Educator Alexander's Newsletter
SEPTEMBER NEWS
Get One Month of Brisk Teaching Premium for Free!
Want to get one month of Premium Brisk Teaching for free?
Here is the link you can use!
Enter to Win for Hispanic Heritage Month
Enter to win one of the 5 copies of our newest coloring book Discover Culture through Color: Hispanic Countries Volume I:
- Discover Culture Through Color is the newest of TCRE's coloring book series dedicated to sharing the uniqueness of culture differences. This coloring book features 6 Hispanic countries Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. Throughout this book you will get to learn about each country, individuals from those countries that have led the way in creating innovation, art, and breaking records around the world, and cultural recipes to try at home. Don't miss the opportunity to bring culture to your classrooms or in-home library!
Invitation to a Community from EduMatch's Dr. Sarah Thomas (Free Until Sept. 10)
This is your invitation to join a vibrant community of educators who are growing, learning, and recharging together. Inside, we’ll share conversations that spark joy: from professional insights to real-life wisdom beyond the classroom.
☑️Live + recorded sessions on topics you choose
☑️Meaningful discussions (work + life)
☑️A supportive network built around connection and happiness
Right now, I’m opening the doors to founding members for free before our official launch on my birthday, September 10. After that, the group will be paid, but you can lock in your spot today at no cost.
Apple Education Community: Get a Head Start on Back to School
Start the school year strong with creativity projects, community, and more:
- Become an Apple Learning Coach to transform teaching and drive innovation with Apple technology. Apply today
- Apple Learning Coach Virtual Information Session on September 30: Learn about Apple Learning Coach, a free online certification program that trains instructional coaches to support teachers in building skills and deepening learning with Apple technology. Sign up
- From icebreakers to lesson planning, connect with educators who share how they use iPad and Mac to support teaching and learning. Visit the Apple Education Community
- Bring learning to life on iPad by creating podcasts, video edits, photo art, and more creative projects. Explore now
- Encourage students to express their creativity. Start a Swift Student Coding Club with new learning resources. Get started
Are You a Kami User? Check Out These Updates!
Kami Updates August 2025
Check out our fresh features for back to school. All designed to save time, support every learner, and make teaching easier. Click here to explore the latest updates.
Common Sense Education Updates
Here are some updates from Common Sense Education!
- Want support? Join Common Sense FACE, a free family engagement program open to all family advocates, from school districts to early childhood programs and community organizations. Enroll for 2025-2026 now!
- Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum has been UDPATED! Free K–8 lessons to prepare students for life in the digital world. Our updated curriculum readies students for the possibilities—and pitfalls—of today's always-on world, from AI literacy to cyberbullying, screen time, and more. Here is the Digital Literacy and Well-Being One Pager.
- Common Sense Media and Day of AI have teamed up to launch a free toolkit, featuring a video and interactive activities to help families and educators explore AI together.
- Upcoming webinar for educators: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 - From Lines to Loops: Simple Steps for Collaborative Parent Conversations
- New Digital Literacy & Well-Being Resources for Family Engagement
First Year Teachers Get Diffit For Free (and Others Get 90 Days Free Using My Link)
Diffit for First Year Teachers: Start here to get free premium access to Diffit through June 30th, 2026. You can also learn about Diffit in this quick video.
Not a first year teacher? You can still get a free 90 day premium trial or extend your free trial by 90 days by using my link!
Screencastify Webinars, Resources and Enter to Win
*****Share Your Feedback For a Chance to Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
We want to hear from you! Share your experience with our product using the link below – just record a short video about how you use our tools, what you love, or what we could improve.
Every video you submit counts as an entry to win a $100 Amazon gift card. Your feedback helps shape the future of Screencastify, and you get a chance to win – it’s a win-win!
*****Join our Upcoming Webinars
See what’s new in Screencastify and learn tips to work smarter with video:
What's New with Screencastify
See the newest tools and enhancements in Screencastify, watch quick demos, and get practical tips to create, edit, and share videos faster and easier than ever.
September 4, 2025, 3:30 PM CDT Register Now
Screencastify x LG: Teach, Reach, Repeat
Learn how to elevate your in-classroom curriculum and amplify student engagement—anytime, anywhere—with Screencastify and the LG Createboard.
September 10, 2025, 1 PM CDT Register Now
*****Explore Our New Guides
Get the resources you need to get started and make the most of Screencastify:
Back-to-School Guide
Kick off the year with practical tips, ideas, and strategies to use Screencastify for teaching, communication, and workflow efficiency. Download Now
Quick-Start Guide
New to Screencastify? This guide walks you through setup, recording, editing, and sharing so you can start creating videos in minutes. Download Now
ISTE+ASCD Updates
ISTE and ASCD membership officially joining together this September
We are officially coming together for a unified membership - and that means that not only will you keep access to your core benefits, but you will have a chance to have the best of both memberships. Check out this brief FAQ document here, and if you have questions, hop into the thread on Connect.
