MRVED Update: 2015

Friday, December 18, 2015

MELT Registration

MELT Registration Open

2016 MELT Registration is open. There are over 120 sessions to choose from throughout the day. You will notice in each session description it is indicated if it meets a relicensure area. Register today to ensure you get into the sessions you want. Sessions will close quickly as they fill up. Registration will close Tuesday, December 22, at 3:00 p.m.

MELT Brochure

MELT Registration

MELT Information

Date: January 18, 2016

Time: 8:40-2:00

Location: Lac qui Parle Valley High School

MELT Reminders a la Mary Brown

1. If you have a student teacher in January, please have them register by December 22, 2015 and select the district where they will be doing their student teaching. Direct them to the MRVED website (www.mrved.com) and they can click on the MELT Registration article and it will take them to the brochure and the registration link. If they are unable to do this by December 22, please have them contact me directly at mbrown@mrved.net or 320-269-9297.

2. If you are presenting at the MELT, please register for your own session. If you have already registered and haven't done this, no worries, I will register you for your own session. Do not reregister.

3. If you have selected to eat the catered meal, please pay your district the $6 by January 8, 2016.

4. Lastly, if you did not receive a confirmation email at the completion of your registration, it is because you have entered your email incorrectly. I have had about a half dozen emails come back to me because of that. I have corrected your emails in the registration but I'm not sure the program resends a confirmation.

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
January 8, 2016 Title III Paraprofessionals
January 13, 2016 Community Ed
January 15, 2016 Principals' Council (11:30 a.m.)
January 18, 2016 MELT (LQPV High School)
January 27, 2016 Superintendents' Council

Happy New Year
This is the last update of 2015. We hope you have a restful and peaceful break. The MRVED offices will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and will be operating on a limited schedule December 28 - January 1. If you plan to stop by the office during this week, please call to make sure someone is in the office (320-269-9297). Happy New Year and enjoy your break.

Best Practice Meeting Updates
World Languages
The World Language teachers gathered at the MRVED on December 8th for their annual best practice meeting. This group is always very talkative and obviously passionate about their content area. The morning was spent participating in an activity on grading practices. There was some awesome discussion over each scenario presented. The group then had the opportunity to showcase an activity they use to teach vocabulary. It was a great activity where many different activities were shared. Lunch was spectacular as usual. In the afternoon the group networked and had the opportunity to hear Brandon talk about lesson planning with technology. Another great meeting with a great bunch of passionate educators!

Social Studies
Brandon's favorite group ;-) (Disclaimer: Brandon is a social studies teacher). The social studies group started the meeting off like all other best practice meetings, with the activity on grading practices. The discussion was deep and reflective from this group. After talking grading, the group aligned their curriculum and courses to the current standards. The laughter and discussion over lunch was fun to take part in. The afternoon consisted of networking and Brandon talking lesson planning with technology.

TAC & Principal Meetings
Our December TAC and Principal meetings were cancelled and will not be rescheduled.

MELT Registration
You have less than a week to register. See the other blog post for more information. So far 400+ people have registered and a number of sessions are closed.

Bonus Tech Tip - Seesaw

Seesaw
As I was browsing through the 1000's of tweets from the TIES conference this year, one resource caught my eye. It seemed like many people were talking about Seesaw.

From the Seesaw website

Seesaw empowers students of any age to independently document what they are learning at school. Students capture learning with photos and videos of physical work, or by adding digital creations. Everything is uploaded and kept organized for teachers. Teachers can invite families to Seesaw so parents get an immediate, personalized window into their child's learning.

Seesaw looks like a great way to have students show you what they know and keep it all in one spot. It's a great resource for the 1:1 classroom or the school that has classroom sets. If you try Seesaw or know anything more about it, I would love to hear about it!

Tech Tip- Appear.in

Appear.in
If you are looking to videochat with 1 or 7 other people, Appear.in is a great way to do this. The best part about Appear.in is that there are no logins or creating accounts, even for the person creating the room. There is a screen sharing capability as well as an onscreen chat. Appear.in also works on a tablet or smartphone by installing the app. This would be an easy and efficient way to host a meeting with colleagues over distance. You could also use Appear.in to connect with a homebound student. It's free, no login, give it a try today!

Minnesota Math Benchmark Toolkit

Math Benchmark Toolkit
On December 2nd, Brenda Cassellius, Minnesota Commissioner of Eduction, released a Benchmark Toolkit for Mathematics. Below you can see her email introducing the toolkit as well as a link to the toolkit.

Dear Colleagues,

I am increasingly concerned that our math performance seems to be stagnant. In order to provide additional support in your efforts to improve student’s math achievement, I asked Beth Aune, Director of Academic Standards, Jennifer Dugan, Director of Assessment, and Sue Wygant, Math Specialist at MDE to analyze where there are opportunities for us to strengthen our efforts. As a result, MDE has created a new Math Standards Toolkit designed to support teachers in their efforts to improve math achievement.

Given that the math standards will not change, we have an opportunity to work with teachers to ensure they fully understand the level of difficulty of the math items being assessed. The toolkit will enable you to review your curriculum maps, make adjustments in the areas that have caused you the most difficulty, and make sure teachers have what they need to ensure students are understanding the more difficult concepts. A detailed overview and instructions about how to utilize the toolkit are included in the memo below.

As always, thank you for your work on behalf of our students. Wishing you Happy Holidays and a great rest of the school year.

