Charging Stations That Secure and Protect

If you’re working on a 1:1 device rollout, don’t forgot about security, protection, and charging! Tripp Lite Charging Stations & Carts protect tablets and Chromebooks, featuring locking steel cabinets with flow-through ventilation, adjustable device dividers, and integrated cord management. Cart models include wheels and handles so devices can be moved from room to room. Units ship fully assembled for fast and easy deployment.

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Free Scanner Trial During Testing Season

You’d be forgiven for thinking this time of year was more about testing your patience than testing your students. Apperson, an industry leader in educational assessment and reporting solutions, can help. Apperson’s 60-day free scanner trial is just what you need to streamline workflow while providing the analytics and reporting needed to gain insight into student performance. This no-obligation offer is designed to show you the ease and cost effectiveness of Apperson’s testing solution and the positive impact it can have on your classroom or school. One of Apperson’s knowledgeable assessment specialists can help you select the option that’s perfect for your school. This offer expires on June 30, 2016.

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ASCD Teacher Impact Grants

Empowering teachers to drive change in education, ASCD Teacher Impact Grants (TIGs) provide funding and support directly to preK–12 teachers for promising teacher-led, administrator-supported ideas, programs, or initiatives to improve education. These grants allow teachers to develop and execute projects that can serve as models to be replicated and scaled. In general, TIG funds should be used to support activities and resources for the proposed project, such as professional learning expertise (books, videos, online courses, coach or consultant fees—onsite and virtual); video cameras; digital devices; and time (substitute teacher expenses for release time). Applicants should provide a summary of their proposed project, including a specific budget narrative for how TIG funds will be used to support the overall goals and objectives of the project. The estimated average size of a single award is $10,000. Proposed projects should be for the 2016–2017 school year, with funding available starting August 31, 2016. The grants are intended to cultivate the expertise of preK–12 teachers and help to position them as leaders driving transformation in schools, districts, and states.

Deadline: June 16, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. (ET)

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Go For Broke Student Essay, Poetry and Video Contest

Students in grades 9–12 can participate in the 2016 Go For Broke National Education Center’s (GFBNEC) High School & College Student Essay, Poetry and Video Contest by submitting a 250- to 500-word essay, a work of poetry, or a short video on a topic related to the experiences of Japanese American World War II soldiers. Students should base their submission on one of the following topics connected to the soldiers’ experiences: relevance to current times; experience most meaningful to the student; connection to the US Constitution, rights, and responsibilities; or personal definition of the word courage. A panel of teachers and educators will judge students’ essays, poems, and videos; winning entries will be presented in a booklet and made available on GFBNEC’s website. A total of 16 winners will be awarded cash prizes totaling $8,500; the top six winners will each receive $1,000. Plus, the top 30 qualified winners will receive two complimentary tickets to attend GFBNEC’s annual gala dinner this fall in Los Angeles, where they will meet the Japanese American WWII veterans about whom they did their research.

Deadline: June 30, 2016, for submissions

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Society of Aviation & Flight Educators K–12 Classroom Teacher Grants

To encourage K–12 classroom teachers to incorporate aviation-themed lessons into their curriculum, the Society of Aviation & Flight Educators (SAFE) is offering two K–12 Classroom Teacher Grants of $250 each. The grants are intended to support designing an aviation-themed classroom unit or completing an aviation-themed project as an adjunct to teaching science, mathematics, history, and even art. For example, a SAFE grant may be used to pay for a bus and admission fees for students to visit an aviation museum or go on a field trip to the local airport, or to buy materials for students to build a balsa wood glider or model rocket. One grant will be awarded to an applicant at kindergarten–grade 7, and the other grant to an applicant at grades 8–12. Interested applicants will find this grant opportunity on GetEdFunding, a free database sponsored by CDW•G of thousands of funding opportunities for educators.

Deadline: August 31, 2016, for applications

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Dictionary Tool with Tweets

Wordnik has the look and feel of a traditional dictionary with a twist. Along with the definition of a word, students see images related to the word, hear related sounds, and even see tweets with the target word highlighted. Particularly helpful is the Related Words feature, which includes synonyms, hypernyms, hyponyms, etymologies, words used in the same context, a reverse dictionary, and tags. Wordnik also features a Word of the Day, Random Words, and pronunciations.

