December 10, 2013

Looking Back & Ahead: The Year According to CORE

As the holidays approach, 'tis the season to reflect on what we have accomplished together through CORE. We'd like to extend a huge thank you to you, our users, for your enthusiasm in jumping into this experiment! From the beginning of our prototype last fall, our goals have been to bring you a platform that is:

  • Your one-stop hub for quality educational resources
  • Your gateway to resources in multiple flexible formats including videos, animations, websites, images, online databases, and e-texts
  • Your voice for leaving comments and ratings that share how resources can be applied in teaching and learning, and providing back-end analytics that help your district make future purchasing decisions 
  • Your forum for sharing self-created and found resources with students and staff across your district and beyond

Along the way, we've experienced some hiccups and challenges, as well as enormous successes. We have learned so much from you! This year we:


Here's where we're at, thanks to you!



We're happy to report that over 250 users have visited our Interactive CORE Advent Calendar since last week! Click here to pick up your daily resources and tips, and then learn how to create your own using ThingLink.

...And here's what's exciting about the new year!

Keep your eyes peeled to news on Twitter, the CORE blog, and on your CORE dashboard!

  • Get ready for our Student Contribution Contest to be held from January to February! Students will be able to contribute self-created and found resources to share their learning with users across their district and beyond. (Our teacher contest just wrapped up and was a huge hit!)
  • Launching exciting activities for our CIA Team (our not-so-top-secret CORE Input Advisory). We are still accepting interested staff members from all five districts!


Wishing you and your learning communities a safe and fun holiday season!

~ The CORE Team

December 5, 2013

This is Exciting! 974 Contributions and Counting!

Howdy, CORE Users!

It's December and there's a blizzard outside, but we're in the mood for a celebration! We're celebrating your enthusiasm in sharing learning resources with students and teachers across Alberta and beyond through CORE.



In our fall contribution contest, you contributed over 30 resources in less than a month! That brings our user contribution total to 974! Click here to see who the winners were and find out how to search for their contributions, which included self-created video tutorials, helpful websites, and professional learning materials. Stay tuned for another contribution contest after the winter break!

You definitely have something to say! You have contributed 394 user comments and ratings in CORE. Students and staff in CBE, RVS and GHSD can all comment and rate resources. Thanks for letting other users know how when you have found a resource helpful, what you've used it for, and what could be improved.

Want more resources, tips and more?

December 4, 2013

Drum Roll Please.....and the Winners ARE:

Congratulations to the winners of our Fall Contribution Contest:
image courtesy of  lumaxart on Flickr cc



  • Connie Edwards
  • Matt Turner
  • Mark Miller 
  • Danica Burrows
  • Erin Quinn
  • Nadine Halls
  • Alison Brochu

Check out their contributions by clicking Search and then using the [Select User] button on the right navigation panel in CORE.


Thank you to all those who took the time to contribute. Your efforts make CORE stronger and better every day! Keep contributing and building the collection.

Thanks to Pearson Canada for sponsoring the prizes for this contest.

CORE Digital Advent Calendar: Check back daily!

Between now and December 25th, we'll share a new tip, resource, or idea for learning and teaching using the 160,000+ digital videos, animations, images, student exemplars, etexts, online databases and more located at albertacore.ca.

This Digital Advent Calendar was created in 5 simple steps using ThingLink. Click here to learn how! Happy Holidays!

November 26, 2013

Just Released: Student Commenting & Rating - CBE, GHSD and RVS

We are excited to share that students in CBE, GHSD and RVS now have the opportunity to share their thoughts, voice their opinions, and crowdsource their comments in CORE!

Students can now safely rate and comment on resources in diverse formats that come from a wide range of service providers including Discovery Education and CBC Learning. To get a better sense of what CORE offers users, you can watch the brief video: How I Use CORE. (Note the interface has been upgraded since the video was created – but functionality is the same).

FYI: All staff in CBE, CCSD, CRPS, GHSD and RVS can already contribute to CORE. Stay tuned to learn when your students can contribute too!


Accessing and contributing resources to CORE requires that students understand the importance of Digital Citizenship and are able to make appropriate decisions about posting content and comments in CORE. Use these resources to help you out:
If you have any questions or comments about CORE, please do not hesitate to contact the CORE Team at core@cbe.ab.ca.

November 22, 2013

Power Search

Tired of trying to remember how to do an advanced search in CORE?
"Where is that anyway?  I know I've seen it before!"
You've asked, and we've listened!
You will notice a NEW Power Search button that appears just BELOW the Search field.


Search by subject, resource type, format, grade level, etc.  Give it a try…it's waiting for you!

November 15, 2013

Join the CIA, Get Ready, and Enter to Win

1-Click Survey - Take this 5-minute survey (questions are ALL 1-click -- no typing required). Tell us how you use CORE and how we can make it better. 
megaphone
Get Ready for Student Commenting and Rating - Teachers have been able to comment and rate resources in CORE since the spring. Now, give your students a protected taste of what it's like to leave a comment online. CBE, GHSD and RVS are turning on the ability for students to rate and comment on resources in CORE on Monday, Nov 18! Use these items to help you out!
Enter to Win - There's still time to contribute a link, lesson plan, student exemplar, or self-created item to share with students and teachers! Our contest ends November 25! You could win. Click here for details.

