Educator Alexander's Newsletter
AUGUST NEWS
Join Club Brisk Cohort 2! Applications Due AUGUST 15
I am a Club Brisk Member! Apply to join us!
This isn’t your typical ambassador program. It’s a club. A crew. A growing community of educators who love Brisk and love to share it. And yep - you belong here.
You’re already out there making a real impact in your classroom, swapping ideas with colleagues, and telling your teacher besties about Brisk. Club Brisk is your crew - a community of time-saving, no-nonsense educators who love Brisk and want to take it to the next level.
As a member, you’ll get exclusive swag, early updates, insider resources, and opportunities to share Brisk with your school, your community, and even on the big stage (yep - conferences and beyond).
And because we know you’re already juggling a million things, this club is designed to make your life easier, not add more to your plate. Less busywork, more real connections.
We’re ready to launch Cohort 2:
👉 Complete your application by Friday, August 15th to be considered.
📬 Acceptances and next steps will go out on Wednesday, August 20.
⏳ If you're not accepted this round, you’ll still hear from us by Friday, August 22 and will be automatically added to the waitlist for Cohort 3.
So… you in? Apply Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHWJ4iKv0FimM2fNL0z1S9S60YHr7OIuZS9zb92Oad-d5Mpg/viewform?usp=header
AND REMEMBER!
YES, you are being referred by a Club Brisk Member! So on the application, put Desiree Alexander referred you!
Want to be an ISTE + ASCD Board Member? Apply by August 29
Looking for passionate leaders to join the ISTE+ASCD Board!! ISTE+ASCD is seeking dedicated, innovative leaders to serve on the Board of Directors. If you know someone who would make an amazing Board Member, we want to hear from you!
Nominate yourself today and be part of shaping the future of learning. Applications due: August 29, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. EST Submit here: https://hubs.li/Q03z5Xz10
LAST CALL: Application to Present is Open! Due August 4
2026 is the year IDEA will celebrate our 40th birthday. All. Year. Long! We will kick our celebration off in style at IDEAcon 2026, and we want your voice to be heard. Our Call for Proposals for IDEAcon 2026 is officially open, and we are excited to see your amazing, authentic, and meaningful ideas. As we have offered since 2022, IDEAcon will continue to have both an in-person program and a virtual, on-demand program, and regardless of your role in education, there’s a session track for you.
Register below to get your exclusive ticket to Wakelet Community Week 2025 August 4-8!
Brisk Teaching is Coming to Microsoft in August 2025
We’ve always said we’d meet you where you teach. And for many of you, that’s Microsoft. This August, Brisk is expanding into Word, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and more! Want to learn more?
Want to Blog for TCEA?
Are you passionate about sharing your insights, classroom strategies, or innovative tech tips with fellow educators? Do you have a lesson, resource, or story that could help others advance teaching and learning through technology? If so, TCEA’s TechNotes blog is the perfect place for your voice to be heard! This post will walk you through the process of blogging for TCEA. Learn More Here!
TCRE's Affirmation Coloring Books
The Creative Representation Empire is an educational resource company that specializes in culturally representative coloring books and programs. With a growing collection of over a dozen coloring books and social emotional learning curriculum, TCRE's collection utilizes community curated images, affirmations, and educational content to create an immersive hands-on learning experience. What started off as a way to affirm a little Black girl in Louisiana who was experiencing colorism for the first time has grown into an empire of creative representation that seeks to take the loneliness out of childhood and bring art back into everyday learning.
Resources about our work:
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!
Proposals for the ISTE+ASCD Expert Webinar Series DUE AUGUST 8
ISTE+ASCD Expert Webinars are an exclusive benefit for ISTE+ASCD members and highlight the experience of our ISTE+ASCD Community Leaders, as well as other ISTE+ASCD experts including ISTE+ASCD authors, ASCD Faculty, ISTE Certified Educators, ASCD Emerging Leaders, ISTE+ASCD Certified Instructional Leader, and past ISTE+ASCD Award Winners.
We are extending our ISTE+ASCD Expert Webinar Call for Proposals until August 8.
You can submit a proposal through August 8 - and there are office hours available if you need them. You can find them at the bottom of this email.
Great Resources with Seesaw
Classroom Dailies
August Classroom Dailies are here! Check out these daily recommended activities tailored to be timely, thematic, and captivating for students throughout the month!
Curriculum Updates
Coming soon - Over 100 NEW Benchmark Assessments for Math and ELA! Use them as placement tests for Back to School and then continue to monitor progress against them throughout the school year!
Yourway Learning Free for August!
Yourway Learning, the leader in AI-powered K-12 education solutions, delivers a comprehensive platform that reduces teacher workload, drives instructional coherence at scale, and streamlines lesson planning. Built on extensive research and developed by educators who have dedicated their careers to teaching and learning, Yourway empowers districts to ensure consistent, high-quality instruction while giving teachers the flexibility and autonomy to personalize learning for their students.
- Try it FREE: Yourway AI Platform Link Access
- Informational flyer: Yourway Innovation Impact Flyer
Welcome to Your Teaching Circle with Pear Deck
Share ideas and grow your craft as part of our new community for GoGuardian + Pear Deck Learning educators. This is the place for you and your fellow teachers, coaches, and admins to swap resources, ask questions, and talk shop. Pull up a chair!
Join the #TeachAidImpact Campaign
We want to hear why you love TeachAid! Share your story on social media, tag us, and include #TeachAidImpact for a chance to win exciting prizes:
• Gift cards
• Premium TeachAid access
• Exclusive TeachAid swag
Whether it’s a time-saving feature, a student success story, or how TeachAid brought joy back to your teaching, your story inspires us all. Post today and join the movement!
We may repost your content (with credit) to inspire others.
