Educational Service Unit 13
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Chadron Site
Crites Hall
Chadron State College
Chadron, NE 69337
Phone: (308) 432-6495
Scottsbluff Site
4215 Avenue I
Scottsbluff, NE 69361
Phone: (308) 635-3696
FAX: (308) 635-0680
Sidney Site
1114 Toledo Street
Sidney, NE 69162
Phone: (308) 254-4677
FAX: (308) 254-5371

Mission:
Educational Service Unit #13...
Striving to achieve educational excellence for all learners
through strong partnerships, service, and leadership.

Click here to learn more about ESU 13
Calendar:
Click Event for Details




Dawes County Historical School
 Students in Dawes County went to school in 1888 today.  Led by School Marm, Vicki Kotschwar, third grade students from Chadron Intermediate School practiced reading, penmanship with ink and quill and practicing orthography (spelling) on slate boards. 

The students dressed in period clothes and brought their lunches in coffee cans. The reading lesson today was from the McGuffey readers and the afternoon offered a tour of the museum and everyone's favorite....recess.  

Each year ESU13 partners with the museum volunteers and local schools to provide this experience. 

You Tube Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9hgPI7-Qis 

Outdoor Discovery Learning Day

ESU#13 assisted again with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at the annual Outdoor 
Discovery Program at Trails West YMCA Camp in Scottsbluff. The free event is designed for fifth, sixth and seventh grade students. 
The day was full of a diverse set of hands-on activities and demonstrations making the Outdoor Discovery Program a memorable experience!  This was an opportunity to endorse physical outdoor activities before summer break. 
In addition, presentations incorporated state academic standards, relating classroom concepts to real life 
experience.

The Outdoor Discovery Program strives to achieve the following objectives. 
 Provide hands-on programs so all youth, novice or experienced, have the opportunity to explore new 
outdoor activities, recreational possibilities and learn new outdoor skills. 
 Enhance their knowledge and ethical understanding of wildlife and the outdoor atmosphere. 
 Encourage health and wellness to students by promoting active outdoor lifestyles. 
 Correlate activities with Nebraska State Standards in the areas of science, math, history, reading, 
and writing. 
 Engage students in fun interactive activities in the areas of wildlife/habitat management, natural 
resource use, Nebraska History, shooting sports, hunting skills, aquatic knowledge and fishing skills, 
and camping and recreation.
VALTS Tree Planting

On Friday April 26, students from VALTS (the ESU13 Alternative Ed High School program) went to Roubidoux R.V. Park near Five Rocks Amphitheatre in Gering to plant trees for Arbor Day.  In less than three hours, 40 students and staff planted 150 trees.  



These trees will be used by the City of Gering to replace dead and dying trees in their parks. We would like to thank the NRD, First State Bank and Bomgaars for talking to the students about the importance of trees.  First State Bank supplied snacks and water after the students had finished planting trees for the day.

 Written by Olivia Paddack - VALTS Student   

Sidney Continues Instructional Design and Delivery Implementation
 Sidney Superintendent, Jay Ehler, and DataWORKS trainer, John Hollingsworth, discuss lesson design while Sidney elementary teachers share ideas with their partners. John spent the day working with three groups (K-4, 6-8, 9-12)  on the elements of quality lesson design and delivery that engages all students in learning.
This was Sidney’s second in-service day with John Hollingsworth. Earlier in the school year, teachers were trained in an overview of the
Well-Crafted, Well Taught Lesson by DataWORKS. These lesson components are research based, include opportunities to check understanding of all students, utilize higher order questions, and maintain grade level expectations for learning.
Many of the ESU districts have attended or hosted one or more workshops by DataWORKS this year. New trainings and continued implementation have already been scheduled for the 2013-2014 school year. Call SOAR or check our offerings in the 2013-2014 Professional Development Summer/Fall Flyers that are being delivered to our districts the first week in May.

