Free Webinars Offered for Home Learning & Teaching

Check out and consider attending one or more of these upcoming free webinars offered by CDW-G on various aspects of distance learning:

HOW TO CULTIVATE STUDENT EXPRESSION THROUGH VOICE & VISUAL LEARNING
Students come from all different backgrounds with skills in varying abilities. In this webinar, we will take you through
strategies to cultivate those skills to ensure students’ voices are heard in a both a visible and vocal fashion.
Thursday, April 9th at 2:00 pm | RSVP HERE
FACILITATING DIGITAL CLASS COMMUNICATION
As our learning environments change, so should our means of communication. We’ll discuss successful strategies to
ensure students and parents have viable means of continuous dialogue with their class, students, school and district.
Tuesday, April 14th at 2:00 pm | RSVP HERE
COLLECTION, REFLECTION & RECOLLECTION: THE STUDENT PORTFOLIO
Learn about the organizational structure known as “Collection, Reflection, and Recollection” as we demonstrate
various eBinder tools and how they can help our students learn and recall important information.
Thursday, April 16th at 2:00 pm | RSVP HERE
UNPACKING DISTANCE LEARNING THROUGH DIGITAL ASSESSMENT
Checking for understanding is an important factor in any lesson design. Join us as we cover tools that can help
educators implement a check for understanding and guide students towards success no matter where they are.
Tuesday, April 21st at 2:00 pm | RSVP HERE

Cybersecurity at Home for Staff

With so many of us working from home and spending even more time online than ever before, it’s important to recognize the red flags of potential attacks on the security of our data and other information. Please review the following documents to understand how you can protect yourself and your data.

20 Ways to Stop Mobile Attacks

Social Engineering Red Flags

Scams unfortunately are widespread as are malware viruses. Apart from malware infecting online coronavirus maps (see this story as well as the third bullet item below), here are some items just noted by Forbes magazine to give you pause as you conduct yourself online.

  • Jiri Kropac, a researcher at cybersecurity firm ESET, saw a spike of 2,500 infections from two malware strains spread by coronavirus-themed emails on Monday, according to a Forbes report, with another company, Proofpoint, saying the number of attacks so far have perhaps been the largest its ever seen set around a single theme.
  • As reported by Forbes, a slew of coronavirus-based domain names have been registered that could be used to infect users with malware—addresses like coronavirus-map[.]com, coronavirus[.]app and vaccine-coronavirus[.]com.
  • In particular, there have been a number of scams involving coronavirus maps that mimic the legitimate Johns Hopkins’ resource, with the program’s designer Esri commenting on the confusion saying “Whomever posted the malicious downloadable app is attempting to take advantage of the strong public interest concerning the coronavirus, but it requires the user to either download the app executable or it could be distributed by email for the user to then install onto their local Windows system.”
  • Additionally, users should be mindful of phishing emails that disguise themselves as coming from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, with the latter noting that WHO emails are addressed “.int” and that “WHO does not send email from addresses ending in ‘@who[.]com’ ,‘@who[.]org’ or ‘@who-safety[.]org’.”

Don’t Forget About Clever

This is a friendly reminder that you and your students have single sign-on (SSO) into many important district resources in your personalized Clever Portal. Over time, P-CCS will continue to Log in at https://clever.com/in/pccs – make sure to bookmark this – and start saving time.

Aside from SSO for you and your students, and as the district moves forward using Clever for easy access to all of our digital resources, you will find additional benefits from using Clever with your students. Resources include now in clever: Brainpop and Brainpop Jr. IXL, Code.org, and many more. Also, remember that you can create your own bookmarks for your students similar to Symbaloo in Clever.

As always, if you have any questions, please put in a tech request or email tis@pccsk12.com

 

 

Video Making Resources for Home Learning

The following resources will help you connect with your students using video. Please look for an email from the Tech Integration Team with more about how to connect with students at home. These resources will get you started.

YouTube Help Center

Flipgrid: info.flipgrid.com

Communicate and collaborate with a group of people through video. Can send links through already established communication platforms (Email, etc.) *Here are some examples of how Flipgrid can be used.*(Can be accessed when free account has been created)

Screencastify: www.screencastify.com

This app allows you to upload video to Google Drive, distribute the link via email or other established platform. The free version of Screencastify has a 5 minute limit, autosaves to Google Drive to be easily shared there or it can be easily uploaded to YouTube. Due to COVID-19, Screencastify premium is free for all users. Use this doc to set up premium account. One of the notable features of the premium service is no time limit for recordings. But please keep best practices in mind and try to limit videos to 10-13 minutes at a max.

