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Success With Your LMS

In recent years, the emergence of classroom technology has revolutionized traditional K12 learning environments. From the way students learn to the way instructors teach, using technology is standard in every classroom in America. The accessibility of digital platforms provide a wealth of benefits for not only students but for teachers. The ability to have all classroom information at your fingertips, no matter where you are, is an essential part of a successful learning experience…

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Keeping Students Connected, Focused, and Engaged During Remote Learning

Keeping Students Connected, Focused, and Engaged During Remote Learning

Jeremy Walts

Senior Director of Product Marketing • Math, Science and Digital Learning • National Geographic Learning | Cengage

A friend of mine is an educational administrator for STEM in my district. While an avid tech user himself, he has often questioned technology use in education. He emphasizes teacher development and using research-based high-impact strategies with an eye toward equity. Hard to argue with that. But now, given the move to remote learning, his views about technology are beginning to change.

But let’s step back for a moment. COVID has brought such difficult challenges that we all feel every day but we can also look at the opportunities that arise from crisis. For example, we are seeing districts across the country supplying devices and internet to many households that could otherwise not afford it. While this is a small step toward equity, it is a step. Second, teachers all over the country are learning new tools. I suspect that when COVID subsides, and the long-awaited day comes when students and teachers can safely come together again, these tools will still have a role. 

Back to my friend. Since the move to remote learning, the district quickly adopted an online learning program over the summer. Now my friend talks about the engagement students have with technology, the consistency of the content, and the advantage for a teacher seeing real-time data on student progress. Certainly, he knows the limitations of tech, but he sees the power, too.

A digital platform, powered by a dedicated teacher, can open pathways of learning for students. One of our online learning platforms here at National Geographic Learning, MindTap, is a good example as I look at online educational technologies through the lens of distance learning. 

Using MindTap as a teacher, you know your students have one place to go for their content and can independently study when you cannot be there. You can track their usage to see which students have engaged with the program and for how long.  Students take on manageable segments of learning and then take formative assessments. In real-time, you can see where they are progressing, and where they are struggling.  The platform contains powerful visual images with associated lessons so you can teach live and have an exploratory discussion about the images. You can make the course personalized by inserting your own web link activities right in the students’ learning path. 

Some of these features are not unique to MindTap, but they provide a good example of how online learning can be made more effective with the right tools. And while screen time is a concern, many recent studies show that any concern should be more about the quality of the screen time and not the quantity. 

We may not know for a while if these tools become more prevalent after schools return to normalcy. I suspect they will be, though time will tell.

To learn more about MindTap, I have provided several videos below.

Introduction to MindTap

Quick MindTap Introduction

MindTap for Distance Learning

In-Depth Overview and Highlighted Features

Full MindTap Overview

Differentiating Assignments

Customizing MindTap

Google Classroom Integration

The Study Hub for Students

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Jimmy Chin and the Tyranny of Passion: A Letter To Your Students

Jimmy Chin and the Tyranny of Passion: A Letter To Your Students

Marcie Goodale

Product Director • Social Studies and Advanced Placement • National Geographic Learning | Cengage

Some of you may have seen the person pictured on this page, National Geographic photographer Jimmy Chin, win an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in February 2019.

Jimmy is a man of many talents. He won the Oscar for producing a documentary on Alex Hannold, an American professional rock climber who had completed a “free solo” climb—meaning no ropes, harnesses, or protective equipment—of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Jimmy himself is a professional climber, skier, photographer, and now filmmaker.

As writers and editors for a World History textbook for National Geographic Learning, we have access to hundreds of National Geographic Explorers and photographers. All of them are completely brilliant and inspired and doing work that contributes to the common good either by capturing ideas and images that reveal our world to us in new ways or by using their considerable knowledge and creative skills to innovate new processes and new approaches in their fields.

When several of us were in the audience at a National Geographic Explorers Symposium in 2018, we watched Jimmy Chin talk with another NatGeo photographer about the work that they both do. He used the phrase “the tyranny of passion” and explained that the words aptly describe the way he lives his life.

Jimmy has found in his work something so fundamental to who he is, something he loves so much, that he simply can’t not do it. His work is so much a part of his thoughts, feelings, and actions that he can’t imagine a different life. Jimmy found what he wants to do with his life. He admits that he found a direction that caught him—and his family—by surprise. He’s never looked back.

The tyranny of passion. Those words have meaning for all of us.

Our message to you, then, is to know that there is something wonderful that you can do with your life, something that draws on your heart and your mind and that you will love to do. You have only to seek it.

