vision of esa 5 esa 5 aims to serve its schools by ... · daysmeet, wordle, picnik, photo stories,...
TRANSCRIPT
EWinter 2011
Contents:
Math Specialist Position Changes 1 Principals Participate in Technology Bootcamp 2
Teachers Participate in Technology Bootcamp 3-4
Dates to Remember 4
Lemmon Spotlight 5-7 ESA 5 Contacts 8
S A 5 NEWS
South Dakota Education Service Agency
1
Vision of ESA 5ESA 5 aims to serve its schools by supporting them and their leadership teams. Our relationship with each school will focus on building capacity for sustainable change. The vision of our ESA is to embed the following practices in each
school: Use data to identify needs
Develop effective and usable plans based on needs Use research-based strategies, resources, and training
Implement PD that positively impacts student learning Use formative and summative assessments to monitor progress
8
Director Cris Owens
(605) 230-0903
Education Specialist Erin Dale
(605) 850-1631
Education Specialist Holly Schumacher
(605) 850-1209
Assistant Director Kelly Daughters
(605) 230-1181
Education Specialist Brittany Knudson
(605) 850-1739
www.sdesa.k12.sd.us/esa5See the ESA 5 website for information, descriptions, and fees for
professional development opportunities
www.sdesa.k12.sd.us/esa5
Mid-November brought about the resignation of Tracy Mittleider as the Math Specialist for ESA 5. Tracy has accepted a position as a math specialist with Tiospaye Topa School in LaPlant. As Tracy made plans to leave the ESA, Johny Weber, also a trainer with the South Dakota Counts grant, has stepped into Tracy’s position. We are fortunate to have been able to make such a seamless transition for our twelve teachers involved in the South Dakota Counts program.
Johny received her teaching degree from Black Hills State University, her masters from NSU and her Specialist and PhD from USD. Johny worked with SD Counts as a math specialist with ESA 4 several years ago. Currently she teaches an online class for NSU as an adjunct professor. She lives in Timber Lake and helps manage her family’s ranch. She has been “retired” from education for the past two years. We are fortunate to have a great educator join our ESA.
The main focus of our ESA is to continue to provide the twelve participating teachers in our region with the leadership and training they need for the remaining year and a half of the grant. As South Dakota moves towards implementing the Common Core Standards in math over the next few years, this math initiative will be extremely valuable to the students and teachers.
ESA 5 Math Specialist Position Changes Hands
Johny Weber
ESA 5 Staff
READ ESA 5’s latest Professional Develop-ment post at www.sdesa.k12.sd.us/esa5. The link can be found under resources and then “Hot Topics.”
ESA 5 News
2 7
Principals Focus on Leading
TechnologyAs you may remember last August a group of principals began a class, Leadership in Technology Bootcamp with leadership expert Kevin Miller. Since that time, thirteen principals have continued to increase their own professional use of technology in their leadership roles and also how to support their teachers currently involved in the Learning to Lead in the 21st Century Title II D Grant. At their class in November, the principals shared their yearlong projects with each other. The projects range from designing websites and wikis to using blogs and Google Docs. All the technology tools they shared focus on the 21st Century Skills of communication and collaboration with their staff, students and communities. The frustrations they were experiencing with technology and taking the time to implement their ideas were shared. The principals were made aware of the incredible ideas their teachers are using to integrate 21st Century Skills and technology in their classrooms. These leaders are participating in the social networking site on Thinkfinity in their principals group, just as the teachers are sharing in their teachers group. The site is being used to post their ideas and to share with one another.
Currently the principals are focusing on plans that will help them sustain the growth they and their teachers are having during this year of the Technology Grant. The next assignment will be to observe a Bootcamp teacher’s lesson and post on Thinkfinity what they see happening with the students in their schools. ESA 5 is making plans to continue the classes now being offered and additional classes focused on 21st Century Skills and technology. These new classes will be added to our service plan. We look forward to offering advanced work for the teachers and principals involved this year and repeat this year’s class for other teachers who want to join this exciting learning experience. We are all definitely learning to lead!