ESU # 13 – Transition Services Hosts The Youth First Conference – Western Region – April 4, 2013

203 Transition students attended the Sixth annual conference at The Harms Advanced Technology Center.  18 school districts participated in the event funded by The Assistive Technology Partnership.

The Keynote speaker for the event was Ben Glenn, “The Chalk Guy”, of Indiana.  His message was one of challenge, reaching your potential, and overcoming challenges.  As he spoke, he created a giant mural which will be hung for all to enjoy and remember.  He had the audience captured with his message.


Following the keynote, break-out sessions were held on technology use, voting, dating, conflict  resolution, health & wellness, stress, self-advocacy, bullying, and friendship development.



Some students participated in a Jobs Olympics Event.  Competitions were held in window washing, silverware wrapping, gift wrapping, product assembly, collating and stuffing, shirt folding, condiment filling, and inserting batteries into devices. Ribbons and trophies were presented to the winners.




Visit the Conference Blog site for all the details:  http://youthfirstconference.blogspot.com


Recognizing Excellence

Dan Huber, longtime ESU13 Juvenile Detention Center teacher, was recently recognized in the Scotts Bluff County employee newsletter. We wanted to share it with you.

“I wanted to give recognition and thanks to Dan Huber for the many great things he has done for our facility.  Dan has been a part of our organization for 17 years and is always striving to make a difference.  I consider Dan as part of our team and our family.  He has been with us since the old facility.  Dan goes out of his way getting things for the kids and he is always willing to listen to any of the kids when they need someone to talk to.  Dan works well with everyone and he has a big heart.”

-Meera Scribner

 

Dan grew up in Chadron, Nebraska.  He later moved to Colorado where he attended and graduated from high school.  After high school graduation, Dan enlisted in the Navy.  After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Dan attended Metropolitan State College.  He later transferred to Kearney where he received his Bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate.  Dan also attended Walden University where he obtained his Master’s degree.  Dan is certified to teach History and English.

 

“I love my job.  The kids keep me young and I feel that I can contribute in making their lives better!”

-Dan Huber


The Future of Textbooks is Here!!


Beth Still, ESU13 VALTS and NEVA teacher, recently traveled to the headquarters of Discovery Education to participate in a forum that focused on the future of textbooks.


Recently, Discovery Education assembled a group of 17 educators from the United States and Canada who are known in the edublogging community for being dreamers who know no boundaries, doers who are not afraid of failure, innovators who constantly push the envelope and outspoken advocates who tirelessly fight for what is best for students. This event was called the Beyond the Techbook Forum.


I was fortunate to receive an invitation to this event both last year and this year. For two days I got to brainstorm and share ideas with an amazing group of educators as well as some brilliant people from Discovery Education. Our mission was straightforward. We were to come up with ideas about what the future of textbooks should look like and work in teams to design the perfect textbook.


While I cannot speak for everyone there, I can say with certainty that the general consensus is that the ideal textbook will not look like a textbook at all. Discovery refers to their version of a textbook as a techbook. Even though it is nothing like a traditional textbook, they needed to call it something that educators were already familiar with.


Discovery Education has developed techbooks for elementary students as well as high school Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Space Science and Physics. Middle school techbooks have been created US History, World History, and World Geography  and Culture. Their next exciting project is the development of a math techbook. Districts from around the country have embraced the idea of using these product. Click here to review some of their stories.


Discovery hosted this forum to get feedback on what elements could be added to make their product even better. As a group we came up with a handful of “drivers” that we felt were essential components to include. We were divided into six groups and our mission was to develop a prototype of the perfect techbook that included as many of the drivers as possible.


We were told to dream big so we came up with some incredibly complex ideas. If Discovery Education incorporates our ideas this is what future techbooks could look like:



  • A book that does not look like a book at all, but would look more like a website. It would have tabs that would allow for easy navigation.

  • Vocabulary terms would be hyperlinked to a glossary. The book would be searchable as well.

  • A reader would be built in so that the text would be accessible to all students.

  • A variety of multimedia would be embedded. In a perfect world the students could customize their choices to fit their learning style.

