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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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June 1, 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
Grants, Competitions, and Other "Winning" Opportunities
In Partnership With:
Resource Roundup
Professional Learning Plus
Mobile Learning Journey
STEM Gems
Worth-the-Surf Websites
Grants, Competitions, and Other "Winning" Opportunities
Sponsored by
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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
Click Here for More Information
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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
Click Here for More Information
Click Here to Access GetEdFunding
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Resource Roundup
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.
Click Here to Access Free Dictionary Tool
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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.”
Click Here for More Information
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
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learning approach. These suggestions are presented as additional ways to help teachers bridge the gap between theory and
real-world application of content.
Click Here to Download Free Guide
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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.
Click Here to Access Free Fabrication Tool
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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.
Click Here to Access Free Educators’ Resources
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Professional Learning Plus
Sponsored by
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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.
Click Here to Explore Program Options
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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.
Click Here to Register for Free Webinar
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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.
Click Here for More Information
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Mobile Learning Journey
Sponsored by
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!
Click Here for More Information
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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
Click Here to Visit Website
Click Here to Visit iTunes App Store
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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.
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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
Click Here for the App
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.
Click Here for More Information About Learning Kits
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STEM Gems
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.
Click Here to Visit Website
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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
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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).
Click Here to Visit Website
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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.
Click Here to Access Free Issue
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Worth-the-Surf Websites
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.
Click Here to Visit Website
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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
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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.
Click Here to Visit Website
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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