The 2nd draft of new Minnesota Social Studies standards was scheduled to be released sometime in February has been delayed until spring. MDE cites the reason for the delay is for MDE and the committee to review a "significant" number of public comments. With this delay, it was subsequently delay the final adoption of the standards into next school year. The first draft of the standards can be found by going to the MDE Social Studies website. It is high recommended that if you are a teacher and/or parent of school-aged children that you review the document to become fully informed of the proposed changes. The next public comment period will be available after the review of the 2nd draft this spring.
Hot Topics
Grading During the Pandemic
Talking with educators, one of the common questions many people are wrestling with is "How do I grade kids during the pandemic?" With gaps in learning, kids at different spots academically, some kids learning from at home, etc...How do you fairly grade everyone and everything? Below you will find a short, but powerful article from Joe Feldman and Doug Reeves.
Children's Screen Time Has Soared During the Pandemic
The headline is probably not shocking to anyone, but as we revert back to "normalcy" what effect has all this screen time had on our kids? The New York Times published an article in mid January about this very topic. It is a very thought-provoking piece, one that has ramifications in the classroom. How do we "detox" our kids from their screen time addiction?
13 Virtual Games to Play in Your Elementary Classroom
Now that many of our elementary schools are back to in-person learning, the question now shifts to, "How can we utilize the at home devices effectively in our classrooms"? Here is a great article from Emelina Minero from Edutopia with 13 virtual games for the elementary classroom.
April 12th - Title III Teachers
April 18th - MRVED Common Inservice Day
April 24th - Superintendents' Advisory Council
April 24th - MRVED Board Meeting
April 18th Common Inservice Day
The spring MRVED Common Inservice Day will be held on April 18, 2019, at the Dawson-Boyd Schools. You will be welcomed with coffee, juice, and muffins to begin your day. The day will consist of attending one session for the entire morning and the afternoon will be time with your district, determined by your administrator. The choices for the morning sessions are: Social Emotional Learning, Teach Like a Pirate, and Structured Unconference. Registration is now CLOSED and no changes can be made to your lunch choice.
Closer to the inservice date, you will receive an email with detailed information including the school's address, which to door to enter, and other information. Please read this carefully. When you arrive, your meal ticket and agenda will be in the commons area at the registration table.
We look forward to seeing everyone on April 18th!
(Please Note:Districts not participating in the inservice due to a school make-up day: Minneota/Ivanhoe, Ortonville, YME)
MRVED - Did You Know
The MRVED has hosted the MELT conference for over 15 years. Throughout the years the conference has morphed into what it is today. Today there are around 100 sessions for educators to choose from. The topics range from the latest drug trends to the newest technology. One of the goals of the MRVED is to efficiently use resources to accomplish goals. The MELT is accomplished for $12 per teacher. To put this in perspective, the TIES conference registration costs $389. If we were to send everyone in the MRVED to the TIES conference, the total cost would be around $252,000, just for conference registration. The MELT is put on for around $7,000!
What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?
Social Emotional Learning or SEL has been a big buzzword in education over the past few years. It's something we are hearing more and more of, but what is SEL and why is it important. The short video below does an excellent job of explaining the what & why.
The Minnesota Department of Education is looking for educators to serve on a committee charged with creating the test specifications for the new science test.
This committee will be comprised of K-12 teacher leaders who will use their expertise to help develop assessment boundaries for the new 2019 Minnesota science standards. Committee selection will emphasize balance of demographics, grade levels, and content areas. The committee will meet for a total of 7 days starting on August 6-8, 2019 at MDE in Roseville and continuing through the spring of 2020. Committee members must commit to attending all meetings. The meeting dates are as follows:
· August 6-8, 2019
· October 29-30, 2019
· March 3-4, 2020
You will receive an honorarium and per diem for your travel expenses as needed.
If you are interested in being considered for this committee, enter your information in the form on the link below by April 12, 2019.
If you use Google Forms in your classroom, this is an Add-On for you! Automastery is awesome and a great way to differentiate. Maryellen West did a fabulous job! Check out the write-up from the website.
AutoMastery is a Google Forms Add-On that allows the Form owner to send students assignments based on their score on a Google Form. The owner sets a mastery level score and a beginner level score in a Google Form and sets what link respondents will receive via email with an assignment based on their scores.
Quiz takers will fall into one of three grade categories: Mastery, Progressing, and Beginner.
If a student has mastered the material and scores at or above the Mastery Score you set, he or she will be assigned an extension activity as set by the teacher.
A student who scores above the Beginner Score, but below the Mastery Score, will be sent a progressing assignment, set by the teacher, to bring them to mastery level.
