Teach Tioga

WSKG's Community Converstation

2012-01-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

At 7:00pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012, WSKG will be focusing in Community Conversation radio program on the state-wide education initiatives. Mary Kay Fryes, Superintendent at Johnson City CSD, Ken Slentz, Depute Commissioner of Education, and George Lohmann, Director of the Tioga County Teacher Center, will be interviewed. A podcast of the program will be available for 24 hours on WSKG's Website. WSKG is at 89.3 (Binghamton) or 90.9 (Ithaca)or 91.7 Oneonta/Cooperstown) or 91.1 (Elmira/Corning) or 88.7 (Hornell/Alfred)FM.

Digital Learning Day Wednesday, February 1, 2012

2012-01-27T09:38:00.000-08:00

Dear NYS Teacher,

We invite you to join the more than 1.7 million students and tens of thousands of educators participating in the Alliance for Excellent Education’s (Alliance’s) first-ever Digital Learning Day on Wednesday, February 1, 2012. Visit http://www.digitallearningday.org/sign-up to stay connected, get updates, and receive exclusive information on what you can do to support this effort by taking less than five minutes to sign up and join the wave of innovation and momentum that is building for this groundbreaking event.

This national awareness campaign is designed to celebrate innovative teachers and highlight instructional practices that strengthen and personalize learning for all students. The Digital Learning Day campaign explores how digital learning can provide teachers and students with the opportunities they deserve in an effort to build or become part of a workforce that is ready to succeed in college, a career, and life.

Celebrations and activities of all varieties are happening cross the country at the state, district, and classroom levels. In addition to the national campaign, twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia are hosting their own statewide activities to support digital learning efforts within their states. On Digital Learning Day, a virtual national town hall meeting will be held in Washington, DC along with a live webcast starting at 9:00 a.m. (ET). By developing these tools and hosting the first-ever national Digital Learning Day on February 1, 2012, the Alliance strives to build momentum for a wave of innovation that changes policies, shifts attitudes, and supports wide scale adoption of these promising instructional practices nationwide.

How can you participate?
1. Make a plan to celebrate Digital Learning Day at your school with your students. Go to the Teacher Toolkit for idea from us and teachers like you at http://www.digitallearningday.org/toolkits/teachers/. The Awesome Ideas link provides templates you can customize that may give you some ideas to get started.
2. Sign-up at http://www.digitallearningday.org/sign-up to participate and add your participation to the thousands of teachers celebrating Digital Learning Day with their students.
3. And, you are encouraged to watch the live town hall meeting being streamed via the Internet on February 1, 2012. You can view this on your own, with colleagues, or as a class. Please make sure to register at http://digitallearningday.eventbrite.com/ to get the directions, bookmark the link, and test your system before the live webcast on February 1 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time.

Workshop: Close Reading, One Sentence at a Time

2012-01-25T09:26:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to access workshop flyer.

Stimulate Students' Imaginations with Project-Based Learning

2012-01-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

by Brad Kuntz (posted on ASCD Website)

As teachers, we have an incredible opportunity to engage our students in real-world problem solving that will greatly benefit them as learners. By creating dynamic and engaging projects, we can show our students how to use the knowledge and skills they are learning inside the classroom in their lives outside of the classroom, and give them a chance to demonstrate what they can do as resourceful and creative residents of their respective communities. Then our students will see that their education is the key not only to improving their own lives, but also to improving the lives of those around them.

We are under so much pressure to cover every single learning target in the curriculum that we rarely get to discuss why students should know what we're teaching or how they can put it to use in their lives. And yes, it's important to connect the knowledge and skill set they're learning to potential careers. But not all students are in touch with their own career possibilities or can even think that far ahead. Therefore, whether you connect your students to the school community, a local business or nonprofit organization, or other entities within your area, reaching out beyond the four walls of the classroom may be what it takes to motivate students to participate in their own education and to help them imagine their own futures.

Combining standards-based instruction with a community outreach component is not easy, so start small. Try adding one new component to something you're already doing. Perhaps for this term's research paper, your students can write about the work of a local nonprofit organization. They could research what the organization does and the issues it addresses, and they could even volunteer to work with the organization. Then they could write a paper about what they learned and create multimedia presentations, which would teach them about the problems directly afflicting their community as well as specific ways in which they can lend a hand to address these challenges.

No matter the content area, or the size and scope of the unit, real-world connections can be built in to your lessons. Perhaps during an ecology unit, students can organize some native habitat restoration or invasive species removal. Maybe there's another unit where students could begin a neighborhood composting program, or organize a tree planting activity. Math students can try crunching and graphing budget information from the school district to better understand the financial restrictions facing their school. For advanced language students, there's no limit to the extent of project possibilities they could undertake with members of the community. And the list goes on.

Project-based learning can be an effective way for students to gain a healthy perspective about their role in society. And giving students these opportunities can be exactly what they need to link their efforts in school to the real world. We need to provide young people with the tools necessary to turn their ideals into reality and to open their eyes to the value of education and the role it will play in their futures. We can prove to our students that their actions can make a difference and that their voices will be heard if they become thoughtful, informed, and engaged citizens.

TCTC Director at Network Team Training in Utica

2012-01-23T17:21:00.000-08:00

Two representatives from each Teacher Center Network (there are seven) were invited to participate in the Network Team Training in Utica, January 17-19, 2021. Mary Ann Luciano (left), Director of the Catskill Regional Teacher Center, and TCTC Director George Lohmann, were chosen to represent the Southern Tier Teacher Center Network (STTCN) and they are seated here with SED Associate Gail Moon, who heads the state-wide Teacher Center program. January's session focused on Student Learning Objectives, the Teaching Standards and classroom observation protocols.

Waterman Center Event

2012-01-22T16:42:00.000-08:00

Green Fire - Documentary on the Life of Aldo Leopold –

Saturday, February 11 at 7 PM at Waterman Center

The presentation, Green Fire – Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for our Time, will take place at Waterman Conservation Education Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin, NY. The presentation is free and the community is invited to come and learn about the most important conservationist of the 20th century.
Aldo Leopold is considered the father of the national wilderness system, wildlife management and the science of ecological restoration. His classic book, A Sand County Almanac, still inspires us to see the natural world as a community to which we belong.
This documentary, Green Fire, explores Leopold’s personal journey of observation and understanding. It is the first feature documentary about Aldo Leopold’s life and contemporary legacy. It features commentary from conservation leaders including scientists, ranchers, scholars and three of Aldo Leopold’s children. Curt Meine, Leopold’s biographer, serves as the on-camera guide, making connections between Leopold’s ideas and their expression in the conservation movement today.

Please join us for this new documentary. Call Waterman Center at 625-2221 for more detail.

College Readiness: How to Help Students Think Abstractly

2012-01-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

In this blog post, educator Ben Johnson suggests teaching students to think abstractly through metaphors and sayings. The ability to go beyond the literal interpretation of sayings, such as "water under a bridge," is an important skill for college-bound students and requires problem-solving abilities, he writes. His students, Johnson writes, learned best when he asked them questions about the sayings to help them decipher the metaphors' true meaning. Click HERE to read more.

How to involve students in formative assessments

2012-01-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Author and high-school teacher Larry Ferlazzo offers suggestions and advice on involving students in the process of formative assessment. Simple activities include having students reflect on what they have learned from mistakes or create goal sheets for tracking their progress, he writes. Click HERE to read more.

Strategy of the Week from PD 360

2012-01-15T05:28:00.001-08:00

Setting High Expectations of Learning for All Students

Students respond to clearly set expectations. Rather than keeping those expectations low for students with poor classroom performance, raising them to high expectations brings everyone in the class to higher levels of performance.

While students often enter the classroom at various learning levels, educators should always determine the level of the child when he or she enters the classroom and then work up from there.

Helping all students reach high expectations doesn't happen overnight. Key to meeting high expectations is teacher planning. As a result, educators are on the same page, knowing what is expected of them and their students. Students depend on consistent expectations from teachers. No matter the distractions of the day, educators have the daily opportunity and obligation to impact all students.

What is the relationship between tech and personalized learning?

2012-01-15T05:25:00.000-08:00

The success of student-centered personalized learning is largely dependent on technology, according to this article. The model incorporates aspects of both differentiated and individualized instruction, and requires students to have broad access to technology tools that allow them to connect with peers, learning communities, online tutors and many other resources, the writer finds. Click HERE to read more.

Can Social Media and School Policies Be "Friends"?

2012-01-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Although students today have never known a world without the Internet, many of their teachers and parents experienced school in a time before clicks and shares. This issue of Policy Priorities suggests that all schools move toward embracing social media, while enacting policies that require responsible use. Click HERE to read more.

PD 360 Strategy of the Week

2012-01-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

The Common Core Begins with Commitment
NOTE: These ideas fit within the scope of Teaching Standard I: Knowledge of Students & Student Learning.

One key element to making the Common Core Standards effective in the classroom is commitment to each student’s capacity to learn. A commitment to students and their learning begins with understanding how they learn and ensuring that knowledge is accessible to children of every learning style. Committing to students includes, but is not limited to:

Adjusting instruction through careful observations of the students as a class and as individuals
Helping students make contextual connections to prior knowledge
Foster character, respect, high self-esteem, motivation, and other positive qualities

All high-quality teachers come to know each student’s personality, and they help each student come to know his or her potential. As educator Barnett Berry so precisely puts it, “It’s not just about helping a child learn how to pass a test or know that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1942 and the like. It is really about developing the human spirit.”

As educators commit to the learning of their students, they build a strong foundation in the Common Core Standards and ensure a strong beginning to preparing every student for his or her future.

