Hi everyone,
Just caught this article on NYSUT’s newswire – “Biden, Duncan praise union for taking lead in teacher effectiveness”
NYSUT News Wire – September 9, 2009 .
Click on the link to read the article. http://www.nysut.org/cps/rde/xchg/nysut/hs.xsl/highereducation_13414.htm
Have a great day,
Barbara
Hi everyone,
Well, we made it through the first week and look forward to a restful weekend.
It is time to update your MLP profile if you’ve changed schools or grade level. Your profile determines the classes that are available for you. Please make sure you check ONLY your home school. If you travel, your home school is wherever you receive your paycheck.
Log on to MLP and look at the bottom of the orange pane on your left and click on My User Profile.
Click on the proper Home Building, Department, and Grade Level then click on Save at the bottom of the page. That’s it – you’re done!
Have a great weekend,
Barbara
Hi everyone,
Welcome back! I hope you had a really great summer vacation!
Our graduate courses are posted on the M-TRACT website and inservice will be posted shortly. If you have an idea for a new inservice course that you would either like to instruct or feel would be beneficial, please contact me. It takes all of us to make a successful teacher center.
The technology staff was busy all summer setting up your new computers and many more SMART Boards. I had very good feedback on the SMART Board boot camps as well as the in-service SMART classes. Once you start using your boards, you’ll wonder how you ever taught without them! You can look forward to more SMART training throughout the year – both district and inservice.
The M-TRACT staff will be busy setting up our new cut-out maker – ask your liaisons for more information and keep posted to our blog as to when it is ready for your use. In addition, we will have many new technology tools for you to borrow including a digital video camera, two digital cameras, SMART doc cameras, a MAC laptop as well as PC laptops. Use them to enhance your lessons!
I look forward to a successful new year and as always am here if you need anything – just email your questions and input!
Thanks and have a great year,
Barbara
The first is about in-service forms. You know how we’ve always had to fill in an out-of-district inservice request both on My Learning Plan AND in writing? Well, Dr. Fasano and I have worked it out so now you just need to submit it on MLP, then PRINT it and send to Dr. Fasano for his signature. That was actually the sticking point. The State requires his signature.
Have a great day!
Hi everyone,
I hope you had a really terrific week and a half off. I always find this vacation the most relaxing. Anyway, we’re on the home stretch! Two more months and it’s summer!
As an FYI, I wanted to let you know that I am planning to have more in-service classes offered this summer so stay tuned! If there are any classes that you are planning to take for in-service this year, please sign up ASAP. By the end of this month, I’ll have to postpone the class until after June 30th if I see that there is low enrollment.
I already emailed you the following but just in case you missed it:
MESTRACT is offering a special workshop:Leading Instruction with the Brain in MindA National Staff Development Council presenter, Dr. Armstrong shows how current brain research is opening up new ways for us to reach our students. This special 4 hour workshop provides each participant with a copy of Dr. Armstrong’s book, Teaching Smarter with the Brain in Focus, published by Scholastic. Learn how to apply the current research to your classroom practice and have hundreds of “use tomorrow” strategies that will engage students and increase their understanding of any curricular area.
“This is a must-read for every K-12 teacher, so put it at the top of your professional study stack! Sarah Armstrong shows us how brain research informs best-practice teaching, how to work “smarter” – rather than harder – to plan and implement lessons, and how to really reach all learners. Readable, accessible, and chock full of success stories, you’ll return to parts of this book again and again as you plan, teach, reteach and assess.” Laura Robb, author, national consultant. Registration fee of $15.00 includes book. Professional hours are recommended for this workshop. Suitable for Grades K-12. Please register online at www.mestract.org
The workshop takes place on May 5th from 4-8 PM at the Courtyard by Marriott in Ronkonkoma, right off exit 60 on the LIE. Please call 631-345-3460 for any additional information.
I have TERRIFIC news!!!! Teaching Centers have been placed back in the budget!!~! This doesn’t mean we’re completely safe because the budget still has to be voted on but at least we’re IN the budget! I want to thank all of you for your support and especially those who went to the “Write Your Legislator” site at NYSUT. A very special thank you to Jordan McCaw, our PAC representative, who made special note of teaching centers at the Committee of 100!
I know the contest flyers have not yet been distributed. We are waiting to hear who is getting SMART boards next year so that we don’t waste your time. I should hopefully hear by tomorrow.
Hi everyone!
I have lots of very exciting news! Most importantly, Senator Fuschillo stopped by M-TRACT today. The library media department was in and working very diligently. I showed him all of our equipment and he was very impressed. He really loved the color poster maker and Smart Board. He asked if I thought teachers take advantage of all that the Smart Board has to offer. I said, “Absolutely in this district!” I told him how you have training so you know how much can be accomplished with its integration into the classroom.
Okay – so that was exciting news #1 – now for #2
I went to the Celebration for Teaching and Learning last week – great conference by the way! I learned some new things but am just at the tip of the iceberg. I have to delve in to get more information and then I’ll share with you.
Anyway, to make a long story short – I won a SMART BOARD!!!!! After speaking to Jenny, and bringing it up to the board, the decision was made that we are going to have a Smart Board contest!!!! Watch for the application information. I have to leave for a conference today but will return Tuesday. The flyers will be available then.
Have a great weekend!
If you haven’t done so already, please click here to send a letter supporting teacher centers –Letter to my Legislator– click on select this letter and follow the prompts to send a letter in favor of restoring teacher center funding to your legislator. You will only need to choose your home zip code – NYSUT will do the rest. It’s QUICK and EASY!!! Thanks for your help!
Now you can easily see what courses are available not only in our area but the area where you live! The catalog is a work in progress so not all teacher centers have been represented as yet but they will be in the near future.
Remember that any inservice outside the district MUST be approved by Dr. Fasano before you register!
Visit the online catalog at http://liteachercenters.org
Enjoy!
Hi!
Tomorrow is the big day – hope to see you at the Taxpayer Rally in Farmingdale!
I have a couple of websites I thought you may be interested in. One is a blog about SmartBoards created by The Teacher Center of Broome County’s Smart Board blog
“Getting Smarter with SMART Boards”
http://gettingsmarterwithsmartboards.blogspot.com/
and the other is an article in the February 2009 issue of NJEA Review (New Jersey Education Association)about SmartBoards in which the Broome County TC was mentioned.
The article is available online and is entitled: “Using SMART Board in the Classroom”.
http://www.njea.org/page.aspx?z=1083&pz=11
Enjoy – have a great weekend,
Barbara
M-TRACT 