Educational Technology at IU13

Sora's Back-to-School Checklist

Ah, back-to-school season. No matter how old you are — or how stressful it can get — there’s just something about it. The trace hints of autumn in the air. The squeak of shoes on freshly waxed floors. The clean lines of a blank chalkboard (if you’re still using chalkboards). And...perhaps the creak of Chromebooks opening and closing?

Whether you’re already back to school or prepping for your return, one thing remains the same: you want to meet your students with all the books they need! And right now is the best time to make sure you've done everything you can to make sure that happens!

Check out your Sora back-to-school checklist!

A one-stop shop for everything you need to start the school year right with reading success. Get tips and tricks, promotional resources, book discounts and more. Learn Sora from cover to cover with hand-picked training resources to meet your needs, no matter your role. Discover Sora, the student reading app, and explore OverDrive Marketplace, the shopping and administrative portal for Sora.

Information compiled in this update was provided by our partners at Sora

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for "Back to School - 2023".  It's an exciting time of year for teachers, students and parents. Discovery Education can be your daily hub of resources for your classroom with digital media and ready-to-use learning activities. Be sure to log into your instance of Discovery Education before clicking on the links in this post.

Timely and Relevant Resources

• Check out the September 2023 DE Newsletter for a list of resources that supports student learning throughout the summer.  Click on the link above or the image to open and download this month's newsletter.

Explore the Ready-to-Use-Activities

• Explore DE's ready-to-use activities These time-saving activities can be used as-is or modified to meet the needs of their classroom! From Background Builders to Sentence Fix-Its to Choice Boards and more – teachers can find quick grab and go resources to use anytime in the Instructional Activities Channel.

• There you’ll find past month's Activity Calendars and this month's Activity Calendars for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5. Use them as they are or make your own copy to edit and share.

Building Classroom Culture

• Use the Creating Classroom Culture Choice Board to support students as they develop a collaborative mindset, share what’s important to them, and learn about each other. There is a different choiceboard for Grades K-2 and for Grades 3-5. 

NFL PLAY 60 

• Celebrate the start of the NFL season and register your students to get up and moving for 15 minutes of fitness and fun with the American Heart Association and the National Football League! The NFL PLAY 60 Kick Off Fitness Break on Sept 7th at 1pm ET is the perfect way to celebrate the new school year and help your students add more movement to their day. ​Register today!

Don't miss our first Virtual Field Trip of the year!

• An Ounce of Prevention Virtual Field Trip on Sept 13, 2023 at 1pm ET for Grades 6-12 . Communities across the United States are being impacted by the sharp increase in the use of counterfeit drugs, fake pills, and fentanyl. An Ounce of Prevention empowers students with knowledge they can use to make healthy decisions and become advocates for prevention in their communities. Register to stay up to date and have early access to companion Educator Guide with activities and tips to aid with classroom integration. ​Learn more and register! 

Information compiled in this update was provided by our partners at Discovery Education

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for the Summer of 2023. Teachers - Ditch the end-of-year movie days and use these fun activities instead! Keep student minds sharp as they head into summer break with exciting new content and ready-to-use activities! Or, share the newsletter with parents for activities to help their children keep learning all summer long.

Be sure to log into your instance of Discovery Education before clicking on the links in this post.

Timely Summer Resources

• Check out the Summer DE Newsletter for a list of resources that supports student learning throughout the summer.  Click on the link above or the image to open and download this month's newsletter.

Explore the Ready-to-Use-Activities

• Explore DE's ready-to-use activities These time-saving activities can be used as-is or modified to meet the needs of their classroom! From Background Builders to Sentence Fix-Its to Choice Boards and more – teachers can find quick grab and go resources to use anytime in the Instructional Activities Channel.

Keep Learning Going This Summer

• Find everything you need for summer learning—whether you're looking for curriculum support, at-home activities for students, or even professional learning resources! Check out our revamped Summer of Learning Channel today. 

Information compiled in this update was provided by our partners at Discovery Education

Here are some "Timely & Relevant" resources from Discovery Education for the month of May 2023. May is full of celebrations and we’ve got plenty of timely, engaging resources to share! Be sure to log into your instance of Discovery Education before clicking on the links below.

Timely Content for March

• Save time with the DE May Newsletter for a curated list of resources that support timely events like Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, Physical Fitness Month, National Space Day, Memorial Day, and more.  Click on the link above or the image to open and download this month's newsletter.

Ready-to-Use-Activities

• Explore DE's ready-to-use activities These time-saving activities can be used as-is or modified to meet the needs of their classroom! From Background Builders to Sentence Fix-Its to Choice Boards and more – teachers can find quick grab and go resources to use anytime in the Instructional Activities Channel.

• There you’ll find the recent Activity Calendars, such as these for May, for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5. Use them as they are or make your own copy to edit and share.
  

Support Literacy with DE 

• Whether you're looking to support with decoding and comprehension, looking for primary sources or storybooks for students, Discovery Education has you covered with a variety of channels!  

Differentiating Instruction with Discovery Education

• Join Dane Sadownyk to explore easy ways to maximize DE resources when planning differentiated learning experiences for students. Use this professional learning resource to expand your understanding of how Discovery Education can support you in transforming teaching and learning.

Junior Fire Marshal Training Academy - New Content!!!

• Life-saving lessons for students & families Knowledge is power—and it can save lives! With fire safety and prevention skills, every student can step up in their own households and ensure that their families are prepared. Junior Fire Marshal® Training Academy encourages K–3 students to explore the essentials of fire safety and earn their Junior Fire Marshal Certificate, through a collection of standards-aligned classroom resources.

Information compiled in this update was provided by our partners at Discovery Education

Sora Sweet Reads returns May 15, 2023

This year’s Sora Sweet Reads program will be available to all schools globally and will include another robust collection of titles, ranging from juvenile to general adult interest. You can get a sneak peek at some of the titles in the graphic!

The titles will be simultaneous-use, so all students can read without a wait and librarians don’t have to do any extra work to add them. The titles will appear at the top of district's Sora explore page on May 15 and will be ready to use right away (unless a district chooses to opt out).

So, save the date for 2023’s Sora Sweet Reads program, which will run May 15 through August 28, 2023.  For more information about Sweet Reads, visit this Sora blog post. For ideas on how to help students read all summer long, visit this Sora blog post. 

April is School Library Month!

"School Library Month is the American Association of School Librarians' celebration of school librarians and school libraries. Every April school librarians are encouraged to host activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school libraries play in transforming learning." - AASL 

Download Sora's School Library Month marketing kit that contains s free marketing kit, featuring social graphics, posters and a fun word search.

Information compiled in this update was provided by our partners at Sora