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June 2012

Have some cool technology related tool or practice to share with colleagues?

We are looking for a few presenters to give mini-workshops. Time blocks would be either 30 minutes or 1 hour in length. Drop us an email if you would like to learn more at lori@ncedservices.org.

Preparing Students to Successfully Tackle Science Inquiry Tasks

Using pH sensors, we will test both brought in water samples as well as those collected in a short fieldtrip to nearby water sources. This is a pilot workshop and we will be asking participants to critique their experience in the session as we aim to demonstrate what a quality science inquiry process looks like in practice. In addition to collected data, we will make use of Hubbard Brook Research Foundation's data sets (much like in the NECAP, how to make sense of the findings of others).  
 
Date: Monday, August 13, 2012
Time: 12:30 to 5:00
Instructors:  Bill Church, Steve Roberts and Sarah Turtle
Location: NCES, Gorham, NH with fieldtrip to locations in Randolph area.
Cost: $25 (includes light refreshments, no lunch)
Participation: Limited to 12 participants.

Planning Differentiated Units Using the Common Core

 
Trish WaltonPresenter: Trish Walton, M.A.T.
 
Date: Monday, August 20 & Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Time: 8:30 to 3:00 (check-in begins at 8:00)
Cost: Full member staff $250, Associate $275, Others $300 
 
The Common Core (CC) is here. And with it comes the opportunity for teachers to see what they teach with new eyes. All aspects of Differentiated Instruction (DI) are now expected as the standard for “best practice.” DI offers teachers effective ways to plan for how they teach.
 
Certainly a marriage between CC and DI is in order! Come to this interactive, highly personalized two-day workshop with your curriculum and, if possible, your team! Come prepared to plan units, lessons and routines that are both grounded in the Common Core and full of differentiation.
 
Trish will explain aspects of DI, share models, and then participants will create their own incarnation of that aspect of DI using the CC for their grade level and subjects. From formative assessments to needs-based flexible groups…from anchoring activities to differentiated homework…from Tiering to menus… we will do it all.
 
You must come with your curriculum, units, textbooks (if you use them) and materials! Bringing a laptop would be wise. And finally, attending with a grade-level team (elementary) or department (middle/high) will net you the best, most cohesive experience.
 
Register by July 20th: Online at http://bit.ly/plan_di_cc or by calling Lisa at 800-268-5437 or 603-466-5437 between the hours of 8:00 and 3:00.

Classroom Walk-Throughs

Classroom walk-throughs can play an important role in developing the professional learning culture within your school. These non-evaluatory observations by an administrator, teacher leader or respected colleague can cultivate an atmosphere for continually improving practice.
 
To ease in documenting your classroom visits, Google Forms can be used with an iPad, iPod Touch or other mobile device to simplify the data collection in real time.
 
Join Milan Village School principal, David Backler and Lori Langlois of NCES, in this full day workshop to discuss various purposes for classroom walk-throughs, how to create forms for mobile devices, and how use the data collected effectively. Basic templates for you to work from will be provided.
 
Date: Tuesday, August 14th, 2012
Time: 8:30 to 2:30
Cost: Staff from member schools $150, associates $165, others $180
 
Register by July 20th: Online at http://bit.ly/nces_walk or by calling Lisa at 800-268-5437 or 603-466-5437 between the hours of 8:00 and 3:00.

iPad Basics

If you have an iPad and started using it without much initial instruction, there are a lot of helpful hints to set it up, personalize it and organize the screens. Topics covered are general settings, keyboards, WiFi setup, updates, Apple ID, downloading software, useful apps to get started, managing apps, and handling more than one iPad in your classroom.
 
Instructor: Paula Churchill
Designed for: All teachers, novice level iPad users
Dates: Monday, July 9, 2012
Time: 8:30-12:00
Cost: Member school staff $30, associates $35, others $40
Register: Online or by calling Lisa at 800-268-5437 or 603-466-5437 between the hours of 8:00 and 3:00.

iPads in the K-8 Classroom

Whether you have one iPad or a 1:1 iPad classroom, learn what applications provide an environment where students can create projects that support the common Core Standards, require students to problem solve, and provide collaboration. Student projects can be created on the iPad and exported to portfolios, web sites, PCs, or other devices to share with others. Three apps will be used to illustrate how to target specific curricular objectives in different grade levels.
 
