MRVED Update - February 23, 2022

MRVED Business

MRVED Meetings

Friday, March 4, 2022 - Principals' Council 

Friday, March 11, 2022 - Title III Paraprofessionals

Friday, March 18, 2022 - Title III Teachers (Virtual)

Wednesday, March 23, 2022 - Superintendents' Council

April 14, 2022 Information

ESL Consultant Needed

The MRVED is looking for a part-time ESL consultant to help assist districts in creating a newcomer program. Must have an ESL license with at least 3 years of experience in the field. You can read a more detailed description on Edpost or contact Karen or I for more information.

Resources

The Advantages of Heterogeneous Student Groups in Math

I recently read an article from edutopia from Joseph Manfre that really made me think about teaching and learning in the classroom. The article talks about students who are fast processors of information, in this case math, are often times isolated from learning experiences. It really made me think about students who are fast & slow processors of information and then how do we effectively differentiate in our classrooms for those students. It's a quick read, and you won't be disappointed.

The Advantages of Heterogeneous Student Groups in Math by Joseph Manfre

Professional Learning

LETRS Training Offered Free from MDE

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is excited to announce a new initiative to offer LETRS professional learning to educators across the state.

The Minnesota LETRS® Science of Reading Professional Learning Courses will provide sustained and job-embedded professional learning about the science of reading, at no cost to educators. These impactful courses will be based on Lexia’s LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) literacy professional learning and are being offered to thousands of educators.

Who is eligible?
Funding is available for licensed Minnesota educators. Priority will be given to educators in the following roles:

• K-3 classroom teacher
• Administrator
• Elementary special education teacher with responsibility for reading instruction
• Elementary reading interventionist/reading specialist or literacy coach
• Literacy professor in MN Institute of Higher Education

Book Study

Row the Boat - Chapter 6

As we near our April 14th Common Inservice day with PJ Fleck, I'm getting more and more excited to hear him talk about Row The Boat. Chapter 6 is a short, but crucial chapter in the book. It provides the context and symbolism around RTB.

There are three key components to rowing the boat; the oar, the boat, and the compass. "The oar is the energy of your life - your mission and your purpose" (Fleck, 53). The oar (your energy) is the only thing that moves the boat. It is up to you if your oar is in the water or not. When the waters get rough, we need to row a little harder, but we need to keep rowing through the storm to get through it.

The second component is the boat. The boat represents sacrifice. The more you give the bigger your boat gets. During those rough seas, having a bigger boat helps you get through those times a little easier. 

The third component is the compass. The compass provides you with direction. If you want to be a doctor, point your compass in that direction, pack your boat, and keep rowing!

MRVED Update

MRVED MELT 2018 Call for Presentation Proposals

The MRVED Educators Learning Together (MELT) conference will be held at Lac qui Parle Valley High School on January 15, 2018. To help make this conference the best ever, we need your help. The MRVED is looking for enthusiastic people willing to present on something great happening in your classroom. This can be anything from Google Drive to differentiation techniques in your classroom. Technology or no technology proposals are welcome. Presenters will be paid a small stipend for your work. You may submit as many presentation proposals as you wish.

We are especially looking for any Pre-K teachers willing to present!


**By filling out this form you are not committing to presenting, just providing the MRVED with your name and topic.**
2018 Call for Presentation Proposals Link

October 18 Common Day

Be looking for information on the October 18 Common Day held at Yellow Medicine East in the very near future.  Here is a brief synopsis of the day.

Training for PLC Leaders at the Kilowatt Community Center in Granite Falls.  This training will be from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and will be facilitate by Jack Baldermann, consultant with Solution Tree.

For people who are not PLC Leaders, Kayla Delzer will be a keynote speaker at Yellow Medicine East High School.  Kayla will be speaking to half the teachers in a 90 minute session, while the other half of the teachers are attending breakout sessions.  After 90 minutes the groups will flip-flop.  The afternoon will be spent in district teams, facilitated by your districts.

Be looking for more specific information in your email in the coming weeks.

Innovator's Mindset Series - Chapter 1

This week we will start the series over the book Innovator's Mindset by George Couros.  The series will feature some information from the chapters with my (Brandon's) own take on what it all means.  I highly suggest buying this book, it's a quick read and really makes you think.  Not to mention, George Couros will be our keynote speaker at the Spring common day.

