Office of Digital Teaching & Learning June Newsletter
- Mon, Jun 6 2022
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It’s summer! The heat is here and so are the IT summer preparations and projects! We can’t really help you beat the heat (shade, pools and hydration?!), but we can help spark inspiration with some of your summer work.
Table of Contents:
Cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity Grant Request Form
Professional Development Opportunities:
- List of Summer PD opportunities
- CSPD Week
- AzTEA Ambassador Application
- Title IV-A & B Symposium Conference
- Indigenous Professional Learning Virtual Events
- Technology and Curriculum Innovation Townhalls
Funding Opportunities
- Affordable Connectivity Program
- AZ On Track Summer Camp Funding
Your Community Connection
- Spotlight of the Month
- New LinkedIn
- Digital Office Hours
- Meet the Team
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Cybersecurity
Cyber Resource Funding
The Cybersecurity Grant Participation Interest Form is still open! Starting in July 2022, the State of Arizona is seeking to expand their cybersecurity support to cover K12 public districts in Arizona, at no cost for the schools! The included resources are:
- Anti-Phishing / Security Awareness Training (SAT)
- Advanced Endpoint Protection (AEP)
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Web Application Firewall (WAF)
- Converged Endpoint Management (XEM)
We are looking to capture your interest in participating in this upcoming program. Applications will be prioritized on three factors:
- Greatest risk (sensitive data, large number of systems, complicated environment, actively being targeted by threat actors, etc.)
- Greatest need (little to no cybersecurity tools or staff currently, lack of adequate cybersecurity funding, lack of expertise to implement, etc.)
- Greatest interest (entities willing and able to work with the State and have expressed excitement to participate in the program, etc.)
This program is managed by the Arizona Department of Homeland Security. The Office
of Digital Teaching & Learning will provide updates when the new grant is approved and ready to implement in K12.
Cybersecurity Grant Participation Interest Form
Professional Development Opportunities
This summer get inspired for fall by taking advantage of the many available PD opportunities. Whether in-person, virtual, or free, there is something for everyone!
- Counselor and Teacher Institute June 6-10, 2022 (in person, fees apply)
- Arizona Virtual Teacher Institute Summer Boot Camp, sessions start as early as June 7, 2022 (virtual, no cost)
- Computer Science Professional Development Week June 20-24, 2022 (in person, no cost)
- ADE Title IV-A & B Virtual Symposium (including technology sessions), July 14-15, 2022 (virtual, fees apply)
- Participate in the AzTEA Ambassador program! AzTEA Ambassadors lead professional development for schools, districts and regions across Arizona to support effective technology integration and implementation. Apply to be an AzTEA Ambassador today! (hybrid, no cost)
- Secondary ELA Summer of Writing Professional Learning Series, sessions run through June (virtual, no cost)
- Integrating Indigenous Perspectives into Social Studies, four sessions based on grade, June & July offerings (virtual, no cost)
- 2nd Annual Social Studies Summer Seminar, June and July offerings (virtual, no cost)
- Science PD for Administrators: What to Look for in 3-Dimensional Science Classroom, July (in-person and virtual)
- Reclaiming the Narrative: Teaching the Truth about Native American Boarding Schools, June and July (virtual, no cost)
CSPD Week is happening this June!
Exciting news! Registration is officially open for Arizona #CSPDWeek. Arizona K-12 teachers are invited to join us for this free computer science professional development opportunity from June 20th-24th, 2022. Learn more and register today!
CSPD Week Session Highlights:
CS in Elementary Classrooms - This workshop will include an introduction to using Code.org’s Computer Science Fundamentals program, hands-on computer science learning with BootUp, and a look at unplugged resources to build conceptual understanding and computational thinking strategies.
Physical Computing & Game-based Learning - Explore how physical computing with Micro:bit and MakeCode Arcade can develop student creativity and unlock powerful engagement with computer science. Participants will learn how to program these devices, as well as different curricula that can be used to incorporate these devices into semester or year-long dedicated computer science courses.
Code.org CS Principles - Computer Science Principles introduces students to the foundational concepts of computer science and challenges them to explore how computing and technology can impact the world. More than a traditional introduction to programming, it is a rigorous, engaging, and approachable course that explores many of the foundational ideas of computing so all students understand how these concepts are transforming the world we live in.
Arizona Technology in Education Ambassador
AzTEA, in partnership with the Arizona Department of Education, is currently taking applications for Ambassadors and Ambassadors in Training (AiT) to lead professional development.
The Ambassador Program has been designed as a “train the trainer” model” with Ambassadors and AiT who lead professional learning regarding the shifts required for educational technology integration with the new AZ Educational Technology Standards (AzETS). All Ambassadors and AiTs should have a deep understanding of ISTE Standards for Students, Educators, Coaches, and/or Leaders, and the AZ Educational Technology Standard. It is the goal of the program to continue to develop a cadre of teacher leaders, from around the state, who can provide professional development to schools, districts, and regions in regard to understanding the AzTS and effective educational technology integration and implementation.
