Our focus is on serving you!
The
A Message from Dr. Bell
Connector November 2015
I am so grateful during the Thanksgiving season that ESU 10 is now guided by the new mission statement which is: To partner with stakeholders to meet changing needs through professional expertise in providing services, learning opportunities and support. This mission has been instrumental as we move forward to provide a Program of Services that is robust and focused to meet your needs. It is once again the moment to get our bodies adjusted to standard time again as we “fall back “an hour. My clock at home is supposed to modify that function automatically, but for the last three years it seems I get to work an hour early. It is time to use the windup Big Ben clock to help me get through the change. My children just laugh at me, but sometimes the “old “ways still work best! There is a relevant side note to this observation. I have jumper cables in the van just in case drivers forget to turn off headlights when they come to ESU 10 meetings in the dark. It seems we have two or three opportunities each year to provide a battery charging service. There is, of course, no charge to the fantastic people who attend ESU 10 workshops! Did you realize that Nebraska ESUs were created in 1965 to provide training for teachers, administrators, and support staff? Also, ESUs were to encourage collaboration across district boundaries to enhance efficiency and equitable service. Fifty years later we’re still at it and going strong. As we like to say in the ESU world – we add value to education. Today, ESUs are requested to do more than ever and are reinvented to meet those requests daily.
1
A group of individuals created a brochure that you will see over the coming months. This information highlights that ESUs support student achievement and leverage limited resources in six areas, many of which are mandated by federal and/or state law. These areas will be highlighted in later articles, but the list includes: Teaching and Learning, Technology Services, Specialized Student Services, Early Childhood, Developing Partnerships, and Administrative Services. I have seen so many changes in all of these areas over the past twenty-two years and will reminisce about them in the future. The bottom line is that ESUs change constantly to meet perceived needs. If we were without that ability to be change agents your need for us would diminish. That is why your partnership and suggestions are so valuable to us as we continue to modify and adjust the Program of Services. I hope the next 50 years of ESU service are as awesome as the first. Thanks in advance for your support as we continue to strive to be nimble partners to meet your needs.
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
ESU 10 Workshops November 03 A.P.L. Instructional Skills and Management Workshop (5 days) 05 Fall Analytical Scoring of Student Writing Samples 09 Continuous Improvement Process Support for YEAR 3 & 4 Schools 10 Advanced Verbal Behavior Training (2 days) 11 Windows Server Administration: Active Directory Services (2 days) 11 Erate Portal Work Day a.m. 11 Erate Portal Work Day p.m.
2
17 Continuous Improvement Process Support for YEAR 1 & 2 Schools 18 Windows Server Administration: Implementing Group Policies (2 days) 19 Digital Citizenship Implementa- tion & Effective Tech Integration
December 01 Strategic Leadership: Data for Continuous Improvement 01 Is This Behavior Sensory Driven? 08 Elementary Science Olympiad
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Reflections: The Key to Unlocking Success
by Denise O’Brien, Teaching and Learning Director
Kelly Clapp and I recently attended training at ESU 3 in Omaha which focused on differentiating feedback for teachers. Our goal was to find ideas and resources to bring back to ESU 10 staff and school leaders. Pete Hall, consultant for Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), was our facilitator. Mr. Hall formerly served as an elementary principal in Reno, Nevada and played a key leadership role in transforming his school. The training was based on Pete Hall’s book: Building Teachers’ Capacity for Success: A Collaborative Approach for Coaches and School Leaders. He stated that everyone has the ability to be reflective, but people reflect in different ways. Mr. Hall shared that reflective educators are, aware of their instructional reality, intentional in their actions, and able to accurately assess. We learned how to utilize his Continuum of Self-Reflection to help leaders grow in their ability to differentiate feedback to teachers. There are four stages in the continuum including: Unaware, Conscious, Action, and Refinement. Capacity-Building Goals of the Continuum of Self-Reflection
1. 2. 3. 4.
