October 2026

Professional Development

1. Check out  the  eLearning News and Updates newsletter from our BOCES distance learning specialist, Donna Farren: https://sway.cloud.microsoft/SUHHFLIGGE4qlBmM?ref=Link

   1. This newsletter contains lots of virtual fieldtrip opportunities that your class might enjoy! 

2. "AI Tools in Microsoft for Student Empowerment"

   1. Discover how Microsoft's AI-powered tools can help remove barriers to learning, strengthen student voice, and promote greater independence for all learners. Participants will explore features such as Immersive Reader, Microsoft Editor, Dictation, Live Captions and Translation, PowerPoint accessibility tools, and Microsoft Edge enhancements that support reading, writing, communication, organization, and engagement. Course is available 10/1/2026-12/20/2026

3. "Getting Started with  Microsoft Office 365: Essential Tools for Everyday Productivity"

   1. Designed for staff looking to build confidence across the Microsoft suite, this hands-on workshop covers the fundamentals of Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel and how all these programs connect to OneDrive.  Course Window: 10/1/26 - 12/20/26
      
      

Gimkit

1. Gimkit has been going down periodically this school year for a couple minutes at a time. I understand that this is a frustrating situation for a classroom teacher who is just trying to keep the plates spinning throughout the day. This is nothing we can control, and Gimkit is a small company. If you don't want to deal with the headache, reach out to me ( mneumire@cccsd.org ) to discuss alternatives. 5-12 teachers have premium access to Wayground (formerly Quizizz), one of the leading platforms in the category of gamified quizzes. 

2. Gimkit, as well as Edpuzzle, Padlet, and Nearpod is not automatically rostered. If you're interested in using our premium licensing, reach out to me ( mneumire@cccsd.org ) and I can either share a join link or add you manually to any of the resources listed above. 

3. One of the most valuable aspects of Gimkit is Gimkit Creative, a sandbox that allows students to build their own Gimkit game modes. It is super fun and sharpens all kinds of important soft skills, as well as computational thinking skills without feeling like imposed work. If you're interested in exploring this as a project idea, REACH OUT TO ME AT MNEUMIRE@CCCSD.ORG :) 

Gizmos

1. We now have access to Gizmos building-wide for both the middle and high school. Gizmos are math and science simulations. Huzzah! Teachers need to login to Clever and click the "ExploreLearning" tile (ExploreLearning is the company behind Gizmos). Your classes should be brought over via Clever but you may need to individually choose students you want to apply a Gizmos license to. Reach out to Ryan Oatridge if you have any questions regarding rostering.