News
Lesson Planning: Back to Basics External Link Icon opens in new window or tab
We should always be asking ourselves, how can I improve my lessons on a daily, weekly, semester, and yearly basis.
Tech Tools to Help Students Improve Their Writing External Link Icon opens in new window or tab
As we plan for back-to-school and the start of a new school year, take a look at some of these websites that teachers use to help students become better writers.
Making Online Courses More Interactive External Link Icon opens in new window or tab
Boredom that leads to disengagement is one of the challenges we have to overcome if we want our online courses to be successful and impactful.
Rethinking Homework External Link Icon opens in new window or tab
One of the areas in which technology can enhance the learning process is in the realm of homework.
New USA Learns Course Launched! External Link Icon opens in new window or tab
USA Learns has launched a new beginning high / intermediate low course: English 1 Plus.
In case you missed it…
Over the summer, we posted the video presentations by our seven DLAC (Digital Leadership Academy) teams to our YouTube channel. You can watch those videos and see what the teams have been up to and what they are planning for in 2019-2020! http://bit.ly/2Of0O6r External Link Icon opens in new window or tab
Spotlight On ...
OTAN at the 2019 ISTE Conference
At the end of June, OTAN staff members attended the 2019 ISTE Conference in Philadelphia. ISTE is a four-day, jam-packed conference that brings together teachers, administrators, trainers, academics, and others to learn about and discuss all things technology in education. For us at OTAN, it is a great opportunity to consider edtech to share with our adult ed colleagues in California.
We posted a number of news items related to our time at ISTE. First, if you would like to take a look at presentation slides and handouts that are freely available on the conference website, read our news item Take Advantage of ISTE Conference Resources External Link Icon opens in new window or tab 
on how to do so. We also published some news items on some of our highlights, including:
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Using Augmented Reality in the Classroom External Link Icon opens in new window or tab – AR, VR (virtual reality), and MR (mixed reality) were red-hot topics at ISTE. Here are some links to sessions that discussed how to use AR in the classroom in a number of ways.
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Making Classroom Presentations More Engaging External Link Icon opens in new window or tab – Two ways to do so, with links to ISTE-related sessions, include video and memes.
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Giving Students a Voice in Your Classroom External Link Icon opens in new window or tab – Another hot topic at ISTE was how to give students a voice, amplify that voice, and give students ownership over their own learning.
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Gamifying Professional Development External Link Icon opens in new window or tab – Gamification is another topic that received a lot of attention. If you are involved in helping train teachers are your site, take a look at some of the ISTE resources on this topic.
Next year's ISTE conference will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center from June 28 to July 1. For those who have never been, be aware that it will begin on Sunday and continue through Wednesday. Start saving your professional development funds and consider attending ISTE 2020!
Take a look at our upcoming events!