VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Big Book Deal

Big Deal Book, November 15, 2023

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VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse. See the whole newsletter & subscribe on this website.

This newsletter will help you with Global Holiday Music, Hour of Code, Digital Children’s Books & More...

 

Holiday Music from Around the Globes

The holiday season is upon us, and festive songs are filling the airwaves everywhere we go. Most of those songs are popular hits such as “Jingle Bells,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “White Christmas.” But many holiday songs we hear don’t reflect the wide variety of wintery tunes streaming in other parts of the world. The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, Arizona, reminds us of the diverse cultures and traditions that exist in other countries.

 

SPOTLIGHT! On AI Tools to Enhance Classroom Experiences

The landscape is rapidly evolving for artificial intelligence (AI) experiences in the K–12 setting. While AI is advancing, it is still growing and finding ways to be implemented safely and accurately. Here are a few examples to help educators untangle the complex web of free and freemium AI tools.

 

Hour of Code—With or Without AI

Your class or group can join millions around the world participating in the Hour of Code, a free introduction to computer science through engaging activities and videos for learners of all skill levels. The Hour of Code is organized by Code.org and driven by a coalition of partners, including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the College Board.

 

Digital Library of Children’s Books for Online and Offline Reading

Let’s Read promotes reading skills and presents books by local authors and illustrators that are available in many underrepresented languages, as well as English. Teachers, parents, and children can enjoy reading the engaging and colorful storybooks in the free Let’s Read digital library.

 

 

The Archives

Big Deal Book, November 15, 2023

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VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse.

This newsletter will help you with Native Voices, Civic Engagement, eSports Coaching & More...

 

SPOTLIGHT! On Indigenous and Native Voices

November is Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Students can celebrate the heritage and cultures of these peoples by listening to and learning from Indigenous and Native voices from across the continent. They can learn about the diverse experiences of Native Americans and Alaska Natives with this collection of documentaries from PBS.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools for Editing Visual Media and Generating Text

Canva, known for its cloud-based graphic design tools, has introduced Classroom Magic, a version of its AI-powered Magic Studio for teachers and students in the education technology sector. With features such as “Magic Write” and “Magic Animate,” Classroom Magic enhances classroom experiences by using AI to help students and educators save time and boost creativity.

 

All-in-One eSports Coaching Software

eGame Studio, a live-streaming and esports software company, has launched Game Lens, a browser-based tool that helps esports coaches guide players from remote locations.

 

Practical Examples for Enhancing Cybersecurity in Under-Resourced Districts

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) has launched a cybersecurity resource focused on small, rural, and under-resourced school districts. Developed by SETDA’s Cybersecurity & Privacy Collaborative, the publication is designed to identify essential resources, assess state-level K–12 cybersecurity advocacy initiatives, and craft policy recommendations to enhance cybersecurity readiness within these districts.

 

 

The Archives

Big Deal Book, November 1, 2023

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VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse.

This newsletter will help you with Experiential SEL, Historical Thinking, STEM Expeditions & More...

 

SEL Tool with Real-World Activities

Krikori is an app and online-based platform with resources for teaching social–emotional learning (SEL) to school-aged children. The SEL setup is helpfully standards-aligned, making it a useful tool in education scenarios. With more than 2,056 experiential SEL activities available, teachers will find options for most ages, developmental stages, and goals.

 

Curriculum Building Historical Thinking Skills

The nonprofit Thinking Nation provides schools with innovative data-driven curriculum, assessments, and professional development to empower students to become thinking citizens. Thinking Nation’s free curriculum resources include simple worksheets that teach students a particular historical thinking skill and have a short practice section for students to apply their new knowledge.

 

Virtual Outdoor STEM Learning Adventures

Expeditions in Education was founded by a former longtime STEM educator and her husband, who now travel around the country visiting the US National Parks, filming their outdoor experiences, talking to rangers, and creating free STEM learning content that includes a look at each park, its history, its place in the world, and a STEM challenge.

 

Video-based Platform Connecting Classrooms Across the Globe

Empatico creates a space in which groups can meet from across the planet to share experiences, ideas, and learning. The digital platform runs through teachers, who can communicate by sending messages, videos, and images.

 

 

The Archives

Big Book Deal, October 15, 2020

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Big Deal Media

 

VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse

This newsletter will help you Virtual Coding, Wildlife Conservation, Childhood Creativity & More.....

 

COVID-19 Remote-Learning Emergency Fund for Educators

National Geographic Education has launched a new grant program called the Learning Emergency Fund, which will award at least 50 grants to teachers to adapt or develop remote-friendly curriculum resources that use science, social studies, or geography to teach about pandemics, including COVID-19, or about social or environmental justice.
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Stories of Conservation Work Around the World

IEEE REACH provides teachers and students with educational resources that explore the relationship between technology and engineering history and their complex relationships with society, politics, economics, and culture.
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Foundations of Vector Calculus in a Virtual Reality Environment

Calcflow, powered by Matryx on STEAM, lets students explore mathematical theorems and scenarios in an interactive virtual reality environment. Essentially it allows them to visualize mathematical concepts in a completely new way.
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Big Book Deal October 15, 2020

The Archives

Big Book Deal, October 1st, 2019

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VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse.

This newsletter will help you with Citizen-Scientists, Global Citizens, Revolutionary History & More......

 

Lesson on Becoming an Internet Detective Using Google

The questions and activities in a lesson from The New York Times Learning Network help students understand why and how to do better Google searches but also weave in ways to apply the information and practice on their own.

 

Language Learning with Virtual Characters

Users of Android devices can experience the most advanced way to learn languages in any setting. Mondly, offered by ATi Studios, is the first VR app for learning a world language featuring speech recognition and chatbot technology.

 

Citizen-Science Projects Contributing to Real Discoveries

In 2007 the Adler Planetarium and Oxford University in the UK founded Zooniverse—the world’s largest platform for people-powered research. Zooniverse connects everyday citizens with researchers to help classify galaxies, find new planets, explore the surface of the Moon, and complete dozens of original projects in astronomy, biology, science, and the humanities.

 

Big Book Deal, October 1st, 2019

The Archives