Experience Our Bold New Look - Check out the clean, easy-to-access look of CORE. Can’t see it? Then wipe your computer's memory about the sites you've visited by clearing your browser's cache. It only takes a second!

Join the CORE Input Advisory (CIA) Team - Take this 5-minute survey (questions are all 1-click) and sign up to be a part of the CIA Team at the end. We're planning some neat activities!

November 8, 2013

Resource Highlights #ByTeachers4Teachers

When you contribute a useful link, video, lesson plan, rubric, student exemplar, tutorial, or self-created resource to www.albertacore.ca, you are sharing something that adds value to the educators and learners in the CORE community.

Right now, all staff in CBE, CCSD, RVS, GHSD and CRPS can contribute resources to CORE and there's a contest on for contributions until November 25! We've already received some great submissions since the contest opened a week ago! 

By the way, if you haven't yet, feel free to follow us on Twitter and/or sign up for email notifications from this blog!




Here are some contribution highlights #ByTeachers4Teachers

October 29, 2013

CORE Contest


Want to win a prize? CORE is giving away prizes for contributing items to CORE. Here are some ideas for your contributions:
  • A resource, video, cheat sheet or other item that explains to your fellow users why or how you use CORE
  • The best web link you know of that informs, helps others, or is a tool that can be used for learning
  • Your own resource creation
  • Use social media like Vine, start a hashtag trend on Twitter related to CORE and capture the twitter feed, create short video clip, or a lesson exemplar that incorporates CORE.
  • ...sky's the limit!
For each contest contribution you make in CORE, you will receive one ballot entered in for the draw! Our first draw will be the first week of December!

How to Enter
  1. All teachers in CBE, CCSD, RVS, GHSD and CRPS can contribute to CORE. Just log in at www.albertacore.ca with your regular username and password. Then click Contribute in the left nav bar. Fill out the fields and submit your contribution! For detailed instructions click here.
  2. Include "howiusecore" as a keyword for each of your entries.
If you are contributing on behalf of your students, be sure to check with your school board around what types of social media you can use, and what needs to be done in order to include student personal images or information in your submission. 


Happy creating and contributing!

October 22, 2013

Clear Your Cache to See Our New Look!

When you log in at albertacore.ca using your regular username and password, your interface will look shiny and clean (like the image below). Can't see it? Then wipe your computer's memory about the sites you've visited by clearing your browser's cache. It only takes a second. Remember to do it on your mobile devices too!



Do more with CORE:

  • All teachers and students in CBE, CCSD, RVS, GHSD and CRPS can log in and access the resources in CORE. 
  • All teachers in CBE, RVS and GHSD can contribute their favorite web links as well as self-created resources to CORE.
  • All teachers can comment and rate resources in CORE.

Watch for updates as to when students will be able to comment, rate and contribute!

October 15, 2013

New Resources available from Elections Canada!


Elections are only a week away!  Did you know that Elections Canada offers elementary, secondary and ESL teachers FREE educational resources, tools, activities, information and links, all designed to make your work a little easier?  You can order or download these resources (available in English or French). 
Check out this link!        


October 10, 2013

Stuck in the 80's? Not For Long!

Imagine it's 1985. You're wearing tie-dye jeans, strutting down the street, listening to Duran Duran on your Walkman. You just got your big hair done (even bigger) and you're on your way to the arcade to play Pac-Man. Later on, you'll hang out with your buddies and watch The Breakfast Club or maybe Back to the Future while eating anything with Cheez Whiz on it.

Then you get on to your the computer or tablet that you acquired by traveling to the future and log in to CORE, and it looks like this. Fits the times, doesn't it?


We admit it. Our current interface looks like it came from the past. But we're happy to announce that in about two weeks it will look something like this!


Don't worry--the buttons and functions will stay relatively the same as they are now, but CORE will be less cluttered and easier to navigate!

Questions? Comments? Tweet us @core4learning or use the Suggestions button on the CORE interface! We're listening!

October 3, 2013

New Resource from the Regional Consortia - Learning Technologies: Information for Teachers

The Alberta Regional Consortia has just released a new support for teachers wanting to personalize learning for their students using educational technologies. Check out Learning Technologies: Information for Teachers in CORE at: https://www.albertacore.ca/items/bb269f4f-9f1d-47b8-809b-6fbe3c94f40f/1/

September 20, 2013

Professional Learning and You

CORE has an ever growing collection of professional learning resources. The professional learning resources residing in CORE fall into one of two areas of focus:
  • Resources created to support CORE users and build comfort and familiarity with CORE (some of these re- sources are highlighted in the yellow box below);
  • Resources for all other topics of professional learning (some of these resources are highlighted in the green box to the right).
There are a total of 65 flexible CORE-related professional learning resources that have been developed to provide all users with progress updates, how-to’s, promotional and functional highlights, and pedagogical support. Click on the “Guide to CORE” button on the CORE nav bar to access all of the resources referred to in the table below.



September 19, 2013

Stay Connected to CORE

Follow us on Twitter @core4learning

Follow us on Blogger albertacore.blogspot.com 

Keep your eye on the resource highlight portlet and the updates portlet on the CORE dashboard

September 18, 2013

Assessing Website Credibility

Check out these Alberta produced activities on helping students judge authority and credibility of online information: assessing website credibility.

September 17, 2013

September 15, 2013

Welcome Back!

We are here to help you find great websites, videos, articles and more for use with students and staff. Log in today! Alberta CORE