Technology Bootcamp
program has been used as a vehicle to evaluate various aspects of the school. As a result changes have been made to enhance communication with parents and to better meet the needs of students. A back-to-school potluck was held at the beginning of the year to open the lines of communication with parents.
District Utilization of ESA 5:In the past, NWAS/ESA 5 has conducted Achievement Series and Promethean Board trainings. They also conducted a recent data retreat aiding the district in making decisions to enhance student curriculum. Additionally, new teaching staff have been enrolled in the teacher mentoring program.
South Dakota has designated January 10 – 14, 2011 as School Board Recognition Week. ESA 5 would like to publicly thank all of the members of Northwest Area Schools board and all members of the twenty-one school boards across our region for serving on our local Boards of Education. Thank-you for your dedication to our children and our communities.
More than 880 South Dakotans are members of a local school board. The community members who serve on our school boards are responsible for set-ting the vision and goals for our districts. The school
School Board Recognition
Week
A student in the high school physics class put his knowledge to work boards also hire quality educators, adopt poli-
cies and evaluate progress while keeping the interest of our students first, creating schools where all children can learn and grow.
Beyond that, our board members play a very real role in preparing the districts’ stu-dents for an ever-changing world. They help spread the word about the individual and collective successes of our students and our professional staff. This year they will face perhaps the greatest test of their leader-ship as we work to ensure that tight finan-cial situations don’t translate into a reduc-tion in the quality of education we can offer.
Our communities are fortunate to have such dedicated individuals on our school boards. South Dakota School Board Recognition Week provides a perfect opportunity to hon-or the contributions being made daily by our school board members. Please take a moment to thank our public servants who care about education by serving on our school boards.
Pictured left to right: Craig Cassens, Kelly Daughters, Jill Olson, Joe Lenz, Julie Marshall, and Sarah Schweitzer
Northwest Area Schools BoardPictured Back Row left to right: Sandy Baumberger (McIntosh), Dan Beckman (Bison), Dale Turbiville (Harding Co.) Wilfred Jones (McLaughlin)Front Row: Jim Hulm (Timber Lake), Harry Kindt (Mobridge), Ruth Fischer (Smee), Not pictured Shane Farlee (Dupree), Scott Vance (Faith)
ESA 5 News
6 3
2011 has arrived, bringing with it the start of many new things; including a new semester in most schools. The new semester is also important in a different way for the teachers participating in our Technology Bootcamp, as it officially marks the halfway point of the grant-funded program. We, as an ESA, have put a lot of effort into getting the word out about the Technology Bootcamp project to make sure schools were informed about this exciting opportunity. Now we feel it is important that teachers and administrators are able to hear firsthand accounts from participating teachers about how the project has affected their teaching and their students’ learning. The following showcases the experiences of three Technology Bootcamp teachers.
Linda Schanzenbach5th Grade Teacher
Selby Elementary SchoolWhen I first signed up for Bootcamp, I thought it would be a great way to gain some insight into the workings of a Promethean board...which had ar-rived over the summer and would be “wayyyyyy” more ready for me in the fall than I was for it! The good news is, Bootcamp has done all that for me plus way more! The coaching and instruc-tion we’ve received has been wonderful...enough coaching and instruction to get you pumped, but laid back enough so you can decide how to use the new tools and instruction in your own situation. Some of the new tools I now use on a regular ba-sis are Photostory, Spellingcity, Quizlet, Expres-sions handsets, etc. ---they really are just the tip of the iceberg, however! I now possess the power
to look for other tools on the net to fit my needs! I’ve found that technology doesn’t have to be a hurdle; it can fit in well with what you already do! These new tools have been great...my kids actu-ally go on Spellingcity and Quizlet at home to review for tests! We have a new Science series this year that’s hard, and kids are dealing with it much better than at the beginning of the year. I’d love to say it’s been easy and there’s no extra work involved--but--so far it’s been very much worth any trials or tribulations that have occurred. I’m looking forward to using technology more and re-alizing how to fit it into my classroom to make instruction more 21st Century! Bootcamp rocks!
