• Feedback from the November Western PAIU Curriculum meeting at PaTTAN

• Companies in the Classroom (former CEO on the Classroom)

• School Business Partnership Webpage by the Consortium for Public Education 

• State Mandates Document from Berks IU (below)

• Act 82 Update

• Act 158 - Graduation Requirements

• TSI Update

• DigCitCommit Virtual Congress - Free and online for students and teacher February 11-12, 2020

• Mental Health Professional Development Series

  • • Join us at IU1 for this new workshop series focusing on student Mental Health!  These workshops are designed for elementary teachers, secondary teachers, and administration. This four-part series on Mental Health and the classroom will provide participants with a better understanding of what "mental health" means and how to better support students.

Registration is open for the following sessions:

• • • • • • Mental Health Series: Increasing Emotional Intelligence Through E-Colors - January 13

          • Mental Health Series: Supporting Students with Anxiety and Mood Disorders in the Classroom

          • Mental Health Series: Understanding Trauma and Supporting Students with ADHD 

          • Mental Health Series: Suicide Awareness and Mindfulness in the Classroom 

          • Cost: $25; Sessions are 8:30 am to 3:00 pm and includes 6.5 Act 48 hours; Location: IU1 Central Office: 1 Intermediate Unit Drive, Coal Center, PA 15423

          • Contact Joe Mahoney at joe.mahoney@iu1.org with any questions!

• Brian Gasper, Division Chief for PDE Instructional Quality (replacing Ray Young)

• At least a two year process to revise the current PA Science Standards

• Save the Date!  Next DQN meeting for Curriculum Directors will be the third Wednesday in April

  • • November DQN Meeting Handouts

• EColors in Education: Save the Date - Master Trainer Training for Module 1 on January  14-17, 2019

• Former Governor's Schools Opportunities - see flyers below

• Bring Tennis to your gym classes at all levels for FREE -  Free curriculum, equipment, and more through USTA

• IU1 Professional Development Committee Recommendation

  • • Connect Onsite PD to the afternoon of the CCC meetings 

    • Would you be interested in an Act 45 course offered after the CCC meeting for an hour each meeting?

• The following is a small list of 3 hour sessions that an Apple Development Executive could come and deliver at the IU:

  • • • • Everyone Can Create - Focuses on using iPads as a creative tool in education to help bring out the creative potential in every student

        • Everyone Can Code - Introduces the world of Code.  This introduction to code provides and overview of Apple’s full coding curriculum using the Swift language.

        • Primary Learning with iPad - This session provides an example of a productive work flow using the built in Apple Apps on an iPad.  Each activity used in the work flow are creative and thought provoking for primary learners.

        • Digital Creation and Publication with iPad - Learn how to create educational content using the built in Apple productivity apps, and then complete the session by creating a digital publication using an iPad.

        • Access Ability  - How to use the built in accessibility features of an AppleTV, Mac and iPad to reach all learners.

Jo Beth McKee

David Dunham

Interested in CS prep to support teachers for CS Certification? IU's across PA are partnering with the University of Texas at Austin to offer their online course entitled Foundations of Computer Science for Teachers: Praxis Prep. It’s an online course with 8 modules for 8 weeks of study specifically designed to support passing the CS Praxis assessment. We are in the process of reserving seats and plan to support teachers with 3 days of PD throughout the 8 weeks. Course info:  https://utakeit.tacc.utexas.edu/foundations-of-cs-R03F2018/

Statewide Science Opportunity!- Tom Ridge Environmental Center(based in Erie, PA)

*Looking for participation for at least one teacher/class in every county in PA

 What is it?

The project focuses on the water quality issue of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).  Although HABs is a human health issue in recreational waters, it is a more serious issue for pets (dogs) and livestock that can exhibit seizures and even death only a couple hours after exposure.  

Through this project, the RSC proposes to educate teachers and students about HABs and have every group collect a water sample on the same day (or the same week if the same day is too difficult to coordinate) at least two times during the 2020-2021 school year.  The results will be compiled for all the classes to analyze the results of water samples collected across Pennsylvania.

 The RSC would provide each teacher/class the following resources:

• Video access (filmed locally by the RSC videographer) providing informational background on harmful algal blooms (HABs), how RSC researchers are monitoring (field and lab work), current research being conducted in the RSC labs;

• Skype with a Scientist – Skype with the RSC researchers to talk about the project and demonstrate how you and your students can collect a water sample from your nearest waterbody; 

• Sampling supplies – bottles, gloves, etc.;

• Equipment to describe sampling location – water temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity, etc.;

• Datasheets to record data;

• Packaging/Postage to send samples to RSC labs;

• A result report for samples across Pennsylvania; 

• Guidance directly with our Scientists to analyze of results and compare results from the different sites;

• Being part of the Solution – the RSC will provide information, brochures, and support to have your students reach out to the community and be part of the solution to prevent HABs;  much of this is focused on reducing nutrients (Nitrogen and Phosphorous found in fertilizers).

 Cost:  NO FEE!  If this project is funded, there would be no cost for the teacher to participate.

 Interested?

• Do you need to have a science background to participate?  NO!  This is an issue for everyone.  The RSC Scientists will be available for guidance throughout the whole process.

• If you are interested in participating in this project, please contact myself (Jeanette@RegSciConsort.com) by December 20.  

Herald-Standard STEAM 

CS for ALL Proposals Open! Submit here

Priority will be given to proposals that highlight equitable practices for students with disabilities and other historically underrepresented populations, such as English language learners. 

Submission Deadlines and Notifications:

December 31, 2019: Concurrent sessions and pre-conference workshops

(Notification of accepted proposals will be sent in January, 2020.)

March 1, 2020: Poster presentations

(Notification of accepted proposals will be sent in March, 2020). 

CSforPGH Index

https://index.csforpgh.org/

The CSforPGH Index is a collection of tools and resources informed by actual users here in the greater Pittsburgh region. Each item in the index is described in technical and educational detail, along with insights on how these tools work in practice and how they can be used to promote engagement through hands-on activities, real-world learning immersions, and culturally relevant and sustaining instruction.

Curated by members of the CSforPGH Working Group, this Index is designed to help educators and administrators find hardware and software that meets the needs of their students, supports progress towards academic standards, and fits their budgets.

Inventionland Institue Regional Contest Information

High School- Thursday, May 7, 2020

Middle School- Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Elementary School- Thursday, May 14, 2020

Special Guests:  Challenger Learning Center to run the Operation Montserrat mission between 11-12.