Toolkit Memo

Book Recommendation

Book Recommendation

Over the summer I dove head-first into learning all I can about what it means to be an instructional coach. The more and more I learn, the more my perception of instructional coaching has changed. The purpose of an instructional coach, or any coach for that matter, is to get the "most" out of those they are working with. I was looking for a step-by-step process as to how to do this. I have seen many models presented and heard many different people talk about the process of coaching. Despite the process, the one common theme is really how do I have a productive conversation with someone that can move them from point "A" to point "B"? Which has in turn led me to your book recommendation this week. I am currently reading Jim Knight's new book, Better Conversations. Although, Mr. Knight is a legend in instructional coaching, this book offers much more than having better conversations with teachers; it really is about having better conversations in general. Yes, the focus is instructional coaching, but the concepts in this book can be applied to any parts of your life, from your marriage, to colleagues, to your kids. I highly recommend this quick read.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

MELT Registration

MELT Registration Open

MELT Brochure

MELT Registration

MELT Information

Date: January 18, 2016

Time: 8:40-2:00

Friday, December 4, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
December 7, 2015 District Assessment Coordinators (DAC)
December 8, 2015 World Languages
December 11, 2015 Social Studies
December 16, 2015 Superintendents' Council
December 16, 2015 MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
December 17, 2015 Teachers' Advisory Council (TAC)
December 18, 2015 Principals' Council (11:30 a.m. start)

Best Practice Meeting Updates
Industrial Technology
The Industrial Technology best practice meeting was cancelled due to the weather. We will meet in the Spring.

English Language Arts
The English Language Arts teachers gathered at the MRVED for their best practice meeting yesterday, December 3rd. Like all the other best practice groups, the day started with an activity centered around grading practices. Great discussion was had amongst the groups. After the grading practices activity, they had the opportunity to meet as a district team and dissect data. Pizza Ranch was amazing as usual. In the afternoon the group networked and learned a little about integrating technology. Another great meeting!

MELT Registration
It is that time of the year again! Registration for the annual MELT conference will be coming to you on the morning of December 9th. This year there are over 120 sessions to choose from. Be sure to register early as sessions fill up. The deadline to register will be December 22nd. Registration is crucial to the process of the MELT, so please make a point to get it done right away. Last year we had over 200 people register on the first day! Let's top that number this year! Look for the registration on December 9th from your Principal!

Tech Tip of the Week - TIES Twitter Hashtag

TIES Conference Twitter Hashtag

The largest educational technology conference in the state will be happening December 12-15 in Minneapolis. This conference has the best lineup of educational technology sessions in the state. If you can't make it this year, don't feel left out. You can follow along with the Twitter hashtag #TIES15. People will be sharing resources from the breakout sessions and great insights from the keynote speakers. This is a great way to fill your tech toolbox without having to go to the conference. You can check out the conference lineup by visitng the TIES conference website.

Christmas Resources

Christmas Resources For the Classroom
With the holiday season upon us, here are a couple resources you can use for your classroom.

Arts Integration

Arts Integration
I came across this great article on arts integration that is pertinent for all grade levels and content areas. Integrating the arts is something many teachers try to do, but often times feel as if they are not qualified. Here is a short list of things you can do to beef up the arts integration in your classroom.

Arts Integration or Arts and Crafts by Susan Barber at Edutopia

SAMR Series Part 6 of 6 - Lesson Planning

Lesson Planning With Technology
Part 5 of this series talked about how to climb the SAMR ladder when integrating technology into your curriculum. The last part of the article mentioned always, always, start with your learning objective. We are going to dive deeper into starting with your learning objective when lesson planning with technology.

To begin, we will talk about Simon Sinek's TED talk on Starting With Why (Edited version). Sinek talks about what it is that makes businesses successful. He points to one thing; each business knows why they do what they do and they sell that to you (see the video for further explanation). He says, "people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." This is a very powerful statement and got me thinking about technology. Kids aren't "buying" what you do, they are "buying" why you do it. The kids aren't interested so much in the technology, but why are you using the technology. To put this into perspective, let's look at the why diagram.

When we are lesson planning, we should always start with the "why". This is the learning goal, target, objective, etc... Whatever your school calls it. Then we move to the "how". How do we meet the goal? What activities am I going to have my students do to meet the goal. The last step is the "what". What tools will I use to achieve the goal?

So often we see a flashy new website or tool that we think will work great in our classrooms. We figure out how to use it and what activities we can use it for in our class. We then take that tool and activities and try to crunch it into a learning goal regardless if it fits or not. If it doesn't fit, we get frustrated. This is where many teachers go back to, "the old way was easier". Well, it probably was because when you planned the "old way", you probably started with the goal in mind.

We need to lesson plan from the "why" up and not the "what" down.

Friday, November 20, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
November 20, 2015 Principals' Council (11:30 a.m. start)
November 25, 2015 Superintendents' Council

December 1, 2015 Industrial Technology
December 3, 2015 English Language Arts
December 4, 2015 Title III Teachers
December 7, 2015 District Assessment Coordinators (DAC)
December 8, 2015 World Languages
December 11, 2015 Social Studies

MELT Networking Facilitators - Last Chance

The MRVED is looking for facilitators of networking groups. As a facilitator you are not expected to be the expert in the room, but rather move the discussion along. The goal of a networking group is to share resources and ideas with people who have the same interest. They are meant to include a give & take. Bring something to share and take something away that someone else shared. The only networking groups that will be offered are those that have a willing facilitator. If a networking group does not have a facilitator, it will not be held. If you would like to sign up, please click the link below and add your name to the list next to the group you would like to facilitate. The networking sign up will close at 3:00p.m. on Friday November 20. If you have any questions or cannot access the form, please contact Brandon (braymo@mrved.net).

