December 2016 Meeting

Our LMS Snapshot this month will be presented by Christopher Nelson of Sewanhaka where they are using Schoology.

A June 2015 CoSN press release announced, “In today’s technology-rich landscape, school systems across the country are tasked with protecting student data and effectively communicating privacy policies and related measures to parents and communities. To address this responsibility while harnessing the benefits of instructional technologies, CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) today launched a national endeavor alongside lead partners AASA – The School Superintendents Association, ASBO International (the Association of School Business Officials International) and ASCD (the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development).”

In collaboration with 28 U.S. school systems this group developed the Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal which establishes criteria in five core areas for schools to follow in adhering to best practices for protecting student data. Dr. Richard Hughes, Superintendent of Central Valley School District who participated in the Seal creation, will join us to review the TLE criteria and how schools can apply. Beginning this month, we will be establishing a cohort of NASTECH districts interested in working together on the TLE Seal Application (see Post-Meeting information below).

Nearpod is an award-winning, education technology platform that helps teachers deliver interactive lessons across all student devices, assess students in real-time, and get instant feedback. Interactive activities include quizzes, polls, open-ended questions, draw-its, and Nearpod VR, which allows teachers to take students anywhere in the world (and outer space) via virtual field trips right from their classroom - without additional hardware. Teachers can create their own digital lessons via the Nearpod platform using their existing presentations and teaching resources, or they can download one of thousands of ready-to-teach lesson from Nearpod’s lesson store. Visit Nearpod.com for more information and to create a Free Teacher Account.

Pre-Meeting Session (12:00 – 1:00 p.m.)
New Tech Directors Cohort
We’ve had quite an influx of new NASTECH members over the last year or so, and to help them with their new responsibilities we’re inviting you to join in on a roundtable discussion of current challenges and best practices, and to share with them your experiences and expertise.

NEW! Post-Meeting Session (3:30 – 4:30 p.m.)
TLE Cohort Workgroup
Join colleagues in reviewing best practices as specified in TLE application document. How does your district measure up? Let’s work on it together!