Free distance learning online toolkit

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To guide educators through this new journey of remote teaching, mindSpark Learning, a national nonprofit that provides one-of-a-kind learning experiences to educators across the globe, launched a free Distance Learning Online Toolkit. Educators can access:

  1. Free online professional development courses covering AI and social emotional learning (with more to be released in the coming weeks)
  2. Live and on demand spotlight courses focused on online teaching and remote leadership
  3. Coffee chats to connect educators to a community they can lean on, in addition to  mindSpark Learning for resources and support
  4. Distance learning FAQs for commonly-asked questions on how to implement remote teaching methods quickly

mindSpark Learning’s free Distance Learning Online Toolkit can be found at www.mymindsparklearning.org/online-toolkit.

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Free interactive professional learning suite

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IBM AI Education:mindSpark Learning and IBM partnered to create this free, interactive professional learning suite of online experiences to guide educators through AI’s foundational concepts and K-12 classroom connections. Participants will learn how to infuse their content and curriculum with the knowledge, skills and values driving innovation in AI today.

More information visit the mindSpark Learning and IBM site.

ECHO: an online series for educators, school administrators and other professionals that directly work with K-12 children who are committed to improving the lives and educational disparities of children and families in underserved and rural communities.  This ECHO series was created by mindSpark Learning in collaboration with the University of  Denver Morgridge College of Education. The Spring Semester begins April 8 – and addresses how we can equitably and sustainably strengthen teachers’, students’, and parents’ social-emotional intelligence.

For more information visit the ECHO website

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Create and share story time and read-aloud videos

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In order to encourage reading and classroom read-aloud experiences, and to support schools and public libraries forced to close by the escalating COVID-19 outbreak, Penguin Random House is permitting teachers, librarians and booksellers to create and share story time and read-aloud videos and live events, according to the following guidelines:

For Teachers and Educators providing distance learning to students in a virtual classroom setting:

  • Story time or classroom read-aloud videos in which a Penguin Random House book is read aloud and the book is displayed (for picture books) may be created and posted to closed educational platforms such as Google Classroom, Schoology, Edmodo and Discovery Education, in order to replicate the read-aloud book experience that would otherwise be available to educators in the classroom.
  • If a Teacher or Educator plans to share a story time video by recording a video, uploading it to a YouTube channel, and posting a link to that YouTube video inside a closed educational platform, that YouTube video must be designated as “Unlisted” (not “Public”) when uploading. See screenshot for how to choose “Unlisted” while uploading on YouTube.
  • These story time and classroom read-aloud videos may be hosted on the educational platform and/or YouTube (as an “Unlisted” file) until the end of the current school year, after which we request that they be removed from the educational platform and/or from YouTube, unless this permission is extended for the next school semester.

For Booksellers and Librarians who wish to provide a story time reading or other read-aloud experience to young people who would otherwise visit the library or bookstore in person:

  • Story time or read-aloud live events in which a Penguin Random House book is read out loud and the book is displayed (for picture books) may be streamed live, in real time, on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitter, and Instagram.
  • These story time or read-aloud live events may not be maintained in the archive of the social media platform and appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that videos of the live events are not retained. Because these platforms automatically archive live events by default, when your event has concluded, please locate the recorded live video in your account (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and delete it. See screenshot for how to delete a live video from YouTube after it has concluded.

Reporting requirements – Penguin Random House asks that all educators, librarians, and booksellers please complete this form in order to receive approval from Penguin Random House.  If you have any questions, please email StoryTimeTempPermission@penguinrandomhouse.com.

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Remote Monitoring Software Free to Districts

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In order to help teachers keep students on task throughout the school day, when they are at learning at home, Impero Software is making its Impero Education Pro web-based software free for the remainder of the school year to districts that do not already have remote monitoring software in place. The powerful cross-platform product combines tools for online safety, teacher control, and real time monitoring and session tracking for student devices.

“The most important thing for schools right now is ensuring they have the tools available to support remote learning and we’re working to remove any barriers to that” says Justin Reilly, Impero CEO. “In order to conduct lessons remotely with a group of students who are on their devices at home, teachers need a remote classroom management solution that provides a live view of the student devices, alongside online safety and learner engagement tools to keep them safe and on task. As a former teacher, I am sympathetic to the challenges teachers are facing in this unprecedented time and we are working diligently to support schools. That is why we are offering this tool free for the remaining three months of the school year.”

Impero Education Pro is designed to enhance learning, support IT teams and safeguard students in the digital world. Teachers have access to key tools including live thumbnail view, broadcast screen, block list, live chat, and log viewer to ensure students receive continued access to education.

With the live thumbnail view, teachers can monitor student devices in real-time and interact, intervene and control as appropriate. Teachers also have access to a full log of what each student has accessed during the school day to make sure they are staying on task. And school IT staff can view the logs to make sure the devices they sent home are being used appropriately.

For more information visit: www.imperosoftware.com.

