Check out the latest Constant Contact from the Virtual Learning Center! We’ve shared out our June selections, which include:
• Choosing Educator Friendly Mobile Apps on June 11 Secondary 6-12 8:30-11:30 a.m. OR Elementary PreK-5 12:30-3:30 p.m.
• Android Tablet Boot Camp on June 22, 8:30-11:30
• Educational Apps for Android Tablets on June 22, 12:30-3:30
The Tyranny of the Lecture: Varying Instructional Strategies with Tech Tools takes place on Monday, June 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost for this professional development is $149 for a CSD member; $189 for a non-member (One Graduate Credit is available). About the workshop: lecture & direct instruction are essential components of effective teaching, but their overuse can lead to unengaged students and predictable lesson formats. You can change this up!
In this newly developed, one-day workshop, examine high engagement strategies that use student interaction to promote learning, and investigate technology resources, such as wikis, blogs, WebQuests, online forums, chat rooms, simulations and educational games, that help students be directors of their own learning. You’ll also have an opportunity to examine several types of student response systems and evaluate them for use in the classroom. Walk away with ready to use classroom strategies and technology tools to help you break the lecture habit in your teaching. This workshop is co-facilitated by Teacher’s Academy Director Peggy Dersch and the Virtual Learning Center’s Martha Bogart. Registration is required, click here to do that now!
This year marked Cooperating School Districts’ first at offering professional development webinars through the Virtual Learning Center for K-12 educators. We’re looking forward to continuing the events 
into the summer and next school year, too. If you are unfamiliar with our free webinars, you can access the various archived sessions right now by visiting the recordings section of our WebEx page.
Here are the topics that we offered in 2011-2012 by month:
MAY
Topic: Summer tele Preview
APRIL
Topic: Show-Me a Movie Contest: Preparing to Enter
MARCH
Topic: Promethean ActivBoard Tips & Tricks
Topic: Google Tools for Education
JANUARY
Topic: Midwest Education Technology Conference Q & A
Topic: Digital Citizenship: Being Aware of Your Digital Footprint
DECEMBER
Topic: Cool Tools for Educators
NOVEMBER
Topic: Using Your SMART Board with Marzano Strategies
Topic: CSDVLC ISTE Affiliate
OCTOBER
Topic: CSD: Advanced Discovery: IWB Media & Creation
Topic: SMART Board Tips & Tricks: My Content & Gallery Collections
SEPTEMBER
Topic: Webinar Wednesday: CSD: Who We Are
Did you miss yesterday’s free webinar on the Show-Me a Movie Contest? Don’t worry, it’s archived with all of the other Wednesday Webinars offered by the Virtual Learning Center, and you can access it anytime (just click on event recordings).
Some, but not all, of yesterday’s highlights shared included these new rules for Show-Me a Movie:
• We no longer will accept movies on CD; all submissions must be uploaded online prior to contest deadline of Friday, December 14, 2012 at 3 p.m. Central Standard Time
• The contest is now open for submissions from elementary (2-5), middle school, and high school students in Missouri and Illinois
• Movies that lack the proper citations for resources used within the submission will automatically be disqualified from judging, rather than just points taken off total score as we have done in previous years
Questions about Show-Me a Movie, or webinars? Contact Rebecca Morrison.
Do you want to make your life as a teacher easier? Are you wanting to integrate technology into your lessons, but don’t know where to start? Come to this two-day workshop, Cool Tools for Educators: FREE Online Resources, lead by Stephanie Madlinger, and fill your technology toolbox. You’ll be amazed how many free online tools are out there for you to use. In this face-paced class, we plan to take a look at numerous online tools you can use in your role as an educator. Come learn how to access resources such as lesson plans, rubric makers, web page creators, online quizzes, Internet bookmarking storage, etc., all for free online! Why spend time recreating the wheel when someone else has already done it for you? Explore the wealth of online resources for educators and come away with tips and techniques to make your life easier.
Learn how online file management and social bookmarking sites will save you time. Discover how the ALTEC Star Tools, like RubiStar, QuizStar and TrackStar can make lesson planning and assessments easier. Then dive deeper into the Thinkfinity tools; ReadWriteThink, Illuminations, Wonderopolis and others. Finally, we will explore the many uses of free online tools like Stixy, Glogster, and VoiceThread to collaborate and display student work. Learn about the wealth of online resources for teachers and walk away with tips and techniques to make your life easier. Bonus: the tools shared can be used in your classroom or professional development activities.
Cool Tools for Educators: FREE Online Resources
Friday & Saturday, April 27 & 28th
8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. at CSD in St. Louis
$279 CSD member; $349 non-member
(Two Graduate Credits Available)
Register by April 24th
