#EdTech Sept 2021

#EdTech

Sept 2021

Dan Gallant

September 2021

#EdTech Updates

The Instructional Services Department has grown by the inclusion of a new position: District Educational Technology Supervisor. I am proud to serve in that role going forward and excited to be able to support all education departments as well as administrative staff in integration of technology at all levels in our district.

Our district is rolling out this school year its new partner Chalk. This will take some getting used to so please be patient with us and yourself as we all learn. This new partner will help bring more collaboration to our planning at every level from Curriculum writing down to daily planning.

New Jersey will be soon mandating a number of new educational practices, as well as updates to nearly every set of standards they have. Our partner Chalk will help us make those shifts much smoother. Last year was a challenge, but it was also an opportunity for us to learn how to connect with many of our students whom we haven't yet found ways to connect with. Our teamwork and collaboration in the digital space was amazing and we all learned how to work in that online space to a higher degree than we had before. This is not a year to go "back to normal" but to leap ahead with what we learned from our time remote and have that skill help us improve what we do in-person.

Technology integration is a major part of New Jersey's new 2020 initiatives so it is imperative that we are teaching students the skills they will need to function in a 21st Century world across all disciplines.

We got this! Welcome back MCVTS! Let's have an awesome year!

Google and Beyond

The #EdTech Monthly Updates that you'll be able to watch or read on our Teacher Resource Page will contain a number of resources that everyone from beginner to expert can benefit from. In these updates learn about implementing not just the technology but the meaning and purpose behind it. How the updated Computer Science and Design Thinking Standards (formerly the Technology Standards) will change the way we address these topics from academic courses to our shops will be another item we discuss here.

SAMR model for Technology Implementation is the Bloom's concept for #EdTech and by working together we can start reaching those higher levels of learning that educational technology enables.

Teacher Resources

Our Teacher Resource page which can be found here, is a great resource to expand your EdTech toolbox. It is divided into sections where you can find out what the district has to offer as well as free resources you can also take advantage of. Many of these have further learning guides that you can start working through to level up your use of these products.

These monthly updates and companion videos will also be available on the Teacher Resource page each month.