March eBook Top 5 Collection OCM BOCES Instructional Support would highlight these selections from our eBook Professional Library. View Professional eBook Library.

Pyramid of Behavior Interventions: Seven Keys to a Positive Learning Environment Transform the research on behavior, response to intervention, and professional learning communities into practical strategies. Read more

Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division Explores many aspects of human behavior, social conditions, and history to reveal best practices for building healthy school cultures. Read more

Learning by Doing : A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work An action guide for closing the knowing-doing gap and transforming schools into PLCs. Read more

21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Students Learn Ways to re-envision learning and prepare students for a rapidly evolving global and technological world. Read more

Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact Shows systematically how the principal's role should change, demonstrating how it can be done in short order, at scale. Read more

March 25, 2016

The new chancellor of the Board of Regents is Betty Rosa. A former superintendent in New York City, she’s been a Regent since 2008.

Hey! Your professional book collection now includes Solution Tree and Corwin titles in addition to all of the ASCD titles that you’ve had access to via the OCM BOCES Instructional Support e-library. Enjoy free access to books about RTI, literacy, PLC, social studies, technology, STEM, assessment, PBL, leadership, classroom management, motivation, and much more!

Another name for the implementation dip is the “J curve.” Understanding this is important when starting an initiative or change. Understanding it can also help you avoid the “Valley of Death.”

PBL 101
5/11, 5/12, 5/18, 5/19	Main Campus Canandaigua Room

PBL-101 is the foundational four-day workshop inspired by the work of the Buck Institute for Education, New Tech Network, Edutopia, and Expeditionary Learning. It provides attendees with the skills and knowledge needed to design, assess, and manage a rigorous, relevant, and standards-based project. The cohort that begins May 11th is not yet full!

PBL done well has the power to be transformative. Like anything, though, doing PBL poorly or haphazardly won’t change a thing.

A Problem-Based Learning (PrBL) is scheduled for May 2nd. At the training, participants will analyze different ways to link your curriculum and technology with a PrBL approach to create a rigorous and engaging learning environment for your students. Participants will also utilize workshop time to start planning their first PrBL experience for their students. This session is for middle school and high school math and science educators and administrators who want to learn more about Problem-Based Learning.

The Buck Institute for Education is teaming up with OCM BOCES to offer a four-day conference on the research-driven success of Project-Based Learning. The one-of-a-kind event embraces the Maker Movement and offers a long list of inspiring speakers and workshops aimed at bolstering your understanding and success with student-centered, inquiry-based learning. Don’t miss out on this chance to connect with fellow educators, renowned experts, and PBL trailblazers for an event guaranteed to spark creativity, collaboration, and innovation in the classroom.

This short video explains Project-Based Learning and helps teachers know if they are doing it effectively.

If you want to get started with John Hattie’s research about effect size and educational practices, this column provides a good introduction.

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:

• Social Studies Network : March 24th
• Instructional Coaches Network: March 28th
• Project Based Regional Network: March 31st

This short article describes chronic absenteeism and its effects. It frames the issue.

This slide deck provides an update on Arts, Science, and Social Studies Standards.

Registration is now open for the next round of summer social studies, July 18th – 21st, facilitated curriculum work. Examples that integrate ELA and social studies will be used, especially at the elementary level. There are two threads:  grades 9-12 and grades K-4.

Formative assessment is the only assessment that leads to learning. This is a nice collection of resources.

Tim Shanahan offers six pieces of advice for teaching with complex text.

AP collaboration sessions are being formed. If you are an AP teacher, perhaps one of these sessions is a match for you:

• Science and Math teachers (begins Aprils 12th)
• ELA and social studies teachers (begins April 13th)
• Art, psychology, and world languages (begins April 14th)

Recordings of Rick Wormeli addressing Standards-Based Grading and Reporting are available to watch.  He makes some good points from the beginning.

A special STEM experience for girls in grades 6 – 9 is being planned for April 9th at TC3. There’s a companion session for parents and families, too.

SUNY ESF is inviting educators from the region to join them in a special Earth Day event: Finding Environmental Justice in a Complex World. The event is April 22nd, at 7p.  Admission is free. Register Here!