I.T.S. a Tech Update
January 2022
Happy New Year 2022! π₯³πππΎπ₯
Happy New Year 2022!
We hope everyone had a restful Winter Break and you are having a wonderful start to the new year. We are back and in full swing and ready to keep the learning going. We have many things to share, but most importantly we would like to go back to basics and talk about the importance of Blended Learning. Some of you are in full swing and some of you just need help getting started. We will be sharing some great information to get you going as well.
In this newsletter you will find:
- EPISD Student Digital Film Festival
- Student online article websites for research and information
- Strategies to Start Meaningful Blended Learning in Class by Dr. Catlin Tucker
- January Virtual Conferences
As always, if you have any questions please contact your Instructional Technology Specialist.
EPISD Student Digital Film Festival
We wanted to remind you of the upcoming deadline to submit the participation interest form. The deadline is Friday, January 14th. If you feel like you have a group of students that would be willing to create a film for the festival, please submit the form as soon as possible.
You can submit the form directly at this link - https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=NKJrT7pSkk2a751VJFYmhA80Cefr88ZLqCTfBdZOBblUNkxEOFdWNTFJU1pYMzJUWUhGNktGNUJQMS4u
You can also visit the EPISD Student Digital Film Festival website and learn more about this yearly event that will surely peak your student's interest - http://episddigitalfilmfestival.weebly.com/
You and your students can also view film entries from previous years by visiting our EPISD Film Festival YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQGoUUimzRfoNpTD53Z0cww
If you have any questions you can contact John Roach at jdroach@episd.org or your Instructional Technology Specialist.
Student Online Article Websites
Below are a few of the best free article websites for students. Many of these sites offer not only high-quality topical articles on every subject, but also ideas for lessons, such as questions, quizzes, and discussion prompts.
You can find the full list of article websites at https://www.techlearning.com/news/15-awesome-article-sites-for-students
CommonLit
DOGOnews
CNN10
PBS NewsHour Classroom
Readworks.org
Science News for Students
Strategies to Start Meaningful Blended Learning in Class by Dr. Catlin Tucker
Catlin Tucker was only one of the many great presenters during this conference. If you wish to view the rest of the presenters you'll need to register at http://ditchsummit.com/ to gain access. You will have access to all presentations until January 07, 2022.
Remember, if you wish to begin using Blended Learning in your classroom, know that you can contact your Instructional Technology Specialist to help you get started.
January Virtual Learning Programs
There are many virtual learning opportunities for the month of January. Click on the links below for more information and registration.
Flipgrid Live Events - https://blog.flipgrid.com/upcomingflipgridliveevents
- Flipgrid: Transforming the Classroom - (Teachers only) Monday, January 10, 2022, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM MST/El Paso.
- Learn to Face Our Fears with Author Sharon M. Draper - (Recommended Age 10+) Wednesday, January 12, 2022, 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM MST/El Paso.
- Animal Parenting! - (All Ages) Wednesday, January 19, 2022, 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM MST/El Paso.
- Build Your Mental Fitness with Goldie Hawn and Dido Balla (All Ages) Wednesday, January 26, 2022, 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM MST/El Paso.
- Flipgrid: Transforming the Classroom - (Teachers only) Wednesday, January 24, 2022, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM MST/El Paso.
- Indian Bravehearts: A Tale of Courage and Valour - Live from India (Ages 8+) Friday, January 28, 2022, 4:30 AM - 5:00 AM MST/El Paso
Connect2Texas - https://www.connect2texas.net/pages/home/events/
Connect2Texas Weekly Update Newsletter - https://www.smore.com/jx0fa-connect2texas?ref=email-content#w-3438099247
Note: You will need to register an account before you can register for an event. Not all events are free, but you can filter to only see free events, as well as, events that are still open for registration. Free events fill up fast so be sure to register early!
- Gone to Texas! Part of the Nation's Immigration Story - Bullock Texas State History Museum (Grade Levels: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 11th Grade, Adults) January 07, 2022, 9:00-9:50 AM MST/El Paso.
- Little Learners Storytime: Snowflake Bentley (Interactive) (Grade Levels: Pre Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade) January 11, 2022, 9:00-9:40 AM MST/El Paso.
- Tall Tales in Texas - Bullock Texas State History Museum (Grade Levels: Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade) January 13, 2022, 9:00-9:50 AM MST/El Paso.
Discovery Education - https://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/virtual-field-trips/
No permission slips are required! These On-Demand virtual events let educators take students to amazing places and give them remarkable experiences, without ever leaving the classroom.
EPISD@Home iPad Tips
EPISD@Home MacBook Tips
Three-Minute Quaranteaching Tips
- January 01 - Happy New Year 2022 and Ellis Island Day
- January 03 - Teacher Work Day and JRR Tolkien Day
- January 04 -EPISD Students Return to School and World Braille Day
- January 06 - Apple Tree Day
- January 08 - Earth's Rotation Day
- January 09 - National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
- January 10 - National 4th Graders Day!
- January 11 - National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
- January 12 - National Pharmacist Day
- January 13 - Korean-American Day
- January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday
- January 16 - Prohibition Remembrance Day
- January 17 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day/EPISD Holiday
- January 18 - National Thesaurus Day
- January 20 - International Day of Acceptance
- January 24 - Macintosh Computer Day
- January 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day
- January 28 - Data Privacy Day
Contact Us
We are Instructional Technology Specialists that serve all campuses in EPISD. We spend most of our time sharing ideas and teaching best practices for integrating technology as a seamless part of learning in the classroom. Please contact us if you are looking for a technology integrated session that would best meet the needs of the students in your classroom.