Connie Klaudt2nd Grade Teacher
McIntosh Elementary SchoolTeachers are responsible for juggling content of where students are and where they need to go. Adding technology further complicates and/or en-hances one’s curriculum. Today, technology gives students something to be excited about. Therefore, using technology in the classroom is not just an option anymore; it is our changing world. I have always been one to get excited about new gadgets and technology. I have taken many courses and continue to attend TIE each year, attend work-shops and be part of our school’s technology team. Through Technology Boot Camp I have been able to expand my knowledge and bring more to my students. It is not just one project that excites me, but many. The Smart Board has also enhanced my teaching and student learning for three years now. It can be used all day in every subject. I also have my students using laptops, Renaissance Neos, and the Smart Board. They use programs such as SuccessMaker, Star Reading and Star Math, Accelerated Reading and Math, Key Words, Spell-ing City, Digital Weekly Reader, Plato Learning, and Microsoft office products. Since Technology Boot Camp I have added activities that use To-daysMeet, Wordle, Picnik, Photo Stories, Google Earth, Google Docs, Google Lit Trips and more.
My students have learned how to log on to
Bootcamp Teachers
Share New Learning
Toni Huber, to map out a plan of action. Some use Distance Education courses to complete necessary credits. Others work on classroom assignments in the Alternative Classroom where the atmosphere is more relaxed, the décor more homelike, and where the student has access to one-on-one help while working. At times, hours of attendance are altered to better serve the student. Increased communication with home is key to the program.
Another unique feature of the Lemmon School District is our Extended School Program (EST). Students (K-6) have the option of attending EST after every school day from 3:45-5:00. EST is also offered on Fridays from 8:00-5:00. The program is administered by a certified teacher who plans educational activities for the students. It is offered free of charge to parents. Lemmon Elementary qualifies for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program where students have a variety of fresh fruits and/or vegetables each day as a snack.To address the issue of bullying, Lemmon Elementary has implemented a program called “Link Together for Change”. Once a month, Teresa Peterson, SPED director, conducts a session to educate students about bullying. In addition, students are constructing a paper chain around the lunch commons area. Each time a student commits an act of kindness he/she adds a link to the chain. Along with that effort, they’ve started a “Good Citizen” program at the elementary where students are recognized for behaviors/efforts that are noteworthy and beneficial to their school community.
District-Wide Professional Development Initiatives
For that past two years, four teachers have been involved in the SD Counts training. This year will be their third year of that training. In addition, we have two teachers participating in the Technology Boot Camp program through NWAS/ESA 5.
Good News from the Lemmon School DistrictEven in the face of budget cuts the Lemmon School District has retained a number of elective classes. Art is offered K-12 in the district and is taught by two certified art teachers. The Lemmon School District also has a rich program of extra-curricular activities that students can be involved in. The cross country and volleyball teams have had great success that past two years. In addition, many of the athletic teams qualify year after year as academic all-state teams. The oral interp team recently brought back a team award from state competition. In the arts, students can tap their theatrical talents by auditioning for One Act. The LHS music department has a history of excellence and continues to expand. Music opportunities include band, jazz band, junior jazz, choir, drum line, mini drum line to name a few. Each spring the music department produces a Dinner Theatre that is a community highlight. Lemmon has an active FFA chapter as well as a Journalism department that publishes “The Lemmon Squeezer” quarterly and the annual yearbook. Students have the option of joining the
Close-Up group to work toward a trip to Washington, DC. At the elementary school the Solid Foundation
Lemmon Spotlight Cont...
An 8th Grade student shows how her Volcano Project works!
ESA 5 News
4 5
and save to the server and take tests from the Achievement Series. I use Achieve-ment Series, AIMS Web, Plato, Star Read-ing and Math for assessments. They are excited every time we have computer time.
