Idaho has always been classified as a rural state, 479 miles long and 305 miles wide.  Idaho fits snugly between economic urban powerhouse states Washington and Oregon and more rural neighbors Montana and Wyoming. The geographic placement of Idaho creates a unique situation when providing equal education access and opportunity to all students throughout the state. Idaho’s population is comprised of 44 counties – seven urban and 37 rural – as classified by the Idaho Department of Labor. Idaho is anything but a ‘one size fits all’ state.

As time passes more people are leaving rural areas out of economic necessity such as seeking better job opportunities, education access and health care amenities. Migration out-flow data shows that rural counties have rates of out-migration – up to 17 percent annually. Though these changes mimic national trends, rural communities throughout Idaho are still active and pushing to thrive. One of the assets Idaho Rural Schools are able to access is the Idaho Digital Learning which currently is supporting 100% of the Idaho Public Schools by providing access and opportunity for students to take engaging and rigorous classes regardless of where they live or the schools that they go to. Approximately three quarters of districts in Idaho are considered rural as defined in Idaho statute. These districts, and the schools within them, struggle to retain teachers and address technology needs in order to deliver effective instruction. To support rural districts and schools, Idaho Digital Learning is able to offer solutions to the challenges rural districts face. During the 2017-2018 school year, Idaho Digital Learning served 31,106 student enrollments and offered 256 unique semester courses.

For many rural students, opportunities such as Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Credit (Concurrent Credit) courses are not available at their local school. Through Idaho Digital Learning, students currently have access to 24 Advanced Placement courses and 79 dual credit courses, each of which have been aligned and approved for college credit through an in-state higher ed institution. By leveraging these course opportunities, students can accelerate their education and lower the cost of their college degrees.

Idaho Digital Learning is also a proud partner with Idaho Career and Technical Education to provide CTE Digital that leverages online learning to provide access to CTE programs for all students across the state.Students who complete a full CTE program can test for a technical certificate and exit high school ready to enter their chosen career field. Students can also enter a college or technical program and work toward the next level of certification in their career field.

Rural school districts often are not able to hire local teachers in a particular content area either due to funding constraints or lack of available certified instructors in their region. A critical growth area for Idaho Digital Learning has been a custom solution designed to provide an instructor for classes to address this lack of rural capacity.The custom solution is a joint partnership between an individual school and Idaho Digital Learning where online classes are taken during the school day inside a proctored lab at the local school. For example, many of the small rural Idaho school districts are not able to find certified computer science and math instructors, therefore, Idaho Digital Learning is able to provide the online instructor, curriculum, and student support for their students. The content is also serving as classes taken in part, to the students experience in learning online and to prepare them for success in college and career.

Idaho Digital Learning also recently concluded a three year Rural Utility Services (RUS) grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The focus of this grant was to provide technology carts to sixteen schools throughout the state to enhance technology integration and utilization. The carts are being leveraged to provide access to direct instruction in STEM-based courses.  Schools and districts receiving the technology carts can also leverage the technology to help meet a variety of student and teacher needs.

In addition to the technology carts, Idaho Digital Learning has also purchased and installed a NetLab. This technology allows students remote access to a server to complete hands-on activities needed to complete CISCO Academy courses, Cybersecurity courses, and other networking courses. Access to this technology will again provide students with equity and access to opportunities, regardless of their zip code.

As the school year is coming to a close, now is the time to start looking into options to keep your kids engaged during the summer. Here are some options throughout Idaho that offer summer learning programs.

