R14 TechBytes

The world is changing and there are plenty of new changes happening all around Region 14 in the Digital Innovation world. Hilary and Ashley spent a few days at Google in Austin and in navigating through the Texas heat they discovered Waymo. Waymo uses several artificial intelligence technologies to help with safely driving and transporting passengers. Keyword is safely.....but it is certainly an eerie feeling sitting in the backseat in a driver-less vehicle going any speed down the road. We opted to trust the technology and pray that we made it to our destination in one piece! To give you all peace of mind, we made it and enjoyed the thrilling experience! We certainly learned a lot about what we will and won't be doing the next time we hop in! This feeling sure resonates with educators trying to navigate their classrooms using AI all while trying to stay in control, safe, and responsible for student academic outcomes.

Chrome now has a built-in PDF annotator that is web-based. Mark up, write on, and express yourself with this new feature. And Yes! You can save your annotations!

• Chrome’s Built-in PDF Annotator (video overview)
  
  

• Open a PDF: Drag and drop any local PDF file into a Chrome tab or click on a PDF link on the web.

• Access the tool: Click the pencil/draw icon in the top toolbar of the PDF viewer.

• Highlight text: Select the highlight tool, then click and drag your cursor over any text to mark it.

• Add notes: Click the note icon, tap anywhere on the page, and type your comment in the text box.

• Save your work: Click the Download button to save the annotated file to your computer (choose "with your changes") or click Save to Google Drive to back it up directly.

Canva educators have new teaching resources that are standards-aligned and full of engaging multi-modal activities.

• Learn Grid

• Learn How to Use Interactive Lessons

• Explore Lessons

Ashley Parker, has served for the last 3 years as a Digital Innovation Consultant and will take on a new set of responsibilities which include leading digital accessibility compliance for the ESC and regional districts within the deadlines set by the Department of Justice regarding Title II's ADA mandate. She will work to take on digital accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1/2.2) across all ESC platforms as well as develop staff capacity in maintaining compliance. Additionally, she will continue to provide regional and internal digital learning support including:

• Continuing to design high-impact professional development, online courses, and training on emerging tech such as AI, Digital Media, and Google Workspace—for both internal ESC staff and regional K-12 educators.

• Online learning system management and support of high-impact, accessibility compliant online courses, asynchronous modules, and professional development for all components.

• Leading our web presence, brand communications, and event tech support.
  
  

Please continue to contact Ashley for digital learning support and look for more information in the coming months regarding digital accessibility at esc14.net/digital-accessibility.

Discovery Education has a new experience for users. Use the links below to become familiar with the new layout and how to locate your resources.

• DE Hub- Tutorial

• Experience Homepage BTS 2026- Tutorial

Thursday, September 17 | 12 PM CST
Join Discovery Education for an exclusive first look at new findings from the 2026–2027 Education Insights Report. Discover when students start thinking about their futures, where students’, teachers’, and administrators’ perspectives on career readiness diverge, and what schools can do to make career connections a more meaningful part of everyday learning.

Register to get free, ungated access to the full Education Insights Report as soon as it goes live, plus exclusive insights shared during the live webinar!

Can’t attend live? Register anyway. We’ll send you the recording and resources after the webinar!

Rural Texas educators do more with less every day. This four-part (with a bonus leadership session) webinar series is designed to help teachers, administrators, and curriculum leaders discover practical, time-saving ways to use Discovery Education Experience as a powerful instructional partner across all grade levels and subject areas. New to Discovery Education Experience? No problem. We'll provide a demo account so you can explore alongside us!

Attend one session or join the entire series to maximize your learning and earn CPE credit for each webinar. Sessions are just 30 minutes, with optional Q&A time, and recordings will be shared with all registered participants.

Hosted by the Region 14 ESC’s STEM Team aims to inspire young minds (3-5th grade) and spark their curiosity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM).
Contact: Amanda Carpenter

Our Service Station checkouts have been on fire and we are thrilled that teachers across Region 14 are already getting their reservations made. Collectively we have had 25+ requests made to get our equipment in your classrooms!

