Do You Know a Child Who Could Benefit?
Apply to Present at the Teacher Tech Summit by Feb. 19
The Teacher Tech Summit USA elevates the best of classroom tech tested and approved by teachers. The free virtual summit on April 18 from 1-4 p.m. ET/10 a.m.-1 p.m. PT features teacher-curated videos, master classes, and expert panels for a day of professional learning you will not want to miss!
Hosted by Digital Promise and T4 Education, the 2023 Teacher Tech Summit USA spotlights classroom tech that teachers need to know, explained by teachers who use it. We are seeking video submissions from educators in which they demonstrate how they are making classroom tech work for them and their students. We invite you to submit a submission by Sunday, February 19!
PBS NewsHour Classroom
See the collection here.
PBS NewsHour Classroom (formerly NewsHour Extra) helps teachers and students identify the who, what, when, where, and why-it-matters of news stories. In partnership with PBS LearningMedia, we are proud to bring you Daily News Lessons which takes the best of the PBS NewsHour and pairs it with discussion questions, lesson plans, and stories developed specifically for students.
Our lesson plans and resources help achieve state and national standards' goals and cover core academic subject areas ranging from civics and social studies to STEM and the arts, always with a media literacy focus.
6 ways to use Excel this year (beyond budgeting)
1. Make pixel art
Let your creativity shine one square at a time. Share your creations with us on social media!
2. Play Sudoku games
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, challenge yourself with this puzzle game.
3. Track your fitness
Crush your New Year’s fitness goals and track your progress throughout the year.
4. Organize your week
Stay on top of your to do list and make time for what’s most important.
5. Follow your sports bracket
Sports tournaments are just around the corner! Track your winning bracket this season.
6. Plan your next vacation
Organize the transportation, lodging, activities, and budget for your next adventure.
Please Help PBS Learning Media Further Protect Student Privacy
As part of PBS LearningMedia’s continued efforts to safeguard student data, starting January 16, we're asking all teachers who use our free assignment and class roster tools to provide some additional information.
Because we take child and student digital privacy and security seriously, we routinely revise our internal policies and processes to meet and maintain these standards, while also complying with public school districts’ data privacy policies safeguarding student Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Learn more about how we’re protecting student data.
1. What Changes Can I Expect?
Tools such as Lesson Builder, Class Roster, and Quick Assign will now prompt you to provide your public school district and acknowledge the PBS LearningMedia privacy agreement. You may also visit your Profile at any time, click on "Student Privacy," and follow the instructions. Find more information under "Student Privacy" on our help page.
2. Can I Still Use PBS LearningMedia's Free Tools?
Yes! And for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year, you may continue to use tools like Lesson Builder and Quick Assign without providing your public school district information. Starting in Fall 2023, you will need to provide your public school district information and acknowledge the PBS LearningMedia privacy agreement before you can assign lessons to students.
3. What If I'm Unable to Provide This Information?
You can still easily use and share PBS LearningMedia resources without providing any student PII by sharing links with students to view without an account or projecting onto a shared screen. If you are uncertain whether or not you can provide this information, please consult your school administrator.
4. Where Can I Find More Information About PBS LearningMedia's Privacy Policies?
We are dedicated to handling any information obtained from children with care and respect. PBS LearningMedia does not and will not sell student data or use student data for advertising purposes. Learn more in our Privacy Policy and Student Privacy Notice.
If you have further questions, please email us at LearningMediaContact@pbs.org.
Google Seeking Pilot Teachers
Hello amazing educators,
The Google for Education team is excited to kick off a new program to help pick the best applications for Chromebooks in the classroom. We are looking for 10 to 20 thought leaders and technology innovators working in the classroom to try out 1-2 applications with your students over the next couple months and to share your feedback directly with Google. These are not “beta” or experimental apps - they are fully featured publicly released tools from Google partners - we just want to know how well they work in your class and what tools are most helpful to you. We have an exciting array of different applications that you and your students can use FREE for the remainder of the school year.
We are currently looking for US-based classroom teachers interested in using one or two of these apps with their students on Chromebooks:
Replit - an online collaborative code editor (Example use case: computer science courses)
Amped Studio - an online music sequencer and sound editor (Example use case: music design, music editing for performance)
Concepts - a drawing and sketching app (Example use case: digital art class, wire frame or brainstorming activities)
Pixlr - an online photo and animation design and editing tool (Example use case: digital photography class, poster or triboard design)
WeVideo - an online video and podcast editor built especially for students and teachers (Example use case: digital video class, demo video creation)
Explain Everything - an online collaborative and recordable digital whiteboard tool (Example use case: classroom announcements, in-class brainstorming activity)
SnapType - an occupational therapy app to offer students support for handwritten assignments (Example use case: replacement for paper student worksheet)
Asks of pilot teachers:
Work with Google and your school to activate the free test licenses and ensure you and your students have access through the end of the 2023 school year
Explore the application on your own to see if you find it useful, then share the application with your students. Our goal is to validate that the applications are helpful for both students and their teachers.
Fill out a pre-study and post-study survey about your experiences (~10 min each)
Join a mailing list with other pilot teachers to receive updates on the study, examples for how to use the application in the classroom and to provide feedback and get your questions answered
Optional: join virtual conference meetings to discuss your experiences and provide feedback to the Google team
Participating educators will receive:
Free test licenses for the apps you select to study for you and your students for the remainder of the 2023 school year.