MELT NETWORKING FACILITATOR SIGN UP LINK

Best Practice Meeting Updates
Title I
The Title I teachers came to the MRVED on November 3rd. The Title I teachers get a treat every year as Brandon and Karen both run the meeting. In the morning the group spent some time with Karen discussing Mindset. The conversations were awesome! After Mindset, the group read and discussed an article on learning styles. Lunch was amazing as usual. In the afternoon the group networked and shared a wealth of resources. Brandon then talked about how to search Google effectively and efficiently and the day was over. A very productive day for all.

Phy Ed & Health
The Phy Ed and Health teachers gathered at the MRVED in early November for their annual best practice meeting. The morning was centered around a great conversation on grading practices in the classroom. It has been really neat to see how each content area approaches this topic. The activity has expanded the thinking of many. Then the group aligned their curriculum with the standards using a Google Doc. In the afternoon, the group networked and finished the day with aligning the health standards. It was a very productive day with some great conversation.

FACS
The MRVED meeting with the FACS teachers was combined with the Southwest West Central Service Cooperatives meeting this year. The two meetings were scheduled so close together that it was in the best interest of the teachers to combine. The teachers had the opportunity to hear from their state specialist as well as an introduction to the Frameworks for FACS Education. In the afternoon we heard from Neal, who works at the U of M as a researcher in the field of food defense. Yes, food defense! Basically defending our food supply from any terrorist attacks, both foreign and domestic. It was another awesome day with a great group of ladies!

Agriculture
Brandon and the Ag teachers ventured to Hutchinson on a beautiful Friday afternoon. The morning was spent on the Ridgewater campus, touring and meeting with faculty in the manufacturing department. In the afternoon, we toured MITGI on the Hutchinson Technology Campus. After a short meeting with the President of MITGI as well as the HR and Safety Director, we had the opportunity to tour the building. MITGI is a precision carbide cutting tool manufacturer. Not only was the process amazing to watch, but the atmosphere at MITGI and the way the business is ran is awesome. Overall it was a great day of learning about what higher ed is looking for as well as employers in the industry.

SAMR Series part 5 of 6

Climbing the Ladder
Over the past 2 months, we have looked at the SAMR model of integrating technology into your classroom. We started talking about Substitution and then worked our way through the ladder to Augmentation, then Modification, and finally ended with Redefinition. It's great to learn about these steps to the SAMR ladder, but how do we effectively move up the ladder?

1. Examine you tasks
As the SAMR model is task-oriented, it only seems logical that in order to climb the ladder, we need to examine the tasks we are having our students do in the classroom. If you can answer Dufour's first question of, "What do I want my students to know and be able to do?" Then you are well on your way to climbing the SAMR ladder. By answering that first question, look at the verbs in your answer. This will guide you to any tasks you will have your students do. Be sure to achieve the level at which the standard is asking you to go to. For example, if I want my students to "recall" information versus "create" something, my task will look totally different.

2. Examine the Apps and Websites
This is where many teachers fall into the traps and struggle to get out of the Substitution level. The reason they struggle is because they are using content specific apps or websites. In essence all these sites and apps are, are digital worksheets. It becomes very difficult to climb "above the line" into transformational practice if we are doing the same thing we were doing before, but only with technology. There is nothing transformational about having a student sit on an iPad and do flash cards versus taking a stack of note cards and doing flash cards. Use the Apple slogan "Think Differently"!

3. Always, Always Start with your Learning Objective
This will be discussed a little deeper next time, but not matter what you do in your classroom, always keep that learning target (objective, outcome, etc...) in the forefront. Don't be blinded by cute activities or flashy technology. We are in the business of school. We are here to teach kids. We teach kids content (and then some). We can easily become blinded by the newest greatest piece of technology, but if it doesn't fit our learning objectives, we are wasting time.

Resources to Teach About Thanksgiving

Here are a couple great resources to help you teach about Thanksgiving in your classroom.

Free Science Professional Development

KnowAtom
KnowAtom has tons of great resources for Science teachers. They have everything from Evaluating your Science Curriculum for the Next Gen Standards to Understanding your Team Teaching Culture. They also offer a variety of free webinars related to Science. Check out this great resource today.

Also, don't forget about the Minnesota Math and Science Frameworks!

Tech Tip - Symbaloo

SymbalooEDU
SymbalooEDU is the visual resource management tool that helps educators and students organize and share the best of the web. Users save their resources in the cloud and access them from anywhere with any device. But it doesn’t stop there! With features like embedded content, group tiles and sequenced tiles, educators around the world are creating lesson plans, research assignments and personalize learning in many different ways. SymbalooEDU is used in schools to support:

1:1 Classroom
Blended Learning
Flipped Classroom
BYOD

Symbaloo is a great way to organize the resources for your classroom. You can make a general page or use it for different content areas or units. Direct your students to it to help them navigate through the world wide web. You have to check it out today! It's Free!

The Growth Mindset is the Only Way to Learn

Mindset Article
I stumbled across this article from Edudemic about a Growth vs Fixed Mindset and thought it worthy to share. It does a nice job of breaking down each Mindset and then providing an argument as to why the Growth Mindset is the only way to learn. If you have not read the book Mindset by Carol Dweck, I highly suggest it.

Edudemic Mindset Article
Mindset Works

Friday, November 6, 2015

MRVED Business

MRVED Meetings:
November 10, 2015 Counselors
November 11, 2015 Community Ed
November 12, 2015 FACS (meet in Marshall with Gail Polejewski)
November 13, 2015 Ag (Hutchinson tour)
November 20, 2015 Principals' Council (11:30 a.m. start time)
November 25, 2015 Superintendents' Council

MELT Update
The Call for Proposals has closed. If you submitted a proposal, but did not receive an email either confirming or rejecting your proposal, please let Brandon know (braymo@mrved.net). If you have any ideas for MELT, the planning stages are winding down. Contact Brandon and let him know of your idea. MELT registration information will be coming out the 2nd week of December.