I believe that students will need technol-ogy tools for their future. They are grow-ing up in a society that won’t remember the “good old days”. The reality of technology is that as teachers we need to sift through the material to decide what is educational and what are just bells and whistles. So-cial networks have become a big part of so-ciety away from the school setting. Schools need to teach kids how to be lifelong learners and how to be sensible and safe.
Jaimie Odde Title Reading Teacher
Mobridge-Pollock Middle School
About a year ago, I, along with all of the teachers in this area, received an email about something called Technology Bootcamp. The term bootcamp usually has a bad connotation, however, I was intrigued. I am not a technology “buff” by any means, but I am always interested in new ways to teach my students. So, I signed up to be part of this year-long class, and have been busy ever since. Due to my unique class schedule, my experience with the Technology Bootcamp has been a little different than some of the other teachers. Each quarter I teach a new group of 7th (and now 6th) grade study
Bootcamp Cont...
skills. The big project I have been using with the Bootcamp revolves around the Google Earth program. My students, with the help of a partner, choose one place in the world where they would like to travel. Through Google Earth, they track their entire trip from start to finish. They also use Microsoft Word and Excel to keep a daily journal and track their entire travel budget. This project has not only helped the students with reading, language arts, and history standards, but it has also taught them some valuable lessons. On the last day of the project, I had students fill out an evaluation of the Google Earth assignment. One student wrote that she now realizes how much time and money parents actually put into planning a vacation! All in all, I have learned many new technological tools that I hope to continue to incorporate into my teaching.
Lemmon School District 52-4Lemmon’s vision is to develop productive citizens in a safe, challenging, and disciplined environment by encouraging the academic, social, psychological, and physical development of each student. The K-12 enrollment consists of 271 students served by 28 educators and 18 other staff members. In recent years, the Lemmon School District made the decision to go to a four-day school week. Teachers are required to work two Friday mornings per month, where students are encouraged to come in for personalized tutoring as needed. Other work days for teachers are used for professional development and trainings.
The Lemmon School Board recently made an encouraging commitment to technology for their student body. Students (7-12) have individual laptop computers that can be taken home. Students (4-6) have individual laptops that are used throughout the school day but are not taken home. Students (K-3) have access to a lab of new Bytespeed minis. In addition, there are ten Smart boards being used in the district and both attendance centers are wireless. The following are ways in which students in the Lemmon School District are utilizing the force of technology to enhance their learning: At the high school, students utilize WebCT in classes such as Brit Lit, Creative Writing, and College Prep. Audacity is used by students to make commercials for the local radio station and for music auditions. Movie Maker and Photostory 3 are being used to make presentations in junior high and high school
Lemmon School
Spotlight
classrooms. Shop and Ag classes use Sketchup. Mathtype, a math graphing software is used in high school math classes. Google Earth is used in geography class. The Journalism department uses Picasa, picture software. At the elementary, students learn to keyboard and use online learning sites such as Study Dog and Education City. Concurrently they utilize Accelerated Math and Reading software to enhance these skills and support classroom teaching. In addition, students learn to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint at this primary level. First grade students recently created books to go along with the story, I Went Walking. They also made books about habitats and are currently working on digital Christmas lists for Santa. Recently, the 4th and 5th grade students created businesses, designing business cards, brochures, and marketing items purchased from Oriental Trading.
Unique to the Lemmon School District is their “school within a school”. In room 211 of the high school you’ll find an Alternative Classroom where every effort is made to inspire students to be successful. The program was originally created when South Dakota raised the drop out age to eighteen and Lemmon was experiencing more drop outs and/or students failing core classes. Students, who are referred to this program, meet with the supervisor,
Young chemists at work
Dates To RememberDecember 1 through February 28 Write to Learn Winter window March 2 Technology Bootcamp East River Cohort in Ipswich March 9 Technology Bootcamp West River Cohort in Isabel
7th Grade Students work on Google Earth
ESA 5 News
4 5
and save to the server and take tests from the Achievement Series. I use Achieve-ment Series, AIMS Web, Plato, Star Read-ing and Math for assessments. They are excited every time we have computer time.
