April 2020 #1

APP NEWS

Create an engaging, student-friendly digital choice board with Google Slides. Watch the walk-through at TCEA to learn how to “hide” slides that you can link to and create a hyperslide deck.

What’s Your Favorite App?

What is your favorite app? Please share your favorite applications or websites that you use with students at What’s Your App?  Watch for your submission to be featured in APP NEWS  soon!

Additional digital learning resources/apps can be found at CVL  Digital Literacy.

Education Podcast Network

All of  their “shows are produced by educators who want to shape education through meaningful discussion and content.”Podcasts to listen to in 2020 – go to Ed Podcast Network

ISTE DigCitCommit for Parent Resources

Share ISTE’s Blog on Educators: Help parents talk to their kids about tech

Find more resources at CVL Digital Citizenship Resources

Distance/Remote Learning

The Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado State Library have gathered a plethora of resources for you and the students and families you support. You can find these at the sites linked below:

CDE Learning at Home – The Colorado Department of Education has developed a list of remote learning resources by category.
Colorado State Library Resources & Stay-Cation for parents and students
Distance/Remote Learning Resources for educators and families

CoSN Breakthrough Mindsets Virtual Conference

CoSN has rescheduled its annual conference and will be offering a two-day ‘Breakthrough Virtual Experience”, May 19th -21st. For more information visit CoSN Breakthrough

Checkout CoSN’s Resources
Video Conferencing Tools
Cybersecurity Considerations
CoSN Webinars
Virtual Learning Webinar
CoSN Podcasts

Free to K-12 Educators – Colorado OER Conference

The OER Council and CDHE have moved the in-person conference at Colorado School of Mines to the fall term of 2020 – specific date TBD.   There will be a one-day OER Virtual Summit on June 5th. Please RSVP in advance.  For more information visit Colorado OER.

InnEdCO 2020 Update

The InnEdCO 2020 conference has been canceled due to the CoVid19 crisis and concern for the health and safety of all of our participants.  If you registered for InnEdCO 2020, please visit the InnEdCO site for updates and the refund process.

InnEdCO is holding Google Meets  -‘Meeting the Moment’  For more information & registration go to Next Google Meet: April 16th, 4 pm – 6 pm

STEAM Week
From CS Mines here are two free online events for CS teachers:

E-Sports: April 21 Professional Learning Series for Educators offered from STEAM Universe, visit their site at STEAM.
Scratch Meet-up online! April 29th, 4-6 pm via Zoom
Meeting PW: 338539

Ditch That Textbook

Matt Miller provides a list of 70 eLearning activities at Ditch That Textbook Check his options for video projects, graphic organizers, and more.

CSEN Roundtables

Join the Colorado Science Educator Network (CSEN), and your fellow educators from across the state on April 20th,  8am-3:00 pm to explore and discuss strategies and techniques that are working well during this remote learning experience. Roundtables will be organized by pre-selected topics – Come and go to sessions of your choice! Sessions are free, registration required for the day at CSEN Roundtables Registration Questions? Contact Robert Payo at Robert.payo@dmns.org

Computer Science Grants On Hold!

To support districts’ focus on the current health situation, CDE is pausing all competitive grant program applications and review processes for the time being. Additional information can be found at CSed Grants

Join Online Educator Groups

Interested in hearing and seeing what other educators are doing around the world? Check out these online facebook communities!

MakerSpaces and the Participatory Library

Amazing Educational Resources Facebook Group
Technology Teacher Tribe
Innovation Education CO Online Chapter
Hacking School Libraries (and Other Classrooms)
Global Educator Collective

Rock CS Date Update

Rock CS, Rocky Mountain Computer Science Conference for P-12 Educators, has moved the conference date to November 14th – 15th, 2020.  This two-day event, designed by Adams 12 Five Star Schools & St. Vrain Valley School District,  supports P-12 classroom teachers with teaching computer science (CS) and computational thinking. Contact info@rockcs.org if you have questions.  To register, visit Rock CS registration.

• $50 registration
• Learn how to integrate computer science and/or computational thinking into any content
• Explore innovative strategies for your CS classroom

Learning Webinars EdWeb.Net

EdWeb.net is an award-winning professional learning network provides free webinars and professional learning communities for educators! Take a look at the webinars coming up – from SEL at a Distance to Differentiating online at EdWeb Net. You can also access their archives by creating an account at EdWeb Archives.

Common Sense Education News Literacy

During this time of a plethora of information, it is important to teach news literacy. Common Sense Media is highlighting a “growing group of irresistible games about everything from fact-checking to bias to misinformation and disinformation. Check out these news literacy favorites:

Bad News: Modern, minimalist fake news game has players be the villains.
BBC iReporter: Spot real stories, dodge fake news in cheeky media literacy sim.
Informable: Spot fake news, sharpen media literacy skills with speedy quizzes.
Newsfeed Defenders: Social media simulation builds news literacy skills.

Teach & Connect During Closure with
Commons Sense Education

Common Sense has put together a number of resources to “Help Families and Teachers Manage Distance Learning”

Wide Open School Get curated guides to help students learn and explore every day
New Video Series Episodes of Distance Learning with Common Sense explore strategies and best practices
Virtual Learning Tools Tools & tips to run an effective virtual classroom

iLearn Collaborative Webinars

iLearn Collaborative is the only Colorado state-subsidized provider of blended professional development. View their free remote learning webinars for Education Leaders, Teacher PD,  the Digital Content Warehouse and OER Resources. Visit iLearn for date/times.

4/17 InnEdCO Meet
4/20 CSEN Virtual
5/21 CoSN Virtual
6/5  Colorado OER Virtual
6/21-6/25 NICERC Minneapolis Virtual

7/12-7/17 CSTA Virtual
8/3-8/4 MTSS Summit
11/14 – 11/ RockCS @ Adams 12
11/28-12/1 ISTE Anaheim