Connector Newsletter March 2016 by Adam

Our focus is on serving you!

The

A Message from Dr. Bell

Connector March 2016

It is that time of the year again to have formal visits with the public school districts that are served directly by ESU 10. We do provide services to many other school districts, both public and parochial, but the discussions with these entities are always program specific so we don’t run them through the full battery of questions that we compile each year. It is our hope that the answers will provide us with direction to use resources the best ways possible to meet school district needs. Blizzards slowed us down a bit, but we do have 5 visits completed and another 12 scheduled at this time. The other 15 districts will get my personal attention as we try to find time to communicate with each other “to partner with our stakeholders to meet changing needs through professional expertise in providing services, learning opportunities and support.” The gold star for the first visit this year goes to Broken Bow Public Schools. Mr. Bailey and his crew provided excellent information and thoughts. All subsequent visits have been just as awesome and productive. We really do appreciate all of the school districts taking the time to talk to us. I learn so much about the quality of school district leaders in the ESU 10 area that I am fortunate enough to work with on a consistent basis and I am continually impressed with the quality of all ESU 10 staff who participate in these yearly discussions. I am just so blessed to be surrounded by intelligent, articulate, and dedicated professionals. And for the record, I don’t want anything! Quality learning opportunities for students is the reward for all of the hard work and effort on their behalf.

I am pleased to see so many of you interested in national products that have been initiated at ESU 10. Atomic Learning has been a consorted staple for years. The use of BrightBytes has increased and the benefits continue to grow as some school districts now have three years of longitudinal data to help provide better opportunities in technology and learning. We still have two more years on this contract so the cost to your school district remains FREE. The newest tool that will be rolling out real soon is Citelighter. We just need to cross a “T” and dot an “I” and it will be ready to roll. This writing process will work right in with the Language Arts Consortium and should be a marvelous lifelong tool for cooperating students. It is great fun to attend national events and then be able to come home and share opportunities with all of you. Let me know if there is a specific topic or kind of program that you would like for your school district and we will see what we can find. When so many of you use these programs the added value that happens from working together creates exponential benefits. Now I need to start my evaluative process for one of my favorite activities of the year – March Madness. I know it pains some of you, but Duke University will once again not get much support from me. It’s a Grant, Nebraska thing that I just cannot overcome. All I want this year is bragging rights in my household. I don’t know how she does it, but my wife, who really knows nothing about college basketball, has beaten me every year after the first year we were together. I’m seriously starting to think she just sandbagged that year to get in my good graces. She has offered to help me pick teams this year. How humiliating!! If anyone has a great upset possibility, be sure to email me. It’s time to go watch the Sandhills Cranes come gliding in. I hope you all have a great month.

76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

ESU 10 Workshops

March 07 SPED Workshop for Administrators 08 Academic Quiz Bowl - Grades 6-8 14 Regional ALP: Any Content Area Teachers - St. Paul 14 Regional ALP: Any Content Area Teachers - ESU 10 16 Strategic Leadership: Blended Learning 30 World Language Education Cohort 2

April 04 Special Education Quarterly Meeting 05 NWEA - Nebraska Regional Partner Meeting 06 PowerSchool - PowerScheduler Prepare to Load 07 Teaching in a Digital World 12 LAN Manager Meeting 20 Title III Program Review Technical Assistance 27 Invention Convention

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Making a Difference This summer, ESU 10 hosted a 3D Printer Training for 17 Career & Technical Education (CTE) teachers representing 15 school districts. This training was a great success on many levels. The ESU 10 Perkins Consortium recently purchased 15 3D printers for member schools to incorporate into Career Education courses. 3D Printers are a newer piece of technology equipment utilized for creating three dimensional objects with extruded molten plastic. The printers can create an object in a matter of minutes or several hours depending on the intricacy of the design. The training was led by Amity Kollars, former Shelton business teacher and ESU 10’s Nate McClenahan, Mark Hellman, & Adam Griebel. The day of training was spent instructing the teachers in potential uses for the 3D printer and available software and resources for designing objects to be created. The teachers spent time researching pre-made designs and making their own designs, while sharing ideas for classroom applications and curriculum connections. Once each teacher completed his/her object design, he/she received hands-on training on how to operate the 3D printer and begin printing. According to Crain’s New York Business online magazine, the size of the global 3D printing market is projected to be six billion by 2017. In order to expose ESU 10 students to