Onsite Mobile STEM Experience (During the School Day) bring interactive STEM learning right into your school day! We provide a robust collection of STEM materials, and Region 14 staff members will be on-site to help facilitate an unforgettable day of discovery for your staff or students.

• Full Support: We handle material prep, equipment delivery, staff training, and post-event pickup.
• Limited Availability: Dates fill up quickly and depend on equipment availability throughout the year.
• Next Steps: After submitting your request, our team will reach out within 7–10 business days to confirm dates and details.

Perfect for parent engagement nights that incorporate STEM stations!

Book a STEM Cruise Night and you will get:

• Resources to run multiple STEM stations using our checkout equipment
• Pre-designed activities
• Staff training that will empower them to run the STEM stations
• Delivery and pick up included

K–12 educators, we’ve got a day of AI learning planned for you!

Join us September 19 for the Google AI Educator Series Badge-a-thon: Day of AI Learning. Drop in for a 30-minute session whenever you want, pick up a practical AI tip, and earn an ISTE aligned digital badge as you go.

Stay for one session or stick around for more:

Saturday, September 19

9 AM–7 PM ET

Save your spot → goo.gle/GESBadgeathon

Registration Link
Join us to learn more about the RECF Aerial Drone Competition and everything it has to offer! Participants will get an introduction to the exciting FastTrack game, learn about available drone grants and resources, explore the basics of drone programming and flight, and discover how students can develop valuable STEM, teamwork, problem-solving, and engineering skills. Whether you are new to drones or looking to grow your program, this is a great opportunity to learn, connect, and get ready for competition.

The Scouting Report: Every team is built around a versatile leader. Gemini is your Google-integrated AI powerhouse. To get the best out of your QB, you have to call the right plays.

The Play: Master the art of prompting to create quick game-changing Gems, interactive drills with Canvas, and receive sideline assistance from the "Ask Gemini" side panel in Docs, Slides, Sheets and Forms.

The Win: Leave with a personalized "Prompt Playbook" (a cheat sheet of your go-to formulas) and a complete set of automated review drills to level up your Gemini game.

Google Vids is available to all Google users with endless creative options that incorporate AI-generated content, scripting, transcribing, and editing features that will have you producing your own videos in no time! We will use the first half to explore basic functions and skills and the second half exploring how to create content from existing resources, edit, collaborating, and sharing.

Be sure to bring a device with a camera and microphone or borrow one of our Chromebooks.

As part of the WeTeach_CS ROCS initiative, this 2-day professional development session empowers you to bring cutting-edge Ag-Tech to your students. Using the versatile micro:bit and Microsoft FarmBeats, we will explore how data-driven decisions are transforming the agricultural landscape. You will learn the FarmBeats curriculum through the eyes of your students, building automated systems that respond to the environment. Join us to discover how ROCS is equipping Big Country students with the high-demand technical skills they need to lead in their own communities.

No prior coding experience is required—just a willingness to explore how ROCS is planting the seeds for the next generation of West Texas innovators. Participants will receive kits to use in the classroom.

*This session is strictly for advanced Canva users; introductory tools, basic drag-and-drop mechanics, and simple font selections will not be covered.*

Designed as a fast-paced creative agency simulation, this workshop empowers K-12 educators to utilize Canva’s most sophisticated, trend-forward features—including multi-track video orchestration, native responsive web publishing, dynamic live-data integrations, and collaborative version control. Over the course of this intensive session, participants will actively develop, iterate, and build a portfolio of up to 6 advanced projects that shift gifted learners from passive digital consumers to elite producers capable of building authentic, professional-grade artifacts for real-world audiences.

This presentation is intended solely to provide general information and guidance to participants and reflects the Region 14 ESC current understanding of the presentation topics and applicable state and federal guidance. The content of this presentation is subject to change as a result of additional information and guidance provided by state and federal agencies with regulatory oversight. These presentation materials are subject to change and may be republished by Region 14 ESC with revisions.