MRVED Business

Best Practice Meetings Resume & Weather Policy
Best practice meetings will resume next week with Phy Ed and Health on Tuesday and Social Studies on Thursday.  We look forward to seeing all your smiling faces.

As a reminder, please review the MRVED weather policy (posted below) in case of inclement weather.

MRVED Weather Policy

Since we are located in the Montevideo School District area, if Montevideo schools are open and on time, we will hold the meeting. If Montevideo has a late start, the meeting will be cancelled and rescheduled.

However, even if the meeting is still being held, if the weather is unsafe to travel in your area, stay home! We want you to be safe. If the meeting is on time and you cannot make it, please let us know (320-269-9297) so we don't worry about you. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 320-269-9297.

MRVED will also submit meeting cancellations and/or updates on WCCO’s TV channel and website wcco.com (See School Closings under Quick Links). We will be listed under MRVED (just our initials.)

MRVED Meetings
February 4, 2014  Phy Ed & Health Combined
February 5, 2014  MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
February 6, 2014  Social Studies
February 7, 2014  Title III Teachers
February 12, 2014  Principals' Council
February 20, 2014  Teachers' Advisory Council
February 26, 2014  Superintendents' Council

Tech Tip

Interactive Simulations for Math and Science

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.

Brandon's Brainwork - Motivation

Motivation
Motivation has been a topic of discussion lately.  How do we motivate kids to learn?  How do we motivate kids to do their work?  If there were a definite answer to these questions, we wouldn't have to ask these questions.

Dan Pink offers an interesting look into what motivates people with this TED Talk.  Intrinsic motivation versus extrinsic motivation...what's more powerful?

Students learn and are motivated in a variety of ways.  Differentiation and individualization are two ways in which a teacher can not only reach more students, but also motivate them.  Differentiation and individualization is easier said than done, but with practice becomes much easier.

Scholastic has a quick read on differentiation, I suggest you take a moment to glance over it.  When you have finished the article, take a moment and think about the reflection questions below.

Reflection Questions
Have you ever asked your students what motivates them?  Intrinsically?  Extrinsically?
Have you had your students complete a learning style inventory?
Have you tried a variety of differentiation strategies?
Have you thought about what motivates you as a learner?

MELT

Thank You
The MRVED staff would like to thank everyone for another great MELT conference!  This year was bigger and better than any year prior.  The MELT would not be possible without all the great presenters and facilitators.  Also, a hats off to everyone in the Lac qui Parle Valley school district for being such gracious hosts.  The custodial staff had the building in excellent shape for around 500 people, the kitchen staff did a marvelous job on the meal and served people quickly and effortlessly, the student council was of great help throughout the day, the teachers had their rooms ready for every session, and the administration did a great job with organization of the day.

Thank you to all the teachers that attended the conference this year.  Your dedication to becoming better educators does not go unnoticed.  We hope you got a variety of new ideas, strategies, and approaches for your classroom.  The MRVED staff is ever-impressed with the professionalism of our teachers.

On a personal note, Brandon would like to thank Mary Brown for all the hard work and extra hours she has put in over the past few months in getting everything organized, taking the numerous phone calls, and answering all the emails.  The MELT would never go as smoothly as it does without Mary's hard work and effort.

MELT Evaluation
Please take a couple minutes out of your busy day to tell us how your sessions went at the MELT.  We value and take into account all feedback.  The feedback is not only reviewed by the MRVED staff, but also our Teachers' Advisory Council, Principals' Council, Superintendents' Council, and Board.  We try hard to improve the experience every year.  Some of the changes you see (or don't see) are based upon the feedback given by teachers.  All feedback is anonymous and taken seriously.  Click on the link below to access the evaluation.

MELT Evaluation Link

MRVED Meetings:
February 4, 2014  Physical Education & Health (combined meeting)
February 5, 2014  MRVED Board (7:00 p.m.)
February 6, 2014  Social Studies
February 7, 2014  Title III Teachers
February 12, 2014  Principals' Council
February 20, 2014  Teachers' Advisory Council
February 26, 2014  Superintendents' Council

Brandon's Brainwork: Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking
It can be a challenge to get students to think critically about a certain topic, especially if they are not particularly interested in that topic.  How do we get students to think deeper?  Here are some quick question prompts that can get students to that level of deep thinking you are looking for.

• How do you know?
• Prove it.
• Explain/show your thinking.
• Why?
• Solve the problem a different way.
• Show me.
• Provide an example.
• Retell what your classmate just said, but in your own words.
• Put yourself in the author's/characters shoes.

Getting students to think critically is a challenge for all educators.  Simple word phrases or sentence starters can be a great tool to use in your classroom to get students to think critically.  Mariko Nobori wrote a great article on critical thinking for Edutopia.  She provides teachers with Ten Takeaway Tips for Teaching Critical Thinking.

Brandon's Brainwork Questions to Consider

1. Do you provide time for your students to think critically?

2. Do you ask open-ended questions and give everyone the opportunity to answer?

3. Do you have students write their answers?

4. Do you allow debate in your classroom?

5. Can students question you?

Tech Tip (Grant Opportunity)

Education Minnesota Technology Grant

Classroom Technology Grants enable Education Minnesota members who work directly with students. You may request up to $3,000 to buy mobile devices and supporting resources to use with students.

The deadline is 4 p.m. April 11. Grants are awarded after June 1, and funds must be spent by the end of June 2015.

The paperwork for the grant is not overwhelming and can give you the opportunity to bring some technology into your classroom.

Information can be found on the Education Minnesota website.