East Central BOCES Announcements

April is appreciation month for Occupational Therapists and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants. Please up us to celebrate the outstanding OT's and COTA's that work in the 20 school districts. They assist students to increase their motor skills which allow the students to complete everyday tasks and help students to address any sensory needs they may have. If you see any of our OT team this month please let them know they are appreciated. We send our thanks and appreciation to Callie Burgess, Gina Martin, Sharon Mason, Christina Graham, Trish Cauthon and Louise Wamsley.

Please see the link below for April PD offerings!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GQK9Yd_SXdmomJb-TfzUXBhy3Oc4YxDcShfIaQ3n3qA/edit?usp=sharing

Please fill out this quick 2-minute survey specific to Social Studies teachers. This will help us determine the professional development needs for the 2021-22 school year. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8da2QR5cYRm4j7fC6OVp1ZHtca4jQrzoKGb_L8HikWPRCRQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Terms:  The stipends will be paid out on a first come, first serve basis.  Once the budgeted amount has been expended, no more funding will be available to be paid out.  Hard deadline: May 28, 2021 (if the funding lasts through that date).  Please submit as soons as you have completed the training, and gathered the documentation.  Almost 50 stipends have already been paid out which is about 1/3 of the funding available for the stipends.

Email a scanned copy of the Stipend Request Form, W-9 and certificate of  of the successful completion of an approved training to:

Mitzi Swiatkowski (mitziski@ecboces.org)

East Central BOCES

719-775-2342 Extension 114

The stipends will be paid for with Federal funds and are approved only for payment to certified teachers for completing CDE approved and provided online, or face-to-face online PD.

The following are not eligible for stipends: Holding a State of Colorado Endorsement as a Reading Teacher or Reading Specialist, CDE-approved Alternative Assessment, Undergraduate or Graduate Reading Course.

As per CDE guidance, the state provided training, and payment of the stipend will be limited to K-3 teachers and other teachers providing literacy instruction for students grades K-3, such as a Title I teacher, EL teacher or Special Education teacher.

March 7th through March 13th is School Social Work Week.  The theme this year is "Beacon of Hope". We want to thank our Family Resource Specialists who are a Beacon of Hope to the students, parents, teachers, and schools they work with daily. Thank you Mitzi Smith, Amanda Thew, Soraya Taylor, Callie Dolan, Becca Fredericks, and Jennifer Hassell. We appreciate you!! If you see them this week take time to thank them for being a part of our team. 

Zoom logins for the ECBOCES account are now working again.

Just to let you know that we are experiencing some issues with our login provider for Zoom which will stop you from being able to login via SSO.  It is being worked on and I hope to have it resolved shortly.

Please see the link below for March Professional Development provided by the BOCES. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-v8SmN_LEPfIbc2DhgzFm-eFUTzKK01PurpgXaxHf0Y/edit?usp=sharing

Hi All!

If you are a teacher in an EC BOCES consortium school district, you should have received a link for a District Teacher and Administrator Survey from your superintendent last week.

This 4 minute survey is a way of asking EC BOCES consortium educators what PD has been most beneficial this year and what they see as their most important professional development needs related to 2021/2022. The results of the survey will assist in guiding future EC BOCES PD offerings.  Deadline 2/26/21.

Please take time to complete the survey.  Your input matters!

Note:  Each district has their own unique link, so I am not including "a link" in this reminder.

Beth Skelton will be facilitating a Zoom session for K-12 teachers of English Learners.  This session is intended to support teachers in all content areas.  IF you have already registered-you are still enrolled, the title of the session has just been updated to align with planned activities.

DATE: Thursday, February 18, 2021 

TIME: 4:15 - 5:15 P.M. 

PRESENTER: Beth Skelton 

LOCATION: Over Zoom 

DESCRIPTION: Developing Writing Across the Curriculum for English Learners: In this hour-long session, you will learn how to analyze your English Learners’ writing with a Can Do lens, build on their strengths, and implement strategies that develop improved complexity in academic writing across the curriculum. This session is appropriate for K-12 teachers who work with English Learners. Bring a student writing sample from your class, if you have one. Objectives: 1) Analyze student writing to determine next steps in instruction 2)Implement strategies that develop academic writing across the curriculum

In addition to the robotics kits for the schools listed below, the first 20 participants for ANY ECBOCES district to sign up will receive a Sphero Bolt Robot and a stipend!  Sign up today for this great training. 