by Kelly Clapp, Teaching and Learning Coordinator

this new technology and prepare them with the skills needed for this fast growing market, CTE teachers will continue to be trained and given opportunities to collaborate between programs in our area schools. The 3D printer is just one of the pieces of equipment purchased with Perkins funds that could not be afforded by local districts otherwise. The consortium also owns two laser engravers that are accessible on a rotating basis. Putting this type of equipment into the hands of CTE teachers and students is helping school districts provide the rigor and relevance needed to prepare the workforce of the future. The partnership and collaboration between classroom teachers and both the ESU 10 Teaching & Learning and Network Information Systems Department has made this possible – an exciting and effective blending of technology and classroom application. Truly something to celebrate! On February 17th, CTE teachers came to ESU 10 for the Career Field Collaboration Day. There they had the opportunity to attend a couple of 3D printing sessions, one of which is a “show and share” format where teachers showcased how they are utilizing the 3D printer as a tool to develop career skills and entrepreneurship concepts.

76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

Write Tools Summer Workshops

WRITE TOOLS

SUMMER WORKSHOPS REGISTER ON ODIE Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

June 14

June 15

June 16

Informative & Explanatory Writing

Multi-Paragraph & Compare/Contrast Writing K-12 teachers/ Administrators

Primary Level Writing

K-12 teachers/ Administrators

K-2 Teachers ESL Teachers Special Ed Teachers

Contact: Dallas Lewandowski dalewand@esu10.org

76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

Impact of Remote Connections We don’t even think twice anymore about connecting with friends and family using Skype, Facetime, or Hangouts. It’s becoming second nature to us. And it’s something our younger generation doesn’t even think twice about. It’s entirely natural for my son, who is still at home, to Facetime with his brother who is in the Navy. 30 years ago, I couldn’t even have imagined talking to my brother via video conference while he was in the Navy. It would be months before we got letters in the mail or had a chance to talk to him on the phone. My nieces and nephews don’t “talk on the phone”, they Facetime with our family, showing us their new dance moves or cool new video game. It opens a whole new medium of communication that allows us to laugh harder and longer, see the smiles and giddiness on their faces, and bond in a way that we normally couldn’t 300 miles apart. Educators across the globe and right here in our districts in ESU 10 are taking advantage of this powerful medium in a variety of ways. The tools we have now allow us to connect to classrooms worldwide, NASA, Agate fossil beds, and digital storytellers who share about Martin Luther King Jr. Students have passed around fossils from Morrill Hall as they learn from experts and ask questions about life millions of years ago. It also allows experts from far reaches of our state, and other parts of the nation, to present to our leaders and teachers. Video conferencing also serves as a vital way to attend meetings or workshops right here at ESU 10, without getting in a car and having to drive several hours.

by Jason Everett, Distance Learning

Don’t take my word, hear it from our teachers and students Teacher: Fifth graders read the book, “Wonder”, along with a fifth grade class in New York. Groups of students prepared a presentation regarding the key themes of the book and how the students plan to apply the precepts and principles in the book. “Wonder” is a novel that focuses on bullying, prejudice, and discrimination. Students: 1. The book is awesome! 2. It was fun to discuss the book with another school. 3. It was fun to hear what a class in another part of the country thinks about the same book. 4. It was fun to prepare for the presentation. 5. I liked talking to the New York students!” From our remote 5 presenters • Thank you for arranging the connection to the Data Cadre meeting, really appreciate being able to participate and present remotely and especially appreciate the extra effort on your part that it takes to make it happen. • Thank you for your help connecting today, and always! Remote connections and connected learning opportunities are the future of education, and educators in ESU 10 are blazing the trail. As the technology matures and more and more teachers are using this powerful tool, our students are being prepared for the world that awaits them.