Unaware Stage- To create awareness of the need for change and foster a desire to learn Conscious Stage- To motivate and show how to apply pedagogical knowledge consistently Action Stage- To build on experience and help strengthen expertise Refinement Stage- To encourage long-term growth and continued reflection
3
Mr. Hall informed us that most teachers fall into the conscious and action stages on the continuum. Building leaders can gain the most traction on creating reflective teachers by starting with teachers in the action phase. He stressed the importance of working with building staff to develop “look-fors” in classrooms and defining a common language for instruction. Feedback is an essential element in the reflection process and it is critical to ask and learn how teachers prefer to receive their feedback. Goal setting is a key component in reflective processes. However, Mr. Hall emphasized that goal setting is not enough. Here are the odds of achieving a goal:
• • • • •
No goal: 0% Set a goal: 20% Write it down: 45% Accountability partner: 51% Specific action steps: 86%
It is essential to develop action steps to accomplish goals and making time for self-reflection will assist in reaching goals. The Teaching and Learning Department has set the following goal for 2015-2016: ESU 10 Teaching and Learning Department will improve communication with stakeholders. We are in the process of creating an action plan to ensure that we are taking steps toward reaching our goal. Pete Hall’s training was timely to assist in the work of our department as well as for work with our school leaders. Our department facilitated a Strategic Leadership workshop on September 23, 2015 with ESU 10 school leaders. We focused on the importance of developing an instructional model and creating a common language of instruction. Kelly and I felt that Pete’s messages aligned with the work we are facilitating at ESU 10 and in our school districts. This workshop provided new tools for our staff to assist ESU 10 schools. 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
New Workshop for Educators & Administrators: Digital Citizenship Implementation and Effective Technology Integration for Schools
Overview a daily basis, teachers are designing activities On that engage students in rich learning experiences and require higher-order thinking skills. Are you ready to learn valuable insights on Digital Citizenship implementation and educational technology integration?
November 19, 2015
Participants in this Common Sense Media workshop explore how to strengthen their digital citizenship instructional delivery efforts through a Blended Learning approach and how to use our Graphite platform to discover and evaluate the most effective educational technology tools.
at ESU 10 9:00 to 3:00
Educators and Administrators will leave the workshop with a clear understanding of a blended learning digital citizenship implementation plan, identify the best technology tools to support student achievement, and improve instructional design.
Register NOW odie.esu10.org
4
Workshop Activities
Blended Learning for Digital Citizenship Instruction • • •
Understanding today’s digital landscape. Strategies and Best Practices in creating a Blended Learning approach to Digital Citizenship Instruction. Sustainability – Certifications, Connecting Families, and Professional Development.
Technology Integration Strategies
Presented by
• Evaluating effectiveness of ed. technology tools. • Designing Tech Rich lessons / SAMR • How to use digital tools to enhance learning and activities / 4 C’s . • Lesson Flows – create a lesson or tech up an existing lesson.
Jeremy Nielsen of Common Sense Education
Contact pcoover@esu10.org to learn more. 76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
A Valuable ESU 10 Resource: School Psychologists
by Patrice Feller, MTSS Facilitator
ESU 10 School Psychologists Back Row: Jennifer Rumery, Dawna Sigurdson, Nicole Langrud and Chris Denton Front Row: Bethany Hyatt, Patrice Feller, Kristine Einspahr and Rhonda Hunt. Not pictured: Stacey Romick-Imig
N
ovember is national School Psychology Awareness Month. During the week of November 9-13, the value-added resources that school psychologists bring to their job will be recognized. Here are the top ten ways that school psychologists contribute to students, staff, and schools. 10. Special education eligibility. School psychologists are involved in the determination of a student’s need for special education services. It is a common misperception, however, that the role of gatekeeper is a school psychologist’s most important role. The nine following reasons describe equally important, if not more important, value that a school psychologist contributes when practicing a broad-based role. 9. Transition. School psychologists are trained for the continuum of instruction and services that begin at birth and end with a student’s graduation and transition to post-secondary education or to the world of work. They are aware of setting differences between each level of schooling (i.e., preschool to elementary, to middle or junior high, to high school, and to college, career, and adult readiness). School psychologists can help students, families, and educators negotiate a student’s progression across those transitions. 8. Data. School psychologists can help generate and interpret data for use in school improvement processes or to support the student team’s goal setting and progress monitoring efforts. Data is used to make decisions about programs and interventions at every level—district, building, classroom, and individual student levels. 7. Improved instruction. School psychologists can help improve instruction by reviewing curriculum, conducting
classroom observations, and collaborating with teachers and administrators to address needed improvements. They can facilitate diagnostic assessment and analysis of student information. 6. Positive behavior supports. School psychologists are ever mindful of the culture and climate of a school. They understand factors that shape school climate, can identify when those factors are negatively contributing to school climate, and can assist in correcting those negative issues.
