Professional Learning Catalog

Is your district wanting to add 3D printing to the curriculum? Does your district currently have a 3D printer that’s just not being used effectively in the classroom? Join us for an informative session on the basics of 3D printing and 3D printers. We will explore the fundamentals of 3D printing, the best printers for education, the software and apps needed for successful printing, how to plan for a 3D printing space, and some curriculum integration essentials. 3D printing has SO many real-world, practical applications and can be easily integrated across the curriculum. Come see how!

By leveraging social media, educational leaders can connect with experts across their communities and the world to expand their perspectives, build relationships, and create opportunities for student learning. Face-to-face networks provide leaders with opportunities to engage local peers in deeper conversations about the educational landscape. Understanding the social media landscape will also equip leaders to help professional staff as they integrate these powerful tools in their instruction. This course will provide the knowledge and skills required to become connected leaders by focusing on multiple social media platforms (Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) and productive face-to-face networking opportunities (EdCamps, PLNs, etc.) to help them leverage the power of social networks for professional learning and community engagement.

Technology coaches help ensure high-quality, ongoing, job-embedded professional learning for educators, and a strong partnership between technology coaches and principals is critical to ensuring coaching success. The principal-coach partnership depends on a common, forward-thinking vision for technology and instruction; a culture of collaboration, innovation, capacity building, and empowerment; clear definitions, roles, and responsibilities; shared ownership and accountability for professional growth; and meaningful planning, policies, and implementation. This six-week online session will explore these topics and provide specific strategies to create and/or strengthen the technology coach/principal partnership, and ultimately, the coaching program. Three times during the course, participants will meet in a 60-minute synchronous video conference. Weekly, they will complete required reading(s); and post and respond to a weekly “slow chat Tweet” based on a guiding question. The course is designed to be a joint learning experience between the principal and technology coach(es), but it can be taken by the administrator or coach alone.

Personalized and Digital Learning: Systems for Transformation will prepare district leaders to plan and implement personalized learning in their schools. Participants will be guided through a planning process to produce a road map for transforming schools. Key questions that will be addressed include: What supports do teachers need to transition to personalized learning? What systems need to be in place for a successful personalized learning transition? How do I plan for sustainability of personalized learning initiatives? These questions and more will be explored through online resources, on and offline activities, online and face-to-face discussions, group activities, presentations, multimedia explorations, and hands-on experience with technology tools used in personalizing learning. Throughout the day, participants will be working on a Personalized and Digital Learning Road Map which will serve as a final product and help participants plan and implement the transition to personalized learning in their schools.

Future Ready administrators are the foundation of a successful Future Ready Schools and are critical to sustainable growth in student outcomes. For personalized learning to thrive, administrators must create a culture of innovation that brings together students, teachers, other administrators, parents, and the community to share a vision for an improved learning experience. The Future Ready Framework is a research-based planning tool for digital learning, visioning, planning, and implementation focused on personalized student learning.

Resilient pedagogy combines course design principles with teaching strategies to withstand sudden changes to learning environments whether due to snow days, emergencies, or global pandemics. While remote instruction may not be the desired choice for teaching and learning, it can be implemented successfully to reach all learners including those who do not thrive in traditional settings. When programs are designed for remote learning, educators can use in-person instruction to reinforce strategies or checks for understanding. Keeping these design principles in mind, educators can create an academic program that can withstand the absence of a brick and mortar classroom.

This academy will prepare participants to develop a plan of action to be leaders in data privacy at their districts. Participants will develop an understanding of current state and federal student data privacy legislation, how to assess current data privacy policies and practices, examine relationships with third-party technology providers, support and empower district employees, and communicate with stakeholders how student data privacy is being protected. Throughout the sessions, participants will review best practices in student data privacy from state and national organizations supporting student data privacy. Participants can feel confident drafting policies and procedures for their districts after reviewing sample and exemplar policy and procedure examples provided throughout the session. Upon completing the academy, participants will have an action plan to help guide their work to improve student data privacy in their districts.

