FYI

Soon ilearnOhio will be available for districts and schools to adopt. When it is rolled out, look for ilearnOhio to provide training and support through:

• Face-to-face train-the-trainer models
• Web-based tutorials
• ilearnOhio administrator training
• Online and phone support for users
• Online help materials and webinars

For more information, go to the ilearnOhio page.

Common Core Conversation is a popular website created by teachers across the nation. It provides teachers with carefully chosen online resources aligned to the Common Core. ORC is proud that Stella’s Stunners has been selected as one of the resources. Set 12 of Stella’s Stunners is the most recent set of the Stella problems. Some classic, some new, all different, and all with solutions provided,  the Stella problems can spice up mathematics classes or can as easily provide the substance for problem-solving contests or math club programs.

In “How Can Schools and Teachers Target the Prevention of the ‘Summer Slide’?” ELA specialist Anita Gonzalez stresses the importance of knowing the stats, knowing the policies, knowing your community, and knowing your students and their families.

Policy into Practice is a series of briefs created to support the efforts of districts to achieve the Ohio Third Grade Reading Guarantee. See all the issues at the 3GRG Policy into Practice Briefs page.

As you plan next academic year’s course schedules for your AP-level students, don’t forget about the Digital AP Tuition Waiver program. ilearnOhio is offering one-time funds for Ohio high school students who want to enroll in an online Advanced Placement course at little to no cost to the student or school. Don’t hesitate to sign up for the waiver now for a fall start date.

Eligibility Criteria for the Digital AP Tuition Waiver

• The student must attend a public or private Ohio high school or be homeschooled with an Ohio school of residence.
• The student is capable of completing an online AP course.
• A school official must complete the application for the student through ilearnOhio.
• The district or school (or school of residence for homeschooled students) enrolling the student must agree to accept the grade and credit earned for the course.

Please note that students are only granted one waiver per lifetime.

ilearnOhio encourages schools to be strategic about how they apply this program to their students. Feel free to contact ilearnOhio to learn ways other schools have apply this program to achieve greater student success.

Also, ask about AP courses that are available for summer term for those students who want to continue their education during the academic break.

For more information about the Digital AP Tuition Waiver, go to the Digital AP Tuition Waiver page. And if you have a question about the Digital AP Tuition Waiver, please e-mail ilearnOhio. And while you’re at it, ask about how this program may apply to PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment Options) online college core courses too!

Frank and Bill’s excellent adventure: Attend a workshop on media literacy and the new literacies

OELMA is bringing noted media literacy educator Frank Baker and Kent State professor Bill Kist to Columbus for a daylong workshop on media literacy and the new literacies. The meeting will be held on June 19 at the State Library of Ohio from 9:30 to 4:30. You will leave the day with tons of ideas that can be implemented immediately, especially in light of the Common Core. To learn more about the workshop and to register, go to OELMA’s 2013 Workshop page.

Strategies for Teaching Integrated Language Arts Standards

June 17–28 (a 2-week course), Monday-Friday, Wright State University

Bring back the joy in teaching. Innovative teaching strategies will stimulate the type of improvements that you want to see in your students’ writing. You will learn how to meet the Common Core standards and prepare for achievement tests without making yourself and the students miserable. This class is not a series of lectures but a hands-on experience that will involve you in exciting instructional methods through demonstration lessons. For more information, see the Summer Course for Teachers flyer or contact Nancy Mack at nancy.mack@wright.edu. 

Kylene Beers and Bob Probst will present a one-day workshop on close reading and the Common Core

On June 17 at the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, in Columbus, Kylene Beers and Robert Probst will present a one day workshop, “Close Reading and the Common Core: Strategic Instruction to Support Complex Texts and Deep Understanding.” Beers and Probst will introduce a new suite of practical tools and lessons from their latest book Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading. These strategies will help create attentive readers who look closely at a text, interpret it responsibly, and reflect on what it means in their lives. It should help them become the responsive, rigorous, independent readers we want and need our students to be. The fee includes a free copy of Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading.