Also, the MELT Networking Group facilitator sign-up is located in this update. If you feel the need for your group to network, please sign-up as a facilitator or urge someone to. If your group does not have a facilitator, your group will not network. You can network as a content area, grade level, or even around a topic.

Best Practice Meeting Updates
Art Meeting
The Art teachers embarked on a special day on October 22. The teachers had the opportunity to meet with local artists throughout the day. The first stop was to AtoZ Letterpress in downtown Montevideo. After hearing about the letterpress process, the group ventured to Milan to visit Celeste Suter's Fiber Arts studio. Then the group spent the rest of the morning at Tokheim Stoneware learning new tricks and watching a true artist create clay pots. Over lunch, the group made their way to Granite Falls to meet with David Hall and talk more letterpress and see different ways to do that process. The last stop was to the Peterson's to see scrimshaw art. The day was nicknamed the "MiniMeander".

Math Meeting
The Math teachers gathered at the MRVED on October 27. The morning was spent in conversation and thought about grading practices. After a great conversation, the group then split into district teams and tackled the process of vertically and horizontally aligning to the the math standards. After a catered meal, the group then split into grade alike groups and networked and the day ended with Brandon talking about integration of technology. Overall it was a great day.

Business Meeting
The Business teachers met at the MRVED on October 29 with Karen. Much like the math group they had the opportunity to talk about grading practices within the business classroom. Karen then took the group through a formative assessment activity and discussion. Gail Polejewski met with the group over lunch and discussed Perkins updates. The group networked in the afternoon and shared ideas.

Minnesota Earth Science Conference and Website

Minnesota Earth Science

For those of you that teach any Earth Science, here is a great opportunity for you. The Minnesota Earth Science Teachers Association is holding it's annual conference on February 5 in Plymouth, MN. Check out the resource below for more information.

Minnesota Earth Science Teachers Association

Tech Tip - Thanksgiving Resource

Thanksgiving Resource
As a former history teacher, I love finding resources that pertain to historical events. I have used many Scholastic web resources with my students. Scholastic always has great teacher resources, and this is no exception. Scholastic's First Thanksgiving is appropriate for PreK-8th grade. There are tons of activities, teacher guides, and virtual field trips. The activities and resources available on this site are amazing. Your kids will love it! As you plan for Thanksgiving in your classroom, this is a great opportunity to also do a web scavenger hunt, or let your students explore this great site.

Grading Practices Books

Grading Practices Books
One of our focuses this year in the best practice meetings has been on grading practices. The groups spend time discussing and reflecting on their own grading practices. Each group has had stellar conversation over this topic, and many people have walked away from the MRVED with a different view on grading. With that being said, here are some book suggestions to support your learning on grading practices.

Guskey, Thomas R. On Your Mark, Challenging the Conventions of Grading and Reporting. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree, 2015. Print.

Guskey, Thomas R., and Jane M. Bailey. Developing Standards-Based Report Cards. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2010. Print.

O'Connor, Ken. A Repair Kit for Grading, 15 Fixes for Broken Grades. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2011. Print.

Reeves, Douglas. Elements of Grading, A Guide to Effective Practice. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree, 2011. Print.

MELT Networking Facilitator Sign Up

MELT Networking Facilitator Sign Up

SAMR Series Redefinition

Before we talk about the last step of the SAMR ladder, let's recap the previous three steps.

Substitution - Technology is a direct substitute for what you are currently doing. Example: Typing a paper versus handwriting a paper
Augmentation - Technology acts as a substitute with functional improvement of the task. Example: Using spell check on your word processor.
Modification: Technology allows for significant task redesign. Example: Using Google Docs to collaborate with someone on a document.

The SAMR model should be used as a lens when reflecting on a lesson. Look back and think about how you used the technology in the classroom and ask yourself, "Do I need to climb the ladder with my task?"

Redefinition

Redefinition in the SAMR model is the top wrung to the SAMR ladder. On this step, your task is completely transformational. If you were to take the example of writing the paper through the SAMR model, it may look like this.

S - Type a paper versus write it

A - Use the word processor and formatting features of the word processor

M - Using Google Docs to collaborate with others on the same paper

R - Create a short film about the topic from your paper

As you can see there is very little of the original task remaining. The goal of learning about a topic is still there, but the assessment of that learning becomes different. Also, think about how much deeper a student must understand a topic to create a short film about it. The higher order thinking skills have increased as the task was taken up the ladder. The opportunity for cross-curricular work has also increased.

Summary

Our next post will not be about SAMR, but about lesson planning with technology. To summarize the SAMR model, it should be used as a tool to reflect and plan the use of technology in the classroom. How am I using the technology? Do I want to transform my tasks? If so, how do I do it?

Friday, October 23, 2015

SAMR Series - Modification

SAMR Series
As we continue our 5 - Week series on the SAMR model for technology integration, we will finally get "above the line" into the transformation stage.

The past two weeks we have looked at the Substitution and Augmentation levels, which mostly enhance your classroom tasks, but do not essentially transform them. The modification stage of the SAMR model is defined as the point in which the technology allows for significant task redesign. In the ongoing example of using a word processor to type a paper. We started on the first level of SAMR saying that there was no difference in the task between writing and typing the paper. Then we went up to Augmentation and started using the different features of the word processor (spelling and grammar check, word count, formatting, etc...). As we take this same task above the line into Modification, we can add in Google Docs and the ability to collaborate world-wide on a document. This task would not be possible without the use of the technology and with the collaboration piece the task looks different all together for the most part. The writing still exists, but in a collaborative manner.

