Educator Alexander's Newsletter
NOVEMBER NEWS
Edpuzzle Ambassdor 26 Applications NOW OPEN and Close November 7
Empower, support, and advocate for teachers using Edpuzzle in your region or country. This set of videos will help you apply to be a part of this highly selective community. Applications will be open once a year. Apply for Edpuzzle Ambassador26
🎶 The Flocab student voice contest is now LIVE!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Flocabulary Student Voice Contest! This is an incredible opportunity for your students to showcase their creativity and voice 🎤
Invite your students to research, write, and rhyme about a historical figure who inspires them, for a chance to have their rap turned into a real Flocabulary video and lesson! This is a fantastic way to engage students with history and literacy in a fun, innovative way.
✨Contest Details
- Categories: Two winners will be selected - one from Grades K–5 and one from Grades 6–12.
- Collaboration: Winners will collaborate with Flocabulary lyricists and artists to bring their words to life in a professionally produced video.
- Deadline: Submissions are due by Sunday, Nov. 30, at 11:59 pm ET.
Ready to get started?
Let's inspire and empower students together! Share this exciting opportunity with your students and encourage them to express their unique voices through the power of hip-hop.
Family Engagement for Digital Literacy & Well-Being PD Workshop November 6
Family Engagement for Digital Literacy & Well-Being
Thursday, November 6, 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
In this session, we'll discuss parent motivations and buy-in for teaching digital literacy skills at home. Participants will gain tips on boosting parent and caregiver confidence in guiding their child's media and tech use, plus takeaway resources to help families engage in conversation (and play!) with kids for their well-being. Can't make the live webinar? Register anyway and we'll share the recording afterward.
The Department of Education in a Shutdown: What’s Actually Happening and What It Means for Schools
Learn how the 2025 federal government shutdown impacts the Department of Education, K-12 and higher ed funding, compliance, and district operations. Read here.
Have You Caught On Yet?
Thousands are loving Choo Choo Zoo with Big Buddy Roger! Subscribe so you know when new episodes drop! Big Buddy Roger entertains preschoolers by using the alphabet, animal fun facts and affirmations. Subscribe today!
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month in Your Classroom!
Explore the Indigi-Genius Collection
Kick off Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month, beginning November 1, with this exciting collection that will help your students dive into the scientific and cultural impact of Indigenous creations on the past and present! From erecting water management systems to building sustainable communities using adobe brick, your students can analyze the “Indigi-Genius” solutions applied by Indigenous communities to architecture, food, farming, design, engineering, and so much more.
Joseph Brant/Thayendanegea: Native Sovereignty During the Revolutionary War
Have your students ever considered how the American Revolution affected the Native peoples of the United States? Meet Joseph Brant: a Mohawk leader, soldier, and statesman who challenged the emerging United States during the Revolutionary War. Your students will use video clips from the upcoming series The American Revolution, primary sources, and thought-provoking questions to explore how Brant navigated loyalty, identity, and survival during a time of war while they engage in conversations about Native alliances, the costs of exclusion from nation-building, and the enduring fight for Indigenous rights.
How Native Women Are Revolutionizing Film Narratives
In this resource from Sovereign Innovations, our host Cheyenne Bearfoot takes us on a journey celebrating the power, stories, and brilliance of Indigenous women in film. Your students will be able to explore the many ways that Indigenous women are reshaping the landscape of cinema today, including challenging stereotypes and reclaiming narratives.
Learn Alaska Native History Alongside Molly & Elizabeth
When tourists arrive at the Denali Trading Post looking for a “real” Alaska Native tour guide, Molly and Tooey’s feelings are hurt when the tourists decide they don’t meet their expectations of Alaska Natives. Use this animated story from the PBS KIDS series Molly of Denali to help your students learn about Elizabeth Peratrovich, an activist who helped pass the first state or territorial anti-discrimination act in the United States, as they explore the Alaska Native history and values that are held strong today.
Explore More PBS LearningMedia Resources
- Interactive Image: Learn About Indigenous Civic Actors (6-12)
- Meet Native Americans Who Are Changing the World (6-12)
- Interactive: A Cheyenne Odyssey | Mission US (6-8)
- On the Edge of the Wind: Learn About Native Storytellers & the Land (3-12)
- The American Buffalo & the Concept of Indigenous Peoplehood (9-12)
- Introduce Your Students to Native American Dishes | The Plate Show (K-5)
- Preserving the Ways of the Wind River Indian Reservation: Culture, Traditions, & Language (6-8)
FREE Professional Learning Events for Educators
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
Digital SEL Strategies for a Joyous Classroom
An Autumnal Ed Tech Refresh for Teachers
Canva Letter Frames: Creative Ideas for Any Classroom
From Chaos to Clarity: Digital Routines to Transform Your Classroom
Standards that Stick: Boundaries and Expectations in Leadership
AI Safety for Grades 7–12: Privacy, Consent, and Media Smarts
Five Instructional Strategies for Supporting English-Language Learners
Educators Can Get Office 365 for FREE
A Couple More Google Updates
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!!!!
Within Google Classroom, you can now create a NotebookLM or Gem based on your Classroom materials, then make it available to help students deepen their understanding and study. Try a "Quiz me" Gem, or create a mindmap and flashcards in NotebookLM! Learn more
Read Along in Google Classroom helps your students practice their reading skills while getting real-time support from a reading buddy. Take our new training for educators, available free of charge in our Learning Center. Learn more
Within Read Along in Google Classroom, you can now select "Write with AI" in the toolbar to generate stories with help from Gemini. Try entering a learning standard and/or words that need practice for a customized story. Learn more
Explore tips & ideas for using Gemini in Classroom
Get started with Gemini in Classroom, a suite of AI tools available free of charge for educators. Explore use cases, tips, and best practices for how to get help with common tasks.
Share how you are using Gemini!
Help other educators by sharing your best Gemini tips. Submit your idea for the chance to receive a special prize and be featured on Google for Education's social channels.
Gemini Certification for educators
Demonstrate your understanding of Gemini and responsible integration of Google AI for enhanced productivity, student success, and innovative learning experiences. Register for a certification exam, free of charge.
Gemini certification for university students
Google for Education is excited to announce the launch of new Gemini Certifications for university students (18+). This is a chance for students to validate core skills in using Gemini and other Google AI tools to enhance learning, creativity, and productivity.
Enriching classrooms with music education on YouTube
Check out our new Music Education series, "Think Like a Musician." This partnership combines the power of TED-Ed, a beloved learning channel, Education Through Music’s reputable curriculum, and professional artists to bring high-quality music education resources to teachers around the world. Teachers can share videos through the YouTube Player for Education, a distraction-free embedded video player inside Google Classroom.
Letters D and W are for Digital Wellbeing
Google and Sesame Workshop are teaming up to help kids build healthy relationships with technology. New videos and digital resources featuring the beloved Muppets of Sesame Street teach children, families and caregivers how to create healthy digital habits — from how to "stop and take a breath" when using digital media to prioritizing connections with loved ones.
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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