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.
Science Standard Implementation Conversation with MDE
John Olson, from the Minnesota Department of Education will be providing outreach to our MRVED school districts on Monday, January 18th, starting at 1:00 PM. John will be going over a timeline for implementation of the new science standards and answer any and all questions you may have about implementation of the science standards.
If you would like to join the conversation, and your administrator has not already set something up or shared the link with you, please let Brandon (braymo@mrved.net) know.
Articles
COVID Teaching - What is here to stay?
This pandemic has changed the way in which we "do" education. It often has me thinking; "What is here to stay? What are we going to dump when we are back fully in-person?" This article from Edutopia provides some great talking points.
The events of last week at the Capitol can be tough to talk about with kids. Events like the attack on the Capitol are politically charged, emotional events. How much do we share with kids? How do we talk to them about the event without letting your political emotions show? This CNN article offers some great advice.
I came across this great TED talk from Caige Jambor on how social emotional learning benefits everyone. Take 10 minutes and watch today!
Technology
Tech Tip - Jamboard
Jamboard has been featured before, but it is worth repeating. Jamboard is an AWESOME whiteboard app from Google. You can set up multiple whiteboard for your classes to accomplish group work or do multi-step activities. Jamboard works great if you have kids in class or at home. If you haven't used Jamboard yet, check it out today!
December 10, 2020 - Teachers' Advisory Council Meeting
December 11, 2020 - Principals' Council Meeting
December 16, 2020 - Superintendents' Council Meeting
MRVCTEC
The Minnesota River Valley Career and Technical Education Collaborative (MRVCTEC) is a group of five school districts—Lakeview, MACCRAY, Montevideo, Renville County West and Yellow Medicine East.
These schools work cooperatively with their partners—Minnesota West Community and Technical College, the SWWC Service Co-op, the Minnesota River Valley Educational District, the Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council, and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
This collaborative provides opportunities for students to gain skills, knowledge, and experience in technical careers. Career and technical education provides students of all ages with the academic and technical skills, knowledge, and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners.
Explore various career and technical education career paths found right here in the Minnesota River Valley by going to the MRVCTEC Website.
Music Teacher Writes COVID Song
Sometimes we just need to laugh. Check out how this music teacher uses music to get through the pandemic.
When was the last time you laughed as hard as the news anchor? Even in dark times, laughter is great medicine!
State News
Social Studies Standards 1st Draft
The 1st draft of the new Minnesota Social Studies standards have been released. If you have a few minutes, please look over the document and provide feedback to the standards committee. The committee will take that feedback, make revisions and release a 2nd draft in February.
You can also attend one of the virtual town halls to learn about the process of creating the standards as well as provide input.
Resources
Outdoor Classroom
If the weather cooperates, what better way to social distance than getting your classroom outdoors. Teach Outdoors Minnesota has a ton of resources to help get your classroom outside. The lessons range from Pre-K to High School. Some lessons are quick and easy, while others may take a couple class periods. Either way, the activities will get you up and outside and learning in an experiential way.
Virtual Christmas Classroom Ideas
If you have students that are working at a distance or maybe you find your whole class in virtual learning prior to the winter break. Here are a couple lists of fun virtual activities you can do with your class to celebrate the break.
November 13, 2020 - Virtual Title III Paraprofessionals
November 18, 2020 - Virtual Principals/Teachers' Advisory Council
*Please note the 3:15 p.m. start time!
November 20, 2020 - Virtual Title III Teachers
November 25, 2020 - Virtual Superintendents' Council
MELT 2021 Cancelled
The 2021 MELT Conference, originally scheduled for January 18, 2021 has been cancelled. This past summer it was determined that the conference would be virtual. The heart of the MELT has always been our local teachers willing to present and share the great things happening in their classrooms. Due to the current COVID situation in our schools, with districts changing learning models, this has put added stress on our teachers. The MRVED Superintendents and Principals both thought it would be in the best interest of the MRVED teachers if we cancelled the 2021 MELT. Presenting at the conference is stressful for many people, and there is no reason to add to the stresses of everyday life. The MRVED believes professional development is very important, but the health and well-being of our schools is of greater importance. The MRVED assures everyone that MELT 2022 will be better than ever!
Other News
Sourcewell's Impact Education Conference
If you are in need of clock hours, the Impact Education Conference (previously known as the TIES Conference) will be held January 11-13 virtually. There will be 2 days of live keynotes followed by 60+ breakout sessions. The cost of the conference is only $75 if you register prior to December 4th. This is a great deal for some high quality professional development. The focus of the conference this year is learning from the challenges of 2020 and how the pandemic as accelerated new ideas, enabled creativity, and drove innovative thinking. Click below to find the registration and to learn more.
