January ASCD Top 5 Collection OCM BOCES Instructional Support provides these selections from ASCD's collection for your use. View our complete ASCD collection.

Teaching Reading in the Content Areas Seeks to help educators understand how to teach reading in their respective disciplines, choose the best reading strategies from the vast array available, and positively influence student learning. Read more

Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind Provides the rationale behind engaging students, generate more ideas, and build the attitudes to succeed with students who live in poverty. Read more

Total Participation Techniques Techniques are examined in depth and presented in four parts: overview, implementation instructions, student participation, and classroom personalization, with real-world examples and toolkits for all levels of learning. Read more

Rethinking Homework Covers the debate over whether homework is an essential component of rigorous schooling or a harmful practice. Tells how to avoid the "homework trap" and how to work with parents about homework". Read more

Grading Smarter Not Harder: Assessment Strategies That Motivate Kids and Help Them Learn Reveals how many of the assessment policies that teachers adopt can actually prove detrimental to student motivation and achievement, and shows educators how they can tailor their policies to help students better understand the lessons that are being taught. Read more

January 22, 2016

engageNY has a new look and some new features.

Our local member of the Board of Regents who has also been the Vice-Chancellor has announced that he will not seek another term. Tony Bottar has served our educational community and the State of New York in this capacity for 20 years.

SUNY Cortland is hosting a screening of Most Likely to Succeed on February 24th. This feature-length film explains our current system of education and offers a different, project-based deeper learning alternative.

Several districts have had personnel changes during the middle of the year which has prompted the need for emergency Lead Evaluator Training.  To meet this need, we’ve scheduled a special two-day, intensive course for February 25th and 26th.  Here’s the registration link.

 edutopia.org

Is crying (by the students) in the classroom something that should be stifled? Maybe not, says this advice-filled column.

We’re getting closer to the adoption of new requirements for K-12 Counseling Plans. Board of Regents action is imminent. A special session has been planned to help districts get started with the implementation of the new planning model, based on the National Model form ASCA. Trained BOCES facilitators will work with designated leadership pairs from districts (one administrator and the district’s counselor leader) to launch and support the new process.

time.com

Having water available for students in the cafeteria can have a significant impact on obesity. That’s easy.

February 3rd is Global Play Day. How are you going to observe it?

How do we teach and model empathy? This article explains the concept and offers suggestions.

The Authentic Assessment Academy is an opportunity for teams of teachers to explore best practices in assessment design. Authentic and performance, and standards-based assessments will be emphasized. Another cohort begins soon.

Everything you need to know about diploma requirements is located at this page. Related to this, here’s the information about the expanded appeal range for SWDs. This memo describes all of the appeals process – at the moment. Whether the appeals range is expanded for all learners has not yet been decided.

A two-day Responsive Classroom advanced session about effective management is scheduled for February 25th and 26th.

Yet another report questions the use of value-added and growth measures. The measures are not very stable at all.

 Caleb Roenigk/CC

A high school ELA teacher offers her suggestions for creating a writing culture.

Two workshops are scheduled to help you wrestle with the impact of poverty (and what we can do in our classrooms):

• Background information based on work of Payne, Jensen, Budge and Parrott will be explored at the session: Students from Generational Poverty. This will extend educators’ understanding of the possible impacts poverty may have on educational attainment and assist educators to expand their understanding of challenges, strengths and implications. It is January 25th.
• Jensen's findings and suggestions will be incorporated with Hattie, McRel, Budge, and Parrott research to highlight specific moves and decisions teachers may make in their instructional design to support students from generational poverty. This session is February 10th.

 blogs.edweek.org

Instead of inflexible late work policies, procedures, and penalties, consider each situation carefully and remember the true goals.

Leadership Networks meet several times during the year in order to provide the latest information and build content-specific leadership expertise in our districts. Upcoming sessions include:

• Instructional Coaches Network: February 10th
• Literacy Leadership Network: February 24th

This short video reminds us that we teach kids, not math (or other subjects). In this example, a high school math teacher explains this paradigm shift.

Identify options for meeting the needs of the wide range of students in this useful course.  This will address gifted students, struggling learners, students with special needs, second language learners, resistant, and reluctant learners. Participants will also explore UDL and options for scaffolding within the CCLS.

The “Primary Writing Strategies that Work” seminar is filled with engaging writing lessons and activities that will help teachers strengthen primary students’ writing using the Common Core State Standards. SUNY Cortland is providing this at no charge on February 6th.

SUNY Cortland is also providing a workshop about Kagan Structures on March 31st (at a very nominal cost). The structures are simple instructional strategies for cooperative learning that are supported by a large body of scientific research.