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| December 2016 Vol. 24, No. 2
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Sheltered Instruction
Observation Protocol (SIOP®) for English Language Learners
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| Martina Wagner will present Sheltered Instruction workshops
for district and building administrators, curriculum leaders, teachers pre-K
through secondary including early childhood, mainstream and specialist teachers
(special education, EL, art, music, physical education) and anyone who works
with English Language Learners.
The three-day SIOP® series is scheduled for January 9, February 1, and March
21, 2017.
A SIOP® Refresher workshop is scheduled for January 31, 2017.
Registration information
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| Co-Teaching with Martina Wagner
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| Are you excited to start co-teaching? Or, hesitant because
you just don’t know where to start? The January
18, 2017 Co-Teaching Basics workshop is ideal for those co-teachers who are
new to co-teaching, beginning a new co-teaching partnership, or have not yet
had formal professional development on co-teaching. Co-teacher teams are
strongly encouraged to attend together. Martina Wagner will provide
participants with detailed information about creating and maintaining
co-teaching partnerships in elementary and secondary schools. This framework
fosters inclusive practices, provides access to the general curriculum, and
assists each and every student to achieve outcomes based on today’s high
standards.
Co-Teaching: Beyond the Basics
is scheduled for February 8, 2017. Participants will dive deeper into the models of
co-teaching, critical setup and maintenance of their co-teaching partnerships,
as well as analyze the makeup of the students in their co-taught class.
Registration Information |
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Workshop Series will Explore Cultural Responsiveness in Teaching Mathematics
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| M etro ECSU will offer a series of math workshops designed
to build on culturally responsive work that districts are engaged in, drilling
deeper to apply the concepts specifically to math: January 10, 2017 -- Mathematical Mindsets/Teaching and Learning
February 6, 2017 -- The Impact of Identity/Access and Equity
March 23,
2017 -- The Danger of the Single Story/Curriculum and Assessment Come for one, two, or all three days.
The workshops are presented
by Barb Everhart and Deb Rykken, Metro ECSU Math Consultants. The target audience includes math
educators, curriculum directors, and district and building leaders working with
elementary, middle and secondary learners.
Registration information
Math support offered at your siteBarb Everhart specializes in middle and secondary
support, and Deb Rykken supports elementary educators. Both consultants are available for coaching, mentoring, and curriculum
support at your site. Contact Susan Frame
to learn about this opportunity. |
| | MPA Presents George Couros on January 11
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| Metropolitan Principals’ Academy presents What Does It Mean to be a Building Leader in
a Digital Age with George Couros on January 11, 2017. A morning and an afternoon session will be offered.
Focusing on an innovator’s mindset and “why”,
this workshop is meant for building and district leaders to help others within
their organization not only accept change, but embrace it, to create better, more
powerful learning opportunities for our learners. It is not focused on the “how
to” of technology, but is more focused on the conversations that will help
staff move forward in a way that they will be excited and feel supported in
their journey.
Registration Information
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| | New Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion Resources for Educators
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| In
addition to providing many links and resources on the MN Low Incidence Projects
website the Statewide TBI Community of Practice is
in the process of developing a series of online modules for Minnesota educators
who work with students who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A collaborative
partnership with Infinitec, a program that provides technical resources for
school districts in a number of states, has made it possible to customize TBI
module content to reflect specialized school services and supports in our state.
Currently
available modules address the role of the paraprofessional when working with
students with physical impairments or TBI. A module for all educators which addresses state
criteria, services and supports for students with TBI is also included. A new module focused on
the topic of concussions in children and youth will be available later this
winter.
Another
opportunity to learn more about the hot topic of concussion was recently hosted
at Metro ECSU and sponsored by a number of agencies, including the MN Low
Incidence Projects, the MN Department of Health, the MN Athletic Trainer’s
Association and area hospitals and clinics which provide concussion-related
medical care and outpatient support. This live webinar event on November 29 assisted school nurses around the state in learning more about acute care
following a concussion, developing a concussion plan with other school team
members and accessing appropriate resources and staff. Following a
presentation, a panel of experts was available to answer questions and offer
guidance. This webinar was closed
captioned and recorded for later on-demand viewing.
