Science at Home, Immigrant & Refugee Writers, Facebook Live Events & More

Become the Leader Your School Needs

Make a difference in your classroom or school district by enrolling in professional development courses, a teacher leader or principal certificate, or a master’s degree in educational leadership. Penn State World Campus, in collaboration with Penn State College of Education, offers educational leadership courses completely online. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the graduate education programs in the top 10.

April 15, 2020

computer coding programming challenge codingcompetitions.withgoogle.com

Funding & Recognition

Online Programing Challenges for a Chance at a Career at Google

Google’s Kick Start challenge offers coders around the world the chance to develop and hone their programing skills through online-hosted competition rounds. The three-hour rounds feature a variety of algorithmic challenges, all developed by Google engineers so that students get a sense of the technical skills needed for a career at Google.

Social Studies Covid Resources cdn2.hubspot.net

Digital Learning • Learning Support

Lesson Module on the History and Geography of a Pandemic

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and World History Digital Education Foundation (WHDEF) are offering teachers a set of free, three-day classroom modules to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professional Growth

Become an Expert in Online Learning

Earn your Master’s in Instructional Technology and integrate forward-thinking technology trends into your curriculum through The University of Alabama (BAMA by Distance). Course concepts include adaptive and assistive technologies, assessment and evaluation in instructional technology, and online teaching and learning. Electives are also available in game-based learning, as well as other special topics. The program is entirely online, and you’ll study under the same expert faculty who teach on the university’s main campus. The degree is identical to a main campus degree, but it is less expensive because of the affordable distance tuition rate.

jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk

STEM • STEAM • STREAM

At-Home Engineering and Science Activities

The James Dyson Foundation has created 44 free engineering and science activities for children to try out while at home during the coronavirus pandemic The activities range from making a balloon-powered car to building a bridge from spaghetti.

miniverse.io

Mobile Learning

Human Anatomy Lesson for Children in Augmented Reality

Finding an age-appropriate resource to explore the human body can be challenging, especially when the learning is in 3D. The MERGE Mr. Body anatomy experience is well suited to young students as they rotate the cartoon character while examining and interacting with specific body systems and parts, such as the heart, lung, liver, and brain.

centerofthewest.org

Social Media

The Wild West—Experienced Virtually

The Smithsonian Institution–affiliated Buffalo Bill Center of the West offers online educational programs for teachers and students, including Skype in the Classroom virtual field trips. The center also offers Facebook Live sessions and YouTube videos, and recently launched an Interactive 360 Activity and Curriculum program.

autism awareness the-art-of-autism.com

Digital Learning • Learning Support

SPOTLIGHT! On Autism Awareness

April is Autism Awareness Month, and Apple is marking the occasion by posting a digital art gallery of works created by artists on the autism spectrum. The project, which is curated by the nonprofit Art of Autism, is being unveiled over the course of the month. “Created on iPad Gallery” features the work of 15 artists from the autistic community who hail from across the US and Canada. The participants have differing abilities and are different ages. In addition to sharing the work of these artists, teachers and parents can tap these free programs to support educating children with autism and other special needs:

Home Curriculum for Early Autism Education

Media to Help Children with Autism and Visual Impairment or Hearing Loss

engagingcongress.org

Mobile Learning

Interactive Game Exploring the Workings of the US Government

The Center on Representative Government at Indiana University has launched Engaging Congress, a free interactive game that uses primary source documents to explore the workings of American government and the challenges the government faces in contemporary society.

onlinemathleague.com

Funding & Recognition

Online Challenges to Motivate Students to Excel in Math

When teachers sign up for the Online Math League (OML), their students gain access to practice materials designed to immediately challenge and motivate them to excel in math. Three times throughout the school year, students compete in challenging math contests against other students from around the world.

thesciencezone.org

Social Media

Activities to Ignite Children’s Passion for Technical Arts and Sciences

The Science Zone in Casper, Wyoming, is offering a new “Learn with the Doc” virtual learning series—engaging science videos and a virtual version of its afterschool program for middle school and high school students.

msichicago.org

STEM • STEAM • STREAM

Hands-on At-Home Science Activities

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago builds bridges between youth and science, both inside and outside the classroom. On the museum’s Science at Home website, children can keep learning in place and at their own pace with science activities and topics they can access anytime.

my-america.org

Digital Learning • Learning Support

Online Exhibit Exploring Modern Immigrant and Refugee Writing in America

My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today, an initiative of the American Writers Museum (AWM), includes an immersive multimedia exhibit, a related program series, and in-depth educational experiences that all explore the influence of modern immigrant and refugee writing in America on the culture, history, and daily lives of the nation.

Professional Growth

Guidance for Promoting Emotional Wellbeing of Children During COVID-19 Pandemic

As their regular routines are upended during the COVID-19 pandemic, children turn to the adults in their lives for both emotional and physical safety. A newly released resource guide, coauthored by a child psychologist and trauma-informed care leader at UMass Medical School and colleagues at the national child-welfare research center Child TRENDS, offers research-informed guidance for caretakers.

cor.stanford.edu

Digital Learning • Learning Support

Project to Build Students’ Media Literacy

MediaWise is a nonprofit, nonpartisan project from the Poynter Institute empowering people of all ages to be more critical consumers of content online. The program teaches young people nationwide key digital literacy skills to spot misinformation and disinformation so they can make decisions based on facts, not fiction.

fieldmuseum.org

Social Media

A Chat with a Dinosaur

At the Field Museum in Chicago, children and adults can explore plants and animals, world cultures, earth science, and more. One of the favorite attractions is Máximo, the world’s largest dinosaur. Students can get to know Máximo by striking up a conversation through online chat or text message.

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