MRVED Business

Call for MELT Presentations & Session Ideas

The MRVED is once again looking for people to present at the annual MELT conference in January.  The 2014 installment of the MELT will be held at Lac Qui Parle Valley High School on January 20.  This is a great day to showcase some of the great things you are doing in your classrooms.  Presenters will be paid a small stipend for their efforts.  If you are interested in providing a session, please click on the link below and fill out the form.  Filling out the form does not guarantee or bind you to providing a session.  If you don't want to present, but have great ideas for possible sessions, please click on the correct link below to provide the MRVED with your suggestions.

If you are willing to present and provide a session click HERE

If you do not want to present, but have ideas for sessions, click HERE

TAC Meeting Update
The Teacher Advisory Council met on Tuesday, September 24 for their first meeting of the year.  The morning was spent doing a "big picture" activity and evaluating where our districts are with certain initiatives.  There was great educational conversation around each one of the initiatives.  The afternoon was spent brainstorming possible MELT sessions.  Overall it was a great day with awesome conversation!

Meet the MRVED- Pam Bruns

Pam is an office assistant for the MRVED and ALC offices.  She returned to MRVED in 2004 following a 13 year retirement to be home with her children. Pam maintains the Independent Study program records for MRVED/Montevideo Valley Area Learning Center, and the Adult Basic Education records for our region.  Pam and her husband Gary have two children Molli, a senior at Minnesota State Mankato and Derek, freshman at University of St. Thomas, St. Paul.  She enjoys time at Lake Florida with family and friends, playing a little golf and reading. Pam is an active member at Trinity Lutheran Church with Worship Team and the annual Trinity Drive-In committee.

October 16 MRVED Common Day

October 16 MRVED Common Day

There are a number of events planned for the October 16 MRVED common professional development day.  A number of schools are sharing their offerings for this day.  Please see the link below for a flyer describing all the events in detail.  Pay close attention to the contact person for registration and register soon as there are limited seats available for all sessions.



Google Drive, Calendar, and Chromebook Training held at LQPV @ 7:45-9:30
MCIS Training held at the Area Learning Center @ 8:30-3:00
Middle School Math Data Mining held at MRVED @ 8:30-2:30
Diversity Day held at Prairie's Edge Casino in Granite Falls @ 9:00-2:40

If you would like to register for any of these offerings, please see the flyer for more information.

October 16 Flyer Link

Interactive Math Websites for Primary Teachers

Are you a primary teacher looking for ways to engage your students in math?  Try this great list of interactive math sites compiled by a fellow teacher.

List of Interactive Math Websites for Primary Teachers by Mrs. K. Morris

There is also an EverySchool website from the United Kingdom that has some awesome interactive games on them.  The website is broken down by content area.  Many of the games would be a great addition to a SmartBoard library!

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

3. Use Performance Rubrics

What it looks like: "Teachers use rubrics to guide student improvement and shift the role of the teacher away from a "giver outer" of grades to a coach who is helping them accomplish their learning goals" (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 196)

Why it's important: Research shows that using rubrics in the classroom improves student achievement.  If a student has a clear expectation of what is expected of them, it will guide their learning.  Rubrics can also be an intrinsic motivator. (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 196)

Goodwin, B., & Hubbell, E. R. (2013). The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD - See more at: http://www.mcrel.org/products-and-services/products/product-listing/100_199/product-111#sthash.NJswMvKe.dpuf

Resources
RubiStar
Rubric Machine
Rubric Generator

12 Touchstones of Good Teaching Series

Touchstone 2: Ensure Students Set Personal Learning Objectives for Each Lesson

Why it is important: "By setting and achieving small goals, students develop fate control, learned optimism, and willingness to take on new challenges. Research suggests teacher effectiveness largely boils down to deliberate teaching of learning objectives" (Goodwin & Hubbell, pg. 196)

What it looks like: Teachers help students create learning goals and short-term learning objectives.  Students then have a clear picture of what the end looks like and can develop a plan to meet their goals.

Goodwin, B., & Hubbell, E. R. (2013). The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD - See more at: http://www.mcrel.org/products-and-services/products/product-listing/100_199/product-111#sthash.NJswMvKe.dpuf

MRVED Business

Week Ahead
We will have a busy week at the MRVED next week as the Teacher Advisory Council will be in on Tuesday, the Superintendents on Wednesday, and agriculture instructors will be touring K&M Manufacturing on Thursday.  Please be sure to check the MRVED calendar for all the meeting dates this upcoming school year. We look forward to working with all of you.

Meet the MRVED

Meet Mary Brown. Mary is the Administrative Assistant for the MRVED. She is originally from the Iron Range, spent several years in the Twin Cities area, and moved to Montevideo in 1992. She joined the MRVED in 1993 and has seen many changes over the years. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Northern Michigan University and in a former life worked as a probation officer (who knew???). She and her husband have a daughter, Lana, who is an athletic trainer in northern Minnesota, and a son, Matthew, who owns Prairieland Builders in Montevideo and is married with two “beautiful” daughters with a third baby on the way. Mary enjoys playing with her grandbabies, cooking, baking bread, and spending time 320 miles north at their cabin on Lake Vermilion.