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Authentic Workplace Writing Games

Providing a “virtual internship” experience at a fictional television news station, Toolwire’s Writing Games challenge high school students to review, practice, and demonstrate writing skills in authentic workplace scenarios. The games address Grammar Basics, The Writing Process, Paragraph Construction, Revising and Editing, and Research and APA Citation. Each game takes about 20 minutes to complete and targets one to three specific learning objectives. Students receive feedback from characters that serve as “virtual mentors.”

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Plus: Toolwire has provided a freely downloadable guide titled Game-Based Learning: Best Practices for Basic Learning Instruction. The guide presents best practice strategies and suggestions for using the Writing Games as part of a blended learning approach. These suggestions are presented as additional ways to help teachers bridge the gap between theory and real-world application of content.

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3D CAD Software for Fabrication

Some schools, makerspaces, and fabrication labs have introduced a free online block-based program called BlocksCAD, which is specifically designed to help elementary-aged children create 3D printable objects while learning math and programming. With BlocksCAD, students create, combine, and manipulate 3D shapes by stacking “block” commands rather than by typing precise coding syntax. For example, students can drag a block command for a sphere from the shapes menu into the workspace, where they can adjust its radius. They can snap on a “translate” block to move the sphere along the X, Y, and Z axes or add on a “rotate” block to spin it. They can also use a color block to change its hue. When students hit the Render button, the sphere appears within a maneuverable XYZ grid. Students then can send their finished designs to a 3D printer that will fabricate them layer by layer. The BlocksCAD software includes several sample projects, complete with all the coding behind them. A brief, how-to slideshow is provided on the BlocksCAD website. The program was developed at Einstein’s Workshop, a hands-on learning center and children’s makerspace in the Boston area. It’s a fun and creative way for students to learn simple and complex math concepts, including estimation, coordinate systems, volume, three-dimensional geometry, and set theory. It builds math sense and also exposes students to concepts in computer programming and engineering, such as variables, conditionals, loops, and modules.

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Real-World Interactives Challenging Algebraic Thinking

Get the Math mixes video and web interactivity to help middle school and high school students develop algebraic thinking skills for solving real-world problems. The multimedia mathematics challenges are presented in the context of the “real world” scenarios of fashion design, videogame design, music production, restaurant management, professional basketball, and movie special-effects production. Short videos of professionals explain or demonstrate the role of mathematics in their fields. After watching the videos, students try to complete a series of challenges based on the work in each of the professions. For example, after watching the “Math in Fashion” video, students design a shirt to match a specific price point.

Click Here to Access Free Math Challenges

Plus: Free educators’ resources include videos of a teacher using Get the Math materials in the classroom, as well as lesson plans with editable student handouts aligned with the Common Core State Standards and Mathematical Practices.

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Online Graduate Degrees and Certificates in Education

Penn State World Campus has more than 20 graduate education programs, recently ranked No. 6 in the country by U.S. News & World Report. These highly flexible online programs are designed so you can customize your education plan to meet your professional development goals. Whether you’re fulfilling professional development requirements, earning a certificate, or working toward a master’s degree, the programs allow you to study at times and locations that suit your busy schedule.

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Web Event on Gamification in Education

On June 14, 2016, at 3 p.m. (ET), ASCD will host a free webinar titled “Get in the Game: The Magic Circle of the Gamified Classroom.” Participants in this webinar will have an opportunity to explore the basics of the gamified classroom. They will learn what gamification is, explore the four kinds of games, investigate the notion of the “magic circle” and learn how this instructional technique can shape student learning. The presenter will conclude by discussing data from a gamified classroom experience at a charter school in Detroit.