Early access to future application pilots with plenty more classroom apps.
Invites to participate in testing unreleased Google Edu products and services.
Formal thank you letters sent to your principal, superintendent and district leadership thanking you for your generous work to support other teachers and advance access to classroom technology.
Possible future invites to participate in official Google marketing events, Google campus visits and other communications and community events run by the Google Education teams.
If you are a US-based classroom teacher and interested in becoming a Google Chrome Edu Pilot Teacher please fill out this form (<10min) by Monday, February 6th.
Thank you so much for your consideration,
The Google for Education Team
Remind Tutors Wanted: Math & ELA Tutors Wanted
Remind Tutoring is an online tutoring service that pairs math and ELA tutors with students across the country. As a Remind Tutor, you'll connect with students across the country to help them master concepts and build their skills in areas of math or reading and writing.
This is a great way for you to earn supplemental income on a schedule you create! We'll find students, help you manage your calendar, and collect payments, so you can focus on what really matters: teaching.
If you're interested in this opportunity, please apply here.
Want extra money? Become a Kahoot! marketplace creator!
ISTE Certification Informational Webinars
Do you have some questions about ISTE Certification for Educators that you wish a human would answer? Here’s your solution … plus a couple of special deals from ISTE!
Attend one of the 30-minute info sessions with Certification Director Carmalita Seitz for real talk, and real answers to your certification questions.
Choose from these upcoming dates and times:
- Tuesday, February 21, 2023 8:30 AM ET
- Wednesday, March 22, 2023 4:30 PM ET
For more information and to sign up, click here!
Educators Can Get Office 365 for FREE
Flip Blog with Updates
A Couple More Google Updates
To Stay Updated, Watch ALL Here or EDU in 90: The Latest: 3 Trends Driving the Future of Education // Cast Moderator & Safer Internet Day
Introducing Reaction Emojis in Google Meet
Engage and participate with in-meetings reactions in Google Meet without interrupting the speaker. Available with Google Meet on Web, Meet Hardware devices, and iOS (Android coming soon).
Celebrate Black History Month with Applied Digital Skills
Our Celebrate Black History, Culture & Identity Collection features several engaging project-based lessons that celebrate the importance of Black history and reflect on the contributions of African Americans. Each lesson has a detailed lesson plan to easily scaffold learning for your students, like interviewing a person from history, writing song lyrics, and much more.
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GOOGLE ADMINS,
Last year, we announced improvements for Google Classroom on how to find, evaluate and add YouTube lessons.
We’re writing to let you know that starting February 20th, 2023, we are beginning to roll out additional updates to the YouTube player within Google Workspace for Education services.
What does this mean for my institution?
Previously, you may have used YouTube’s domain names to allow or block access to YouTube for your users within Google Workspace for Education services.
We are in the process of updating the YouTube player to use a new domain to serve content within Google Workspace for Education services: “www.youtubeeducation.com”.
Please note that this URL is not a destination; it is used internally by Google for enabling embedded videos.
What do I need to do?
Starting February 20th, 2023, if your organization currently allows or blocks YouTube videos within Google Workspace for Education services, you need to add “www.youtubeeducation.com” to these allowlists or blocklists. This will preserve the way your organization uses YouTube videos within Google Workspace for Education services, such as Google Classroom.
If you have any questions, refer to the help center article: Set up a Google Workspace host name allowlist.
Dr. Desiree Alexander, Educator Alexander Consulting
Dr. Desiree Alexander is an award-winning, multi-degreed educator, speaker, and author who has been in the educational field since 2002. She is the Founder CEO of Educator Alexander Consulting, LLC and the Deputy Director for the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana. She consults with members of several schools/businesses and presents at conferences globally.
Dr. Alexander is lifetime certified in Louisiana in Secondary English Education, as a Reading Specialist, as a School Librarian, as an Educational Technology Facilitator, as an Educational Technology Leader and in Educational Leadership 1. She is certified in Texas as a Principal, in English Language Arts and Reading for grades 4-8 and grades 8-12, as a Reading Specialist for grades EC-12, and as a School Librarian. She holds multiple technology certifications, including, but not limited to, IC3 certification, Google Certified Trainer, Innovator and Partner, Apple Teacher, and Microsoft Office Specialists.
She holds a Bachelor, a Master + 30, and an Education Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana State University, a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University and a Master of Educational Leadership with a concentration in Educational Technology Leadership from Nicholls State University. She also holds a Doctorate in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership from Lamar University.
She is the author of Ready to Be an Educational Leader: Your Guide for Passing the SLLA 6990, a 2022 & 2021 Texas Computer Education Association Featured Thought Leader, 2020 International Society for Technology in Education Featured Voice, 2020 Future of Education Technology Conference Featured Presenter, 2019 Customer Commitment Award Honoree from Better Business Bureau's Torch Awards for Ethics, a 2019 Shreveport National Pan-Hellenic Council Mover and Shaker, a 2017 Young Professional Initiative 40 Under 40 Awards Honoree, 2017 Center for Digital Education Top 30 Technologists, Transformers & Trailblazers, 2017 PBS Learning Media Digital Innovator for Louisiana, 2016 Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana Member of the Year, 2015 Librarian of the Year for Louisiana Librarian Association, 2015 Campus Teacher of the Year in the Zachary Community School District and 2014 Leader of the Year for Region 2 Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators.
Learn more at www.educatoralexander.com.