Collaboration & Web 2.0


image shows ParentSquare logo representing multiple modes of communication between school and home

ParentSquare Partners with MyVRSpot, Expands Video Messaging Options for Educators

In response to requests from educators for more ways to send video messages to parents, ParentSquare this week announced a new partnership with video and digital media service MyVRSpot that will expand video messaging capabilities on ParentSquare’s school-home communications platform.

Logo and word cloud  image representing professional learning and advice for educators

Teaching Digital Literacy is a 21st Century Imperative & This is Why

Two education leaders at NWEA delve into what it means to be digitally literate and the role that digital resources with an emphasis on digital literacy should play in advancing students’ academic needs in this two-part series.

Logo and word cloud  image representing professional learning and advice for educators

The Role Educators Must Play in Building Digital Literacy & How to Start in the Classroom

Two education leaders at NWEA delve into what it means to be digitally literate and the role that digital resources with an emphasis on digital literacy should play in advancing students’ academic needs in this two-part series.

The latest news about grants open to U.S. K–12 schools and education organizations serving public schools.

Promise Neighborhoods Program Accepting Applications for $18M in Grant Funds

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education is now accepting applications for the Promise Neighborhoods program, which will award up to $18 million to four or five winning applicants later this year. The deadline to apply for the grants is Sept. 27, 2022.

The Department of Education Full-Service Community Schools grant program is accepting applications

ED Hosting Webinars This Week for Full-Service Community Schools Grant Applicants

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education will host several webinars this week to provide guidance to local and state education agencies and community-based organizations interested in applying for the Full-Service Community Schools grant program, which will award up to $68 million to approximately 40 applicants later this year.

Logo and word cloud  image representing professional learning and advice for educators

The Hustle-and-Grind Tech Entrepreneur Mindset is Not a Good Replacement for the Industrial Model of Education

The industrial model of education seems worth dismantling; but in the push to increase creativity and individual expression, Silicon Valley has replaced Detroit as the reference point for the workplace we are preparing students for: “move fast and break things,” “hustle and grind,” emphases on hyper-success, hyper-creativity, and hyper-performance. Neither model will suffice if we want to change the world for the better.

Image shows logos of ed tech tools now available as Google Classroom add-ons

How To Start Using Google Add-Ons: Step By Step

To start using Google add-ons, district admins will need to set up add-ons and can then enable access for educators; admins need to have the Google Workspace for Education Plus edition or Teaching & Learning Upgrade assigned to each educator that they want to have access to add-ons, Google wrote on its blog announcing the launch. Here are step-by-step instructions for getting started with Google add-ons.

Felisa Ford and two colleagues created Lessons in Good Trouble for Minecraft: Education Edition

How an Educator’s Persistence Led to a Student Leadership Initiative & the Most Popular Minecraft Edu Game of All Time

When Felisa Ford and her instructional tech colleagues in Atlanta had trouble getting the district's teachers on board with using Minecraft: Education Edition, she created a student ambassador program to empower young Minecraft experts to coach other students and teachers, and it was so successful that Microsoft started a learning path for educators to sponsor their own local student ambassador programs. Then came Good Trouble.

How Better Communication with Parents, Students Boosts School Safety & Improves Incident Responses

An expert in school safety solutions explains that K-12 administrators must communicate openly and often with students, staff, and families as they prepare a thorough crisis-response plan — and better communication will enable schools to effectively execute preparation, response, and recovery — before, during and after an emergency.

People on the Move newsmakers in K-12 ed tech

Schmedlen, Mullin, Blackman, Clerkley, Vijiasingam, Terry, Crawford, & Hansen Take New Ed Tech Leadership Roles

People on the Move ed tech newsmakers include Gus Schmedlen at Texthelp; Jennifer Mullin at DreamBox Learning; Donna Blackman at Stride; Cheretta Clerkley at ISTE; Shiren Vijiasingam at Instructure; Shannon Terry and Kate Crawford at Safari Montage; and William Hansen at Building Hope.