Greetings!

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Annual Technology Directors Meeting on Thursday,  March 4 from 1:00 PM to 4:15 PM.  The annual statewide meeting is a partnership with NCTIES, NCCoSN, NCET, and NCDPI.

The theme this year is MotivatED!  We look forward to a time of learning, collaboration, door prizes, and recognitions. 

Through the Digital Learning Initiative, we may have a special opportunity to offer each Technology Director/CTO a scholarship to attend the CoSN 2021 virtual conference, https://cosnconference.org/ on March 2-4, 2021.  If you are interested in this opportunity, please indicate "Yes" on the registration form.  If "Yes" is no longer an option, please select "Wait List".”   

Again, this year, we will honor one of our very own Technology Directors/CTOs as the 2021 North Carolina Director of Technology/Chief Technology Officer of The Year.  The purpose is to recognize a technology leader (Director or CTO)  whose impact on technology's role in transforming learning has been significant.  

We look forward to seeing you on March 4 to collaborate, celebrate and learn together. 

Please register at the link below no later than February 18 and share with your colleagues:  bit.ly/2021NCTIESLeadersReg

Register for NCEES End of Year Webinars

It’s time to think about preparing for End of Year Activities with Evaluation and Professional Development Plans. Please click the titles to register for our End-of-Year webinars that will be held in March.

EOY for Teachers-Support StaffDate: Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Time: 4-5 p.m.

Audience: Teachers and Support Staff, Evaluators, Observers

Description: Participants will gain an understanding of the process for completing the Professional Development Plan End-of-Year Review. Teachers will explore the steps leading to the Summary Evaluation Conference, how to complete the signatures acknowledging the summary evaluation and how to provide a written response and artifacts.

EOY for PrincipalsDate: Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Time: 4-5 p.m.

Audience: Principals and Evaluators of Principals

Description: Topics to be outlined include reviewing the Teacher Evaluation Process and responsibilities, managing completion reports for staff, and reviewing the end of the year for the Principal Evaluation Plan. Participants will be encouraged to share best practices and lessons learned over the 2019-20 school year and changes they are planning for the upcoming 2020-21 school year.

New K-2 Content

Introduction to Computer Fundamentals

Check out the new K-2 content. 

This unit includes the Easy Tech Computer Fundamentals curriculum items that align to the first grade pacing guide and is designed to teach students essential grade-appropriate digital literacy skills to help meet the first grade portion of national K-2 technology standards.

• Introduction to Pointer Devices

• Pointer Devices and Making Choices

• Critter Catch

• Selecting Multiple Objects

With the school year underway, the gaps in home internet access for students are clear. 

The new Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Connect model is providing hotspots with high-speed monthly data plans to students who lack reliable internet access at home, as well as professional learning for teachers.

If your school has a 1:1 device program, VILS Connect can help. Districts are invited to apply on behalf of at least two schools and no more than 12 schools whose students have a demonstrated need for reliable internet access.

The application is straightforward: identify your point people at the district and school levels who can provide both technology and instructional support, and share the data about your schools’ needs and professional learning goals. We’re eager to learn more about your schools and welcome you to VILS Connect.

Learn more! Visit the frequently asked questions and join us for upcoming webinar on Wednesday, February 24, 12-1 p.m. ET:

REGISTER NOW!

Apply today! View our criteria for selection and submit the Round 2 district application to receive hotspots as early as August 2021. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and are due by March 12, 2021 to be considered for an August 2021 delivery. 

We look forward to hearing from you. Please reach out with questions to VILSConnect@digitalpromise.org.

Lydia M. Logan, Executive Director
Verizon Innovative Learning Schools
Lydia@digitalpromise.org

Teaching in Uncertain Times

FEBRUARY 25, 4:00 – 6:00 pm EST via Zoom

Join your peers to discuss teaching in uncertain times. UNC’s Dr. Dana Griffin, Associate Professor and the School of Education Dean’s Fellow for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will discuss the importance of resilience.

Participants can share their experiences and discuss positive ways to respond to setbacks during today’s challenging times. Experts Drs. Michael Nakkula and Andy Danilchick from UPenn’s Graduate School of Education and the Project for Mental Health and Optimal Development will discuss cultivating an uncertainty mindset and introduce the newly published Planning for Uncertainty educator’s guide.

This timely resource aims to build educators’ and schools’ capacity to navigate the challenging mental health landscape of the COVID-19 era. This program is open to all K-12 and community college educators. CEU/PDCH offered. #WorldView2021

Register today: http://go.unc.edu/Feb25

Africa and the African Diaspora: Past and Present

MARCH 25, 4:00 – 6:00 pm EST via Zoom

This virtual program introduces educators to the concept of the African diaspora and the experiences of African diaspora communities in the United States.

According to the African Union, the African Diaspora is composed of “people of African origin living outside of the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality, and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union.” Educators will gain knowledge of the African diaspora, learn about the interconnectedness of Africa with other nations, including the United States, and receive resources that underscore connections, similarities and differences among African diaspora communities. This program is designed for K-12 and community college educators of all disciplines. CEU/PDCH offered. #WorldView2021

Register today: http://go.unc.edu/Mar25

Racial Slavery in the Americas: Resistance, Freedom, and Legacies

In partnership with The Choices Program

APRIL 15, 4:00 – 6:00 pm EST via Zoom 

UNC World View and the Choices Program at Brown University partner to offer a unique professional development program exploring issues of racial slavery and a valuable curriculum unit, Racial Slavery in the Americas: Resistance, Freedom, and Legacies.

The unit explores how and why the system of racial slavery developed in the Americas and how it continues to shape society and affect the lives of people today. At the heart of the unit are the experiences of enslaved people as they navigated and resisted a violent and oppressive system designed to dehumanize them. Participants will learn how to use the unit, engaging in lessons and activities.

Participants attending this two-hour program will receive a free time-limited Digital Editions license for the Choices unit, Racial Slavery in the Americas: Resistance, Freedom, and Legacies. The program is intended for upper middle grades, high school and community college educators. CEU/PDCH offered. #WorldView2021

Register today: https://go.unc.edu/April15