Your ideas and your actions are important.
Share them with others.
Be heard.
And along the way, listen to others’ voices too.

From the National Geographic Learning Social Studies team

Interested in our NEW AP® Human Geography Program?

Start school (through distance learning or in a classroom)with a program that meets 100% of the College Board Course and Exam Description and engages students with rigorous but accessible content and stunning resources from the National Geographic Society.
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Engaging Online Students for Career/College Readiness

Engaging Online Students for Career/College Readiness

About the Author: 

“Learning for a life worth living” is the teaching emphasis of Les Dlabay, Professor of Business, Emeritus, at Lake Forest College in Illinois. He has authored or has adaptations of over 40 textbooks in the United States, Canada, India, and Singapore, including Principles of BusinessInternational Business, and Business Finance with National Geographic Learning, a part of Cengage. In addition, he has taught more than 30 different courses in high school, community college, university, teacher preparation, and adult education programs. Three times he has been honored with “The Great Teacher” Award at Lake Forest College. Dr. Dlabay has presented more than 300 workshops and seminars emphasizing interactive learning strategies, team projects, and field research activities. His “hobbies” involve a cereal package collection from more than 100 countries, and banknotes from 200 countries, which are used to teach economic, cultural, and political aspects of global business.

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Emerging Issues in Digital Citizenship

Emerging Issues in Digital Citizenship

Abigail Hess

Associate Product Marketing Manager • Career and Technical Education • National Geographic Learning | Cengage

If you google “Digital Citizenship Activities,” you’ll find thousands of videos, examples and suggestions. Use Google Scholar for the same search, and you’ll be practicing just a small piece of the World-Wide-Web-sized library of skills that relate to Digital Citizenship. While there are many, many sets of standards out there created to ensure that graduating students will be able to responsibly and safely use technology, it should go without saying that what we define as “Digital Citizenship” will change constantly as our relationship to technology changes and the availability of new technologies arrive each day. How and what should we be teaching digital natives, who are raised on iPhones and iPads and are often more apt to fix a technology issue in the classroom before tech support arrives at your door?

  1. The changing Course 1927 to Now: Typewriting to Keyboarding to Computing to Computer Science
  2. “Digital Native” does not Mean Students are Digital Literate
  3. Browse Curriculum to Engage Students in Digital Citizenship
  4. Explore National Standards Related to Digital Citizenship

1. The Changing Course 1927 to Now: Typewriting to Keyboarding to Computing to Computer Science

Our sister company, Southwestern Publishing began with the first edition of 20th Century Touch Typewriting over in 1927; a typewriting practice text that transformed to Century21 Computer Skills and Applications in the year 2019. This is a course that transformed from learning to use a typewriter to learning to key on a QWERTY keyboard and expanded to using databases, word processing systems, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as conducting internet research, using technology to problem-solve through career-related cases and basic hardware/software skills. In the last decade, keyboarding courses have moved down from high school to middle school and elementary as one-one schools require students to complete state testing online.

Instead, high school students are more apt to take courses like AP Computer Science Principles, which has grown 184% since its launch in 2016 (College Board). Or they are taking courses in Graphic Arts learning to use digital media-based technologies. The Arts, A/V Technology & Communications career cluster has grown more than any other Career Cluster of the last 10 years with the exception of STEM (Perkins Web Portal). Long-time CTSO organizations like BPA, DECA and FBLA which have offered word-processing-based competitions for the last 10-20 years, are now adding new competitive areas that reflect the increasing use of technology in business like:

  • • MIS (Management Information Systems)
  • • Computer Networking & Security
  • • Object-Oriented Programming
  • • Advanced Databases
  • • 3-D Animation
  • • Computer Problem-Solving

Code.org has done an amazing job tracking state policy and data on students taking computer science courses with a study showing 90% of parents want their children to study computer science while only 45% of high schools even offer it (Code.org).  And this organization as well as others are promoting newly updated CSTA Computer Science Standards for K-12 which goes beyond traditional Business apps like Microsoft Office or basic hardware—“What’s a mouse? A hard drive? A processor? Bits and bytes?”—and software—“What’s an operating system? Productivity and business software?”—to introductory programming, web development, digital ethics, networking, and IT security skills.

Using the CSTA standards, even kindergarteners are engaging in computational thinking. First grades are building programs. Second graders test and debug code—even if that’s with a block-based programming language like SCRATCH, students will be ready to dive deeper and start working with object-oriented languages by middle and high school. However, just because students are much more likely to be familiar with a variety of devices and have started computational thinking doesn’t mean that they come into middle school with the skills to use productivity tools like Google Docs, or Microsoft Office software appropriately for school, college and future careers.

2. “Digital Native” does not Mean Students are Digital Literate

Cengage CAREs (Cengage Computing Analytics and Research in Education) is an ongoing study to advocate for the need for computing and digital literacy courses and found that even today the average score of students entering college on a foundational computing exam was a 44%. This research was conducted in light of the growing trend of administrators in college and high school removing computing courses as mandatory requirements because of the perception that students were already coming to class with a vast experience and handle on new technologies.

While studies have shown that younger generations can type with two thumbs, faster on smart phones than older generations on keyboards may be even more ergonomic issues with the neck and shoulders and could lead to more grammatical errors or unprofessional communication (Baca, Washington Post). While students may grow up using mobile games, social media and surfing the internet, they still need to be taught how to use the power of the web responsibly and how to find reliable information (Sanchez). More and more teachers find that as students rely more and more on the internet for finding information, it can easily become method to find a correct answer and move on, rather than as a resource to build an argument and a means to learn beyond the current task at hand.

Additionally, students will not learn the skills they need to be successful for careers from personal technology use alone. Burning Glass Technologies uses big data to track real-time industry trends and required or recommended skills for careers across the globe from millions of job postings. Consistently the most sought for skills? Soft Skills and Spreadsheets. Two areas students will not learn on their own. Cengage CAREs research found that 86% students entering college were aware that business application skills like Microsoft Office are important to being successful in the work place and 87% had only ever learned Microsoft Office applications inside the classroom. Out of these same students, far less than 45% could complete basic spreadsheet tasks like merging and centering sells, using a SUM function, or building basic charts.

Beyond Microsoft Office, Burning Glass has found that the demand high-growth skills across many job openings is including a need for understanding of: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Natural Language Processing, Cloud Solutions, and Data Visualization—topics that students aren’t apt to discover on their own time.

3. Browse Curriculum to Engage Students in Digital Citizenship 

In a recent survey to hundreds of Computing teachers in higher ed and high school, we found that the key skills that teachers are considering adding to their digital literacy courses replicates the findings of Burning Glass with: Cloud Computing, E-Commerce, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analysis and Digital Ethics. Because of this, all Microsoft Office 2019 MindTap courses and our Technology for Success digital literacy title will include 3 NEW modules for the fall in addition to basic web development, software development and programming, networking and security, which have been added in recent years:

  • • NEW MODULE 12: Digital Transformation: Cloud, E-commerce, and AI 
  • • NEW MODULE 13: Databases (with Big Data Analytics)
  • • NEW MODULE 14: Digital Ethics and Lifestyle 

In summary, Digital Citizenship is not a result of a generation of Digital Natives. While students are entering middle and high school with new skills and a familiarity with digital devices, they are not learning crucial skills like productivity tools and business applications needed for academic and professional life outside of the classroom. They are not learning how to utilize technology to safely and responsibly research information and explore for solutions to real-world problems rather than answers to a worksheet. The future digital citizen will most likely still need to be able to utilize productivity software, practice internet safety and understanding the basics of hardware, software and networking. However, more and more jobs, entrepreneurial activities, and consumer intelligence will also require computational thinking, programming, web design, data analytics, e-commerce, IT security, digital media and artificial intelligence.

Request review access to online and print curriculum here.

While that is definitely way more than what the average student has learned in the past and today, examples are everywhere—from the way we research, to the way we shop, play and communicate with our friends and family. And you’ve got support! Organizations like LaunchCS offer training for even elementary teachers on introducing these crucial skills. Code.org hosts weekly webinars for CS inspiration and training. More and more states are introducing Computer Science standards and greatly increasing funding for teacher training and professional development and teachers interested in using online curriculum with virtual practice can always receive live trainings from Cengage Customer Success Specialists. Find your contact here.

Learn more about curriculum available for computing and information technology here.

4. Explore National Standards Related to Digital Citizenship

In addition some of the standards and trends already mentioned in this post, feel free to explore national standards that consider digital literacy skills that may be beneficial to graduate true digital citizens below.