DATE: 2/1/21 and 2/8/21 TIME: 4:15 PM to 6:15 PM PRESENTER: Christa Kovak, MindSpark LOCATION: via Zoom DESCRIPTION: K5 Intro to Robotics This 2 part workshop provides virtual experiences with robots, along with practical classroom applications. For participants from the following districts that attend both sessions and complete a lesson with their students, there will be a $125.00 stipend provided by the Gill Foundation and a Robotics kit including several robots for your classroom. • Arickaree • Arriba Flagler • Bethune • Cheyenne Wells • Strasburg School District 31J • Woodlin School R-104 • Agate School District #300 • Idalia RJ-3 School District • Genoa-Hugo School.  For those that attend that are not from these districts, there will be some other giveaways during the trainings as well so you will still have a chance to win a robot or circuitry kit for your classroom plus get some great PD!

Due to COVID-19, we will be conducting the January 22nd and 29th CPI classes virtually.  The last day to sign up for the initial is January 8th and the last day to sign up for the refresher is January 22nd in order to have your book delivered to your school prior to the classes.

We will not be certifying new trainees in the safety intervention skills at this time, but will do this in the future as restrictions allow.

Once signed up, you will complete Online Modules via CPI Learning's website (a link will be sent to your email used to sign up for the class).  Instead of coming to Limon for the classroom portion of the CPI training, we will meet virtually via Zoom on the day of the scheduled class.  Please monitor your emails as the dates get closer for Zoom links and further instructions.

Don't miss this great opportunity to get a Robotics kit for your classroom plus a stipend!

DATE: 2/1/21 and 2/8/21 TIME: 4:15 PM to 6:15 PM PRESENTER: Christa Kovak, MindSpark LOCATION: via Zoom DESCRIPTION: K5 Intro to Robotics This 2 part workshop provides virtual experiences with robots, along with practical classroom applications. For participants from the following districts that attend both sessions and complete a lesson with their students, there will be a $125.00 stipend provided by the Gill Foundation and a Robotics kit including several robots for your classroom. • Arickaree • Arriba Flagler • Bethune • Cheyenne Wells • Strasburg School District 31J • Woodlin School R-104 • Agate School District #300 • Idalia RJ-3 School District • Genoa-Hugo School.  For those that attend that are not from these districts, there will be some other giveaways during the trainings as well so you will still have a chance to win a robot or circuitry kit for your classroom plus get some great PD!

As a follow-up to the brief survey that so many of you responded to (THANK YOU!!), please take a couple of minutes and let us know what specific equipment/technology would be beneficial to support remote learning.

CLICK HERE TO RESPOND

Please visit the link for February PD offerings. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DezjIgB-C9ZbbQFYdW09yNtB9X56cnVLF2vsg8P0ev4/edit?usp=sharing

Please visit the link to see PD offerings for January. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W6kSqcy6m-SqIN_PHtoarDvE29ZCCUcWFC6I8La-2uo/edit?usp=sharing

Visit the link to see PD offerings for December. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1INO8ONnMsBenWDpbgjU_SLY2QOE0eQjq_6dmDmb_9Z8/edit?usp=sharing

We will be doing some work on the ECBOCES Website later this morning.  The site will be offline from 11am for a few hours.  We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.

Please join us in November for any professional development courses that interest you. Sessions with Beth Skelton, Rachel Fairchild, and Lori Cook offer a $25 stipend.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RzJeJ3I0wRUeypKQmR2QzXSLOTIAzt1eqvcO13Z2Fv4/edit?usp=sharing

On Nov. 4th, Beth Skelton will be zooming with ECBOCES from 4:15-5:15. Her topic is Making Content Comprehensible for Newcomers. In this interactive webinar, you will experience strategies for making grade-level content comprehensible for beginning level English Learners. You'll leave the session with strategies for building background knowledge, developing academic vocabulary and increasing comprehension. 

Please register on the ECBOCES website if you plan on attending!

The East Central BOCES website will be offline briefly today while it undergoes an upgrade.   We have noticed before that when we upgrade, sometimes all of your certificates will be emailed to you.  We apologize in advance if this happens again today.  

Please take a couple of minutes to let us know your needs as we tackle the new world of remote learning.  This very brief survey will help us gauge the needs of our teachers so that we can figure out how to best support you all.

Thank you for your time.

CLICK HERE TO RESPOND

Good Morning All,

One of the consortium teachers emailed me with a question about the EL and READ Act PD requirements.  She had been reviewing the READ Act online module introduction.  It indicated that many ELL strategies are included in the online program.  This was her question, "Is there a possibility that this class/program could also count toward the 45 hours of ELL training that we need in order to renew our teaching license?"  I emailed Jennifer Simons who works in licensure at CDE in Educator Talent as an Educator Development Principal Consultant.  She responded with, "This should be fine."