State-wide

 

Idaho Digital Learning Summer Courses

Idaho Digital Learning Academy courses are online classes for all Idaho students. Idaho Digital Learning courses create flexibility in scheduling and access to dual credit or Advanced Placement courses for college credit, opportunity to graduate early, and recover credits. All courses align to Idaho Core Content Standards and are facilitated by an Idaho Certified, Highly Qualified Teacher.

https://www.idahodigitallearning.org/

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Idaho Commission for Libraries Summer Reading Programs

Summer Reading programs are designed to help children maintain or improve their reading readiness when they go back to school. Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL) Summer Reading coordinators strive to provide libraries with summer program resources based on sound research and best practices.

http://libraries.idaho.gov/landing/summer-reading

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Idaho State University Summer Reading Programs

Summer is the key opportunity to develop reading and study skills for the upcoming school year.
In this fun summer program, your son or daughter will double reading speed and become a stronger reader and better student.

https://cetrain.isu.edu/dce/reading/

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University of Idaho Extension 4-H Youth Development

4-H prepares young people for challenges in their community and the world. Using research-based programs with positive youth development, 4-H youth get the hands-on, real world experience they need to become leaders.

https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/4h

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Kidscamps.com

https://www.kidscamps.com/summer_camps/idaho-summer-camps.html

 

Northern Idaho

 

Education Information Center of Coeur d’Alene Summer Programs

A list of summer camps and resources in the Coeur d’Alene area.

http://edinfocentercda.com/Blog-News-Links/categoryid/36/After-School-Summer-Programs

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LCSC Kids’ College

LCSC Kids’ College is a short-format summer program for youth ages 6 through 15. Kids’ College strives to offer the highest quality educational courses for youth in the Lewis-Clark Valley. Classes are scheduled Monday through Thursday.

http://www.lcsc.edu/kids-college/

 

Southern Idaho

 

Treasure Valley YMCA Summer Camps & Programs

YMCA programs and camps nurture and celebrate the social,-emotional, cognitive, and physical development of all youth, resulting in the BEST SUMMER EVER! So join us on a summer journey at your favorite Y location. We’ll see you here!

http://www.ymcatvidaho.org/programs/youth-programs/summer-camps-programs/

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Boise State University River Site Field Trips

The Intermountain Bird Observatory is embarking on a new project along the Boise River, near the Barber Pool Conservation Area. Since the spring of 2015 IBO has been using 20 acres of riverside habitat to provide research and education opportunities to students and families throughout the Treasure Valley.

https://ibo.boisestate.edu/rivervisitors/

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Boise State University eCamp Summer Programs

Students who are currently in 8th or 9th grade can use hands-on activities and projects involving self discovery, cooperative learning, critical thinking, and problem solving while living on campus in a college dormitory.

http://coen.boisestate.edu/k-12/summer-programs/

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Discovery Center of Idaho Summer Camps

We host a variety of events here at the Discovery Center of Idaho: Young Discoverers, Adult Nights, and friendly challenges among members and frequent visitors. No matter the age or activity, we have a lot of fun and are certain we have something on our calendar sure to entertain and create lasting memories.

http://www.dcidaho.org/summer-camps/

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College of Southern Idaho Summer Camps

College for Kids opportunities.

http://communityed.csi.edu/youth/youthcamps.asp

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College of Southern Idaho Summer Career Camp

The CSI Summer Career Camp will introduce up to 200 middle and high school students to different career pathways through hands-on leadership activities. Students will spend time on the CSI Ropes Course, and in the manufacturing, Coding and Culinary Arts departments on CSIs Campus.

www.csi.edu/TransitionCoordinators/career-summer-camps/

Eastern Idaho

 

Idaho Falls Zoo Education Programs

Explore the wonderful world of animals in depth and challenge your understanding of the sciences.

https://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/830/Summer-Zoo-Education-Programs

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Idaho State University College of Arts & Letters Summer Programs

The 2018 CAMP will take place on June 11 and 12. CAMP (Communication, Art, Media, and Persuasion) is a two-day college experience for high school students. Students stay in on-campus housing, participate in workshops in ISU’s state-of-the-art facilities, tour and experience the ISU campus, and develop relationships with ISU faculty.

https://www.isu.edu/cal/summer-programs/

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Idaho State Summer Camps

A list of summer camps available through Idaho State University.

https://www.isu.edu/imnh/imnh-events/summer-camps/

The health courses offered by Idaho Digital Learning for both Middle and High School are based on the foundational concept of health and wellness that is illustrated by the Health Triangle: Physical, Mental/Emotional, and Social Health. This concept reveals the interwoven relationship of these three aspects of a person’s health; and emphasizes that what happens in each area, impacts all others.