Common Career Technical Core

Common Career Technical Corse standards meet the need of setting a high bar for CTE programs to graduate students who have mastered “Career Ready Practices” that would benefit any chances for employment in any industry across the 16 National Career Clusters. They are developed from a group effort from the educational sector, academic sector and industry. Including life skills like personal Health and financial well-being to ethical considerations and professional communication skills, the CCTC also requires that students learn to use technology “to enhance productivity.” These standards focus on students being able to use professional software and programs to solve real-world problems while understanding how to use the safely and ethically. These standards also acknowledge that technology and it’s uses change all the time and having the ability to be flexible and to be able to learn the value of new technologies is key.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Partnership for 21st Century skills framework also brings together professionals, educators, and researchers to create standards for a successful life and career after graduation. This framework incorporates Life & Career Skills, Learning & Innovation Skills, and Information, Media & Technology Skills, including:

  • • Information Literacy—accessing/evaluating, and using/managing information found online effectively
  • • Media Literacy—analyze existing media and create effective media for a variety of uses
  • • ICT (Information, Communications, and Technology) Literacy—use a variety of technologies effectively to research and/or communicate

IC3 Certification

The IC3 Digital Literacy Certification is extremely popular for high school students as it is designed to test introductory technology skills that are needed to be a successful digital consumer and employee across many industries. Endorsed by ISTE, SkillsUSA and the Global Digital Literacy Council, many CTE students take the exam to count as an industry aligned credential. The current Global Standard 5 version of the certification includes 3 exams focusing on:

  • • Computing Fundamentals—understanding different types of digital devices and their uses, hardware/software, basics of file usage, cloud computing and security.
  • • Living Online—responsible use of the internet, email and social media, and an understanding of online communication tools like online conferencing and streaming.
  • • Key Applications—introductory skills for Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint; not as comprehensive as a Microsoft Office Specialist or Expert certification on the software.

*Learn more about the MindTap course for IC3 Certification here or request review access.

CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards

Developed by computer science teachers in conjunction with CSTA teachers and administrators, members of code.org and other policy groups with the goal of bringing computer science education to all K-12 students. These standards go well beyond the basics of internet and software safety and ethics that digital citizenship usually entails, and expands what we consider to be crucial technology skills to a new core discipline. 7 Core Practices that students apply in every grade through computer science include:

  1. Fostering an inclusive computing culture
  2. Collaborating around computing
  3. Recognizing and defining computational problems
  4. Developing and using abstractions
  5. Creating computational artifacts
  6. Testing and refining computational artifacts
  7. Communicating about computing

Learn more about curriculum available for computing and information technology here.

Imagine Tomorrow

Tomorrow will not look like today. The way you teach, connect and engage students will continue to evolve. Whether you are continuing distance learning or heading back to classrooms, or a hybrid, we are here to help support you: curriculum, digital support, technical support, and professional training. National Geographic Learning is ready to help your classroom prepare for tomorrow.
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Strategies for Quickly Transitioning Courses to Online for K12 Schools

Strategies for Quickly Transitioning Courses to Online for K12 Schools

During this unprecedented time teachers, parents, and students have been challenged to continue the education process from their homes. This new distance learning challenge is one that takes time to adjust to but there are resources to help! In this virtual learning session Shawn Orr, Director of the Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence Faculty and Communication Studies at Ashland University, and Jennifer Preising-Orr, Certified K-8 educator at Orrville City Schools in Ohio, will outline strategies for quickly transitioning courses to online for K-12 schools.

During this unprecedented time teachers, parents, and students have been challenged to continue the education process from their homes. This new distance learning challenge is one that takes time to adjust to but there are resources to help!

In this virtual learning session Shawn Orr, Director of the Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence Faculty and Communication Studies at Ashland University, and Jennifer Preising-Orr, Certified K-8 educator at Orrville City Schools in Ohio, will outline strategies for quickly transitioning courses to online for K-12 schools.

In this session they will cover,

You can find a PDF of the slides for this presentation here. 

Resources and help for those affected by COVID-19

We're monitoring the spread and impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on K-12 schools across the country. If you've been affected by Coronavirus and are experiencing a school closure, we've collected resources for educators that may help.
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Microsoft Teams and Engagement Tools for Online Teaching with Corinne Hoisington

Microsoft Teams and Engagement Tools for Online Teaching with Corinne Hoisington

Abigail Hess

Associate Product Marketing Manager • Career and Technical Education • National Geographic Learning | Cengage

*Access the recording of Corinne Hoisington’s webinar here. 

Communicating with students and parents has changed drastically as schools across the country have been forced to teach online for the first time this spring, but author Corinne Hoisington sees this as an opportunity to make use of the many free digital tools we have today to engage students in learning even when they can’t be in the classroom.

WATCH author and Computer Science Professor/Teacher Corinne Hoisington walk through some amazing tips and free online tools to start teaching online. Feel free to pause the video and try out these tools as Corinne introduces them. A full list of the tools she mentions are available below in the order they are introduced in the webinar.

