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TF Update 6/19/2016
Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers®
For Your Classroom
If you haven’t already created your professional learning network (PLN), take time this summer to find some like-minded educators. Explore these resources to learn more about PLNs. Take a look at our featured sites to find several tools to help establish or enlarge your current PLN and also tools to enable you to easily engage in social networking on social media sites.
An Update to the Weekly Update!
As exciting, new initiatives are started at TeachersFirst, we strive to provide you with current, useful, and timesaving information. Starting in July 2016, the TeachersFirst Update will be sent out EVERY OTHER week. We hope this allows you some extra time to read our current happenings. So when you don’t receive your July 3rd Weekly Update, don’t be alarmed. We are working hard to provide even more useful ideas, strategies, and resources. A new update will be available on July 10th.
Enter Today to Win: TeachersFirst BYOT Lesson Plan Contest
TeachersFirst BYOT lesson plan contest will continue throughout June. If you haven’t already learned about this fabulous opportunity, take some time today to learn more. The top 3 winners will receive a $100 Amazon gift card. Click here to learn more.
SFK K-12 Advisory Council
Nominate yourself today for the SFL K-12 Advisory Council. We are accepting applications now. All applicants must be TeachersFirst Members. Learn more here.
Professional Development
OK2Ask Summer 2016
We are excited to share our Summer 2016 OK2Ask topics. Click here to preview all sessions, including GoogleMania. Registration is now open for ALL sessions. Read our FAQ for general information about certificates, etc. Please be sure to read the detailed descriptions and suggested technology comfort levels BEFORE you register.
GoogleMania – COMING SOON
Thursday July 21, 2016 will be TeachersFirst’s GoogleMania day. This is one event you do NOT want to miss! This all-day PD opportunity will include 9 Google-Tastic topics, each presented in less than one hour. View the specific schedule on our OK2Ask Summer schedule.
Summer 2016 Book Club: Register Today!
The Summer book club is almost here! The Source for Learning (our corporate sponsor) will provide the ebook, Integrating Technology in the Classroom by Boni Hamilton, for every one of our participants. TeachersFirst book clubs are a member benefit. To participate in this free book club you must be a TeachersFirst member (see how to register for FREE membership). You also must have participated in an OK2Ask webinar during the 2015 - 2016 school year. Participants who complete all of the book club components will receive a certificate for 45 hours of professional development. Participation is limited to the first 50 eligible TeachersFirst members who sign up. Click here for more information.
Are you heading to Denver for ISTE 2016 or do you live in the Denver area? Source For Learning, TeachersFirst’s non-profit parent company, is offering FREE exhibit hall passes. We have a limited amount of free exhibit hall passes for TeacherFirst Members. If you are interested, email teachersfirst@sflinc.org. If you are attending ISTE, please stop by our booth and say hello. View our entire schedule of presentations at our booth and throughout the ISTE program.
TeachersFirst Exclusives
Gettysburg by the Numbers
Make the Civil War an interactive, “data” experience sure to engage today’s digital learners with TeachersFirst’s Gettysburg by the Numbers. The statistics and questions will make this landmark battle real. Don’t miss the supporting teacher ideas and resources that provide everything that you will need to take your students on a trip back to the battle of Gettysburg.
ISTE?
This week’s Teacher Poll asks: Are you attending ISTE 2016? Place your vote on the teacher poll on the TeachersFirst home page.
TeachersFirst Features
This week in our Featured Sites:
- Speke
- Daily 140
- Twchat
- Educators New To Twitter
- Hootsuite
- Storify
- EduMatch
- And more
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are reading this June 26th, or later, the link above will take you to the Featured Sites for the current week. Find the archived June 19th Features here, and don’t miss our many other recent additions from the link at the bottom of the Featured Sites page.
Summer is an excellent time to develop and expand your professional learning network. I hope that this Weekly Update has provided some resources and web tools to help you to get started making connections!
Melissa Henning
Educational Content Manager
TeachersFirst/Source For Learning