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| | For more
information and links about the referenced modules, recorded webinar and other
professional development opportunities and resources, visit http://www.mnlowincidenceprojects.org
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| | Help Me Grow initiative featured in StarTribune
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| | | Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) makes a huge difference
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| Did you know...
- about 3 out of every 1000
infants are born with a permanent hearing loss? And, by the time
children are of kindergarten age, about 6 of every 1000
children may have been confirmed to have a permanent hearing loss?
- even a “mild” hearing loss can significantly impact a
young child’s language development, social skills, early literacy and future
school achievement?
- research has shown a significant, positive difference
in children’s language development if they and their families enroll in
quality early intervention services by 6 months of age as
opposed to after 6 months of age?
- there are multiple ways to help young children learn
language and communicate with their family members and others?
- high quality early intervention services provided by
well-informed, experienced professionals are critical to supporting the
development of young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their
families?
- Minnesota has a collaborative planning model to support positive
outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing?
Minnesota Interagency Collaborative Plan for Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Goal 1 Maximizing Early Development (Birth to 5)
All young children who have hearing loss will maximize their
communication and learning potential, regardless of the degree of their hearing
loss, and will be able to begin kindergarten with communication, social, and
early literacy skills at a developmental level similar to that of their typically-developing
hearing peers, or to the maximum extent appropriate for the individual
child. All families will receive the supports they need to help their children
develop and learn. Read more
Professionals from multiple Minnesota agencies and programs, including the MN Low Incidence Projects and the MN Regional
EHDI Teams, work together toward making this important goal a reality for
all young Minnesota children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.
MN Regional EHDI Teams
The MN Regional EHDI Teams are comprised of education professionals in
each region of the state that represent the fields of audiology, education for deaf/hard of hearing, Early Childhood Special Education, speech pathology and
others. Their efforts are supported by
federal special education grant funding provided to the MN Low Incidence
Projects through the MN Department of Education, and by the Regional Low
Incidence Facilitators and Special Education Directors. Statewide leadership is provided by Kathy
Anderson, Statewide EHDI Specialist, MN Low Incidence Projects; Mary
Cashman-Bakken, MDE State Specialist Deaf/Hard of Hearing; and Kara Tempel, MDE
Part C Coordinator.
There are currently 16
Regional EHDI Teams across the state of Minnesota, with a total of 60 incredible professionals
committed to supporting EHDI efforts and continually improving language and
learning outcomes for all young MN children who are deaf and hard of hearing. These
incredible team members participate in group and individual professional development
opportunities to further their own knowledge and expertise in interagency EHDI
initiatives. They create annual
regional plans for providing information and support to local service providers
on the implementation of high quality, evidence-based practices in early
intervention specific to young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and
their families. They also participate in interagency activities to help implement
statewide EHDI initiatives within their own school districts and communities.
The 2016-17 Regional Low Incidence Facilitators and Regional EHDI Team
members are listed here: http://www.mnlowincidenceprojects.org/ehdiRegionalStatewideSupport.html
For more information,contact Kathy Anderson, Statewide EHDI Specialist, MN Low Incidence
Projects.
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| | | Students build holograms, beatbox, and draw political cartoons at SBC's first annual CreativeCon!
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| | The
first annual CreativeCon wowed over 600 middle school students on November 29
and 30 at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Students were transported to the
worlds of science, the arts, and STEAM (combos of science and the arts). Everyone
was enthusiastically engaged in sessions that challenged them to become poets,
hologram builders, political cartoonists, circuit designers, coral reef
conservationists, computer programmers, Zumba dynamos, beatboxers,
microbiologists, and evolutionary scientists for a day!
Students were amazed when their holograms came to life!
