ESC 18 - Taco Tech Tuesday

Epic is a reading platform for students 12 and under. It offers a growing library of books, audiobooks, and learning videos to help kids become stronger readers. As a teacher, you can create your class on Epic, add students, and start sharing reading materials with them. Epic School is free for educators and students with class code log in access from 7 am to 3 pm when school is physically in session! Student access from almost any computer, tablet or smartphone. Easy to use for 1-on-1 & shared devices with just a class code. To learn more about Epic click here.

Celestia is a free space simulator for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS and Android. You can freely explore space in three dimensions. Unlike most planetarium software, Celestia doesn't confine you to the surface of the Earth. You can travel throughout the solar system, to any of over 100,000 stars, or even beyond the galaxy. Celestia simulates many different types of celestial objects. From planets and moons to star clusters and galaxies, you can visit every object in the expandable database and view it from any point in space and time. To learn more about Celestia click here.

So many times I come across an article, a video, or something I want to read, watch or learn only to inevitably forget or can't find it again. Pocket is a free service that makes it easy to discover great content that’s personalized to your interests, and save this content so you can return to it later – on any device, at any time. It’s your one-stop destination for reading engaging content, catching up on your favorite blogs and news sources, and watching videos that you discovered but weren’t in the right place to watch. To learn more about Pocket click here.

TEKSbank Classroom is now available for those who are interested in purchasing or already purchase TEKSbank. TEKSbank Classroom is an assessment application inside of your LMS that provides access to thousands of high-quality assessment items developed for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). This resource can be used to help discover students' areas of need and strength in order to make instructional decisions. During this session, participants will learn how to access TEKSbank classroom and build assessments inside of their Learning Management System (LMS). Click here or on the image below to register for Zoom to learn more.

Have you wanted to learn more about TFAR but are not sure where to start? Watch this recorded training session we held at ESC 18 to learn more. Learn how to make tests, administer them, analyze and even share them with other members of your district. Feel free to share the training weblink with anyone who may need to use TFAR in their classroom.

https://tetnvideo.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=fa1624b5-924b-451f-9ff8-af4e016e731e

Blended Learning is a hot topic, and most districts claim to be utilizing it since COVID, but did you know actual Blended Learning processes rarely get utilized in the COVID virtual or in-person classrooms!?! Learn what Blended Learning actually looks like in the classroom and how to utilize it in your school/district. Blended Learning Made Easy sessions are given throughout the year, please see our PD calendar for info or see our more intensive Blended Learning Package below. Please contact me if you are interested or want to learn more! cenriquez@esc18.net

Google Educator Certification Training or Google Suite training is available. Google Certification ensures teachers are well based and take full advantage of the wide-spread capabilities that the Google Suite offers to make teaching and learning more tech-friendly, accessible, and efficient.

We also offer training in Google Suite applications like Gmail, Drive, Slides, Calendar, and others to increase your staff/campus productivity. Feel free to contact me to learn more. cenriquez@esc18.net

Remember to submit a Technology Help Desk ticket for any technology needs or services. Email Technology at help@esc18.net or call the Help Desk at (432)-561-4321.

Director of Instructional Technology and Analytics

Email: cenriquez@esc18.net
Location: 2811 La Force Blvd, Midland, TX 79706, USA
Phone: (432)- 567-3249

Chief Technology Officer

Email: critchie@esc18.net
Location: 2811 La Force Boulevard, Midland, TX, USA
Phone: (432)-567-3250

Click on the image below to learn more about becoming certified as a Google Educator Certification Level 1 and Level 2.