For more information click here. To sign up click the button below and apply to be an Ed Tech Ambassador.
Become an Ed Tech Ambassador here!
Title IV-A & B Symposium
Kristina Ishmael
As an educator, learner, advocate, and agent of change, Kristina Ishmael, currently serves as the U.S. Department of Education Deputy Director of the Office of Educational Technology. She is leading the office in its vision and execution of priorities focused on improving teaching and learning.
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology (OET) develops national educational technology policy and establishes the vision for how technology can be used to transform teaching and learning and how to make everywhere, all-the-time learning possible for early learners through K-12, higher education, and adult education.
Aaron Yazzie
Aaron Yazzie who is Diné (Navajo) comes from a small community bordering the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona. He is passionate about STEM outreach for students of all ages, especially those from Indigenous communities. He currently serves as a mechanical engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Mr. Yazzie designs mechanical systems for NASA’s robotic space research missions focusing on Planetary Sample Acquisition and Handling.
In 2016, Yazzie was honored by the Navajo Nation Council for serving as an inspiration to Diné youth and citizens. In 2019, he received the NASA JPL Bruce Murray Award for his outstanding and consistent dedication to promoting inclusion and excitement in science and education, especially among Indigenous communities.
To learn more about this event click the button below.
Registration Cost: $100 per person
Indigenous Professional Learning
This summer The Arizona Office of Indian Education in partnership with the ADE K-12 Social
Studies Director and Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center has free Indigenous/ Native American learning opportunities for you.
- Starting on June 22nd attend the Integrating Indigenous Perspectives in Social Studies workshop.
- Starting on June 29th attend the Reclaiming the Narrative: Teaching the Truth about Native American Boarding Schools.
To discover more professional learning opportunities with The Arizona Office of Indian Education click here.
Townhalls
Join a Townhall meeting to connect, share and learn from your Arizona peers. Townhalls are monthly hybrid gatherings to discuss, share information and practices, and provide feedback to ADE about options and needs.
- Technology: K12 IT professionals meet on the second Monday of the month from 1-3pm. Agenda and registration here for June 13, 2022.
- Curriculum Innovation: New! If you are interested in participating in a group of curriculum directors, administrators and teachers, to discuss and share pertinent topics with colleagues, please register here.
Click the button below for more details!
Funding Opportunities
Affordable Connectivity Program
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a U.S. government program run by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to help low-income households pay for internet service and connected devices like a laptop or tablet.
Recently the Biden Administration made a deal with internet providers to ensure internet services provided to low-income families starting at $30 a month is high-speed internet and not the slowest speed offered by the provider.
Eligible households could receive:
- Up to a $30/month discount on internet service
- Up to a $75/month discount if household is on qualifying Tribal lands
- A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
- A low cost service plan that may be fully covered through the ACP*
Schools can help qualify families for the $30 a month Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) via the free and reduced lunch program. Both Common Sense Media and Education Superhighway have created great toolkits and collections of resources for school and parents. To find out more information on this program click the button below.
Affordable Connectivity Program sign up
Summer Camp Funding
The office of governor Doug Ducey has launched AZ OnTrack Summer Camp. This camp has been designed to address the learning gaps and losses suffered during the Coivid-19 pandemic — at no cost for camp registration to Arizona families — by providing students the access and support they need to get on track for the coming school year.
With over $100 million from the American Rescue Plan Act ready to fund engaging Summer Camp experiences, school leaders, educators, and youth service providers like you can apply for AZ OnTrack funding so parents in your community have a trusted place to send their students for up to 8 weeks of educational opportunities. To find out more click the button below.
Spotlight of the Month
Each month a Local Education Agency (LEA) is highlighted for work in the digital teaching and learning space. Thanks to the following schools and districts for sharing your work in our newsletter this year: Liberty High School, Washington Elementary School District, Nogales Unified School District, Paloma Elementary School District and Maricopa Unified School District.
Does your LEA have a digital learning template or program that has worked well for your school community? Please tell us about it! Email us at [email protected]
The Office of Digital Teaching and Learning has a brand new LinkedIn page! On our page we post our latest updates, data, solutions, community building tools, digital tools, and more. Help us grow by following and sharing our LinkedIn page!
Digital Office Hours
Each week the Office of Digital Teaching and Learning (ODTL) will host Digital Office Hours.
This is a great way to share ideas and needs about digital practices and space, and meet the ODTL team. Meet, mingle and learn on your schedule!
June Digital Office Hours Topics:
- Professional development opportunities
- Arizona CSPD Week
- Technology Townhall recap
- Cybersecurity forms
Pop in anytime from 11:00am - 1:00pm MST Thursdays (excluding holidays).
Register for Digital Office Hours
Meet the Team
We are proud to connect you with the Office of Digital Teaching and Learning team. This small but mighty group is building this program to serve Arizona schools with the resources they need for digital teaching and learning.
Connectivity Team
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