Research & Technology Insider

September 2021

Now that school is back in full swing, and students and educators are starting to fall into a routine, consider connecting with some of the resources and training events provided by the Division of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) office of Research & Technology. Our goal is to use technology to enhance the quality of education in Arkansas. Ranging from cybersecurity and social media safety to digital learning and data analysis, there is something for everyone.

SMACtalk and Mr. Steve, The Music Man

The DESE Social Media Awareness Campaign, SMACtalk, presents "CYBERWISE" by Mr. Steve, The Music Man. Every Arkansas school that shares this Facebook post by September 17 will be entered into a drawing to win a free concert by Mr. Steve at their school! Although the song was created with elementary students in mind, we think listeners of all ages can enjoy shaking their hips to these online safety tips. Learn more about #SMACtalkAR at smactalk.info.

Ambassador Academy is back!

The Research & Technology Ambassador Academy is back! Sign up for this 2-day workshop on September 30 and October 1 to learn more about state data tools such as Triand, My School Info, and SmartData Dashboards. Participants will also learn about the Arkansas Digital Sandbox and data privacy & security best practices. Check out the memo to learn more or register now on escWorks.

Team Digital is now the Digital Learning Unit

The DESE Digital Learning Unit (formerly Team Digital) is a free resource provided through the education cooperatives to provide guidance, support, and training for digital and blended learning. Assistance and training cover a wide variety of digital learning resources.

We support schools as they adopt online providers and design their own online content, to ensure the best digital learning experience for students. We educate stakeholders on best digital learning practices, and support districts in their creation and implementation of digital learning plans. We also partner with digital learning entities, such as Virtual Arkansas and the Office of Innovation for Education, to support the implementation of quality digital content and professional learning.

Additionally, the Digital Learning Unit can also support how to evaluate effective online instruction and programs, and create effective Collaborative Team meetings with both in-person and virtual teachers. We also can support addressing the different levels of HRS and designing an effective guaranteed viable online curriculum. Email contactus@teamdigital.org or call 870-730-2924.

October is Cyber AwARe Month

Cybersecurity Awareness Month – observed every October – was created as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure everyone has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online. To celebrate, we are excited to bring back the Cyber AwARe Poster Contest for students. Entries are due by October 31. Learn more about the contest and #BeCyberSmart.

Upcoming training opportunities

Do you still need training on the SmartData dashboards? Visit their website for a full calendar of events or check out escWorks for your co-op.

Bookmark this page from MyVRSpot, the vendor that provides Arkansas Digital Sandbox, and watch out for their upcoming training webinars.

Did you know that R&T and DIS are hosting a pre-conference day of Cybersecurity Training before the Arkansas Conference of Technology (ACOT) in November? Visit the ACOT website to learn more about the event.

Recent Commissioner's Memos

RT-22-003 Research & Technology Ambassador Academy FALL 2021

RT-22-004 Year 2 of the GEER/DESE Hotspot Project

RT-22-005 ADE Launches Year 2 of SMACtalk September 1, 2021

Recent podcast episodes

Did you know that multiple podcasts have been produced through or in collaboration with DESE Research & Technology? Check out these recent highlights and subscribe for future episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

Arkansas A.W.A.R.E. Back to School
Join Betsy Kindall, Nicole Fairchild, and Stacy Moore as they discuss issues related to mental health in education. Their conversations are witty and relate-able, simultaneously shedding light on issues that can sometimes be hard to confront or understand. In this episode Betsy, Stacy & Nicole discuss their summer reading and revelations. Welcome to season 3! (11:36)

G.U.I.D.E. For Life Susanna Post - ATOY: Closing the Empathy Gap in Education
Susanna Post, 2021 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, shares her experiences as a classroom teacher in the alternative learning environment classroom and the importance of empathy and building relationships in improving student academic achievement. (39:51)

SMACtalk for Teachers SMACtalk Season 2 Premiere
A monthly podcast featuring interviews with prominent educators working with education and technology, SMACtalk for Teachers has a different theme for every episode centered around promoting online safety and security for educators. In this episode, Cassandra and the podcast team discuss our plans for "Season 2" of the podcast. We also share our thoughts on some of the topics we will be talking about in upcoming episodes. (35:10)

O.U.R. Science Lens OUR "Bigfoot" Episode (Explanations part 2)
Nathan Windel and Donnie Lee team up to talk about science and education. They discuss topics related to The Next Generation Science Standards. The NGSS are national standards for K-12 science education adopted or adapted by 44 states. They were established by Achieve and are based on research and input from the National Research Council, the National Science Teachers Association, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. (22:19)