EdCite: Build, Send, and Review Assignments Easily

EdCite is a K-12 platform that allows teachers to build lessons, send them to students, and review their students results. The platform includes:

• A teacher curated library of lessons/assignments
• Interactive question types
• Features that allow assignments to be shared with colleagues
• Easy distribution and tracking
• Flexible use for practice or assessment
• Automated grading and time-saving features

"I'm easily able t use Edcite to enhance and adjust my current curriculum along with accessing a large library of ready to use assignments. Edcite will definitely be part of my daily lesson plans!"

New adds to the Student Personalized Learning System

With our partnership with WaterRocks from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach new items have been added to the Student Personalized Learning System .  In this system are Science modules that can be assigned to K-2 grade level students.  Here is the current listing with much more to be added:

• Tall Grass Prairie EcoSystem
• Water quality from Dept of Natural Resources
• Watershed from Dept of Natural Resources
• Ada Hayden Park Wetlands
• Visit a Chicken Farm
• Water Quality Monitoring Program    

Citizenship in the Digital Age

Find more education infographics on e-Learning Infographics

7 Digital Deadly Sins

Pride, lust greed, gluttony, envy, wrath, and sloth-the seven deadly sins have been with us for hundreds of years. However, in today’s digital world we are faced with a whole new set of moral dilemmas.

The Seven Digital Deadly Sins pulls together true stories of individuals who have succumbed to the Seven Digital Deadly Sins and forces us to ask ourselves how we are impacting the digital world and how the digital world is impacting us?

This multimedia rich site will help individuals reflect deeply on their digital life.

Click here to learn more about the Seven Digital Deadly Sins.

It's time to have "The Talk"

It's something every parent and educator needs to make sure they do. When it comes to navigating social media, online games, smartphones, and the Internet, it's best for kids to get their info from a trusted source. With 92 percent of teens going online daily and nearly three-quarters of kids age 0–8 using apps, having "The Talk" is an essential rite of passage.

That's right, it's Digital Citizenship Week (October 18-24, 2015).

As parents and educators, we want to raise kids to be safe, responsible, and ethical in the digital world. Giving kids a solid understanding of how we expect them to behave -- both online and off -- starts everyone off on the right foot. Plus, it's actually a lot easier than that other talk. 

There are lots of resources out there to help with your comfort in talking with kids about their digital footprint and digital safety.  Here's just a sample of resources:

• Take AEA PD Online's self paced course on Digital Citizenship located on our training system.
• Check out these resources from Common Sense Education
• Use AEA PD Online's K-12 Learning Management System for blended learning opportunities for your students
• Eudtopia's blog: Digital Citizenship Week: 6 Resources for Educators
• Edmodo's Blog: Digital Citizenship Week is Here
• Attend the webinar: Making Digital Citizenship Interactive with Nearpod sponsored by edWeb.com (October 21, 2015 3:00 pm Central time)
• Follow on twitter #HaveTheTalk

There's lots of ways to have "The Talk" with your students.  What's some of the resources you have found useful?

Blended Learning in Action- read about how districts use blended learning.

http://www.techlearning.com/resources/0003/blended-learning-in-action/69629

Live Event: Science Standards Conference

Oct. 20, 2015

9:00 a.m. - 3:55 p.m.

Watch the live stream here.

Educators and administrators across the state can watch the Oct. 20 Science Standards conference through livestream. The conference is designed to bring together administrators, curriculum directors, Area Education Agency personnel, teacher leaders and higher education faculty to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with the adoption of the new Iowa Science Standards. For more information, visit the Iowa Department of Education website.

Iowa's New Science Standards Conference Agenda is available here.

Finding Educational Resources

 

Finding content for your online course can be a daunting task, especially content that you can use without fear of copyright infringement. I am talking about images, lesson plans, and other types of teaching materials that is posted on the web. Sometimes it appears as though there is not a copyright associated with a particular piece of content, but never, ever assume. If you don't know, then don't use it. Find something else--and I know that is sometimes difficult, especially when you have found "the perfect thing" for what you are teaching.

The following infographic provides some steps for finding openly licensed educational resources. It also provides directions for how you can share content you have created, remixed, etc. with others.

Find more education infographics on e-Learning Infographics

It is our responsibility, as educators, to model the ethical use of content and resources for our students. Besides only using learning objects that we have permission to use, we must also give proper attribution to the resources we are "borrowing". That is a topic for another Friday Feature.

 

Peggy Steinbronn, Ed.D.

