Application to Present is Open! Due June 2
Application to Present is Open!
TCEA is currently accepting submissions from all educators — including teachers, librarians, leaders, administrators, and coaches — to present at TCEA 2026 next Jan. 31 - Feb. 4 in San Antonio, TX. And, as a previous presenter, we’d love to hear your ideas for this year’s event!
FETC 2026 Request for Proposals is OPEN! Due June 1
Apply to present your ideas at the Future of Education Technology Conference to be held on January 11-14, 2026, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL to gain exposure for your work, your school and your district.
The call for presentations for FETC is open NOW until June 1,2025 !
Ready to Inspire? Submit Your Wakelet Week Session Proposal by May 18! 📣
We’re excited to announce that Wakelet Community Week 2025 is happening from August 4th - 8th, and we’d love for YOU to be a part of it!
This incredible week is all about celebrating our amazing community and highlighting the powerful ways Wakelet is being used around the world. As a valued Ambassador, this is a fantastic opportunity for you to share your knowledge, insights, and creativity with a global audience.
We’re calling for session proposals that spotlight innovative and impactful practices -and we’ve got a few topic ideas to help spark your imagination:
- Team, school, and district communication & collaboration
- Student engagement & collaboration
- Project-Based Learning (PBL)
- Personalized learning & student choice
- Future-ready skills – preparing students beyond the classroom
- Portfolios & documenting learning journeys
- How Wakelet supports CTE (Career & Technical Education)
- How Wakelet supports ESL learners
- Wakelet in Higher Education
If you have a story, strategy, or project that aligns with one of these topics or something unique, we want to hear from you!
Deadline for proposals: 18 May 2025
Looking for ISTE+ASCD Community Ambassadors
We're looking for enthusiastic volunteers to become Community Ambassadors!
If you enjoy sharing news and updates and are active on social media, this could be a great way to contribute. As an ambassador, you'd help spread the word about our exciting updates and news on your platforms.
As an influencer in our three month program, you'd have the chance to receive a small payment and complementary gifts for campaigns, such as ASCD book bundles and EL magazines.
If you want to become an influencer, please submit your social media handles in this application form. No minimum number of social media accounts is required to qualify for the program. The membership team will review all applicants to ensure their audience is aligned with the ISTE+ASCD brand and select five for the first roll-out.
Are You a Gemini User? Submit Your Real Use Stories to Google
We’ve been hearing from users, and districts who are newly adopting Gemini, that end teacher users are looking to learn real and most practical applications of Gemini for their own use, and ways to thoughtfully integrate Gemini into lessons for 13+ students.
To help support our end users we’ve pulled together a form to gather these real-life use cases, and will be collating the submissions in a slide deck that’s made public and available to all.
Please share the form within your organization and with any and all in-school educators who you think have great applications for Gemini: goo.gle/GeminiTeacherTips
Apple Forum: Learn, create, and connect with educators worldwide
From basic questions to big ideas, the Forum is where educators meet to connect and collaborate about teaching and learning with Apple. Explore each area below to see what the Forum has to offer, and start connecting with your community today.
Free Webinar: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight: The Common Sense Census Report
Webinar on Wednesday, May. 7, 2025, 5–6 pm PDT
Today's kids will have multiple careers in their lifetimes and may wind up in jobs that haven't yet been invented. Adding to the unknown is artificial intelligence (AI), which is accelerating change at dizzying speed.
Being a good student will always be important. And the ability to analyze data produced by AI will be key, so critical and analytical thinking top the necessary skills list. Preparing kids to thrive in an unknown future also involves fostering an adaptable mindset. Problem-solving and strong communication skills will help workers collaborate, and creativity and a strong sense of empathy will serve them well in a changing landscape. Being comfortable with technology will continue to be foundational as well.
Join us for a timely look at the skills kids need to develop to thrive in the future, as well as guidance for parents working to adjust to this new normal.