2026 Call For Participation opening soon
Exciting news! The Call for Participation (CFP) for the co-located ISTELive and ASCD Annual 2025 conferences will open for submissions on September 3! Get ready to share your expertise and innovative ideas with educators from around the world. We'll be sending out more information soon, so keep an eye on this newsletter and the ISTE and ASCD websites for details on how to submit your proposal.
Get practical tips on how to reduce stress and enhance well-being
Educators have limited bandwidth and need manageable strategies to support them in their everyday work. Based on the book, Pathways to Wellbeing, Wellbeing for Educators Jump Start Guide discusses how applying six key elements can help you find the balance you need in your life and work. Plus learn more from the author in the podcast episode, "Three Simple Practices to Maintain Balance and Joy in Our Tech-Driven Lives," on ISTE's Learning Unleashed podcast on BAM Radio.
Making it Personal: The Future of Professional Learning
Personalized online professional learning has crucial advantages for educators. That includes letting them take greater ownership of their development. Read more on ISTE+ASCD newest blog post.
Scholarships Now Available: NEW AI Course from ISTE+ASCD
ISTE+ASCD will be launching a new 15-hour course titled AI Deep Dive for Educators. Scholarships are available for PK-12 educators and higher ed professionals located in the U.S., U.S. Territories, and American International Schools. Applications are now open until September 14, 2025.
Seesaw Updates for September
Welcome Back to School!
As you settle in or prepare for students to come back to school, check out these helpful tips to make this year a success with Seesaw!
Highlights Templates
Get in the habit of student reflection and documentation from Day 1! Our highlights templates are set up in a repeatable format that allows students to document online and offline learning and classwork to showcase proficiency and growth.
Simplified Student Experience
The updated student activity flow allows teachers to guide students effortlessly through activities with a simplified, guided interface. This refreshed experience in activities makes it easier for students to start activities, access content, and complete assignments independently.
Classroom Dailies
September Classroom Dailies are here! Check out these daily recommended activities tailored to be timely, thematic, and captivating for students throughout the month!
Join Our Upcoming Webinar
You don’t need to go outside of Seesaw to experience the benefits of time-saving AI! Join us for a live session on September 16th where we will showcase all of Seesaw’s AI tools that are currently available and a sneak peek into what is coming!
Back to School Made Easy ✅ New Tutorials & PD from PBS LearningMedia
New Tips: 10 Hacks for Making the Most Out of PBS LearningMedia
As the school year kicks into gear, PBS LearningMedia is here to support your classroom planning, helping you integrate trusted, high-quality media, discussion questions, and more to deepen learning and supplement your curriculum. From taking a teacher-guided tour of PBS LearningMedia to exploring how to use the "Lesson Builder" tool from the PBS LearningMedia Tutorials collection, this article is full of time-saving and value-adding hacks from expert PBS LearningMedia users, team members, and teachers like you. We're here to help you make this the best year yet!
Tip: Be sure to bookmark this article to save it and use it throughout the school year!
How to Use the "Fabulous Filters" Feature to Find the Perfect Resources
Learn how to quickly and easily find the classroom resources that meet your needs using the filter tool on PBS LearningMedia! In this video, 2020 PBS Digital Innovator All Star and Emmy award-winning host of DIY Science Time Mister C walks you through the filter function, which makes it easy to sort content by grade, subject, resource type, video length, language, and more. Whether you're searching for a specific video, lesson plan, interactive, or printable, this tutorial will help you save time and discover high-quality, standards-aligned materials to engage your students.
How to Assign Classroom Resources To Google Classroom
You can easily assign PBS LearningMedia resources through Google Classroom. Here’s how! In this quick tutorial, Mister C walks through how to seamlessly share videos, lesson plans, and interactive content from PBS LearningMedia directly to your Google Classroom. It’s simple to connect the platforms, assign content to students, and support remote or blended learning with standards-aligned media.
Discover New Resources Using the "Related Topics" Feature
Find even more classroom-ready content and resources that meet your planning needs with the “Related Topics” feature on PBS LearningMedia! Follow along with Mister C as he guides you through how to explore connected subjects and themes using the "Related Topics" tool and the "Filter" feature. It’s easier than ever to extend a lesson, deepen student understanding, and discover new resources across content areas.
Create a Distraction-Free Student Learning Experience With the "Focus View" Tool
Streamline your lessons and reduce distractions when using PBS LearningMedia with the “Focus View” tool! Mister C guides you through how to activate “Focus View,” a feature that removes surrounding content and keeps the spotlight on a single video, making it easier for your students to stay engaged when you're accessing PBS LearningMedia content. Whether you’re projecting a video in class or assigning it for independent viewing, this tool supports a smoother, distraction-free learning experience.
