Ellipsis Education

We have been listening. We've heard from many districts who want to offer meaningful computer science instruction but don't have the resources, time, or infrastructure to implement a full curriculum. To help these districts, we are proud to introduce our new product: Computer Science Explorations. Here are the details: 👉 Sets of 10 lessons for each grade K-12 👉 Aligned to CSTA Computer Science Standards 👉 Step-by-step lesson plans to support any educator 👉 Four lesson types: Unplugged, Coding, Digital Citizenship, and STEM Careers Interested in learning more? See comments for contact info.

When we meet with Texas districts about Tech Apps curriculum, we always get this question. ❓ "What assessment practices are used in Ellipsis curriculum?" Assessments are essential for providing actionable insights for student learning - and they're not one size fits all. That's why Ellipsis uses a variety of assessment types, and provides grade-tracking tools and rubrics to support consistent and equitable grading. In Ellipsis courses, you'll find: ➡️ Self-Assessments ➡️ Exit Tickets ➡️ Formative Assessments ➡️ Performance Tasks (our take on summative assessments) Learn more about each assessment type (and how they work in the classroom) in our latest blog post.

We're excited to announce that we have been named a 2023 CODiE Awards Finalist in the “Best STEM Instructional Solution for Grades K – 12” category! ⭐ The CODiE Awards honor the top Business and Education Technology Products, Companies and Leaders. We are pleased to be recognized by peers as a market leader in our space. Wish us luck as we advance to the second round, where SIIA members and industry leaders vote on the Finalists! #CODiEAwards #Awards #STEMEducation

Research shows that high-quality curriculum alone is not enough to unlock student outcomes. 🔑 So what's the missing piece? Curriculum training! These two elements together are shown to improve student learning. Knowing this, we're launching five options for Ellipsis curriculum training: ➡️ Getting Started Guide ➡️ Teacher Training Program ➡️ Train-the-Trainer Program ➡️ Facilitated Curriculum Overview ➡️ Classroom Strategy Design We have plenty of options depending on your district's implementation, Whether you're new to the curriculum or an experienced user. Whether you're looking for a synchronous deep dive or a self-paced option. Whether you're looking for a direct experience for teachers or enablement for your trainers and instructional coaches. Check out our new training options on our website or at the link below! Also, we'd love to hear - what was the most impactful experience you had in a curriculum-based professional development?

You know what they say about history repeating itself... ♻️ In Texas, the changes to the Tech Apps requirements may feel challenging. But, we’ve been here before: with science. Our CEO, Dr. Whitney Dove, Ph.D., had a front row seat to the science implementation in 2011. Back then, science was mostly taught from textbooks. Now, we see a truly student-centered approach to science education. She believes the same thing will happen with Tech Apps. Student-led software applications will give way to high-quality instructional materials. She shares what she learned on our blog, but the TL;DR is: 1️⃣ Start with the right curriculum 2️⃣ It doesn't have to be perfect right away 3️⃣ Professional development is key If you want to read on, the link to the full blog is in the comment section. #TechApps #TechnologyApplications

Put down those gadgets! 💻📱 Because the 2022 Texas Tech Apps now include the option to teach some standards without devices. The exact verbiage is "With assistance” or “with or without technology”. Typically, you'll see it in grades K-3. This encourages age-appropriate technology use and the option to introduce standards without devices all together. We love this direction at Ellipsis. In fact, our curriculum has always included a whole category of lessons called "Unplugged". They introduce new concepts and technical vocabulary with hands-on activities. If you're looking for an example, check out our fan favorite Hand Loops activity! You can download it on our website; it's in our "Lunar Loops" lesson. Do you think you'll take advantage of this option to teach technology with no devices? Let us know in the comments. ⬇️ ----- The Texas Technology Applications TEKS were revised and updated in 2022. They're set for implementation in the 2024-2025 school year. Over the past four days, we highlighted the key changes to the standards. Follow along with this series on LinkedIn! Or, check the comments for a link to our blog that shows all the key updates. 4/4

Substrands are brand new to the 2022 Texas Tech Apps.✨ The chart below shows the substrands associated with each strand. In this TEKS revision, we've mentioned that there's a lot more structure around what students should know and do. Substrands play a key role in this. They help organize and clarify the standards for administrators and teachers alike. Worth noting: some substrands are only appear in specific grade levels, like "Communicate and Publish Results" (Grades 2+). ----- The Texas Technology Applications TEKS were revised and updated in 2022. They're set for implementation in the 2024-2025 school year. Over the next four days, we'll be highlighting the key changes to the standards. Follow along with this series on LinkedIn! Or, check the comments for a link to our blog that shows all the key updates. 3/4

The 2022 Texas Technology Applications have two new strands, or key ideas, across grade levels. They probably look pretty familiar to educators. 👀 1️⃣ Computational Thinking Students break down the problem-solving process into its steps: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms. Grade 2 example: "Identify and communicate a problem or task and break down (decompose) multiple solutions into sequential steps" 2️⃣ Data Literacy, Management, and Representation Students collect, organize, manage, analyze, and publish various types of data. Grade 5 example: "The student communicates data through the use of digital tools to inform an audience." ➡️ These two new strands cover well-known concepts. But, at the same time, they represent a big shift in the way we're looking at Technology Applications. Before, the Tech Apps promoted student fluency with tools. Now, we're focusing on how technology impacts the ways students think and act. ----- The Texas Technology Applications TEKS were revised and updated in 2022. They're set for implementation in the 2024-2025 school year. Over the next four days, we'll be highlighting the key changes to the standards. Follow along with this series on LinkedIn! Or, check the comments for a link to our blog that shows all the key updates. 2/4

The biggest update to the new Texas Technology Applications TEKS? Grade-level differentiation. The 2011 standards were grade-banded, like this: K-2, 3-5, 6-8. The revised 2022 Tech Apps have different standards for K, 1, 2, 3, 4. . . all the way to grade 8. That means: ➡️ Each grade has their own unique requirements. ➡️ There's more to cover. ➡️ There's more clarity around what students should know and do. How are you approaching this change in your district? ----- The Texas Technology Applications TEKS were revised and updated in 2022. They're set for implementation in the 2024-2025 school year. Over the next four days, we'll be highlighting the key changes to the standards. Follow along with this series on LinkedIn! Or, check the comments for a link to our blog that shows all the key updates. 1/4

Texas educators - revised Tech Apps TEKS will be required in the '24-'25 school year, and there are a lot of changes to what you may be used to! Here are the high level updates: 1️⃣ Grade level differentiated standards The old Tech Apps were grade banded. Now, each grade level has specific requirements for what students should be able to know and do. 2️⃣ Introduction of new substrands Substrands are brand new to the 2022 Tech Apps (ex. "Emerging Technologies", "Ethics and Laws") 3️⃣ New “Computational Thinking” and “Data Literacy, Management, and Representation” strands These strands focus on developing the broader skills that come with technology use. 4️⃣ Option to teach some standards without devices Any standards that say "with assistance” and “with or without technology” mean that teachers can introduce concepts without devices. If you want to dive deeper, we put together a new resource that helps you see the old and new Tech Apps strands side-by-side. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gQZ5Qt4M