Digital literacy in the classroom

2012-01-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

Technology should be part of the daily routine in schools, writes ASCD EDge user Celina Brennan. "Students should have frequent access in an authentic manner," says Brennan, adding that tools such as blogs and digital cameras can help students share their thoughts and foster collaboration. In her recent blog post, Brennan explains what digital literacy is, how to incorporate it into the classroom and professional development, and more. Click HERE to read more.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Time Warp Video at Kopernik

2011-12-25T14:20:00.000-08:00

Time Warp Video - Grades 5-7
Mon. Jan. 16, 2012, (MLK Holiday), 10am-3pm
Time Warp Registration
Students will use digital slow-motion video to reveal split-second events that occur in the blink of an eye. Students record catastrophic events such as a free-falling egg smashing to bits and see falling water in shttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflow motion. Participants then simulate lunar impacts and document it by frame-by-frame video capture to analyze the projectile motion of these violent events. We will also record model rocket launches in slow motion. Students should bring a flash drive to take the videos they created home.
See http:/http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif/www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifexamples of slow motion rockets
Slow Motion Rocket launch - Under Powered Launch!
Slow Motion Model Rocket Launch from Kopernik Observatory

Tips for teachers on managing the challenges of tech integration

2011-12-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

Elementary computer teacher Mary Beth Hertz offers suggestions for educators who may be struggling in their efforts to incorporate technology in the classroom. There are many challenges to be faced on the way to success, and teachers should be candid with students when trying new ideas, learn from failures along the way, and remember to revise and reteach as necessary, Hertz writes. Click HERE to http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifread more.

Incorporating technology into project-based lessons

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Instructional technologist Andrew Marcinek offers his strategies for using project-based lessons to teach digital literacy to students. Marcinek lets students demonstrate understanding of classroom topics using videos, websites or blog posts, which can help students practice critical thinking and analysis, discern reliable and false information, and use technology to share their findings. Click HERE to read more. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

How news articles can help teach Common Core "text structures"

2011-12-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

The writer of this blog post suggests ways in which teachers can use news articles to teach students about "text structures" -- compare-contrast, problem-solution, cause-effect -- that are part of the Common Core Standards. For example, stories tracking the effects of an earthquake in Japan or the Occupy Wall Street protests feature key terms and phrases such as "for this reason" and "consequently" that illustrate cause and effect. Click HERE to read more.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

January Programs at the Waterman Center

2011-12-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

Little People Big People Pre School Program - Animals in Winter

Saturday, January 28th 2-3:30 PM

Explore nature with your little one in Waterman Center’s Little People Big People Program for 3 and 4 year olds at 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin. In January, come and discover our local animals in winter. We’ll look for animal tracks along our wintry nature trails, play a hibernation game, read a story and enjoy a track-stamping craft. Please dress for the weather as part of the program will be outdoors.

Pre-registration is recommended. (Child must be accompanied by an adult.) $2.00 per person for members of Waterman Center; $3.00 per person for non-members. Call 625-2221 to register or for more information.

Snow shoe and Cross Country Ski equipment rental Rent cross-country ski and snowshoe equipment at Waterman Conservation Education Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin. Rental hours are 10 AM – 3 PM, Monday through Saturday, snow permitting. Equipment is for use on the Waterman Center trails. Call ahead to ensure the equipment you need is available. Call 625-2221 for more information.

Sally Guydosh
Waterman Conservation Education Center
403 Hilton Rd, Apalachin, NY 13732
607-625-2221

How teachers can establish two-way communication with parents

2011-12-23T09:42:00.001-08:00

Parents can be an important resource and can give helpful direction to teachers about how their children learn best, writes Syracuse, N.Y., educator Kevin Mixon. To establish effective two-way communication between teachers and parents, Mixon offers suggestions for eliciting parents' feedback during phone conversations, with surveys and through visits to students' homes. Click HERE to read more.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Ideas for using student data as part of teaching practice

2011-12-22T17:43:00.000-08:00

Edutopia consulting online editor Rebecca Alber in this blog post suggests ways teachers can use student data as a resource for their teaching practices. In the classroom, teachers can collect student data as formative assessments through exit slips, quizzes or a simple thumbs up or thumbs down, Alber sughttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifgests. Teachers can use data from students' cumulative files to gain a better understanding about their lives, while testing data can be useful in setting individual student goals and creating student groups, among other things, she writes. Click HERE to read more.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

New Kind of Learner

2011-12-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

Broadband, Social Networks, and Mobility Have Spawned a New Kind of Learner
By John K. Waters
December13, 2011
Students are different today because of technology. Every educator knows this, of course, but this change is about much more than agile thumbs, shriveling attention spans, and OMG'd vocabularies. According the Pew Research Center, the combination of widespread access to broadband Internet connectivity, the popularity of social networking, and the near ubiquity of mobile computing is producing a fundamentally new kind of learner, one that is self-directed, better equipped to capture information, more reliant on feedback from peers, more inclined to collaborate, and more oriented toward being their own "nodes of production." Click HERE to read more.

Commissioner King

2011-12-14T19:37:00.000-08:00

NYS Education Commissioner John King addresses state-wide Teacher Center Directors and Policy Board members at their "December Dialogues" Conference held in Troy, NY, December 1 and 2, 2011. The Common Core Learning Standards, data-driven Instruction and the Teaching Standards were the focus of there dialogues.

Teaching the right skills for a new age: Inquiry-based instruction

2011-11-23T17:50:00.000-08:00

Our world is constantly evolving, and success in this era -- full of information overload, search engines and social media tools -- calls for the development of skills that will prepare students for lifetimes of continuous learning, creative thinking and information processing, says education consultant Elliot Seif. In his recent ASCD EDge blog post, Seif presents five skill areas that, he says, need our attention and, together, form an inquiry-based instructional model and provide "common threads for unit design and powerful project development." Click HERE to read more.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Kopernik Talent Search Classes

2011-11-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

Winter Pegasus

There is still time to sign up for Winter Pegasus!

Chemistry for Kids
Grades 1-2 Sat. Dec. 3, 2011, 10am-1pm

Have gooey, bouncy fun at Kopernik! Students in this class are invited to create cool stuff such as "slime" and bouncy balls in Kopernik laboratories. They will find out about chemical reactions that change color and fizz. This will be great fun for the young scientist who loves to experiment. Member $38 / Non-Member $45

Chemistry For Kids Registration Form click HERE.

Violent Weather
Grades 3-4 Sat. Dec. 10 or Sat. Dec. 17, 2011, 10am-2pm

What should we do if we are in the path of a dangerous storm? In this workshop, students will learn to keep their home and family safe with help from the National Weather Service. They will be meteorologists for the day, using Kopernik's weather station and science tools to measure and interpret characteristics of the weather. They will make their own Storm Clouds and Tornadoes! Member $38 / Non-Member $45

Violent Weather Registration Form click HERE.

Time Warp Video
Grades 5-7 Mon. Jan. 16, 2012, (MLK Holiday), 10am-3pm

Students will use digital slow-motion video to reveal split-second events that occur in the blink of an eye. Students record catastrophic events such as a free-falling egg smashing to bits and see falling water in slow motion. Participants then simulate lunar impacts and document it by frame-by-frame video capture to analyze the projectile motion of these violent eventhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs. We will also record model rocket launches in slow motion. Students should bring a flash drive to take the videos they created home.

Time Warp Video Registration Form click HERE.

New Year's Eve Science Festival at Kopernik

2011-11-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

Dec. 31, 2011 2-4pm

Bring your family and join the Kopernik family for an end-of-year celebration and a day to remember. Learn about next year's celestial events. Play games, win prizes, make noisemakers, have your face painted and try some good luck treats! Make 3D glow-in-the-dark constellations to bring home. Enjoy 3D images of Mars. Make a wish with our magical fire pit, watch a night glow rocket launch as we celebrate the beginning of 2012! Before you leave, observe the moon and other celestial objects through our telescopes (if clear).

Preregister for $5/person ($20 family max) or $8/person ($32 family max) at the door

Click HERE for registration form.

Three great courses available for teachers at no cost!

2011-11-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

Intel Teach Elements Course
Assessment in 21st Century Classrooms
Barbara Knab, Instructor

NO FEE FOR THIS COURSE
Online Moodle Course
Start Date: November 14, 2011
Completion Date: December 19, 2011
Participants are eligible for 1 inservice credit based upon their school district’s policy.

Make it easy…to register participants call or email Tom Diener, 631-348-3065 or tdiener@nyit.edu.

Intel Teach
STEM Essentials
Barbara Knab and Tom Diener, Instructors

NO FEE FOR THIS COURSE
Hybrid - Face-to-Face and Online Course

Beginning Class
Saturday, November 12, 2011, 8:00am-5:00pm
NYIT - Central Islip Campus
300 Carleton Ave,. Central Islip, NY 11722

Online from 11/13 – 1216

Culminating Class
Saturday, December 17, 2011
8:00am-5:00pm
NYIT - Central Islip Campus
300 Carleton Ave,. Central Islip, NY 11722
Participants are eligible for 3 inservice credits based upon their school district’s policy. Participants may also elect to get graduate credit for a $355.00 fee.

Make it easy…to register participants call or email Tom Diener 631-348-3065 or tdiener@nyit.edu.

Intel Teach
Leadership Forum
Tom Diener, Instructor

NO FEE FOR THIS COURSE

Session One
Intel Teach Leadership Forum
For all School Leaders
Thursday, December 1st, 4:00pm-8:00pm
New York Institute of Technology 300 Carleton Ave., Central Islip NY 11722
Building 66, Room 236

Optional Session Two
Intel Teach Leadership Forum Master Leader Training
For participants who want to be certified as Leadership Forum Trainers Thursday, December 8th, 4:00pm-8:00pm
New York Institute of Technology 300 Carleton Ave., Central Islip NY 11722
Building 66, Room 236

Make it easy…to register participants call or email Tom Diener, 631-348-3065 or tdiener@nyit.edu.

Promethean Planet

2011-11-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

Created by teachers, for teachers, Promethean Planet is a unique teaching, sharing and support community—your place to connect, create, and change the classroom! Click HERE to register. I was told that the lessons were reasonable compatible with Smart Boards. I would appreciate feedback on this tool.

Podcast about the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS)

2011-10-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

The Teaching Channel offers 45 short (usually about 15 minutes) podcasts dealing with the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS). Click HERE to access them.

Tips on helping teachers with technology in the classroom

2011-10-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

High-school English teacher and school-technology integration specialist Nick Provenzano in a blog post offers suggestions for helping teachers with technology in the classroom. Making sure you have enough time to help, reaching out to teachers throughout the school building and including follow-up afterward are among his suggestions. Click HERE to read more.