If you choose to earn the EL PD hours as you are completing the READ Act PD requirements, please take notes that will allow you to provide a description of how the module addressed the selected elements in the EL PD Matrix.  Jennifer at CDE has told me that "justification is key".  

From my perspective, the READ Act PD will most likely meet EL PD Standard III, Elements A and B related to literacy development.

Please visit the link to see the October professional development offerings. Register on the ECBOCES website in the calendar events page. We look forward to seeing you!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SI_9sfcYLyKyWqNg_U_PwTD4N3tkYzTGLix9C6_rqyE/edit?usp=sharing

Just a reminder for next Tuesday, September 29th there will be an interactive zoom session with CDE on the new Colorado 2020 Science Standards. Please join us from 4-5:30 for a deep dive with the new standards. We look forward to learning with you!

MindSpark learning will be offering our ECBOCES members a training on using drones in the classroom.  This training will be offered remotely over four Thursday afternoon 2 hour sessions starting on October 15th.  Participants will receive a Tello drone for your classroom.  Commitment to attend all four sessions is required.  Please register by October 1st to ensure that we have enough time to get the drone sent out so that you have it for the training.

Please register at https://www.ecboces.org.

CDE provided reading training online is now available. 

Reading Course Details:

• Registration for the online asynchronous training “Building a Strong Foundation: Developing Early Literacy Skills” by the Public Consulting Group, Inc. is now open.
• After registering, participants will receive access to the course in the Pepper Learning Experience Platform.
• Access to the online course will expire one year after the enrollment date.
• Completion of all course modules and a score of 80% or higher on the end of course assessment are required to meet the evidence-based training in teaching requirements.

Use this link to sign-up for the online training with CDE

https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/onlinecdetraining

Due to COVID-19, we will be conducting the January 22nd and 29th CPI classes virtually.  The last day to sign up for the initial is January 8th and the last day to sign up for the refresher is January 22nd in order to have your book delivered to your school prior to the classes.

We will not be certifying new trainees in the safety intervention skills at this time, but will do this in the future as restrictions allow.

Once signed up, you will complete Online Modules via CPI Learning's website (a link will be sent to your email used to sign up for the class).  Instead of coming to Limon for the classroom portion of the CPI training, we will meet virtually via Zoom on the day of the scheduled class.  Please monitor your emails as the dates get closer for Zoom links and further instructions.

WIDA Resources:  eLearning Professional Development 

WIDA (Wisconsin Center for Educational Research, at University of Wisconsin, Madison) provides eLearning courses for Colorado educators as part of their contract with CDE. These courses are free and count toward the English Learner Professional Development Quality Standards Professional Development requirement for relicensing. Educators can request access to WIDA eLearning by contacting the WIDA Client Services Center (help@wida.us) from their school issued email. Please share this information with new and veteran teachers in your district.

 

CDE has training courses available for K-3 teachers needing CDE hours to meet the READ Act requirements.

Reading Course Details:

• All face-to-face sessions will be held virtually as synchronous sessions.
• Class sizes will be capped at 30 participants.
• If a minimum of 15 participants do not register for a cohort, the cohort may be canceled.
• Registration for courses will close 2 weeks prior to the first training session to allow for manuals to be mailed to participants. 
• Course manuals will be mailed to participants soon after registration closes.
• Attendance at all training sessions and a score of 80% or higher on the end of course assessment are required to meet the evidence-based training in teaching requirements.

Visit this link to sign-up
https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/cdeprovided-readingtraining-f2f

I hope the school year has started off great for everyone and you have enjoyed being back with your students! 

Here is a link to all the professional development happening with ECBOCES during the month of September. We look forward to learning with you!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e4g4CbiEofzuDYgaVxKAO_HMHtFSSrz8TQTqwp9P5K4/edit?usp=sharing

We currently have 7 science teachers interested in the PEERS Physics Grant opportunity. We need to have 10-12 teachers to receive the grant. Science teachers, please review the attached flyer and sign up if you are interested. This is a great opportunity for teachers in our BOCES to bring back curriculum, web-based resources, and ideas to engage students in science and engineering.   

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CPJvLEOLzuPLFmDUJpI0sn4a48oVtKeW/view?usp=sharing

The link for the CU Peer Physics grant has been updated. The RSVP link should now work. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CPJvLEOLzuPLFmDUJpI0sn4a48oVtKeW/view?usp=sharing

We are collaborating with Belize to provide some teachers to share a session or so for their teacher training conference this summer.  If you have a great idea, are considered innovative or just have something that you want to share with other teachers, ECBOCES, through the help of the Morgridge Foundation is offering stipends for teachers who would be willing to teach a session or so via Zoom/Google.  Please contact Emma Richardson (emmar@ecboces.org) for more information.