Today, November 11, 2020 is Veterans Day. Veterans Day is a day for honoring all those that are currently serving, or have served in the armed forces. It is a great time to bring awareness to our students about the sacrifices the men and women of the armed forces make. It is also a great time to learn a little about WWI and why we celebrate Veterans Day on the 11th day of the 11th month every year. Below are a few activities you can do you with your students to learn about Veterans Day.
Google Applied Digital Skills tagline on their website is, "Teach and learn practical digital skills needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow with our free video lessons". There are awesome projects to do, while learning technical skills. If you are looking for projects to do while in distance or hybrid learning, Google Applied Digital Skills might spur a great idea for you. Watch the video below for a brief overview.
Tech Tip: Whiteboard.fi
Have you ever wanted to use a digital whiteboard in your class, but did know what to use? If so, checkout Whiteboard.fi. This site is so easy to use, no sign-up necessary. You can create a room and your students can be in it in a matter of minutes. As a teacher, you can see all their boards. This would be great for a hybrid classroom where some kids are at home and some are in the classroom. It doesn't matter where they are, all they need is a device.
We hope you had a great experience last week and Carla was able to provide you with some strategies to use with your students. If you have not evaluated the day yet, please take a few moments to provide your feedback (see link below). The MRVED uses that feedback to make adjustments to the days to better serve our schools. All feedback is read by the MRVED staff, our Teacher Advisory Committee, and reviewed by principals and superintendents.
MELT Presenter Information & Networking Facilitators
This will be the last call to find presenters and networking facilitators for the 2020 MELT.
The MRVED MELT will look a little different this year being virtual, but we are still looking for passionate people to present. The details of the conference are still being worked out, but we do know we will be in need of people to present on topics of interest. Sessions will be 45 minutes in length this year and there is an option to pre record your presentation. If you are interested, please fill out the form linked below. Deadline to submit a proposal is October 30, 2020.
Networking at the Virtual MELT will look a little different than in the past. Networking groups will take place after lunch. Participants will have the option to participate in networking groups, watch more pre recorded sessions, or participate in district activities. A Networking group will not be held without a facilitator. Deadline to sign up is November 13, 2020.
The Minnesota Science Standards were created a couple years ago. The first MCA testing on the 2019 MN Science Standards will be in 2024. With that in mind, districts have asked how to implement the new standards. MDE has developed a transition document to help schools transition to the new standards.
Ditch That Textbook - 30 FREE PowerPoint Templates
A couple years ago we featured the book Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller. If you have not read this book yet, I highly suggest it! The topics in the book are very pertinent to a Hybrid or Distance Learning model. With these templates, kids can create fun Snapchat filters, or Instagram pages.
Common Curriculum is a lesson planning website that is easy for the teacher to use and even easier for the end-user. It allows teachers to create an easy to read lesson plan for the day/subject. The teacher can then post on the website or within their LMS (Google Classroom, Schoology, Moodle, etc...). It is so easy to use and the free version offers plenty of features.
Carla Tantillo Philibert will be our featured speaker on October 14, 2020. Carla will be speaking on the topic of SEL and be providing strategies to use in the classroom. She spoke to our paraprofessionals in August and received excellent reviews. You will find her personality contagious. Carla will speak to the whole MRVED in the morning for 90 minutes and then she has offered to provide small group time with each of our districts.
Due to districts needing time to stop and reflect on COVID plans, districts will be able to plan the rest of the day to meet their needs. There is no need to register for this day.
MRVED MELT Presenters & Networking Facilitators
The MRVED MELT will look a little different this year being virtual, but we are still looking for passionate people to present. The details of the conference are still being worked out, but we do know we will be in need of people to present on topics of interest. Sessions will be 45 minutes in length this year and there is an option to pre record your presentation. If you are interested, please fill out the form linked below. Deadline to submit a proposal is October 30, 2020.
Networking at the Virtual MELT will look a little different than in the past. Networking groups will take place after lunch. Participants will have the option to participate in networking groups, watch more pre recorded sessions, or participate in district activities. A Networking group will not be held without a facilitator. Deadline to sign up is November 13, 2020.
Brandon is serving on the Minnesota Department of Education Social Studies Review committee. The group met for the 1st time on September 16th to get the work started. Much of the morning was spent on team building & understanding the process of standards review. The whole afternoon was spent on looking at gaps in the current standards as opposed to other states. It appears the C3 Framework will guide the groups work in creating a standard document that helps students become College, Career, and Civic ready. The first draft will be available in November.
All meetings are public meetings and broadcast live on the MDE Academic Standards YouTube page. The meetings are also archived, so if you wish to watch previous meetings, you may do that as well.
Election Resources
With the presidential election a little over a month away, it would be a great time to start talking about it with students. Even though this is one of the most heated elections in modern history, doesn't mean we should shy away from the topic with our students. Here are a couple great resources to help teach kids about the election in a non biased way:
