy in Google Docs
3 Tech Tips to Kick Off 2019!
Every month our staff will be publishing a post sharing some of their favorite tech tips! For January we focus on leveraging bookmarking in Google Chrome, creating online lessons, and protecting your privacy while searching.
#1 Save Space on Your Chromebook Bookmarks Bar!
Are you frustrated at the lack of space available on the Bookmarks Bar? To solve this simply delete the name of the bookmark when you are adding it to your Bookmarks Bar. In doing this, you will only see the “Favicon,” or logo, of the website.
#2 Turn Any Website into an Interactive Online Lesson
The InsertLearning Chrome Extension is a great way to teach current events or anything on the web. This extension provides you with a toolbar enabling you to make notations, insert questions or even add discussions right within a web-based resource. There are even templates to help you get started.
#3 Try Using DuckDuckGo as a Search Engine to Protect Online Privacy
Use the search engine DuckDuckGo to take back your privacy. DuckDuckGo has a business model where they don’t need to track your searches, store or share your personal information to make money. Everything you search for using DuckDuckGo is private.
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