WSKG November 2011 Educational Newsletter

2011-10-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

HOME TWEET HOME
WSKG and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology invites student groups in grades K-12 to submit proposals with your ideas on creating or improving bird habitats in your community. Proposals can include planting bird friendly plants (in containers if space is an issue) or by adding bird feeders, nestboxes or bird baths - use your creativity, science skills and imagination. Selected proposals will receive a $200 stipend to implement their projects! Groups can work with a minimum of 3 members and one teacher or adult, youth-led projects are especially encouraged. This competition is open to schools, classrooms, youth organizations and clubs, scouting groups, 4-H programs, etc. Application deadline is 12/16/11. Click HERE for more information.

KIDS BOOK FEST
The WSKG Education Department invites you to the Family Reading Partnership of Owego-Apalachin's 1st annual Kids' Book Fest. This event brings families together to celebrate childhood and the importance of literacy! The festival will include art, entertainment, and activities all based on books. Special guests include local authors Suzanne Bloom and Katrina Morse, musician Johnny Only, the Zoomobile, and many others. Families are invited to this FREE event on November 19th at Owego Free academy from 10-4. For more information call 607-687-6977.

MISSION US
Mission US is a multimedia project featuring free interactive adventure games set in different eras of U.S. history. The first game, Mission 1: "For Crown or Colony?," puts the player in the shoes of Nat Wheeler, a 14-year-old printer's apprentice in 1770 Boston. As Nat navigates the city and completes tasks, he encounters a spectrum of people living and working there when tensions mount before the Boston Massacre. Ultimately, the player determines Nat's fate by deciding where his loyalties lie.

Mission 2, “Flight to Freedom” (working title), which focuses on resistance to slavery, will launch in January 2012. Other missions are planned for release in 2013 and 2014. Click HERE for more information.

StoryCorps National Day of Listening
The National Day of Listening is a new national holiday started by StoryCorps in 2008. On the day after Thanksgiving, StoryCorps asks all Americans to take an hour to record an interview with a loved one, using recording equipment that is readily available in most homes, such as computers, iPhones, and tape recorders, along with StoryCorps’ free Do-It-Yourself Instruction Guide: HERE. This project can be incorporated into the K-12 curriculum in a variety of ways and may be utilized by teachers as they see fit for their classrooms.
http://nationaldayoflistening.org

Independent Lens: Deaf Jam
11/3 @ 10pm
Aneta Brodski, a deaf teen living in New York City, discovers the power of American Sign Language poetry. As she prepares to be one of the first deaf poets to compete in a spoken-word slam, her journey leads to an unexpected collaboration.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/deaf-jam

PBS Arts: Give Me the Banjo
11/4 @9pm
Narrated by Steve Martin, a banjoist himself, the film explores the roots of American music — the minstrel show, ragtime and early jazz, blues, old-time, folk, bluegrass and country. It is a story of America’s quintessential musical instrument from its African slavery roots to the 21st century, featuring performances and commentary from contemporary folk musicians such as Pete Seeger, Earl Scruggs, Taj Mahal, Béla Fleck and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, as well as from leading music historians, instrument builders and collectors. GIVE ME THE BANJO is produced and directed by Marc Fields with Michael Kantor as executive producer. Tony Trischka is co-producer and music director.
http://www.thebanjoproject.org

Curious George Marathon
11/23-11/27 (see times below)
Join us for the Curious George Holiday Spectacular! It’s a four-hour marathon of three Curious George movies, including the broadcast premiere of the 2006 animated feature film “Curious George,” starring Will Ferrell and Drew Barrymore. In this movie, Curious George, the inquisitive little guy with an insatiable taste for adventure, sets off in a brand new tale, where his spunky and fun-loving nature endears him to new friends he meets along the way and (of course) lands him in a series of (mis-) adventures.
Curious George Follow That Monkey
Join Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat as they set out on a madcap cross-country adventure to reunite Kayla, a homesick elephant, with her family. This unlikely trio faces all types of comic calamities and colorful characters and in the end learn that with family, friends and determination you can achieve anything. Featuring the voices of Tim Curry, Matt Lauer, Jamie Kennedy and Jerry Lewis.
A Very Monkey Christmas
Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat are having a wonderful time getting ready for Christmas. There's only one dilemma - neither of them can figure out what to give the other for a present! In the end, both gift-giving predicaments are simply and beautifully resolved, revealing the true spirit of the holiday season.
Wednesday 11/23 at 8am-noon on WSKG
Thursday 11/24 at noon-4pm on WSKG
Friday 11/25 at 6am-10am on WSKG
Saturday 11/26 at 10am-2pm on WSKG2
Sunday 11/27 at 4pm-8pm on WSKG2

High School Dropouts
11/28 @ 10pm
The high school dropout rate is rapidly increasing in many cities throughout the U.S. Teachers, counselors, lawmakers and parents are teaming up to reverse this disturbing trend. This program examines how adults in the Sacramento/Stockton area are literally going door-to-door to catch truants, threatening legal action against their parents, and providing second chances to kids who've already dropped out but want to return. We also pay a chilling visit to San Quentin Prison to meet "lifers" who trace their downfall to dropping out, but are now getting GEDs while incarcerated.

Tavis Smiley Reports
11/29 @ 10pm
This program looks at the status of black teenage boys and examines what it will take to make certain these at-risk males are not dismissed as throw-away kids. The program focuses on the lives of black teenagers who are achieving against enormous odds. Tavis Smiley profiles schools that are tackling the crippling drop-out rate and are turning things around. The program captures how educators are making a difference for these boys -- what teaching techniques work and how community outreach and mentorship can compensate for the lack of other personal and social resources.

Original Minds
11/30 @ 10pm
Five teenagers stigmatized by being in Special Ed. struggle to articulate how their brains work and discover they are smarter than they thought. In a one-size-fits-all educational system, kids with learning disabilities suffer from lack of self-esteem. They become alienated and drop out. But the protagonists of ORIGINAL MINDS buck the trend. They work intensively with the filmmaker to tell their own stories. Their narratives reveal the unique approach to learning that each must discern and claim as his or her own if they are to succeed in the world.
http://originalmindsfilm.com

Can students discuss controversial topics respectfully?

2011-10-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

Students can and should have respectful conversations about controversial topics, says author and professor Diana Hess. She writes about teacher Ann Twain, who assigns students various viewpoints for a large, town hall discussion. Students begin the 90-minute debate defending assigned viewpoints but end by discussing their own views. Other ways teachers can encourage students to respect each other is to prepare students for the topic of discussion, highlight examples of respectful debates and require they address each other by name, Hess writes. Click HERE to read more.

How to create a safe environment for learning

2011-10-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

Edutopia's consulting online editor, Rebecca Alber, offers 20 tips for educators on creating a safe and positive learning environment for students. Alber, who teaches online-education courses for teachers through Stanford University, suggests teachers routinely encourage activities that build community, display student work throughout the classroom and model kindness at every opportunity. Alber also says teachers should make clear from the start the types of behaviors that are never permitted in class. Click HERE to read more.

Too Dumb for Complex Texts?

2011-10-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

From ASCD Express

English professor Mark Bauerlein bemoans statistics that show in September 2008, as 3 million students entered college—the largest cohort ever—many of these students found they weren't ready for college-level work; 43 percent of students at two-year public colleges and 29 percent of students at four-year public colleges required remedial work in math, reading, and writing, according to the study Diploma to Nowhere by the education advocacy group Strong American Schools.

But why aren't high school graduates ready for college-level work? According to Bauerlein, students lack the necessary skills and habits to read complex texts.

It's not that young people don't read anymore. In fact, they read and write online regularly, notes Bauerlein. But this kind of shallow exercise doesn't prepare them for engaging with the deep, complex texts they will encounter at the collegiate level.

"When teachers fill the syllabus with digital texts, having students read and write blogs, wikis, Facebook pages, multimedia assemblages, and the like, they do little to address the primary reason that so many students end up not ready for college-level reading," says Bauerlein.

At the college level, though, students must read complex texts that force them to think critically and analyze layers of meaning. "Complex texts require a slower labor. Readers can't proceed to the next paragraph without grasping the previous one, they can't glide over unfamiliar words and phrases, and they can't forget what they read four pages earlier," says Bauerlein. "They must double back, discern ambiguities, follow tricky transitions, and keep a dictionary close at hand. Complex texts force readers to acquire the knack of slow linear reading. If they rarely encounter complex texts, young students won't even realize that such a reading tack is a necessary means of learning."

And today's plugged-in youth just don't seem to be interested in struggling alone through this maze to reach understanding. These texts require "single-tasking, an unbroken and unbothered focus," says Bauerlein. "Digital-age youths have grown up so accustomed to multiple inputs and steady stimuli that the prospects of two hours alone with one book and no connectivity would most likely strike them as a depleted occasion."

There is hope. Bauerlein urges teachers to help students unplug—not completely, but long enough to dig deeper within the text and themselves.

20 Things Students Want the Nation to Know About Education

2011-10-04T05:58:00.000-07:00

Students want teachers to know that standardized tests do not measure critical thinking, everyone learns in different ways and technology will make classroom lessons more interesting, said student panelists at NBC's Education Nation event. Blogger Lisa Nielsen compiled a list of their tips for teachers, including advice about the importance of connecting with students, positive feedback and community involvement in schools. Click HERE to read more.

Don't Stress Parent-Teacher Conferences!

2011-10-04T05:36:00.000-07:00

Tips courtesy of NYSUT Education & Learning Trust

NYSUT United - September 16, 2011
Follow these 12 tips for success Tips courtesy of NYSUT Education & Learning Trust

1.DO greet parents warmly at the door and create a welcoming environment. Many teachers group chairs around a table to share student work.
2.DON'T direct parents to sit in front of your desk — it's condescending.
3.DO start the meeting on a positive note — summarize student strengths before raising problems.
4.DON'T dress too casually — your attire reflects your professionalism and the importance of the meeting.
5.DO rehearse what you'll say — practice warm-up introductions and prepare an outline of issues to cover.
6.DON'T make subjective statements about student performance — cite specific examples.
7.DO use materials from student work folders to demonstrate performance.
8.DO use positive, nonverbal behavior — listen reflectively, maintain good eye contact and lean in when you speak or make suggestions.
9.DON'T blame parents or dominate the meeting — seek suggestions and allow time for parent questions.
10.DON'T use educational jargon or acronyms.
11.DO end on a positive note — set goals, review how parents can help and discuss plans for follow-through.
12.DO give parents take-home materials — they can review, and refer back to them during the year.