I believe that students will need technol-ogy tools for their future. They are grow-ing up in a society that won’t remember the “good old days”. The reality of technology is that as teachers we need to sift through the material to decide what is educational and what are just bells and whistles. So-cial networks have become a big part of so-ciety away from the school setting. Schools need to teach kids how to be lifelong learners and how to be sensible and safe.
Jaimie Odde Title Reading Teacher
Mobridge-Pollock Middle School
About a year ago, I, along with all of the teachers in this area, received an email about something called Technology Bootcamp. The term bootcamp usually has a bad connotation, however, I was intrigued. I am not a technology “buff” by any means, but I am always interested in new ways to teach my students. So, I signed up to be part of this year-long class, and have been busy ever since. Due to my unique class schedule, my experience with the Technology Bootcamp has been a little different than some of the other teachers. Each quarter I teach a new group of 7th (and now 6th) grade study
Bootcamp Cont...
skills. The big project I have been using with the Bootcamp revolves around the Google Earth program. My students, with the help of a partner, choose one place in the world where they would like to travel. Through Google Earth, they track their entire trip from start to finish. They also use Microsoft Word and Excel to keep a daily journal and track their entire travel budget. This project has not only helped the students with reading, language arts, and history standards, but it has also taught them some valuable lessons. On the last day of the project, I had students fill out an evaluation of the Google Earth assignment. One student wrote that she now realizes how much time and money parents actually put into planning a vacation! All in all, I have learned many new technological tools that I hope to continue to incorporate into my teaching.
Lemmon School District 52-4Lemmon’s vision is to develop productive citizens in a safe, challenging, and disciplined environment by encouraging the academic, social, psychological, and physical development of each student. The K-12 enrollment consists of 271 students served by 28 educators and 18 other staff members. In recent years, the Lemmon School District made the decision to go to a four-day school week. Teachers are required to work two Friday mornings per month, where students are encouraged to come in for personalized tutoring as needed. Other work days for teachers are used for professional development and trainings.
The Lemmon School Board recently made an encouraging commitment to technology for their student body. Students (7-12) have individual laptop computers that can be taken home. Students (4-6) have individual laptops that are used throughout the school day but are not taken home. Students (K-3) have access to a lab of new Bytespeed minis. In addition, there are ten Smart boards being used in the district and both attendance centers are wireless. The following are ways in which students in the Lemmon School District are utilizing the force of technology to enhance their learning: At the high school, students utilize WebCT in classes such as Brit Lit, Creative Writing, and College Prep. Audacity is used by students to make commercials for the local radio station and for music auditions. Movie Maker and Photostory 3 are being used to make presentations in junior high and high school
Lemmon School
Spotlight
classrooms. Shop and Ag classes use Sketchup. Mathtype, a math graphing software is used in high school math classes. Google Earth is used in geography class. The Journalism department uses Picasa, picture software. At the elementary, students learn to keyboard and use online learning sites such as Study Dog and Education City. Concurrently they utilize Accelerated Math and Reading software to enhance these skills and support classroom teaching. In addition, students learn to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint at this primary level. First grade students recently created books to go along with the story, I Went Walking. They also made books about habitats and are currently working on digital Christmas lists for Santa. Recently, the 4th and 5th grade students created businesses, designing business cards, brochures, and marketing items purchased from Oriental Trading.