  • A Help button that would instantly connect students with their teacher, peers, or content area experts to quickly answer questions and provide more indepth explanation of concepts.

  • Ability to leave “sticky notes” with comments or questions. These could provide a space for an asynchronous discussion within the book.

  • Teachers  could customize the book to provide the level of content support that is right for them. For example, new teachers might opt to include multiple layers of support that include ideas for how to frame discussions and step-by-step explanations to problems found in the book. Seasoned veterans might decide to see the bare bones version of the book because they already have their own vast library of resources.

  • A database of activities that have been created by teachers that use the techbook. These activities could be sorted by numerous categories including the standards they meet, number of time viewed, and rank given to them by the teachers who have used them.  

  • Teachers could be part of a network where they could connect with other teachers who are using the techbook. They could coordinate their plans and connect their classrooms.

Traditional textbooks are static and they are outdated by the time the reach our students. They served a purpose when information was scarce. Today information is all around us. Students need to learn valuable 21st century skills such as how to curate content and how to work and communicate in digital spaces. The more we embrace the shift to digital content the more we will help our students be successful in the world that exists today.


Thank you  Steve Dembo, Director of Social Media Strategy and Online Community and Lance Rougeux, Vice President of Learning Communities and Instructional Implementation at Discovery Education for organizing this event and listening to educators. I hope that our insight and ideas were helpful.


If you are interested in joining the ongoing conversation about this topic you can follow the hashtag #beyondtextbooks on Twitter. You can also read the blogs written by the educators who attended the event.



Attendee Blogs



  • Adam Bellow: @adambellow and @edutecher Founder of eduTecher / eduClipper, Educational Technologist, Public Speaker, GCT, Dad to Two Amazing Boys, and All Around Good Guy. He is also the closing keynote speaker for ISTE2013.

  • Angela Maiers: @angelamaiers  I believe these 2 words can change the world - #YouMatter - I'm an Educator, Author, Speaker passionate about literacy, learning, and power of social media.



  • Beth Still: @bethstill  Social studies teacher & online course designer. Moodler. Founder of the ISTE Newbie project. Difference maker. Super power: cat herder. #digicon12 organizer.





  • Chris Harbeck: @charbeck  Just a Grade 8 Math teacher trying out new things.

  • Darren Kuropatwa: @dkuropatwa  Curriculum Coordinator for Digital Learning at St. James-Assiniboia School Division Always in beta ∞ß.

  • Frank Noschese: @fnoschese  HS Physics Teacher • Inquiry • Modeling Instruction • Standards-Based Grading • PAEMST Awardee • TEDxNYED Speaker • NBCT • Husband • Father of 2.

  • Gordon Dahlby: @gdahlby  CoSN Project Mgr- online Community of Practice; Ed Tech Leadership Consultant/Advisor & Speaker-- Policy, Planning & Practice; past ISTE Board Directors, Iowan.

  • Joanne Manaster: @sciencegoddess  Biology lecturer, video science book reviewer, @sciamblogs- PsiVid. #IRPIndia New Media Journalist Feb 16-27, former international model who LOVES science!

  • Karl Fisch: @karlfisch  I ask a lot of questions. I have taught middle and high school students math for 23 years and am currently Director of Technology at Arapahoe High School.

  • Kyle Pace: @kylepace District Instructional Technology Specialist/Google Cert. Teacher. Ed Week Leader to Learn From. Presenter. #edcampKC. I connect dots. Learn, share, repeat.

  • MaryBeth Hertz: @mbteach   K-8 Technology Teacher and Technology Integration Specialist in Philadelphia. Edcamp Foundation Board member & organizer.




Social Studies Standards Alignment
The State School Board finally approved the most recent version of the Social Studies Standards. Many social studies teachers had been wondering when their area would take a front seat. While there is no requirement for a state-wide assessment for social studies, all schools are required to teach and assess each of the standards.
               