Chapter 1 - What Innovation is and isn't
The chapter starts off with a very good example of Blockbuster going under because they were unwilling to give up an outdated business model (nobody rents movies from stores anymore...everything is streamed).  Basically, innovate or die!

We work in a world where the same holds true.  We need to either innovate our practices or education as we know it may die.  Think about what the Internet has done to the movie industry, it changed it ten-fold.  Think about what it should be doing to education!

Couros defines innovation as a way of thinking that creates something new and better (pg 19).  Couros puts emphasis on the "new & better" part, whereas, I also think that "thinking" should also be emphasized.  Couros says, "when we think differently about the things that we are used to seeing daily, we can create innovative learning opportunities" (pg 25).  True innovation is taking an idea, thinking deeply about it, and moving forward in hopes it creates a new and better experience for someone.  Often times, we forget about the "better" piece.  You may innovate a practice, but did it really make it better?  For example, a teacher believes they are innovative for scanning their worksheets and providing them to the students online.  This practice is #1 not innovative and #2 does not automatically make the experience better for the students.

Innovation is not simply doing something differently (see example above).  It's a way of thinking that keeps the interests of both the teacher and student in mind.  If it's not a solution that is better for both parties, it isn't innovative.

Questions to consider (pg 27)
1. What is an example of a practice that you consider to be innovative?  How is it new or better than what you did before?

Tech Tip

Google Classroom is gaining in popularity in our classrooms.  Not only for the ease of using Google Drive, but also organization & communication.  Google is constantly updating and changing things within their platform.  Use this website to see what was updated last month, and you can even look back to the updates over the summer.  If you are an avid user, you may not even know some of these features exist!

Google Classroom Updates

Article - How the Google Suite Can Enhance Open-Ended Math Exploration

This article was sent to me and offers some great talking/thinking points about visualization in the math classroom.  I think there are some great ideas in here for both elementary and high school as well as other content areas.  Give it a quick glance today!

How the Google Suite Can Enhance Open-Ended Math Exploration Article


MRVED Meetings
September 29, 2017 - Title III Paras
October 25, 2017 - Superintendents' Council
October 27, 2017 - Principals' Council
November 8, 2017 - Joint Principals' & TAC

#WeAreMRVED

Tech Tip - FrontRow Adds Social Studies Content

FrontRow Adds Social Studies Content
FrontRow is a program that allows teachers to assign students practice in reading and math.  The program can be adaptive to how the student is performing.  Teachers can get some great data from using this program.  If you are looking for something for your students to practice before the MCA's, this could be a great supplement.  All content is based off the Common Core standards.

Recently FrontRow added social studies content.  Right now there are 11 units to choose from ranging from the Civil War to Elections.  There are videos, handouts, and readings for all ages.  If you are currently using FrontRow, check out the social studies content today.

MCTM Spring Conference

MCTM Spring Conference
The Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics Spring Conference will be held April 28 & 29 in Duluth, MN.  This conference is a "must attend" for any teachers of Mathematics.  The conference includes a number of smaller breakout sessions with two nationally known keynote speakers.  There are always a handful of takeaways from this conference.  You can check out the information and register by going to the MCTM Spring Conference webpage.

Tech Tip - Front Row

Front Row
Front Row is an individualized math and ELA program that allows students to practice at their own pace. Their curriculum is completely Common Core aligned, and covers every standard in K-8 math.

Students start Front Row by taking a diagnostic test that places them based on their capability. Then, they answer practice questions that vary based on what the student knows. If a student gets stuck, they see remediation material and videos that help them understand the topic at hand. If they do well, they move on to harder material! The kids love using Front Row because it’s so engaging.

The Front Row dashboard is just amazing for teachers. It shows where each student is stuck, and whether they need help, and it also gives materials that can help them! What’s really amazing is the printables feature, which allows teachers to generate a personalized printable sheet for each student that gives practice where they need it.

Overall, Front Row is an amazing time saver, and students really love it. Sign up is super easy, just go to http://www.frontrowed.com and click on the sign up button. It’s free!

Front Row Resource Folder

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

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!

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.

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.