A student not reaching the Beginner Score will be sent a comprehensive assignment, as set by the teacher.
Ditch That Textbook - Section 3 Part 3
We will take a look at chapters 30-33 in Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller. These are simply my thoughts on the chapters and by no means should replace reading the chapters for yourself.
Chapter 30 is titled, Make It. Plain and simple, if you can't find what you are looking for, make it! As a teacher, you have some of the best available resources at your fingertips to make whatever you need for your classroom. If you can't find a video to explain how the letters "t" and "h" go together, gather a group of students and make your own video. Think about the learning experiences involved in that activity. We all have awesome cameras built into our cell phones. We have Google Docs and Microsoft Office products at our fingertips. Some of the best creation iPad apps offer free or discounted versions for education. Even if you think you are not creative enough to make something, try!
Miller also talks about staying in touch with students and meeting them in their space. If your students are on Twitter, join Twitter to see what it's all about. If your students are Snapchatting, join it and try. Instead of thinking about how I can block these tools in my classroom, think about how can you harness their power for educational purposes. It may not be apparent to you right away, but if you think hard enough and creatively enough, you'll find a way. Social networking is the way of the world today. Classroom Twitter pages are popping up all over the place. Teachers are using Instagram to show parents what is going on in their classrooms. Schools are creating Snapchat filters and Twitter hashtags to create a virtual showcase of their events.
We have one section left in the book and a conclusion to go. Once you are done with this book, I encourage you to borrow it to someone during the summer. But, don't forget who you gave it to because you will want this playbook back to start the year next year.
The annual MELT is fast approaching and the MRVED has been busy making arrangements for the big day. The MELT will be held on January 21, 2019 at the LQPV High School. Registration will open on December 5th and it will close on December 19th. Please remember to register early as sessions will fill up fast! There are new sessions offered this year as well as some popular sessions from years past. Some groups will also have the opportunity to network.
Registration Last year we sent out the MELT brochure a couple days prior to sending the registration link. This allowed people to set their schedule and read through the descriptions prior to registering. This seemed to work really well. The process will be the same this year. The brochure will come to you on Monday, December 3 from your Principal. The link to register will come to you on Wednesday, morning from your Principal. Principals, look for this information from Gloria please. We cannot stress enough the importance of registering as early as possible. Some sessions fill really fast, therefore the later you are in registering, the greater the risk of not being able to get into those sessions.
Upcoming Meetings
November 28, 2018 Superintendents’ Council
December 7, 2018 Title III Teachers
December 12, 2018 MRVED Board (6 p.m.)
December 13, 2018 TAC
December 14, 2018 Principals’ Council
December 19, 2018 Superintendents’ Council January 11, 2019 Title III Paras January 21, 2019 MELT January 23, 2019 Superintendents January 25, 2019 Principals
Developing a Shared Understanding of the 2018 Physical Education Standards and Benchmarks 2019 Training Schedule
In this training, actions and resources are recommended to help educator teams* develop a shared understanding of the 2018 Minnesota physical education standards and benchmarks, and initiate the curriculum review process. By attending this training, participants will develop a shared understanding of:
The 2018 Minnesota K-12 Physical Education Standards and Grade-Level Benchmarks
The shifts that drove changes in the standards
The knowledge, skills and rigor represented in the learning progressions in the benchmarks within and across grade levels
The curriculum review process and action planning as part of a continuous review cycle
*It is highly recommended that physical educators attend this training in school district teams.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. Training is from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants are asked to bring a brown bag lunch and beverages.
There is no cost to attend these trainings, but registration is required. Please register individually, even if attending as part of a school team.
To register, click below on the training you wish to attend.
The first draft of the revised Minnesota K-12 Science Education Standards-2019 is now available (see below). The public is invited to provide feedback during its Public Review and Comment Period, November 9-26, 2018. Submit your feedback using the online form, or attend one of the Town Hall meetings (all have already been held) and provide your feedback in person.
Contact Terry Alvarado to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event. Please note: The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) requires a two-week advance notice to provide accommodations and 48-hour notice to cancel the request.
The date by which all schools must implement the new standards will be determined during the rulemaking process.
For more information about the standards review process, contact John Olson 651-582-8673.
I came across this short film series entitled ReMoved. It's a story, from the kids perspective, about being placed into foster care and then going through having a brother adopted. It's a very touching short story, and one that will make you think about how trauma affects our kids. If you have 30 minutes, give both parts a watch today, it is well worth it!
Teach Like a Pirate - Part III Building a Better Pirate & Conclusion
Part III of Teach Like a Pirate provides us with a challenge to be better, tips on how to get started, and advice to surround ourselves with positive people.