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings
October 27, 2015 Math
October 28, 2015 Superintendents' Council
October 29, 2015 Business

November 3, 2015 Title I Teachers
November 4, 2015 Phy Ed/Health
November 5, 2015 Social Workers

Mussel Field Day with CURE
The MRVED and CURE teamed up to provide a training for teachers on the importance of and how to identify fresh water Mussels. CURE brought in Bernard Sietman, who is one of the leading malacologists in the United States. Bernard is so knowledgeable about river mussels and river environments, it was AMAZING! The weather was also AMAZING! Check out the slide show of pictures to see how our day went. Thanks to Peg at CURE for the opportunity and pictures!

MELT Call for Presentation Proposals

MELT Call for Presentation Proposals
It is that time of the year again! Time to start looking for teachers to present at the MELT (MRVED Educators Learning Together) Conference in January. The past few years we have had some great presentations by our local teachers. Hopefully this year can be better yet. Last year, there were over 90 sessions to choose from throughout the day with about 1/4 of them being led by local teachers. My goal is to get to 50% led by local educators. This is a great opportunity to share some of the awesome and unique things going on in your classroom. If you would like to present, please fill out the form (linked below). If you know of someone that would do an awesome job, encourage them to present.
Payment:

$100 - Present one, 1-hour session
$150 - Present the same 1-hour session twice
$150 - Present one, 2-hour session
$200 - Present two different 1-hour sessions

Please Note:

If you want to present as a team, only one proposal needs to be made. The person that makes the proposal will be the contact person for that group.
Submitting a proposal does not commit you to presenting. You are only providing the MRVED with information that you are interested in presenting.
Brandon will contact you by the end of October if your session was selected.
You may fill out more than one proposal.

Possible Session Ideas:

Cross-Curricular Projects
School Readiness
SMART Training
CPI
Teaching Vocabulary
6+1 Traits of Writing
Writing in the Elementary
Daily 5
Daily 3
STEM/STEAM
Coding
Technology: SMARTBoard, Tablets, Content Area, Grade Level, Apps

MELT Call for Presentation Proposal Form

PBS Get Your Tech On

Let PBS help you Get Your Tech On this school year with a power-packed mix of free tools, support, and professional development to help you navigate the digital age of learning!

Visit the Get Your Tech On collection to access tech-themed lesson plans, games, and videos, sign up for PD webinars, and enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win prizes for you and your classroom. HINT: The more resources you explore, the more chances you have to win...

A trip to Austin, Texas to attend the TCEA Conference
One-on-one and group trainings with PBS edtech experts
A fully "teched-out" classroom with Google Chromebooks for each student and a document camera

Tech Tip - Quiziz

Quiziz
If you are familiar with Kahoot and loved Kahoot, you will LOVE Quiziz! Quiziz follows the same premise as Kahoot, but in a slightly different way. With Kahoot the questions are completed one at a time, meaning the questions do not move on until all answers have been collected, or the timer runs out. With Quiziz, the students can go through the questions at their own pace (with a timer). The cool thing is the teacher can still see real-time data, so it can be used as a formative assessment tool. The other stark difference between Kahoot and Quiziz is that with Quiziz the questions appear on the student screens. Whereas in Kahoot, the question appears on the screen in front, and the student devices are essentially clickers. Quiziz is awesome if your students are getting tired of Kahoot. Give it a try today!

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

MELT Call for Presentations

$100 - Present one, 1-hour session
$150 - Present the same 1-hour session twice
$150 - Present one, 2-hour session
$200 - Present two different 1-hour sessions

Please Note:

If you want to present as a team, only one proposal needs to be made. The person that makes the proposal will be the contact person for that group.
Submitting a proposal does not commit you to presenting. You are only providing the MRVED with information that you are interested in presenting.
Brandon will contact you by the end of October if your session was selected.
You may fill out more than one proposal.

Possible Session Ideas:

Cross-Curricular Projects
School Readiness
SMART Training
CPI
Teaching Vocabulary
6+1 Traits of Writing
Writing in the Elementary
Daily 5
Daily 3
STEM/STEAM
Coding
Technology: SMARTBoard, Tablets, Content Area, Grade Level, Apps

MELT Call for Presentation Proposal Form

Friday, October 9, 2015

MRVED Business

Music Teachers Meet
The Music teachers gathered at the MRVED on Wednesday, October 7 for their annual best practice meeting. As usual the day was filled with great discussion and awesome ideas were shared all around. The morning was centered around grading practices and a "standards audit". The afternoon consisted of lots of sharing and planning for MELT. Overall, it was a great day with a great bunch of educators!

MELT Call for Presentation Proposals
It is that time of the year again! Time to start looking for teachers to present at the MELT (MRVED Educators Learning Together) Conference in January. The past few years we have had some great presentations by our local teachers. Hopefully this year can be better yet. Last year, there were over 90 sessions to choose from throughout the day with about 1/4 of them being led by local teachers. My goal is to get to 50% led by local educators. This is a great opportunity to share some of the awesome and unique things going on in your classroom. If you would like to present, please fill out the form (linked below). If you know of someone that would do an awesome job, encourage them to present.
Payment:

$100 - Present one, 1-hour session
$150 - Present the same 1-hour session twice
$150 - Present one, 2-hour session
$200 - Present two different 1-hour sessions

Please Note:

If you want to present as a team, only one proposal needs to be made. The person that makes the proposal will be the contact person for that group.
Submitting a proposal does not commit you to presenting. You are only providing the MRVED with information that you are interested in presenting.
Brandon will contact you by the end of October if your session was selected.
You may fill out more than one proposal.

