https://ditchthattextbook.com/google-forms-templates/
Check out Google for Edu’s latest monthly newsletter HERE. Some highlights are noted below.
Celebrate Women’s History Month with Applied Digital Skills
Looking for lessons to celebrate Women’s History Month with your students? Our Celebrate Women’s History Collection helps students learn about the contributions of women to the world while building new digital skills.
Celebrate Women’s History Month with Google Arts & Culture
From the forgotten pioneers to the iconic trailblazers, celebrate women in arts and culture with the newly updated Women in Culture hub on Google Arts & Culture.
Explore AI on Digital Learning Day with Applied Digital Skills
Celebrate Digital Learning Day with our Discover AI in Daily Life lesson. Students can learn about artificial intelligence concepts using Quick, Draw!, AutoDraw, Google Translate (while you cannot use translate.google.com as the lessons show, you can use the embedded Google translate access within the search engine and forvo for pronunciation), and Google Slides.
Learn about the Maasai people from Tanzania and Kenya
Get a glimpse into the traditions and culture of the Maasai community in East Africa, from their livelihoods to architecture, craftsmanship and language, in the new dedicated hub on Google Arts & Culture.
Explore Korea’s Demilitarized Zone through its History, Nature, and Art
Learn about the history of Korea’s Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a strip of land running across the Korean peninsula. Explore the natural beauties of the DMZ border and contemporary art inspired by the area.
Arts & Culture: Hot Spot Climate Change
27 international artists share their views on climate change in the exhibition Hot Spot, hosted by the National Gallery in Rome. Showcasing big ideas and questions on the future of the planet’s climate, you can explore and be inspired.
PAST ISSUES of the EDU Newsletter – click HERE
Spring into action and take a REMC course to energize you and your classroom
You’ve made it through the cold, dark winter and soon the days will be longer and brighter! Why not give yourself some extra spring in your step by learning new skills to enhance your classroom and increase student engagement. REMC courses offer 10 FREE SCECHs and can be taken from the convenience of your home and when the time is right for you.
Registration deadline is Thursday, April 6th, each course begins on Monday, April 10th. Through the support of REMC SAVE’s vendor partners, all courses are FREE and there are no SCECH fees. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn, connect, collaborate and grow with REMC courses.
Check out April 2023 courses here:
Register by Thursday, April 6th. You will receive a welcome email with the course information prior to the course start date. If you have questions or need further assistance with your course registration, please click here.
REMC offers a look ahead at course offerings to help you plan your professional learning
If you are looking to enhance your technology integration skills, explore new instructional delivery methods or learn tips and tricks from Michigan educational practitioners – the REMC Association has something for you! To help with your professional learning planning, we are excited to share our REMC Course schedule through August 2023.
Take a look at all course offerings and register today! Earn 10 FREE SCECHs upon completion. Simply visit www.remc.org/remc-all-events/.
Happy Spring Break all!
For those of you about to begin a well deserved spring break, which we hope will be all you hope for and a bit more, before you leave Friday afternoon…
WOULD YOU PLEASE SECURE ALL VALUABLES in the classrooms and office spaces you inhabit. This includes laptops, document cameras, Apple TVs, remotes, and interactive pens.
Further, would you please make sure all iPads and Chromebooks are in their carts and those CARTS ARE LOCKED and plugged in before leaving.
Finally, would you please also POWER OFF any of the following equipment, if it is equipment you handle:
THANK YOU for your cooperation.
Illuminate DnA has recently made some updates making item banks even more useful to you! Explore this slidedeck to see the updates:
If you’re unfamiliar – Illuminate DnA is an Online Achievement System built on Assessments, Data and Learning Tools, as well as Special Education Systems. Staff access illuminate by logging into MistarQ and clicking on Menu >Analysis >Mistar-DnA. Through Illuminate DnA staff can enter test scores, pull questions from item banks to create assessments, and use the data inside Illuminate to monitor student progress. Need more help with Illuminate DnA? Check out these resources from Jonathan Flukes, Dir. Of Data, Assess. Research & Evals.
Recently, we have noticed a surge in spear phishing campaigns targeting our staff members. These malicious attempts have originated from both external sources and compromised accounts within neighboring school districts. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of vigilance when it comes to email communication and provide tips on how to spot and avoid these types of phishing attacks.