My biggest takeaway out of Part III was in the chapter Where do I start? Burgess talks about the five most common reasons why we never get started with something.
1. The fear of failure - people won't start something if there is a chance they can fail. We don't have to embrace failure, but we can learn from it and not be afraid of it. He uses the example of if a lesson fails, nobody dies, it's OK. You are a teacher, not a brain surgeon, failure is OK in our world!
2. Believing you have to figure it all out before you begin - In reflection on my own life, this is a tough one for me. I want to know everything before I start something. I have worked hard in my personal and professional life to fix this attitude of mine.
3. Perfectionism - Some people wait for the "perfect" time to start something. It goes back to the analogy from one of the previous chapters about creative people walking around getting "struck" by brilliant ideas. If we wait for the perfect moment to strike, we'll never get started.
4. Lack of Focus - It's all about prioritization. Being able to prioritize the truly important things in our lives, and not allowing the small things to take up the majority of our time. We lose focus on what truly is important.
5. Fear of Criticism and Ridicule - Starting something new is not only different for you, but different for the people around you. The people around you might not be ready for the change, don't let those people get in your way of progress.
Conclusion Teach Like a Pirate is a book chalk full of strategies you can implement in your classroom tomorrow. You don't have to be a great performer like Burgess to take the strategies and implement them into your classroom. I felt the book was much deeper than just the strategies though. One of the biggest "aha" moments for me was really thinking deeply about ALL aspects of the lesson plan. The analogy of the BBQ is spot on, we have to bring all elements to the table on every single day in order to have a successful BBQ.
The other part of this book that really got me thinking was the aspect of presentation. In the chapter about the 3 circles, Burgess is absolutely correct. We spend so much of our professional development time on best practices and content, but never focus on the actual presentation of the material. Without proper presentation, there is no engagement, without engagement, there is no learning. This book made me think more deeply on how I do my own professional development. How do I engage the learners in the audience? How do I make my content sizzle? Do I bring enough passion and energy to the table every day?
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.
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.
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!
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.
Some schools have been in session for a couple of weeks already! Welcome back to the 2015-16 school year. We hope your summer was rejuvenating and you are ready for another great year of learning. As always, the MRVED is here to help you meet your educational goals for your classroom and school. If you ever need any help meeting your goals, please give the MRVED a call. We are here to serve our member schools.
MRVED Mussel's Field Day with CURE with Bernard Sietman
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, sunscreen 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)
MRVED UPCOMING MEETINGS:
September 16, 2015 MRVED Board (7:00 p.m.)
September 18, 2015 Principals' Council (11:30 a.m.)
September 22, 2015 Teachers' Advisory Council
September 23, 2015 Superintendents' Council
Spring is here and you want some fresh voices talking to your students about STEM. getSTEM, the website that makes connections between schools and businesses, has recruited business professionals to be STEM Ambassadors. Research shows that the most effective encouragement for students to pursue a STEM career is the opportunity to meet and interact with a STEM professional. One of the most frequent requests made by educators on getSTEM is for classroom speakers or career fair/night volunteers. New Ambassadors are being added right now and many professional societies want to promote their outreach efforts to you and your school. Check it out and keep coming back to see what new folks have been added! Don’t see what you are looking for? Make an ASK on getSTEM to request what you need from over 3,000 users profiled on getSTEM. Also check out the OFFERs that have been posted by the Minnesota STEM community and take advantage of all the cool things being provided. If you would like more information, please contact Tim Barrett at tbarrett@mhta.org.
Please join us for our 10th annual Summer Institute for Climate Change Education, June 15-17, 2015 at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley, MN. Participants will have the opportunity to:
Reunite, learn from and network with past participants of Will Steger Foundation Summer Institutes for Climate Change Education.
Hear from experts in climate science, climate change education and climate solutions.
Engage with hands on activities that help bring climate concepts into the classroom and informal education settings.
Learn about how the Will Steger Foundation curriculum supports language arts, social studies and science standards.
Share how you have been implementing climate change education in your educational setting. (More information on how to apply below)
Please join us for our 10th annual Summer Institute for Climate Change Education, June 15-17, 2015 at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley, MN. Participants will have the opportunity to:
Reunite, learn from and network with past participants of Will Steger Foundation Summer Institutes for Climate Change Education.
Hear from experts in climate science, climate change education and climate solutions.
Engage with hands on activities that help bring climate concepts into the classroom and informal education settings.
Learn about how the Will Steger Foundation curriculum supports language arts, social studies and science standards.