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| | | Success Beyond the Classroom is hosting the 2017 Statewide 6th-8th Grade Knowledge Bowl Meet!
Saturday, January 28, 2017 at St. Francis Middle School
DON'T CHA KNOW BOWL!
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| | | | | The theme of this year's Young Authors Conference, Mirrors and
Doors, offers young writers an inside view of the transformative power
of writing. During their time at YAC, students will explore the many ways
writing acts as a mirror and a door - by reflecting who we are in a way that
validates our story and by channeling us beyond our world into other worlds,
cultures, and experiences. Students in grades 4-8 are
invited on March 16, 2017 or during the week of May 30-June 2, 2017.
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| March Young Authors Conference keynote speaker, filmmaker and Emmy award
winning writer/producer for Twin Cities PBS, Daniel
Pierce Bergin will
describe how writing for media offers exceptional opportunities to create
affirming mirrors for many audiences and doorways to other times, people, and
places. Bergin explains, "The
literary metaphor Mirrors and
Doors, is uniquely suited to writing film and television because media
offers unique reflections and can create engaging, immersive ‘doorways’ into
other worlds."
March YAC: March 16, 2017
Registration deadline: January 17, 2017
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| | A nationally
recognized sports journalist is only one of the notorieties bestowed on May/June Young Authors Conference
keynote, Lea B. Olsen. Throughout her career in sports broadcasting, Lea has
tackled the roles of sideline reporter, sports analyst, pre- and post-game host
and ceremonial emcee. As a writer and producer, Lea has assembled a collection
of feature stories on extraordinary athletes at all levels of competition. More
recently Lea B. Olsen has parlayed her life-long accomplishments in sports to
public speaking with a focus on helping young women find their voice and own
their stories. At YAC, Ms. Olsen will encourage our young writers to use
their voices as mirrors and doors, highlighting the many opportunities available
to writers to bring their stories and the stories of other cultures and people
to life.
May/June YAC: May 30, 31, June 1, & 2, 2017Registration deadline: February 27, 2017
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| | | Cooperative Purchasing Connection: Working for You
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| Metro ECSU and seven other Minnesota
Service Cooperatives form the Cooperative Purchasing Connection. The
Cooperative Purchasing Connection is a statewide purchasing program that
combines the volume of hundreds of schools, cities, counties and nonprofits to
attract the best value for members.
Need paper and supplies? Tech hardware
or software? Instructional tools? Playground or athletic equipment? Classroom
or office furniture? Flooring or other building materials?
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| | The Cooperative
Purchasing Connection has it all and more. All of CPC's contract agreements are
the result of a formal bid process (RFP or IFB) or negotiated contracts. By
partnering with reputable vendors and combining the purchasing power of service
cooperative members, a wide variety of high quality products and services with excellent volume discounts are available to CPC members.
Although each school, district, or
nonprofit may have different procedures to follow for private or public education
procurement, Requests for Proposals and Invitations for Bids are done in
accordance with purchasing procedures mandated by state procurement laws and
regulations. Additional documentation of the competitive bidding process
is available to any service cooperative member
upon request by contacting Lisa Truax at 218-739-3273 or at info@purchasingconnection.org
Some vendor pages also contain bid
documents and the appropriate Audit Packets.
Here are reasons why the Cooperative
Purchasing Connection works so well for those who participate in this program:
- Direct ship and pay programs. You can order what you need when you need it. This
eliminates warehousing, stockpiling, old inventory and over purchasing.
- Access to larger purchasing opportunities. CPC is a member of the Association of Educational
Purchasing Agencies (AEPA), a multi-state purchasing group that bids
annually for large commodity contracts.
- Use the contracts you need. CPC has a broad selection of contracts from which to
choose. Use them all or just a few to fill your purchasing needs.
- Savings on “soft costs". CPC saves you the time expended to shop, request
quotes, research vendors, bid or deal with vendor issues.
