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September 2020, Vol. 28, No. 1
edNews is a quarterly publication of the Metropolitan Educational Cooperative Service Unit
Metro ECSU - 2 Pine Tree Drive, Suite 101 - Arden Hills, MN 55112
Front desk: 612-638-1500
edNews Editor: Colleen Feller
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| Educators have never been more important
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| A message from Julie Frame, Executive Director
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| As your needs change, we change
Distance Learning, Hybrid Schedules, Social Distancing, and PPE
have all become terms that are second nature to me. The unique challenges schools are facing are
being met head on by everyone involved in the creation of spaces in which
children can engage in learning. The
staff here at Metro ECSU are committed to providing high quality learning
opportunities to help all of you do this important work.
Every program, every learning opportunity has been
re-developed in virtual formats. What
does that include? PBIS conferences, MN
Low Incidence Projects, all technical assistance to schools and families in the
MN Deafblind Project, student academic programs such as Knowledge Bowl and
Young Authors Conference, Metropolitan Educator Leader Network Series focused
on leading during flexible learning, E-12 content training in areas such as
the new science standards. Our Health and Safety program provides virtual
learning in the ever-changing scene of physical space. Our
Regional Response Team Coordinator is ready to help with any and all of your
COVID-19 questions.
Since last spring we have all learned many things, we have gotten
good at Zoom and Microsoft Teams, the most used phrase of the year will be “You
are muted!" We are tackling gaps that
have become more evident. We are
sometimes working outside of our comfort zone. We have more questions than answers. The importance of educators has never been more visible.
What we have learned
and what we will continue to learn throughout this pandemic will make all of us better
equipped to serve all children, to meet their variety of learning needs in the
future.
As your needs change, we change. It is what we have always done, it is who we
are. We are here to support you through
this journey. Not seeing what you
need? Let any of us know and we will be
on it.
Sincerely, |
| | Julie Frame, Executive Director, Metro ECSU
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| | Metro ECSU is part of the Covid-19 Regional Response Team. You call. We will answer.
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| In the last month, our commitment to supporting members
through the pandemic has expanded. In late July, Governor Walz created
Regional Support Teams. These teams include specialists from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), and
a regional coordinator from each service cooperative.
Regional coordinators made sure districts and schools received their allocated
PPE. They will also provide support in three main areas: - Responding to
questions regarding positive cases and close contacts,
- Helping districts
transition learning models, and
- Covid-19 testing.
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| Bianca Virnig (pictured) is the regional coordinator for the
seven country metro area, Region 11. Bianca has a
strong background in Public Health Emergency Preparedness, and as the Metro ECSU
Environmental Health and Safety Specialist, she is extremely knowledgeable about
site issues related to Covid-19. Bianca can be reached at 612-638-1512 or bianca.virnig@metroecsu.org
As we move into the new school year, Metro ECSU understands there are many unknowns that create new questions every day. We are
dedicated to helping you as you navigate this unparalleled beginning to a new
school year. |
| Metro ECSU's Health & Safety Program responds to the pandemic
Over
the past several months, the Region 11 Environmental Health and Safety program
has hosted numerous educational sessions related to the pandemic on topics such as
cleaning and disinfecting and maintaining and maximizing your HVAC systems.
Bianca Virnig, our Facilities and Environmental Health and
Safety Specialist, has coordinated these programs and brought in the experts
from OSHA, CCLD, and the State Fire Marshal. Bianca has her
ears and eyes on the environmental health and safety needs critical at this
time. She is becoming well known across the state for her expertise in the
above areas as well as her ability to make quick connections with the
individuals who have the information you need. To learn more about these services or for information about future sessions, visit Metro ECSU's Health and Safety website or contact Bianca at bianca.virnig@metroecsu.org
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| | | Submit your students' artwork and writing to our "Back to School in a Pandemic" gallery!
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| Success Beyond the
Classroom (SBC) desires to capture this unusual back-to-school
experience through students’ eyes by curating an online gallery of
students’ writing and art work. Students in grades 3-8 are invited to
document their school experiences this fall through their medium of
choice. Examples could include: personal reflection/journal entry, a
poem, photograph, spoken word video, drawing or painting. The SBC
website will host this virtual exhibit during this fall.