For member districts, the cost is $159. For nonmember districts, the cost is $189. To register, go to ESC of Central Ohio. 

Columbus-Area Writing Project Summer Institute

The Columbus-Area Writing Project (CAWP) Summer Institute will be held June 17–28 at OSU. There is also a three-day, two-night retreat June 12-14. The institute is designed for teachers from all disciplines and all level of instruction, including kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, community college, and university. Participating teachers will have opportunities to learn from each other, to study writing theory and research, to write their own compositions and participate in writing workshops, and to develop leadership and professional development skills in the teaching of writing.

If you are accepted for the CAWP Summer Institute, you can receive from 2 to 4 graduate semester credit hours from OSU (this is equivalent to 3 to 6 graduate quarter credit hours). For more information, see the CAWP website, or call 614-738-1541.

2013 Summer Mathematics Workshops for Teachers at Bluffton University

Duane Bollenbacher’s 25th Annual Summer Workshops offer the following summer courses:

Tues-Thurs, June 11-13: HQT Certification for Intervention Specialist in Mathematics Content

Tues-Thurs, June 18-20: Using Unique Non-Routine Problems and Activities to Learn and to ENHANCE Good High School MATHEMATICS

Tues-Thurs, June 18-20: PROBLEM SOLVING in the Middle School, Course II (Rich Problems for Middle School Mathematics)

Tues-Thurs, June 25-27: Become a MASTER Teacher of Grades 3-5 Mathematics

Tues-Thurs, June 25-27: K-2 Activities and Problem-Solving As We Unpack the New Standards

Tues-Thurs, August 6-8: Using Statistics of Sports to Integrate Good and Innovative Mathematics into Your Classroom

Courses are held from 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. daily, and lunches are included. For more information, see the course flyer or contact Duane Bollenbacher at bollenbacherd@bluffton.edu.  

Free Geospatial Technology Institute for Teachers In Grades 5–12

Attend a free geospatial technology institute for teachers in grades 5–12. The institute will be held at the University of Toledo, July 15–19. Limit of 25 participants—the institute takes the first 25 qualified teachers, and spaces are filling up fast, so you may want to apply soon. Participants will receive instruction in remote sensing, GPS, and GIS. In addition to lesson plans, each participant will receive $400 worth of free equipment to use with their students. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in field-based research in their own school yards. To register and for further information, contact mikell.hedley@utoledo.edu. 

Making Connections Retreat: STEM^A—STEM to the Art Power

The Making Connections Retreat is an intensive two-day professional development retreat and creative experience for inspired teachers wishing to hone their skills in quality integration design and instruction.  The retreat will take place on July 8 and 9 at the Granville Studio of Visual Arts design lab and Skipping Rock Farm in Granville, Ohio. For more information, see the Professional Development Retreat brochure and the Journey 360 website.

Workshop—Helping Students Connect the Dots: Argumentation for Understanding Photosynthesis and Respiration in Middle and High School Biology

This workshop is for grades 7–12 biology teachers with AYA licensure or an undergraduate degree in biology. A strong understanding of basic biological concepts is a prerequisite for this workshop. Twenty seats are available.

In this four-day workshop, participants will learn how argumentation can be an effective tool for learning. Participants will engage in challenging classroom activities, experience argumentation as a learner, examine instructional strategies that support argumentation in the classroom, and explore the current research that supports using argumentation to promote learning.

The workshop will be held July 29-August 1 from 9 to 5 at the Ohio Resource Center, 1929 Kenny Rd., Columbus. This workshop is available at no cost. In addition, participants in will receive a $300 stipend. To learn more about the workshop, see the flyer and the application form.

Chemistry Teacher Workshop

Ohio Northern University’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is hosting a rewarding five-day workshop, June 17–21, 2013, specifically designed to provide high school chemistry teachers with a unique professional development opportunity.

