Celebrate Computer Science
Education Week!
December 9-15
Computer science education week is an annual call-to-action to inspire k-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field.
Please join us in the following events during the CSEd Week:
Monday, December 9: Hour-long webinar from CSTA: CSEd Week Kickoff: Celebrating Computer Science Education Week from 3-4 p.m. AKST.
Thursday, December 12: Code in Black: Celebrates CSEd Week with the Black Affinity Group as they highlight Black Excellence in CS over the last 20 years.
December 9 – 15 (Entire Week):
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Coding in Minecraft On-Demand Lesson
Special Coding in Minecraft lesson: During the lesson students will get to log into the portal, access the Introduction course, and get start learning to code their agent! The instruction to the lesson is here
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CS Ed Week Coding in Minecraft Competition
Theme: Computer Science is EVERYWHERE!
Team Formation: Students can work individually or in pairs
Prizes: The winning student(s) will win Coding in Minecraft swag for their whole class!
Project Requirements:
Build: Create a basic structure in Minecraft Education that represents somewhere you have seen Computer Science in your daily life.
Code: Use Code Builder inside Minecraft Education to aide in the building process. Your build must have been partially created through code!
Submission: Submit your MakeCode file as well as a picture or video of your build to the Coding in Minecraft Portal. When submitting, put the student’s name(s), school name, and school district in the message section before hitting submit! The instruction and guidelines for the competition is here.
Accessing the Competition: Fill out the entry form by clicking here. Once you fill out the form, you will get the teacher guide with all of the instructions for getting started. If you have any questions, email Product Manager, Jennifer Brown, at jennifer.brown@prodigylearning.com.
Contact Faye.Tanner@alaska.gov for more information about the Computer Science Education Week and corresponding events.
Register Now for ACPE’s Master the FAFSA Training
ACPE’s Master the FAFSA Training sessions are delivered weekly, on every Monday and Thursday, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm. ACPE’s Master the FAFSA Training provides a line-by-line overview and detailed explanation of the 2025-26 FAFSA process. Education and Workforce Development Stakeholders gain better understanding and navigation of the FAFSA form to ensure they can assist students/families and adult learners with correct and stress-free FAFSA completion!
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a series of training sessions. Weekly ACPE’s Master the FAFSA Training sessions are separate sessions that cover exactly the same material. Individuals only need to register and attend one session; however, multiple sessions are available to accommodate a variety of schedules.
Please reach out with questions to Dominika Szpotanska, ACAC Coordinator, at dominika.szpotanska@alaska.gov.
 The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has developed a free, teacher-facilitated curriculum designed to meet the Alaska Safe Children’s Act requirements for students in grades 7-12. This comprehensive and user-friendly curriculum focuses on preventing violence and promoting healthy relationships by addressing topics like dating violence, abusive behaviors, fostering positive relationship habits, and community resources. Developed with input from school districts and national experts, the curriculum offers engaging, developmentally appropriate content through interactive learning experiences, ensuring consistent and effective education for students across Alaska.
As an added bonus--to support schools with implementing this curriculum, the 2024 ASCA Curriculum Committee developed implementation guides for teachers and schools & districts.”
“If Bree’s Law curriculum was not offered, I think many students would not be aware that they have power to stand up for themselves when someone crosses their boundaries. I think they might always be hesitant to tell someone because they may not know that this is an option. Just knowing that they have the right to do these things is powerful.” – Educator in Alaska
For more information reach out to EED.AlaskaSafeChildrensAct@alaska.gov
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The LETRS for Early Childhood Educators course filled quickly. If you would like to add your name to a waitlist, if current registrants drop, please click here.
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District early education programs who have been in operation for at least three years and have implemented the Alaska Early Education Program Standards are encouraged to submit an EEP-ADM application. Approved districts will be eligible to include 4- and 5-year-old preschool students in the average daily membership count for formula funding.
Application due May 15, 2025
Submit the Intent to Apply form to get started.
Technical assistance webinars: December 3, 9:00-10:00 and December 5, 1:00-2:00.
Click the links to register.
*Completing the intent to apply form does not obligate a district to apply.
*Those who have an unfinished application from last year should email jayne.mcfarland@alaska.gov directly.
Is your district planning to apply for the Early Education Program Grant or Approval for 0.5 ADM/Formula Funding? If so, consultation with all Head Start agencies operating within the district is required.
Access consultation forms and guidance at https://education.alaska.gov/forms/05-24-031.docx
Visit the Early Learning Programs Page for more information about the EEP Grant and EEP-ADM funding, or e-mail jayne.mcfarland@alaska.gov
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Professional Boundaries and the PTPC |
Remember, Educators, that you are required to give adequate written notice and get written assent to terminate a contract. See the Contract Obligations Policy for more information. PTPC is authorized to sanction educators who unilaterally terminate a contract. Enjoy your holidays and return to complete your contract next year. Contact @Mann, Melody L (EED) for more information.
Melody Mann (she/her)
Executive Director
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
https://education.alaska.gov/ptpc
I can be reached between 8-4:30 weekdays. Contact me to schedule an appointment.
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The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the Anonymized Threat Response Guidance: A Toolkit for K-12 Schools, a new resource to help kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools and their law enforcement and community partners create tailored approaches to addressing anonymous threats of violence, including those received on social media. The toolkit outlines steps school leaders can take to assess and respond to anonymous threats, better prepare for, and prevent future threats, and work in coordination with law enforcement and other local partners when threats arise. |
The toolkit emphasizes six key strategies for schools to consider when addressing anonymous threats:
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Build awareness about reporting to detect threats early and deter future threats.
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Develop a partnership structure that will help address threats. This includes school administrators, law enforcement personnel and mental health professionals.
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Engage law enforcement to manage threat situations and decide when to scale response actions up or down.
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Balance initial response steps to ensure the campus is safe. Most critically, treat each threat as credible, and from there, work with necessary partners to determine how to approach an immediate response.
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When appropriate, tap into multidisciplinary threat assessment teams to support interventions and expedite response if the subject who made the threat becomes known.
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Take steps throughout the school year to prepare for threats. Establish a response protocol and practice other types of emergency management activities, such as training exercises for staff.
Alaska Society for Technology in Education (ASTE) Conference 2025
ASTE 2025 will be at the Hotel Captain Cook on February 15-18, 2025. The ASTE Board for 2024-2025, under the direction of President Anthony White, has selected "StoryBytes" as the theme:
“At ASTE 2025, dive into a unique educational technology experience designed to enhance your skills and inspire new ideas. Explore a range of registration options to fit your goals. Register now and embark on a journey of storytelling, innovation, and transformation.”
The Call for Proposal to Present for the conference is now open through November 15, 2024. Registration will open after the schedule is finalized so participants can register and sign up for sessions at the same time. Please visit www.aste.org/conference for more information.
Keys to Literacy Professional Development
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Keys to Literacy: Keys to Beginning Reading course
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) is excited to announce a new K-3 Alaska Reads Act course. A Keys to Literacy asynchronous course is now live and available on Alaska DEED’s e-learning platform.
This course is approved by the DEED to meet the regulatory statute requirements outlined in the Alaska Reads Act. Upon successful completion of this course, educators must submit their course certificate to AK Teacher Certification to add the K-3 AK Reads Act Reading Endorsement to their Teacher Certificate.
Keys to Beginning Reading is a 45-hour course designed by Keys to Literacy founder Joan Sedita, and tailored specifically for Alaska educators. It is a practical course that provides the background knowledge needed to teach all the components of beginning reading instruction. The instructional practices are designed to easily transfer to classroom lessons and can be integrated with any reading curriculum or published reading program.
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