Upcoming Courses: Nov. 1-Dec. 15, 2015

See below for a list of upcoming online professional learning opportunities. To register, click

 on the activity number listed with each course. To conduct your own search for professional development classes, download the AEA PD Online app at myapp.is/aeapdonline or click here to go to the AEA PD Online catalog.

iMovie: Digital Video in the Classroom
Register at 22000399991602
Dates: Nov. 1-Nov. 22, 2015
Credit(s): 1

MovieMaker: Digital Video in the Classroom
Register at 22000699991602
Dates: Nov. 1-Nov. 22, 2015
Credit(s): 1

Photoshop Elements: Digital Imaging in the Classroom
Register at 22000499991602
Dates: Nov. 1-Nov. 22, 2015
Credit(s): 1

Advancing Minds - Assessing Written Language in Students
Register at 22029299991601
Dates: Nov. 2, 2015-Jan. 11, 2016
Credit(s): 3

Advancing Minds: Helping Our Students with Behavioral Challenges
Register at 22029799991601
Dates: Nov. 1, 2015-Jan. 11, 2016
Credit(s): 3

iPods & iPads for the Classroom
Register at 22004199991603
Dates: Nov. 2-Nov. 29, 2015
Credit(s): 2

Methods of Teaching Elementary Fine Arts
Register at 22027899991603
Dates: Nov. 2-Nov. 23, 2015
Credit(s): 1

How Do You Teach Reading-Speaking the Language of The Book Whisperer
Register at 22019399991602
Dates: Nov. 9-Dec. 4, 2015
Credit(s): 1

Using the iPad in the Social Studies Classroom
Register at 22014899991601
Dates: Nov. 9-Dec. 14, 2015
Credit(s): 2

Increasing Cognitive Complexity to Enhance Student Learning
Register at 22025699991602
Dates: Nov. 14-Dec. 20, 2015
Credit(s):  1 (renewal only)

Google Sites for the Classroom
Register at 22025199991603
Dates: Nov. 16-Dec. 9, 2015
Credit(s): 1

Examining: Bullying From Both Sides
Register at 22002099991603
Dates: Nov. 18, 2015-Jan. 22, 2016
Credit(s): 3

Examining: Fierce Teaching
Register at 22018799991603
Dates: Nov. 18, 2015-Jan. 22, 2016
Credit(s): 2

Examining: Secrets of the Teenage Brain
Register at 22019199991602
Dates: Nov. 18, 2015-Jan. 22, 2016
Credit(s):  3

Examining: Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction
Register at 22004899991603
Dates: Nov. 18-Dec. 22, 2015
Credit(s): 3

MOLLIE: Online Teaching Best Practices
Register at 22019699991601
Dates: Nov. 18-Dec. 22, 2015
Credit(s): 2

OLLIE: Online Facilitation
Register at 22009699991602
Dates: Nov. 18-Dec. 22, 2015
Credit(s): 2

Spanish for Educators Online
Register at 22000799991602
Dates: Nov. 18-Dec. 30, 2015
Credit(s): 3 (renewal only)

Google Sites
Register at 22012899991603
Dates: Nov. 22, 2015-Jan. 27, 2016
Credit(s): 2

Intro to Google Apps: Tools to Integrate
Register at 22014599991604
Dates: Nov. 22, 2015-Jan. 17, 2016
Credit(s): 2

Pinterest in the Classroom 
Register at 22019999991607
Dates: Nov. 30-Dec. 27, 2015
Credit(s): 2

Effective Teacher Mentoring and Coaching 
Register at 22025799991602
Dates: Dec. 2-Dec. 23, 2015
Credit(s): 1 (renewal only)

Latino Lit
Register at 22006399991601
Dates: Dec. 2-Dec. 30, 2015
Credit(s): 1 (renewal only)

Pinterest: Using Pins, Boards, and More in Your Classroom
Register at 22022299991608
Dates: Dec. 2-Dec. 29, 2015
Credit(s): 2

Building Social Studies Literacy
Register at 22017199991601
Dates: Dec. 8, 2015-Jan. 12, 2016
Credit(s): 2

Developing Student-Directed Learning
Register at 22010499991602
Dates: Dec. 10, 2015-Jan. 21, 2016
Credit(s): 3 (renewal only)

eCurriculum Content Iowa Teacher shares what he built

Did you know that AEA PD Online K-12 System has online content created by teachers that can be used in your classes (downloaded and added to your Moodle, Canvas or Schoology course).  Here is a list of new content that was just added from an Iowa teacher.  To see this click on eCurriculum Catalog icon under Teacher Resources. REMEMBER- these are meant to be teacher facilitated courses.

Here are some shared by Craig Mohr from SouthEast Polk Schools currently available for use in the classroom. Check back for more as this will be expanded upon over the summer.  Thanks Craig!

• General Chemistry
• Earth and Space Science
• AP Physics  

(You too can share what you have built. Contact any AEA PDOnline Team member)

October is Connected Educator Month

Connected Educator Month: Those who do, teach. Own it, year-round. October 2015.

A celebration of community, with educators at all levels, from all disciplines, moving towards a fully connected and collaborative profession. Convened by the connected education community, with the full support of the U.S. Department of Education, building on the success of previous years with hundreds of new events and activities from dozens of organizations and communities. We’ll be working together, in October and beyond, with all stakeholders, leaving no device unturned, no country or learning environment unexplored. Get involved at connectededucators.org.

Over the past three years, millions of educators and others around the world have participated in hundreds of professional development and other educational opportunities, offering highly distributed, diverse, and engaging activities to all stakeholders at all levels.

There is a wide variety of activities to participate in.  From blogs, interactive wikis, tweets, webinars, MOOCs, resource sharing, and podcasts.  For the complete calendar of events, click this link. http://connectededucators.org/calendar/.  You can also follow the events on twitter at #CE15.

With so many different ways to participate, what's some of the professional development opportunities that appeal to you?