January+2016


 * Virginia Department of Education Updates **

=Tech Directors Update=

Virtual Virginia Students State Testing Identifier []
 * Supt’s Memos you should know about: **

Additional Standards of Learning (SOL) Tests Transitioned to TestNav™ 8 Test Delivery Software []

Virginia CyberCamp 2016 Program []

“Hour of Code” – National Computer Science Education Week []

CCSSO - Personalized Learning Webinars []

The Winter and Spring sessions of the six-week Intel online professional development courses are currently open for registration. These courses are free for all educators in Virginia. The deadline for the Winter session is January 6, 2016. For information on courses and how to register, go to []
 * Professional Development: **

EdTech 2016, March 9, VCU (proposals being accepted now) []

Free Webinar: December 17 A Conversation with the 2015 iNACOL National Blended & Online Learning Teacher of the Year []

Various notes from the 2015 VSTE Conference []

ISTE awards []
 * Awards and Recognitions: **

Enter Today to Become a PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator! []

3D Printer Guide []
 * Trends: **

Google Addresses the Future of Chromebooks (blog post) []

Four Common Objections to Digital Textbooks (blog) []

The complete guide to picking the right device for every grade level []

Symantec to say goodbye to passwords with biometric technology (blog post) []

The Periodic Table of Ed Tech []

Mark Zuckerberg says he’s learned from his school reform mistakes. Has he really? []

A primer for Mark Zuckerberg on personalized learning — by Harvard’s Howard Gardner []

Four Inventive Games That Show Us the Future of Learning []

How to Make Sure That Project-based Learning is Applied Well in Schools []

Where are you going? (blog post regarding vision) []
 * Management/Leadership: **

Cause Marketing for Educators, Eduprenuers & Students []

When Personalized Learning Gets Too Personal: Google Complaint Exposes Student Privacy Concerns []

New K-12 Federal Education Bill Signed into Law: ESEA Is Reauthorized []
 * US DOE News: **

Revisions to No Child Left Behind Attempt to Define Education Technology []

National Education Technology Plan []

The Next National Education Technology Plan []

Grading the 2010 National Education Technology Plan []

Richard Culatta Resigning as Ed-Tech Director at U.S. Department of Education []

4 Tips for Making Your E-Rate Application Smooth []


 * ITRT Update #54 **

Virginia CyberCamp 2016 Program []
 * Supt’s Memos you should know about: **

“Hour of Code” – National Computer Science Education Week (it’s over but resources still great!) []

CCSSO - Personalized Learning Webinars []

The Winter and Spring sessions of the six-week Intel online professional development courses are currently open for registration. These courses are free for all educators in Virginia. The deadline for the Winter session is January 6, 2016. For information on courses and how to register, go to []
 * Professional Development: **

EdTech 2016, March 9, VCU (proposals being accepted now) []

Free Webinar: December 17 A Conversation with the 2015 iNACOL National Blended & Online Learning Teacher of the Year []

Various notes from the 2015 VSTE Conference []

Twitter Party Files (get your fellow educators going on Twitter) []

A Great Resource from Google to Help Teachers’ Professional Growth []

ISTE awards []
 * Awards and Recognitions: **

Enter Today to Become a PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator! []

ALA’s Libraries Transform Campaign []
 * Pedagogy: **

Lessons from Star Trek: Forging a New Path in Our Schools (blog post) []

How to Sound Smart When You Feel Dumb (YouTube animation) []

Why Identity and Emotion are Central To Motivating the Teen Brain []

5 Things We Can do to Prepare Students to Work Independently [|http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2015/12/5-things-we-can-do-to-prepare-students.html#.Vmr4hLgrLIU]

The Teacher Is Not The Most Important Factor When It Comes To Learning []

Four Inventive Games That Show Us the Future of Learning []

Can a Truly Student-Centered Education Be Available to All? []

How to Make Sure That Project-based Learning is Applied Well in Schools []

Political Campaigns: Crash Course Government and Politics #39 (YouTube) []
 * Curriculum Resources: **

Rome Reborn []

Excerpt from the Great Thanksgiving Listen (where students recorded their relatives’ stories to share) []

Smithsonian Learning Lab (tons of OER!) []

Computer Science Goes Beyond Coding (blog post) []

A Beginner’s Guide to Bringing Coding Into the Classroom []

Polar Bears in Street View, Polar Bear Tracker, and Polar Bear Lesson Plans [|http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2015/11/polar-bears-in-street-view-polar-bear.html#.Vl3C8XarS1t]

Google Expeditions Brings Virtual Reality Field Trips to Schools Across America []

Create Your Own Virtual Reality Imagery With Cardboard Camera []

Shakespeare's 74 death scenes in a single play more gory than Game of Thrones []

Homer Meets High-Tech: Data Visualization and the Classics []

Teaching Students Cyber Ethics []

26 Quick Tips for Teachers Using Twitter []
 * Tools, How-to’s, and Lists: **

The complete guide to picking the right device for every grade level []

The Periodic Table of Ed Tech []

Ed TechTeacher Apps Selector, by device or by what you want students to do []

25+ Apps and Tools to Create Colorful Learning Experiences for Children []

8 Powerful iPad Apps That Support Inquiry-Based Learning []

Print large posters at Block Posters []

Why you shouldn’t do those Facebook quizzes – and how to disconnect from them []

9 handy apps every teacher should try []

Want to build an Arduino or Raspberry Pi-based robot? The gearheads behind Maker Faire open their vault of how-to books to benefit nonprofit Maker Ed []

Free Resources to Support Your Makerspace []

Top 10 Viral Animal Videos of the Year (from National Geographic, enough said!) []
 * Quirky Fun Sites That Are Semi-Educational: **

Data Mining Reveals How Smiling Evolved During a Century of Yearbook Photos (evaluating primary resources) []

Why Your Cat Likes to Knock Things Over (According to Science) []

Create Holiday Cards on Canva (make your own clip-art-style graphics) []

End texts with a period if you want to seem like a jerk (who knew?) []