Free Online Courses Offered by Stanford University

2011-09-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Database
Click HERE to learn more.
Artificial Intelligence
Click HERE to learn more.

ASD Seminars

2011-09-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

Note that the December 6, 2011, Seminars are in Ithaca.

Click HERE to go to their Website.

NYSHA Annual Conference October 13-14, 2011

2011-09-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Go to www.nysha.org for schedule and registration form.

Math Conference in Rochester October 27-29, 2011

2011-09-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

Here's the front copy of a math conference brochure that is too long and detailed to post on this blog. If you are interested, contact George Lohmann at tiogactc@gmail.com and he will make you a copy of the brochure.

Center for Autism and Related Disabilities 10th Annual Conference

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

University at Albany, SUNY
Celebrating a Decade of Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Positive Outcomes for Individuals with ASDs
Friday, October 21, 2011
7:15am-3:30pm
Holiday Inn, 205 Wolf Road, Albany, NY
If you would like a hard copy of this conference brochure, contact George Lohmann at tiogactc@gmail.com.

20 Ideas for Engaging Projects

2011-09-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

The start of the school year offers an ideal time to introduce students to project-based learning. By starting with engaging projects, you'll grab their interest while establishing a solid foundation of important skills, such as knowing how to conduct research, engage experts, and collaborate with peers. In honor of Edutopia's 20th anniversary, here are 20 project ideas to get learning off to a good start. Click HERE to access the list of projects.

Two New Policy Board Members

2011-09-19T17:07:00.001-07:00

The Tioga County Teacher Center Policy Board welcomes two new members for 2011-2012. Stepping in for the technology-based business representative slot left vacate by Erin Nichols will be David Benjamin, an engineer at Lockheed Martin since 2006. Benjamin graduated from Newark Valley High School, Drew University (BS) and the University of Colorado at Boulder (MS physics). Taking Robin Novi’s spot as a teacher representative for Newark Valley High School is Library Media Specialist Michelle Bombard. Bombard graduated from Tioga High School, Saint Rose (BS), Touro University (MS education) and Syracuse (MS Library Science). Bombard was first a news producer for WBNG-TV, then an English teacher at Seton Catholic, and then a LMS at Notre Dame in Elmira, before coming to NV in 2010.
Also stepping down from her position on the Policy Board is Nancy Riggs who represented teachers at Candor Elementary. Her replacement is yet to be announced.

How to improve homework

2011-09-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

The quality of students' homework assignments is more important than the quantity, says author Annie Murphy Paul. In this opinion piece, Paul recommends teachers adopt research-based techniques for assigning homework, such as "retrieval practice," in which students' understanding is reinforced, rather than assessed. In another technique known as "spaced repetition," students read and learn about material in shorter sessions over longer periods of time, to continuously be exposed to the information so it becomes embedded in their minds. Click HERE to read more.

Why mistakes are an essential component of classroom learning

2011-09-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

Journalist and author Alina Tugend writes that mistakes are an important part of classroom learning. Students who fear making mistakes are afraid to be creative or try something new, and also may be afraid to raise their hand when they are unsure of the answer to a difficult question, she argues. Tugend suggests teachers embrace growth mindsets, in which students are praised for hard work, rather than just performance outcomes, to help students become more resilient and motivated learners. Click HERE to read more.

20 things new teachers should be doing this year

2011-09-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

Education blogger Lisa M. Dabbs suggests 20 tips for new teachers as they head to the classrooms this year. Dabbs encourages educators to stay in touch with their passion for teaching, build relationships with colleagues, and focus on effective communication with students and parents. She also advises new teachers to seek out support from peers and mentors, and embrace social-networking tools to increase collaboration and the sharing of resources. Click HERE for more.

How to encourage students to ask their own questions

2011-09-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

A six-step process for teaching students to formulate their own questions can encourage them to take ownership of their learning, and deepen their understanding of a subject, write Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, authors of the book, "Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions." The Question Formulation Technique can be used to introduce new material to students, gauge their understanding during a lesson or to help students set a new learning agenda at the end of a unit, the authors write. Click HERE to read more.

Astronaut Captain Daniel Bursch

2011-09-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Back Home for One Day Only!
Come and Meet Astronaut and Vestal Native
Captain Daniel Bursch
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Fundraiser for the Kopernik Observatory and Science Center
Three (3) Presentations:

"Living and working on the International Space Station"
Vestal Middle School Auditorium
600 South Benita Boulevard
1:00pm Public Presentation
Adults $8.00; Students/seniors $5.00
KOSC Members Free

"Expedition Four to the International space Station"
Polish Community Center, Binghamton
347 Prospect Street
4:00pm Cash Bar
5:00pm Dinner and Keynote Address
Adult $32.00; Children $16.00

"The Space Shuttle and Future of U.S. Human Spaceflight"
Kopernik Observatory and Science Center
698 Underwood Road, Vestal, NY
8:00pm
adults $10.00; Students/Seniors $8.00
KOSC Members $5.00
Call 748-3865
www.kopernik.org

Intel Teach Courses Being Offered

2011-08-25T03:32:00.000-07:00

Teachers can register through the Educational Learning Trust
https://www.mylearningplan.com/webreg/catalog.asp?H=1&D=15191

1. Online Intel Teach Elements
Projects Based Approaches
The goal of Project-Based Approaches is to help teachers improve their understanding and application of project-based approaches in the 21st cehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifntury classroom. Using specific classroom scenarios, explore benefits of Project-Based Learning (PBL) as you consider the ways that technology supports PBL in the 21st century classroom. The instructional design of this Intel Element course includes:E-learning: Each short course has five modules and each module includes three to six lessons of interactive activities with exercises that introduce and explore concepts. Action Planning: where teachers design materials and activities to implement new concepts or improve practices in their classrooms, Facilitated Discussion: where teachers have the opportunity to share ideas and give feedback on Action Plans with a certified Intel trainer. Participants will be working in Moodle to develop a learning community and share ideas and best practices related to project-based learning.

This is a 15-hour online inservice course and runs from 10/3-11/14/11. Deadline to register is 9/26/2011.

Date(s): Oct 3 - Nov 14

2. Online Intel Teach Elements
Assessment in the 21st Century Classroom
The goal of Assessment in 21st Century Classrooms is to help teachers improve assessment of 21st century skills. Explore a wide variety of formative assessment strategies you can modify and adapt to engage your students in their own learning. This course is practical, with opportunities to apply these assessment concepts in action plans in your own classroom. The instructional design of this Intel Element course includes: E-learning: Each short course has five modules and each module includes three to six lessons of interactive activities with exercises that introduce and explore concepts. Action Planning: where teachers design materials and activities to implement new concepts or improve practices in their classrooms, Facilitated Discussion: where teachers have the opportunity to share ideas and give feedback on Action Plans with a certified Intel trainer. Participants will be working in Moodle to develop a learning community and share ideas and best practices related to assessment in a 21st century classroom.

This is a 15-hour online inservice course and runs from 10/3-11/14/11. Deadline to register is 9/26/2011.
Date(s): Oct 3 - Nov 14

3. Online Intel Teach Elements:
Collaboration in the Digital Classroom
The goal of Collaboration in the Digital Classroom is to help teachers prepare students to collaborate in the digital, global world. Learn to plan and manage student collaboration activities that integrate online collaborative tools that are increasingly part of our globally connected world. A collaboration Framework will help you strategically integrate collaboration into your instruction and ensure it is purposeful, meaningful, and effective. Develop students’ 21st century thinking skills, deepen their content understanding, and prepare them for college or careers in a global economy. The instructional design of this Intel Element course includes: E-learning: Each short course has five modules and each module includes three to six lessons of interactive activities with exercises that introduce and explore concepts. Action Planning: where teachers design materials and activities to implement new concepts or improve practices in their classrooms, Facilitated Discussion: where teachers have the opportunity to share ideas and give feedback on Action Plans with a certified Intel trainer. Participants will be working in Moodle to develop a learning community and share ideas and best practices related to collaboration in the digital classroom.

This is a 15-hour online inservice course and runs from 10/3-11/14/11. Deadline to register is 9/26/2011.
Date(s): Oct 3 - Nov 14

Empowering female students to pursue STEM subjects

2011-05-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

About 200 female students from middle and high schools in and around Bucks County, Pa., took part in the Girls in Focus on Technology -- or GIFT -- Day, a seminar aimed at boosting their interest in science, technology, engineering and math. Female professionals in STEM fields attended the event, where students participated in sessions that included hands-on science experiments and technology lessons.
Click HERE to read more.

eSchool Grants and Funding Alert

2011-04-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Click HERE to access the latest Grants and Funding alert from eSchool.

May Programs at Waterman Center

2011-04-20T06:33:00.001-07:00

New York Safe Boating Class: 4 week course - May 3, 10, 17, and 24 6:30-9 PM
The New York State Safe Boating course at Waterman Conservation Education Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin, will prepare you for the Personal Watercraft test. This is required in order to receive a NYS Boat Safety Certificate. Book and materials will be provided. Test for licensing will be the last day of class. The New York Safe Boating course trains youths and adults with a minimum of eight hours of classroom training. Subjects covered include: required equipment, the rules of the road, buoys, safe operation, seamanship, accidents and special activities. Registration is required. $12.00 per student for building use. Call Waterman Center at 625-2221 to register or for more information. This is a 4-week class.

The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood Friday, May 13, 7:00PM & Saturday, May 14, 10:00AM, 12:00PM & 2:00M
On Friday, May 13 and on Saturday, May 14, Master Falconer Jonathan Wood of the Raptor Project, Roxbury, NY, will bring 15-20 live birds of prey, including owls, hawks, falcons and a golden eagle for 4 special programs at Waterman Conservation Education Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin. At 7:00PM on Friday and at 10:00AM, 12:00PM and 2:00Pm on Saturday, Jonathan Wood will display the skill and agility of these magnificent birds that are from every habitat on the planet earth. He brings unique insights, observations, and humor to these shows. This is one of the most unique wildlife presentations in the nation and is enjoyed by people of all ages. The program is held in the Waterman Center auditorium. This program is not to be missed. Reservations required as space is limited. Call 625-2221 to register or for more information.
Adults: $10 for members/ $12 for non-members
Kids: 5-12 $5 for members/ $6 for non-members Kids under 5 free.