Instructor: Paula Churchill
Designed for: Grades K-12 All subjects, with basic iPad skill level
Dates: Monday, July 9th and repeated Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Time: 12:30 - 4:00
Cost: Member school staff $30, associates $35, others $40
Register: Online for July 9 or online for August 22 or by calling Lisa at 800-268-5437 or 603-466-5437 between the hours of 8:00 and 3:00.

iPads, Google Docs, DropBox and Photostream

Learn how iPads can be set up for students to access common resources (no more worksheets!), to complete tasks and then to save them back to a common folder for assessment. Once this system is implemented, teachers can stop the ‘paper chase’ and focus on student proficiency.
 
Instructor: Paula Churchill
Designed for: All teachers with strong basic to intermediate iPad skills
Dates: Friday, August 24, 2012
Times: 8:30-12:00
Cost: Member school staff $30, associates $35, others $40
Register: Online or by calling Lisa at 800-268-5437 or 603-466-5437 between the hours of 8:00 and 3:00.
 
 

Flipping your Classroom with an iPad

Teachers across the country are starting to ‘flip’ their classroom. With increased internet access at home, teachers can provide instructional content that students can access when not in class and then use class time to work through problems using the content they learned at home. This allows students who need to see content more than once to have that opportunity, while class time can be used for deeper understanding or application of what was learned. Before coming, select a curriculum topic, gather and bring the resources you need to the workshop.
 
Instructor: Paula Churchill
Designed for: Grades K-12, all subjects, with basic iPad skill level
Dates: Tuesday, July 10th, and Thursday, August 23, 2012
Time: 12:30 - 4:00
Cost: Member school staff $30, associates $35, others $40
Register: Online for July 10 or online for August 23 or by calling Lisa at 800-268-5437 or 603-466-5437 between the hours of 8:00 and 3:00.

APPropriate?

So many apps, too many apps—the number of apps for the iPad is overwhelming. Let’s look at what makes a great app for use in the classroom. This workshop will cover how to evaluate iPad apps for students, how to use apps to support problem solving, collaboration, creativity. Bring your list of favorite apps you use in the classroom to share, and leave with new ones.
 
Instructor: Paula Churchill
Designed for: Grades K-12, all subjects, with basic iPad skill level
Dates: Tuesday, July 10th, and repeated Thursday, August 23, 2012 
Time: 8:30 - 12:00
Cost: Member school staff $30, associates $35, others $40
Register: Online for July 10 or online for August 23 or by calling Lisa at 800-268-5437 or 603-466-5437 between the hours of 8:00 and 3:00.

Document Camera 2 Go: Touch-It, Take-It

ziggyA document camera is a simple but powerful technology tool that quickly becomes indispensible in the classroom. When attached to a projector, students all get a close up common view of whatever is under the camera.
 
Older model doc cameras are expensive, bulky and worked independently from a computer. They also require a separate power supply and it is unwieldy to capture images from the document camera to use in Interactive white software or on your computer. New versions of document cameras run directly from a port on the computer, require no additional power, easily capture pictures and are small and lightweight. Best of all, it is possible to purchase between 3 and 5 newer version document cameras for the price of a single older version.
 
In this hands on training with the document camera you learn
  • How to project a live image
  • How to take pictures with the document camera
  • How to annotate over those pictures with Smartboard or Mobi software
  • How to use those images to check students understanding (by using whiteboard software or MovieMaker or Power Point)
Instructor: Paula Churchill
Designed for: K-12, all subjects
Date: Thursday, August 22, 2012
Time: 8:30 to 12:00
Cost: Member school staff $130, associates $135, others $140 (includes camera)
Register: Online or by calling Lisa at 800-268-5437 or 603-466-5437 between the hours of 8:00 and 3:00.

Integrating Land Use into the Upper Elementary/Middle School Classroom

Participants will learn a wide range of developmentally-appropriate, inquiry-oriented teaching methods for the field, laboratory, and classroom, by using the assessment of the health of the forest as a learning context.  Activities for 5-8th grade students will be presented on detecting, quantifying, monitoring and mapping a range of forest conditions.  The activities are designed to allow students to learn the process of science through asking (and answering) self-generated questions.  In addition, ways to motivate students to engage in inquiry-based learning will be discussed.
 