In this course, leaders will learn about the history and current state of digital citizenship education. Leaders will then critically evaluate the explicit, implicit, and null curriculum around digital citizenship in their schools. Throughout the course, participants will dive deep into each of the six competencies of a digital citizen by growing in their own competency knowledge, examining resources to bring into their schools, and considering how each competency can be further supported. Leaders will finish the course by developing an action plan to improve digital citizenship education that addresses immediate, short-term, and long-term goals.

Districts that have success with technology integration have done so through planning and alignment to district goals. To ensure consistency and equity throughout classrooms it is important to implement a technology framework that aligns with district goals and allows teachers to integrate technology at the stage they are most comfortable at. This academy introduces participants to several research-based frameworks that are used with technology integration: SAMR, TPACK, Triple E Framework, and the Four Shifts. Participants will examine and assess each framework to determine which aligns with their district’s vision and mission. Participants will be asked to confer with stakeholders to determine if a technology framework is needed and if so create a timeline for implementation which includes how staff will be trained in the framework adopted by the district. Participants should obtain access to their district School Improvement Plan prior to beginning the online academy.

This workshop is designed to help participants understand the importance of computer literacy, digital literacy, and digital citizenship and how these skills are necessary for all students to be successful in the classroom, their careers, and for the rest of their lives. Participants will learn the differences between computer literacy, digital literacy, and digital citizenship and identify the skills all students need for each of these important components of technology use. Throughout the workshop, participants will learn how and when students should be exposed to these different components. Lastly, participants will complete a plan of action for implementation in their school and/or district.

Microsoft is working hard to make sure all students have the tools they need to succeed! Learn about the accessibility features that are seamlessly built into the Microsoft platform such as:

• Translator
• Immersive reader
• Dictation
• Math Support
• Live captions/translations

*Note: Most of these features are available in many Office 365 apps, but are all centrally located within OneNote

Google Classroom provides teachers and students a powerful learning space to organize and effectively manage digital coursework during learning, whether that be remote or in-person. This session will explore the advanced features of Google Classroom and how it can integrate with dozens of web applications and other digital tools. Join us to see how Google Classroom can assist in streamlining workflow and engaging your students in a remote, hybrid, or in-person learning environment.

Learn about this team building, critical thinking hot topic! Participants will experience a “breakout”, see where they can find free games and learn tips and tricks for managing this at all levels from kindergarten through adult!

When someone opens up a Google Slides, their immediate thought is to create a Powerpoint like presentation. However, Slides can accomplish so much more than just creating a presentation! In this session we will explore how to transform your use of Slides into interactive activities, such as interactive notebooks, daily journals, choice boards, and more!

Join instructional technology coaches from around the state to share best practices and network with like-minded individuals. Anyone involved or interested in educational technology – including teachers, administrators, and technology specialists – is welcome to join.

Focused on K-6 code.org’s free curriculum. Explore the program and learn how to manage it in a K-6 setting. Learn about Hour of Code and other coding programs that are free to educators.

Using a combination of the Microsoft MakeCode app and the Adafruit Circuit Playground Express, students can let loose a storm of creativity to build their own coding projects! Participants will not only learn the basics of coding, but will also be able to participate in a hands on “maker session” to create their own, unique, coding creation.

Explore different collaborative tools that can be used in a remote, hybrid, or in-person learning environment. This session covers many of the most popular apps out there today, including Dotstorming, Flipgrid, Padlet, and Jamboard. Participate as a student in this collaborative tech tools.

Adding Google Forms into your educator toolbelt can be easy and fun! In this session, participants will learn a variety of ways that Google Forms can transform their classrooms. Forms allows teachers to do everything from gathering student or parent information simply and conveniently to converting current paper tests into online assessments which can be modified to meet the diverse needs of all learners. Harness the power of Google Forms!

Would you like to integrate more meaningful digital resources into your STEM curriculum, but have no budget to do so? CK-12 is an excellent Open Educational Resource that is free and easy to use. Digital resources include PLIX interactives and simulations, adaptive practices, study guides, and FlexBook digital textbooks. CK-12 FlexBooks are online platforms for assembling, authoring, and distributing interactive, multi-modal educational content. FlexBooks can be downloaded and used as-is, or can be customized by teachers to match their students’ learning styles and their school’s curricula. Inside each book, chapters can be rearranged, added, removed, and edited. FlexBooks can be shared, for free online, by email, or on platforms including Facebook and Twitter or through Google Classroom. All FlexBooks are aligned to national and state curriculum guidelines, Common Core Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards.

The Google tools have many uses that allow us to create an interactive learning experience for our students. When used to the fullest our students can use the Google tools to explore content and create and curate digital artifacts that demonstrate what they know, think, feel, and understand. In this session, we will explore how to use the HyperDoc process to transform the learning experience using the full Google Workspace: including Slides, Forms, Sheets, Drawings, and MyMaps. There is far more to using Google in the classroom than simply sharing a Google Doc with your students, join us to learn more! Participants should bring a Chromebook or laptop to the workshop.

Unlock the creative potential of the Chromebook and move beyond using the device for word processing, productivity, and organization. The session will explore the creative potential of the Chromebook to give your students the ability to craft amazing multimedia masterpieces! Participants will explore various apps, web tools and extensions available for students to create multimedia such as interactive images, video, and audio. In addition, learning strategies and thoughtful approaches to Chromebook creation will be woven throughout.

As more and more devices enter into our classrooms, teachers are presented with an opportunity to expand the way students are able to demonstrate their learning. Traditionally, teachers opt for written work or have students stand in the front of the room to present on a topic. Now, with all of the technology currently available to students, alternate ways of presenting knowledge are readily available. Video creation and screencasting can be powerful alternatives to traditional ways students demonstrate their thinking and understanding in the classroom. In this workshop, participants will be presented with the benefits of student-created videos, the steps to take when implementing a short video project with students, and the tools for creating those amazing videos using mobile devices, Chromebooks, and laptops.

This course is designed to help administrators understand common cybersecurity threats and appropriate responses. This course will also provide foundational best practices to secure student data. Through this course, you will develop a collection of cybersecurity resources and policies for your school or district. This course was created in partnership by Ed Leaders Network, Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology, Illinois Principals Association, and the Learning Technology Center.

This course is designed to help educators understand common cybersecurity threats and appropriate responses. This course will also provide foundational best practices to secure student data. This course was created in partnership by Ed Leaders Network, Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology, Illinois Principals Association, and the Learning Technology Center.

As school districts develop Remote & E-Learning Plans, it is vitally important that teachers develop strong and meaningful Remote Learning activities for students. Recent legislation requires that classroom activities be inclusive of students with special (IEP/504) needs, as well as students with no or limited Internet connectivity at home. This workshop explores ways to design engaging instructional activities that will support student learning no matter what the weather brings. Join us as we explore:

• Remote & E-Learning legislation and ISBE’s requirements for classroom activities
• Samples of successful Remote & E-Learning implementation and activities
• Suggestions for including students with special (IEP/504/EL plan) needs
• Strategies for including students with limited or no Internet connectivity at home

Online learning activities do not have to be simply a recording of teaching activities that would normally be conducted in person. Educators participating in this micro-credential will learn a variety of ways to construct and deliver remote learning activities. Participants will demonstrate their ability to deliver remote learning activities through written and video evidence.

Learn how Digital Citizenship and Online Safety plays a role in the school ecosystem and how educators can help create and maintain positive experiences online. This session will demonstrate examples of how Digital Citizenship and Online Safety can be integrated into classrooms to create positive life long habits for students.

As schools transition to the new normal of virtual, online, and hybrid learning, save time and your sanity by packaging your online assignments! This workshop will explore the concept of digitally packaging all of your online content using Google Sites. Save yourself valuable instructional time and streamline your classroom workflow by packaging your assignments so that students have EVERYTHING they need in one place. This will save you so much time answering questions. It is also very handy for absent work and demanding parents. Come see how you can use Google Sites to create a digital content library for your class!

In this workshop, participants will learn the ins and outs of Google Classroom and best practices for integrating this amazing tool with their students! In this session, we will do more than just walk through Google Classroom. Participants will also deep dive into how Classroom integrates with other apps and extensions, and how teachers can successfully manage their digital workflow.

As drones continue to grow in both popularity and functionality, businesses are rapidly expanding their uses of unmanned aerial vehicles. As we look for new ways to prepare our students for the changing workforce economy, we can look at adding drones to our curriculum. Bringing unmanned aerial vehicles into our schools and classrooms can provide an engaging opportunity to teach our students real-world skills. This workshop will provide an introduction to drone terminology, safety issues, legal concerns, requirements, and drone options. The workshop will be a hands-on experience as participants explore the set-up and operation of a drone. We will aslo explore ways that participants can bring drones to their own curriculums.

When was the last time you looked at educational research? This workshop introduces educators to various research and survey sources that will help them understand how today’s students learn and what their views are regarding technology in education.

Ready to provide your students meaningful digital lessons? Join us for an introduction and tour of EdPuzzle and learn how it can be used to engage your students in a snap. With EdPuzzle, teachers can easily create and edit interactive videos that feature open-ended questions, multiple-choice questions, audio notes, voiceover comments, and much more. This app is free to use, so now is a great time to add another valuable digital tool to your teaching arsenal.

Remote learning can sometimes make students feel lost and alone during the learning process. Collecting data and using it to provide clear formative and summative feedback is essential to maintaining or improving student achievement. Educators participating in this micro-credential will demonstrate their ability to support student self-improvement by providing formative and summative feedback using technology tools during times of remote learning.

When technology is introduced into our classrooms, it opens up new and more meaningful ways to create engaging assessments of our student’s learning. It also allows us to leverage new ways to uncover what students know, think, feel, and understand about the content we are teaching. When looking at different tools that we can use in the assessing of student learning, Flipgrid stands out above the rest. Join us as we explore how you can leverage Flipgrid with your students.

Is your Google Drive a mess? Do you have files scattered and have to search every time you need access? Google Drive is the heart of Google Workspace and allows you to store your files securely and access them from any device. Keeping it organized is crucial. In this workshop, you will learn to navigate Google Drive and organize your files in a way that makes sense to you. Learn tips and tricks to increase your productivity as well as how to navigate this essential Google tool.

Google’s Gmail is widely-used by schools and individuals alike. t’s ease of use, flexibility, and cross-platform functionality make it a great choice to help manage daily communications. This course will take the learner on a journey from setting up their Gmail account to customizing their settings to make Gmail work for many individual scenarios. Together we’ll learn how to communicate effectively with one of Google’s core applications. By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Set up Google’s GMail on your device
• Organize your Gmail Inbox
• Communicate effectively with GMail.
• Modify Settings to customize your Gmail Experience

This course will help the user set up a personal Google account. It is also designed to provide the learner with an overview of the features and settings of Google Calendar, and how it might be used in a classroom or school setting. By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Create a Google Account, Create and customize calendars and events.
• Join, search and share calendars.
• Utilize Calendar sharing options.

This course is designed to provide the learner with an overview of the features and settings of Google Classroom, and how to integrate it into your in-person and remote learning activities. By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Create a digital learning environment in Google Classroom.
• Provide student access to resources and learning activities through Google Classroom.
• Create, distribute, grade, and provide feedback using Assignments and Quizzes.
• Communicate with students and parents using Google Classroom.

This course will provide the learner with a basic understanding of Google Docs, and how to integrate it into your in-person and remote learning activities. By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Create and format Google Docs.
• Insert media to enhance Google Docs.
• Collaborate with students and colleagues within Google Docs.
• Use a variety of tools built into Google Docs.

This course is designed to give the learner an overview of how to use Google Drive in a classroom setting and in everyday life. By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Share files with students and colleagues
• Organize files and folders using a variety of methods
• Use Google Drive as a way to store files “in the cloud”

The Level 1 Certification workshop will prepare participants to take the Google Educator Level 1 certification exam. Level 1 certification indicates a fundamental understanding of using Google Tools in the classroom and confirms standard technology implementation skills. This workshop is designed for teachers that have a solid base of implementing the Google tools in their classroom and is not designed as an introduction to the Google tools. Educators who pass the certification test will be able to advertise their status with a personalized certificate and badge. Certification lasts 36 months. Participants should bring a Chromebook or laptop to the workshop. Participants in this workshop will learn about:

• Digital Citizenship
• Utilizing Google Drive with efficiency
• Creating, sharing and collaborating with Google Docs
• Creating, Formatting, and Analyzing Data with Google Sheets
• Developing adn using Google Forms for Quizzes and Data Collection
• Design and Edit Google Slides
• Set up and Operate Google Classroom
• Personalize your Gmail account
• Leveraging Google Chat & Meet
• Manage your Google Calendar, Tasks, and Google Keep
• Create a Google Site
• Develop YouTube Channels and Playlists

The Learning Technology Center of Illinois is proud to offer a Google Educator Level 2 Certification workshop. The Level 2 Certification workshop will prepare participants to take the Google Educator Level 2 certification exam. The Google for Education site states: Level 2 status indicates that an educator is able to successfully integrate a wider range of Google for Education tools and other technologies in order to transform their teaching practice. Educators who pass the certification test will be able to advertise their status with a personalized certificate and badge. Certification lasts 36 months. Participants should bring a Chromebook or laptop to the workshop.

Participants in this workshop will learn about:

• Advanced organizational strategies and skills with Google Drive
• Exploration of new learning models to help personalize the learning experience, including: Blended Learning, the Flipped Classroom, and Project-Based Learning
• Collaboration and HyperDoc lesson building strategies with Google Docs
• Research strategies and tools with Google Scholar
• Advanced-Data Analysis with Google Sheets
• Advanced Formative Assessment and data collection with Google Forms
• Inceasing efficiency with Gmail and Calendar Labs.
• Organization of information, communication, and collaboration with Google Sites
• Utilizing Advanced Search Techniques in the Classroom
• Research and Exploration with Google Maps and Google Earth
• Utilizing Chrome Add-Ons and Extensions with students

This course is designed to provide the learner with an overview of the features and settings of Google Forms, and how to use it for data collection and formative or summative assessments. By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Create a Google Form; Turna. Form into a Quiz.
• Collect and analyze data through a Form or Quiz.
• Provide feedback to students in a variety of ways.

This course will provide the learner with basic understanding of Google Meet, and how to integrate it into your in-person and remote learning activities. By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Join and host Google Meet online video conferences.
• Manage participants in a Google Meet conference.
• Improve the quality of Google Meet conferences and use presentation tools.
• Use Google Meet in a variety of classroom and remote learning activities

This course is intended to provide the learner with an overview of the basics of Google Slides, a free presentation for use online and in any classroom. Slides can appear to be quite simple at first glance, but it is surprisingly powerful once you get to know it. This course will take the learner through the basics needed to feel comfortable using Slides as a presentation tool and will end with some advanced features and pro tips for using slides in ways you may not have imagined! By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Create and customize a presentation with text, image, and themes.
• Enrich a presentation video, audio, and hyperlinks to external resources.
• Deliver a presentation utilizing Speaker Notes.
• Collaborate with students or colleagues using custom sharing permissions

This workshop is meant for teachers to increase their productivity using Google tools.

Learn amazing ways to make your digital classroom more fun, creative and colorful. This session will cover how to create animated Google Classroom banners, digital stickers, bitmoji classrooms, magic lessons, and giphys. This session will teach many tips and trick of Google apps you may not know existed or possible.

A facilitated discussion around the theme of technology infrastructure, support, and services. During the session, the facilitator will briefly introduce the topic, provide a list of resources, and then facilitate an informal discussion that explores emerging trends, challenges, and benefits.

Unlock the creative and innovative power of Chrome and move beyond using the core suite of Google tools for simple word processing, productivity, and organization. In this workshop, we will explore various extensions and add-ons that give students the power to do more with Chrome. When teachers know where to find these amazing tools, our students’ learning experience is enhanced to a level never before seen.

This online workshop will cover an introduction to Google Jamboard and how it can be used to encourage collaboration with students. Jamboard is now a new feature of Google Meet and we will discuss how Jamboard can be used to help support remote learning.

Are you new to G Suite for Education? This workshop will dive into the ins-and-outs of this amazing platform and help get you on the road to success. From Google Drive to Docs to Forms to Sheets and everything in-between, we will explore how you can get the most out of your G Suite experience!

Explore how to leverage Seesaw to maximize student learning and connect parents to their child’s learning. This is an introductory level workshop to learn more about Seesaw and how it can be used within your class and integration with Google Classroom. This session will provide a new user the demonstration and practice time to feel confident to implement with their students today!

Explore Google Maps, My Maps, Earth and Lit Trips in this session. These Google tools allow your classroom to come alive and travel around the world and beyond.. Learn how to maximize these apps for your classroom instruction and utilize already created explorations and journeys in Google Lit Trips.

Podcasting is growing as one of the top forms of media in the world. With the technology available to our students, anyone with simply a smartphone can start a podcast. The question is, how can we leverage this medium with our students? What tools are available, and appropriate for our students to use in podcast creation? This workshop will explore how you can bring the power of audio to your classroom, and perhaps, develop the next #1 podcast on the iTunes chart!

Join Library Media Specialists from around the state for a monthly virtual networking meeting geared specifically to needs of today’s Library Media Specialists. These meetings will provide attendees a regular opportunity to connect and discuss shared experiences, ask questions, and share ideas with other library media specialists from around the state. This will be a great opportunity to receive professional development hours while collaborating with your peers to solve today’s most pressing library media challenges.

Effective classroom management during in-person learning can be a challenge for even the most experienced educator some days. When students are learning from home, it is common to find that even the best in-person classroom management techniques and plans can be ineffective. The microcredential course will help educators look critically at this topic and develop new tools and skills to help support students during remote learning.

In today’s world, students are immersed in technology. From social media to cyberbullying to fake news to strangers online, students encounter countless technological challenges on a daily basis. How can we as educators help our students be outstanding digital citizens? Are we doing all we can to teach students the skills they need to safely navigate the World Wide Web? In this workshop, teachers will gain insight and learn about how to help students “Be Internet Awesome.”

OneNote is a digital note-taking application within Microsoft Office 365 that allows for personal productivity and collaboration with teachers, staff and students. OneNote is a broad digital canvas that allows you to hand write or type notes, embed images, audio and video, draw, and many other things. You can share notebook pages, sections or entire notebooks with collaborators and you can access your OneNote notebooks from any device. Learn the features of OneNote, and how to use it with staff, teams, PLCs, as well as with your students.

Microsoft’s free OneNote application can be very useful for note-taking, but it can also be very versatile in the classroom. OneNote can help you curate information from a variety of sources and organize the information is a simple notebook-style method that will feel instantly familiar to you and your students. Some educators use OneNote to create their own customized “virtual textbooks” for units and courses. This course will help you get started with the basics of OneNote, and help you organize your OneNote notebooks effectively. By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Understand how Microsoft OneNote can be used to support online note-taking and organization resources.
• Build knowledge of the features and interface for Microsoft OneNote.
• Learn how Microsoft OneNote can be used to support learning in a variety of education scenarios.

Microsoft Teams is your new classroom hub! It integrates all of your favorite Microsoft Office 365 apps and features into one streamlined space, making collaboration with your coworkers and students simple, easy, and effective. In this session, we will cover:

• How to navigate the Teams interface.
• Making a team.
• Adding channels and apps to your team.
• Adding members to your team and managing permissions.
• Navigating the calendar, adding meetings, and managing meeting permissions.
• Using the chat and call tabs.

Learn how to go beyond the basics of creating a team and joining calls to leverage the power of Microsoft tools in your classroom, whether virtual or in-person. In this session, we will cover:

• Breakout rooms
• Integration with OneNote Class Notebooks
• Assignments and Teams file storage
• Teams add ins and apps

The business world has found Microsoft Teams to be a very useful tool to promote team collaboration and communication. More recently, Microsoft for Education has begun using Teams as a hub for classroom communication and information sharing. Microsoft Teams can support student and teacher collaboration within the classroom and in remote learning situations. By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• 1Understand how Microsoft Teams can be used to facilitate student learning and professional learning.
• Build knowledge of the features and interface for Microsoft Teams for Education.
• Learn how Microsoft Teams can support learning in a variety of educational settings.

Go beyond the basics of Minecraft and dig in to how you can continue to leverage this interactive gaming world in your classroom! Learn how Minecraft can be used to foster collaborative teaching and learning, teach principles of chemistry and engineering, build your students 21st century skills, and support your curricular goals, no matter what subject you teach!

Learn the Basics in Minecraft, Education Edition in this Introductory level session. Choose characters and skins, begin building and navigating your first worlds and browse available worlds, lessons, SEL and professional development resources available in Minecraft, Education Edition. Learn the basics to begin exploring and playing Minecraft, Education Edition today.

Participants will learn the ins and outs of Seesaw, a popular learning management system (LMS) utilized by numerous school districts today. This includes best practices for fully utilizing the platform’s settings and parental controls. Teachers will walk away from this session with a more robust understanding of this platform and the many ways it can be used by their students.

Is your Google Drive a mess? Do you have files scattered and spent way too much time searching for documents? Google Drive is the heart of Google Workspace and allows you to store your files securely and access them from any device. Keeping it organized is crucial. In this workshop, you will learn to navigate Google Drive and organize your files in a way that makes sense to you. Learn tips and tricks to increase your productivity as well as how to navigate this essential Google tool. In addition, learn how to maximize your search tools in Google Search!

ISBE, the Learning Technology Center, and other Illinois Educational Advocacy groups, will be starting a virtual monthly networking meeting for parent/caregiver and community-facing personnel across the state during the upcoming 2021-2022 school year. Meetings will focus on capacity building, networking, sharing best practices, and empowering attendees with the tools and skills they need to be able to make an even greater impact in their communities.

Do you have a professional portfolio to accompany your curriculum? Learn how (and why) to create personal and professional portfolios.

Screencastify is an amazing tool that allows teachers to create and share screen recordings with students. One of the best ways to deliver information to your students in a remote learning environment is to create a screencast. However, many teachers have either never done this, or struggle to find the right tool to support them. Screencastify is your answer! We will discuss best practices for making screencasts and some ideas for having your students create them too.

This past year has introduced students and educators not only to distance and hybrid learning, but to many other words, acronyms, and phrases. SEL, Social and Emotional Learning, is among the top acronyms that many educators have been introduced to, even though it is present in many educators’ classrooms for decades, sometimes without knowing it. This session will explore what SEL is and how it can be incorporated into a classroom as well as strategies for using SEL with EdTech tools.

STEM or STEAM continues to be one of the most used buzzwords in education, but when looked at practically what does STEM actually mean? Teachers outside of science, technology, engineering, and math are often asked to bring STEM activities to their classroom but lack any ability to connect STEM to their curriculum. This workshop will work with those teachers on how the principles of STEM can be applied in their classroom s. While this will be designed for non-STEM area teachers, teachers in the STEM disciplines are welcome to attend!

Remote learning can pose specific challenges to students with special needs. Educators participating in this micro-credential will demonstrate their ability to apply Universal Design for Learning principles using technology to create meaningful and appropriately challenging learning activities when students are unable to attend school in-person.

HyperDocs create an interactive learning experience for students, allowing them to explore content, create and curate digital artifacts that demonstrate what they know, think, feel, and understand. The misconception about HyperDocs is that they are simply Google documents with hyperlinks in them. However, when used appropriately, they can transform teaching and learning into interactive, engaging, student-centered environments. Similarly, a HyperDoc doesn’t have to be only a Google Document, in this session we will explore how to use the HyperDoc process to transform the learning experience using the full Google Suite: including Slides, Forms, Sheets, Drawings, and MyMaps.

Students need the skills to stay safe and use technology responsibly during times of remote learning. Educators participating in this micro-credential will demonstrate their ability to support the safe and appropriate use of technology when students are unable to attend in-person classroom activities.

Teaching with Chromebooks is a practical workshop that will help you unlock the potential of Chromebooks and web-based tools in your classroom. Are you using your Chromebooks to their full potential? This workshop will help you use them for more than just math games and Google Docs. You will learn useful Chromebook tips and implement strategies that will help you design better lessons and work more efficiently. Participants in this workshop will discover:

• Core features of your Chromebook.
• Practical and creative ways to teach with Chromebooks.
• Settings that will make your life easier and help you stay organized.
• Simple and effective classroom management solutions.
• Why Chromebooks, Drive, and Classroom are the perfect combination for teachers.
• The best apps and extensions for various subject areas.
• How to use Chromebooks to support students with special needs.
• Locked quiz mode for Chromebooks.

Technology has afforded schools the opportunity to provide services for students that need extra support in their learning. While these tools can be utilized in a special education environment, they also have great impact for all students. Join us as we explore what tools are available for devices using Google Chrome.

A facilitated discussion around the theme of technology infrastructure, support, and services. During the session, the facilitator will briefly introduce the topic, provide a list of resources, and then facilitate an informal discussion that explores emerging trends, challenges, and benefits.

Did you create A LOT of digital content during remote/hybrid learning? If so, then you are ready to flip your classroom! It’s the next logical step in your technology integration. The time is now! Join us for some EdTech inspiration and motivation as we discuss getting past the barriers to flipping your curriculum. The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model where the traditional lecture and homework elements are reversed. Pre-recorded digital content is viewed before class. In-class time is repurposed so students can inquire about lecture content, apply their knowledge, and participate in hands-on activities. By reversing the traditional lecture and homework elements and integrating engaged-learning activities, educators can transition their class from a teacher-centered to a learner-centered environment. Making this transition will completely change the dynamics of the classroom and revolutionize your curriculum. Come discover the possibilities offered by the flipped classroom model as we explore the technology that will make implementation in your classroom a breeze.

Are you looking for a way to maximize all the Google apps but are unsure how some of them would even integrate into your curriculum? In this session, we will explore a couple of different Google tools that you may not know about – Google Jamboard, Google My Maps, and taking virtual field trips with Google Maps and Treks! Jamboard allows you to create a collaborative whiteboard space for your students to explore different learning concepts. Google My Maps allows students or teachers to create personalized maps that have amazing applications across content areas! Your students can take virtual field trips with Google Maps street view and Google Maps Treks. Join us for an incredible learning experience!

Remote learning can sometimes make students feel isolated and alone. Social and emotional learning activities can help students become an active part of their learning community when they cannot be present for in-person instruction. Additionally, educators can also feel stressed and distanced from their students and colleagues. Participants who successfully complete this micro=credential will demonstrate the skills and understandings to support positive student social and emotional health, as well as appropriate educator self-care strategies.

Students need the skills to stay safe and use technology responsibly during times of remote learning. Educators participating in this micro-credential will demonstrate their ability to support the safe and appropriate use of technology when students are unable to attend in-person classroom activities.

Technology makes it easy to see if our students are understanding what we are teaching. Explore technology tools that allow for “real-time” assessments of understanding and begin thinking about where these tools fit into your curriculum. Tools featured are free.

Technology has provided incredible opportunities for our students and they are no longer limited to showing their knowledge by simply answering questions on an exam or writing an essay. As educators we have the ability to let students find their voice and demonstrate what they know, think, feel, and understand about our content in a variety of ways. For some students their “voice” may be the ability to create audio in the classroom, for others it could be image or video creation. With technology, the possibilities are many! In this session, we will dive into various tools that will inspire students to find their “voice” and engage with your class content like never before!

Twitter can be used professionally both for teachers’ professional growth and bringing the world into their classrooms. In this workshop learn tips and tricks on how to get the most out of Twitter for your Professional Learning Network.

Join us for an interactive walkthrough of WeVideo, a cloud-based video recording and editing platform that works on almost any device. This session will focus on how to organize projects and media files and how to utilize the many features of the platform. Learn best practices for recording and editing, such as camera and microphone placement, and how to edit for maximum student engagement. Participants will learn how to:

• Create engaging instructional videos that can be shared with their students
• Create videos that incorporate webcam video, screen recordings and additional media such as music, text and images
• Create collaborative projects in WeVideo where multiple editors can share media and edit cooperatively

Learn how to make interactive asynchronous assignments using Google Docs and Google Slides that work in remote or hybrid learning. Applicable to any audience that has a basic understanding of Google Docs and Slides.

From recording reading fluency, to developing storytelling skills, to demonstrating problem solving, G Suite for Education can be used in a myriad of ways in the elementary classroom. This workshop will focus specifically on using G Suite for Edu at the PK-3 grade levels. We will explore apps and strategies specific to young learners to empower them as creators of their own learning artifacts.