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Read to Lead free web-based curriculum

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Read to Lead is a 100% free and proven blended learning solution that leverages game-based learning to help students in grades 5-9 build reading, writing, and leadership skills. Teachers across the country can use the “Be the Boss” learning experiences to engage youth and build core academic and leadership skills essential to their success in school today and the careers of tomorrow.

Read to Lead Website

The free web-based curriculum is modular so students can move at their own pace, logging in any time of day for any length of time. One episode, or one “day at work”, takes about 30 minutes to complete. In that time, students read 5,000 words, make 10 leadership decisions, and practice Reading Anchor Standards. If students read their way through 12 episodes, that’s equivalent to completing a middle school chapter book! The program includes engaging content, data dashboards, and hands-on activities.

Additional Information:

  • Virtual Learning Hub for Educators: We’ve curated instructional resources to help educators use Read to Lead as part of their distance learning plans, including virtual coaching sessions, guides, and more.
  • Parent Resources: The Read to Lead Parent Hub opens up the program for students learning from home. Families can access all of our games and a curated collection of activities with just one click. We’ll be adding to these resources in the coming weeks.
  • Blog Post: How Making Students the Boss Can Empower Them in Virtual Learning
  • Words of Encouragement Campaign: Middle school can be a tough time for students. The unexpected school closures have only made things more challenging. They are re-launching their Words of Encouragement campaign to crowdsource short motivational notes that we’ll send out digitally.
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Southern Poverty Law Center COVID-19 resources

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Southern Poverty Law Center has compiled resources for educators continuing to support students and families through the COVID-19 pandemic.

SPLC developed these resources to support student well-being and learning during school closures, and they will keep this page updated as they publish new pieces.

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus
Experts from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network share their recommendations for educators supporting students during the COVID-19 crisis.

How to Respond to Coronavirus Racism
As COVID-19 infections increase, so too does racism and xenophobia. Use our “Speak Up” strategies to let people know you’re not OK with racist or xenophobic comments about coronavirus or anything else.

Teaching Through Coronavirus: What Educators Need Right Now
We asked educators what they need, and we listened. We hope this message—and these resources—offer some help.

A Healthy Reminder to Educators During School Closures
An instructional coach experiencing long-term school closures in Washington state shares some encouraging words for fellow educators who are grappling with the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and their own emotions.

Speaking Up Against Racism Around the New Coronavirus
The spread of the new coronavirus has become racialized, so it’s critical that educators understand the historical context and confront racist tropes and xenophobia from students and colleagues.

Open the Southern Poverty Law Center COVID-19 resources website

 

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Online and Blended Learning Guide

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eSchool News Online and Blended Learning Guide including the latest tools to learn during COVID-19, full of resources, tips, trends, and insight from industry experts on Online and Blended Learning that are essential to the classroom, school, and district.

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Free Access to Social Studies and Science Curriculum

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Educational publisher TCI is offering free digital access to its platform for learning social studies and science to qualified schools and teachers until the end of the school year. TCI’s  science and social studies curriculums and services for educators are based on proven teaching strategies and practices that bring education to life in order to achieve consistent and positive classroom results. Available on a digital platform, TCI’s programs allow teachers to deliver interactive lessons from any device – their laptop or tablet. TCI has also developed a resource page to help support teachers – many of whom are teaching remotely for the first time – with free videos, guides and FAQs.

https://www.teachtci.com/online-teaching-during-coronavirus-outbreak/

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Supporting home learning during the COVID-19 school closures

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MetaMetrics, developer of the Lexile Framework for Reading and the Quantile Framework for Mathematics, has two free resources to support home learning during the COVID-19 school closures.

Summer Math Challenge

Grades 1-8

Opened early for students learning at home, the Summer Math Challenge helps students practice math skills at their grade and ability level in this self-paced program.

https://hub.lexile.com/summer-math-challenge

 

Lexile Word Lists

Grades 1-12

Lexile WordLists, based on the top science, math, socials studies and ELA textbook programs in grades 1-12, were created to address vocabulary gaps and prepare students for the academic words they will encounter in their learning.

https://hub.lexile.com/wordlists

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Codemonkey free for closed schools

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In light of the COVID-19 closing of schools, CodeMonkey is now offering a unique opportunity for students and teachers. As more and more schools close due to the current situation, you may be looking for trustworthy educational content you can engage your students with. CodeMonkey knows that between helping your students adjust to learning from home to transitioning to hosting online lessons, life right now is anything but easy. That is why CodeMonkey is providing FREE FULL ACCESS to all closed schools. With full access to CodeMonkey, you can assign your students coding challenges and keep track of their progress all from home.

Apply for access at the Codemonkey Website.

If you are teaching your students remotely, you can submit a request to gain FREE FULL ACCESS to CodeMonkey’s content until schools re-open.

CodeMonkey is offering a Student-Geared Webinar Series – We will also be hosting a webinar series (based on demand) tailored to teach students how to get the most out of learning to code with CodeMonkey.

Codemonkey Website.

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