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The
A Message from Dr. Bell
Connector May 2016
I was 4.7 seconds away from the North Carolina Tar Heels providing me my “One Shining Moment” in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament this year. Then “WHAM” - those pesky rascals from Villanova sent me into runner-up world! Oh well, there’s always next year. At least I finished bracket world ahead of my lovely wife this year so I have a defense when she starts picking on my questionable prognostic skills. Speaking of prognostic skills, a number of interesting conversations during the annual school district visits brought some noteworthy revelations to light. Staff will be sorting through the 83 pages of minutes and will be using this information to improve the ESU 10 Program of Services. As a matter of fact, certain summer activities have already been created to meet identified needs as we “partner with stakeholders to meet changing needs through professional expertise in providing services, learning opportunities and support”. ESU 10 staff members were also very impressed with the many fine things that are being done in the regional school districts to maximize instructional opportunities for students. It is a privilege to work with so many dedicated and quality professionals. It is that “testy” time of year that makes many of you look forward to a summer hiatus. It is wonderful to see that many of you will be spending some of that valuable time here with us this summer. Workshop enrollments are expanding so this should be a busy place for the next few months.
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This is also the time of year that we are busily finalizing budgets for 2016-17 since our fiscal year starts on July 1st. It is a more challenging process this year due to reductions of funding from all governmental levels of support. Be assured that school district support will be amply funded to meet all identified needs. It gets more challenging each year as ESUs are requested to do more as the liaison to support the Nebraska Department of Education in the implementation of the AQuESTT system and other statewide projects. This is important work. We will continue to emphasize that point to our state legislative officials as they work to provide adequate compensation to assure the success of collaborative initiatives. Well, enough of this chatter. I need to get the budget completed since I am considered the leading budget authority at ESU 10. Frank A. Clark defined a leading authority as anyone who has guessed right more than once so we will hope that my past successful prognostication skills will carry over once again. Have a great end to the school year!
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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
ESU 10 Workshops
May 10 Perkins Program of Study Data Reporting 24 Structured Teaching (2 days) 24 PowerSchool-End of Year Process 26 NSSRS Workday
June 01 CTE 3D Printer Training 01 Regional Consortium Language Arts Curriculum Training
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02 An Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders 02 CTE Laser Engraver Training 03 Introduction to High Functioning Autism 06 Reading Instruction that Makes a Difference (5 days) 07 Strategic Leadership: Making Connections to AQuESTT(3days) 08 Pete Hall: Building Capacity for Teachers’ Success Day 1 13 Ensuring Mathematical Success for All with Daniel Brahier 14 Write Tools Paragraph Writing- Informative/Explanatory
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Summer Safety for Children– Preventing Traumatic Brain Injury
by Ronda Hunt, ESU 10 School Psychologist
America’s Seasonal Brochures that help protect children. Follow these tips to reduce the risk of brain injury:
• Bicycle incidents are most likely to occur within five •
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ummer is right around the corner. Children and their families are thinking of summer plans and activities. Kids are ready for some summer fun and love the hot summer months because it allows them to spend lots of time outside. There is something about this season that makes kids run faster and play harder. With all the summer fun possibilities like swimming at the pool, boating, going on bike rides, playing baseball, playing at the playground or going for long walks, it is important to be aware that all this fun can come with risks that sometimes lead to serious injuries. One serious injury that parents need to be aware of is traumatic brain injury. The Brain Injury Association of America defines a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as an acquired brain injury that is “caused by an external physical force that may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness.” The most common causes of TBI are vehicle crashes, falls, sports injuries, and violence. Traumatic brain injury contributes to about 30% of all injury deaths in the U.S. While some TBIs are severe, most may be described as “mild” because they are usually not life threatening, they are commonly called concussions. For those that do survive a TBI many experience effects that last a few days or months and some will face disabilities which may last the rest of their lives. Prevention is key. Listed below are the selected seasonal safety facts for spring and summer from the Brain Injury Association of
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blocks of home. Teach by example. A bicycle helmet is a necessity not an accessory. A bicyclist who is wearing a helmet is less likely to die, be seriously injured or become disabled if hit by a car. Buy a helmet that meets the safety standards of ANSI, Snell, or ASTM. Tighten chin strap to keep helmets from slipping forward or backward. Only two fingers should fit under the chin strap Place the helmet directly over the forehead. Baseball has the least amount of safety equipment required of any youth sport. Check that your child’s baseball helmet meets standards of the national Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment. (NOCSAE) Falls are the most common cause of playground injuries. Check the surface under playground equipment. Avoid asphalt concrete, grass and soil surfaces. Look for sur- 3 faces with shredded mulch, pea gravel, crushed stone and other loose surfaces. Two-thirds of all-terrain vehicle accidents have involved children under 16 years old. Model safe behavior by always wearing helmets with face protection and protective clothing. Brain injuries occur when skaters fall and hit their heads on the pavement. Wear a helmet for protection against falls. Brain injury is the leading cause of death among children hit by cars. Always stop at the curb or edge of the road; teach children to look before entering a street, reminding them to never run into the street. Most children who survive drowning are found within two minutes of being under water; most who die are found after 10 minutes or longer. Always supervise your child around water. Alcohol use is a leading factor in boating incidents and deaths. Stop your child from riding in a boat with anyone who has been drinking alcohol. Screens are designed to keep out bugs, not to keep in children. Install child safety window guards.
