Office of Digital Teaching & Learning February Newsletter
- Mon, Feb 7 2022
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Welcome back! We’re excited you’re with us as our community grows. Our newsletter subscriber list has grown 5% since last month –thank you for sharing and supporting!
This month we’re excited to bring you a new webinar series, resources and “digi”-tools for your toolbox (see what we did there?!). Let’s get into it!
Opportunity Assessment
We know that educating and preparing students to be responsible, active citizens relies on their ability to participate and engage digitally.
The information gathered through the assessment will be used to identify, prioritize and allocate much-needed digital teaching and learning resources to Arizona LEAs.
This month we’re excited to start serving our school communities with impactful resources:
A new webinar series - quick content in 20 minutes or less!
Specific topics and themes for our Friday Digital Office Hours
Your call to action! Have a passion for digital teaching and learning? Email us to get involved!
Keep scrolling for more...
ODTL 10 & 10 Webinar Series
The Office of Digital Teaching and Learning (ODTL), in partnership with Common Sense Media, invites you to join the ODTL 10 & 10 webinar series.
In this month’s series you’ll be introduced to digital citizenship topics that highlight practical ways educators can incorporate effective technology.
Each session is intended for K–12 educators (teachers, leaders, and IT/Tech staff – everyone!) and includes 10 minutes of quick, applicable content followed by 10 minutes of Q&A.
All sessions recorded for later viewing with access to supporting resources.
This is completely free and takes 20 minutes or less! Click here to sign up!
Washington Elementary School District
Presenters at the January 2022 ESSA Conference, we’d like to recognize WESD from Glendale for their participation in the conference and their leadership in Digital Teaching and Learning.
Their session “Distance Learning: The Square Peg in the New Normal” shared lessons learned in academic settings, teacher coaching, and IT logistics.
Thank you, WESD, for your dedication to integrating technology to enhance student learning.
Happy Safer Internet Day!
Tuesday, February 8th is Safer Internet Day. Safer Internet Day aims to create a safer internet and a better internet, where everyone is empowered to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively.
Everyone has a role to play in creating a better internet. Check out Safer Internet Day's website for activity guides, videos and more for educators and families. Share with your students' caregivers!
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!
February Digital Office Hours Topics:
Feb 4: Safer Internet Day Tips
Feb 11: How ODTL can help you in 2022
Feb 18: Federal E-rate program
Feb 25: Digital Citizenship
Pop in anytime from 10:00am - 12:00pm MST Fridays (excluding holidays).
Use this link: https://azed-gov.zoom.us/j/84204061406
Meet the Team
We are proud to connect you with the ODTL team. This small but mighty group is building this program to serve Arizona schools with the resources they need for digital teaching and learning.
Brittany Augustine, MBA , Communication Specialist, [email protected]
Kelly Krusee, MA, Program Manager, [email protected]
Jason Shumberger, PhD, Data Analyst, [email protected]
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E-rate Program
The E-rate program has upcoming deadlines! The E-rate program provides discounts to assist eligible schools and libraries in obtaining affordable internet access and telecommunications services.
E-rate filing window is open – note these important deadlines:
Form 470 window is open NOW through February 21, 2022
Form 471 window opens January 12, 2022 through March 22, 2022 (Must file 471 every year for recurring services)
Questions? Drop-in for Digital Office Hours with the Office of Digital Teaching and Learning on Friday, 2/18, anytime from 10am-12pm. Milan Eaton, the E-Rate Director, will be the special guest to answer questions and share all the details needed.
Educational Technology Standards Revised
On January 24, 2022 the AZ State Board of Education approved via consent agenda the revisions to the Educational Technology Standards.
Stakeholders from 28 districts/charters across 10 counties, along with the Arizona Technology in Education Association worked to revise and update the standards.
The Ed Tech standards focus on the integration of technology across all content areas. The updated standards can be found here.
Arizona released K-12 Computer Science Standards in October 2018 and two options for Computer Science endorsement for K-12 teachers. To support the implementation of these standards, we are excited to present a Computer Science Implementation Guidance document. This document's primary purpose is to introduce LEAs to resources that support the implementation of the new Arizona K-12 Computer Science Standards. Whether integrating C.S. and computational thinking across the curriculum or adopting it as a stand-alone course, there is a need to consider C.S. implementation within the K-12 system. As such, resources and guidance are outlined and address the needs of the following stakeholders: school/LEA leadership, counselors, and educators. An additional section includes considerations when adopting C.S. curricula and tools. In addition, to provide guidance regarding the new options for the Arizona Computer Science endorsement, the link to a one-page document that clearly outlines the requirements for PreK-8 CS Endorsement and 6-12 CS Endorsement for Arizona educators can be found here.
Computer Science Professional Development Week
CSTA-AZ and ADE are hosting a week of CS Professional Development over the summer.
We'll have several track for elementary, middle, and high school teachers, including both introductory and advanced high school options.
Click Here for more information and to stay updated.
State of Computer Science Education Report
The 2021 State of Computer Science Education report is brought to you by Code.org, the Computer Science Teachers Association, and the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance.
The report includes descriptions of policy trends, an in-depth view of each state’s policy and implementation, and data on disparities in access to and participation in computer science.
This report was launched on Wednesday, November 3, 2021.
$25,000 Computer Science Grant
Don’t miss the opportunity to receive a grant for up to $25,000! Public Schools that offer instruction in grades 9 through 12 and seek professional development to train educators to offer a new course(s) in computer science can qualify for up to $25,000. The Computer Science Professional Development (CSPD) grant funding is designed to be used to provide professional development for a high school teacher or teachers to teach a computer science course that is not currently offered at the high school.
Please reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions
