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Innovate ASD

Quarterly Digest - Summer Edition

Innovate ASD Quarterly Digest - Summer Edition

👋 Greetings ASD educators!


Welcome to the Learning & Innovation quarterly newsletter. If you find a moment on your summer vacay, this newsletter pulls up great on a cell phone. Bookmark it, peruse the links, and get caught up on the latest from Google, what's happening with AI & VR in education, ideas for the classroom, and other professional development resources.


The goal of this newsletter is to share some of the most current developments and ideas in technology that are creating buzz. You're already seeing some of this in your classrooms (ChatGPT/AI) and other things (like VR) you might see in the near future.


If you feel inspired to connect over the summer or have any questions, please reach out: kzimmer@aspenk12.net.

Summer PD Bingo
Get BINGO and win a prize in the fall! Check off what you did, take a picture & send it to Kim Zim!
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💻 Google Updates

New Teaching & Learning Features in Google Workspace for Education


Google For Education Official Blog

☀️ Who to Follow This Summer...☀️ ☀️ Who to Follow This Summer...☀️

AJ Juliani


Lisa Nielsen - The Innovative Educator


John Sowash - The Chromebook Classroom


Jennifer Gonzalez - Cult of Pedagogy

🧠 Grow your mind & your toolkit 🧰

CEA Co-Pilot

Open Library
Instructables
Untools

Duolingo

Coursera

MIT Open Courseware

15 Free Courses on ChatGPT & AI

Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything―Even Things That Seem Impossible Today

Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything―Even Things That Seem Impossible Today

Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything―Even Things That Seem Impossible Today [McGonigal, Jane] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything―Even Things That Seem Impossible Today

launch amazon.com
A majority of Americans have heard of ChatGPT, but few have tried it themselves

A majority of Americans have heard of ChatGPT, but few have tried it themselves

About six-in-ten U.S. adults (58%) are familiar with ChatGPT, though relatively few have tried it themselves, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in March. Among those who have tried ChatGPT, a majority report it has been at least somewhat useful. ChatGPT is an open-access online chatbot that allows users to ask questions and request content.

launch pewresearch.org
Using Inquiry to Create Inspiring Field Trips

Using Inquiry to Create Inspiring Field Trips

When students approach a field trip with the goal of answering their own questions, they get to be in charge of what they learn. Hero Images Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo Field trips' academic and social benefits are well-researched, but these events require thoughtful planning to maximize potential learning in a new and unfamiliar environment.

launch edutopia.org
Empowering Students to Outsmart AI: Unleashing their Passions and Expertise

Empowering Students to Outsmart AI: Unleashing their Passions and Expertise

We explore the importance of tapping into student interests, passions, and expertise as a means to empower them in the face of AI dominance. Join us as we discuss how embracing their humanity and unique abilities can equip students with the tools to outsmart AI, preparing them for a future that values creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

launch slp.toddleapp.com
30 AI tools for the classroom

30 AI tools for the classroom

Artificial intelligence is growing by leaps and bounds. It's no longer science fiction anymore! Lots of AI tools can serve as our own personal assistants -- answering questions, helping us write text, create images, speak more effectively, and more. Time has always been a barrier in the classroom.

launch ditchthattextbook.com
How to Cultivate Productive Failure When Using Edtech and AI Tools

How to Cultivate Productive Failure When Using Edtech and AI Tools

Common edtech tools guide students toward right answers instead of letting them grapple with wrong ones, but teachers can plan intentionally for this valuable learning experience. During my time as a teacher, I constantly encountered students impatiently looking for answers, and if the answers didn't come fast enough, frustration took over.

launch edutopia.org
Teaching Students to Write with AI: The SPACE Framework

Teaching Students to Write with AI: The SPACE Framework

A careful reading of the numerous articles about AI writing will reveal that the human role involves the steps of the SPACE framework. For example, Emma Whitford's Forbes article on ChatGPT writing two college essays in 20 minutes (Dec.

launch medium.com
AI Will Transform Teaching and Learning. Let's Get it Right.

AI Will Transform Teaching and Learning. Let's Get it Right.

At the recent AI+Education Summit, Stanford researchers, students, and industry leaders discussed both the potential of AI to transform education for the better and the risks at play.

launch hai.stanford.edu
Khanmigo Education AI Guide | Khan Academy

Khanmigo Education AI Guide | Khan Academy

Say hello to Khanmigo, Khan Academy's AI-powered guide. Tutor for learners. Assistant for teachers. Step 1: Sign in to Khan Academy By signing in and joining Khan Labs, you'll help us develop transformative learning tools like Khanmigo. Your feedback is crucial in shaping the future of education.

launch khanacademy.org

🤔 Food for Thought....

How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education | Sal Khan | TED

🖖🏼 The Future of Computing?

Apple & The Meaning Of Spacial Computing - The Economist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX9qSaGXFyg

Breaking News.... Breaking News....


Starting in the fall, we will have access to Toddle 360, which adds a learning management element to the unit mapping tool that we already use. In order to get our district on the same page and make the user experience more seamless and streamlined for our students and families, the hope is that we will fully roll out Toddle LMS/360 to grades K-12 over the next few years. All of the work you have already done in Toddle will be accessible in Toddle 360 and it is likely that Toddle 360 will eventually replace Google Classroom/Schoology.


More info to come and rest assured, nothing is changing for the fall!!


While I have your attention, check out this great resource for teaching ATL's......


ATL Skills Playbooks

End of Year Tasks End of Year Tasks

Schoology Clean-Up

Click here for a reminder on how to back up to Resources but fear not, archived classes will still be visible under the archive tab. Text version.


You might also clean up your Google Calendars from old Google classrooms / calendars not in use anymore.

Introducing Your Co-Directors of Learning & Innovation + Welcome Jack! Introducing Your Co-Directors of Learning & Innovation + Welcome Jack!

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Kim Zimmer (Kim Zim)

Kim is the "Instructional" Co-Director of Learning & Innovation. Kim's job will be front facing and expect to see her in classrooms, in IB and curriculum meetings, collaborating with teachers, ensuring that our district subscriptions are paid and thinking about the future of learning at ASD. She is excited to continue working with the amazing teachers at Aspen. Kim will continue teaching SkierTV and coaching high school tennis.

Kim will be stationed in the same office, adjacent to the AHS library and in the same room as the SkierTV studio.

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Jason Pfiefer (Jay-Fi)

Jason is the "Technical" Co-Director of Learning & Innovation. A lot of what Jason will be doing is behind the scenes including our IT infrastructure, phones, network, servers and Rapid Identity accounts. Jason will be working closely with Stephen, Jack and Dave Fuentes (although Dave will also be working with Kim). Jason will continue being actively involved in outdoor ed at AMS.

Jason's new office is in AHS, across from the woodshop (aka the Potato Cellar) where Chris' office used to be.

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Jack Adams (AMS Tech)

Introducing Jack!


My name is Jack Adams and I'm the new Technology Specialist for Aspen Middle School. My background is in electrical engineering where I earned a degree at Michigan State University. During my schooling and time as an engineer there was plenty of crossover work in the IT field. Initially I moved to the valley after picking up skiing and mountain biking in Vermont and moved to enjoy those activities in a different part of the country. I joined the school district after working two years for the resort and wanted to exercise my technical skills again!


You can find Jack in Jason's former office on the first floor of AMS.

Just for Fun....

Space Elevator

Space Elevator

Take a trip to space and explore the atmosphere in the world's only space elevator.

launch neal.fun
Tab Maker by Google Creative Lab - Experiments with Google

Tab Maker by Google Creative Lab - Experiments with Google

Tab Maker is a tool that makes it easy for anyone to build an extension for Chrome that transforms the new tab page into a space to showcase ideas... What you do with the space is totally up to you but to get your creative juices flowing, checkout the Tab Maker Gallery for examples.

launch experiments.withgoogle.com
BR for You.

BR for You.

With "Fixation" you define the expression of the letter combinations. Choose a value from 1 to 5. 3 is defined as the base value. With "Saccade" you define the visual jumps from Fixation to Fixation. Choose a value from 10 to 50. 10 is defined as the base value.

launch bionic-reading.com
Confetti Cannon!

Confetti Cannon!

Fires confetti all over your screen!

launch chrome.google.com
HabitLab

HabitLab

Build better habits online! Tell HabitLab your goals, and it will determine the appropriate interventions via experimentation.

launch chrome.google.com
“To understand their world, we must be willing to immerse ourselves in that world. We must embrace the new digital reality. If we can’t relate, if we don’t get it, we won’t be able to make schools relevant to the current and future needs of the digital generation.” – Ian Jukes
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