Self Paced Courses

Discovery Education is a digital learning platform that offers high-quality, standards-aligned content to support instruction across all grade levels and subjects. It provides educators with engaging multimedia resources, instructional strategies, and interactive tools to enhance teaching and learning. Designed to foster student curiosity and independence, Discovery Education helps bring real-world learning into the classroom. In this course you will explore its rich content, and how it can be leveraged to create dynamic learning experiences for students, and how it integrates with Canvas. 

Participants will: 

• Understand how to personalize the Discovery Education landing page

• Locate resources, such as ready-to-use activities, quizzes, interactives, and videos

• Create or customize resources such as DE Studio boards, quizzes, and assessments

• Demonstrate ability to assign and assess learning activities given to students

Alignment to Strategic Plan:

1. Achieving Academic Excellence

2. Future Readiness and Transitional Preparedness

3. Investing in our Staff

Are you new to using Google Workspace for Education or feel like you know just enough to be dangerous? Do you spend way too much time lost or unsure if this is the best way to access something, or if you’re using the best tool for the task? In this course, we will take a deep dive through all things Google in AACPS. 

Participants will: 

• How to manage their account in Google Chrome.

• How to create and organize files in Google Drive including uploading existing files and converting Microsoft files.

• The basic features of Docs, Slides and Drawings.

• How to share files in Google Drive including sharing folders and using Shared Drives.

• How to share Google files with students through your Canvas courses.

• Additional tips for getting and staying organized in Drive through advanced search techniques, the use or Workspaces and using Google Drive for Desktop.

Alignment to Strategic Plan:

• 1. Achieving Academic Excellence

• 2. Future Readiness and Transitional Preparedness

• 3. Investing in our Staff

• 4. Supporting the Whole Child

This self-paced course is designed to help educators effectively use Google Forms to support teaching and learning. The course will showcase practical use cases, such as creating formative assessments, surveys, and digital check-ins, to enhance classroom efficiency and student engagement. Whether you're new to Google Forms or looking to deepen your skills, this course provides the tools and strategies to integrate Forms into your instructional practice.

Participants will: 

• Identify use cases for Google Forms

• Create and customize Google Forms using a variety of question types

• Collect and manage responses

• Analyze data using Google Sheets

Alignment to Strategic Plan:

1. Achieving Academic Excellence

This course will equip educators with the skills to leverage Lumio for designing interactive and captivating lessons. Participants will learn to integrate various multimedia elements and collaborative activities to boost student engagement. Furthermore, the course will cover strategies for effectively tracking student progress and providing meaningful feedback within the Lumio platform, ultimately enhancing the learning experience for all.

Participants will learn to: 

• Build lessons from scratch in Lumio, SMART's online activity creation and delivery system.

• Upload and edit existing files, including all supported file types, to transform them into dynamic Lumio lessons.

• Customize your settings to optimize the Lumio experience for both you and your students.

• Deliver engaging lessons to students, whether they're working independently or collaboratively, in school or outside of the classroom.

• Access and view student results after a lesson, allowing you to monitor learning in real-time or at your convenience.

Alignment to Strategic Plan:

1. Achieving Academic Excellence

2. Future Readiness and Transitional Preparedness

3. Investing in our Staff

4. Supporting the Whole Child

Ready to unlock a world of learning and fun? Dive into Minecraft Education! In this self-paced adventure, you'll not only get Minecraft Education set up on your devices but also discover the magic of game-based learning. We'll explore exciting student projects, master awesome gameplay moves, and even learn to customize your own in-game worlds. Get ready to become a Minecraft Education pro, hosting multiplayer sessions, using cool tools like NPCs, and even dipping your toes into the basics of coding. Let the blocky adventures begin!

• Learn how to install Minecraft Education on various devices.

• Understand the benefits of game-based learning with Minecraft Education.

• Master the basics of Minecraft Education gameplay and navigation.

• Identify and configure key game settings for optimal use.

• Differentiate between Minecraft Education and other Minecraft versions.

• Effectively utilize the Minecraft Education Library to import and export worlds.

• Host multiplayer worlds, manage settings, and utilize in-game tools like NPCs and boards.

• Understand and apply recommended classroom and game settings.

• Be introduced to the basics of coding within Minecraft Education using the Code Builder.

Alignment to Strategic Plan:

1. Achieving Academic Excellence

2. Future Readiness and Transitional Preparedness

3. Investing in our Staff

4. Supporting the Whole Child

Nearpod is best described as PowerPoint on steroids. Instead of delivering your content in one platform, and including your engagement, interactives and checks for understanding in a separate platform, Nearpod does it all!

Participants will: 

• Learn the options for accessing ready-made Nearpod lessons and for creating your own lessons from scratch.

• Learn the options for sharing lessons with students, colleagues or even parents.

• Learn the options that teachers and students will have to engage with their lesson content during delivery.

• See various ways to customize your lesson settings.

• See how to view reports to see student engagement and progress and assess student learning. 

Alignment to AACPS Strategic Plan

1. Achieving Academic Excellence

2. Future Readiness and Transitional Preparedness

3. Investing in our Staff

4. Supporting the Whole Child