Weekly Dispatch

October eBook Top 5 Collection OCM BOCES Instructional Support would highlight these selections from our eBook Professional Library. View Professional eBook Library.
Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind The purpose of this book is to provide the rationale behind engaging students, generate more ideas, and build the attitudes to succeed with students who live in poverty. This book is a "no excuses" resource that will get teachers on the path toward making good things happen every single day. Read more
STEM Leadership This text shows K-12 school leaders how to support STEM programs that excite students and teachers--even if the leader is not an expert in science, technology, engineering, or math. Read more
Teaching in Tandem This book focuses on creating a successful partnership while co-teaching within a classroom, and examines topics such as organization, engaging students with multiple perspectives, and responding to parental concerns. Provides guidance based on answering questions posed by real co-teachers, and is suitable for principles, teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators. Read more
What Works in K-12 Online Learning Provides an overview of effective online teaching and learning practices. Read more
Managing Diverse Classrooms Discusses some of the most powerful cultural differences that can lead to classroom conflict for many students and how educators can capitalize on these differences to make their classroom a harmonious, productive environment. Read more

Hello! Please allow me to introduce myself as Jen Spong, Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Support Services. I am excited to join the OCM BOCES team and contribute to finding innovative ways to support the needs of our component districts. I look forward to meeting you!

October 14, 2016

Take a look at how this school in London is putting the focus on speaking and communication skills.

This school in WNY is tackling the tough task of using the election as a teachable moment.

From CI&A

Literacy Leadership
October 25
Planning for literacy with the intent to improve all students' literacy skills involves collaborative leadership and research-based literacy practices. Literacy Leadership offers administrators and teacher leaders the tools they can use to plan for a culture of literacy.
Register here

PBL 201 Mastering the Project Calendar: Manage Activities
October 26
You requested further time to go deeper into PBL!. Here is the first of a series of PBL 200 professional development opportunities!
PBL practitioners will learn how to develop a well-balanced project calendar to tame the messy middle of a project. During this interactive workshop, participants will develop a project calendar that reflects a balanced approach to student learning. The afternoon time will be collaborative work time for participants to use to update projects and calendars with a PBL coach in the room for support.
Register here

From Literacy Interventions

Teaching Them All to Read - Foundations of Literacy
Ever feel like you're not reaching ALL your students' needs or doing ALL that you can in your classroom? Do you have a desire to learn more in order to better provide foundational literacy pieces and how to put them in place to meet the needs of your students? If you answered yes then, join our course: "Teaching Them All to Read/Foundations of Literacy."

These sessions will empower teachers by examining the five essential components of literacy. Our learning sessions will include the what, how and why of the reading foundational skills. Emphasis will be on instruction of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Additionally, spelling and oral language will be explored, demonstrated, and examined. Attention will be given to advance understandings of literacy, reflection on current practices, and how to formulate/adjust new plans of instruction when thinking about children's reading development.

Whether you use a basal or an intervention program, you will leave with a strong foundation on how students acquire critical components towards becoming proficient readers.

This is a series will meet six times between October and April. The sessions start October 27. There is a cost for all participants of $1500. Register here.