GWAEA Digital Learning Update
to ensure success for all learners - February 2020
Digital Learning Day is February 27, 2020
Why celebrate Digital Learning Day?
With so many new types of digital devices, educational software and mobile apps continuously developed, it’s hard to keep up with the latest and greatest advancements in educational technology. In some classrooms and out-of-school programs across the country, educators are doing some pretty amazing things with technology. Yet, these pockets of innovation are confined to a small number of schools and communities. Digital Learning Day was started as a way to actively spread innovative practices and ensure that all youth have access to high-quality digital learning opportunities no matter where they live.
Learn more about Digital Learning Day and share what you are doing at: https://digitallearningday.org/.
This month be sure to follow the GWAEA Digital Learning Team on Twitter and Facebook for extra learning this month! We will also be having a special series of blog posts!
EP71: YouTube is Changing!
Amber Bridge is back for the first episode of 2020 to help Mindy and Jonathan get their heads around the latest changes that YouTube is making and how that might affect teachers and school districts. Screencastify got a big update, and so did Book Creator. There is also a healthy serving of tech nuggets, including something special for emoji fans!
Show notes and links for everything discussed in the show can be found at: dlgwaea.org/podcast/71
You can follow Jonathan (@jonathanwylie) and Mindy (@TeamCairney) on Twitter, and see all the tweets from the Grant Wood AEA Digital Learning Team at @DLGWAEA. You can also email us with questions or ideas, podcast@gwaea.org. If you enjoy the show please share it with your friends and colleagues and/or leave us a review on your podcast app of choice.
THANK YOU for listening. We really couldn't (or wouldn't) do this without the support of listeners like you!
Season 5: Episode 6: Share Your Journey
This challenge focuses on sharing the creative journey. Find a way for your students to share their creative process to an audience.
A big thanks to Christina Root from All Saint School in Cedar Rapids for sharing their maker story. Due to some recent updates with YouTube, you will notice some changes in how we are sharing our challenges and our student maker stories. These sections will now be split into two separate videos. But don't worry! They will be found together on our blog. Check out our Maker Minute on Sharing!
We would love to see what you make! Join our Maker Community by sending us your photos or videos through social media by adding #havefunmaking and @dlgwaea to your post. We will add them to our online Maker Community Wakelets that can be viewed at www.dlgwaea.org. You can also subscribe to our mailing list at: http://bit.ly/TMIMail #HaveFunMaking #IaEdChat #GWAEALibs #MakerEd #Makerspace
Find more Challenges!
Search to find classroom challenges around no or low tech, coding, robots, cardboard, video, 3D printing, and the list goes on. We've partnered with 22 different schools to highlight student makers as they take ownership of the challenges. Or click on this link to see the full playlist of videos on YouTube
ITEC Leadership & Learning Symposium
The event formerly known as the Iowa 1:1 Institute is now the ITEC Leadership & Learning Symposium! It will feature a half-day leadership event followed by a one day conference full of sessions that support technology in education, as well as opportunities to continue to explore the leadership day learning.
The 2020 Leadership Day will take place the afternoon of Tuesday, March 31 and will focus on exploring how openly-licensed educational resources (OERs) can support all learners and will feature Dr. Jeanette Westfall, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Staff Development for Liberty Public Schools. Dr. Westfall is on the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology #GoOpen Leadership Team working to support districts interested in growing the use of Open Educational Resources (OER).
Wednesday, April 1, will feature nearly 100 sessions where Iowa educators can showcase their leadership and learning around education and technology within their school systems.
Register to attend this event and/or share your story or experience as a presenter.
Computer Science Strategic Planning & Implementation (SCRIPT)
During this two-day workshop, participants will collaborate with their district team to complete CSforALL's SCRIPT: the Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool. SCRIPT is a framework to guide teams of district administrators, school leaders, and educators through a series of collaborative visioning, self-assessment, and goal-setting exercises to create or expand upon a computer science education implementation plan for their students.
School districts and other local education organizations are the unit of change toward creating rigorous, inclusive and sustainable K-12 computer science education. The SCRIPT supports systems-level change by addressing five key areas: (1) Leadership, (2) Teacher Capacity and Development, (3) Curriculum and Materials Selection and Refinement, (4) Partners, and (5) Community.
District teams will leave with action steps and will participate in periodic coaching conversations with facilitators.
Register your team now for course 182109!
Start a FREE Girls Who Code Club Today!
Grant Wood AEA has partnered with Girls Who Code (GWC) to bring free computer science learning opportunities to our region. Girls Who Code Clubs are FREE after-school programs for 3rd-5th or 6th-12th grade girls to join a sisterhood of supportive peers and role models and use computer science to change the world. Participants not only learn hard coding skills and computational thinking, but they’ll also learn project management skills, collaboration, bravery, resilience, how to positively impact their community, and so much more.