ECBOCES is looking for a part-time Spanish teacher to teach over our Distance Learning system.  Please see  https://www.ecboces.org/course/view.php?id=19 for more information. 

PLEASE READ THE UPDATED FLYER FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TRAINING:

We will again be offering the Orton Gillingham training this summer - July 22nd - 24th.  Please see attached flyer for details and information. 

The BOCES will be expanding on the STEM PLC group from this year to improve professional development for MS and HS science teachers. Our goal is to create a collaborative PLC group to learn more about Problem/Project Based Learning, Virtual Labs, 2020 Science Standards, and other topics requested by participating teachers. 

If you are a middle school or high school science teacher interested in participating in a Science PLC group for the 2020-21 school year, please fill out the attached survey so we can get your name and contact information. Please respond by May 22nd. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6ts0VD_K1rclWsZT0K6PCzUD6CKCYF2czU5WjRICMToXWqA/viewform?usp=sf_link

The BOCES is looking to work with the DBQ Project for the 2020-21 school year. This project will provide professional development and resources in US and World History, Civics, Geography, or Economics. If you are a middle school or high school social studies teacher interested in this professional development and resources for next school year please reach out to Megan Donnellon at megand@ecboces.org

In your email, please include your name, school district, the content area you are interested in, and the best contact information to reach you at. Please respond by May 22nd if you are interested. The BOCES will be setting up an interest session with the DBQ Project and those who respond by May 22nd. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!

Hello Families, Students, Staff and Service Providers. 

As part of the Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP) results-based accountability process, OSEP requires states to gather information from students one year post high school exit as part of our State Performance Plan Indicator 14. In Colorado, districts are responsible for contacting students to collect data on special education students who have graduated, dropped out, or aged out and report that information to the Colorado Department of Education. This survey is intended for students who have left high school or a transition program, not those currently enrolled in a secondary education program. 

These calls will begin around June 1st to families of students that graduated one year ago.  Please respond to the call so that we can gather the appropriate data in order to support our special education programs. 

Thank you all! 

Hi All,

I realize you have had so many resources and links passed on and it can get a bit overwhelming to keep track of all of them.  

In the last several weeks CDE has passed on info about serving students including:

• COVID-19 and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education
• Colorado Provisional Identification and Placement of English Learners
• Re-designation of English Learners
• Colorado EL Distance Learning Guidance
• COVID-19 and ESEA 

Links to all of these resources can be found in one place on the EC BOCES website:

In order to access them, log into the website.

Look for the "COVID-19 Resources for Districts" (orange rectangle on the right side of the homepage).

On the next page look for "CLICK HERE FOR FEDERAL PROGRAMS RESOURCES" (on the right side of the page).

Clicking on that link will take you to the resources CDE has shared with me.  I will continue to add the the list as the resources are made available.

Best,

Mitzi

Free Online Teacher Professional Development Opportunity!

 

• Are you looking for ways to teach about real-world issues & phenomena?
• Do you want to teach data analysis using authentic data from your region?
• Are you looking for a curriculum to support new Colorado Science Standards and NGSS?

 

Join the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at CU Boulder and the NE BOCES for a curriculum workshop on Wildfire, Floods, and Drought! The Hazard Education, Awareness, and Resilience Task Force (HEART Force) project engages Colorado students, teachers, and communities to take proactive steps in preparing for potential hazards. Our extensive curriculum incorporates local scientific data, games, and service projects.

 

WHO:  Colorado Middle and High School Rural Science Teachers

WHEN: May 27^th, 9:00am – 3:00pm

WHERE: Online, with the NE BOCES

 

See attached flyer for more information and directions on registering.  

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cP_NYQHV21xNofKef8C3LjZx_-5sg5qh

If you have a Twitter account and would like to talk with Rachel Fairchild about Empowered English Learners during this difficult time, join tonight April 7th from 4:30-5:00 pm/MT. On Twitter, use #corechat to join the 30-minute Q1/A1 formatted Twitter chat. 

Need Resources and Support with Transitioning to Remote Learning?

We recognize the unprecedented moment in education across the country.  Are you in need of support with maintaining student engagement in scientific practices through remote instruction? PEER Physics has online resources to help with timely and effective web-based support for teachers and parents.

Remote learning link for resources: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kOOmCOl9XHQo-iSP1wsIl2LbBx7TW19e

Jonathan Mann

Director of Educational Partnerships
University of Colorado, Boulder | School of Education
jon.mann@peerphysics.org | Cell: 303-887-6216
PEERphysics.org 

Please see the attached flyer to continue to receive online professional development for the month of April. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SCK9EPMFI0A-qleospkhqNtvy7oJdN5tNTP5_XA_nCA/edit?usp=sharing

While we know that everything is kind of crazy right now, you are all getting very used to being on Zoom(!), so please join us for this exciting opportunity.

On  April 8th, we have the third in a series of meetings with engineers from Lockheed Martin.  See below for details.

The idea of this series is to start connecting teachers with industry partners who are willing to embark on projects with your students.  These discussions are to introduce you with people at Lockheed Martin who are wanting to work with educators and introduce your students to the world of aerospace and engineering.  

To get the most out of this, I would ask that you come prepared.  Take a look at the job description below for the first presenter and have your students do a little research and come up with a few questions for you to ask during the session.  If you then want to try and get together with one or more of the people that we introduce you too and connect them with your class for a session or two, we will work with you to get that organized.

VIA Zoom Videoconferencing: CLICK HERE TO JOIN CONFERENCE

Darin Bolthouse is the Manager of Collaborative Human Immersive Lab (CHIL) in Littleton, Colorado.  The CHIL is an advanced Virtual Reality (VR) center at Lockheed Martin for the design, production, and operation of space systems such as the next generation GPSIII satellites and the Orion human spaceflight vehicle.  Darin has managed the CHIL lab since it opened in 2011.  Prior to Lockheed Martin, his background includes 15 years in the automotive industry.  Working for General Motors, his responsibilities spanned from assembly line design to standing up new assembly plants for future vehicle programs.  After 8 years with General Motors, he worked as a manufacturing consultant focused on improving production operations through the use of advanced modeling and simulation for companies including Toyota, Honda, Harley Davidson, and Tesla Motors.  He is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Master of Information Management Degree from Washington University in St. Louis


https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/chil.html

https://www.denverpost.com/2017/04/05/lockheed-martin-3d-holographic-engine/

https://www.satellitetoday.com/innovation/2017/04/20/lockheed-martin-cutting-costs-virtual-reality/

East Central BOCES has started a webpage of resources for our districts that might be looking at closing down during this COVID-19.  This page will continued to be updated as we continue to research options for our schools that might need to support their students remotely.  A link to the page is found on the ECBOCES website or the page can be found HERE.

The ECBOCES website will be offline briefly today to allow for an upgrade. 

The Dyslexia Training scheduled for March 14th at the East Central BOCES office has been cancelled.  We will send out any rescheduled date when available.

Increase the impact of your career advisement with anyone who is navigating career decisions

As an initiative of the Education Leadership Council and on behalf of the Colorado Department of Education, the Colorado Education Initiative is offering Colorado Career Conversation training. The training and framework were also built in partnership with the Colorado Workforce Development Council, Colorado Department of Higher Education, and Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

This free professional development experience is intended for anyone who might have a career conversation. The goal of the project is to train 5,000 individuals by June 2020, expanding the number of skilled advisors able to deliver a consistent career advising experience.

CDE will offer reimbursement for sub coverage (for training hours only) at $20 per hour. This sub coverage is for instructional individuals in any setting, including P-12 teachers, adult education instructors, college professors, etc. Additionally, travel reimbursements are also available including: parking (if applicable), mileage, and hotel if overnight is necessary. Once you register for a training, you will receive an email with the required forms and instructions. For more information about travel reimbursement, please contact Michelle Crawford at crawford_m@cde.state.co.us.

For more information about Colorado Career Conversations training, please contact Liz Kuehl at lkuehl@coloradoedinitiative.org.

On March 11th, we have the second in a series of meeting with engineers from Lockheed Martin.  See below for details.

The idea of this series is to start connecting teachers with industry partners who are willing to embark on projects with your students.  These discussions are to introduce you with people at Lockheed Martin who are wanting to work with educators and introduce your students to the world of aerospace and engineering.  

To get the most out of this, I would ask that you come prepared.  Take a look at the job description below for the first presenter and have your students do a little research and come up with a few questions for you to ask during the session.  If you then want to try and get together with one or more of the people that we introduce you too and connect them with your class for a session or two, we will work with you to get that organized.

VIA Zoom Videoconferencing: CLICK HERE TO JOIN CONFERENCE

Sue Linch
Janus Program Mechanical Lead, Deep Space Exploration

Janus is a pair of microsatellites traveling to two binary asteroid systems.  This program is part of the new SIMPLEx class of missions funded by NASA and is a partnership between CU Boulder and Lockheed Martin Space.
SIMPLEx missions are basically rideshares on a much larger mission and are a unique overhead luggage-sized way to more quickly explore gaps in knowledge of our solar system.  They come with their own unique challenges.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/small-satellite-concept-finalists-target-moon-mars-and-beyond
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-cubesat-launch-initiative-celebrates-its-100th-cubesat-mission-deployment
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/
https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/lucy-the-first-mission-to-jupiter-s-trojans
https://dragonfly.jhuapl.edu/

Typically, when I come to schools, I use my most recent missions to talk about ‘what’s new in space exploration’.  Depending the particular teacher/audience, I tailor to whatever the class happens to be learning: space, weather, engineering, materials science, space environments, physics, and spacecraft subsystems and build. I have taught from Kindergarten to High School including virtual Skype classrooms as far away as the state of Washington.

Eventually, with the small satellite tools that are available to universities, I would like to bring my deep space mission experience to a small satellite workshop that can be adapted to different classroom ages.  My goal, coming from a rural school in Idaho, is to help students have a dream, face adversity, and to see that it can be achievable in real life.

Please review the professional development opportunities provided by ECBOCES for the month of March. We look forward to seeing you there!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tcSkEMQ8kSAozHOpoxl7JeA5JvH-OIgrMARit2tZYRs

Starr Sackstein will be providing an ELA training at the ECBOCES on June 12th from 9-3. She has created a survey for teachers to fill out so she can meet the needs of participants. Please take a couple of minutes to provide input on what would benefit you the most during this training. Thank you!

https://forms.gle/e9u7Xoj8kSisTyLz5

Just a reminder that we have a great training this Thursday.  This training will show secondary teachers how to start introducing coding to your students with the use of free curriculum found at code.org.  All participants will receive Circuit Playground kits to help introduce students to circuitry as part of this curriculum.  Lunch is included.

We have seats open - don't miss out on this!

Click HERE to register.

Reminder: Isaac Wells will be zooming with us Tuesday, February 18th from 4:15-5:15. Register for the event on the ECBOCES website. This will be a great session on connecting reading and writing strategies. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Attention all teachers, principals, and superintendents: This is the last week to respond to the needs assessment survey. We currently have 70 people who have participated in the survey. If you have not yet responded, please consider giving us your feedback to help ECBOCES determine the needs of each school district. The survey will be open through February 14th. Thank you for your time!!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/56JTV29

The CPI Training that was scheduled for tomorrow, February 6th has been cancelled due to the incoming storm.  It will be rescheduled for a later date.  Be safe out there.

You are invited to join host East Central BOCES, districts from eastern Colorado, and CDE’s office of Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness for a PWR Symposium.  There are currently 52 participants registered and there is room for about 13 more. 

Register with CDE at the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19pJEE4F2tfSNWmr-mk4YSNGJRhYb_ei63WZlPn0iYV8/viewform?edit_requested=true

Explore implementation strategies for capstone and work-based learning, lessons learned, and student work from schools in the region. 

When:  Wednesday, February 26

  9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (lunch provided)

8:30 a.m. Registration and Coffee

Where: East Central BOCES - 820 2nd Street, Limon, CO  80828

What: Beginning with the class of 2021, graduating seniors will demonstrate readiness according to the Graduation Guidelines Menu of Options.  Schools and districts are working with their communities to implement various menu options, especially capstone, industry certificates, and work-based learning (WBL).

Who: All are invited; please bring a team from your school or district.

See Agenda Below:

 8:30   Registration and Coffee

 9:00   Welcome and Update from CDE

 9:15   Update on Perkins V

 9:30   Small Group Discussions (participants choose 4 topics, 20 minutes for each)

                                Capstone

                                Industry Certificates

                                Work-based Learning and Connecting with Businesses

                                Special Populations

                                Graduation Guidelines

                                Concurrent Enrollment

                                School-based Enterprises

11:00   Break

 11:15    Q/A with Partners and Community Members                   

 12:15    Lunch

 12:45   Facilitated Work Session

 1:15     Student voices

 2:00     End

Be one of the first 25 to sign up for and attend a great workshop on February 20th and receive a free Code-A-Mouse kit and a free OzoBot kit.  Most schools will also be given an additional robotics kits for the classroom.  This is designed for Elementary level teachers and will be a great way to learn how to get your students started in the world of coding and robotics - skills that are vital to today's world and that will also teach sequencing, problem solving and so much more.  Lunch is include and CDE continuing education credit.

Click HERE to sign up.

Attention all current school district teachers, principals, and superintendents. Please fill out this survey to help ECBOCES align professional development to your needs for the 2020-21 school year. It is important for us to know how we can better serve you and your students. The survey will be open until February 14th. We value your time and feedback and look forward to seeing your suggestions. Thank you!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/56JTV29

Connect to Belize and learn about an exciting new teacher training opportunity!

Nilda Muschamp works in Belize with Pathlight International and One Voice 4 Change in a collaborative learning approach leveraging the power of mentorship and teacher-directed professional development. We invite you to join us, improving education in all of Belize and for those from other countries who work side-by-side with teachers from Belize.

 This meeting will also lead to an invitation to a Teacher Workshop in Belize in July.

 Intrigued?

Join us from the comfort of your computer using the Zoom VideoConferencing system.

Wednesday, Jan 29th, 2020 at 4:15pm MST

https://ecboces.zoom.us/j/7197752342

This is part of a STEM PLC Initiative by East Central BOCES. 

Contact Emma Richardson (emmar@ecboces.org) for more information.

FLYER

East Central BOCES, in collaboration with MindSpark learning, has two great trainings this month for elementary level teachers.

On February 6th, there is a full day training on Computer Science Fundamentals using the Code.Org platform.  This platform has free curriculum and this training will teach you the basics to get started.  In addition, the first 25 to sign up will receive a 3D Printing Pen with filament to get started with 3D printing in your classroom!

Lunch and CE credits and small stipend are included.  Sign up today at https://www.ecboces.org/course/view.php?id=451

On February 27th, there is a full day training on Robotics for the Elementary level.  This training will introduce you to the world of robotics and the first 25 to sign up will leave with two robots for their classroom!  

Lunch and CE credit are included.  Sign up today at https://www.ecboces.org/course/view.php?id=453

Just a reminder that we have a MindSpark follow up Zoom session starting at 4:15pm today.  Join Cassie from MindSpark as she answers questions and shares some great ideas for your classroom.

https://ecboces.zoom.us/j/7197752342

Just a reminder that we have two zoom sessions next week. 

On January 21st, Lori Cook will be working with K-12 teachers on Empowering Mathematicians. Lori is a wonderful presenter with great resources that you can implement right away. 

On January 22nd, Rachel Fairchild will be working with K-12 teachers on ELL strategies. You will get EL credit hours for attending!

Please sign up on the EC BOCES website. Both of these zoom sessions will be beneficial and only 1 hour from 4:15-5:15. We look forward to seeing you on zoom!

COLORADO EDUCATOR LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM- APPLICATIONS DUE FEBRUARY 21, 2020  

Please be aware of this program and the deadline date of February 21, 2020 to apply. 

Program participants will be eligible for an annual payment of up to $5,000 towards their qualified loan balance. Program participants may be eligible for an annual payment for up to five years. The Colorado Department of Higher Education is authorized to accept up to 100 new program participants each year through 2028, subject to available appropriations. 

Information about how to apply can be found at this link:

https://highered.colorado.gov/Academics/TeacherEd/Colorado-Educator-Loan-Forgiveness.html

The Department of Higher Ed Contact and Program Coordinator is:

​Andrew Crispin

Colorado Educator Loan Forgiveness Program

​303.974.2491 | Fax 303.996.1329

1600 Broadway, Suite 2200, Denver, CO 80202

Andrew.Crispin@dhe.state.co.us 

Feel free to share this opportunity with whomever you believe could benefit.  

Please review the professional development opportunities provided by ECBOCES for the month of January. We look forward to seeing you there!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pQOophQwONtxNraYm30YhIuYB7PP-Q0I8TfA8MZM9WI

This is very last minute but too great of an opportunity not to share out!  Please share with students/teachers/parents as you think best!  There are a few slots available in this program and they would love some rural students to participate.

An exciting opportunity is available for students in grades 9-12 to have a fully-immersive experience into the space industry as Lockheed Martin and the Space Foundation have teamed up to create the Jr. Space Entrepreneur Program.  

Sixty STEM students will have the opportunity to take part in a week-long program from January 13-17, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day. 

The Jr. Space Entrepreneurship Program (JSEP) better prepares today’s youth to secure STEAM positions within aerospace companies by (while) providing an immersive educational experience. Embark on a complete Mars mission encompassing all the challenges that come with sending astronauts to our neighboring planet and returning them safely to the Earth. Participants will utilize newly gained knowledge of Mars and the skills taught through the Space Foundation Space Commerce to develop their own business.

 JSEP creates young entrepreneurs through fun, challenging activities that improve and build on 21st Century Essential Skills. Create, develop, and market a space product to sell to real investors. Receive one-on-one mentoring from experts in various STEAM fields to strengthen your project management skills and build a vast network of valuable connections.

 See the attached PDF for a detailed schedule for the week. This event is only open to students in grades 9-12. If interested, please click here to access the application form. You must be in good academic standing to participate.  

Additionally, you will be expected to stay after school for two “working dinners” (food provided) on Wednesday, Jan. 15 until 5 p.m. and again on Thursday, Jan. 16 until 6:30 p.m. Questions about this opportunity can be directed emailed Gregg.Cannady@stemk12.org. 

