Newsletter April 22, 2013

Keeping West Virginia Teachers Updated With Emergent Technologies April 22, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 16

Talk Nerdy To Me Inside this issue:

Smarter Balanced Assessment

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100+ Stores That Give Teachers A Discount

3

techSteps offers cyber safety lessons

4

Educator Enhancement Academies

4

Inspiring Quotes

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This Issue’s Publishers  Cynthia L. Rhudy Raleigh County crhudy@access.k12.wv.us  Craig Riffe Monroe County criffe@access.k12.wv.us  Christine Warco Brooke County cwarco@access.k12.wv.us  Kristin Wilburn Mercer County kwilburn@access.k12.wv.us

This newsletter was developed by Technology Integration Specialist candidates as part of certification coursework. Reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the material presented is accurate, reliable and in accordance with current copyright regulations.

WV Statewide Technology Conference scheduled for July 29-Aug. 1 at Waterfront in Morgantown Registration is now open for the annual West Virginia Statewide Technology Conference scheduled for July 29Aug. 1 at the Waterfront Place Hotel and Conference Center in Morgantown, WV. The annual West Virginia Statewide Technology Conference provides a venue for K12, Higher Education and State agencies to share their wealth of information and experiences in a variety of technologyrelated presentations.

Additionally, more than 60 vendors will also be in attendance showing off their new technologies.

Some of this year’s conference tracks include:  Distance Learning/ Blended Delivery

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Data Driven Decision Making Personalized Learning ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Document Imaging Data Interoperability Internet2 Web Development Mobile Computing Green Technology

Conference presenters may attend at a discount fee. To qualify for this discount, your submitted proposal must be accepted by the West Virginia

Statewide Technology Conference Program Committee.

You will receive an email notice if your proposal is accepted. Limit one discounted admission per presentation.

Submit all proposals no later than April 30, 2013 using the Call for Proposals Submission Form located on the conference website at http://conference.wvnet.edu.

For more information on the conference or to register to attend, check out the conference’s web site at http://conference.wvnet.edu.

WESTEST 2 scheduled May 6-24 The WESTEST 2 is schedule to be administered May 6May 24 in schools throughout the state.

WESTEST 2 is a customdesigned assessment for West Virginia students. The individual content assessments measure a student’s levels of performance on clearly defined standards and objectives and skills. Student scores are based

on test questions that have been developed and aligned to the West Virginia 21st Century CSOs. Sample test questions may be found on the Teach 21 website.

WESTEST 2 Online Writing is a part of the reading/ language arts portion of WESTEST 2. The WESTEST 2 Online Writing Assessment statewide testing window clos-

es April 26, 2013.

The assessment results provide information about a student’s academic strengths, as well as areas that need improvement.

To help students prepare for WESTEST 2 and WESTEST 2 Online Writing, teachers are encouraged to use Acuity and WV Writes.

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Volume 1, Issue 16

Smarter Balanced Assessment currently being piloted in WV Approximately 170 West Virginia schools are currently taking part in the Smarter Balanced Scientific Sample Pilot Test, and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium soon will make a Volunteer Practice Assessment available.

The testing window for the Scientific Sample Pilot Test will remain open until May 24, 2013. The Practice Test is expected to become available May 29, 2013. More information about the practice test will be sent to county superintendents and county test coordinators.

The Field Test for the Smarter Balanced Assessment is scheduled for the 2013-2014 school year with the full online operational test scheduled for the spring of 2014. The Smarter Balanced Assessment will replace WESTEST 2 as the state’s annual summative assessment. The last year WESTEST 2 will be administered will

be the spring of 2014.

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium is a state -led group that is working collaboratively to develop nextgeneration assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards that accurately measure student progress toward college and career readiness.

West Virginia has a leadership role in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium as a

governing state.

The Consortium's projects are funded through a four-year, $175 million grant (awarded in 2010) from the U.S. Department of Education, comprising 99 percent of activity resources, with the remaining support provided through generous contributions of charitable foundations.

The Common Core State Standards were adopted by

West Virginia in 2011 as the West Virginia's Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives for mathematics and English language arts.

West Virginia educators incorporated the common core standards into West Virginia's Next Generation standards making the way teachers teach more focused and flexible while making the way students learn more engaging and personalized.

These standards will be fully implemented in grades 312 for the 2014-15 academic year.

For more information on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Scientific Sample Pilot Test, the Volunteer Practice Test, and the online Field Test, the West Virginia Department of Education, Office of Assessment and Accountability has created a Smarter Balanced Assessment web site.

Links to More Information WVDE Smarter Balanced Assessment Web Site Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Smarter Balanced Assessment Sample Items—Mathematics Smarter Balanced Assessment Sample Items—ELA Common Core State Standards Initiative West Virginia Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives

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100+ STORES THAT GIVE A TEACHER DISCOUNT How many teachers do you know who spend money out of their own pockets?

Ok, we all do; that was a silly question. Many retailers recognize this selfless giving

and want to help make things just a bit easier on teachers.

Whether they’re providing traveling discounts, school supplies, clothing, or food,

these stores get an A+ with teachers.

Just remember to keep your ID handy because most companies will ask for that to be provided. And don’t stop

http://tinyurl.com/a6voeff

with our list, ask for a teacher discount wherever you go.

Also, pass our list on to other teachers you know.

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Volume 1, Issue 16

techSteps offers cyber safety lessons To meet Federal regulations, techSteps has created cyber-safety lessons for teachers to implement into their classrooms.

These lessons serve as precautionary reminders to our students to be vigilant and careful while on the Internet.

According to Edvation, techSteps covers these important cyber-safety tips as follows:

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Grades 3-5 - one activity per grade level Grades 6-8 - two activities per grade level Grades 9-12 - a total of eight activities, with a suggested two taught each year

Eager for more awesome safety activities? Scan the QR codes for links to educatorfriendly sites for schools.

RESAs to offer Educator Enhancement Academies this summer This summer the eight RESAs across the state are expected to provide the Next Gen Educator Enhancement Academies as part of the state’s regionalized professional development rollout of the Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

The Next Gen Educator Enhancement Academies will replace the previous Teacher Leadership Institute as the primary professional development model.  The EEAs will consist of

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eight separate strands: English Language Arts for Grades 2 and 3 English Language Arts for Grades 6, 7 and 8 English Language Arts for Grades 10, 11 and 12 Mathematics for Grades 2 and 3 Mathematics for Grades 6 and 7 Mathematics for Grade 8 Mathematics for Grade 10 (currently Math 2) Mathematics for Grade 11 (currently Math 3)

Many RESAs will combine forces to follow a Train-theTrainer model. Some RESAs already have started training the trainers in three-day training sessions. These trainers then will provide the professional development to teachers in the Educator Enhancement Academies throughout the summer.

The purpose of the Next Gen Educator Enhancement Academies is to equip teachers with a thorough understanding of not only what students will be expected to know, under-

stand and be able to do according to the new standards, but also deep understandings of the foundational skills in thinking and expectations that are embedded within the standards.

For more information regarding the Educator Enhancement Academies, check with your school principal, your county professional development coordinator, your local RESA professional development director, or the West Virginia Department of Education Office of Instruction.

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Inspiring Quotes from Thoughtful Mind (quotes@light -ads.net) “A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” ― Colin Powell “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ― Thomas Edison “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” ― Henry Adams “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” ― Albert Einstein “People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” ― Abraham Lincoln “For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ― William James

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