When you start a GWC Club, you’ll gain access to free resources, flexible plug and play curriculum, funding opportunities, ongoing support, alumni opportunities for your young learners, and more! There’s no computer science experience needed to get started since GWC is there for you every step of the way. Clubs with 3+ students enrolled in your club receive a mini-grant of $300 per semester!
Apply now with the quick 15 min Clubs Application. As a Girls Who Code Community Partner, any Clubs in our network are eligible to receive additional partnership benefits by indicating Grant Wood AEA on the Clubs Application!
OR
Join us for a Club Application Party on February 11th, at 3:30p! Key Session from Girls Who Code will join us via Zoom to walk you through creating your club! You can join the party with this link.
Learn more about our Community Partnership here or contact Corey Rogers (crogers@gwaea.org).
FREE Computational Thinking Workshop - Ignite My Future in Schools TECHcademy
You can learn more about the workshop here.
You can register for this event on March 24th here.
All educators welcome to join and take home FREE transdisciplinary resources and strategies designed to effectively engage classrooms with the foundations of computational thinking across subject areas through engaging lessons.
Additional Computer Science Opportunities
The Beauty and Joy of Computing PD (Summer 2020)- The Beauty and Joy of Computing (BJC) is a College Board-endorsed AP Computer Science Principles curriculum and professional development based on the themes of creativity and social impacts. Since 2012, BJC has provided professional development to more than 600 teachers throughout the U.S., reaching more than 5,000 students. There are sessions being offered in the Midwest. If you are interested in attending PD in Summer 2020, please complete the BJC Summer 2020 PD interest form.
Pathways to Personalization A Framework for School Change
Authors Shawn C. Rubin & Cathy Sanford at GWAEA
“If our goal is to provide every public school student with an education leveraging individual strengths, identities, and interests in order to produce learners who feel engaged, inspired, and motivated, then school must look and feel fundamentally different.”
Based on the book, Pathways to Personalization, this workshop outlines an innovative five-step framework to help school leaders and teacher teams design and implement blended and personalized learning initiatives based on local needs and interests. The framework recognizes three key roles: a change agent, a design team, and a group of pilot teachers. Leaders across these roles must respect the different perspectives, cultures, identities, and social-emotional needs of their stakeholders to guide this process. Pathways to Personalization meets this need by providing a field-tested road map for educators seeking ways to meet the academic and emotional needs of all students and to empower them to take charge of their own learning.
Register your team at aealearning.truenorthlogic.com
Course #181041
March 4, 2020 1:00 - 3:30
Ready for More Blended Learning?
Here are additional titles available from the GWAEA Media Center:
Blended Learning In Action : A Practical Guide Toward Sustainable Change
Bold School : Old School Wisdom + New School Technologies = Blended Learning That Works
Power Up Blended Learning : A Professional Learning Infrastructure To Support Sustainable Change
Order today and we will deliver right to your building!
Want titles on the go? We also have titles available in e-book format:
Blended Learning In Action : A Practical Guide Toward Sustainable Change
Blending Leadership : Six Simple Beliefs For Leading Online And Off
If you need help ordering materials or have suggestions items to add to our collection, contact Dianna Geers, GWAEA’s Teacher Librarian at dgeers@gwaea.org or 319-399-6481.
Become a #GoOpen Accessibility Hero
OERs have increased the affordability, flexibility, and customizability of curricula. An important next step is to ensure that materials are designed in such a way that all learners can use them to participate and make progress in the curriculum with independence. Together, through the Accessibility Community of Practice, we will develop a protocol and a checklist that will help OER curators evaluate any curriculum for conformance to accessibility best practices.
It's not too late to join! Monthly Check-in Calls
The dates for the monthly check-in calls – all 3PM ET/noon Pacific – are as follows:
- Tuesday, February 11th
- Thursday, March 12th
- Tuesday, April 14th
- Tuesday, May 12th
New YouTube Updates You Should Know About
January 2020 was an important month for YouTube because it marked the rollout of a number of new changes that will indelibly affect the future of the platform and the people who use it. For teachers, and for schools, these are important changes to be aware of as they look to curate content, upload content, and work with students to do the same. In this blog post, Jonathan Wylie outlines what those changes are.
DLGWAEA Summer Summit
Save the Dates
ITEC Learning & Leadership Symposium - March 31- April 1, 2020
Building Bridges - April 21, 2020
DLGWAEA Summer Summit Featuring Google for Education - June 16-18, 2020
About Us
Email: digitallearning@gwaea.org
Website: http://www.dlgwaea.org
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA, United States
Phone: 319-399-6700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dlgwaea
Twitter: @DLGWAEA