Understanding Spear Phishing
Spear phishing is a highly targeted form of phishing attack in which cybercriminals use email or other electronic communications to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information or downloading malware. These attacks often appear to be from a trusted source, such as a colleague or a known organization. In our recent incidents, the attackers have been sharing documents, typically PDFs, that redirect users to malicious code when opened. Other recent spear phishing attempts have been from those claiming to be our superintendent, various principals or board members with an urgent request for select staffers to assist them with purchases or information.
Check the Sender’s Email Address
Always examine the sender’s email address, even if the email appears to come from a trusted source. Cybercriminals often create email addresses that look similar to legitimate ones but may have slight differences, such as extra characters or misspellings. If you notice anything unusual about the sender’s email address, do not open any attachments or click on any links.
Scrutinize Email Content
Phishing emails often contain subtle clues that something is not quite right. Look for unusual language, grammatical errors, or a sense of urgency that does not seem genuine. Be cautious of emails that request sensitive information or urge you to take immediate action.
Beware of Unexpected Attachments and Links
Be cautious when opening attachments or clicking on links in emails, especially if they are unexpected. Spear phishing campaigns often use malicious attachments or links to compromise your computer or steal your information. Instead of clicking on a link, manually type the website address into your browser to ensure you are visiting a legitimate site.
Verify Requests for Sensitive Information
If an email requests sensitive information or asks you to take an unusual action, always verify the request with the sender through a different communication channel. For example, if you receive an email from a colleague asking for your login credentials, call them to confirm the request is legitimate and if so, kindly remind them that login credentials should never be shared.
Keep Your Software Updated
While devices maintained by the district are automatically updated, it is important to note that your personal devices are just as important to protect. Regularly update your operating system, antivirus software, and other applications to ensure that you have the latest security patches. This can help protect your computer from malware that may be delivered through spear phishing attacks.
Report Suspicious Emails
If you suspect that an email is a phishing attempt, report it via gmail. If you have accidently clicked on a potentially malicious link or downloaded a potentially malicious file, please submit a service request.
Spear phishing attacks can have serious consequences, including the loss of sensitive information and compromised computer systems. By staying vigilant and following the tips outlined above, you can help protect yourself and our school district from these threats. Remember, when it comes to cybersecurity, we’re all in this together!
IXL has compiled a list of their top new features to help you students and staff get the most out of IXL.
Keep reading below for a roundup of releases from the past month, including video tutorials for English language arts skills, mobile support for IXL games, iPhone app support for the Real-Time Diagnostic, and more! To stay current with our latest updates, follow IXL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
Table of contents
English language arts video tutorials
Lights, camera, action: English language arts video tutorials have arrived! IXL now has videos for nearly half of our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten Reading Foundations skills. These tutorials help students learn how to read in a fun, engaging, and effective way. They provide research-based direct instruction for early literacy skills like phonemic awareness, phonics, and sight words, and they align with the science of reading.
Like IXL’s math video tutorials, these videos can be accessed from the practice page of their associated skills by clicking the “Watch a tutorial” link. Check out a few examples below:
We will continue to release more pre-K and kindergarten videos in the coming months.
Need to know how to enroll in a course? Want to remember what courses you took in previous years? Want a record of PD for yourself? View the PCCS Canvas Catalog Guide to get all your catalog questions answered!
Especially for those that have a first semester or Quarter 2 Canvas course ending soon, here are some Canvas considerations:
If you are looking to enhance your technology integration skills, explore new instructional delivery methods or learn tips and tricks from Michigan educational practitioners – The REMC Association has something for you! To help with your professional learning planning, we are excited to share our January through June 2023 REMC Course schedule.
Take a look at all course offerings and register today! Earn 10 FREE SCECHs upon completion. Simply visit www.remc.org/remc-all-events/.
Save time and money by purchasing through REMC SAVE! New contracts for Supplies, Furniture and Technology launched on January 1st. REMC SAVE offers more than 1,500 individual items and 82 catalog discounts through 22 awarded vendors.
REMC SAVE is a service of the REMC Association of Michigan for all public and private schools statewide and other public agencies.
Ready to start your podcasting journey? Looking to expand your podcasting knowledge with current practitioners? Join REMC on March 22nd for a workshop that will focus on amplifying you, your students’ or your colleagues’ voices through podcasting.
This workshop is a hands-on experience to equip participants with knowledge, skills, and time to begin developing and creating a podcast. Held at the Gratiot-Isabella RESD, people can attend as teams or individuals. There is a virtual option.
From REMC’s January newsletter:
