Category Archives: Literacy
Thursday, June 13, 2013 Common Core State Standards and Understanding by Design Summer Institute Brings Together Area Educators
Our first Common Core State Standards and Understanding by Design Summer Institute- a collaboration with the St. Louis Area Curriculum Coordinators Association (SLACCA) and Authentic Education- was a great success this week at the Fox School District. Educators from several Missouri districts, including, but not limited, to Kirkwood, Ladue, Parkway and Rockwood, attended three days of professional learning. Another three-day session of the CCSS & UbD Institute takes place July 8-10 at the Ritenour School District. Learn more at www.csd.org/wiggins. More photos from the June session will be posted to Flickr; you can read some of the thoughts shared by following the #CCSSUbD hashtag on Twitter.
Tags: Common Core State Standards, Cooperating School Districts, Fox School District, Kirkwood School District, Ladue School District, Parkway School District, Rockwood School District, Understanding by Design®
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- Posted under Classroom Technology, Collaborations, Common Core, Learning Division programs, Links, Literacy
Tuesday, June 4, 2013 What Common Core Learning Looks Like in the Classroom and How Leaders Foster It
In our region, there are schools and districts that use the language of PLCs and others that emphasize data collection/data teams. One of the sessions offered at the Common Core and Understanding by Design Institute is designed to honor the power of collaboration—for adults and for the students in our classrooms.
An important focus of the Common Core is for students to engage in academic discourse. One way in which they do this is through productive, collaborative, learning experiences where they answer questions, build understanding, and solve problems. In order for our students to engage in these collaborative experiences, we must engage in academic discourse through our own productive collaboration. In the session, educators from the region will explore and develop strategies for productive collaborative experiences in the classroom with students as well as outside the classroom with colleagues.
To learn more about the other sessions being offered over the course of this three-day professional learning opportunity, click here.
Tags: Collaboration, Common Core, Understanding by Design®, Grant Wiggins, PLC
Tuesday, May 28, 2013 St. Louis Area Libraries Offering Summer Reading Clubs
Local public libraries want you and your children to read this summer! Here’s a list of reading programs being offered, click on links for complete details, including special programming, guidelines, incentives:
St. Charles City-County Library District
Free Summer Reading Programs take place June 3 – August 3 | sign up at any branch. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Options for the St. Charles City-County Library District reading program include:
• Babies & Toddlers - young children who cannot consistently sit for a story
• Read Togethers- children who cannot read to themselves but will sit for a story
• Readers- children through grade 5 in the fall who can read to themselves
• Teen Reading Program – grade 6 in the fall through high school senior in the fall
• Adult Reading Program
St. Louis County Library
Free summer reading clubs run from May 13-August 3 | sign up at any branch. As an added incentive, preschool children through those entering 12th grade will have their fines waived when they sign up for a summer reading club. Options for the St. Louis County Library reading club include:
• Babies- keep track of how many books you read to your little one and how many library story times you attend on the log sheet you receive when you sign up
• Kids- track the number of minutes or books read on a special log sheet
• Teens- earn points by reading books, magazines, graphic novels and listening to audiobooks. Register & keep track of your reading online or pick up a log sheet at your nearest branch.
• Adults- individuals who complete the club will receive an SLCL beverage tumbler, coupons to Sonic and Penn Station, and will be entered into a drawing to win gift cards from Barnes & Noble, Starbucks and the St. Louis Bread Company.
St. Louis Public Library
All adult and high school readers are invited to join Pageturners, the Library’s reading club for adults between between May 6 – July 27 | sign up with your library card at any branch.
• Keep track of the Library books, e-books, audiobooks, and/or magazines you read or listen to in your Pageturners Reading Log.
• When you finish 10 books, you’ll receive a special Pageturners prize, a chance to win a laptop computer, and a chance to win two tickets to a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.
Tags: St. Charles City-County Library District, St. Louis County Library, St. Louis Public Library, summer reading club, summer reading program
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- Posted under Digital Media, Early Childhood, Links, Literacy
Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Teaching + Learning Today with Technology
The Learning Division of Cooperating School Districts is excited to invite you to participate in a week long edtech bootcamp! You should register for this summer professional development experience with Meg Ormiston if you want to create a classroom where students are engaged in creating projects aligned to the Common Core State Standards using digital tools. Meg feels teaching and learning today cannot be done without integrating technology and redesigning projects for students. This training is open for any interested K-12 educator.
During the course of the 5-day session, each participant will build, create, and publish project examples that they will have students complete back in the classroom. Participants are encouraged to bring materials they would like to redesign into technology rich projects. They will also learn new Web 2.0 tools to use while designing lessons aligned to the Common Core State Standards. All tech camp participants will have access to an online professional development library with 70 titles created by Meg. These 70 items are grouped into the four domains similar to the evaluation frameworks. In addition to walking away with a wealth of resources and ideas, those interested can earn three graduate credits for their participation.
Participants will:
• Design lessons that align to the Common Core State Standards identified at their grade level.
• Analyze, select, and organize appropriate on-line resources.
• Synthesize the various assessment options and apply authentic assessment strategies to technology rich projects.
• Analyze and reflect on best practice as it applies to literacy and math across the curriculum.
• Become involved in active, professional research exploring new ways to expand their personal learning network.
• Prepare students and teachers for the Next Generation Assessments.
Bring your own device! The July sessions are hands-on, fast paced, and relevant to teachers today. Each session is focused on the skills a teacher needs today to actively engage students in a 21st Century classroom.
To enlist in this boot camp, visit CSD’s registration site.
Tags: 21st Century Classroom, BYOD, Common Core State Standards, Cooperating School Districts, edtech, Meg Ormiston, Next Generation Assessments
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 The Pedagogy and Production of Media Literacy
Julie Smith during Media Literacy Week 2012
The Education Community Engagement Committee of GMLP is hosting the Gateway Media Literacy Partners Mini Conference: Pedagogy and Production at Cooperating School Districts on June 7 from 7:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
St. Louis educators Don Goble (Ladue School District) and Julie Smith (SIUE and Webster University) will keynote this event, followed by two different session times (9:30-10:20 and 10:30-11:20) with various resources, programs, and ideas shared from area experts in the field media literacy and K-12 education, like:
• Bill Bass, Parkway School District
• Linda Dougherty, Northwest School District
• Mitch Eden, Kirkwood School District
In addition, a media panel will also participate in the discussion from 11:30-12:10. Those participants include:
• Jasmine Huda, KMOV
• Alvin Reid, Nine Network, 101 ESPN
GMLP strives to empower citizens to think critically about media messages. Anyone who wants to learn more about media literacy, and network with local media literacy educators and professionals is invited to participate the Mini Conference.
Preregistration is requested by May 24; seating is limited to 60 attendees. Cost for event is $10 (cash) at the door, which covers breakfast and printed materials. For questions regarding the Pedagogy and Production Mini Conference on Media Literacy, contact GMLP ECE co-chairs Rebecca Morrison or Mary Pat Gallagher. Cooperating School Districts is an institutional member of GMLP.
Tags: 101 ESPN, Alvin Reid, Bill Bass, Don Goble, Gateway Media Literacy Partners, GMLP, Jasmine Huda, Jill Hampton, Julie Smith, Kirkwood School District, KMOV, KPLR, KTVI, Ladue School District, Linda Dougherty, Mitch Eden, Nine Network, Northwest School District, Parkway School District, Pedagogy, production, SIUE, Webster University
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- Posted under Collaborations, Common Core, Digital Media, digital storytelling, Links, Literacy, Media Literacy
Monday, April 22, 2013 Visual Literacy & the Common Core Standards
How can learning to “read” the visual images we see in news reports and advertisements result in critical thought and media literacy for our students, and how does this type of literacy relate to the Common Core State Standards? In this one day workshop on June 20, we will examine how technology has changed the creation of visual images in news and ads and what that effect has been on our students. Learn how to help students decipher the messages implicit in visual images while developing lessons that align to 
Common Core. Cost: $145 CSD member; $185 non-member | one graduate credit available through Lindenwood University | lunch is not included. Register online.
Tags: Cooperating School Districts, media literacy, visual literacy, Common Core State Standards
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- Posted under Tech PD, Links, Web 2.0, Media Literacy, Common Core, Literacy, Learning Division programs
Friday, April 12, 2013 New PD Comes to CSD’s tele this Summer
This summer heats up with great educational technology professional development opportunities from the Learning Division of Cooperating School Districts! Check out the offerings taking place in just in July!
July 2 | Integrating Technology Tools in English Language Arts to Meet Common Core Standards
July 8 | Digital Curation: How to Collect and Save Resources
July 9 | Social Media Management
July 10 | Using Digital Portfolios to Collect & Evaluate Student Work
July 11-12 | Digital Citizenship – It’s Common Sense
July 15-19 | Teaching and Learning Today with Technology: Tech Boot Camp 2013
July 22 | DIY Infographics for Easy Data Reporting
July 24 | Flipping Your Classroom with Video Cameras & Screencasting
July 29 | Integrating Technology Tools in Math to Meet Common Core Standards
July 30 | Best Practices in ActivBoard Flipchart Lessons (Level 3 Training)
July 31 | 3 C’s + School Librarians = Common Core Success
Full descriptions and online registration can be located here. Graduate credit is available for some classes. Classes taught by ed tech professionals from CSD and area districts & universities.
Tags: best practices, Cooperating School Districts, digital citizenship, Digital Curation, ed tech, Midwest Spotlight Educator, social media
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- Posted under Classroom Technology, Collaborations, Common Core, Digital Media, Links, Literacy, Tech PD, Web 2.0
Tuesday, April 9, 2013 Invite Author Amy E. Sklansky Into Your Classroom
Amy’s distance learning programs through Cooperating School Districts, including full descriptions, including costs and standards covered, can be found at: www.cilc.org.
- INSIDE A POET’S MIND (Grades 2 – 5) Peek inside the mind of a published poet as Amy shares poems from her books and discusses the various places a poet finds inspiration and the different forms poetry can take. Grades 3 and up have the option of writing a poem during the session.
- WHERE DO CHICKS COME FROM?: Author Visit and Eggs-periments (Grades K – 2) Learn what happens inside an egg from fertilization through hatching as Amy uses her book to outline stages of writing: research, revisions, artist’s sketches, etc. She also performs hands-on eggs-periments that reinforce the scientific method.
- COOKING A BOOK (Grades 1 – 3) Meet Amy as she puts on a chef’s hat and coat to “cook” a book. Help her put inspiration, drafts, revisions, pencil sketches, and more into her cooking pot as she explains how an author’s idea becomes a published book.
- FROM INSPIRATION TO BOOKSTORE SHELF (Grades 3 – 6) Work together to learn where an author gets her ideas and how she crafts them into a book. Amy offers ideas around these questions and shares examples from all seven of her books.
“Mrs. Sklansky was engaging and really helped the students get excited about writing not just poetry, but all kinds of writing.”
Tags: Amy Sklansky, author visit, Cooperating School Districts, Distance Learning
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- Posted under Distance Learning, Learning Division programs, Links, Literacy, Videoconferencing
Tuesday, April 2, 2013 This Summer, Attend a Tech Boot Camp!
Learn more about Cooperating School Districts’ summer educational technology workshops, like the boot camp
with Meg Ormiston, by clicking on the image below.
Tags: Common Core State Standards, Cooperating School Districts, Meg Ormiston, Microsoft Tools, Next Generation Assessments, Understanding by Design®
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- Posted under Common Core, Learning Division programs, Literacy, Moodle, podcast, STEM, Uncategorized, Web 2.0, webinar
Monday, April 1, 2013 March 2013 Top Reads
It’s no April Fool’s! Here are the top five blog posts for the past month on The Connected Classroom — have you read them?
#1 GMLP Media Literacy Mini Conference: Pedagogy & Production
#2 Book Study: Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner
#3 CSD offers New Technology Workshops this Summer
#4 Meeting Common Core Standards Using Google Tools
#5 19th Annual National Character Education Conference is June 17-19 in Missouri
Tags: Character Education Conference, CHARACTERplus, Common Core State Standards, Gateway Media Literacy Partners, Google tools, media literacy, tele
mbogart
Rebecca Morrison
smadlinger
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