Unique to the Lemmon School District is their “school within a school”. In room 211 of the high school you’ll find an Alternative Classroom where every effort is made to inspire students to be successful. The program was originally created when South Dakota raised the drop out age to eighteen and Lemmon was experiencing more drop outs and/or students failing core classes. Students, who are referred to this program, meet with the supervisor,
Young chemists at work
Dates To RememberDecember 1 through February 28 Write to Learn Winter window March 2 Technology Bootcamp East River Cohort in Ipswich March 9 Technology Bootcamp West River Cohort in Isabel
7th Grade Students work on Google Earth
ESA 5 News
2 7
Principals Focus on Leading
TechnologyAs you may remember last August a group of principals began a class, Leadership in Technology Bootcamp with leadership expert Kevin Miller. Since that time, thirteen principals have continued to increase their own professional use of technology in their leadership roles and also how to support their teachers currently involved in the Learning to Lead in the 21st Century Title II D Grant. At their class in November, the principals shared their yearlong projects with each other. The projects range from designing websites and wikis to using blogs and Google Docs. All the technology tools they shared focus on the 21st Century Skills of communication and collaboration with their staff, students and communities. The frustrations they were experiencing with technology and taking the time to implement their ideas were shared. The principals were made aware of the incredible ideas their teachers are using to integrate 21st Century Skills and technology in their classrooms. These leaders are participating in the social networking site on Thinkfinity in their principals group, just as the teachers are sharing in their teachers group. The site is being used to post their ideas and to share with one another.
Currently the principals are focusing on plans that will help them sustain the growth they and their teachers are having during this year of the Technology Grant. The next assignment will be to observe a Bootcamp teacher’s lesson and post on Thinkfinity what they see happening with the students in their schools. ESA 5 is making plans to continue the classes now being offered and additional classes focused on 21st Century Skills and technology. These new classes will be added to our service plan. We look forward to offering advanced work for the teachers and principals involved this year and repeat this year’s class for other teachers who want to join this exciting learning experience. We are all definitely learning to lead!
Technology Bootcamp
program has been used as a vehicle to evaluate various aspects of the school. As a result changes have been made to enhance communication with parents and to better meet the needs of students. A back-to-school potluck was held at the beginning of the year to open the lines of communication with parents.
District Utilization of ESA 5:In the past, NWAS/ESA 5 has conducted Achievement Series and Promethean Board trainings. They also conducted a recent data retreat aiding the district in making decisions to enhance student curriculum. Additionally, new teaching staff have been enrolled in the teacher mentoring program.
South Dakota has designated January 10 – 14, 2011 as School Board Recognition Week. ESA 5 would like to publicly thank all of the members of Northwest Area Schools board and all members of the twenty-one school boards across our region for serving on our local Boards of Education. Thank-you for your dedication to our children and our communities.
More than 880 South Dakotans are members of a local school board. The community members who serve on our school boards are responsible for set-ting the vision and goals for our districts. The school
School Board Recognition
Week
A student in the high school physics class put his knowledge to work boards also hire quality educators, adopt poli-
cies and evaluate progress while keeping the interest of our students first, creating schools where all children can learn and grow.
Beyond that, our board members play a very real role in preparing the districts’ stu-dents for an ever-changing world. They help spread the word about the individual and collective successes of our students and our professional staff. This year they will face perhaps the greatest test of their leader-ship as we work to ensure that tight finan-cial situations don’t translate into a reduc-tion in the quality of education we can offer.
Our communities are fortunate to have such dedicated individuals on our school boards. South Dakota School Board Recognition Week provides a perfect opportunity to hon-or the contributions being made daily by our school board members. Please take a moment to thank our public servants who care about education by serving on our school boards.
Pictured left to right: Craig Cassens, Kelly Daughters, Jill Olson, Joe Lenz, Julie Marshall, and Sarah Schweitzer
Northwest Area Schools BoardPictured Back Row left to right: Sandy Baumberger (McIntosh), Dan Beckman (Bison), Dale Turbiville (Harding Co.) Wilfred Jones (McLaughlin)Front Row: Jim Hulm (Timber Lake), Harry Kindt (Mobridge), Ruth Fischer (Smee), Not pictured Shane Farlee (Dupree), Scott Vance (Faith)
ESA 5 News
6 3
2011 has arrived, bringing with it the start of many new things; including a new semester in most schools. The new semester is also important in a different way for the teachers participating in our Technology Bootcamp, as it officially marks the halfway point of the grant-funded program. We, as an ESA, have put a lot of effort into getting the word out about the Technology Bootcamp project to make sure schools were informed about this exciting opportunity. Now we feel it is important that teachers and administrators are able to hear firsthand accounts from participating teachers about how the project has affected their teaching and their students’ learning. The following showcases the experiences of three Technology Bootcamp teachers.