Our courses provide instruction relating to mental/emotional health, social health, and physical health. Units target nutrition, fitness, hygiene, and how lifestyle choices in these areas have a direct and profound impact on a person’s health. Other units target how to build and maintain good relationships, communication skills, conflict resolution, and decision making.

Mental health, stress, and coping strategies are covered in the curriculum; and risk taking behaviors identified, as well as ways to lower risks that impact aspects of health and wellness. Basic First Aid Skills, and facts about infectious disease, STD’s, and non-infectious disease are included in the curriculum. Finally, facts regarding substance abuse as it relates to alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and tobacco products are presented.

The main difference between high school and middle school health courses are these: Middle School Health includes one lesson in every unit that covers one body system; like cardiovascular, respiratory, and the immune system. There is a greater emphasis given to direct instruction on risk taking and types of risks in middle school. The thought behind this is that if students can learn to identify risks early in their development, they will have the skills and information they need to make better choices and avoid unnecessary risks.

Middle School Health has an emphasis on puberty, while High School Health emphasizes refusal skills, contraceptives, and pregnancy. Both have some content on STD’s, with a greater emphasis in the High School Health course. Content is presented in age appropriate ways in each course.

Idaho Digital Learning’s Cool Tools Blog Series wraps up with content and interactivity resources for all subjects. As an added bonus we have included resources specific to Social Studies, Humanities, Math and Science. We hope you have found this useful and informative. Be looking for future resource series.

• Watch Know Learn: This site offers educational videos, sorted by content area.
• NPR: A good resource of current events, including archived programs and podcasts.
• TED Talks: This site houses all the archived TED Talks from around the world.
• SAS Curriculum Pathways: FREE, interactive lesson content. A learning object repository. Why use?
• Smithsonian: A searchable database of Smithsonian resources and activities. Example: Owney the National Postal Museum Mascot
• CK12: Open content textbooks.
• World Digital Library: Digital library for world history, religion, art, etc… Including primary and secondary sources.
• Khan Academy: Instructional videos in all subjects.
• OER Commons: OER repository of lessons. Searchable by subject, grade, and standard.
• Curriki: OER lesson content.

Social Studies & Humanities

• Google Arts and Culture: This is a digital archive of art from around the world, and virtual field trips to museums around the world.
• PBS Frontline: Idaho Public Television current events.
• America in Class: Primary source and secondary sources for American History.
• The Living Room Candidate: Primary source material for American Presidential Candidate propaganda.
• iCivics: OER Social Studies lessons.
• Digital Vaults: Interactive, searchable database from the National Archives.
• Google Life Archive: Millions of photographs from the Life photo archive stretching from the 1750s to the present day. (Search tip: Add “source: life” to any Google image search and search only the LIFE photo archive.) Example: computer source:life
• Ben Franklin Interactive Timeline: This is an interactive timeline of the events of the life of Ben Franklin. Multiple media options, and students can filter by theme.
• C-Span Classroom: Current events, resources, and lesson plan materials from C-Span.
• US News Map: Searchable database for articles from newspapers across the United States
• The Economics of Seinfeld: Economics principles explained through clips from Seinfeld.
• Econedlink: Lesson plans and resources for Economics and Personal Finance.
• Mapping America: Interactive map displaying US Census data.
• EDSITEment!: Lesson plan and resource library for Social Studies and Humanities.
• We Choose the Moon: Interactive primary source material from the Apollo 11 Mission.
• Google MyMaps: Personalized maps via Google Maps (example: Migration History)
• Quandry: Role playing game about moral dilemmas, set in futuristic setting.
• Wisc-Online: Social Studies Interactivities (example: adolescence terms)

Math

• Illuminations: Provides lesson plans, interactive activities, mobile games, and brainteasers that teachers can bring into their lessons.
• Absurd Math: Mathematical problem solving game series. The player proceeds on missions in a strange world where the ultimate power consists of mathematical skill and knowledge. Many of the pages have hidden clues and integrate careful reading with math.
• Mathalicious: Free lesson plans providing real world problem solving scenarios, aligned to standards.
• Desmos Graphing Calculator: This is a free graphing tool.
• Get the Math: Interactive, real-world problem solving applying mathematical concepts.

