Enhance Classroom Instruction with the Power of Digital Learning!
Explore innovative workshops, conferences, and special events on a variety of digital learning topics designed to enhance your classroom in a traditional or virtual environment. For more information about these professional learning opportunities, e-mail digitallearning@esc4.net.
Special Events
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Region 4 Schoology User Group Meeting
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 | 8:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Region 4 McKinney Conference Center | No cost | 4 CEUs
Join PowerSchool leaders, Region 4 staff, and fellow Houston-area Schoology users for a morning filled with networking, collaboration, and professional learning. Discover best practices, share insights, and build connections with your peers. Lunch is provided! Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your use of Schoology, part of PowerSchool's comprehensive learning management system. |
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2025 Region 4 Digital Learning Conference
Thursday, January 23, 2025 | 8:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.
Region 4 McKinney Conference Center | $135 | 6 CPEs
Join us as we celebrate 10 years of innovation in education at DLC 2025! In today’s classrooms, every teacher is a technology teacher, no matter the content they teach. DLC 2025 offers educators and administrators across the Houston area fresh perspectives and actionable ideas to take back to their schools and districts. Explore digital tools and resources designed to enhance instructional skills and drive positive student outcomes at DLC 2025!
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Region 4 Instructure User Group Meeting
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 | 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Region 4 McKinney Conference Center | No cost | 5.5 CEUs
Join the Region 4 Digital Learning team for our first-ever Instructure User Group meeting this spring! Whether you use Canvas, Mastery Connect, or another Instructure product, this is your chance to connect with fellow educators and Instructure experts for valuable tips, tricks, and support. Building on the success of the Canvas Houston Users Group (CHUG), we’re excited to bring this opportunity to you. Plus, lunch is on us! |
AI for Educators
Audience: School & District Leaders
Format: Virtual or In-Person
Artificial Intelligence has quickly become a “hot topic” in the K–12 education world! Join us as we talk about what AI is, share the big ideas connected to AI, review instructional considerations, and highlight ideas for integrating AI into instruction.
On-Demand Courses
Learn at your own pace! Choose from our two Instructional Pathways!
AI for School Leaders
AI for Teachers
Professional Development Opportunities
For more information, you can also check out our professional development catalog here.
Request Professional Development or Technical Assistance
Virtual Sessions
TexQuest Virtual Learning Series
Blended Learning University
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Region 4 Digital Learning is pleased to bring you Blended Learning University. BLU is a 5 part series of micro-courses aimed at helping teachers and instructional leaders in their implementation of blended learning. This series assumes you have already taken our introduction to blended learning course "Foundations of Blended Learning: Packing for the Journey". In it, we introduced the blended learning framework as well as explored the various classroom models for setting up blended learning in your classroom.
These courses are a deep dive into what we consider are the “pillars” of a successful and sustainable blended learning implementation. Select the title to learn more about the objectives of each course.
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This course will lay the foundation for using the blended learning framework in the classroom. Learn how to plan and design instruction that supports learners as the focal point of the learning experience, while maximizing the use of intentional digital tools.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859344 | Fee: $45
Educators are constantly seeking ways to make learning fun while meeting the required learning objectives. In this session, we'll cover the blended learning implementation continuum, why technology integration is important (4Cs), and how to purposefully integrate technology with the SAMR model. We’ll give you factors to consider in evaluating whether a technology platform is appropriate for your students. You’ll then explore some of our favorite platforms for use in a 5E lesson cycle.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859339 | Fee: $45
In this session, we'll explore how to effectively use instructional videos to create engaging instructional content. Learn how to easily record and distribute videos that enhance learner comprehension using interactive features, such as embedded questions and guided notes. You will be able to design engaging learning experiences for students at all levels. This course covers Loom™, Canva®, PowerPoint®, Zoom®, Edpuzzle®, Nearpod®, and Quizizz®. (The tools covered are subject to change.)
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859331 | Fee: $45
This course helps teachers and instructional leaders use a systematic approach to assessment and data-informed teaching to design and deliver instruction based on students’ specific learning needs, monitoring student learning, and providing feedback to students.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859309 | Fee: $45
This course supports teachers and instructional leaders as they offer students a variety of learning opportunities to master standards according to differentiated learning objectives. The course will also cover strategies for giving students individual feedback about their progress.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859321 | Fee: $45
This course supports teachers and instructional leaders as they offer students levels of control and autonomy over their classroom experience. The course covers reviewing goal setting and feedback cycles, which allows students to have input in assessment and instruction decisions, and teaching students to be their own advocates.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859325 | Fee: $45
This course equips teachers and instructional leaders with strategies to develop positive and collaborative relationships with their students as well as coaching students in doing the same with other adults, mentors, and peers. The course focuses on high expectations for academic and personal growth.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859326 | Fee: $45
This course supports and equips teachers and instructional leaders with strategies to help students think critically and do the “heavy lifting” on content that is grade-level, college-ready, or student-appropriate. The course also emphasizes students continually practicing and receiving feedback until mastery is demonstrated.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859329 | Fee: $45
A.I. for Educators and Administrators Self Paced Courses
(These sessions are not part of the blended learning series.)