The 30-hour workshop features lecture, laboratory and networking time:

• Use a Vernier spectrophotometer and Vernier probes

• Conduct associated laboratory exercises

• Modify and troubleshoot existing protocols

• Participate in discussion sessions

• Receive a Vernier instrument for use in your home educational institution

• Join specialized breakout seminar/laboratory periods

To learn more and complete an application, visit http://www.onu.edu/ctw.  A continuing education certificate will be available upon workshop completion.

4th Annual North American GeoGebra Conference

The 4th Annual North American GeoGebra Conference will be held August 3 and 4 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. This free conference features over 50 content-based sessions, a 2-day introductory workshop, and a Digital Ethics Conference-in-a-Conference on August 4.

Markus Howenwarter and John Golden will be keynoting the GeoGebra Conference. Richard Stallman will be keynote for the Digital Ethics CiC. For more information, see https://sites.google.com/site/ggbmidwest2013/. 

Online course: Social Studies with Reading, Writing, and Research at the Core

The Ohio Council for the Social Studies (OCSS) is pleased to partner with Ashland University on a new professional development course which will provide middle school and high school teachers the tools and strategies they need to  challenge students to read, write, and think like historians, geographers, economists, and political scientists. This is an open onlilne course provided by the OCSS.

The course will begin on June 10 and will end on July 1. It will be divided into nine course modules and culminate with a final reflection paper. Please contact Paula Aveni at Ashland University at paveni@ashland.edu for more information.

Project approach workshop for early childhood and early elementary grades

Teachers, teacher trainers, and coaches who have had training in the project approach and work with toddlers through children in grade 2 might be interested in advanced training sessions offered by well-known educator Judy Helm and Pam Scranton, Director of Discovery Preschool and the teacher featured in the Investigating the Fire Truck video). The two-day training, Deepening Project Work, will be followed by an optional third day, Documentation Clinic. The training sessions will be held on June 12–14, 2013, at Discovery Preschool in Peoria, Illinois. The sessions are based on Helm’s upcoming book, Building Mind/Brain Capacity Through Deep Project Work. For more information, go to the bestpractices.net website.  

C-SPAN Teacher Fellowship and Educators' Conference offers opportunities

C-SPAN will host 30 teachers from across the country at each of its two Summer Educators' Conferences. During this 1 1/2 day conference, participants learn about C-SPAN and its online resources (including new programming and initiatives), as well as how to better integrate these materials into the classroom. Airfare to and from Washington, two nights’ hotel stay, and meals during the conference are all provided by C-SPAN. The conferences will be held:

• Monday, July 8–Tuesday, July 9
• Thursday, July 11–Friday, July 12

Applications for these conferences will be available in the new year. For additional information on both the Fellowship and Educators’ Conference, please visit the Teacher Opportunities page on the C-SPAN Classroom website.

Three-day workshop in July at the National Archives Building and Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.

A three-day workshop “Teaching with Documents and Works of Art: An Integrated Approach,” from July 22, 2013 to July 24, 2013, will provide a varied program of lectures, demonstrations, collaborative work, and analysis of documents and works of art in order to introduce teachers to the holdings, resources, and programs of the National Archives and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Visit http://members.socialstudies.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/events/69.html?Action=Conference_Detail&ConfID_W=69 for additional details.

Socratic seminar workshop in August at the American Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C.

 The Socratic seminar workshop “Conducting Socratic Seminars: Focus on Primary Source Documents from U.S. History,” August 5, 2013—August 7, 2013, is taught by nationally recognized Socratic seminar trainer John Zola. Participants in the program will develop skills as Socratic seminar discussion leaders. Unique to this program is a focus on using primary sources from U.S. history, drawn from the Constitutional Sources Project (www.ConSource.org) and www.WhatSoProudlyWeHail.org. The advanced registration deadline is July 15, 2013. Visit http://members.socialstudies.org/Scripts/4Disapi.dll/4DCGI/events/65.html?Action=Conference_Detail&ConfID_W=65 for additional details.

The Best Buy Children's Foundation is accepting applications from local and regional nonprofit organizations working to provide teens with places and opportunities to develop twenty-first-century technology skills with the potential to inspire their future education and career choices.