- Support after the purchase. CPC works for you! We’re here after the sale to
ensure you have the best possible experience and make the most of your
purchases.
- Ordering is easy.
Members deal directly with the vendor, as they would normally. Our vendor
list provides access to all of our vendors. Find our vendor list at http://purchasingconnection.org/
The Cooperative Purchasing
Connection program is one more way that Metro ECSU provides “the smart choice
for education solutions”. For more information, contact us at info@purchasingconnection.org or at 888-739-3289.
Featured CPC vendor: Innovative Office Solutions
A vendor to consider as a one-stop
shop for many needs is Innovative Office Solutions
A recent article in the StarTribune draws attention to the reasons why Innovative OS is
growing in a time when others in their industry are downsizing or merging.
Outstanding service and care for the customer keep Innovative Office Solutions
a step ahead of many of their competitors. Their product and services line
includes:
- Collaborative work space design
- Flexible designs for classroom learning
environments
- Managed print services
- Audio and visual technology
assessment and solutions
- Promotional products and awards
- Kitting and fulfillment
- Office or classroom essentials
including cleaning and breakroom supplies and equipment
Your metro area Account Executive for
Innovative Office Solutions is Andrew Deters. Why not call or invite Andrew to
visit with you about the many opportunities gained by working with Innovative
Office Solutions. Andrew can be reached at 952-698-9492 or ADeters@innovativeos.com |
| | Early Learning and Special Education vendors added to Cooperative Purchasing Connection!
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| | The
Cooperative Purchasing Connection (CPC) has added top early learning and
special education vendors to its portfolio for the 2016-17 school year! The new
category is called Instructional Resources and we are confident you will find
value in these amazing products and services.
Lakeshore Learning - Order through our online marketplace Express at www.cpcexpress.org
Lakeshore Learning is offering an exclusive five percent discount and
free shipping on all orders for our members.
Really Good Stuff® - This new CPC partnered vendor
offers a wide
range of supplemental curriculum materials aligned to state standards for:
early childhood, elementary, intermediate and middle grades. Products
include ELA, ESL, ELL, Literacy, Math and Dual Language. www.reallygoodstuff.com
Failure Free
ReadingTM - CPC members receive two exciting benefits from Failure
Free Reading: 10 percent off all catalog prices and a CPC exclusive offer: 45
percent off 12 online seat licenses, one teacher pack of print materials and a half
day webinar training. https://www.failurefreeonline.com/n/
ONEder
LEGO® Education - LEGO® Education Preschool is partnering with
CPC to offer the only consortium
discounted pricing in the country. Go to www.purchasingconnection.org/LEGO to learn more.
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| | Cooperative Purchasing Contract saved City of Richfield "20 hours of time and $20,000"
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| When City of Richfield Operations Manager Mark Hall noticed the
concrete floors in the city’s public works building were starting to
deteriorate, he decided to resurface now rather than replace down the road. He
saved time and money using the Cooperative Purchasing Connection contract with
SwedeBro, a company known throughout the state for its high quality workmanship.
“It worked out great for us,” said Hall. “We’re very, very
pleased with it.”
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| | | SwedeBro resurfaces concrete floors in fire stations, police
departments, public works buildings and schools. Chad Hanson is the owner. He
and his estimator always check to see if the potential customer is a member of
a local service cooperative and therefore eligible for discounted pricing and
service.
Cities are eligible to join Metro ECSU, but there is also a newly
available Participation Agreement to join the Cooperative Purchasing Connection
without a formal membership. It’s a simple one page form. Hall showed it to the
city council, got the necessary signature, and sent it to the CPC staff. He says it took just twenty minutes.
When asked how he would sum up the benefits of using the CPC
contract, Hall said the process took only 20 minutes to save 20 hours of
time and nearly $20,000 on the project.
For more information on becoming a member of Metro ECSU or
using a CPC contract contact us at info@purchasingconnection.org
or give us a call at 888-739-3289. We are happy to help answer your questions.
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