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76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

Teaching and Learning Workshops

__________________________________________ Learn more at odie.esu10.org __________________________________________

76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

Executive Functioning the Hidden Skills of Learning “He just doesn’t do his homework.” “ I know she can do the work she just doesn’t.” “When I give a direction he just sits there.” “She has it one day and not the next.” If any of the above statements apply to one or more of your students they may be struggling with Executive Functioning (EF) deficits. Executive Functions are those skills that allow for self-regulation and self-direction. Another way to describe Executive Functions is through the acronym RIO which stands for restraint, initiate, and order. The specific skills that are considered executive functions are Planning, Organizing, Initiation, Attention, Emotional Regulation, Inhibition, Self-Monitoring (including Time Management), and Working Memory. Executive Functioning is controlled by the frontal lobe of the brain and is not fully developed until early adulthood. In “Smart but Scattered,” it describes how we, as adults, have to complete all Executive Function processes for our children at birth. As a child grows they start to develop their own Executive Functions at variable rates. By about six months of age, you see that they start to develop working memory as evidenced by their ability to play games such as peek-a-boo. A positive about Executive Functions is that, like reading and math, they can be taught. Teachers can use strategies every day to support the executive functioning of their students. Simple actions like showing students a picture of a completed project help to develop these skills. Knowing and using strategies that support Executive Functioning greatly reduces stress and frustration for teachers. Executive Functioning strategies can help students get started on assignments, complete and turn in homework, be more organized and experience academic success. According to experts, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disability of Executive Functioning. A child with ADHD develops Executive Functioning skills at a much slower rate than typical peers. Therefore, students with ADHD need additional support and strategies related to Executive Functions. Students with Autism and other developmental disabilities also consistently struggle with Executive Functioning deficits. Similarly, it is likely that one or more Executive Functions will be at least temporarily impacted when a student sustains a concussion/brain injury.

by Bethany Hyatt, ESU 10 School Psychologist

impact that it has on students. They sometimes believe that these students must be lazy or unmotivated when in fact the students may not be capable of completing the tasks. The second reason teachers do not teach Executive Functioning Strategies is that they lack knowledge of the functions and how to teach them. When teachers know how to identify Executive Functioning deficits and teach Executive Functioning strategies both the teachers and the students can be more successful and happier. Resources to better understand, assess, and teach executive functioning include: “Smart but Scattered” by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare “Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents, Second Edition: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention” by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare “Executive Function in the Classroom: Practical Strategies for Improving Performance and Enhancing Skills for All Students” by Christopher Kaufman

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Teachers typically do not directly teach Executive Functioning Strategies. This is typically for two reasons. First, they may be unaware of Executive Functioning and the 76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

NWEA Partner Meetings NWEA Nebraska Partner Meetings & Professional Development Workshops April 4 – 6, 2016 8:30 am – 12:30 pm Partner Meetings 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm Professional Development Modules AGENDA Welcome & Introductions Updates from NWEA Reports Revamp, Insight Report, ACT Projected Proficiency Report, Skills Navigator® Updates, The Learning Continuum, Nebraska Goal Strand Alignment, Nebraska Linking Study, Accommodations and Accessibility, MAP for Primary Grades iPad Compatibility and more. College and Career Readiness - NWEA MAP College & University Explorer Experience our new interactive tool for exploring colleges and student goal setting. Teachers, students, and parents can enter a RIT range for reading and math to see the colleges in which the scores are likely to be near the median scores of students admitted there. Key Formative Assessment Practices We’ll discuss how formative assessment improves student participation, enhances peer-to-peer learning, and helps students develop college and career readiness skills. Users of Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) interim assessments will learn how formative assessment practices are a great way to use MAP data even more effectively! See how you can take your school or district’s formative assessment practice to the next level.

PARTNER MEETING REGISTRATION MUST REGISTER WITH ESU USING THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO ATTEND THE PARTNER MEETING-LUNCH PROVIDED DATE

LOCATION

HOST

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

April 4, 2016

6949 South 110 Street La Vista, NE 68128

ESU3

Go to http://www2.esu3.org/esu3/

April 5, 2016

76 Plaza Blvd Kearney, NE 68845

ESU10

Go to http://www.esu10.org/home

April 6, 2016

211 10th Street Wakefield, NE 68784

ESU1

Go to http://www.esu1.org/

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76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