In the event that an injury does occur this summer be sure to recognize the warning signs of a traumatic brain injury. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advocates calling Continued on next page
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Summer Safety for Children– Preventing Traumatic Brain Injury
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911 or seeking emergency medical help as soon as possible if your child displays any of the following symptoms after a probable brain injury:
• Feeling tired all the time, tiredness or listlessness, having no energy or motivation; • Irritability or crankiness (will not stop crying or cannot be consoled), mood changes (feeling sad or angry for no • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
reason); Change in eating (will not eat or nurse); Loss of sense of smell or taste; Headaches or neck pain that do not go away; Slowness in thinking, speaking, acting or reading; Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping a lot more or having a hard time sleeping); Changes in the way the child plays; Difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions; Lack of interest in favorite toys or activities; Loss of new skills, such as toilet training; Blurred vision or eyes that tire easily; Increased sensitivity to lights, sounds, or distractions; Ringing in the ears; Light-headedness, dizziness, loss of balance or unsteady walking; or Urge to vomit (nausea), vomiting
Symptoms of TBI might be subtle and may not appear right after an injury occurs. It might be days or weeks after the injury for the signs or symptoms to appear. It is very important to continue to monitor your child for weeks after their injury.
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The more information that one learns about how to prevent a traumatic brain injury, the less likely it will occur and children will not only be assured a fun summer, but a safe one! References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Injury Prevention & Control: Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov [Accessed: 23 April 2016] Brain Injury Association of America. Brain Injury Facts. Retrieved from http://www.biausa.org [Accessed: 23 April 2016]
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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 Workshop
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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
Blended Learning: Professional Development Opportunities
by Peg Coover, Teaching & Learning Coordinator
Blended Learning has taken off in Nebraska and the Educational Service Units are leading the charge. The Nebraska BlendED Pilot was announced last fall by the ESU Coordinating Council and the Nebraska Council of School Administrators. After an application and selection process, 27 schools across the state will be in the pilot project, including 4 from ESU 10. There have been several training opportunities in the last few months that will help the Teaching & Learning Department members efficiently and effectively support our pilot schools in their blended learning journeys. Jason Everett, Dallas Lewandowski and I attended the iNACOL conference last November, which is a leading Blended and Online Learning conference in the United States. There were many sessions to choose from to deepen our understanding of this instructional model and we left the conference excited to share with the other members of our department. The Nebraska Distance Learning Association conference was held in February in Omaha. It started with an afternoon workshop led by Marcia Kish, a renowned blended learning coach and educational speaker. Jami Schaffnitt and I participated in this workshop and came away with new ideas for our schools. The next two days were then packed with more sessions as the conference got underway. Jason Everett and I heard from Julie Evans, the keynote speaker who shared data that her team at Project Tomorrow/Speak Up has collected for over ten years - data which supports the need for a blended learning approach in schools. We also attended multiple breakout sessions on blended learning strategies, successes and models. Educational Service Unit 3 held a Blended Learning Fair in March. Jason and I attended this one day event and were energized by the sessions we attended, particularly those by keynote speaker Catlin Tucker. Catlin is a blended learning teacher who has written several books about her experiences, which include resources for getting started. Her keynote 6 was inspiring, yet offered practical ideas and showed us real-life examples of what blended learning can accomplish. other sessions Jason and I attended were equally valuable. Most recently, Jason, Jami and I attended the BlendED Pilot Kick-off training here in Kearney, along with teams from Elm Creek, Wood River, Broken Bow and Litchfield. This workshop was led by the Highlander Institute, an organization which showcases the ways in which blended learning methods create personalized learning environments, enhance the anytime, anyplace learning movement, and incorporate 21st century essential skills. We are excited to embark on this journey with our four pilot schools, along with other districts which have expressed interest in moving forward with blended learning. “BlendEd enhances best practices associated with face to face classrooms with technology to empower students with control over time, place, path and/or pace of learning.” ~Nebraska’s BlendED Initative https://sites.google.com/a/esucc.org/ne-blended/faqs
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Teaching and Learning Workshop
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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
Better Speech and Hearing Month
by Brad Czaplewski, Deaf Educator/H.I. Consultant
Over the course of the last 3 years working as an itinerant Deaf Educator for ESU 10, I find myself serving far more students with mild to moderate hearing loss compared to my former job working in a center based program. Since I now cover a comparatively larger area of school districts, I have had the privilege to meet and serve students with a far wider range of hearing loss ranging from mild to profound. Since May is Better Speech & Hearing month, here are a few things to consider about the impact a mild to moderate hearing loss can have on a student. When a student’s hearing loss falls in the 16-25 dB range, their initial day-to-day conversational behaviors may seem quite typical to those around them…and they seem (as a lot of people will assume) “just fine.” However, the impact of a hearing loss that is approximately 20 dB can be compared to the ability to hear when index fingers are placed in your ears. A student with this loss will have difficulty hearing faint or distant speech under even the best classroom listening conditions. Even at 16 dB…a student can miss up to 10% of the teacher’s speech signal when the teacher is at a distance greater than 3 feet! A 20 dB or greater hearing loss in the better ear can result in absent, inconsistent or distorted parts of speech, especially word endings (“s,” “ed”) and other un-emphasized high frequency speech sounds. In addition to the impact of the hearing loss…consider the associated background noises found in any typical classroom that will further interfere with a student’s ability to hear. When a student with mild to moderate hearing loss misses out on subtle conversational cues, they are often viewed by others as immature, confused, defiant, or socially awkward. By missing out on the rapid give and take of fast–paced peer interactions, students with mild to moderate hearing loss become fatigued due to the extra effort needed for understanding speech. In time, this struggle takes a toll on the student’s social development and overall self-concept.