Community grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded for program activities such as computer programming, digital imaging (photography, graphic design, videography), music production, robotics, and gaming and mobile app development. Grants are intended to support local efforts and are reviewed for consideration by Best Buy teams across the United States. The average grant amount is $5,000.

To be eligible, organizations must be tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, organizations must provide direct services that build technology skills in teens between the ages of 13 and 18, and be located within 50 miles of a Best Buy store, Best Buy Mobile location, Best Buy Distribution Center, Best Buy Service Center, or Best Buy corporate campus. 

Nonprofits must submit their complete proposals online between June 1 and July 1, 2013. For more information, see Best Buy Children's Foundation Guidelines or the PND request for proposals.

Check out the latest issue of In Perspective, ORC’s online adolescent literacy journal. The theme of the issue is writing argument. Read perspectives by our feature authors George Newell, Jennifer VanDerHeide, Allison Wynhoff Olsen, and the Argumentative Writing Project team and by our vignette writers Kasey Dunlap, Julie Horger, and Laura Adkins. Also see informative book reviews by ORC’s Carol Brown Dodson. And let us know what you think by commenting on the Language Arts blog. 

All workshops and events below take place at COSI, 333 West Broad Street, Columbus.

Bridging the Gap to the Ohio Core for Science: Physical Science

Two-day teacher workshop for grades 4–8, June 6–7, 2013, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Examine the "new" science content coming in the Ohio Science Core, Physical Science Strand grades 4–8 and discover ways to integrate engaging activities and inquiry experiences with these new standards. Register online at http://cosi_pd.eventbrite.com.

Integrating Science & Language Arts

Two-day teacher workshop for grades 4–8, June 25–26, 2013, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Embed reading and writing in your science lessons with children's literature that reinforces science concepts. Review science-related children's literature and media while participating in inquiry-based, hands-on activities that can be replicated in your classroom. Register online at http://cosi_pd.eventbrite.com.

Inquiry into Science, Literature and Math

Weeklong teacher workshop for grades K–8, July 8–12, 2013, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Embed reading, writing, and math within your science lessons with children's literature that reinforces science concepts. You will review a number of science-related children's literature selections and media while participating in inquiry-based, hands-on activities that can be easily replicated in your classroom. Register by calling Ohio Dominican University at 614.251.4651.

Bridging the Gap to the Ohio Core: Earth & Space Science

Two-day teacher workshop for grades 4-8, July 18-19, 2013, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

or August 8–9, 2013, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Examine the "new" science content coming in the Ohio Science Core, Earth and Space Science Strand grades 4–8 and discover ways to integrate engaging activities and inquiry experiences with these "new" standards. Register online at http://cosi_pd.eventbrite.com. 

Bridging the Gap to the Ohio Core for Science

Weeklong workshop for grades 4–8, July 29–August  2, 2013, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Examine the "new" science content coming in the Ohio Science Core, grades 4–8, and discover ways to integrate engaging activities and inquiry experiences with these "new" standards. Register by calling Ohio Dominican University at 614.251.4651.

Infusing Equity with the SciGirls Seven

One-hour teacher workshop for grades 3–8, August 6, 2013, 11 a.m.–noon or 1 p.m.–2 p.m.

The Emmy Award-winning PBS Kids television series, SciGirls, features groups of middle school girls modeling authentic approaches to inquiry-based science and engineering projects. The television series, website, and outreach initiatives emphasize current research on strategies, the SciGirls Seven, proven to increase girls’ engagement in STEM. Includes box lunch and beverage. Register online at http://teacherresourcefair.eventbrite.com. 

COSI Teacher Resource Fair—Free!

Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., all grades

Visit COSI's permanent exhibitions and meet representatives from Ohio organizations that support teachers. Includes free general admission for teachers plus a free movie on COSI’s Extreme Screen, plus door prizes and lots more! Register online at http://teacherresourcefair.eventbrite.com. 