Jump Start Your School Year by Becoming a Common Sense Educator TODAY!
The Common Sense Recognition Program provides a road map for creating a positive culture of digital learning. This free program includes professional learning, teaching lessons, tips and resources for engaging families around learning with media and tech, and opportunities for educators to reflect on their own classroom technology practices. Plus you get a certification and a badge that shows how awesome you are and how hard you've worked and get an invitation to become a Common Sense Ambassador!
All applications for the 2025-2026 school year are due May 8, 2026 (BUT DO IT NOW BEFORE YOU FORGET...🤷🏾♀️💯🫨).
*Don't forget about becoming a Common Sense School and a Common Sense District too!
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
The Perfect Back-to-School Resource: First Five
The World Above the Low Expectation of Students Cheating with AI
Avoiding Burnout: A Roadmap for Ed Tech Leaders
Six Back to School Activities to Engage Your Students
Empower Student App Creators with Vibes DIY
Integrating Digital Literacy and Well-Being into Everyday Teaching
Educators Can Get Office 365 for FREE
A Couple More Google Updates
To Stay Updated, Watch ALL Here or Education Stories | Case Studies & User Experiences
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!!!!
Millions of students around the world are preparing to start classes this month, while millions more are already in the midst of the academic year. In this month's Google for Education newsletter, check out the new Gemini app tools designed to help students study better, and discover how schools are saving money and increasing cybersecurity with Chromebook Plus and Google Workspace for Education. You'll also get a glimpse into Grow with Google's AI trainings for students, expert-led sessions on using AI for schoolwork, and Career Dreamer, an experimental tool that uses AI to help people uncover personalized career paths. Review our Launch Guide and read more below for a full list of everything new for students and schools across Gemini, NotebookLM, and more.
To help make the school year even better, we're making our most advanced AI tools available to students for free, including our new Guided Learning mode. Starting this month, students (ages 18+) can sign-up for a 12 month Google AI Pro plan for free. Learn more about our tools or sign up for the free 12-month Google AI Pro plan by October 6. Learn more
3 new Gemini app tools to help students learn, understand and study even better
We’re rolling out a suite of learning tools in Gemini for everyone. The features are designed to foster critical thinking, deepen understanding and make studying more efficient. Here's a look at what's new. Learn more
We’re providing $1 billion in funding over three years for American education, including AI literacy programs, research funding and cloud computing resources. We’re also announcing the Google AI for Education Accelerator, an initiative to offer free AI training to every college student in America. Over 100 public universities, including the University of Michigan, The Ohio State University, the University of Virginia have already signed up. We invite all accredited non-profit colleges and universities in the U.S. to apply. Learn more
This month, you can learn from leaders at Kunskapsskolan, The Knowledge School, in Sweden, discover the power of Chromebook Plus for teachers and learn how to build effective data protection rules in the Admin Console. Register now to watch live or on demand. Check it out
Going beyond the answer with Guided Learning
Guided Learning encourages participation through probing and open-ended questions that spark a discussion and provide an opportunity to dive deeper into a subject. The aim is to help you build a deep understanding instead of just getting answers. Whether you’re preparing for an exam about enzymes, starting the first draft of a paper on the importance of bee populations in supporting our food systems, or exploring your passion for photography, Guided Learning is a collaborative thinking partner that helps you get it — each step of the way.
Back-to-School Admin Checklist for Google Classroom
Make the most of the Google Classroom experience with this admin checklist. Automatically sync rosters; integrate your SIS and top EdTech tools; assign licenses and permissions for access to premium features; set up default grading settings, and more.
NotebookLM is now available to students of all ages
NotebookLM is now available for younger users to help them learn, study and understand their class materials. NotebookLM has stricter content policies for users under 18 that help prevent potentially inappropriate or harmful responses. Additionally, it is a Core Service and users’ chats and the sources they upload are not human reviewed or used to train AI models.
Brisk and Google: Works Where You Do
Brisk is an AI-powered Chrome and Edge extension that helps educators plan, give feedback, differentiate, translate, create materials and support learning — right inside Docs, Slides, and the web. Streamline your workflow with AI designed specifically for schools and districts.
Study smarter with Google AI: AI training for students
Grow with Google has a series of expert-led training videos to help students learn how to boost their learning, deepen understanding, and refine projects with Google AI tools. Watch them here.
Explore new career possibilities with Career Dreamer
Career Dreamer is an experimental tool from Grow with Google that uses AI to help people uncover their skills and a variety of personalized career paths based on their unique experiences and interests. Start exploring today.
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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