5
5. Behaviors and discipline. Analyzing behavior, designing and supporting implementation of appropriate interventions, and evaluating effectiveness of interventions are definitely a part of any school psychologist’s training. 4. Communication. Academic and behavior problems are best addressed within a community of support. A school psychologist can collaborate with parents and/or community-based providers to enhance the school’s ability to make a difference. Coordinating communication greatly enhances the effectiveness of interventions. 3. Student’s mental health. To support a student’s ability to learn, schools must support a student’s mental health. Mental health ranges from wellness (for example, using appropriate social skills, having a positive attitude, and demonstrating skills of resilience) to serious mental disorder (for example, depression, anxiety, or obsessive compulsive disorder) and includes risk behaviors (such as self-harm, drug abuse, or suicide). 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
A Valuable ESU 10 Resource: School Psychologists
(Continued)
School psychologists are trained to recognize a student’s status in the range of mental health and to take action steps to address a student’s needs. 2. Crisis prevention and intervention. When school psychologists are included on a school’s crisis team, they can contribute to team development, prevention planning, staff training, and community collaboration. In the event of a crisis, school psychologists can provide intervention and supports to students, staff members, and community members. 1. Support. The number one value of a school psychologist is the capacity they have to support others. In developing caring relationships with students, families, staff members, administrators and co-workers, they are often considered a confidante or a shoulder to lean on. At ESU 10, our school psychologists are not only “there for” their assigned schools, families, and students, they are also there for one another. Here, at ESU 10, we can easily say, the sky is the limit when we support one another. If you recognize the valuable resource you have in your school psychologist, celebrate his or her work during School Psychology Awareness week, November 9-13, 2015. Reference. Reiser, D., Cowan, K., Skalski, Sl, & Klotz, M. (2010). A More Valuable Resource. Principal Leadership, 12-16, Retrieved October 21, 2015, from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/school_psychologists-nov10_nassp.pdf
6
ESU 10 Annual Report The ESU 10 Annual Report is now available on our website. To read the entire report click here.
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
New eBooks in OverDrive Check out the new eBooks in OverDrive!
Choose from Minecraft, Disney, periodicals and more!
At the collections drop-down menu, choose Newest Editions
7
At the Collections drop-down menu, choose Periodicals to view all the magazines available to choose from.
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Analytical Scoring of Writing
ATTENTION WRITING TEACHERS!
ANALYTICAL SCORING OF WRITING
ESU 10
November 5 & 6 ANALYTICAL SCORING IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE TEACHERS, STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND DISTRICTS WITH DISAGGREGATED INFORMATION REGARDING WRITING STRENGTHS AND AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT. DATA GATHERED FROM THIS WORKSHOP WILL ASSIST WITH IDENTIFYING INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS AND STUDENT PRACTICE NECESSARY TO INCREASE PERFORMANCE ON THE STATE-WIDE WRITING ASSESSMENT. PAST PARTICIPANTS HAVE FOUND THE PROFESSIONAL CONVERSATIONS AND RESULTS FROM THE ANALYTICAL SCORING PROCESS TO BE VERY VALUABLE IN SUPPORTING INSTRUCTION IN THE CLASSROOM.
8
REGISTER AT ODIE.ESU10.ORG OR CONTACT JSCHAFFNITT@ESU10.ORG
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Data Reporting System
by Dallas Lewandowski, T and L Coordinator
The Nebraska Department of Education Data Reporting System (DRS) is the result of efforts to improve the quality and transparency of education data both at the student level and overall trends in schools throughout the state. The vision and purpose of the DRS is to provide secure, flexible & user friendly access to information to answer questions and query data across multiple years. The DRS provides two separate web sites targeted at difference audiences.
• Public site: Includes masked data analysis at the state level. • Secured site: Provides unmasked data access to education consortiums as well as school district and building
level analysis. Site requires secured login and activation through the NDE Portal http://portal.education.ne.gov.
The following types of information can be found in the DRS:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Student achievement results statewide are on the public site Student achievement results by individual school building, school district and statewide are on the secured site Student characteristics Early childhood education data Career education data Data about special populations Data about education staff
As part of our September 15, 2015 ESUPDO meeting, we were given time to log in to the DRS system through the secured site to access school district data. During the data practice activities, we selected districts within the ESU 10 service area to do some comparison analysis with a variety of data sets to look for trend data in regards to enrollment, mobility rates, attendance rates, ELL, proficiencies in NeSA Reading /Math, etc.
9
This access to the secured DRS will allow our staff to provide support for districts in the area of data analysis. We will now have the capability to also view data that previously was masked due to low student numbers and identification of special populations. By having access to multiple data sources, we can assist with helping districts to grow data literate staff that uses data for continuous improvement. This will allow them to spend their time analyzing, making meaning of the results, and collaborating with one another to improve all aspects of the learning organization.
