The UEN PD Department is excited about the upcoming Tumbleweeds Film Festival! Will we see you there?

In this week's newsletter, you will find:

• UENVideo with PDTV, GEGUtah Meetup, and UEN Shorts
• UEN Homeroom Podcast: New episode "Educators in the Legislative Process"
• Course Spotlight on Minecraft Education - It's more than just a game!
• eMedia Hub Spotlight: Fine Arts Hub
• UTTLN Interest Form
• Upcoming Professional Development opportunities from UCET, UELMA, and Edcamps
• Resource Share: Tumbleweeds Film Festival

Travel with us to Uintah River High School on the Ute Indian Tribe's Uintah and Ouray reservation to learn how science teacher Mike Sanderson uses real-world projects and Bluetooth probes to engage students in critical thinking and computational thinking. See how Mr. Sorenson collaborates with his regional educational service center to design these projects, which connect directly to the Ute Indian Tribe's tradition of stewarding the land, plants, animals and water of their 4.5 million-acre reservation.

Join GEGUtah for its April Meetup! Check out all the resources at the following link!

GEGUtah April Meetup Resources

Easily find credible sources and link them to your assignments. 💻 Check out the full capabilities of Gale in Context on Utah's Online School Library - it's a game-changer for student research.

Welcome back to UEN Homeroom!

Delve into the connection between education and legislation in Utah. Join Dani and Matt on this episode of UEN Homeroom as they chat with experts on how this process intertwines with the world of education and learn practical ways for educators to actively participate and have their voices heard. Get ready to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that shape educational policies and practices in our state!

In this online course, teachers will learn about Minecraft Education, a game-based teaching and learning tool to enrich classroom learning. Participants must have an Office 365 account through their district to participate in this course. It is important to ensure that Minecraft Education is allowed in your district. You can purchase one independently if you don’t have an Office 365 account with Minecraft Education access (Minecraft Edu Licensing). The course guides participants to encourage their students to think creatively, work collaboratively, and engage in problem-solving immersive environments. In this course, participants will be able to apply Minecraft to their own curriculum and show the importance of collaborative learning. In the end, participants will create or remix their own lesson within Minecraft and see how Minecraft is more than just a game.

This course, along with many others, is part of UEN's Summer 2024 catalogue. Sign up today, space is limited.

A well-rounded education includes the arts. The fine arts provide a place for students to explore new ideas, take appropriate risks, creatively problem solve, collaborate, develop aesthetic awareness, explore the world and other cultures, and to express oneself.

The Utah Core standards are organized into strands, which represent significant areas of learning within content areas. The Fine Arts have four strands: Create, Perform/Present/ Produce, Respond, and Connect. These four strands provide the framework for a comprehensive experience in each of the five art forms: Dance, Drama/Theatre, Media Arts, Music, and Visual Arts.

If you know an ed tech specialist, instructional coach, innovative learning coach, school technology specialist, or some other title of educator that you think would love to be a part of the UTTLN – please nominate them here: UTTLN Interest Form

Please note: Self-nominations are fully acceptable; we are gathering email addresses to share information for the third cohort as it becomes available.

The program is built upon four (4) pillars and includes goals to help develop and support Utah Ed Tech Leaders.

• Leadership and Culture: This focuses on leadership, digital citizenship, moral purpose, habits of mind, and connected educators.
• Effective Coaching and Advocacy: Particular focus on effective professional development facilitation strategies, best practice coaching conversations, community outreach, and advocacy to support your school and district goals.
• Content and Curriculum: Strengthen understanding and knowledge of high-quality instruction and personalized competency-based learning (PCBL). This includes technology tools, innovation models, and curriculum design strategies.
• Change Management: Develop strategies and skills to build and sustain the effective use of digital learning in schools and districts.

Thank you for your continued support of the UTTLN! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email Dani Sloan at dani@uen.org

The UEN Professional Development Team is excited to come to your school and work with your teachers on a variety of topics ranging from podcasting to Minecraft, digital literacy, or a variety of technology tools (Adobe, Nearpod, Google, Canvas, Canva, Utah's Online Library, and eMedia) and more. Request Free Professional Development

The 2024 festival theme, “Finding Joy Together,” celebrates children and families’ unique stories, creating a vibrant space for kids to share their experiences. The films you will see in this festival reflect the power of friendship, teamwork, and relying on your community to find happiness and belonging in the face of challenges. The theme continues with kid-centric film workshops and panels — through play and active discovery, participants gain a greater understanding of film techniques and technologies while building confidence and curiosity.

Join the Tumbleweeds Film Festival For Kids this Friday and Saturday, April 19th-20th at the Viridian Event Center.

Learn more about Utah Education Network including our free professional development courses, media productions, professional development at your school, and more at UEN's website.

Email: training@uen.org
Website: https://www.uen.org/
Location: 101 South Wasatch Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
Phone: (800) 866-5852
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UtahEducationNetwork
Twitter: @UENnews