Linda Schanzenbach5th Grade Teacher
Selby Elementary SchoolWhen I first signed up for Bootcamp, I thought it would be a great way to gain some insight into the workings of a Promethean board...which had ar-rived over the summer and would be “wayyyyyy” more ready for me in the fall than I was for it! The good news is, Bootcamp has done all that for me plus way more! The coaching and instruc-tion we’ve received has been wonderful...enough coaching and instruction to get you pumped, but laid back enough so you can decide how to use the new tools and instruction in your own situation. Some of the new tools I now use on a regular ba-sis are Photostory, Spellingcity, Quizlet, Expres-sions handsets, etc. ---they really are just the tip of the iceberg, however! I now possess the power
to look for other tools on the net to fit my needs! I’ve found that technology doesn’t have to be a hurdle; it can fit in well with what you already do! These new tools have been great...my kids actu-ally go on Spellingcity and Quizlet at home to review for tests! We have a new Science series this year that’s hard, and kids are dealing with it much better than at the beginning of the year. I’d love to say it’s been easy and there’s no extra work involved--but--so far it’s been very much worth any trials or tribulations that have occurred. I’m looking forward to using technology more and re-alizing how to fit it into my classroom to make instruction more 21st Century! Bootcamp rocks!
Connie Klaudt2nd Grade Teacher
McIntosh Elementary SchoolTeachers are responsible for juggling content of where students are and where they need to go. Adding technology further complicates and/or en-hances one’s curriculum. Today, technology gives students something to be excited about. Therefore, using technology in the classroom is not just an option anymore; it is our changing world. I have always been one to get excited about new gadgets and technology. I have taken many courses and continue to attend TIE each year, attend work-shops and be part of our school’s technology team. Through Technology Boot Camp I have been able to expand my knowledge and bring more to my students. It is not just one project that excites me, but many. The Smart Board has also enhanced my teaching and student learning for three years now. It can be used all day in every subject. I also have my students using laptops, Renaissance Neos, and the Smart Board. They use programs such as SuccessMaker, Star Reading and Star Math, Accelerated Reading and Math, Key Words, Spell-ing City, Digital Weekly Reader, Plato Learning, and Microsoft office products. Since Technology Boot Camp I have added activities that use To-daysMeet, Wordle, Picnik, Photo Stories, Google Earth, Google Docs, Google Lit Trips and more.
My students have learned how to log on to
Bootcamp Teachers
Share New Learning
Toni Huber, to map out a plan of action. Some use Distance Education courses to complete necessary credits. Others work on classroom assignments in the Alternative Classroom where the atmosphere is more relaxed, the décor more homelike, and where the student has access to one-on-one help while working. At times, hours of attendance are altered to better serve the student. Increased communication with home is key to the program.
Another unique feature of the Lemmon School District is our Extended School Program (EST). Students (K-6) have the option of attending EST after every school day from 3:45-5:00. EST is also offered on Fridays from 8:00-5:00. The program is administered by a certified teacher who plans educational activities for the students. It is offered free of charge to parents. Lemmon Elementary qualifies for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program where students have a variety of fresh fruits and/or vegetables each day as a snack.To address the issue of bullying, Lemmon Elementary has implemented a program called “Link Together for Change”. Once a month, Teresa Peterson, SPED director, conducts a session to educate students about bullying. In addition, students are constructing a paper chain around the lunch commons area. Each time a student commits an act of kindness he/she adds a link to the chain. Along with that effort, they’ve started a “Good Citizen” program at the elementary where students are recognized for behaviors/efforts that are noteworthy and beneficial to their school community.
