Volume 5, Issue 14
TIS & THAT February 24, 2017
Snow Day Alternative By Mary Martin
In this issue:
Snow Day Alternative
Read
The West Virginia Department of Education has given each county in WV the opportunity to utilize a plan for learning when students are off for inclement weather.
Across America
National
Beta Club
Women’s History Month
Web 2.0 tools in the classroom
Preston County School system has created a plan for such incidents of school cancelation, to ensure they meet the 180 days of mandated instruction. The plan is entitled “Brain Freeze” and has been developed by the county academic coaches and TIS’s using the Office 365 Class Notebook platform.
Spring
Regional TIS meeting dates
Contributors
Each student in the WV school system has access to their own account and may download Office 365 on 5 devices at home. Students are able to access their assignments, receive instructional support and submit their assignments all remotely, using their Office 365 accounts.
The lessons include learning websites and instructional content that are rich in literacy and math and integrates social studies, science and the fine arts. As a trial run, Class Notebooks were created for each grade level and subject area by the TIS/academic coaching team. According to Steve Wotring, Preston County Schools Superintendent and Michelle Berry, Curriculum Director, the goal is that Class Notebook will assume a progressively larger role in the “traditional” classroom. With the move towards 1 to 1 device per student ratio, the use of Learning Management Systems and paperless classrooms will most likely become more of a norm in the school system. In preparation for the new snow day plan, Mark Moore, Coordinator of Office of Technology Integration & Support came for a day of training and support. Mark shared all kinds of useful apps that are included in our Office 365 “waffle”. Mark has created lessons that are on the WV Department of Education website. This included Office Mixes on OneNote and Class Notebook. Here is a link to the technology tutorials that are updated continuously.
http://wvde.state.wv.us/technology/office365/
Using technology as a platform for education allows more flexibility and individuality and thus increases student achievement.
READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY Article by Kara Porter The National Education Association’s Read Across America Day is a program that is designed to promote reading by motivating every child to celebrate reading on March 2, 2017, which is also the beloved children’s book author, Dr. Seuss’ birthday. All across America, schools are calling for parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers (active and retired), librarians, community and business leaders to join the schools in promoting the importance of developing a love for reading by coming into schools and homes to read to the children and then challenge the children to read throughout the next year. If you are interested in creating a reading event for this exciting celebration, please visit the Read Across America Website at: http://www.nea.org/ grants/886.htm for more information.
Gateways to Exciting Adventures: www.readacrossamerica.org/
WOW! What a Find! Library Media Specialists, you need to visit Mackin Educational Resources for a wealth of free resources. This company offers free accounts, extraordinary customer service and ten free eBooks when you open the account. This company will analyze your library collection and guide your development and weeding. They also offer free shelf-ready, standard processing. They also provide account holders with free access to the MackinVIA, cutting-edge, digital content management system. What an exciting find!
2017 SPRING REGIONAL TIS MEETINGS RESA 1: 3/30/17 Courthouse
RESA 5: 3/31/17 RESA office
RESA 2: 3/17/17 Cabell County BOE
RESA 6: 4/26/17 RESA office
RESA 3: 3/21/17 Nitro RESA
RESA 7: 4/28/17 RESA office
RESA 4: 3/6/17 RESA Office
RESA 8: 4/27/17 Spring Mills High
National Beta Club Week
During the week of March 6-10, 2017, The National Beta Club will celebrate National Beta Club Week. It is during this week that we celebrate the positive impact that this extraordinary organization has had and continues to have on the lives of young people across the country. Thanks to the vision of John W. Harris, The National Beta Club was founded in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1934; and the first club was implemented at Landrum High School in Landrum South Carolina. Harris saw the need to bring an honor’s club to the high school level; he recognized the need to develop a catalyst that would foster extraordinary character, leadership skills and would ultimately help students turn their hearts to serving others; thus the motto: “Let us Lead by Serving Others.” The National Beta Club is the nation's largest independent, non-profit, educational youth organization—from its original fifteen members, the National Beta Club now has over four hundred thousand active members and more than 8,000 clubs in 42 states in elementary, middle and high schools across the nation. The Beta Club organization has continued to grow because it is based on sound principles: impeccable character, the heart of a servant, leadership and academic achievement. Each state holds an annual state convention where the individual school clubs bring members to compete in the four core academic areas, oratory, creative writing, poetry, performing arts, group and special talent, robotics, computer art, and visual arts. In many of those categories, first and second place winners receive invitations to compete at the National Beta Club Conference in the summer of that school year. If that isn’t enough, Beta seniors are able to compete for scholarships that range from one thousand dollars to a phenomenal fifteen thousand dollars. Participation in The National Beta Club affords students many opportunities to experience personal growth beyond measure. If you are interested in forming a local chapter of the National Beta Club at your school, please do not hesitate to contact me, and I will gladly assist you in getting your school’s club up and running. You may contact me at klporter@k12.wv.us and/or (304) 648-5566 ext. 27, and I look very forward to hearing from you. Also, browse the National Beta Club ‘s website. Article by Kara Porter