Seesaw Connect 2025 in July
Date: July 8, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM EST
Teaching is a calling—it’s joyful, impactful, and, let’s be honest, sometimes challenging. That’s why this year’s Seesaw Connect is all about YOU. We’re bringing together passionate educators from around the world to share fresh ideas, practical strategies, and inspiration to help you:
- Spark your students’ engagement
- Strengthen family connections
- Align classroom magic with school goals
You’ll walk away with ready-to-use ideas that make teaching easier and more rewarding. Plus, you’ll earn a certificate with every session attended. Whoohoo, free professional development hours!
Seats are limited, so don’t wait—register now to claim your spot.
Brain, Behavior, and Belonging: Psychology Tools for Year-End Teaching (During Mental Health Month)
The Ups and Downs of Social Media: Evaluating Mental Health Effects on Teens
As the school year winds down and your students reflect on their experiences, use this valuable time to address the impact of social media on teen mental health in your classroom. In this lesson, your students will listen to an episode of On Our Minds, a youth-led podcast that explores real stories and challenges faced by teens. Through these firsthand accounts, your students will evaluate how social media affects mental well-being and gain critical insight into their habits before heading into summer break.
Ready for more? Check out Season 5 of the On Our Minds podcast from our friends at Student Reporting Labs.
Blog: Using Lessons From Carl the Collector to Create a More Inclusive World
Bring the world of Carl the Collector to your classroom with this new blog from early learning coordinator Ellen Batkhan! From learning about neurodiversity in early childhood settings to designing welcoming learning experiences, you can explore how embracing our differences helps to create a more vibrant world. After reading, you can watch the embedded video from classroom educator Shelly Bautista to learn how she implemented learning practices from Carl the Collector – like belly breathing and printable feelings cards – into her classroom.
How the Brain Shapes Your Reality
How does your brain shape your reality? How does your subconscious influence decisions that you make? Use these resources from NOVA to help your students investigate how their brains affect the way in which they see and interpret the world around them. From exploring personality to learning how the brain interprets color, this collection will help them discover how their unique brains make each of them who they are.
Explore More PBS LearningMedia Resources
- The Science of Stressing' Out (3-8)
- What is Cognitive Flexibility? | Skillsville (K-2)
- Psychology: Behavior, B.F. Skinner, and Social Media (9-12)
- Regulating Yourself and Your Classroom | Stress, Trauma, and the Brain (PreK-12)
- Explore the Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Collection (3-12)
- Learn How to Belly Breathe With Sesame Street (PreK-K)
- Can Procrastination Be a Good Thing? (6-12)
Make Testing Season a Breeze With PBS LearningMedia
How to Use PBS LearningMedia to Support Students During Testing Season
With most educators just coming back from spring break, it's the perfect time to start preparing your class for testing season! Did you know that PBS LearningMedia is a one-stop shop for accessing classroom resources, lesson plans, interactives, videos, and more to help you prepare your students for their exams?
Join PBS Digital Innovator All-Star Jason Lineberger as he walks you through PBS LearningMedia and shares some of his favorite features and top tips for finding content that enhances student engagement, learning, and choice. This short video will help you find exactly what you need to save time and set your students up for testing success!
Pro Tip: To access PBS LearningMedia’s full benefits, be sure to have a PBS LearningMedia account! Signing up is fast, free, and easy, and this video walks you through each step.
Explore the Popular Ken Burns in the Classroom Collection
Check out one of PBS LearningMedia’s most popular resource collections, Ken Burns in the Classroom! This robust, dynamic collection contains more than 600 curriculum-aligned teaching resources that are built around nearly 40 films by filmmaker Ken Burns and his collaborators. These classroom resources include clips from the films aligned to commonly taught topics and will engage your students through powerful visual storytelling, introducing them to new ideas and perspectives and challenging them to ask thought-provoking questions.
Prepare for AP Science Exams With YouTube Stars Hank and John Green
Featuring pioneers of digital education Hank and John Green, these quick, high-energy videos and accompanying support materials from Crash Course cover everything from biology and chemistry to physics and engineering. This collection is perfect for introducing new topics and reviewing key concepts before the big exams!
Explore More PBS LearningMedia Resources
- Blog: Pushing Toward APUSH: Online Resources to Help Students Prepare for the AP U.S. History Exam
- Check Out PBS LearningMedia Resources to Support Standardized Test Prep (PreK-12)
- Review Famous Names in American History With American Masters (6-12)
- Explore the Massive Civics Collection (6-12)
- Download Lesson Plans to Teach World History (PreK-12)
- Prepare for Literature and Language Arts Exams (PreK-12)
Enter the Google Vids Education Film Festival by May 15
Lights, camera, action! Get ready for the first-ever Google Vids Education Film Festival! Google Vids is a collaborative video creation app that makes it easy to create engaging videos for teaching and learning. It's included with your [Education Plus and/or Gemini Education] subscription, and now's your chance to shine!
Awakening Student Agency Through a Pedagogy of Choice Webinar
Cult of Pedagogy’s Jennifer Gonzalez joins Street Data author Shane Safir, and educational leaders Marlo Bagsik, Dr. Sawsan Jaber, and Crystal M. Watson on May 21 at 4pm PT/7pm EST as they unveil their forthcoming book, Pedagogies of Voice: Street Data and the Path to Student Agency (Corwin, July 2025). Through rich dialogue and public reflection, the authors will:
- Unpack the Student Agency framework, expressed through the domains of Identity, Belonging, Inquiry and Efficacy
- Explore 8 concrete pedagogical approaches that awaken student voice
- Share the story behind this book and what gives it a “special sauce”
- Inspire you to design dynamic, agentic learning experiences for the learners you serve
2025 Online Librarian Conference: A New Chapter in Your Education Journey
Get ready for three half-days of learning, connection, and professional development in a conference built for librarians by librarians! This June 24-26, librarians, media specialists, and others in similar roles will gather online to attend sessions by and network with peers and colleagues, alike.
It's time to register! The Librarian Conference continues to be one of the most beloved events that TCEA offers, with 100% of survey respondents from both the 2023 and 2024 conferences said they were very likely to return for another year. Register for just $149 and get ready for an epic learning experience!
Educator Alexander Consulting Provides FREE Google Training for Your District Through Google's EPSO
You may be wondering what districts are eligible and how to redeem this offer?
To learn more about the offer, check out this one-pager or this site. Still undecided? Review the quantifiable benefits and cost savings enabled by Education Plus here.
Eligibility Requirements:
Customers purchasing Education Plus for the first time
Customers upgrading to Education Plus who did not own Education Plus licenses as of Jan 1, 2024
Transition renewals moving from legacy G Suite Enterprise for Education on a price lock (purchased in 2020) to Education Plus
How it works
Purchase Education Plus licenses for your full domain
500 license minimum
Choose your services by filling out this form
Select PD and/or IT services. Learn more about each here: goo.gle/education-plus-offer
Within 30 days of receiving email approval from Google, connect with Educator Alexander Consulting to schedule your services.
Services do not have to be redeemed within 30 days, just scheduled / on the calendar
EDUCATOR ALEXANDER CONSULTING is an approved provider for these services! Choose us and we can provide your FREE training!
TCEA TECH BLOG GOODIES
Embedding Interactive Lessons with Desmos and PhET in Quizizz
Padlet’s AI Tools Supercharge Digital Collaboration
Box Yourself Up: The Toy Figure Trend and More AI Fun
What Would a Librarian Ask ChatGPT? Turns Out… A Lot.
From Micromanagement to Macro Leadership in Education
Game On: Using Gamification in Your Writing Lessons
Educators Can Get Office 365 for FREE
A Couple More Google Updates
To Stay Updated, Watch ALL Here or Celebrating Educators | 2025 US National Teacher of the Year
Empower your students to navigate the world of AI responsibly with our ready-to-use lesson plan. Grounded in our five essentials for getting started with AI, this resource includes engaging activities, discussion prompts, and real-world scenarios to foster their critical thinking about AI.
