Good afternoon,

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us on Friday for the overview of the new Educational Software Hub. You can now review the session here:

https://youtu.be/Srq4KNEIKHc

Join the dozens of colleagues who have already registered at connecticut.learnplatform.com to find Privacy Pledged titles and gain peer insights into the benefits and challenges of specific products.

Best,

Doug

Good morning,

On behalf of the State Commission for Educational Technology, I am pleased to announce the launch of the Connecticut Educational Software Hub:

connecticut.learnplatform.com

Please join us this afternoon, 12:30 – 1:30 PM, for a brief overview of the Hub and time to answer your questions. We will also record the Webinar for those who cannot make it in person or want a refresh.

In the meantime, follow the “Educator” link to create an account and begin browsing through the library of products whose developers have pledged compliance with our state’s student data privacy statutes. If you do not see products you use, please encourage developers to visit our FAQ page, register their product(s), and digitally sign the Connecticut Student Data Privacy Pledge. If you have any questions while using the Hub, click the top “Support” tab or chat icon in the lower right corner of every page to reach a support agent.

The Hub offers a number of key benefits to the Connecticut K – 12 community and the software firms that support teaching, learning, and operations in our schools:

·         Compliance: Single point of reference for districts and vendors, allowing companies to review and sign Connecticut Student Data Privacy Pledge and educators to search for products pledged as compliant.

·         Product Library: Searchable list of more than 3,500 titles based on subject, grade level, technology platform, and other criteria.

·         Product Report Cards: Ability to create and share rubric-based scorecards of products according to feature set, impact on student learning, and professional development supports.

·         Local, State, and National Community: Ability to connect with educators within and across school districts to share feedback on the costs and instructional value of educational technology products.

·         Chrome Integration: Browser extension that allows district leaders to track actual usage of software and identify potentially non-compliant products.

·         Additional Features: Premium (paid) district-level features such as software approval workflows and advanced reporting.

The Commission warmly thanks the Alliance of Regional Education Service Centers (RESC Alliance) for its generous year-1 support of the Hub. We also thank all those who provided guidance on the Hub, including members of our Data and Privacy Advisory Council as well as district leaders, educators, parents, and educational software developers.

Doug

Douglas Casey

Executive Director

Commission for Educational Technology

State of Connecticut

55 Farmington Avenue

Hartford, CT 06105

(860) 622-2224

Doug.Casey@ct.gov

www.ct.gov/ctedtech

@CTEdTech