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| | | SBC reinvents student programs to offer pandemic-proof enrichment
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| Like all educators
this fall, Success Beyond the Classroom staff are utilizing their
creative powers like never before. We are offering all of our programs
virtually this year. No field trips? No problem. We have affordable
programming available for students who are distance learning, in hybrid
formats, or attending school full-time in person. Our programs are
available for either teachers or parents/guardians to access. Keep reading and visit SBC's new website to learn more. |
| New content each month for Young Authors Conference, STEMLink, and the Creatives
We have turned our
field trip programs into a monthly subscription service. Registrants
receive access to all pieces of a program for the months of their
choosing. New content each month starting in October. Schools can choose
a full school year subscription (October-May) or purchase subscriptions in
two-month segments. Content includes recorded and live sessions with
activities, blogs, live interviews and Q&As, student artwork
galleries, book club, open mic, and more. |
| The Creatives! A virtual blend of the Creativity Festival and CreativeCon
From
October to May, Virtual Creatives will feature unique content each month,
including: - Two recorded sessions and one live session featuring
activities led by talented, local teaching artists from the creative
fields. The live session will be recorded and posted; October's live dance session will feature Karla Nweje (pictured);
- A blog where professionals in the arts will share what
creativity means to them and how they use it in their everyday lives; and
- An online gallery for students to share their
experiences and projects that they created while participating in Creatives sessions.
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| STEMLink
From
October to May, Virtual STEMLink will feature unique content each month,
including: - Two sessions with STEM professionals that feature a hands-on activity and an introduction to various STEM fields. October's live session (Code Your Own Video Game) led by Microsoft educators (pictured);
- “A
Day in the Life” career blog updated weekly featuring STEM
professionals sharing what they love about their work, demonstrating
tools of their trade, and providing a glimpse of their workplace; and
- Live Q&A with a STEM professional (twice a month).
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| Young Authors Conference
From
October to May, Virtual STEMLink will feature unique content each month,
including: - Two recorded and one live session led by professional writers. Live session will be recorded and posted; October's live session will feature May Lee-Yang (pictured)
- Q&A
with local writers that is topic-specific (for example, developing
characters, sports writing, dialogue, the writing life);
- Weekly
blog featuring videos created by members of the Minnesota writing
community sharing their creative writing passions, tips and tricks, and
highlighting new and bestselling YA and children titles;
- Teacher/Parent Resource – Virtual Book Club;
- Monthly Virtual Open Mic; and
- Space for SBC to feature the work of our young writers.
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| Young Authors Conference author, Geoff Herbach, introduces Virtual YAC and shares a great story related to our theme, Words Have Power.
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| Virtual Knowledge Bowl - Yes, students can compete!
Success
Beyond the Classroom is finalizing details, so you should start practicing! A
new online game design allows teams to play together, even if they’re apart, against
teams from other schools across the metro (and the state!). Virtual coach trainings on
the new platform are happening throughout the month of September. If you
want your middle school and high school students to have this amazing opportunity to build community through
competition, smarts, and with players from around Minnesota, connect with Betsy
Narr at betsy.narr@metroecsu.org today! |
| Future City Competition - Perfect for hybrid or distance learning
From September to February, 6th-8th graders design a concept for a future city and convey their ideas through an essay, city model slideshow, recorded presentation, and live Q&A with engineer judges via a virtual meeting platform.
Future City has made several adaptations due to the Covid-19 pandemic
and uncertainty surrounding the school year and extracurricular activities.
These include: - Teams can complete the deliverables in-person (i.e. in a classroom or
afterschool program) or remotely (collaborating online while learning from
home);
- Teams may be led by either a teacher or parent coach and are paired with a volunteer engineer mentor;
- The competitions (regionals and Finals) will take place online, rather
than in-person;
- Mentoring and judging will take place 100% virtually.
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| This year’s Future City theme is Living on the Moon. Students will design
a lunar city and provide examples of how the city uses two moon resources to
keep citizens safe and healthy. The city will be set at least 100 years in the
future and will have already gone through many years of development. The
premise is that the city started as a collection of lunar landers that expanded
into an outpost. Gradually it grew into a village, then a city. The
students’ job is to build on this history, describing the complete city that is
there.
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| | MELN 2020: Virtual trainings focus on leadership in this changing environment
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MELN's virtual
two-hour workshops will be specific to our current situation and will explore
how to provide equitable and student-centered instruction in distance learning
modalities, whether that is a part or all of their instruction. Workshops will
include virtual 1:1 and small group formats to investigate research-based
concepts and strategies, create concrete plans, and gain insight from peers.