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Hands-On, Teacher-to-Teacher Training

The National Math + Science Initiative's (NMSI) Laying the Foundation Program provides teachers of grades 3-12 with content-based, pedagogy-driven, teacher-to-teacher training. The training offers educators a variety of opportunities to strengthen their content knowledge and practice teaching strategies-all aligned with state standards. NMSI offers elementary school teacher training for grades 3-5 in math, science, English, and social studies. Teachers work through model lessons and discuss strategies for engaging students with interesting content while building conceptual understanding. The content includes interdisciplinary connections and fine arts enhancements. NMSI's secondary training for grades 6-12 is broken down by math, science, and English. Each discipline is a unique 12-module program with its own structure. In mathematics training, teachers use graphing calculators, manipulatives, and collaborative activities to deepen their knowledge of mathematics, the vertical connections across grade levels, and the integration of math standards and practices. Science training is laboratory based with a focus on building conceptual understanding. It includes strategies for building student skills in science literacy and applying mathematics in science. Training for English teachers includes hands-on collaborative activities that model how to engage students with texts. Strategies for developing critical reading, writing, and thinking in students are modeled in training and applied by teachers.

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Not All Carts Are Made Equal

LapCabby solutions deliver smart storage, charging, and syncing to any device in any space. Meet the LapCabby team at ISTE to discover the exciting new range of carts and static storage solutions. LapCabby understands that the type, size, and volume of devices connecting to your network are ever increasing. That’s why LapCabby has a solution for any device. From Chromebooks to netbooks, laptops to tablets, and everything in between—no matter the device there is a LapCabby to suit. And standard on every product, you always receive the LapCabby Lifetime warranty!

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Catchy Geography Game for iPad and iPhone

A fun, catchy game for the iPad and iPhone, the Land of Venn – Geometric Defense by iMagine Machine teaches children aged 6–8 how to use principles of geometry to defeat an evil wizard named Apeirogon and his monsters. By drawing points, lines, and shapes, students stop the monsters, called Bookkenriders, from drinking all the Magic Juice found in the Land of Venn. Children strategically draw shapes to eliminate the Bookkenriders as efficiently as possible. As the game progresses, the Bookkenriders become more challenging. There are three wacky worlds to protect, 15 different monsters to battle, 30 levels to complete, and 12 abilities to master, including the Point of Fire, Straight Line of Hope, and the Trapezoid of Doom. Cost: $4.99

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Shakespeare's Plays Demystified on iPad

Ian McKellen, who first made his reputation performing at the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1970s and 1980s, recently released the first of a series of iPad apps to make Shakespeare’s plays more accessible, especially for high school students. The first of 37 apps has just been launched. It’s devoted to The Tempest. The app includes the full text of The Tempest as published in the First Folio; a full digital version of Arden Shakespeare’s The Tempest; the ability to switch between three different levels of notes, depending on the level of reader’s needs; a full breakdown and explanation of every character and all of the character’s lines across every scene; a linked historical timeline of Shakespeare’s life, his plays, his theatres, and contemporary context to put it all into perspective; video explanations and discussions on characters, themes, and the meaning of the play; a full “play at a glance” with illustrations and summaries to explain the play’s plot with key quotes and events; a history of all the major productions of The Tempest from the seventeenth century to the present day; the option to make notes, and copy and highlight text that can be collected, correlated, and exported for later use; and the option to search the play’s full text and essays. Cost: $5.99

Click Here to Access The Tempest App

Plus: Keep your eye on Heuristic Shakespeare’s iTunes page for new Shakespeare apps down the line.

Click Here to Access Heuristic Shakespeare in iTunes App Store

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Science Lab Notebook for Android Smartphone

Google’s Science Journal app lets students do science with their Android smartphone. They can use the sensors in their phone or connect to external sensors to conduct experiments on the world around them. With the app, students can organize their ideas into projects, make predictions, take notes, collect data in multiple trials, and then annotate and explore their results. Cost: Free

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Plus: Science Journal allows users to experiment and engage with their world using different onboard sensors in their Android phone (for example, accelerometers and microphone), as well as compatible external sensors. A companion website, Making & Science, provides free activities that will help students aged 10 and up become familiar with using those sensors and interpreting graphs created in the app. The activities were created in partnership with the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

Click Here to Access Free Activities

Plus: Google is also selling hands-on learning kits to accompany the app. The kits contain external sensors, microcontrollers, and other craft supplies that will help students conduct experiments.

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Digital Program on Eccentricities of Science

What are animal superpowers? Why do things sound scary? What does space sound like? Whose air do you share? Students can get the answers from It's Okay to Be Smart, an online program about science from PBS Digital Studios. Students join host Joe Hanson as he explores the eccentricities of the scientific world—from physics and astronomy to biology and neuroscience. Nothing is off limits in this quirky exploration of all science has to offer. The creative and fun design of the online program, together with an enlightening exploration of new scientific ideas, shows students that being smart isn’t just okay; it’s truly exciting.