Share how you have been implementing climate change education in your educational setting. (More information on how to apply below)
The Science teachers gathered at the MRVED this past Tuesday for their best practice meeting. The day started with an activity to help reflect on differentiation in the classroom. The activity produced some great discussion centered around how can educators effectively differentiate in the classroom. Then the group spent the rest of the morning in data analysis and really diving into their assessment data. Everyone was filled after a great lunch at Pizza Ranch. In the afternoon, the group had the opportunity to network and hear from Patrick Moore of PBS.
Upcoming Meetings
October 15, 2014 MRVED Professional Development Day
October 21, 2014 Math Best Practices
October 23, 2014 Business Best Practices
October 24, 2014 Community Ed
October 29, 2014 Superintendents' Council
October 30, 2014 Title I Teachers
There will be no MRVED update next week due to the Education Minnesota break.
Did you know the Minnesota Zoo offers teacher education programs? The Minnesota Zoo will be offering a series of workshops focusing on conservation issues facing Minnesota wildlife. Come learn more about these animals in our own back yards– observe them at the zoo, learn about their habitats, exploring their roles in the ecosystem, and discuss some of the challenges that they face here and beyond. Gather ideas and activities for teaching about these animals and broader conservation issues in your classroom. Workshops are open to all educators.
Check out their programs by going to their website.
The Minnesota Center for Mineral Resource Education
The MMEW is a three-day workshop for K-12 Earth science educators and pre-service teachers that offers short courses and field trips focused on the geology and mineral resources of Minnesota. The upcoming 17th annual MMEW will be held June 17-19, 2014 at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN. On the first day of the workshop, participants may choose among 16 different short course topics taught by professional geologists, academics, government scientists, and K-12 educators. Many of the courses introduce curriculum ideas for various grade levels. The second and third days of the workshop will involve field trips that are designed to familiarize participants with the geology, mineral resources and environmental issues of southwestern Minnesota.
Participants will receive a variety of resource materials including rock and mineral samples, lesson plan ideas, posters, maps, videos, and other useful information. Upon completion of the workshop, attendees will be provided with a certificate of participation listing contact hours. We are looking into again being able to offer graduate credits through the University of Minnesota Duluth with the submission of a lesson plan in addition to full workshop attendance.
You can find out more and register by going to their website.
Spring Conferences
Here is a list of upcoming spring professional development conferences from the different teachers associations. If you have never been to one, make this the year!
Thank you to Amanda Peterson from Renville County West for sending me this link. This looks like a great resource for any grade level in math or science.
Description from PhET website:
PhET provides fun, interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena for free. We believe that our research-based approach- incorporating findings from prior research and our own testing- enables students to make connections between real-life phenomena and the underlying science, deepening their understanding and appreciation of the physical world.
To help students visually comprehend concepts, PhET simulations animate what is invisible to the eye through the use of graphics and intuitive controls such as click-and-drag manipulation, sliders and radio buttons. In order to further encourage quantitative exploration, the simulations also offer measurement instruments including rulers, stop-watches, voltmeters and thermometers. As the user manipulates these interactive tools, responses are immediately animated thus effectively illustrating cause-and-effect relationships as well as multiple linked representations (motion of the objects, graphs, number readouts, etc.)
To ensure educational effectiveness and usability, all of the simulations are extensively tested and evaluated. These tests include student interviews in addition to actual utilization of the simulations in a variety of settings, including lectures, group work, homework and lab work. Our rating system indicates what level of testing has been completed on each simulation.
All PhET simulations are freely available from the PhET website and are easy to use and incorporate into the classroom. They are written in Java and Flash, and can be run using a standard web browser as long as Flash and Java are installed.
Apply for the US Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award. This award honors public and private early childhood, elementary, middle and high schools and school districts that are exemplary in all three of the following areas:
Reducing environmental impact
Improving health and wellness
Providing effective environmental education
Awardees receive a plaque and a flag for the school, local recognition, and an invitation to the national ceremony in Washington, DC. The awards are announced annually on Earth Day and the national award ceremony occurs in the summer.
Applying for the award provides an opportunity to analyze energy and water usage, waste reduction and transportation. Schools review the strategies that promote healthy practices by students and teachers. In addition, teachers examine their curriculum for instruction in environmental concepts, skills and careers. In the process members from various sectors of the school community collaborate to improve their efforts toward sustainability.
The Minnesota Department of Education and SciMath MN partnered a couple years ago to develop an online version of the Math and Science Frameworks. It is a great website to get standards aligned resources and ideas. The frameworks are user-friendly and aligned to the most current version of the standards. If you haven't been out to the website in awhile, give a look over today.