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Since May is Better Hearing & Speech Month, this is a good time to be reminded of the negative impact hearing loss (even a mild to moderate hearing loss) can have on children and students birth to 21.
Outstanding Administrator Award John Street, Director of Special Education at ESU 10, was awarded the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) Outstanding Administrator on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at it’s annual conference held in St. Louis. The award recognizes individuals making significant professional contributions to leadership behavior and field practice in the administration of programs for students with disabilities and/or who are gifted. Nebraska has only had one other award winner in the 30 years this award has been celebrated. John has served in many capacities over the years, while keeping the most important focus in sight - the students. He started as a special education teacher and quickly advanced as a leader in the field. The confidence others have in his leadership is exemplified by how frequently members in the Nebraska Association of Special Education Supervisors have leaned on him for support and guidance. For any of us who know or are fortunate enough to work with John, we know this award is well deserved. He has been an outstanding leader for those of us in the special education department and has had a profound impact on students with disabilities in central Nebraska. His worked has shaped how we do business and will continue that impact long in to the future. 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
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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
Teaching and Learning Workshop
ENSURING
MATHEMATICAL
SUCCESS FOR ALL PRESENTED BY
DANIEL J. BRAHIER ENSURING
PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY IN OHIO
MATHEMATICAL
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JUNE 13, 2016
8:30 AM TO 3:30 PM ESU 10 ROOMS B&C 76 PLAZA BOULEVARD KEARNEY, NE 68845
7‐12 GRADE TEACHERS
For more information and to register:
https:odie.esu10.org > Workshops
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Invention Convention Winners Grades 3-8
Ashley Bauer & Natalie Evans - Elm Creek
Callee Carman - Shelton
11 Jaylea Pope - Shelton
Cade Geiser - Ord
Chase Racicky & Kolby Larson - Ansley
Brynen Stauffer & Beau Knapp - Elm Creek
Alissa Bailey & Taylor Schubauer - Gibbon 76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Teaching and Learning Workshop
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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
Assessment Practices to Enhance Teaching & Learning Fall Semester Course 3 Hours of College Credit Available from Hastings College ESU 10 ODIE: Registration Link
Workshop Description: This 3 hour graduate course will consist of 8 Thursday evening sessions starting September 22, 2016. The dates are listed below. This course is a structured study of the assessment practices that impact student learning. These strategies are presented in the book Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning (Jan Chappuis, 2015). Using the chapters of the book as a framework, participants will be challenged to consider the what, why, and how of using well-planned, researchsupported classroom assessment practices that improve student motivation and achievement. Throughout the course, participants will work in learning teams to discuss concepts in the text, to share what they tried in the classroom, and to create further applications suited to the needs of their students. Course Objectives: The participants will know how to: Provide students with a clear and understandable vision of the intended learning. Use examples and models of strong and weak work to strengthen students’ understanding of the assessment practices. Offer effective feedback focused on the intended learning. Teach students to self-assess and set specific and challenging goals for further learning. Design practice lessons that focus on one learning target or aspect of quality at a time. Offer opportunities for focused revision. Engage students in keeping track of, reflecting on, and sharing their learning.
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Thursday Evenings 5:00-9:00pm Session Dates: September 22, 2016 September 29, 2016 October 13, 2016 October 20, 2016 October 27, 2016 November 10, 2016 November 17, 2016 December 1, 2016
Course Facilitators: Susan Evans
Denise O’Brien
Cost: ESU 10 Title IIA Schools No Charge Non-Title IIA Participants $50.00 Non-ESU 10 Schools $75.00
Materials Required: Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning (Jan Chappuis, 2015). Participants will receive the book the first night of class. https://www-pearsonhighered-com-prd.pearson.com/assets/bigcovers/0/1/3/3/0133366448.jpg
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org