Workshop leaders are:
  • Eleanor Abrams, UNH Education Department
  • Michael Middleton, UNH Education Department
  • Martha Carlson, UNH Institute of the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space
Dates: August 16 & 17, 2012 
Time: 9:00 - 4:00
Location: NCES, Gorham, NH
Cost: Free for teachers holding a valid NH Educator Certification for upper elementary and middle school levels. 
Stipend: $150 stipend awarded to teachers who successfully complete the course and the course assignments.
Number of seats: 2 remaining seats, subject to eligibility approval
Registration:  http://bit.ly/unhland

Intel 2012 Math Seminar

The State of New Hampshire is on the move to improve student learning in mathematics and is proud to bring the Intel®Mathematics Program to K – 8 mathematics educators. This program is funded through a $500,000 per year Math Science Partnership Grant gained through the efforts of the Rochester School District, Plymouth State University, New Hampshire Impact Center, University of New Hampshire – Manchester, University of New Hampshire – Leitzel Center, Croydon and Newport School Districts, North Country Education Services and New Hampshire Department of Education.
The Intel® Math course is a content-intensive professional development program developed by Dr. Kenneth Gross, Professor of Mathematics and Education at the University of Vermont. Intel Math® provides eighty hours of professional development in the form of a course co-facilitated by a practicing mathematician and a mathematics educator. The course places emphasis on deepening the participants’ understanding of core K – 8 mathematics concepts. It is grounded in a problem solving approach to topics such as integer arithmetic, the decimal number system, place value, rational number arithmetic, rates, linear equations, and functions. About 90% of the course is focused on mathematics content knowledge and the remaining 10% on pedagogy.
 
You are eligible to participate in this program if you meet both criteria:
1. You are K-3 or K-6 certified, but not 5-8 or secondary math certified.
2. You currently teach at K - 8 level.
 
North Country Site: NCES, Gorham, NH (only site with seats remaining)
Dates: 7/9; 7/10; 7/11; 7/12; 7/16; 7/17; 7/18; 7/23; 7/24 & 7/25/2012
Time: 8:00 – 4:30
Instructors: Greg Superchi & Rich Andusiak
Cost: Free (includes lunch)
Graduate Credit: 6 free graduate credits, $25 registration fee
Register by June 20th: http://bit.ly/IntelNH12

Language Arts Community of Practice

In light of the transition to the Common Core State Standards, NCES plans to convene elementary and middle level language arts teachers one evening per month during the next school year. Though not solely focused on the CC, as we delve into the standards, much of our conversation will connect to the implications that the CC will have on our practice. We will take a deeper at look the expectations at each grade level for English Languages Arts and how to address those changes through instruction. Reading Specialist Beth Richards will facilitate the elementary group and Jean Mann the upper level group. Watch for additional details in future newsletters or contact lori@ncedservices.org for more information.

Interested in an Introduction to Autism Course?

NCES would like to assess the interest in an autism course with CarolAnn Edscorn for the fall of 2012. Topics would include Sensory Integration, Cognitive Processing Differences, Theories supporting Autism, Functional Behavioral Analysis, Adaptions to the Environment (classroom & school), Inclusion and Person-centered Planning, and IEP goals. This would be for regular and special education teachers and paraprofessionals. The course would likely be a full day Saturday session followed by 6 bi-weekly evening sessions. Please contact Lori Langlois if you are potentially interested in this course at lori@ncedservices.org.

In This Issue

Have some cool technology related tool or practice to share with colleagues?

Preparing Students to Successfully Tackle Science Inquiry Tasks

Planning Differentiated Units Using the Common Core

Classroom Walk-Throughs

iPad Basics

iPads in the K-8 Classroom

iPads, Google Docs, DropBox and Photostream

Flipping your Classroom with an iPad

APPropriate?

Document Camera 2 Go: Touch-It, Take-It

Integrating Land Use into the Upper Elementary/Middle School Classroom

Intel 2012 Math Seminar

Language Arts Community of Practice

Interested in an Introduction to Autism Course?

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Young Inventor's ProgramĀ® Teacher Workshop
The Academy of Applied Science will host a Teacher Workshop.  All Grade K – 8 teachers are invited.  There is no cost to attend. Steven Caney, NH inventor and author is the keynote speaker.
 
The workshop will be held on July 12, 2012 from 9am to 3pm at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.
 
Contact Pamela Hampton at phampton@aas-world.org (or 603 228 4530) to sign-up.
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Member Status
Not sure if your school is a member of NCES? Check here.
SAHE Partnering Schools
Berlin Public Schools
Bethlehem
Colebrook Academy
Colebrook Elementary School
Fall Mountain School District
Gorham
Goshen-Lempster
Groveton Elementary School
Groveton High School (6-12)
Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District
Keene School District
Lafayette
Landaff
Lisbon
Nelson
Pittsburg School
Profile
Stark Village School
Stewartstown Community School
Stratford Public School
Winchester School District
Contact Info
For more information:
North Country Education Services
300 Gorham Hill Road
Gorham, NH 03581
nces@ncedservices.org
800-268-5437
603-466-5437
www.ncedservices.org
 
Directions to NCES
North Country Education Services • 300 Gorham Hill Road • Gorham • NH • 03581