Bingo May 7 and 28 ***NOTE DATE CHANGE***
Bingo will occur on May 28 instead of May 21. May 7 date remains the same.
Doors open at Noon. Early Bird Bonanza at 12:45 PM. Regular Bingo at 1:00PM.
Enjoy an afternoon of Bingo at Waterman Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin. Cash prizes. All paper. Proceeds benefit nature programming and the Waterman trail system. Our Bingo games are easy and fun to play for the entire family. Food and beverages available. $3 Admission. Call 625-2221 for more information.

Volunteer Naturalist Meeting Tuesday, May 10, 9:30AM
All volunteers are invited to our meeting to discuss opportunities for helping out at Waterman Conservation Education Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin. If you are not yet involved, this is the perfect time to start. Bring a friend. Call 625-2221 for more information.

Waterman Center Earth Celebration! Saturday, May 21, 2010, 10:00AM–6:00PM
Attend the Waterman Center Earth Celebration, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin on May 21 from 10 AM – 6 PM for a day of environmental education. You will find emerging and available technologies that promote solutions to environmental problems, ways to green your world by saving energy, reducing pollution, and recycling, and much more. The Earth Fest will give you an opportunity to see what area businesses are doing to conserve energy and to learn about actions the average homeowner
can take to save energy and money. Residents will have the opportunity to recycle house electronics, printer cartridges, cell phones and bottles and cans. There will be displays, demonstrations, live animals, informational talks, trail hikes and more! There will be a special children’s area. Bring the whole family! Let’s all make a difference and reach out and be accountable to our Planet and our next generation. The event is $1.00. Under 5 free. Call the Center at 625-2221 or email info@watermancenter.org for more information.

Wildflower Walk in the IBM Glen with Mary Ann Cuff May 28, 9:00AM
Come enjoy the beauty of the woods in the spring. See some of the wildflowers that grow in the IBM Glen on Robinson Hill Road in Endwell, NY. Ragged Robin and Canada Anemone are just a few of the wildflowers that you will learn about from Mary Ann. Bring the whole family on May 28 at 9:00AM for a time of discovery. Bring a wildflower field guide if you have one. Registration requested. To register, call Waterman Center at 625-2221. Children welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. $3.00/members, $4.00/non-members, $1.00 for children. Waterman membership forms will be available at the Glen.
Please wear sturdy shoes. The hikes are hilly so you might want to bring a hiking stick. Dogs are not allowed at hikes. Several Nature booklets about the IBM Glen and the Serenity Trail at Waterman can be purchased for $1.00 and $2.00 each at nature walks. Directions to the Glen: Drive north on Robinson Hill Rd. from Country Club Rd. in Endwell for 1.2 miles. Look for a green entrance gate on the right hand side of the road. The parking lot is a short distance beyond the gate.

Sally Guydosh
Waterman Conservation Education Center
403 Hilton Rd, Apalachin, NY 13732
607-625-2221

How to stop being a cheerleader and teach students motivation

2011-04-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

Teachers often try to motivate students through rewards or pep talks, but teacher Larry Ferlazzo writes in this piece -- adapted from his new book -- that students must be taught to discover their motivation. To motivate students to learn, Ferlazzo recommends praising specific achievements, building relationships with students, using cooperative learning, conveying the financial and health benefits of education and creating opportunities for students to guide their own learning.
Click HERE to learn more.

A way to design meaningful work for students

2011-04-16T04:55:00.000-07:00

Two educators suggest using a scientific approach to learning that allows students to investigate and solve the mysteries they encounter in the classroom. The model -- described as a learning funnel -- relies on students to develop algorithms to help them manage their own learning and make connections. Elliot Washor and Charles Mojkowski, of Big Picture Learning, write that the funnel approach can be used by teachers to create more meaningful work for students.
Click HERE and HERE to read more.

Strategies for helping students memorize text

2011-04-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

The writers of this New York Times blog post suggest there is value in having students' memorize text and offer several tips for helping students memorize and recite passages in class. To get started, the writers suggest students recite something they already know, such as a famous poem or song lyrics. To memorize something new, they suggest strategies such as breaking the text into smaller passages, writing the entire passage several times and memorization through music.
Click HERE to read more.

3 Cyber Safety Resources

2011-04-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

Cyber Safety is a primary focus of the Prof Garfield website resources for kids and educators. There is a link specifically for this off the Teachers' Lounge: www.infinitelearninglab.org/

Here's another resource: www.netsmartz.org

There are curriculum and Professional Development resources at www.commonsensemedia.org/educators

The Brain and Learning

2011-04-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

From a workshop provided by Lisa K. Bloom, DC, FIACN at Ithaca College’s Ed Tech Conference

How the brain works (great link)
The Brain from Top to Bottom
http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/
Brain Explorer
Good Explanation of Neurotransmitters
http://www.brainexplorer.org/
Is Google making us smarter or stupid?
http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/this_is_your_brain_on_facebook/

3rd Friday Artwalk Event in Owego

2011-03-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Pianist Vanessa LaDue will perform at the Tioga County Historical Society Museum on Friday April 15, from 5:30-7:00pm. Vanessa is a local pianist who trained under Marcella Chaykosky, was the organist at St. Josephs Church in Athens before its consolidation, and is a current member of the Madrigal Choir of Binghamton. Vanessa also plays the flute and is working on a CD of original music. She played at the museum for 2010’s O Tannenbaum midnight reception. We’re delighted to have her back.

Suggested admission for this performance - $3 adult/$1 children

Please note: The museum will be open till 7pm during the 3rd Friday ArtWalks for the rest of the summer. Special events will be scheduled during those times. We’ll post the details soon.

How should learning be assessed in project-based lessons?

2011-03-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

Education writer Suzie Boss considers the importance of effective assessments and how they can be used to measure student learning on project-based lessons. A new classroom guide developed by Edutopia offers tips and resources for assessing learning at each stage of a project-based lesson, from project planning to a culminating event when students present their conclusions. Click HERE to learn more.

Technology and the Brain

2011-03-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

Kids between the ages of 8 and 18 spend 11.5 hours a day using technology — whether that’s computers, television, mobile phones, or video games – and usually more than one at a time. That’s a big chunk of their 15 or 16 waking hours.

But does that spell doom for the next generation? Not necessarily, according to Dr. Gary Small, a neuroscientist and professor at UCLA, who spoke at the Learning & the Brain Conference last week.

“Young people are born into technology, and they’re used to using it 24/7,” Small said. “Their brains are wired to use it elegantly.”

Click HERE to read more.

New ThinkfinityNY & Beyond

2011-03-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

Visit the NEW & IMPROVED ThinkfinityNY & Beyond website today!! Get high-quality Thinkfinity resources that are aligned to NYS Learning Standards as well as other outstanding content from NYS Teacher Center partners. Check it out today!

GEEO Offers Professional Development Travel Programs

2011-03-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a non-profit organization that runs summer professional development travel programs designed for teachers.

GEEO is offering 13 different travel programs for the summer of 2011: India/Nepal, China, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey/Syria/Jordan/Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa/Mozambique/Zimbabwe/Botswana, Morocco, Argentina/Uruguay/Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Costa Rica and Guatemala/Belize/Mexico. Registration deadline is June 1st, 2011, however some of the programs will be full before then.

Educators have the option to earn graduate school credit (3 credits through Indiana University) and professional development credit while seeing the world. The trips are 8 to 23 days in length and are designed and discounted to be interesting and affordable for teachers. GEEO also advises teachers on how to find funding to subsidize the cost of the trips. GEEO provides teachers educational materials and the structure to help them bring their experiences into the classroom. The trips are open to all nationalities of K-12 and University educators and administrators, as well as retired educators. Educators are also permitted to bring along a non-educator guest.

Detailed information about each trip, including itineraries, costs, travel dates, and more can be found at www.geeo.org. GEEO can also be reached 7 days a week, toll free at 1-877-600-0105 between 9AM-9PM EST. To sign-up for GEEO's listserv, please send an email to listserv@geeo.org with the subject line "subscribe."

Key to Good Classroom Management

2011-03-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

The key to effectively managing a classroom is having a positive relationship with students based on trust, says New York Times columnist and author David Brooks. Maurice Elias, director of the Social-Emotional Learning Lab at Rutgers University, writes in this blog post about Brooks' belief that students will feel freer to learn, explore and ask questions in an environment where they are trusted and are treated as co-managers of the classroom. A teacher-student relationship based on fear, however, can lead to frustration and harm learning.
Click HERE to learn more.

Ideas for Student-Centered Learning Projects

2011-03-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

The writers of this blog suggest a lesson in which students are asked to experiment with developing their own curriculum. First, students make a list of the top 10 things they would like to learn, which they then share with their peers to look for similarities and differences. They then watch a video about a group of students who planned and implemented a self-directed learning initiative, before embarking on their own student-centered projects.
Click HERE to learn more.

NEW SAS Curriculum Pathways with New System Requirements

2011-03-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

In April you will begin having access to the NEW SAS Curriculum Pathways. At the end of June we will retire the current version of the product. We are excited about the product enhancements, a detailed description of which will appear in our next newsletter. Please keep in mind that you must meet the new system requirements to use the new product.

Events at the Tioga County Historical Society in Owego

2011-03-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

“Time and Tines: Traditions in Clocks and Tableware” – March 5 – August 13, 2011 - Green Gallery - an in depth look at clock making in Tioga County and the jewelers who made and sold the clocks as well as silverware and other related items. Many local clocks are on display. Individuals from the community also loaned clocks and local silverware to this exhibit.

United Way Art Show – Main Gallery – March 15 –March 26 - grades K - 5
April 9 - May 7, 2011 grades 6-12
Receptions on March 16 – 5-7pm for K – 5
and Reception on April 20th – 5pm – 7pm for 6-12.