District-Wide Professional Development Initiatives
For that past two years, four teachers have been involved in the SD Counts training. This year will be their third year of that training. In addition, we have two teachers participating in the Technology Boot Camp program through NWAS/ESA 5.
Good News from the Lemmon School DistrictEven in the face of budget cuts the Lemmon School District has retained a number of elective classes. Art is offered K-12 in the district and is taught by two certified art teachers. The Lemmon School District also has a rich program of extra-curricular activities that students can be involved in. The cross country and volleyball teams have had great success that past two years. In addition, many of the athletic teams qualify year after year as academic all-state teams. The oral interp team recently brought back a team award from state competition. In the arts, students can tap their theatrical talents by auditioning for One Act. The LHS music department has a history of excellence and continues to expand. Music opportunities include band, jazz band, junior jazz, choir, drum line, mini drum line to name a few. Each spring the music department produces a Dinner Theatre that is a community highlight. Lemmon has an active FFA chapter as well as a Journalism department that publishes “The Lemmon Squeezer” quarterly and the annual yearbook. Students have the option of joining the
Close-Up group to work toward a trip to Washington, DC. At the elementary school the Solid Foundation
Lemmon Spotlight Cont...
An 8th Grade student shows how her Volcano Project works!
EWinter 2011
Contents:
Math Specialist Position Changes 1 Principals Participate in Technology Bootcamp 2
Teachers Participate in Technology Bootcamp 3-4
Dates to Remember 4
Lemmon Spotlight 5-7 ESA 5 Contacts 8
S A 5 NEWS
South Dakota Education Service Agency
1
Vision of ESA 5ESA 5 aims to serve its schools by supporting them and their leadership teams. Our relationship with each school will focus on building capacity for sustainable change. The vision of our ESA is to embed the following practices in each
school: Use data to identify needs
Develop effective and usable plans based on needs Use research-based strategies, resources, and training
Implement PD that positively impacts student learning Use formative and summative assessments to monitor progress
8
Director Cris Owens
(605) 230-0903
Education Specialist Erin Dale
(605) 850-1631
Education Specialist Holly Schumacher
(605) 850-1209
Assistant Director Kelly Daughters
(605) 230-1181
Education Specialist Brittany Knudson
(605) 850-1739
www.sdesa.k12.sd.us/esa5See the ESA 5 website for information, descriptions, and fees for
professional development opportunities
www.sdesa.k12.sd.us/esa5
Mid-November brought about the resignation of Tracy Mittleider as the Math Specialist for ESA 5. Tracy has accepted a position as a math specialist with Tiospaye Topa School in LaPlant. As Tracy made plans to leave the ESA, Johny Weber, also a trainer with the South Dakota Counts grant, has stepped into Tracy’s position. We are fortunate to have been able to make such a seamless transition for our twelve teachers involved in the South Dakota Counts program.
Johny received her teaching degree from Black Hills State University, her masters from NSU and her Specialist and PhD from USD. Johny worked with SD Counts as a math specialist with ESA 4 several years ago. Currently she teaches an online class for NSU as an adjunct professor. She lives in Timber Lake and helps manage her family’s ranch. She has been “retired” from education for the past two years. We are fortunate to have a great educator join our ESA.
The main focus of our ESA is to continue to provide the twelve participating teachers in our region with the leadership and training they need for the remaining year and a half of the grant. As South Dakota moves towards implementing the Common Core Standards in math over the next few years, this math initiative will be extremely valuable to the students and teachers.
ESA 5 Math Specialist Position Changes Hands
Johny Weber
ESA 5 Staff
READ ESA 5’s latest Professional Develop-ment post at www.sdesa.k12.sd.us/esa5. The link can be found under resources and then “Hot Topics.”