LTC Blog

News, ideas, and insights on all of the most talked-about K-12 edtech topics

Computer LiteracyComputer Science (CS)

K-8 Books to Spark a Lifelong Passion for CS Learning

Computer Science Education Week 2022 is here! Let’s celebrate with a few books you can use to get your K-8 students interested in coding and more without needing to pick up a computer.

Sarah Phelps
Sarah Phelps
Program Manager, Computer Science and STEM, Learning Technology Center
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Computer LiteracyCybersecurityDigital CitizenshipTools

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

It is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This year the theme is “Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT.” Learn 5 ways we can all take collective responsibility and protect ourselves.

Information Technology ManagementLearning SpacesTechnology Policies and Leadership

Learning Tours: Seeing Change In Action

Site visits allow educators, especially those responsible for leading change, with the opportunity to learn from others who have navigated the challenge already. School site visits provide three major benefits to all educators.

Brian Bates
Brian Bates
Director of Professional Learning, Learning Technology Center
Cybersecurity

Checking the Checkboxes: NIST Cybersecurity Framework

Checklists are widely recognized as important tools for many professions, including K-12 cybersecurity.

Learn Online On Your Own Time

The Learning Technology Center (LTC) is happy to announce its Fall 2019 Online Course Catalog.

Matt Jacobson
Matt Jacobson
Online Learning Coordinator, Learning Technology Center

The LTC EdTech Webinar Series Returns for the 2019-2020 School Year

The Learning Technology Center’s EdTech Webinar Series is back for another exciting year of anytime, anywhere learning.

Matt Jacobson
Matt Jacobson
Online Learning Coordinator, Learning Technology Center
Digital Citizenship

Tech Check: Get Your Digital Life Organized

Get ready for summer, by checking in on your digital life!

Ben Sondgeroth
Ben Sondgeroth
Lead Regional Educational Technology Coordinator | Northern Illinois, Learning Technology Center
GoogleGoogle DriveScreencastingTools

LTC Monthly Tech Tips! – April 2019

Every month our staff will be publishing a post sharing some of their favorite tech tips! This month we focus on everything from managing your Google Drive to great new PBL ideas!

Nicole Zumpano
Nicole Zumpano
Director of Instructional Technology Coaching, Learning Technology Center
Digital EquityLeadership

Dupo CUSD 196 Bridges the Homework Gap

Dupo School District in Southern Illinois is addressing the homework gap head-on.  District leaders have decided to narrow the gap for their students by deploying a mobile hotspot lending program.  It has been a collaborative

Tim McIlvain
Tim McIlvain
Executive Director, Learning Technology Center

Teachers Talking Tech Recap

Recapping an amazing mini-conference!

Ben Sondgeroth
Ben Sondgeroth
Lead Regional Educational Technology Coordinator | Northern Illinois, Learning Technology Center

Is it a Snow Day or an eLearning Day?

We’ve gathered some of the best practices from districts implementing eLearning days.

Nicole Zumpano
Nicole Zumpano
Director of Instructional Technology Coaching, Learning Technology Center
Digital EquityLeadership

Oak Grove School focuses on Digital Learning

Dr. Jason Meltzer, 6th–8th media production teacher and district technology coach, has played a major role in supporting the teachers at Oak Grove and teaching digital arts to students.

Tim McIlvain
Tim McIlvain
Executive Director, Learning Technology Center
CybersecurityData Privacy

Data and Security Summit

The Learning Technology Center hosted their second annual Data and Security Summit on January 16 in Tinley Park and January 17 in Effingham. Over 190 people came together to learn about security policies and best

Tim McIlvain
Tim McIlvain
Executive Director, Learning Technology Center
Technology Infrastructure

3 Tech Tips to Kick Off 2019!

Start your new year off with three great tips from the LTC staff!

Ben Sondgeroth
Ben Sondgeroth
Lead Regional Educational Technology Coordinator | Northern Illinois, Learning Technology Center
Learning Spaces

Recapping the Redesigning Learning Spaces Summits

Many schools are changing the environments in which our students are learning. The LTC recently hosted two summits at schools doing just that.

Ben Sondgeroth
Ben Sondgeroth
Lead Regional Educational Technology Coordinator | Northern Illinois, Learning Technology Center
CopyrightData PrivacyTechnology Infrastructure

Illinois Student Privacy Alliance

The Learning Technology Center (LTC) formed the Illinois Student Privacy Alliance (ISPA). The ISPA is a collaboration of Illinois school districts that share common concerns around student privacy. The goal of the ISPA is to

Tim McIlvain
Tim McIlvain
Executive Director, Learning Technology Center

State Board to host Q&A events on new flexibility for school districts to define instructional days

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced opportunities for educators, parents, families, and school and district leaders to learn more about recent changes to the definition of instructional days. School districts now have flexibility

Tim McIlvain
Tim McIlvain
Executive Director, Learning Technology Center
Digital CitizenshipDigital LiteracyMediaSocial MediaYouTube

What is media literacy and why should you teach it in your classroom?

How many advertisements do you come across in one day- ten, fifty, hundreds, thousands? How can you teach your students to navigate this stream of information effectively?

Nicole Zumpano
Nicole Zumpano
Director of Instructional Technology Coaching, Learning Technology Center
Digital CitizenshipDigital Literacy

Digital Citizenship Week Recap

Bring digital citizenship to your classroom with these resources!

Ben Sondgeroth
Ben Sondgeroth
Lead Regional Educational Technology Coordinator | Northern Illinois, Learning Technology Center
Digital Citizenship

3 Great Resources to Teach Digital Citizenship

Three websites that can help you, as an educator, prepare your students to be good digital citizens.

Lisa Schwartz
Lisa Schwartz
Regional Educational Technology Coordinator | West Central Region, Learning Technology Center
Digital Citizenship

Encourage Digital Media Literacy with Listenwise and Allsides

An important aspect of digital citizenship is learning how to decipher what is quality sourced information, and what is not.

Ben Sondgeroth
Ben Sondgeroth
Lead Regional Educational Technology Coordinator | Northern Illinois, Learning Technology Center
Digital Citizenship

What Does Your Tattoo Say About You?

Do you have a tattoo?  What’s the story behind it?  What does it say about who you are? The term “digital footprint” is well known and represents what trace of us we leave behind when

Nicole Zumpano
Nicole Zumpano
Director of Instructional Technology Coaching, Learning Technology Center