Upcoming Programs:
April 16 – 1-3pm - Spring Time Crafts at the Museum (free for children)
May 7 - 12- 4pm – Fiber Spinning – see how wool is spun and dyed in this informative session taught by Lesley McClelland of Rampart’s Edge Farm and Fiber Studio (Free admission)
May 21 - 1- 4pm – Workshop about Flint napping and 3 Sisters (corn, bean, squash) in affiliation with Preserve America Grant and Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Museum is open Tues – Sat 10 – 4pm
Open till 7pm on 3rd Friday ArtWalk (starting in April)
Some later hours apply during receptions and special events

Visit our web site – www.tiogahistory.org

Grants and Funding Alert

2011-03-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a list of new grant opportunities just announced from federal, state and local agencies, community and corporate foundations, along with up-to-the minute overviews of federal funding resources?

Check out the Grants and Funding Alert electronic newsletter.

Below you will find a link to the latest edition of the Grants and Funding Alert.
Click HERE.

Tips for planning a lesson on the earthquake in Japan

2011-03-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

New York Times blogger offers resources and lesson plans for teaching students about Friday's 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The author has compiled past New York Times resources on tsunamis and earthquakes, along with links to Internet resources on the topics and information about Japanese history and culture. A separate post has a list of questions that can be used in discussions about the tragedy.
Click HERE (3?11 Post)and HERE (3/14 post) to go to the blog.

Take The Chill Out Of Winter With Verizon Thinkfinity

2011-03-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

Turn the winter chill into cool classroom activities with primary sources and lesson plans from Verizon Thinkfinity.

· Demonstrate for 6-8th grade students how Putting the Ice in Hockey makes the game an exciting winter sport.

· Then take a look at the Hockey Skates worn during the 1980 Winter Olympics “miracle on ice” with this primary source for K-12th grade students to see why these sharp shoes are a key piece of the game.
· Finally, teach the Science of the Olympic Winter Games with 6-8th grade students as coaches and athletes share the secrets behind the Games.

The Electric Company – Unlock the Power of Words

2011-03-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

Verizon Thinkfinity partners with The Electric Company® to connect with today's kids, parents and educators. The Electric Company is an Emmy® Award-winning multi-media literacy experience designed to bridge the literacy gap among 6-to-9-year old struggling readers.  

Jump into The Electric Company's videos, activities to do in the classroom and at home, lesson plans and interactive games that cover these curricular goals while entertaining and engaging the audience. The Electric Company connects with children, parents, and educators alike through the use of the freshest pop culture: celebrities, current music, and comedy delivered by compelling characters in both live action and animation. Its educational curriculum incorporates vocabulary words connected to topics and themes - from sports to music to outer space - that resonate with today's kids. Learn more about the partnership or jump right into the collection.

Are you part of the Thinkfinity Community? Visit the Community and see what others are discussing!

Interested in professional development? Visit our complete lineup of free webinars and get started today!

NEW at Thinkfinity

2011-03-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

2011 will be bringing some EXCITING updates to the ThinkfinityNY program! Be on the lookout for:

* a NEW Thinkfinity and Beyond Website for aligned resources, Museum and Cultural Institution resources, locally developed materials and MORE!

* an emphasis on ELECTRONIC delivery of training through the use of Safari Montage, Elluminate or Moodle in customizable "5 hour blocks." Trainers will receive incentive funds to develop and populate a training calendar following the Technology Empowered Teacher Center Model. RFP's for trainers will be posted soon!

* limited face to face training will be supported through the grant, but training materials/resources and trainer training will STILL be available throughout our state network.

* a NYS-specific trainer recognition program is under development and will be unveiled during the first quarter of this year. Outstanding trainers will be highlighted on the Thinkfinity & Beyond website!

* a NYS "Thinkfinity at Your School" award will be available to provide funds to support training and potentially release time to integrate Thinkfinity resources into instruction!

Thinkfinity and Beyond continues to be a cornerstone program for NYS Teacher Centers, and as we move forward into 2011, it will allow Technology Empowered Teacher Centers to continue to bring high quality training and resources into the hands of our teachers and their students.

Strategies for Teaching Students about the Role of Government

2011-03-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

Teachers can use the debate over a possible federal government shut down for lessons on the role, size and scope of government, according to this New York Times blog post. The writers suggest several activities, such as asking students to research the Democratic and Republican philosophies on the role of government. Students also could research the history of the federal government or hypothesize about what the effects of a government shutdown might be.
Click HERE to go to NY Times Blog.

Make Parents Your Partners

2011-02-27T18:44:00.000-08:00

Tips for Creating Healthy, Productive Parent-Educator Relationships at the High School Level

Jennifer J. Salopek (from ASCD)

Often, parents of elementary-age kids seem eager to volunteer at the school and participate in their children's education, but as kids get older, parental engagement levels tend to dramatically decrease. What can educators do to more effectively engage parents and involve them in the education of their high school–age children?

High school seems to be the turning point for many parents when it comes to their involvement with their children's education. Many distance themselves from their children's education, while others become overly involved, questioning every class choice, grade, and extracurricular activity or battling with teachers about perceived injustices toward their children.

So how can high school educators more effectively engage parents to create healthy relationships and make parents allies and education partners?

First, it helps to understand where parents are coming from, says behavioral therapist Kirk Martin. Uninvolved and overinvolved parents can represent two ends of the same spectrum, says Martin, who points to parents' anxiety as a reason for their sometimes perplexing behavior. Martin notes that some parents check out when they feel overwhelmed. Plus, their teens may be pushing them away and they don't know how to help or what type of involvement is appropriate. This can cause parents to withdraw from activities such as volunteering at the school.

At the other end of the spectrum are overinvolved parents. Many overinvolved parents worry that their kids who have struggled in school will not achieve the same levels of success as their peers, says Martin.

"Overinvolved parents are suffering from enormous anxiety," says Martin. "As they compare [their child] to other students, they begin to worry about the future, envisioning the kid still living in the basement at the age of 29."

Making an effort to understand parents' perspectives and anxieties will help educators create healthier and more productive relationships with parents.

For their 1994 book A New Generation of Evidence: The Family Is Critical to Student Achievement, researchers Anne Henderson and Nancy Berla reviewed and analyzed dozens of studies to understand the benefits of parental involvement. The researchers concluded that when parents participate in the education process, their children tend to have higher grades, better attendance, higher test scores, and higher self-esteem and require fewer disciplinary interventions. At the high school level, when so many parents tend to back off, the researchers found that involvement is even more important, significantly reducing dropout rates.

There are also benefits for teachers and schools. For example, schools with a high level of parent involvement receive greater community support and an improved reputation, and teachers enjoy higher morale, greater professional respect, and increased job satisfaction.

Parental involvement is necessary and important; however, well-meaning parents can sometimes be a little too involved.

The term "helicopter parent" was coined by clinical psychologist Madeline Levine, who wrote in her book The Price of Privilege, "Parents who persistently fall on the side of intervening for their child, as opposed to supporting their child's attempts to problem solve, interfere with the most important task of childhood and adolescence: the development of a sense of self."

Clearly, it's worth the effort to create balanced, healthy, and productive relationships with parents. Working together, parents, teachers, and administrators can assist young people in becoming their own advocates by teaching them to make sound decisions and to achieve their own academic success.

Build Alliances
John Nori, director of program development at the National Association of Secondary School Principals, dislikes the term "helicopter parent." "Parents are the best advocates for their kids and are involved to their own comfort level. However, there is a balance to be struck between the child's independence and the parent's involvement," says Nori.

When he was principal of Magruder High School in Montgomery County, Md., Nori found it helpful to involve parents in niche groups organized around student activities and clubs. Magruder also had a parent advisory council with neighborhood representatives. These approaches funnel parent interest and energy into the school rather than into their own child's academic performance, he says.

Westshore High School in Melbourne, Fla., boasts one of the highest PTA membership rates in the country and enjoys an extremely high level of parent involvement. Why? Because it's required, explains principal Rick Fleming.

Westshore is a magnet school serving grades 7 through 12. Students compete through a lottery process for one of its 950 places after completing an application and meeting certain standards. Once admitted, students and parents must sign a contract that outlines a number of requirements, including 20 hours of volunteer involvement by parents each academic year. As a result, the school gets extra help and kids become accustomed to having their parents around during the day, Fleming says.

Phoenix High School in Phoenix, Ore., encourages three-way partnerships between students, parents, and teachers. Assistant principal Shawna Blanchette says the school began an advisory program six years ago. Each student has an advisor, ensuring that state graduation requirements are met and documented and that every child is connected to an adult at the school. Each advisor has fewer than 20 advisees. Then, administrators hit on the idea of having students lead annual conferences with their parents and advisors to review their progress through the graduation requirements. "We empowered students by putting them in charge of communicating their goals and plans," says Blanchette.

Students are provided with a script and a number of forms that guide them in conducting the conversation. In this conference, students discuss their academic and personal goals, transcripts and the credits needed for graduation, recent report cards, awards and accomplishments, and their post–high school plans, among other topics. This exercise allows young people to work as equal partners with adults in charting their academic careers.

Communication Is the Key
Communication is the key to successful relationships between parents and educators. Schunn Turner, principal of Martin Luther King High School in Nashville, Tenn., engages in frequent communication with parents. Turner sends them a regular e-mail called the "Weekly Agenda for Parents." "It provides them with lots of information and helps parents stay involved, even if they're not participating themselves," he says.

Informing parents about major deadlines goes a long way toward alleviating parent anxiety, Sherie Jenkins has found. Jenkins is a science teacher who serves as the senior project coordinator at Westshore High School. Seniors are required to conduct a yearlong, nonacademic project that demonstrates their ability to stretch and work outside their comfort zone. At the beginning of the year, parents sign a contract attesting that they understand and support their child's topic. They are then invited in to see the projects at key milestones and to view the finished products at the end of the year.

"We steer parents to the appropriate level of guidance by copying them on student e-mail reminders about the project. Keeping them in the loop seems to help," Jenkins says.

Although technology has revolutionized the ways schools can communicate with parents—from websites to automated outgoing telephone recordings—old-school methods can often prove just as effective.

Carolyn Gecan, a history and geography teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., visited parents in homes when planning for summer student trips to Europe. "It's a very old-fashioned approach, but home visits are really undervalued," she says. "These informal get-togethers led to positive interactions, and it benefits students to know that we are conversing about them."

