October+_2014

= __Virginia Department of Education Update__  =

**Supt’s Memos:**
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 * Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (VASCD) 2014 Annual Conference**

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 * Computer Adaptive Testing Resources**

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 * World Geography Connects to 1500 A.D. – An Interactive Online Geography Course Beginning October 20, 2014**

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 * Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS) Workshops on the State Guidelines for Local Assessments and Developing Performance Assessments**

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 * Free Software Upgrades to SketchUp Pro Available**

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 * Broadband Provider Adoption Programs**

**Trends:**
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 * 30 Trends In Education Technology For 2015**

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 * What Are the Most Powerful Uses of Tech for Learning? (blog)**

[|http://the-digital-reader.com/2014/09/10/one-six-us-students-11-programs/#.VByN-_ldWSp]
 * One in Six US Students Are in 1:1 Programs**

**Potential Policy Issues:**
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 * 11 Sample Education BYOT Policies To Help You Create Your Own**

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 * The Unruly Playground: Free OER and Paid Digital Materials**

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 * Judge Rejects Administrators' Search of Student's Cellphone (EdWeek article—need free subscription)**

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 * Family Policy Compliance Office (guides for FERPA and PPRA)**

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 * Clarifying Ownership of Teacher-Created Digital Content Empowers Educators to Personalize Education, Address Individual Student Needs**

**E-Rate:**
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 * A $5 billion bounty: How to use eRate support for Wi-Fi**

**Pro and Con: Automated Essay Graders**
[] (may have to copy and paste this URL into a browser to open the page)
 * Robo-readers aren’t as good as human readers — they’re better**

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 * Automated grading FAIL: Computer-generated essays earn A+ marks (podcast)**

**Pedagogy/Teaching & Learning:**
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 * When Students Get Creative With Tech Tools, Teachers Focus on Skills**

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 * Shake Up Learning blog (good but does have some annoying ads)**

**Lists & How-to’s:**
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 * A Gold Mine of #EdTech Resources: Part I**

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 * The Beginner’s Guide to the Internet of Things**

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 * Differentiated Instruction: Resource Roundup**

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 * 21 Things Every 21st Century Teacher Should Do This Year (some really fun and creative suggestions)**

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 * Tons of Free Public Domain Materials to Use in the Classroom**

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 * 5 ideas to make lectures and presentations more interactive (blog)**

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 * How Teachers Can Create Videos that Engage Students**

[|http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/09/updated-comparison-of-11-mobile-video.html#.VCBKIvldWSo]
 * Updated - A Comparison of 11 Mobile Video Creation Apps (blog)**

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 * iPhone, iPad and iPod touch Apps for (Special) Education**

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 * 5 Robust Apps For The Chromebook Classroom (blog)**

**Tech Tools:**
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 * Don’t Hate the LMS, It Can Help Keep Our Focus on Learning**

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 * Listen to Course Readings Later with Pocket Text To Speech**

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 * Open Source Video Subtitles for Accessibility with Amara.org**

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 * Educational Technology Guy: Adobe Releases New Storytelling App for iPad (blog)**

**Digital Citizenship and “Norming":**
[|http://www.netfamilynews.org/kindness-really-going-viral-just-look#more-35596]
 * Kindness really could be going viral! Just look…**

[|http://www.netfamilynews.org/leadership-bullying-prevention-much#more-35619]
 * Leadership in bullying prevention and so much more**

[|http://www.netfamilynews.org/dealing-nasties-online#more-35644]
 * Dealing with the nasties online**

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 * Beginning of the end of #purge, revenge porn or social cruelty?**

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 * Family Policy Compliance Office (guides for FERPA and PPRA)**

[] (may have to copy and paste this URL into a browser to open the page)
 * Want teens to pay attention? Tell them they’re being manipulated**

**Curriculum Resources:**
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 * Ken Burns, Curated (App Review)**

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 * Big History Project**

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 * Adventures in Programming**

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 * Details for the ConnetED and Esri program that distributes ArcGIS for free to schools**

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 * Apps & More for Makerspaces**

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 * Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Community**

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 * HOODA Math (banner ads, but free games-mainly middle school)**

[|http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/09/socratic-smackdown-game-for-learning.html#.VCBILvldWSo]
 * Socratic Smackdown - A Game for Learning and Practicing Discussion Strategies (blog)**

**Pro and Con: Automated Essay Graders**
Robo-readers aren’t as good as human readers — they’re better [] (may have to copy and paste this URL into a browser to open the page)

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 * Automated grading FAIL: Computer-generated essays earn A+ marks (podcast)**