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- National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
If you are looking to bring your math manipulatives to the 21st century, check out the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives.  They have virtual manipulatives for every grade level and area of math.  The only downfall to the site is that it needs Java to run, thus does not work on the iPads, however there are a variety of iPad apps that will do exactly what the NLVM does.  Bookmark the site today!

STEM Ambassadors

STEM Ambassadors – speakers for your classroom 

Excerpt from the Science update from MDE

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.

Mathematics Teacher for Independent Study Job Opening

Mathematics Teacher for Independent Study Program – Minnesota Valley Area Learning Center

The Minnesota Valley Area Learning Center (MVALC) located in Montevideo, MN is seeking a positive and energetic individual to join our team as a part-time Independent Study (IS) Mathematics Teacher beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. Candidates must be licensed to teach mathematics in the state of Minnesota. The Independent Study Program of the MVALC serves students 16 and older who need a credit recovery option. The IS program has locations in Granite Falls (Monday and Tuesday, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.) and Montevideo (Wednesday and Thursday, 3:00 – 5:30 p.m.). Summer hours in Granite Falls are Tuesdays 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. and in Montevideo on Wednesdays 8:00 – 5:00 p.m.

For more information regarding this position, contact:

Karen Jacobson, Director
Minnesota River Valley Education District
P.O. Box 487
Montevideo, MN 56265
kjacobson@mrved.net
320-269-9297

Candidates should apply by going to http://www.montevideoschools.com/ click on District Office, Job Postings and then follow the directions listed for licensed applicants, applying through AppliTrack.

Position is open until filled.
Equal Opportunity Employer

Tech Tip - My Script Calculator

My Script Calculator
If students have trouble putting in equations into a regular calculator, give My Script Calculator a try. There is an app for both Android and iOS.  What My Script Calculator does is allows you to write out the math equation, then turns your written equation into a type face and solves the problem.  This could be handy for the student that struggles putting the correct numbers into a calculator in correct order.  The app is really user friendly.  It could even read my handwriting (which is no easy task)! I'm keeping this app on my phone for personal use.

Pi Day Resources

Pi Day Resources
Do you need another day to celebrate in your classroom?  Why not celebrate Pi Day?  Pi Day will be coming up on March 14 (3/14/15 at 9:26.53) and Edutopia has put together a nice list of resources and ways in which you can celebrate.

Pi Day Resources from Edutopia

Piday.org

MDE Math Webinar

Mathematics Webinar for Teachers

Date: February 24, 2015

MDE, in partnership with the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM), is offering webinars designed specifically for K-12 mathematics teachers. Typically the webinars are for K-6 and 6-12 grades; in this case, the same webinar is offered twice at 2:45-3:30 p.m. and 3:45-4:30 p.m.

Each webinar will include a brief update from MDE followed by a presentation by a Minnesota Math Teacher. The February 24 webinar is titled “Identity and Its Impact on Math Success” and will be presented by Nicole Bridge, Middle School Math Coordinator, Minneapolis Public Schools.

Presentation description:
“So often we hear people say things like "I am not a math person," or "I actually liked math in high school." How are these identities formed? How can we help to students to develop positive identity around learning and doing math? This session is meant to be a start to helping teachers think about their own identity around mathematics and the identities of their students. The goal is for participants to leave with a deeper understanding of how to examine their own instructional practices, and strategies to help their students create a positive math identity.” Nicole Bridge

View the MDE Calendar for more info and to register!

View Past Mathematics Webinars

For assistance with questions, email Terry Alvarado.

Math Leader Networking Meeting

February 12, 2015 MATH LEADERS MEETING

Mathematics Leaders Networking Meetings -- TOPIC: Assessments and Interventions

8:30-11:30am at MN Department of Education Conference Center A, Room 14

As part of this meeting Nicole Bridge from Minneapolis Public Schools, will present “I’m not a Math Person:" Identity and Its Impact on Math Success

We will also have an opportunity for participants to network around 3 essential questions in Formative Assessment

• Where are we going? Do teachers and students know the standards?
• How are we doing? How do we assess student understanding and give feedback?
• What’s the next step? Enrichment? Intervention? A new concept 

The MN Math Leaders networking meetings are designed for leaders to give and receive support. The Networking time includes:

• opportunities to share and celebrate what is working well
• structures to work in role-a-like and/or grade band groups regarding previously selected topics
• time for participants to provide their expertise
• "hot topics" identified by the participants at the beginning of each meeting

There will also be open time following each meeting for continued work in self-identified groups.

