I.T. Monthly: February 2024 Issue
West Point Consolidated School District
DEAR TEACHERS AND STAFF!!
As we embrace the second month of the year, we are excited to bring you the February newsletter edition that celebrates the richness of Black History, explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, and highlights invaluable resources available within our district.
Please read the newsletter in its entirety and contact us with any tips, tricks, or suggestions to improve our communication. We welcome your feedback and ideas.
-IT Department
Celebrate Black History Month!
Click on the picture below to learn the history behind Black History Month
Biography Project
Biography projects are terrific because they engage students by offering choice, they can be adapted for all age groups, and they are easy to differentiate.
- Here's a link to a great set of biography projects for elementary students.
- Here are some fun ideas for middle school students.
- Here's a link to a biography writing project for older students (note: where it suggests checking out a book from the school library, it could easily be researching the internet!)
AI in Education
In a world where technology is rapidly evolving, we believe it is our responsibility to equip our students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive. AI offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance the learning experience, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.
Read the article below to learn more about how to Handle AI in schools.
Newsela
Newsela + Mississippi Newsletter - January 2024 Edition! 🚀
Welcome to February! Despite being the shortest month of the year, we’ve packed in a ton of content and activities (check out our February Content Calendar for a peek at what lies ahead).
To honor Black History Month, each week we’ll share lesson ideas for your students to celebrate and learn. (Looking to get ahead on planning Black History Month lessons? Browse our blog post for ideas to get started.)
This week we explore what it means to be seen, and how literature can be a powerful vehicle to explore and connect to others’ experiences.
- We’ve got text sets on how Black artists have left their imprint on American society as well as Black writers’ impact on the American literary tradition.
- We also have a story about a comic series that’s engaging younger generations in dialogue about policing.
And we have some great additional content to keep your students engaged:
- A novel study that pairs nicely with Lunar New Year celebrations.
- And we’ve got resources to make classroom discussions about the Super Bowl a deeper learning opportunity.
Paper Reading
Get ready for an exciting journey into the world of reading with a month of Paper Reading. We are thrilled to announce a calendar of plug-n-play passages provided to your district. This initiative brings a new reading adventure for your students each day of February, allowing teachers to seamlessly integrate engaging content into their lesson plans.
📕 What is Paper Reading?
Paper Reading is a reading practice tool that drives literacy outcomes by listening to students read aloud and provides immediate, data-driven feedback students can act on. Paper Reading is grounded in research.
“Increases student confidence, practice time, and reading proficiency while maximizing instruction and saving teachers time.” -Gentry, Iverson, & Madson.
Kami: What's New in February
Black History Month is an opportunity to explore the contributions Black people have made to society — from civil rights pioneers to innovative scientists, their stories are a testament to resilience. Let's celebrate their inspiring journeys and profound impact on the world, together.
2024: Year of the Dragon
The Year of the Dragon is right around the corner! If you’re exploring the beliefs and symbols of the festival with your students, we’ve got you covered.
Chinese Zodiac Drag & Drop
Teaching your class about Chinese zodiac signs? See if they can find their zodiac animal and the sign for 2024! Click Here to Have a Try
Interactive Lunar New Year Research Sheet
Share this interactive template with your class to collaboratively research Lunar New Year history and practices. Click Here to Have a Try
Lunar New Year Read Comprehension
Test your students’ reading comprehension with this Lunar New Year reading passage. Suitable for grades 7–10. Click Here to Have a Try
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
friEdTech: FREE digital learning opportunity to Mississippi campus and district administrators
friEdTech in partnership with MS Connects is excited to offer this exclusive FREE digital learning opportunity to Mississippi campus and district administrators
for the fourth time in two years!
About the Academy:
👉 The Leadership Academy consists of six 1.5 hour LIVE webinars
👉 The following Tuesdays: February 13, 20, 27, March 5, 12, 19.
👉 9:00 AM-10:30 AM each week.
👉 Recordings and resources will be made available for those who cannot attend LIVE, but LIVE attendance is strongly encouraged.
👉 The Digital Learning Academy for Leaders is designed to provide additional support, tools, and strategies as you take your knowledge of purposeful digital integration to the next level!
👉 Registration for the Academy will close Friday, February 9, 2024.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDIT INFO:
Participants who complete the academy by attending the LIVE webinars and completing the practice activities will be eligible to apply for 10 SEMIs or 1.0 OSL through NMEC.
If you have questions about the academy, please email ms.help@fried.tech. We are happy to assist you!
Click the Here to register!
FriedTechnology: Free On-Demand Courses for Mississippi Educators!
Browse through the list of courses and register at https://www.friedonline.com/mscourses. Once enrolled, participants have 10 months to complete the course. Course completers will receive a Certificate of Completion and can apply for CEUs or SEMIs within 6 months of completing the course. For more information, please contact ms.help@fried.tech.
APPLE LEARNING VIRTUAL CONFERENCES
Mississippi State University
West Point Consolidated School District: I.T. Department
Website: https://www.westpoint.k12.ms.us/technology
Location: 359 Commerce St, West Point, MS 39773, USA
Phone: (662)494-6364
Katie Roach
West Point Consolidated School District
Email: katie.roach@westpoint.k12.ms.us
Website: https://www.westpoint.k12.ms.us/technology
Phone: (662) 295.9412
Meon Carroll
West Point Consolidated School District
Email: shekia.carroll@westpoint.k12.ms.us
Website: https://www.westpoint.k12.ms.us/technology
Phone: 662.295.0322
Contact us with any questions or tips you may have!
Website: https://www.westpoint.k12.ms.us/technology
Location: 359 Commerce St, West Point, MS 39773, USA
Phone: (662)494-6364