Now, all Google Workspace for Education users with access to the Gemini app and NotebookLM have enterprise-grade data protection, free of charge. This means these tools are now Core Services covered under the Google Workspace for Education terms of service, they support compliance with a number of industry regulations, and your chats are not human reviewed or used to train AI models.
In this course, you will discover ways to use Gemini as an assistant in your professional practice to save time and unleash creativity on everyday tasks. You will explore how to use Gemini via a standalone experience and directly in a variety of Google Workspace for Education apps, like Docs, Gmail, and Slides.
Our virtual sessions this month explore a wide range of topics, including AI, accessibility, contemporary research, compliance and much more. With different tracks for education leaders, educators and IT admins, the handpicked sessions are specifically designed to provide you with insights, inspiration and the updates you need.
Deepen your understanding by having Gemini explain a complex topic with real world examples. Try this prompt: Acting as a physics expert, explain the concept of entropy in thermodynamics in a way that someone unfamiliar with physics can understand. Provide real world examples.
Join the Ed Leadership Program (ELP)
The Google Ed Leadership Program (ELP) equips global K-12 leaders with tools, resources, and a strong network via the ELP Hub and local Leadership Circles. Get started by joining the global ELP Hub and navigate to the community that aligns with your role as an Executive Ed Leader or IT Admin Leader.
Education Plus Services Offer: Maximize your investment with complimentary services
This year, when you purchase Education Plus, receive free Professional Development and/or IT support to help you maximize the value of your investment. EDUCATOR ALEXANDER CAN PROVIDE THE PD!!!!
Dr. Desiree Alexander, Educator Alexander Consulting
Dr. Desiree Alexander is an award-winning, multi-degreed educator, speaker, and author who has been in the educational field since 2002. She is the Founder CEO of Educator Alexander Consulting, LLC and the Deputy Director for the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana. She consults with members of several schools/businesses and presents at conferences globally.
Dr. Alexander is lifetime certified in Louisiana in Secondary English Education, as a Reading Specialist, as a School Librarian, as an Educational Technology Facilitator, as an Educational Technology Leader and in Educational Leadership 1. She is certified in Texas as a Principal, in English Language Arts and Reading for grades 4-8 and grades 8-12, as a Reading Specialist for grades EC-12, and as a School Librarian. She holds multiple technology certifications, including, but not limited to, IC3 certification, Google Certified Trainer, Innovator and Partner, Apple Teacher, and Microsoft Office Specialists.
She holds a Bachelor, a Master + 30, and an Education Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana State University, a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University and a Master of Educational Leadership with a concentration in Educational Technology Leadership from Nicholls State University. She also holds a Doctorate in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership from Lamar University.
She is the author of Ready to Be an Educational Leader: Your Guide for Passing the SLLA 6990, the 2024 Common Sense Education Ambassador of the Year, a 2024 Common Sense Ambassador of the Year, a 2024 Illinois Digital Educators Alliance Conference (IDEAcon) Thought Leader, 2023 Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators (LACUE) Conference Featured Speaker, 2022 & 2021 Texas Computer Education Association Conference (TCEA) Featured Thought Leader, 2020 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Featured Voice, 2020 Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) Featured Presenter, 2019 Customer Commitment Award Honoree from Better Business Bureau's (BBB) Torch Awards for Ethics, a 2019 Shreveport National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Mover and Shaker, a 2017 Young Professional Initiative 40 Under 40 Awards Honoree, 2017 Center for Digital Education Top 30 Technologists, Transformers & Trailblazers, 2017 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Learning Media Digital Innovator for Louisiana, 2016 Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana Member of the Year, 2015 Librarian of the Year for Louisiana Librarian Association, 2015 Campus Teacher of the Year in the Zachary Community School District and 2014 Leader of the Year for Region 2 Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators.
Email: educatoralexander@gmail.com or desiree@educatoralexander.com
Website: https://www.educatoralexander.com
Phone: 318-759-7591
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