Possible Session Ideas:

Cross-Curricular Projects
School Readiness
SMART Training
CPI
Teaching Vocabulary
6+1 Traits of Writing
Writing in the Elementary
Daily 5
Daily 3
STEM/STEAM
Coding
Technology: SMARTBoard, Tablets, Content Area, Grade Level, Apps

MELT Call for Presentation Proposal Form

Upcoming Meetings
October 14, 2015 MRVED Common Date
October 22, 2015 Art Best Practices
October 23, 2015 Principals' Council
October 27, 2015 Math Best Practices
October 28, 2015 Superintendents' Council
October 29, 2015 Business Best Practices

Please note: There will be no update next week due to MEA break. Have a great break!

Parent/Teacher Conference Tips

Parent/Teacher Conference Tip
As a new teacher, I remember thinking to myself, "what do parent/teacher conferences even look like?" "How do I conduct a conference?" As a new teacher, I had never been to a parent/teacher conference in my life, either as a student, teacher, or parent. I had no clue what to expect. Edutopia has developed a great guide to walk you through a parent/teacher conference and offers some great advice for those who have participated in a "few" conferences. As we approach the parent/teacher conference season, I suggest giving it a look today!

Edutopia Parent/Teacher Conference Article

Edutopia Student Led Conferences

Tech Tip - Google Expeditions Pioneer Program

Google Expeditions Pioneer Program

What is the program?
Expeditions teams will visit selected schools around the world, starting with the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. Each team will bring a complete Expeditions kit with everything the teachers need to take their students on journeys anywhere. The team will show teachers how Expeditions works and help set it up before class.

There is no charge or cost involved in the program.

What are expeditions?

Expeditions is a virtual reality platform built for the classroom. We worked with teachers and content partners from around the world to create more than 100 engaging journeys - making it easy to immerse students in entirely new experiences.

What you need

A minimum of 6 interested teachers. In order to take as many students as possible on an Expedition, we'll visit schools showing the most interest first.

A committed point person to help schedule the school visit and coordinate the day of the experience.

You can sign up by filling out the Google Expeditions Pioneer Program form.

SAMR Series - Augmentation

Augmentation
We will continue our 5 week series on Dr. Ruben Puentedura's SAMR model with examining the Augmentation level of technology

Last week we talked about the substitution level of the SAMR model being the level of tech integration where the technology acts as direct substitute of what is already being done in the classroom. With the example being given that if we have students hand-writing papers in the classroom, using a word processor instead would act as substitution because the task of writing the paper has not changed.

As we focus on the Augmentation level, the technology still acts as a direct substitute but there is a functional change in the task. Let's take the word processing example a little further. The task is to write a paper, we use the word processor to type the paper. If we start to use the feature of the word processor, such as spell-check and grammar check, we start to see functional improvement. We could also use the word processor to change the formatting or add in different fonts that we wouldn't easily be able to do if we were writing by hand. So as you can see, the task of writing the paper stayed the same, but there is some functional improvement to using the word processor.

For most, using the functions of a word processor are a given when typing the paper, but the examples serves as a good illustration as to how the SAMR ladder works. Often times, we forget to tell our students why we are using the technology and how the technology will make the task easier or better. It is vital that we point out to our students the "why". Because if we don't, then some students may struggle to see a reasoning behind what we are doing. These are the ones that will typically say, "can I just do this with paper and pencil, because it's easier". These students have not been told or shown why the word processor makes the task better.

Next week we will look "above the line" and get into transformational practices of technology integration.

Friday, October 2, 2015

MRVED Business

Upcoming Meetings

October 7, 2015 Music Best Practices
October 9, 2015 CURE Event (all day) Mussels in the River
October 14, 2015 MRVED Common Day
October 22, 2015 Art Best Practices (Mini Meander)
October 23, 2015 Principals' Council (11:30 a.m. Start Time)
October 27, 2015 Math Best Practices
October 28, 2015 Superintendents' Council
October 29, 2015 Business Best Practices

SAMR Series - Substitution

SAMR
As mentioned last week, we are starting a 5 week series on the SAMR model. Last week we looked at the overview of the SAMR model. Over the next 4 weeks we will examine each level, starting this week with Substitution

One thing to keep note of is that being at the substitution and augmentation levels is not a bad thing. We are still using technology to enhance our practice. Dr. Ruben Puentedura has clearly stated that this ladder is not used to judge or make people feel like what their doing is not enough. We are all trying to get better and the SAMR model allows us to see how we are using the technology in the classroom to enhance and eventually transform our practice.

Substitution
The substitution level of the SAMR model is exactly what it says. When using technology in the classroom it acts as a direct tool substitute with no functional change. An example of this would be having your students type a paper versus writing a paper. The task is still the same with no functional improvement. You may say the word processor has spell check, yes it does, but this will be addressed in the next level of the SAMR model.

Another example is reading a book on the iPad vs reading the actual book. The task of reading is the same with no functional change to that task by adding in the iPad.

Many teachers are at this level when bringing technology into the classroom. They find a tool that can replace what they are currently doing in the classroom and use it. Therefore, there is no functional change in their practice due to the technology, they are simply substituting the technology to continue doing what they have always done. Again, it's not a bad thing to be at this level, it is merely the bottom rung on the SAMR ladder. We can always strive to climb the ladder and find new and exciting ways to bring technology into our classroom.