Science & Engineering SciGirls Style

Three-hour teacher workshop for grades 6–8, August 7, 2013, 9 a.m.–noon or 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

Join the Emmy Award–winning PBS series SciGirls in a hands-on, minds-on introduction to the science inquiry and engineering design processes. Learn all about free STEM resources for girls offered through SciGirls, a PBS Kids television series with the goal of changing how millions of girls think about STEM. Register online: http://scigirls.eventbrite.com. 

Catch up on what’s interesting this week in the world of ELA in the latest postings in the Language Arts Blog. And chime in with your thoughts and opinions.

APPLE: Ohio is a statewide, federally funded partnership among The Ohio State University, the Ohio Department of Education, and Early Childhood Quality Network. It is evaluating the extent to which professional development impacts teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices as well as children’s gains in the classroom.

Participation is open to any early childhood teacher in the state of Ohio teaching preschoolers heading into kindergarten for the 2013–2014 school year. This includes teacher’s aides, assistant teachers, itinerant teachers, and home-based teachers. To learn more, visit the APPLE: Ohio website.

See the new ORC/ilearnOhio Social Studies Bookshelf. The books on the bookshelf are those selected as notable children’s trade books by the National Council for the Social Studies. You'll find a summary of each book, relevant Ohio and Common Core standards, and suggestions for using the book in the classroom. Read more about the bookshelf at the Let’s Talk Social Studies blog.

The Global Ed Network of Central Ohio will be hosting the Global Education Showcase on June 19 at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts in New Albany. The keynote speaker is Dr. Yong Zhao, Associate Dean for Global Education at the University of Oregon. The Global Ed Network of Central Ohio is a coalition of forward-thinking school districts focused on increasing the number of globally competent graduates. The network is administered and led by the Columbus Council on World Affairs in partnership with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio. For more information about the conference, see the Global Ed Network.

Submit proposals for Crayola 2013 elementary school Creative Leadership Grants

Crayola, in collaboration with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, is accepting applications for the 2013 Creative Leadership Grant program. The program will award up to 20 grants of $2,500 to elementary schools working to develop a team of leaders who can help increase arts-infused education within school and beyond. In addition, each program will receive an in-kind grant of Crayola products valued at $1,000. Applications will only be accepted from principals who are members of NAESP.

Every school that submits an application by June 10 will receive a Crayola product Classpack. The deadline is June 21, 2013. For more information, see the Crayola Grant Program.  

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Youth Literacy Grants

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation provides grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations in the 40 states where Dollar General stores are located. The foundation's Youth Literacy Grants provide funding to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations working to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Applicants must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, a K–12 private or public school, a college or university, or a public library.The maximum grant amount is $4,000. The deadline is May 23, 2013. For more information, go to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation website. 

To support the transition to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in 2013–2014, ORC has created a Common Core Toolkit for Mathematics Educators. The toolkit offers a wealth of materials designed to assist with the interpretation and implementation of the Common Core, all of which are free of charge. You can find the toolkit at http://ohiorc.org/for/math/commoncore.

The latest REC Early Childhood Building Blocks article is “Connecting Beginning Skills of Early Language and Literacy Development to Standards-Based Teaching Practices for All Young Children” by Tricia May Woods. You can access it at http://rec.ohiorc.org/orc_documents/orc/recv2/briefs/pdf/0022.pdf. REC's Early Childhood Building Blocks present best practices in early childhood education. A complete list is provided on http://rec.ohiorc.org/ResearchReference/Briefs.aspx.   

The NSTA and the Children's Book Council have released the 2013 List of Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12 (the books were published in 2012).  You can find the list at http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/ostb2013.aspx.

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Choose to Read Ohio offers a list of recommended books by Ohio authors. The list contains books for children, tweens, teens, and adults. You can read about Choose to Read Ohio at http://www.webjunction.org/partners/ohio/oh-programs/ctrointro.html or go straight to the 2013–2014 list at http://www.webjunction.org/content/webjunction/documents/oh/OHdocument/2013-2014Booklist.html.