The Learning Edge

What’s Your Favorite App?

What is your current go-to app or website that has created powerful learning experiences for your students, specifically during the transition to remote learning? Share your favorites at What’s Your App?   Your app will be shared in future Learning Edge Newsletters in APP NEWS!

NASA Joins CS For All

NASA joins CS for All to make computer science education available to U.S. students. The effort of the Office of Science and Technology Policy is led by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education with other federal agencies and private partners. Visit NASA STEM Engagement for Resources for K-12 educators. NASA STEAM Innovation Lab, Kids Club, CS Activities, and more.

Canva Forever Free Access

Canva is offering Canva Pro access, plus a bunch of add ons for the classroom, free to teachers and students globally. Students can create and co-create presentations, infographics, websites, reports, worksheets, posters, flyers, and signage. The program includes access to 60,000 templates, two million images, 800,000 icons and illustrations, and 700 fonts. Visit Canva for Educators to learn how to qualify.

Smithsonian Learning Lab

The Lab is a free, interactive platform for discovering millions of authentic digital resources, creating content with easy-to-use tools, so you can upload, download, adapt, create, and share with colleagues and students in your school. Use the Getting Started Guide to learn how!

American Museum of Natural History

AMNH is sharing resources for educators, students, and families – Visit “OLogy”, the science website for kids with lessons on subjects from anthropology to zoology. AMNH has partnered with ReadWorks to create dozens of K-12 OLogy articles and paired them with vocabulary lessons and formative assessments.

Edutopia Videos for Educators

Edutopia, as always delivers for educators. A new line up of timely videos is available for educators with topics such as Making Space for Your Students’ Perspectives and 6 Ways to be an Antiracist Educator.

ISTE Creative Constructor Lab – FREE

ISTE is offering the virtual Creative Constructor Lab for free, October 3rd – 10th! Gain insight and coaching from some of the most creative minds in education, gather with other inspiring educators to imagine, ideate, and invent and more! For more information and registration visit Virtual ISTE Lab

ISTE20 Virtual Early Bird Registration

ISTE20 has gone virtual and scheduled  November 29th- December 5th. Attendees will have the choice of live events and on-demand sessions that will be available during and after the virtual conference.  Learn more at ISTE20 Reinventing Education Together  Register before October 1st for only $155.

The Learning Network

Visit the NY Times Learning Network with a plethora of student activities and educator resources to “help teachers bring current events and issues into the classroom to help students see why and how they matter in their own real lives.”  Also, check out the NY Times – Multimedia contest for students – “How the events of this extraordinary year have affected you” Entries through November.

Checkology Now Free!

What used to be called “Premium” access to Checkology is now free for all teachers. All teachers have the ability to create classes, add students & customize news literacy courses. Learn more about this amazing resource at Checkology from News Media Literacy.

CoSN Tech Enablers

CoSN released the final of three publications in the Driving K-12 Innovation series, Tech Enablers- tools that support smoother leaps over the hurdles and expansive changes in global K-12 education.  Read the final publications at CoSN K-12 (create an account to access.)

1. Digital Collaboration Platforms
2. Tools for Privacy & Safety Online
3. Analytics and Adaptive Technologies
4. Cloud Infrastructure
5. Mobile Devices

Big Picture Learning Grabs the REMOTE

You’re invited to join the BPL community in a new series of events, discussions, student-led exhibitions, and more in an effort to share the load and spread the love. For details, agendas, and registration information, bookmark BPL Grabs the Remote.

Tech Learning AR/VR Reviews

Tech Learning has provided a review of the best VR and AR systems for schools and the methods to use these in class. Read their article at TL Learning.

Inexpensive Google Cardboard made the list!

CDE Framework and Toolkit

CDE has developed the Planning the 2020-21 SY Framework and Toolkit consisting of five areas: Health and Safety, Continuity of Learning, Conditions for Learning, Planning, and Communications, and Policy and Funding.  There is also a resource list by content area to peruse at Learning at Home.

Colorado GEG

Colorado Google Educator Group is a new community of educators across Colorado formed to inspire, empower, share, and learn from each other in order to meet the needs of students through technology.  Find out more about GEG and how to join this amazing group of educators by watching their Launch video linked below or visit the following sites: CVL -Google Educator Group; GEG Website, or GEG Facebook Group.  GEG offers EdTech instructional webinars like the one linked below with Colorado educator Becky Shorey!

Google Edu OnAir

Education OnAir offers a “global curriculum of webinars and digital events to help you get the most out of Google for Education tools and solutions.” You can find these at   On-Demand webinars.

The most recent webinar series was with Marc Brackett and Jennie Magiera on Social-Emotional Awareness discussing research-based strategies to support your own and your students’ well-being, healthy decision making, relationship quality, and healthy emotion regulation.

SPARK Newsletter

Don’t forget to read the SPARK newsletter from Colorado Commissioner, Katy Anthes. The Colorado Department of Education also offers many electronic publications for you. You can sign up by visiting the CDE Communications Office homepage: http://www.cde.state.co.us/communications.

9/16 Girls Who Code
9/22  ASCD Alexs Pate Innocent Classroom
9/24 STEM Education Equity Forum
10/3 – 10/10 ISTE Creative Constructor Lab

10/15  CASEL SEL Exchange
11/7 – 11/8 Learning & Brain  Social/Emotional
11/14 – 11/15 RockCS @ Adams 12
11/29 – 12/5 ISTE Virtual 
1/26 – 1/29 FETC