Bonjour! Hola! 你好! Say Hello to New Teaching Tools from PBS Learning
How to Access PBS LearningMedia Resources in 13 Different Languages!
Did you know that we offer a wide range of high-quality, free educational resources in 13 different languages to support diverse classrooms and learners? Whether you're looking for materials in Spanish, French, or Hmong, use the search bar to look for your topic of interest, then filter by language on the left side of the screen to easily discover videos, lesson plans, and interactive tools in the language you need. PBS LearningMedia also has thousands of resources that support language learning and can help your students explore different cultures, broaden their understanding of the world, and foster curiosity about global perspectives!
Can a Lost Language Be Saved?
Take students on a journey deep into the North Carolina Mountains, where efforts to preserve the Cherokee language connect science, history, and culture. This resource showcases how linguistic documentation, community engagement, and innovative teaching are reviving a language that nearly disappeared. Perfect for middle and high school classrooms, this resource will encourage discussions about cultural identity and Indigenous knowledge and will inspire your students to consider how language preservation shapes our understanding of heritage and history.
Explore the American Sign Language Collection From PBS KIDS
With resources from popular series like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Donkey Hodie, and Alma’s Way, this collection offers a rich and engaging suite of full-episode videos and clips that prioritizes accessibility for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students. Featuring an on-screen ASL interpreter, these resources foster language development, social-emotional learning, and cultural awareness, while normalizing visual language communication in everyday learning.
Explore More PBS LearningMedia Resources
- Greetings From Around the World | Let's Go Luna! (PreK-2)
- Stories of Tribal Language Resilience (9-12)
- Introduce Your Students to the Basics of Latin Grammar (9-12)
- Use Storytelling to Teach Spanish to Early Learners | Salsa (K-2)
- Explore Japanese Language and Culture With Irasshai (9-12)
- Story and a Song/Historia y una canción (6-12)
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
Back-to-School Tech Reset: 10 Things to Do Before August
Stop Chasing Every New AI Tool: A Teacher’s Guide to Sustainable Technology
Digital Activities to Help You Relax and Chill
10 Free Tools for New Teachers
How to Free Up Your Time and Energy with Powerful Questions
Save Time with These Nine Chrome Omnibox Tricks
Educators Can Get Office 365 for FREE
A Couple More Google Updates
To Stay Updated, Watch ALL Here or Teacher Appreciation Week 2025: Resources for Engaging Students in the Classroom 📚✨
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!!!!
In this month's Google for Education newsletter, get a closer look at Gemini for Education, a version of the Gemini app built for the educational community, and discover our brand-new Learning Center with resources designed for educators. Plus, learn about Lenovo Chromebook Plus, the most advanced Chromebook yet with Google AI built-in, and how educators can receive complimentary training with purchase. We also share a new Chromebooks course, a handy toolkit for driving AI adoption, and three ways Gemini can be your thought partner. Read on for more!
Empower learning with Gemini for Education - a version of the Gemini app purpose-built for the unique needs of the educational community. Built with Gemini 2.5 Pro, the world's leading model for learning, Gemini for Education provides default access to our premium AI models, plus enterprise-grade data protection and an admin-managed experience as a core Workspace service — all included in your Google Workspace for Education plan free of charge.
Say hello to the new Learning Center. Browse free-of-charge courses, get certifications to distinguish yourself as an educator or IT admin, and earn credentials with our Champions programs.
Designed to boost everyday excellence with AI and a premium user experience, the sleek Lenovo Chromebook Plus is the world’s first Chromebook with 50 TOPs NPU and supercharged with Google AI. Thin and light, this intelligent device is built to keep up with on-the-move educators and staff, enabling the longest battery life ever on Chromebook Plus.
This month's virtual session is on Chrome Management for K-12. Join us on July 29 to learn essential strategies for effectively managing Chrome devices and browsers within educational environments. Sign up to watch live or on demand.
AI Activity: Draft a letter of recommendation
Have students heading off to college? Use Gemini to draft a letter of recommendation for a student applying to college based on notes you've taken. Try this prompt: "Acting as a high school teacher, write a college letter of recommendation for Jeremy using the information I've provided". Watch the video to see it in action.
Gemini and NotebookLM Admin Enablement Guide
Use this toolkit to drive awareness and adoption of Gemini and NotebookLM in your educational institution. The toolkit includes an overview of our tools, email templates to streamline communications, AI literacy resources, and more.
Google Vids Education Film Festival
Lights, camera, educate! The inaugural Google Vids Education Film Festival is still accepting submissions. Educators with access to Google Vids can submit a short film for a chance to inspire the next wave of storytellers and be featured in a Google blog post. Vids is available to users with an Education Plus or Gemini Education license. Submit your vid by September 19, 2025!
We're thrilled to share resource from ISTE with you: Demo Slam presentations in session descriptions, a summary of all the products and features the Google team demoed, and our Haiku generator.
Visit the Learning Center to try out our newest course on Chromebooks. You'll learn ways to supercharge your teaching workflow, create engaging content for students, and try out Class tools.
Teacher Approved apps for students of all abilities
In honor of Disability Pride Month, check out this collection of high-quality Teacher Approved apps designed to support and celebrate students of all abilities--curated by the global nonprofit organization, Inclusion Matters by Shane's inspiration in partnership with Google Play.
Shape the future of edtech together
Help shape the future of educational technology by lending your expertise. Join our User Research Panel to help us make Google for Education tools better for your school, students and you.
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
Subscribe to All: https://www.educatoralexander.com/subscribe
Newsletter: https://www.educatoralexander.com/newsletter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/educatoralex
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EducatorAlexander
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educatoralexander
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/EducatorAlexander
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/educatoralexander
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/educatoralexander
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@educatoralexander
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/educatoralexander.bsky.social