Updates

This is where we post notes about any changes to links or content (due to a site or resource that is no longer available or revision work in process) throughout the school year.

REVISIONS & UPDATES to all of the Things and reformatting the Quests into smaller sub-pages are in process. Thanks for your patience.

November - December 2024

• Completed
  
  • 13. Dig the Data Q9 Changes Over Time, updated links, TG, Student Ck, and content
• In Process
  • 9. Search Strategies will have Quest 6, an advanced Quest will be done by the end of Nov.
  • 11. Powerful Presentations Q1 (Basic and Advanced Google slide skills completed) advanced and PowerPoint and Canva in process; Q2 Collaboration is completed, Q3 Present, Publish, and Share is in process
  • 16. Career Prep Q5-Q7 in process
  • 20. Global Collaboration updating links and minor content based on an external review

 August 2024- October 2024

• Completed: 
  • 3. My Digital Life with a new addition of Quest 3. Social Media explores issues and concerns with social media use as part of a digital life.
  • 12. Interactives Quest 1 STEM Interactives is a new set of STEM interactives and resources. STEM Science Interactives page, STEM Technology Interactives page, STEM Engineering page, and Math Interactives page are all completed. 
  • 12. Interactives Quest 2 Immersive Interactives is a new set of content area interactives and resources. Completed: Art Interactives page, ELA Interactives page, and Social Studies Interactives page.
  • 14.Social Networking Q1. What is a Social Network? has been updated. Additional Quests are in process.
  • 16.Career Prep has been revised with new content: Quest 1 Game of Life, Quest 2 Career Match, Quest 3 Employability, and Quest 4 Finding a Job
• Added to the teacher's page: Apps & Strategies to Stop Cheating with AI, (Aug 2024) presentation shared by Andy Mann.
  
  
• Reformatting of the Quests to smaller "sub-pages" is continuing.
  • Things now reformatted and updated: 1. Basics, 2. Visual Learning, 3. My Digital Life, 4. Suite Tools, 5. Digital Footprint, 6. Cyber Safety, 7. Be Legal and Fair, 8. Troubleshooting, 9. Search Strategies (almost completed), 15. Design Thinking, 17. Creative Communications, 19. Buyer Beware.
  • There are 8 of the 21 Things yet to be updated and reformatted. Stay tuned.
• Quest "STEP" sub-pages are being renamed to describe the content on the pages instead of Step 1, Step 2, etc.
• Reformatting DONE:
  • 1 Basics, 2.Visual Learning, 3.My Digital Life, 4.Suite Tools-Google Docs, 4.Suite Tools-Microsoft Word, 5.Digital Footprint, 6.Cyber Safety, 7.Be Legal & Fair, 8.Troubleshooting, 15. Design Thinking, 17.Creative Communication

June- mid-July 2024

• 10.Digital Images Quests are refreshed and updated. 
• In Process revisions: 
  • 9. Search Strategies almost completed
  • 16. Career Prep revisions in planning
  • 11. Powerful Presentations
  • 13. Dig the Data 

April - May 2024

• The main menu and links will be updated.
• 14.Social Networking Quest 3 Life Online has been updated and includes an introduction and discussion about social media and AI Chatbots
• Teachers Menu Page and linked pages have been updated and some are in process. 
• 6.Cyber Safety revisions and content updates have been completed. There are now only 5 Quests:
  • Q1 Responsible Internet Use, Q2 Danger!, Q3 Cybersavvy, Q4 Cyberbullying, Q5 Stop the Bully.
  •  We welcome any feedback or suggestions on the new changes to Cyber Safety.
  • A new breakout activity "Stop Cyberbullying" has been added to 6.Q5 Stop the Bully What Can You Do? page.

February & March 2024

• 7. Be Legal & Fair is updated to the new format. Quest 3 Plagiarism has a Step 2 Page featuring two activities and copyright & plagiarism with AI. 
• 17. Creative Communications is updated 
• Updates to the Teacher page "AI & 21Things"
  
   
• The 4.QM Suite Tools Quests are updated but will be revised in July 2024 with new content and videos.
• New content is being finished for #9. Search Strategies, #7. Be Legal and Fair (Q1 updated), #10 Digital Images, #17 Creative Communications, #21 Code.org to include an intro to eSports
• AI Tools removed at this time: 1.Q7 AI Playground we removed the activity with Craiyon and Stable Diffusion due to feedback about content and excessive and potentially inappropriate ads.