A Beginner’s Guide to Screencastify for Educators (and others too)

Google Teach From Home Resource

Teaching from home is going to require a different approach in these unprecedented times. The good news is that these tech skills are not just for a pandemic, but will actually be really valuable in and out of our classrooms for our students, and can help support learning even when our classroom routine returns to a normal school day. Please be sure to follow this link for an amazing resource Google has built to help us through these challenging times: https://teachfromhome.google/intl/en/

A couple of upcoming GSuite features to note

GSuite updates

Available soon, it will be possible to create and use multiple signatures in Gmail as well as fix images to a certain location on a page in Google Docs.

For more on creating and using multiple signatures, visit here (and check out what it looks like in the gif below).

use multiple signatures in Gmail

 

For more on fixing images to a certain location on a page in Google Docs, visit here (and check out what it looks like below).

Fixed image in Google Doc
Fixed image in a Google doc

Registration now open for free virtual courses offered by REMC in April

Springtime is finally here! For those interested, it’s time to enroll in a free REMC Virtual Course and earn 10 free SCECHs. To see a description of the courses offered and to register, visit https://www.remc.org/Core/News/Article/1337.

April 2020  Course Information
April courses begin on Monday, April 6.  The deadline for registration is Friday, April 3.  

A word about our classroom soundfield systems

sample soundfield install

We have about a thousand classrooms that have speakers installed in their ceilings and our department still occasionally finds it valuable to reiterate some points about them and promote system use in general.

First, both of the soundfield amplification systems deployed (TeachLogic at the elementary and Lightspeed at the secondary) are meant to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and spatially amplify our teachers’ voices (or teacher determined sound sources) above the ambient noise in our classrooms through speaker distribution. However, the system is designed not so a teacher should expect they will be able to hear themselves be louder, but rather that their voice should be heard at the same level further away from themselves.  Our amplification systems can help facilitate an even spread of sound (that a teacher has chosen, via a source such as a microphone or laptop) around a classroom. If you’re hearing screeching or other feedback, try dialing back your volume control — it is probably set too high.

Second, please note that classroom amplification can benefit ALL children, not just those with severe-profound hearing losses. Other groups shown to benefit from amplification include: children with minimal or unilateral hearing loss, children with transient hearing loss due to ear infections, children with ADD/ADHD, English language learners, and students in the general population!  Research studies over the last forty years uniformly have found academic (enhanced student speech perception, improved attention and comprehension, etc) and social (calmer environments, reduced teacher vocal abuse, etc) benefits from consistent and persistent system use.

Third, our soundfields are only useful when they are being used! So please have our systems on and wear/use your mics.

 

Sound field explained

iKeepSafe – Free Student Data Privacy Online Courses for Educators

iKeepSafe Courses
The Michigan Department of Education has partnered with EduPaths, Michigan’s FREE online professional development portal for educators, and the Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe) to bring four online courses centered around student data privacy to Michigan Educators. The courses cover the necessary information all educators must know in order to keep student data safe in an increasingly digital learning environment, including educators’ legal requirements related to student data privacy.
The iKeepSafe courses are 30 minutes each and self-paced, allowing educators to enroll and complete the courses at a convenient time and place. FREE SCECHs are also available for the courses through EduPaths.
All Michigan educators can create a free account on EduPaths and access the courses at the links below:

Register for *free* March Virtual Courses by Friday 2/28

REMC March Courses

You’re in Luck ☘ REMC’s Virtual Courses are free & offer 10 free SCECHs

REMC’s Virtual Courses make it easy to keep up with your professional learning.  These courses offer an easy, convenient way for teachers to connect and collaborate while reducing time and cost. Their courses are available throughout the school year and are open to all Michigan school personnel. Best of all, their courses are *free* and offer free 10 SCECHs when completed.

Nine courses are offered in March. Each course is open for three weeks and consists of two (2) one-hour “live” webinars that are recorded and available for viewing later and eight (8) hours of resource review, assessment developments and written reflection. All REMC courses are open to all Michigan school personnel. There are no registration or SCECH fees because REMC SAVE partners provide support for all REMC Professional Learning opportunities.  