That same kind of targeted outreach also helped Nori collect the information he needed from parents. When he was at Magruder High, Nori instituted weekly meetings for Hispanic parents. He held them on Saturday mornings in someone's home and provided a translator. "[Parents] know their children better than we do. We need to hear from parents about their kids' needs, to help us make better decisions," he explains.

Provide Parents with Direction
The key to managing parental involvement is putting students front and center. This will often involve directing parents to discuss their concerns with their children first.

When a parent calls Glazer, the first question he asks is whether the student has discussed the situation with the teacher.

At the first PTA meeting of the year, Fleming guides parents through a 90-minute agenda that includes a direct request for trust and partnership. "I encourage parents to let kids handle their academic lives, and possibly to fail. I emphasize that kids must make and learn from their mistakes so they don't repeat them and say outright that overinvolvement doesn't allow children to grow."

Directing parents' anxiety into positive energy and effort for the school is an effective way to engage them. "Look for opportunities to involve parents, whether it's providing office help, stuffing envelopes, or whatever," Turner says. Blanchette notes that parents have stepped up in response to budget cuts in Phoenix, helping out with the student newspaper, yearbook, and other activities.

When all else fails, be direct. "I had a parent who was visiting daily, without an appointment, and being very antagonizing," says Turner. "I had a conversation with him about the fact that his daughter was preparing for college. Was he going to accompany her there? Now, he truly lets her advocate for herself."

Ten Great Sites with FREE Teacher Resources

2011-02-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

With cuts to school budgets, teachers are often left searching for ways to innovate without breaking the bank. In fact, a recent survey reveals that educators are incorporating more internet-related resources into their lessons, but shrinking school budgets have prompted many educators to look for free resources to enhance their lessons.
There are numerous sites that can help, but we’ve picked 10 that our among our favorites. Click through to browse our list, and then tell us what some of your favorites are in the comments section.

Click HERE to access.

For Technophiles and Technophobes Alike

2011-02-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

Anne Marie Heymann of the Seven Valleys Writing Project (Teacher-Consultant 2008 and elementary school teacher) is hosting a wonderful Saturday Seminar on technology at Tully Central Schools after the March break. Consider coming to this event on Saturday, March 5, 2011. We are especially looking for folks who are willing to gently help teachers get up to speed with wikis, voicethread, google docs, twitter, tumblr, and social bookmarking. Don't know what I'm talking about? Then come and learn. Know what I'm talking about? Then come and share!

Bring your laptop if you have one!

Click HERE for full details.

Do share this notice with your colleagues. Seven Valleys is part of the National Writing Project, an approved professional development agency registered through the federal Department of Education.

Using interdisciplinary lessons to make the best of instruction

2011-02-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

Gifted-education teacher Anthony S. Colucci suggests interdisciplinary lessons as a way to make the most of instructional time. In this column, he writes that the teaching method was abandoned in many schools as the focus changed to standardized testing. Colucci shares an award-winning interdisciplinary lesson he created called "The Real World" project, in which students plan their adult lives after college. In the process, students learn about geography, research, career planning, finance and technology.
Click HERE to read the article.

March Programs at Waterman Center

2011-02-16T08:32:00.000-08:00

Bingo Saturday March 5 and 19
Doors open at Noon. Early Bird Bonanza at 12:45 PM. Regular Bingo at 1:00 PM.
Come to the Waterman Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin, and play BINGO. Cash prizes. All paper. Proceeds benefit the Waterman Center. Our BINGO games are easy and fun to play for the entire family. Beverages available.
$3 Admission. Call 625-2221 for more information.

Butterfly Club Meeting Saturday, March 26 2:00-3:30 PM
Come be a part of a new Butterfly Club at Waterman Center,
403 Hilton Road, Apalachin NY.
This free, informal club is designed to share information about butterflies and moths in our area with all ages and levels of knowledge. There will be a meeting on Saturday, March 26 from
2 - 3:30pm. A brief Power Point presentation will be given around 2:30pm that will include where to look for common butterflies of our region and the plants they require. A new topic will be presented at each meeting. Bring questions and ideas for future meetings.

Tables will be set up with information about field guides and other resource materials. Pesticide-free plant recommendations for nectar and caterpillar food will be available, so you can start planning. Prepared seed packages will be available for a small donation. There will be a butterfly craft table.

Feel free to come once or as often as you like. No membership required. In the spring and summer, there will be field trips. A membership to Waterman Center will give you a discount on field trips, programs, as well as the items for sale in the Nature Shoppe.
For more information, call Waterman Center at 625-2221 or email info@watermancenter.org. We hope you can join us!

Sally Guydosh
Waterman Conservation Education Center
403 Hilton Rd, Apalachin, NY 13732
607-625-2221

Remove Barriers to Digital Learning

2011-02-09T06:16:00.000-08:00

Nonpartisan commission releases "10 Elements of High-Quality Digital Learning," calls for an end to seat-time requirements:

Digital and blended learning opportunities have the potential to improve U.S. education dramatically, because they can help teachers provide a more personal learning experience for their students, according to the Digital Learning Council (DLC), a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group led by former governors Bob Wise of West Virginia, a Democrat, and Jeb Bush of Florida, a Republican. But for this to happen, policy makers must remove barriers to digital learning such as archaic school funding formulas and seat-time requirements, the council argues.

The DLC on Dec. 1 introduced its “Ten Elements of High-Quality Digital Learning,” a blueprint for how digital learning can transform education. On Dec. 2, the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), of which Wise is president, held a webinar to discuss the DLC’s blueprint.

“Students today are living in a digital age, and they are learning digitally everywhere except for school,” said Wise. “If you are eligible for public school, you should be eligible for publicly-funded digital learning.”

Click HERE to read more.

How to Teach Digital and Media Literacy

2011-01-26T06:22:00.000-08:00

A variety of classroom strategies and activities can help improve students' digital and media literacy, Suzie Boss suggests in this blog post. She cites a position paper on the topic that suggests reminding students to question the authorship and purpose of a media message to get them to think critically. Other ideas include involving students as programmers and creators -- rather than just consumers -- of digital games. Click HERE for more.

"Making Stuff" Programs in the Binghamton Area

2011-01-26T05:48:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in Making Stuff Stronger, Smaller Cleaner or Smarter? The Four-part NOVA series "MAKING STUFF with David Pogue" will are on PBS on Wednesdays at 9:00pm on the following dates:
Stronger: January 19, 2011
Smaller: January 26, 2011
Cleaner: February 2, 2011
Smarter: February 9, 2011
Local events include the following:
"Making Stuff" Activity Tables at Oakdale Mall on Saturday, January 29, 2011, 1:00-5:00pm
A Day of Making Stuff" at Roberson (FREE Admission) on Saturday, February 5, 2011, 12:00-5:00pm
"Making Stuff" at the Science Olympiad Regionals at BU on Saturday, February 12, 2011, 2:00-3:00pm
Far additional information, please click HERE.

FREE "SMART Board Basics for Beginners" Online

2011-01-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

Registrations are being accepted for the Teacher Center of Broome County's FREE online course entitled "SMART Board Basics for Beginners".

The online course will run from February 1 - March 14 and will be conducted entirely online using Moodle, an e-learning platform.

Students are expected to log on to the course web site at least three times a week.

Participants need to have a computer with Internet connection, an e-mail account and basic computer skills including ability to install a software program (SMART Notebook) and knowledge of how to attach files to an e-mail message.

You must have Adobe Reader installed on your computer in order to open PDF files. Adobe Reader is a free program.

Access to a Smart Board is not required.

Please read the attached course syllabus and course policy before registering.

If you are interested in participating please REGISTER ONLINE at this web address: http://www.teachercenter.info

Registration will close on January 28, 2011.

Gail M. Szeliga, Director
THE TEACHER CENTER of Broome County @ WSKG
601 Gates Road Suite G.
Vestal, NY 13850
PHONE - 607.763.3282
FAX - 607.763.3284

Educational Technology Day 2011 at Ithaca College Thursday, March 24

2011-01-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

Please join us for our twenty-first annual Educational Technology Day at Ithaca College on Thursday, March 24th from 9am to 4pm in our Campus Center.
Educational Technology Day is a regional technology event that attracts over 1,600 people annually from the upstate New York region. It features local and national vendors such as Adobe, Apple, Dell, Epson, Hewlett Packard, Google, Microsoft and many others.
While one of the primary audiences for the event is the higher education community, the event is open to all, and there is plenty of information that is of interest to the K-12 and business communities. At the event you'll be able to talk directly with major computer and technology vendors, explore educational applications, be dazzled by computer graphics and state of the art audio-visual systems, learn how technology is being used today in and outside of higher education, and see what can be expected in the coming years.
This free event features a Vendor Technology Showcase, a College Showcase, and a series of seminars.
FREE PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION
Educational Technology Day is free, but we do ask that you register. If you pre-register via our Web site by 5pm, Monday March 21st and pick up your nametag in person at Ed Tech Day you'll be automatically entered in a special drawing for an Apple iPod Touch.
You can register via our Website at www.ithaca.edu/edtechday, or by sending your name, company, and address to edtechday@ithaca.edu.
Click HERE for more details.

Seven Myths about Rigor

2011-01-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

Uncertainty over the meaning of rigor in education has led to several misconceptions. In her recent ASCD EDge blog post, ASCD author and proponent of classroom rigor Robyn Jackson demystifies the term as it applies to instruction and learning. Continuing the conversation in her ASCD workbook "How to Plan Rigorous Instruction," Jackson guides educators through developing rigorous learning experiences that can help students master standards in a meaningful way.
Click HERE to access Jackson's blog.
Click HERE to access sample chapters of her book How to Plan Rigorous Instruction.

Bending and Stretching Classroom Lessons to Make Math Inspire

2011-01-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

Recent college graduate Vi Hart is making a name for herself as a recreational mathemusician, who is hoping to help students see math as an art. She seems to be attracting more teenage girls to the subject. Hart began posting on YouTube videos of herself doodling math concepts, which have since gone viral. "I want people to feel they can do this. People can. It's mathematics that anyone can do," she said. Click HERE for more.