January 2024

• Check out the Teacher Resources AI & 21Things page for:
  • Citing AI sources, How to find AI resources used in 21t4s, Potential Problems with AI, PD opportunities, AI & Lesson Planning Free Resources, Some Favorites and Additional
  • Cool Tools 2023 from Eric Curts Blog about AI applications.
• A Reality Check Game has been added to Thing 3.Q3 My Digital Life: Consider This Quest.
• Thing 4: Suite Tools Google Docs Quests and reformatting has been completed. AI additions:
  • 4.QG1 Formatting Tools Step 1 where an AI Chatbot is shared to "interview the chatbot from Mizou" about Robert Frost.
  • 4.QG2  Sharing & Collaborating, Step 2, an AI Poem Generator activity is used: AI Poem Generator or Poetry Tips Generator
  • 4.QG4 Graphics Step 1 includes "Citing AI-Generated Images and Sources" and an AI Image Exploration Activity, and Step 2 includes an AI Activity from Google Arts & Culture Experiments "Say What You See" Game.
  • 4.QG5 Tables Steps page has links to the AI Poem Generator and Poetry Tips Generator. 

September-December 2023:

• New page added to 1.Q7 Intro to AI "AI Prompt Writing"
• Thing 3. My Digital Life pages were reformatted and updated 
• Thing 15. Design Thinking and includes the use of the AI tool STEM Global Impact Idea Generator in 15.Q2 Step 4.
• Thing 5. Digital Footprint Quests 1-5 are updated to the new format.
• Thing 2. Visual Learning Q1. Fire Rescue & AI, Q2. Thrill Rides, Q3. Quick Response, and Q4. STEAM roller coasters are all updated to the new format, and some AI resources have been added to Q1. AI to the Rescue page, and Q3. Quick Response Code page.
• The Introduction to a Digital Breakout video is being updated, and the initial Breakout is in Email Digital Breakout Page.

In Process of being updated:

• Thing 4. Google Suite Tools
• Thing 9. Search Strategies

August 2023: 

• We have begun to introduce AI in 1. Basics Q7 Introduction to AI and are planning to build some into many Quests during the coming year.
• The Technology Skills Surveys have been moved to the 1.Basics Q1 21t4s Technology Skills Survey & Goals page
• Visit the Begin Here video for a review of new changes
• Basics have been revised with some changes to the Quests. Each of the Quests has been 'chunked' to have less on the page, and is composed of several pages with links to the next page sometimes called Step 1, 2, ...(similar to many course management systems)
  • Q1 21t4s Introduction
    • This Quest is broken into new pages titled: Vocabulary, Student Checklist, Technology Skills Survey & Goals, Student Portfolio, Student Index & Roadmap, and Completing This Quest.
  • Q2 Web Browsers is an Introduction page and has a Vocabulary page, one Steps page, and a Completing page.
  • Q3 Screen Capture is an Introduction page and has a Vocabulary page, an Entire screen page, a Partial Screen page, and a Completing page.
  • Q4 Shortcuts is an Introduction page and has a Vocabulary page, Keyboard Shortcuts page, Split Screen & Screenshots page, Keyboard Skills & Gymnastics, and Completing page.
  • Q5 Safe & Secure is an Introduction page and has an AUP page, a Passwords page, a Username & Security page, and a Completing page.
  • Q6 Email is an Introduction page, a Vocabulary page, an Email Etiquette page, Email Scenario page, Email Digital Breakout page, and a Completing page.
  • Q7 Introduction to AIis an Introduction page and has a Vocabulary page, followed by:
    • What is AI? page leads with a question of What is AI, has a short video and an assignment to identify how we use AI
    • AI in Real Life page includes another short video and has students think about real examples of AI already in their lives, and has discussion and reflection questions
    • AI Playground is a beginner AI Playground with activities and examples for Craiyon, Stable Diffusion, and two Google Ai resources Quick Draw! and AutoDraw.
    • AI Prompt Writing
    • Training AI
    • AI Ethics & Privacy looks at Ethics and Privacy with videos about Ethics & AI, COPPA, and a link to FERPA.
    • Completing Page
  • The previous three Gold Quests remain and are unchanged
• Thing 8. Troubleshooting has been revised in the new format, has new Quest names, and content, and all of the videos are new. Thanks to Ron Houtman from the Kent ISDwe have new troubleshooting videos for the Quests and content and Melissa White for the revised content.
  • Q1 Magic Power Cycle
  • Q2 That Didn't Work Now What?
  • Q3 Safeguarding Your Devices
  • Q4 Trouble
• 19. Buyer Beware has been revised to the new format and has new content and videos. The Quest names have not been changed.
  • Q1 Compare Products
  • Q2 Truth in Advertising
  • Q3 Scams
  • Q4 Clickbait
• The TechSkills Survey for grades 6-8 has been updated and has an alternative format available as a Google Form Template that teachers can copy to their own drive, have their students take it, and be able to capture their results in a spreadsheet. The link to it is located in the Teacher Resources login page and in the Assessments area.
• 6. Cybersafety Q1 has been renamed to Responsible Internet Use Guidelines to more accurately represent the content, and the 9 Themes of Digital Citizenship list is now a revised Flip-card Quizlet, and the Online Rules for Netiquett