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Computer Science and Programming for Underrepresented Minorities

TechPrep is a Facebook-led initiative created for parents, caregivers, and learners who want to understand more about computer science (CS) and programming. It’s a collection of fun and interesting information, resources, and videos tailored to a variety of ages and experience levels. Facebook created TechPrep in response to the company’s understanding, supported by a research study, of the underrepresentation of minorities in programming careers. The TechPrep website offers two paths to resources: teachers/parents/caregivers and students. The resources are organized by age range (8–11, 12–17, 18–25 and up), as well as by level of expertise (beginner, intermediate, expert) and interest (Tinker & Toys; Games; Reference Materials; Live & In-Person Instruction; College, Career Prep, and Scholarships; and Communities & Events).

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Online STEM Journal Highlighting Deep Learning

Museums and zoos may seem unlikely STEM classrooms; yet these “informal” settings can spark the kind of deep learning and problem-solving skills that teachers strive to foster. Connected Science Learning, a new online journal for STEM educators, seeks to link in-school and out-of-school learning by highlighting effective programs and partnerships that enhance STEM learning. The inaugural issue, released on March 15, includes, for example, an article on Omaha’s “Zoo Academy,” a high school within a zoo where students studied an endangered beetle and used engineering practices to develop a tool that helped larvae survive to adulthood. Other articles examine a STEM program in Minneapolis Public Schools and a Franklin Institute program on applying neuroscience to education. Educators can sign up to receive this free journal, which was launched with pilot funding from the National Science Foundation and is being produced by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the Association of Science–Technology Centers (ASTC). A second issue that will focus on professional development is scheduled for publication in fall 2016.

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Web Video Series Fostering Creativity

The Art School web video series from PBS LearningMedia introduces contemporary artists who discuss their careers and intentions, and then demonstrate hands-on techniques or concepts. Art School provides resources for learning how to break dance, draw comic strips, create animations, and much more. This engaging series empowers students in grades 6–12 to engage with contemporary art and discover new ideas for creativity from a variety of professional artists.

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Critical Thinking Through Primary Source Sets

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) provides Primary Source Sets designed to help students develop critical thinking skills by exploring topics in history, literature, and culture through primary sources. Drawing online materials from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States, the sets use letters, photographs, posters, oral histories, video clips, sheet music, and more. Each set includes a topic overview, 10 to 15 primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. For example, the set for Women in the Civil War includes a photographic portrait of Clara Barton attributed to Mathew Brady (ca. 1865); an excerpt from Hospital Sketches by nurse Louisa May Alcott (1863); an advertisement for the 1876 book The Woman in Battle by Loreta Juaneta Velasquez, who fought for the Confederacy as Harry T. Buford; and an affidavit supporting Harriet Tubman’s claim to a military pension (ca. 1898). Among the materials in the Primary Source Set on Japanese American internment during World War II are a painting titled News of Pearl Harbor by artist Henry Sugimoto (1942); a letter from a teacher in California about her student “Jimmie,” who was sent to a relocation center; and a photograph of a fourth-grade class at a relocation center in Arizona (1943).

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Emily Dickinson's World of Poetry

Visitors to the Emily Dickinson Archive (EDA) will find high-resolution images of manuscripts of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, along with transcriptions and annotations from selected historical and scholarly editions. The manuscripts vary from “scraps” written on envelope flaps and pieces of wrapping paper, to drafts, to finished poems sent to friends or copied into manuscript books called fascicles. The online Emily Dickinson Archive brings together thousands of manuscripts held by Harvard University, Amherst College, the Boston Public Library, the Library of Congress, and four other collections. The archive also houses the Emily Dickinson Lexicon, an online dictionary that defines the words Dickinson uses in her poems and explains how she uses them.

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Click Here to Access Lexicon

Plus: Emily Dickinson’s poetry is often ambiguous, and there can be many reasonable interpretations of the same poem. The Emily Dickinson Museum’s website provides Tips for Reading Dickinson’s Poetry.

Click Here to Access Poetry Reading Tips

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