The goals of these networking meetings include:

• Share ideas and collaborate with other MN Math Leaders
• Receive updates about mathematics education policy
• Learn about resources available to support your work

This event is open to anyone who is in a department, school, or district leadership position. Administrators and teacher leaders who are passionate about leading change in mathematics education for all students are encouraged to attend!

It is recommended that participants purchase the book, "NCTM Principles to Actions", available at www.nctm.org as an ebook for $4.99 ($3.99 for NCTM members). One of the topics for each of the networking meetings will use readings and resources from this book.

Register for February 12 Meeting

MRVED Business

Meeting Updates

Art Best Practice Meeting
The Art teachers met at the Ben Lecy farm in rural Belview, MN for their annual best practice meeting.  Dean Baldry and Ben Lecy (YME) planned the day and it was spent learning about smudging, fire pitting, talking sticks, dream catchers, local history, and many other outdoor art activities.  Ben treated us to a traditional soup as well as a fresh vegetable soup straight from his garden.  After lunch Ben gave us a tour of his beautiful place in rural Belview.  It was a great day of learning for our local art teachers and we are very fortunate to have someone like Ben Lecy in our area.  See the slideshow of pictures by clicking HERE.

Math Best Practice Meeting
The Math teachers assembled at the MRVED on Tuesday, October 21, for their annual best practice meeting.  The day started off with a presentation from Chris Sieling and Eric Schwankl, math teachers from Lakeview.  Their topic of presentation was revamping grading practices in the math classroom.  Both teachers shared practical advice that can be applied to the classroom.  The next activity the group did was provide feedback to the state on the math standards.  The Math standards are set to be under review in the coming year, and part of the state mandate is soliciting feedback from the public.  This feedback piece is built directly into the curriculum review and development cycle.  Lunch was fabulous as always.  The afternoon was spent networking and sharing ideas and a short presentation on SAMR by Brandon.  Overall another great day of learning!

MRVED Meetings

October 29, 2014  Superintendents'  Council
October 30, 2014  Title I Teachers
November 4, 2014  Guidance Counselors
November 5, 2014  Phy Ed/Health
November 13, 2014  Social Workers

MN Math Leaders Networking

The MN Math Leaders networking meetings are designed for leaders to give and receive support. The Networking time includes:

• opportunities to share and celebrate what is working well.
• structures to work in role-a-like and/or grade band groups regarding previously selected topics.
• time for participants to provide their expertise.
• "hot topics" identified by the participants at the beginning of each meeting.

There will also be open time following each meeting for continued work in self-identified groups. The goals of these networking meetings include:

• Share ideas and collaborate with other MN Math Leaders
• Receive updates about mathematics education policy
• Learn about resources available to support your work

This event is open to anyone who is in a department, school, or district leadership position. Administrators and teacher leaders who are passionate about leading change in mathematics education for all students are encouraged to attend! All meetings will be held at the Minnesota Department of Education, 8:30-11:30 a.m. Check below links for conference room details.

It is recommended that participants purchase the book, "NCTM Principles to Actions," available at http://www.nctm.org/ as an e-book for $4.99 ($3.99 for NCTM members). One of the topics for each of the networking meetings will use readings and resources from this book.

• October 23, 2014 – Topic: Achievement Gap, Equity, and Mindset. Register Online.
• December 11, 2014 – Topic: Technology and Differentiation. Register Online.
• February 12, 2015 – Topic: Assessments and Interventions. Register Online.
• May 14, 2015 – Topic: Coaching, Cognitively Guided Instruction, and Problem Solving. Register Online.

For assistance with questions, contact Terry Alvarado (terry.alvarado@state.mn.us).MN

Upcoming Spring Conferences

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!

Minnesota Science Teachers Association - February 21-22, 2014

Minnesota Council for the Social Studies - March 2-3, 2014

Minnesota Council of Teachers of English - April 3-4, 2014

Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics - May 2-3, 2014

If you know of any other Spring conferences, please add it in the comments below.