Science

• Biomodel: Chemistry and Biology Interactives.  Can be run on a tablet if “Jsmol” option is selected.
• The Physics Aviary: A free collection of games, tools and virtual labs for physics.
• Code.org: Use free curriculum to teach students to problem solve, code,  and apply creative thinking within the context of science or math.  For further PD using code.org curriculum visit the Idaho Digital Learning PD Portal.
• NASA: Searchable database of lesson content and activities.
• ChemCollective Murder Mystery: Students play an Flash based free “murder mystery” game using their chemistry skills.  Complete with teacher resources and Interactive movies and clues to guide students along.
• Kinetic City: Interactive Science simulations and games (good for Grades 1-6)  Check out the Nastro Virus!
• Seer Training Modules: Anatomy/Physiology training modules from the National Cancer Institute.  Complete with graphics and quizzes.

Idaho Digital Learning’s Cool Tools Blog Series continues. This month we’ll be focusing on assessment and collaboration tools for any and all subjects.

• Jeopardy Rocks – With this tool you are able to create a jeopardy game. Example
• EdPuzzle – Add videos that give the ability to pause to insert teacher questions.
• Blabberize – This is a fun tool that adds audio to images, making them speak.
• Poll Everywhere – This is an instant polling tool. Smart phones or devices are required.
• Answer Garden – Create a live poll where answers are returned in Wordle format. Example
• MathEqualsLove Blog – Free Exit Ticket templates. Good for K-12.
• Fakebook – This tool creates fake Facebook feeds. An unusual format for allow students to “show what they know”. Example
• GoFormative – This site provides assignments so you can see what students are doing in real-time and provide feedback. Demo
• Tozzl – This tool is similar to a shared Pinterest board for safe collaboration. No registration required. Only students with link and a password (provided by the teacher) can use.
• Padlet – A content creation and collaboration space.
• Google Apps – Share with emails on version and allow people to contribute instead of creating multiple variations of the same item.

Idaho Digital Learning’s Cool Tools Blog is the beginning of what we hope will be a valuable set of digital tools. These resources cover a wide variety of information on assessment, collaboration and content, and focus on specific content areas, which include Math, Science, Social Studies and Humanities. First up, Study & Tech Tools!

Study Tools

• Video Notes – All notes you type are synced with the video and time tag. Here is a demo of a Final Product.
• Ninja Words – Ninja Words offers fast dictionary look up that guesses what you probably wanted if you accidentally spell the word wrong.
• Creative Commons Attribution Examples – This site has examples of how to correctly attribute OER Resources.
• Photos for Class – Photos for Class has an OER photo search that appends the attribution to the image when you download it.
• Bibme – Bibme is a free online citation builder. Students can use this to help build their annotated bibliographies.
• Google News Lab – Google News Lab is a Google tool specifically designed for journalists.
• instaGrok – instaGrok is an interactive search engine that presents students with information by topic in multiple media formats. Students can take notes, journal, and even take a quiz on the content.
• Wolfram Alpha – Part search engine, part calculator.

Tech Tools

• Tiny URL – Tiny URL shorten URLs, including custom shortened URLs. URL Example Case
• QR Stuff – QR Stuff is a QR Code creator. Example: QR personal login badge
• Powtoon – This free tool can be used to create animated videos and presentations. Example video
• SafeShare TV – A safe way to show your students video from Youtube or Vimeo without inappropriate ads or advertising.  Works great in schools where teachers have unblocked access to Youtube but students do not. Example: Before SafeShare.TV – After SafeShare.TV)

Stay tuned for our next Cool Tools Blog: Content Tools