REGISTER NOW

March 2020  Course Information

March courses begin on Monday, March 2.  The deadline for registration is Friday, February 28.

Courses descriptions are provided below. If you have questions or need further assistance with your course registration, please contact the REMC Event Coordinator.

March Course Descriptions

Enhancing Instruction For All Learners
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Address diverse student learning needs with technology integration.
1. Identify basic principles of universal design, differentiated instruction and best practice teaching strategies to enhance existing or new lessons or classroom activities.
2. Apply these strategies using technology integration to improve learning.
3. Learn to find and use interactive learning activities to address a variety of learning styles.
Address learning barriers and support learners using technology tools.

Making the Most of Your Google Classroom
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Google Classroom is an easy way to organize and distribute your classroom assignments. You can even share documents through Classroom and create a two-way conversation between you and your students. Learn all the ins and outs of Google Classroom and the many ways you can integrate multiple applications into Google Classroom. (e.g., Geogebra, Discovery, Flipgrid, edPuzzle, etc.) Learn how to add and grade assignments, post daily warms up, add parents and guardians, and much more!

Searching Safely and Strategically
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
It has become essential for teachers and students to know how to search safely and efficiently to retrieve reliable information. The course provides educational database links to safe, accurate sites. Participants will also learn to evaluate information from the internet to determine their authenticity. Participants will also leave with a good grasp of what is available in Michigan eLibrary; FREE resources for every resident in Michigan.

Authentic Student Learning and Gamification
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Explore the many elements of game mechanics that can also be used for classroom instruction! Examine the purpose and use of Gamification and Game-Based Learning. Uncover how Gamification and Game-Based Learning provide rich, unique experiences for student learning. The course itself models the Gamification style so participants will gain deep Gamification experience as well as experience in games that reflect the Game-Based Learning approach.

OER to Support Competency-Based Education (CBE)
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Open Educational Resources (OER) are free, high quality, openly licensed educational tools that can be retained, reused, revised, remixed, and redistributed. This course will allow participants to learn about, explore, and implement OERs to support competency-based education (CBE). Competency-Based Education helps educators transition to a structure that personalizes education for students by creating flexibility and allowing students to progress through content by demonstrating mastery, rather than relying on seat time. CBE incorporates elements of flexible time, place, and pace while enhancing student agency through choice, voice, and authenticity.

Leading a Culture of Change in your School
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Explore the essential needs of Leadership and Culture. This course is designed for school, district, and teacher leaders who wish to implement a change effort in their school or schools. Leaders is a broad category and can include coaches, teachers, technology specialists, aspiring leaders, or others interested in supporting school change. This course will focus on technology initiatives and other ideas that incorporate change.

Google: Applying Google Apps for Education in Chrome, Level 1
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Google Apps for Education provides educators with an expansive repertoire of tools for empowering students and managing instruction. This course starts with the basics including how to create documents and share them with students, colleagues or parents. Participants will: 

  1. Understand the different sharing options that are available.
  2. Learn how to navigate the Chrome Web Store to find and install apps that meet the needs of your students.
  3. Install, explore and utilize new Google Apps and/or Chrome extensions that enable teachers to leverage the impact that technology integration and Chromebooks can have in their classrooms.
  4. Realize the transformation these tools can have on teaching and learning when access to information is seamless and ongoing, not confined to the school day or classroom.

A Practical Guide to Global Success Skills in the Classroom for the 21st Century and Beyond
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Global Success Skills (GSS) are critical to student development to ensure students can successfully navigate college and career opportunities. A 2016 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employees (NACE) identified a high need for entry-level students and employees to have practical skills in the following areas: leadership, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. This course provides an in-depth understanding the Global Success Skills. Learn how to apply the skills in classroom instruction and professional growth lessons. Personalize learning experience by choosing areas to explore using the tools provided in class.

Social Media: Improve Student Critical Thinking and Collaboration, Level 2
March 2 | 10 SCECHs
Examine how social media tools can be used to support deeper student learning. In this course, collaboration and critical thinking are components of a rich academic experience. Explore how “any” social media tool can play an essential role through Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition (SAMR) Level 3 and Depths of Knowledge (DoK). Choose from a variety of tools to investigate and design a collaborative learning experience that encourages students to develop critical thinking. The final assignment can be customized for a variety of classroom learning experiences.