2011-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

The Teacher Center of Broome County Winter/Spring workshop catalog has been posted online at this web address: http://teachercenter.info/workshoppub.pdf

Please register online for any workshops you are interested in attending.

Go to http://teachercenter.info and click on the REGISTER ONLINE link.

You will receive a confirmation e-mail within 48 hours of registration.

Gail M. Szeliga, Director
THE TEACHER CENTER of Broome County @ WSKG
601 Gates Road Suite G.
Vestal, NY 13850
PHONE - 607.763.3282
FAX - 607.763.3284

the NEW SAS Curriculum Pathways

2011-01-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

This summer, we'll be releasing the NEW SAS® Curriculum Pathways® for grades six through twelve. Teachers will have access to our award-winning, standards-based resources—including those we’ve begun to develop for grades 6 and 7—and be able to employ a user-driven search feature to select those best-suited to their instructional needs. New features and functionality include

updated, more colorful interface
use of larger fonts
search feature to find resources using keywords and/or categories
indication of resource levels (MS, MS/HS, or HS) and types (interactive tools, audio tutorials, inquiries, and web lessons)
sorting capability (by subject, level, relevance, or type)
resource access via search results or Quick Launch numbers
resource launching in separate windows
resizing capability for many of our resources

Soon, we'll gather feedback from teachers and students (via usability testing). This spring—while our quality assurance staff completes its product testing—current customers can begin exploring the NEW SAS Curriculum Pathways (April/May time frame). And this summer, we will release this latest version of SAS Curriculum Pathways, retiring the current version. Rest assured that the NEW SAS Curriculum Pathways—just like its predecessor—will be provided at no charge to teachers and students.

We'll keep you updated on our progress throughout the first half of 2011. And as usual, we'll contact you in the spring to make you aware of any changes to our system requirements.

Feel free to forward this information to your teaching colleagues and take a sneak peak of our new features and functionality.

Your SAS® Curriculum Pathways® Team
SAS Education Practice
TF: + 1 888 760 2515 ▪ curriculumpathways@sas.com
World Headquarters▪ SAS Campus Drive▪ Cary, NC 27513
www.sas.com/education
SAS® … THE POWER TO KNOW®

January 2011 Grant and Funding Alert

2011-01-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

January 2011 Newsletter from Fred Ashforth

2011-01-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

Do they text while you talk? Have you ever noticed someone using their phone or Blackberry® during your presentations? What did you do? What should you do?
Hope you find this newsletter valuable and share it with others. Comments are always welcome.
Click HERE to access newsletter.

Fred Ashforth
http://www.fredashforth.com
fred@fredashforth.com
315-269-4412

February 2011 Programs at the Waterman Center

2011-01-19T06:01:00.000-08:00

Bingo Saturday February 5 and 19
Doors open at Noon. Early Bird Bonanza at 12:45 PM. Regular Bingo at 1 PM.
Enjoy an afternoon of Bingo at Waterman Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin. Cash prizes. All paper. Proceeds benefit the Waterman Center. Our BINGO games are easy and fun to play for the entire family. Beverages available.
$3 Admission. Call 625-2221 for more information.

Butterfly Club Meeting February 12 2-3:30 PM
Come be a part of a new Butterfly Club at Waterman Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin NY.
This free, informal club is designed to share information about butterflies and moths in our area with all ages and levels of knowledge. There will be a meeting on Feb 12 from 2 - 3:30pm. A brief Power Point presentation will be given around 2:30pm that will include where to look for common butterflies of our region and the plants they require. A new topic will be presented at each meeting. Bring questions and ideas for future meetings.
Tables will be set up with information about field guides and other resource materials. Pesticide-free plant recommendations for nectar and caterpillar food will be available, so you can start planning. Prepared seed packages will be available for a small donation. Make a butterfly craft.
Feel free to come once or as often as you like. No membership required. In the spring and summer, there will be field trips. A membership to Waterman Center will give you a discount on field trips, programs, as well as the items for sale in the Nature Shoppe.
For more information, call Waterman Center at 625-2221 or email info@watermancenter.org.
We hope you can join us!

Snow shoe and Cross Country Ski equipment rental
Rent cross-country ski and snowshoe equipment at Waterman Conservation Education Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin. Rental hours are 10 AM – 3 PM, Monday through Saturday, snow permitting. Equipment is for use on the Waterman Center trails. Call ahead to ensure the equipment you need is available. Call 625-2221 for more information.

Sally Guydosh
Waterman Conservation Education Center
403 Hilton Rd, Apalachin, NY 13732
607-625-2221

Light in Winter: Ithaca's Festival of Science and Arts

2011-01-19T05:36:00.000-08:00

Thursday-Sunday, January, 20-23, 2011
http://lightinwinter.com/
Over 20 different events!

Professional Development Abroad

2011-01-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that runs professional development travel programs designed for teachers.

GEEO is offering 13 different travel programs for the summer of 2011: India, China, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey/Syria/Jordan/Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa/Mozambique/Zimbabwe/Botswana, Morocco, Argentina/Uruguay/Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Costa Rica and Guatemala/Belize/Mexico.

Educators have the option to earn graduate school credit (3 credits through Indiana University) and professional development credit while seeing the world. The trips are designed and discounted to be interesting and affordable for teachers. GEEO also advises teachers on how to find funding to subsidize the cost of the trips. The trips are open to all nationalities of K-12 and University educators and administrators, as well as retired educators. Educators are also permitted to bring along a non-educator guest.

Detailed information about each trip, including itineraries, costs, travel dates, and more can be found at www.geeo.org. GEEO can also be reached 7 days a week, toll free at 1-877-600-0105 between 9AM-9PM EST. To sign-up for GEEO's listserv, please send an email to listserv@geeo.org with the subject line "subscribe."

Jesse Weisz
Executive Director
Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO)

Toll-free: 1-877-600-0105

Call for Proposals for NYSCATE Conference

2011-01-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

Presentation Proposals are still being accepted for the CNY Southern Tier Conference scheduled for March 19, 2011.
NYSCATE will conduct two 1-day conferences on March 19, 2011, at the following locations:
Owego-Appalachin Middle School, Owego, NY
Roxboro Middle School, Syracuse, NY
Interested in sharing your expertise on Educational Technology, please complete the RFP (request for proposal) by January 14, 2011, using this link linkhttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QHLPPH6For complete information on the CNY Southern Tier Conference visit NYSCATE.ORG

Sky Library

2011-01-10T07:07:00.000-08:00

Sky Library provides a comprehensive list of subject websites for use by educators, parents, and students in providing quality education and instruction. The website resources are diverse, offering a wide variety of options for users: from quick-reference guides and lesson plans, to educational games and videos. This resource provides a database of useful and educational sites for those in education. Search the information you want by department. Click HERE to try it out.

January 2011 Grants and Funding Notice

2011-01-08T17:39:00.000-08:00

Even Geniuses Work Hard

2011-01-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

In the Educational Leadership article "Even Geniuses Work Hard," Carol S. Dweck implores educators to challenge high-achieving and low-achieving students equally to foster a growth mind-set in all their students.

Individuals with a fixed mind-set believe that "intelligence is simply an inborn trait—they have a certain amount, and that's that," Dweck says. Conversely, individuals with a growth mind-set believe that their intelligence can develop through hard work, practice, and learning from their mistakes.

Dweck says high-achieving students with a fixed mind-set fear engaging in activities that require them to exert effort because they believe their success should be effortless. For these students, hard work equals failure. These students don't handle setbacks well and avoid taking risks.

Click HERE to read more.

3 brain facts every educator should know

2011-01-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

By Valerie Strauss
My guest today is cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia and author of Why Don’t Students Like School?

By Daniel Willingham
Here are three facts about the brain that every educator ought to know.

Find out what they are by clicking HERE and going to The Answer Sheet A School Survival Guide, i.e., Blog, for parents, (and Everyone Else).

Wikis, Moodle are used by teachers to improve learning

2011-01-05T08:10:00.000-08:00

ASHLAND — Some classrooms in Ashland are looking a little different these days. That's because students are taking the classroom with them - to their homes, their friends' houses and the public library, to name a few.

New technology initiatives in place this year have students taking their work home with them and, teachers say, they're getting excited about it.

The district is looking to get a few new pieces of equipment that will further bring it into the 21st century.

At a School Committee meeting earlier this month, a handful of teachers demonstrated some of the new tools they have been using in the classroom.

The new classroom techniques, which encourage students to utilize wikis and different online programs like Moodle, are elements of two programs being tried out by teachers in the schools.

Click HERE to read more.

FREE PRINTABLES

2011-01-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

Free Printables offers over 10,000 printable documents and templates. You can subscribe to receive periodic E-mail reminders and seasonal suggestions of items you make find useful. Go to http://www.freeprintable.net/ to learn more.

New Grants from the New York Council for the Humanities

2010-12-22T06:34:00.000-08:00

On January 5, 2011, the New York Council for the Humanities will publish revised grant guidelines and launch online application forms to www.nyhumanities.org/grants.

FREE Webinar: Leading and Managing A Differentiated Classroom

2010-12-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

ASCD is offering this free webinar on January 4, 2011.

Register at this link: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/747110336
Leading and Managing A Differentiated Classroom
Carol Tomlinson and Marcia Imbeau
January 4, 2011, 4:00 p.m. ET
This webinar will explore three critical questions that may inhibit teacher confidence in establishing classrooms that are flexible enough to attend to the range of learning needs of students in those classrooms.
What is the difference between leading students and managing them?
What are some steps in effectively leading students?
What are some strategies for managing the details required for effective and efficient differentiation?
Join this webinar as a way of reflecting on your own classroom or classrooms in your school or district, and to strengthen your understanding of what it means to be both leader and a manager in a setting designed to address the learning needs of all students in the classroom.

Ways to create successful vocabulary lessons

2010-12-22T05:59:00.000-08:00

Teaching students vocabulary words should go beyond copying words and definitions from the dictionary, writes Edutopia consulting online editor Rebecca Alber. She suggests teachers develop a vocabulary list comprising words that appear frequently across subjects. Alber writes that teachers should follow six instructional steps developed by education researcher Robert Marzano that include asking students to explain new vocabulary in their own words and to complete activities related to the vocabulary word. Visit Edutopia.org/Rebecca Alber's blog to read more.