Women’s History Month By Katherine Blankenship March is National Women's History Month. This year's theme is "Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business". In 1987 March was designated as Women’s History Month to celebrate the contributions of women in our nation. The following websites provide background, lessons, and activities to celebrate the roles of women in history and society. History National Women's History Project Women's History Month, Time for Kids Women Heroes, The MY HERO Project Teaching Resources Teaching History, National History Education Clearinghouse Best History Sites, EdTechTeacher Eleanor Roosevelt and the Rise of Reform in the 1930s, National Empowerment for the Humanities Women and Congress, Rutgers Eagleton Institute of Politics Oral and Social History, Library of Congress Nineteenth Century Women: Struggle and Triumph, Library of Congress March is National Women's History Month., readwritethink Beyond Rosie the Riveter: Women's Contributions During World War II, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Women's History Teaching Ideas, Lesson Plans, Printables, Activities, AtoZ teacher stuff Women's History Month Teaching Resources, dreambox
Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom by Mary Martin In an ever-changing technological world we live in, web based applications and tools are part of our everyday life. Teachers need to teach their students the ins and outs of using these tools and do so in a way that safeguards their wellbeing, teaches them to manage comments and interactions, and use the information to help grow and expand their way of thinking and learning. Using web 2.0 tools meets the standards that the Office of Education Performance Audits (OEPA) look for with integration of technology into your lessons. Standard 3: Standards Focused Curriculum, Instruction and Assessments, teachers are to design lessons that follow the Next Generation Standards for Learning Skills and Technology Tools and teachers are to create classroom-learning experiences that support students’ mastery of digital tools. The use of digital tools to aid in classroom collaboration and communication helps to meet those requirements. If you are worried about the use of real social apps, try some alternatives. Use alternatives to practice such as Twister: Fake Tweet or Fakebook. Remember to teach digital citizenship skills while using these and other apps.
Science Stuff by Katherine
NASA STEM Education Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) has many webinar opportunities for teachers and preservice teachers in the coming months. Technology Enables Exploration: Designing Satellites and Rovers in the classroom 2/27/2017 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET Technology Enables Exploration: Spinoffs 2/27/2017 from 6:30 pm – 7:30 p.m. ET Technology Enables Exploration: Robotics on a Budget 2/28/2017 from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm ET Earth Right Now: Understanding the A-Train 3/01/2017 from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm ET Integrating Engineering into Your Science Curriculum 3/02/2017 from 6:30 pm -7:30 pm ET Earth Right Now – The Sun and the Water Cycle 3/06/2017 from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm ET
Newsletter Contributors
Katherine Blankenship is an options teacher at Harrison County Youth Reporting Center. She is in her 18th year working for the West Virginia Department of Education Office of Diversion and Transition Programs.
Women’s History Month: NASA’S Hidden to Modern Figures 3/07/2017 from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET Earth Right Now: Elementary GLOBE; Using Picture books to initiate STEAM PBL 3/08/2017 from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET Earth Right Now: Mission Geography 3/09/2017 from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm ET Earth Right Now: Engineering at NASA 3/13/2017 from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET Earth Right Now – GLOBE Atmosphere 3/14/2017 from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm ET
Kara Porter has been teaching since 1998 and has taught English, Business Education and is now the library Media Specialist/SYSOP at Tolsia High School,. She is in the process of finishing up her certification in administration.
Teachers Connect: NASA LaRC 100 Webinar 3/21/2017 from 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm ET Earth Right Now: From Earth to the Moon 3/23/2017 from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm ET Earth Right Now: NASA Satellite Mission GPM & SMAP 3/27/2017 from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET
Mary Martin has a certification in Special Education and is a TIS for Preston County Schools. She works with Pre-K through 8th grade at West Preston School and Terra Alta/East Preston. She is in her 3rd year of teaching.
Earth Right Now: Looking at Satellite Images 3/28/2017 from 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET Earth Right Now: Space Weather 3/28/2017 from 6:30 pm – 7:30 ET