Tech Tip - GoNoodle

GoNoodle
If you are looking for a way to incorporate movement into your classroom, check out GoNoodle. My 2nd grade daughter loves GoNoodle. It has a variety of short, fun video clips to use in the classroom that will get your kids moving. They have categories of clips from stretching, to kinesthetic movement, to calming techniques. These can be used as a quick warm up or cool down after an activity. Little kids love them and I would guess older kids might get a kick out of them from time to time. Check it out today!

50 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Every Grade (PreK-7)

50 Tips
We Are Teachers is a website I follow on a regular basis. This post caught my eye. 50 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Every Grade Level is an awesome list of exactly what the title says! Some of the tips, tricks, and ideas are probably already things you do in your classroom, but others might be that "go to" idea for your classroom this year. Glance through the lists for your grade level today, you won't be sorry you did!

The Works Museums E4 Conference

E4 Conference
When: Tuesday, November 3, 2015, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Where: University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center, 1890 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108.

What: Join hundreds of educators for our annual conference on the why, what, and how of elementary engineering education:

Gain practical knowledge and share ideas with colleagues
Get ideas for your classroom
Workshops presented by K-6 classroom teachers and informal educators
Over 20 workshops to choose from
Earn 5 CEUs

Cost: Conference Fee: $125

Fee includes CEUs, lunch, and parking!

More Information

Registration Link

Friday, September 25, 2015

MRVED Business

MRVED Mussel's Field Day with CURE with Bernard Sietman
Today is the last day to register!

About Bernard Sietman

You will be hard pressed to find anyone as passionate and as knowledgeable about mussels as this transplanted Missourian. Since 2002, he has worked across Minnesota surveying mussels. One of the more exciting aspects of his job is the potential discovery of a new species in the Minnesota River Basin, the Mapleleaf.

Bernard received his Master of Science degree in Biology from the Emporia State University where he studied the ecology and genetics of freshwater mussels in two local rivers. After graduation he worked as a Natural History Biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation surveying freshwater mussels, conducting landowner interviews and assisting with stream fish surveys. Sietman spent time as an Aquatic Ecologist and Assistant Technical Scientist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. Here he assisted with overseeing of a nationally renowned mollusk and fish collections.

When: October 9, 2015 from 9:00 - 2:30

Where: Meet at Yellow Medicine East High School Board Room at 9:00 for an introduction and presentation by Bernard.

Who: All K-12 Teachers. There will be many applications to science and history.

Lunch: Provided

Transportation to the River from Granite Falls: Provided

What to bring: dress for water, bring boots or water shoes and an extra set of dry clothes. Other things to consider are a walking stick to support you while walking in the water, sun screen and bug spray. There is an outdoor bathroom facility available on site.

Cost: Free - Funds provided by CURE and MRVED

(Nonmembers of MRVED $10 per person - covers lunch and transportation)

Registration: Register by September 25. Space is limited. Click here to register.

MRVED UPCOMING MEETINGS
October 1, 2015 Agriculture - CANCELLED - WILL BE RESCHEDULED
October 2, 2015 Title III Paraprofessionals
October 7, 2015 Music
October 9, 2015 CURE Event - Mussels in the River

15-16 MDE Math Leaders Networking Meetings

MN Math Leaders Networking Meetings
MN Math Leaders Networking Meetings are sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and MN Math Leaders, an affiliate of the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM). The overarching theme for this year is Leading and Coaching to Support Math Pedagogy and Content. This work will be framed through the use of “Math Talks.” The resources we will be using are:

Making Number Talks Matter: Developing Mathematical Practices and Deepening Understanding, Grades 4-10 by Cathy Humphreys and Ruth Parker
How Children Learn Number Concepts: A Guide to the Critical Learning Phases by Kathy Richardson

Though you are not required to purchase these books, they are highly recommended and will be referred to in the networking meetings.

Target Audience: Administrators and teacher leaders who are passionate about leading change in mathematics education for all students. The Networking Meetings are open to anyone who is in a department or team, school, or district leadership position. These meetings are designed for leaders to give and receive support.

The goals of these networking sessions include:

Build capacity for leadership by sharing ideas and collaborating with other MN Math Leaders;
Receive updates about mathematics education policy and assessment;
Learn about resources available to support your work.

Dates: (All Networking Meetings will be held at MDE. The room number is on the registration form.)

October 22, 2015 - Topic: What are Math Talks and Why are They so Important? Terry Wyberg
December 17, 2015 - Topic: Guiding Principles for Enacting Math Talks in the Classroom
February 18, 2016 - Topic: Math Talks: Intentional Connections to Standards and Benchmarks
May 19, 2016 - Topic: Moving Forward: Managing Bumps in the Road

Time: 8:30-11:30

Networking time includes:

Opportunities to share and celebrate what is working well
Structures to work in role-a-like and/or grade band groups
Time for participants to provide their expertise
Hot topics

Networking meeting agenda:

Opening and Overview
Community Building
Leading and Coaching to Support Math Pedagogy and Content
Hot Topics
Closing and Feedback

Fee: No Charge

Registration is required. Visit the MDE calendar to register for each session (http://goo.gl/JUaKFR)

Questions? Please contact: Terry Alvarado 651-582-8749.

5 Week Series on SAMR

SAMR

Today we start our 5 week series on Dr. Ruben Puentedura's SAMR model. SAMR stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. We will examine a level a week, starting next week with Substitution.

