weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak. Parents can access free on-line resources for out-of-school time from the National Center for Families Learning, if they will provide their email address (which subscribes them to a monthly newsletter).
26 Educational Apps & Sites for Distance Learning with ADHD: Offers a set of educational apps and website curated by readers of the ADDitude webpage that can help students with ADHD to improve their study skills, learn new languages, and supplement school instruction for all ages.
Kansas: Learning Across Kansas: Provides supplemental education content for elementary, middle school and high school students featuring grade-specific educational content delivered in 30-minute televised episodes from some of the state’s most talented and acclaimed teachers. The calendar of scheduled programs, jointly arranged by the state’s four PBS stations, is intentionally expansive to provide numerous opportunities for students and families to participate, despite their unique routines, priorities and challenges.
Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide: Helps all parents and caregivers understand how digital tools can provide tailored learning opportunities, engage students with course materials, encourage creative expression, and enrich the educational experience as they monitor their child’s progress accessing and using technology for learning. Produced by ED’s Office of Educational Technology, this guide also includes easy-to-understand primers on major federal laws governing student privacy and safety.
Fact Sheet: The Emergency Broadband Benefit: Announces the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit (effective for six months beginning May 12, 2021) that offers consumers substantial discounts on broadband service and computer devices to support more affordable access to distance learning. The fact sheet explains the range if discounts available; eligibility criteria (qualifies for free or reduced-price school meals, or for Pell grants); lists more than 800 participating broadband providers in this federally funded COVID-19 relief program; and guides interested families/students about how to sign up for the benefit.
Schools Can Help Families Apply for Federal Help in Paying for Home Internet Access: Explains how families who qualify for the free and reduced price lunch program – and higher education students who receive Pell grants – can qualify for significant discounts to their monthly broadband internet access bills during the six-month term of this federal COVID-19 relief benefit that is available beginning May 12, 2021. Education Week reports Secretary Miguel Cardona’s announcement of this program to help “close the digital divide.”
Apps and Websites for Improving Parent-Teacher Communication (Spanish language resources) Identifies and describes a vetted list of apps and websites that provide practical, regular communication tools to encourage active engagement among students, teachers and parents. More than half of the programs selected by Common Sense Education are available for free.
Power Up Your Parent Teacher Communication: Offers numerous programs, tools and tip sheets, introduced in a short video clip; and recommends Resources for Educators During the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Simple Activities for Children and Adolescents Amidst COVID-19 Outbreak: Recommends best practices for activity ideas to parents and caregivers whose families are sheltering in place, social distancing, and homeschooling due to closures amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.
#PlayAtHome with Playworks: Provides free video tutorials of games that follow CDC guidelines for safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, that can be played at home with little or no equipment. Families can also learn how to play along during a “free virtual recess” with Playworks live on Facebook each weekday, can access demonst6rations of games on Playworks’ YouTube channel.
Digital Citizenship Curriculum: Provides interactive lessons and activities to address timely topics and prepare students to take ownership of their digital liv