 Nearly 50 teachers of grades k-12 recently met to begin the standards alignment process. The main goal of the day was that all of the teachers present would have a thorough understanding of the standards for their grade levels. Harris Payne from the Nebraska Department of Education was also present to help clarify the standards-making process and provided guidance on how to address the requirements.
                The first step to understanding a standard is to identify what it is asking students to do (the content, the task, and the level of rigor). Teachers also identified vocabulary words that may need to be taught in order to meet the standard. One difficult part of this process was to identify the “big idea” for each standard. The teachers had to answer the question, “What is it we want our students to know or be able to do after they learn this?”
               
The next step was to prioritize the standards. Not all standards and indicators are created equal. Teachers evaluated the standards through three lenses: do the students need this knowledge to be successful in later grades/classes, in life, or are they required by law? If they meet this criterion, they can become “priority” standards. All standards need to be taught, but priority standards and indicators will get more time.
                Once the revised standards document is completed, districts will use it locally. They will review the work done and decide if they agree on the priority designations. They will also do the work of aligning their own courses and instructional materials. The final, and a critical, step is to find resources needed to cover priority standards/indicators that are not currently available to them.
                Although the work was difficult, most welcomed the chance to work with their new standards.
ESU 13 Comprehensive Initiative for Behavior Brings Nationally Recognized Expert to the Panhandle
In response to expressed school needs, ESU 13 has engaged the services of a national expert, Diana Browning Wright, who has successfully led implementation efforts across the country. She has a comprehensive plan designed to provide the facilitation and accountability to support schools towards implementation of a strong, evidence-based behavior system. 
Diana Browning Wright is a well-known trainer in California and nationally on topics related to behavior, assessment and intervention planning. She is also lead author of California Department of Education's Positive Interventions for Serious Behavior Problems.  Diana enjoys working with diverse faculties and systems to achieve high outcomes for all students. Her passion is sustaining reform efforts, building Communities of Practice, assessment linked to interventions, effective differentiated instruction, solving systemic barriers and resolving challenging behavior problems.  
 
Diana has been working with school districts in Nebraska and knows Nebraska well. She has worked with many other Nebraska school districts, most recently Grand Island Public Schools, to develop programs to meet the needs of students with behavior and mental health issues.
In March of 2013, Diana Browning Wright, in partnership with ESU 13, will provide our twenty-one member school districts an overview and introductory sessions as well as a special training on how to support the most challenged students. During the 2013-2014 school year, Diana will work with districts to create comprehensive systems development for behavior supports at all levels. Further facilitations on implementation challenges will be offered to our member districts during the 2014-15 school year.
In order to establish a system of positive behavior interventions and supports, school districts must prepare the groundwork by achieving the following:
 
Establishing a need and priority for improving student behavior, safety, and academic achievement. Identifying the change process as a top school improvement goal.
Securing staff and administrator commitment and leadership in the change process.
Developing a two- to three-year action plan with measurable goals and objectives.
And implementing the plan and providing sustained staff development and coaching opportunities.
 
ESU 13 has a long history of providing national expertise in behavioral support— Vern Jones, Jeffrey Sprague, Heather Robinson and Laura Riffel are experts who have supported our schools in the past. Now ESU 13 in collaboration with our member districts are ready to develop comprehensive systems that build on that work. ESU 13 has chosen Diana Browning Wright who has a track record of leading successful implementations over time. The adoption and adaptation of known effective behavioral supports models present a unique set of challenges. Programs are not always implemented well. Two of the most common reasons that comprehensive programs are ineffective are due to certain aspects being left out or inadequate training and problem-solving support to build high level of expertise with staff and administrator.
 
Our plan at ESU 13 includes a nationally known, high quality facilitator, development of local leaders to support their schools through the process, and ongoing professional development.
 
ESU 13 is excited to lead this initiative in the Panhandle of Nebraska knowing that quality school climate; effective classroom management and student support is linked to academic success. We look forward to working with Diana and our member districts to develop comprehensive behavioral programs that will meet the behavioral and mental health needs of the students in our schools. 
 

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