Participants will also receive one year of access to BetterLesson Professional
Learning Lab where educators will have access to premium strategies that are
aligned to district priorities and tailored to support growth. Four workshop
topics are featured, with two dates for each topic.Click on each workshop's date for more information and to register.
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| | MNCoE using technology to Connect-Support-Empower
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| | As we all adjust to life in a pandemic, Minnesota Centers of
Excellence for Young Children (MNCoE) remains committed to their vision to Connect-Support-Empower
Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education (EC/ECSE) Programs in using
evidence-based practices to improve outcomes for young children and families.
Connect In this time of social distancing, MNCoE staff are working
to stay connected. In August, we held two Listening and Q&A Sessions for
our partner innovation sites to learn more about the adapted supports available
this school year. We heard questions as well as brainstormed solutions
together, all online!
Support While teaching in early childhood may look different this
year, we know children and families continue to need support from EC/ECSE
professionals. MNCoE has moved all
trainings to a live, virtual format for 2020-21 to allow equitable, consistent
access to high quality professional development across Minnesota. Each training
follows best practice for virtual events, including break out rooms for
collaboration, reduced presentation time, and short breaks every hour. MNCoE
staff are also recording webinars to create more flexible professional
development options.
Empower MNCoE, in partnership
with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), has invested in an online data application which will empower local
districts to easily collect relevant innovation data and make decisions about
their professional development efforts. The Minnesota Innovation Implementation
Data System (MIID) is powered through Education Identity and Access Management (EDIAM) and is available to partner
programs this school year.
If your early childhood program is interested in learning
more about partnering with MNCoE, please visit https://mncoe.org/about/
to contact the Professional Development Facilitator in your region. |
| | | Local educational interpreter honored with national award
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| | Congratulations
to Melissa Barg (pictured) for receiving the Leilani
Johnson Leadership Award! This national award is granted annually to an
interpreter working in education who exemplifies leadership qualities, models
professionalism, advocates for the field, and strives for excellence in
services for all students.
It
is an honor to have Melissa as the Co-Facilitator of the American Sign Language
(ASL) Interpreters Share Shop for the Regional Low Incidence Projects at Metro
ECSU. Melissa leads the field in coordinating professional development and
mentoring opportunities for ASL Interpreters. She actively seeks out local and
national presenters to bring training to our Minnesota interpreters based on
current needs within the field. The training topics she secures are so popular
that interpreters from other states are requesting to attend! Melissa
has more than thirty years experience as an educational interpreter and has
mentored more than 115 non-certified interpreters over the past twenty years. Her growth mindset, years of dedication, and service to students is
astonishing. Thank you, Melissa, for all you do for the field and our students.
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| | Metro ECSU welcomes Jennifer Blank, a new ESCE Professional Development Facilitator
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| | Jennifer Blank (pictured) is an ECSE Professional
Development Facilitator for Region 11.
She has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist in early intervention
since 1997 and brings experience from the St. Croix County Birth to Three and
Hudson School District ECSE and 4K programs. Collaboration with families, teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists,
administrators, and other community partners has always been her goal when
supporting high quality inclusion for preschoolers. Jennifer’s service model practices include
PSP/coaching, itinerant services, co-taught/full inclusion 4K, Headstart/ECSE
partnerships, preschool speech-language groups, individual SL therapy, and SL
consultation. Leadership projects around
Child Find, 4K-5K Alignment, Primary Service Provision, Engaging Families in
Early Literacy, EC Networking, and Crisis Response round out some of her
involvement and interests.
Jennifer moved to the upper Midwest from the
Philadelphia area in 1994. She holds a
BS in Speech Language Pathology from the College of New Jersey with an MA
earned at the University of MN-Twin Cities. She holds her educational Speech-Language licenses in both Minnesota and Wisconsin and
her Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech Language
Hearing Association. She lives in Hudson,
WI with her husband, three daughters, and no-less-than-three dogs. You can reach Jennifer at 612-638-1540 or jennifer.blank@metroecsu.org
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| | Save time and money using Cooperative Purchasing Connection
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| Cooperative Purchasing Connection (CPC) has entered into a
number of emergency agreements to ensure that schools and districts have access
to PPE and Covid-19 related products at contractually negotiated prices.
Also, CPC created a Covid-19 resource page on their website that
is receiving a lot of interest. This page links to a spreadsheet of
COVID-related products including gloves, disinfectants, masks and more.
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