The SAMR model can be a lens we use when integrating technology in the classroom. As more and more tech is being added to the classroom, and the pressures become greater to implement technology, we need to examine exactly how the technology is being used in the classroom. It is a great model to use when planning and reflecting on your lessons. The model is also a way in which to create a common language around tech integration.

To get started on the SAMR model, here are a couple videos talking about the model. The first video is 7 minutes long, and the 2nd video is 120 seconds.

Ruben Puentedura on Applying the SAMR Model

SAMR in 120 Seconds

Next week we will look at the first level of the SAMR model, substitution.

Tech Tip - IFTTT

IFTTT
IFTTT stands for IF This Then That. If you have never heard of IFTTT or have heard about it, but don't know how to use it, check out About page on the IFTTT website. IFTTT allows you to connect multiple online services to seamlessly do things for you. For example:

There are tons of pre-made recipes on IFTTT for you to use. You can setup weather reminders, post to multiple social media accounts at once, save emails to Google spreadsheets, etc... The list is really endless. IFTTT is an awesome tool to help you do many things online.

Resources and Articles on IFTTT
Fractus Learning - Connect and Automate Your Digital Classroom using IFTTT
Cool Mom Tech - 15 IFTTT Recipes For Parents
5 Min Librarian - 15 IFTTT Recipes to Save you Time

Levels of Understanding: Learning That Fits All - Edutopia

Levels of Understanding
Last week I came across this great article on differentiation and learning for all from Edutopia and had to share it. The article offers some great tips and strategies on how to effectively differentiate in your classroom. It is well worth your time to read the article.

Levels of Understanding: Learning That Fits All - Edutopia

Friday, September 18, 2015

MRVED Business

MRVED Mussel's Field Day with CURE with Bernard Sietman
There is still time to register!

About Bernard Sietman

You will be hard pressed to find anyone as passionate and as knowledgeable about mussels as this transplanted Missourian. Since 2002, he has worked across Minnesota surveying mussels. One of the more exciting aspects of his job is the potential discovery of a new species in the Minnesota River Basin, the Mapleleaf.

Bernard received his Master of Science degree in Biology from the Emporia State University where he studied the ecology and genetics of freshwater mussels in two local rivers. After graduation he worked as a Natural History Biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation surveying freshwater mussels, conducting landowner interviews and assisting with stream fish surveys. Sietman spent time as an Aquatic Ecologist and Assistant Technical Scientist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. Here he assisted with overseeing of a nationally renowned mollusk and fish collections.

When: October 9, 2015 from 9:00 - 2:30

Where: Meet at Yellow Medicine East High School Board Room at 9:00 for an introduction and presentation by Bernard.

Who: All K-12 Teachers. There will be many applications to science and history.

Lunch: Provided

Transportation to the River from Granite Falls: Provided

What to bring: dress for water, bring boots or water shoes and an extra set of dry clothes. Other things to consider are a walking stick to support you while walking in the water, sun screen and bug spray. There is an outdoor bathroom facility available on site.

Cost: Free - Funds provided by CURE and MRVED

(Nonmembers of MRVED $10 per person - covers lunch and transportation)

Registration: Register by September 25. Space is limited. Click here to register.

MRVED UPCOMING MEETINGS:
September 22, 2015 Teachers' Advisory Council
September 23, 2015 Superintendents' Council

October 1, 2015 Agriculture
October 2, 2015 Title III Paraprofessionals
October 7, 2015 Music
October 9, 2015 CURE Event (all day) - Mussels in the River

Opportunities for Teachers

GIS Educator Day: Oct. 7th

The organization of statewide GIS professionals invites all teachers to an Educators day at the at
the Duluth Convention Center 9 am – 4:30 pm. on October 7th. Teachers will learn about online
mapping resource (ArcGIS Online), available free to all schools. This FREE event (including lunch
and snacks) will include sessions presented by teachers and professionals for both beginning and
advanced users as well as specific sessions for science and social studies. The schedule provides
opportunities to collaborate with other teachers and GIS professions on projects for the classroom.
CEUs will be available for teachers and administrators. Visit the teacher registration page.

EdCamp Math and Science MN: Oct. 16th

Edcamp is a form of unconference for teachers. Unlike traditional conferences which have
schedules set by the people running the conference, Edcamp’s agenda is created by the participants.
Instead of a presentation, people are encouraged to have discussion and hands-on sessions. This
free event will be held at Eden Prairie High School and is sponsored by the Minnesota Science
Teachers' Association, and the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics. For information and
registration visit the Edcamp website.

Tech Tip: Google Classroom Updates

Google Classroom
When Google Classroom was introduced a year ago, it was minimalistic. Over the summer, Google updated Classroom with a variety of updates. The interface is still minimalistic, which is a good thing, but the features that were added will create a much better user experience. Check out the blog post from Google on the updates to see what is new. If you looked at Google Classroom last year, now is a good time to jump in and try again. If you are using Google Classroom, you may not be aware of some of the updates, so I suggest a quick glance through the post.

MCIS Training Sites Around the State

MCIS Training
Last year the MRVED was one of only a handful of MCIS training sites around the state. This year the Minnesota Department of Education has really ramped up their trainings. Below is a list of dates and locations for this Fall. Note: There is NOT a MCIS training this year at the MRVED.

Pages

Friday, December 18, 2015

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Friday, December 4, 2015

Friday, November 20, 2015

Friday, November 6, 2015

Friday, October 23, 2015

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Friday, October 9, 2015

Google Expeditions Pioneer Program

Friday, October 2, 2015

Friday, September 25, 2015

Friday, September 18, 2015

GIS Educator Day: Oct. 7th

EdCamp Math and Science MN: Oct. 16th