This course is the first in a 3-part series that provides school administrators with an overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications within the educational setting. This course aims to equip administrators with the knowledge and insights necessary to articulate, address, and apply the use of AI in their school communities.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859354 | Fee: $45
This course is the second in the 3-part series that provides school administrators with a review of the issues surrounding AI in the school setting and best practices. This course aims to equip administrators with the knowledge and insights necessary to develop policies and guidelines to address these challenges in education as it relates to data privacy, security, and ethics.
Self-Paced | Session ID:1859355 | Fee: $45
This course is the last in the 3-part series that provides school administrators with practical AI tools to solve the problems and opportunities they face as campus leaders. This course aims to equip administrators with these tools and resources to increase productivity, enhance communication, and design professional learning at their campus. (Tools: Perplexity, MagicSchool, Adobe Firefly®, Google Bard™)
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859358 | Fee: $45
This course is the first in a 3-part series that provides teachers with an overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications within the educational setting. This course aims to equip teachers with the knowledge and insights to embrace the use of AI in the classroom.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859353 | Fee: $45
This course is the second in the 3-part series that provides teachers with a review of the issues surrounding AI in the classroom. This course aims to equip teachers with best practices and guidelines to leverage the use of AI for teaching and learning while navigating challenges with student privacy, data security, and plagiarism.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859350 | Fee: $45
This course is the third and final in the 3-part series that provides teachers with practical tools for teaching and learning. This course aims to equip teachers with the tools and resources for using AI for instructional support, lesson planning, and personalized learning experiences. (Tools: ChatGPT, MagicSchool, Adobe Firefly®)
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859346 | Fee: $45
Other Self-Paced Courses
Canvas Checklist: Best Practices for Creating, Organizing, and Delivering your Content with Canvas LMS
Whether you are new to Canvas or looking for ways to improve your courses, learn best practices for creating, organizing, and delivering content; integrating your favorite apps; and maximizing Canvas’s digital tools.
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1859341 | Fee: $45
Podcasting 101: How to Give All Your Students a Voice
Today’s students are constantly surrounded by different opinions, especially with the growing influence of social media. With so many voices and perspectives, there is always an audience! In this session, you'll see how easy it is to both bring this trend into your classroom while helping students creatively communicate their understanding of your objectives. Podcasting teaches communication, the writing process, digital citizenship, valuing different viewpoints, and the design process!
Self-Paced | Session ID: 1791160 | Fee: $45
Interested in Learning More?
Do you need a thought partner on a new initiative or have a question about a digital tool? Reach out to digitallearning@esc4.net.
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Small Changes, Big Impact: Analyzing Lists and Collections with TeachingBooks
October 3, 2024 | 1–3 p.m. | Session ID: 1842190
Join this hands-on session to learn how to use the TexQuest-provided TeachingBooks tool to consider diversity, genres, and the just-right books for your students. Examine the titles in collections and immediately receive a report revealing the cultural areas, genres, word count, reading levels, and more! You can also gain impactful insight into the titles you choose for displays, lessons, story times, and even face-out books. Then, explore collections of dynamic audio and video resources that you can promote to teachers, students, families... anyone—that deepens readers' connections to these titles. Attendees will leave this workshop ready to use these tools to examine your collections for instructional, personal, and cultural needs. If possible, bring a spreadsheet or listing of the books in various collections, reading programs, or classrooms.
Key Audience: Pre K–12 teachers, librarians, and curriculum leaders
Reach and Teach All Learners with Britannica School for K – 12 and Special Populations!
October 10, 2024 | 1–3 p.m. | Session ID: 1842191
This session covers new and engaging ways to reach all learners using Britannica School. Learn how to address the many different needs of your students while providing them with rich, valuable content. We will explore varying levels of text complexity, multimedia resources, reading and vocabulary support tools, and more! Come ready to share ideas to implement and share Britannica School at your school/district.
Key Audience: Librarians, instructional technologists, curriculum leaders, teachers, ESL teachers, special education teachers, paraprofessionals