Add Closed Captioning to your Virtual Presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint 365

  1. Open Slideshow Tab
  2. Check “Always present with subtitles” 
  3. Under “Subtitle Settings” select which language(se) you want to present with

Microsoft Translate.it

*Free online tool

Allows you to create a personal link that allows a parent or student to login and pick whatever language they prefer.

Google Lens Mobile App

*Free downloadable app

Use your camera to search for what you see in the world. Download at App store  “Google Lens” or on an iPhone, “Google App” on the Apple Store.

Microsoft Immersive Reader

*Free tool inside Microsoft Edge Browser, Microsoft Word for Office 365 and much more.

Make it easier for students to understand online assignments, readings, and articles with a tool that decodes and reformats text to help emerging readers.

Microsoft Teams for Education

*Free online tool and included in Office 365 Subscriptions

  • • Can be used on any platform, including smart phones AND can be integrated into your everyday classrooms even if you are a Google School
    • Many parents may already be familiar with Microsoft Teams as it is often used in the business world
Why Microsoft Teams?
  • • Teach online for free and record your lesson plan
    • Work with your colleagues on projects
    • Share lessons across your school systems
    • 250 students can be live at the same time on video
    • Share content/files with students
    • Share your desktop or pass control for a student to share
    • Whiteboard available 

Flipgrid

*Free online tool

• Easy way to allow students to share short videos to contribute to classroom discussions and share projects
• Offers moderated features where teachers can give an OK for when the rest of your students see other videos uploaded by students
• Includes the ability to use an avatar rather than a video for students who cannot share video

Introduct yourself and share a favorite technology you are using on Corinne Hoisington’s Flipgrid for online learning! 

  1. Go here: https://flipgrid.com/1f7d4ec9
  2. Enter the password: passw0rd (the o is a zero)

*Access the recording of Corinne Hoisington’s webinar here.

Corinne Hoisington is a full-time professor of Information Systems Technology at Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, Virginia, with more than 25 years of teaching experience. Corinne travels over 200,000 miles a year delivering keynote addresses to college and university professors and K-12 educators in over 70 cities worldwide for customers such as the Microsoft Corporation, Microsoft Canada Camp 21 International Events, Cengage Learning, ByteSpeed, Capital One International Bank, Executive LIVE in London and Johannesburg, and the international South by Southwest (SXSW) event in Austin, Texas. Professor Hoisington is the recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in Computer Programming. Corinne has authored over 30 textbooks with National Geographic Learning, a part of Cengage on topics such as Outlook 2019, Office 2019, Microsoft Windows, Android Boot Camp Java, Technology Now, and Visual Basic 2017.

Corinne is a thought leader and curriculum specialist for Virtual Reality. Corinne believes that VR & AR are game-changers in education today. The pedagogies of constructivism and immersive learning show that students learn best by doing or by being. So they shouldn’t just read about history — they should ‘be’ historians. They shouldn’t just study archaeology — they should ‘be’ archaeologists. Let’s raise the next round of inventors through the discovery of a 3D world.

Technology infused pedagogy has the power to transform teaching & learning.  We can now create deeper and authentic learning using digital resources such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence that are now available to both teachers and students. It’s never been a more exciting time for teachers to explore and for schools to stay connected with accessible and current technology to nurture student engagement and success.

Resources and help for those affected by COVID-19

We’re monitoring the spread and impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on K-12 schools across the country. If you’ve been affected by Coronavirus and are experiencing a school closure, we’ve collected resources for educators that may help.
Corinne_Hoisington-March

Microsoft Teams and Engagement Tools for Online Teaching

Microsoft Teams and Engagement Tools for Online Teaching

Communicating with students and parents has changed drastically as schools across the country have been forced to teach online for the first time this spring, but author Corinne Hoisington sees this as an opportunity to make use of the many free digital tools we have today to engage students in learning even when they can’t be in the classroom.

Corinne Hoisington

Professor of Information Systems Technology
Central Virginia Community College, Lynchburg, Virginia

Yes, I'm over the age of 16. I want to receive important National Geographic Learning | Cengage updates and information. *

Communicating with students and parents has changed drastically as schools across the country have been forced to teach online for the first time this spring, but author Corinne Hoisington sees this as an opportunity to make use of the many free digital tools we have today to engage students in learning even when they can’t be in the classroom.

Watch author and Computer Science Professor/Teacher Corinne Hoisington walk through some amazing tips and free online tools to start teaching online.