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

The Principal 50: Critical Leadership Questions for Inspiring Schoolwide Excellence Guides school leaders through 50 self-reflection exercises designed to yield a deeper understanding of the meaning behind the work that they do. Read more

5 Myths About Classroom Technology: How Do We Integrate Digital Tools to Truly Enhance Learning? Explains how you can assess and answer your students' technology needs in terms of access, purpose, and audience. Read more

Differentiation in Middle and High School: Strategies to Engage All Learners Explores how to use differentiated instruction to help students be more successful learners--regardless of background, native language, learning style, motivation, or school savvy. Read more

How to Make Decisions with Different Kinds of Student Assessment Data Identifies the critical elements and nuances of assessment data and how that information can best be used to inform improvement efforts in the school or district. Read more

Real-World Projects: How Do I Design Relevant and Engaging Learning Experiences? Describes how to connect with real-world experts, allies, and audiences; and what practical, field-tested strategies are essential for planning, assessing, and using technology to support successful projects. Read more

June 10, 2016

The revised New York State Science Learning Standards have been posted by SED. These will be a discussion item at the Board of Regents meeting. Look for a fall action item.

Don’t let the end of the school year be determined by the calendar. Be deliberate about how it ends and how the close of the school year sets up summer and subsequent success and positivity about learning (and school). This column makes some suggestions, both specific and for the long-term.

With the critical shortage of teacher librarians, districts are considering supplementary certifications as a way to fill these critical positions. Two opportunities to attend an informational session with SU’s iSchool will occur on June 15th, at 9a or at 4p. Certified teachers who may be interested in exploring the opportunity to become a school librarian should attend.

Google worked to identify the qualities and components of the best working teams. A deep exploration of lots of quantitative data resulted in a qualitative conclusion: the best teams are ones in which people listen to each other in an open and supportive environment.

Hey! Your Professional eBook Library 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!

The data about the unemployment rate of college graduates is actually pretty low. This feature in The New York Times illustrates the misperception and offers an explanation.

Is your district looking for ways to ensure that general and special education systems are designed to ensure that the most inclusive practices are available for students with disabilities? Join the RSE TASC August 17th and 18th as they present, General Education and Special Education: Creating a Unified System through a Mindful Culture of Collaboration. This free conference is specially designed for teams of general and special education teachers and administrators to begin to look at the current systems that are in place within districts that provide services to students with disabilities and identify ways in which those systems can respond to the needs of students in a more unified way.

For a limited time, Chapter One from Learning to Choose Choosing to Learn is publicly available. It looks like the chapter explains how choice can help with differentiation and motivation. Both need help, so this chapter might be worth a read!

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.

Support for leadership sessions for Deeper Learning is scheduled for the summer:

• PBL 401 is scheduled for July 19th. As with any effort, having a vision and a plan increases the likelihood of a positive implementation. During this day, participants will solidify their understanding of deeper learning and consider implementation with a school-wide perspective.
• PBL 402 is on tap for July 20th. It picks up where 401 left off and focuses on building culture.

A summer PBL 101 session begins July 25th (no additional charge from component districts).  If that doesn’t fit with your schedule, PBL 101 is available at PBLNY (with conference registration).

Especially for math and science teachers, there is a one day, July 29th session on Problem Based Learning for Math and Science teachers.  This session can either be an introduction for math and science teachers or a refinement on how math teachers might implement deeper learning for their content areas.

Image: bie.org

When asked what mattered most in their education, students replied that presentation skills and collaboration skills topped the list.

The implementation of these principles, with fidelity, might be the path toward comprehensive high school reform. There are ten principles described here and in the report on which this article is written.

The Teacher Centers in our area are providing the poverty simulation free of charge for teacher leaders and administrators. There are two sessions to choose from on August 11th. The object of the experience is to sensitize participants to the realities faced by low-income people and motivate them to become involved in activities which help reduce the stresses of our students and ways to support the families.

Image: CC VFS Digital Design

Read three pieces of advice from a principal who worked in the Silicon Valley.

It all comes together in a good unit plan… a good, standards-based unit plan. This is the focus of Standards Based Planning for the 21st Century: Instruction for All course. A summer cohort has been scheduled.

Kentucky (and a few other states) are taking an interesting approach to college OR career ready.

Google Camp 2016 is coming up on August 11th and 12th!  CNYSLibs and SLS are excited to partner again this year for the event. It’s a chance to learn from others and to share your expertise.

The calls for the deliberate inclusion of computer science in public school programs continue.

This article in The Atlantic presents a calm, reasoned description to required state tests and test prep by teachers.

The Law, Youth and Citizenship Program of the New York State Bar Association is offering the opportunity to experience outstanding professional development with expert presenters. Learn strategies and obtain new resources (materials provided FREE) to develop your professional skills especially in the areas of “News Literacy” and “Civic Responsibility” to empower students as active, informed , engaged, and responsible participants in our democracy. This July training will empower classroom teachers to develop essential skills in their students featured in the C3 Framework for College, Career and Civic Life. 

Here’s more evidence that the use of entry exams to determine college remediation qualification are flawed. There might be an easier, more effective approach.

Are you training your students to be learning workers? Or, are you still preparing them to be knowledge workers (in a world where knowledge is ubiquitous)?

Each year there seems to be a graduation speech that goes viral. This year the speech to watch comes from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.