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Writing Workshop
10
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Lifesize Cloud You may have been hearing a lot about Lifesize Cloud, the video conferencing solution purchased with RUS grant funds. These video conferencing solutions allows us to connect in a myriad of ways. At a minimum, a user only needs a phone to connect to a person or virtual room. Users can also just use the Google Chrome browser and connect as a guest or registered user with most of the same capabilities as the desktop client. There is also a desktop client for users using Macs or PCs with some upgraded functionality. Some users like to stay mobile and so the mobile app is a perfect fit for wherever you may be. We also have many codecs or H.323 room or cart systems that work nicely. As we progress, we have 1,100 licenses for teachers and administrators to use. The flexibility of these video
by Jason Everett, Distance Learning
conferencing solutions allows us to have one on one meetings or the ability to facilitate meetings with multiple users. Teachers can connect with virtual field trip providers in Nebraska and from around the globe. Administrators can host or attend meetings without having to leave their district and waste valuable windshield time. The athletic director may want to stream the football game to those who can’t make it. The applications of use are only limited to the creativity of the person behind the keyboard. As we continue to put the tool in more and more hands, we start growing the knowledge base and resources educators have to make valuable connections for either the office or the classroom. Over the next months and years we are expanding the use and making more and more connections possible to grow deeper knowledge and richer relationships with those we connect with. Stay tuned for more on Lifesize cloud and how it impacts our educators and students.
11
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
Back to School with Teaching and Learning Our schools are all back in session for the year and the ESU 10 Teaching & Learning Department is looking forward to a busy year providing support to each of them. T&L coordinators have been working hard to continue offering quality workshops and services, and have even added a few new offerings. September started off with The Academic Literacy Project (ALP), formerly known as the Adolescent Literacy Project. While the content will essentially stay the same, the name was changed so that we could include all grade level teachers in the project. The T&L department offered the Year 1 training to Grade 4-12 teachers on September 3, while K-3 teachers attended on September 10. We are thrilled to be able to sustain this successful project and include more teachers! Later in the semester we will host Technology Integrationist and Instructional Coaches Cadre meetings, Strategic Leadership training on instructional models, and a “Getting Acquainted with New Math Standards” workshop. New
by Peg Coover, Teaching & Learning Coordinator
teachers will be back at ESU 10 for the third day of the New Teacher Academy on October 6. ALP for Year 2, Dibels Deep training for reading teachers and the Science Teacher Network will also take place in October. The building will continue to be filled with teachers and administrators in the month of November. There will be several Continuous Improvement Process support and training days, APL Instructional Strategies training and the Fall Analytical Scoring of Student Writing. In addition to all of the meetings and workshops facilitated at ESU 10, the T&L coordinators can be found visiting classrooms for ALP Learning Walks, providing training at school sites and working with Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) teams in districts. Several of us are also presenting at various conferences this fall, such as NETA’s Fall Ed Tech Conference, ESU 11’s Fall Conference and Nebraska Academy of Sciences. 12
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org
New things we learned...
by William Bolen, Videographer
We strive to be as preschool students, excited for each new day of school, an open book soaking in all that the world has for us. At the end of each school day we would rush to the arms of our parents to share with them all of the exciting new information we have gathered at school today. Each day we have the opportunity to grow in our “area of interest” or our “scope of expertise.” Sometimes these are revelations of changes in our world and other times they are inspirations of how we can change the world. Have you challenged yourself lately to find your “New things we learned...” and to grow in your area of interest? In the ESU 10 Studio our interest is obviously in the rapid changes to the world of video. Ponder these changes: • Physical media (CD & DVD) is quickly fading from the scene. • Large cameras have been replaced by cell phone cameras. • Our primary news source is now live on the Internet rather than from the 6News on television. • Post Cards & Letters have transformed into Email, Text Messages and PM (Private Message) and now they can include pictures and video of the story. In fact, many are just visual media with no text. • Sharing information and ideas through Social Media has removed the barriers of only communicating with those close around us and we don’t have to “wait our turn” to talk. So do we quit writing letters and throw out our fancy cameras? To everything there is a time and a season. There are changes taking place in how we communicate and yet there are still proven methods of telling a story to which we cling. Our purpose as educators is to help our students recognize the times & methods that are appropriate for each story. Our desire is to help them experience a complete world and we are doing them an injustice if we boycott one side or the other.
13
Cell phone cameras have not replaced the need for high quality studio video cameras but there is an opportunity for the blending of the two sources. You need to define your audience and your needs for the final product.
• Most media delivery is now moving to the cloud but many people still find archiving material they have created
desirable. Until Disney totally abandons selling movies on DVD, you might not throw out your media player but the time is coming. • Anyone that watches TV knows the changes that are taking place and if you ask the US Postal Service they will confirm that the mail volume is declining. Still your grandma loves getting a letter from you, so don’t neglect her. Where are you and your school in the spectrum of video resources and recordings? Do you have a video editing class or do a weekly school news report? Perhaps you stream your schools sporting events or maybe you just make a recording of your students once a year doing a one act play in the corner of your classroom. You have a story to tell and other educators can benefit from the lessons you have learned. If you have any interest in the use of video recording in education, please contact me (wbolen@esu10.org) so we can talk about your program and your needs. Be an educator that, like our preschool children, is eager to share “The new things we’ve learned…..”
76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org