https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=2055
Hi Everyone,
I hope you all had a restful and rejuvenating spring break. I spent mine with sick children most of the break, but it was still nice to have some family time.
Seven items of note for this week:
• April 1st, 8:30-12:00, Caring for Kids Professional Development – A reminder that on Monday, April 1st, our PD/Planning day, will be a Caring for Kids (AKA Caring School Community) training led by Carla and myself. We’ll meet from 8:30-12:00 with a focus on efficiency and effectiveness of meeting times with your class. Classified staff are welcome to attend, but if you are not attending the training, be sure to connect with your primary cooperating teacher and make a plan for how you can best use this time.
The rest of the day will be lunch and planning time, but certified staff should remember this day is also a two-hour furlough, so be sure to leave a couple hours early this day.
• PBIS Focus: Encouragement – It’s a new month and the April PBIS focus is Encouragement. Remember the PBIS team created a handy PBIS/CFK cheat sheet that matches our monthly themes with corresponding Caring for Kids class meeting lessons.
• McTeacher’s Nite North Region Fundraiser – NERA (North Eugene Retirees Association) is holding their second annual McTeacher’s Nite on April 18, 5:00-8:00 PM at the River Avenue McDonald’s. They are looking for volunteers from each North region school to come and serve as greeters and general supporters. Let me know if you’d be able to volunteer and the approximate times you could be at McDonalds. I went to their last fundraiser at Carl’s Jr. and really just bought some food and greeted people with my 3 year old, Grace, for about half an hour.
• Pilot Evaluation Update to the Board – There will be a school board work session on April 17th where they will receive an update on the new teacher evaluation pilot. Principals have been asked to invite as many participating teachers as possible to share your thoughts on the new system. Let me know if you’re interested in attending. See Celia’s email for additional information.
• Helping students connect using Google Hangouts – Google Hangouts offers educators various opportunities to integrate the technology into classroom lessons, writes Andrew Marcinek, an instructional technology specialist in Boston. In this blog post, Marcinek writes about a recent project in which his students presented projects over Google Hangouts — allowing them to broadcast their work to a wider audience, encouraging more feedback.
• Tonight’s homework: Play Minecraft – A growing number of teachers are using the computer game Minecraft — a building game similar to Legos — to help teach students lessons in history and math. See this article for how a second grade glass used the game to teach cooperation and respect, and two sixth-grade social studies teachers are using it to have students develop a Roman city. Now, TeacherGaming is helping educators integrate Minecraft into their teaching — solving technical problems and helping teachers get set up with the program. Our very own David Greene has set up Minecraft for student use at Edgewood and could probably do the same for your class if anyone is interested.
• Schedule of Events for the Week – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for this week:
April 1 (M)
No Students – PD and Planning Day (and 2 hour furlough for teachers)
8:30-12:00, CFK Efficiency and Effectiveness of Class Meetings Training (Library)
1:30-2:00, Allan to Formal Observation Pre-ConferenceApril 2 (T)
Classes Resume
PBIS Focus – Encouragement
2:30-3:30, PBIS Meeting (Library)April 3 (W)
10:00-11:30, Allan to Synergy Beta Testing Training (Ed Center)April 4 (H)
9:00-11:00, Allan to Superintendent’s Cabinet Meeting (Ed Center)
2:30-3:30, TLT Staff TrainingApril 5 (F)
10:20-11:00, Allan to formal Teacher Observation
2:30-3:30, Allan to Formal Observation Post-Conference
See you all on Monday!
Allan