NWEA Professional Development Workshops Join us for a NEW NWEA Professional Learning Opportunity! BUILDING YOUR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICE MODULES April 4 – 6, 2016 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm The use of formative assessment classroom practices provides additional balance to your district or school assessment plan by empowering teachers and students to add a minute-to-minute, day-to-day level of assessment of learning. These powerful daily techniques become a part of the foundation of a responsive classroom environment. When formative assessment practice is used in every classroom in addition to interim assessments like MAP and short cycle assessments like Skills Navigator, educators gain a complete picture of how students are learning and progressing over time. MUST REGISTER WITH NWEA USING THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO ATTEND ONE OF TWO AFTERNOON SESSIONS APRIL 5th - ESU10 - CHOOSE ONE MODULE Register Now! Peer and Self-Assessment Explore strategies to engage students as evaluators of what they and others are learning. Collaborate to develop plans that facilitate student ownership of learning goals and processes that lead to success. In the Peer and Self-Assessment module, you will:  Connect current practice to research about peer and self-assessment  Identify priorities when planning to support students in peer and self-assessment  Examine best practice strategies and tools

Register Now! Student-Directed Learning Explore strategies to engage students as evaluators of what they and others are learning. Collaborate to develop plans that facilitate student ownership of learning goals and processes that lead to success. The Student-Directed Learning module will help you:  Understand why it is important to engage students in making choices about their learning  Identify methods for students to use evidence of learning to monitor their own learning

76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

The Focus

by William Bolen, Videographer

Over the next year I will present several tips for improving your video and helping your students understand what we would call “good video” and why. ESU 10 always welcomes the invitation to visit your school to assist in your video productions. If you have a production setup, no matter how small, send me an invite; I would love to share your experiences with other schools. You and your students are always welcome to visit our studio for a tour and video shoot. If you have any comments or questions, please contact me at wbolen@esu10.org As educators we know that what seems obvious to us is not always obvious to our students. We therefore design lessons to help our students see the world through focused vision and understanding. The following is part one in a series designed to help your students create better video. Landscape vs. Portrait The obvious thought is that everyone knows what we mean by Landscape and Portrait. Unless you have really thought about it though, you many not understand the differences. First let us define the two different modes: Landscape gets it name from the wide view that we see along the horizon. The orientation is horizontal and the picture is wider than it is tall. Portrait is the traditional view of a single individual having their picture taken. The orientation is vertical with the height greater than the width. 11

Make sure you clarify for your students that Landscape mode doesn’t have to show pretty mountains; it can be a shot of a car in a snowstorm. Portrait mode seldom is of a single individual. We can take pictures of trees, buildings or even an entire soccer team on some playground equipment in portrait mode. The terms Landscape & Portrait are not constraining to the subject but rather there to help us remember the orientation. Definitions are fine but why do we care? In photography both Landscape & Portrait orientation are widely used depending on the subject and the focus of the picture. If you are looking at a single subject then Portrait is often the preferred orientation while if there are multiple subjects we tend toward landscape. In videography we almost totally stay with Landscape mode. Ask your students why and see if they can find ownership in how they shoot video. Our world is primarily designed in landscape mode. If you look outside, you naturally see more activity from side to side in contrast to action up and down. If you look across the room your in, for the most part the walls are wider than they are tall. One of the primary reasons we shoot video in Landscape mode though is because of how it is displayed. Think about the orientation of your TV, computer or the projector in your classroom. There are exceptions but for the most part we are persuaded to view video in landscape mode. When taking pictures on a cell phone, feel free to hold the camera in either orientation but when shooting video hold the phone in Landscape mode. Like any rule there are exceptions but help your students discover the differences and learn how to choose the appropriate orientation.

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76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

The Focus cont. If you do find yourself working with a video in portrait mode that you have to use in your final production, there are some tricks you can use. • The best option is to reshoot the video if at all possible, but seldom is that a viable alternative. • The next thing to try is cropping the shot so the most important part is the focus of the shot. Enlarge the video thus cropping off the top and bottom. This usually will eliminate some of the background above your subject and could crop off the subject at the knees or waist. That might sound cruel but this method focuses your audience on the important part of the video. • Create a background layer. This might be colored or textured background to help fill the empty black space. Some video editors like to take the main shot, enlarge it and then take it “out of focus”. This creates a background that can trick your mind into believing the video clip is larger than it is in reality. Do you have a different suggestion? Please send it to us so we can share it with others. See you next time when we “focus” on our next video concept.

Happy Easter

76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org