SCHEDULE

Chris Summers
Computer Science Content Specialist
Standards and Instructional Support

P 303.866.6576  |  C 720.648-3909
1580 Logan Street, Suite 430, Denver, CO 80203
Summers_C@cde.state.co.us  |  www.cde.state.co.us

Update:  Dual-Enrollment and PLC Scholarships Are Still Available

As of today, ten teachers will be participating in the full Masters with Math Specialization program; four teachers will participate in the Dual-Enrollment program; and eight teachers have applied to participate in the PLC Summer Institute.

If you would like to be considered for one of the two spots still available for Dual-Enrollment or six spots for PLCs, please go to the link below to apply ASAP.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejRMvh5ETvq8bEt8s9Cz8_1ZsHcvovGG5BwFi3iOYrYTJH5w/viewform 

Please review the professional development opportunities provided by the BOCES for the month of December. We look forward to seeing you there!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1G8l6BrYk0KT2VxSjkX8Fc5Z_C_YiK0aw1Ca2feclbII

Join our STEM PLC to learn about a great opportunity for your students to engage in an exciting project tracking birds.  We will have a one hour discussion tomorrow at 4:30pm - see our calendar for more details or just click the link to below to connect.

https://ecboces.zoom.us/j/7197752342

Don't miss out on this opportunity!  The deadline to apply for the Math Teaching and Learning Grant is November 22.  Please go to the link below to apply.  You may need cut and paste the link below into your browser.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejRMvh5ETvq8bEt8s9Cz8_1ZsHcvovGG5BwFi3iOYrYTJH5w/viewform

Just a reminder that we have the next 3D printer training coming up on December 5th.  This will be the last one that we offer so if you still need help or want to learn the basics of 3D printing, please sign up soon so we know how many to plan for.  You are encouraged to bring your printer with you for a hands on learning experience.

Click HERE to sign up.

The Tri-State Autism collaborative is offering a 2019-2020 Webinar Series. This webinar series is made available through collaboration with the Colorado Department of Education, Kansas TASN Autism and Tertiary Behavior Supports, and the Nebraska Autism Spectrum Disorders Network.  Anyone interested in learning about the characteristics of autism spectrum disorders and evidence-based practices is invited to attend any of the webinars.  Go to the below link to find a schedule of webinar topics.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9elBAej_YOrWW1HNE1BOVZzYnFxREtVWjFmNjB6aUFwc05V/view?usp=sharing

All past webinars are found at www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/sd-autism_pd. Certificates of attendance are earned for completion of Webinar Study Questions.  

If you are interested in the :

• A scholarship for the Master of Science in Teaching and Learning - Specialization in Math from CSU Global
• A scholarships for graduate credits for a dual enrollment certificate from CSU Global
• Monthly mathematics teaching Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and math summer workshop June 2020 and June 2021

Go to this link for more details and fill out the Math Teaching & Learning Scholarship Survey (Deadline for applying is Friday, November 22, 2019.):

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejRMvh5ETvq8bEt8s9Cz8_1ZsHcvovGG5BwFi3iOYrYTJH5w/viewform

We are pleased to notify you that the EC BOCES Retaining Teachers Grant grant proposal has been recommended for funding!  EC BOCES is partnering with Generation School Network and Colorado Rural Education Collaborative to implement the grant activities.  Interested teachers must act quickly!

What's this about?

The 2020-2021 Math Teaching & Learning Grant kicks off this month-CSU-Global courses starting January 13, 2019.

Scholarships are available for 10 teachers to receive a Master of Science in Teaching and Learning - Specialization in Math from CSU Global. 

Scholarships are also available for 6 teachers to receive 18 graduate credits for a dual enrollment certificate from CSU Global.

Up to 30 participants (including the lucky 16 scholarship awardees) will participate in ongoing monthly mathematics teaching Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), followed by the coolest math summer workshop June 2020 and June 2021!

All teacher applicants should have mathematics teaching as part of their responsibilities (elementary teacher, secondary math/STEM teacher, interventionist, etc.) .

Participants must commit to attend monthly virtual PLCs during the school year, and the summer workshops (room, food and travel) costs provided.

If you are interested or have any questions, please contact:  Anna Hogberg at: ahogberg@generationschools.org

This afternoon at 4:30 pm we have a one hour Zoom session with Cassie from MindSpark Learning.  She will have a teacher with her that will be sharing how she uses robotics in the classroom and will be available for all your robotics/computer science related questions.  Please sign up here: https://www.ecboces.org/course/view.php?id=393

Our 3D Printing Training has been rescheduled to December 5th, 2019.  Bring your printers with you and enjoy a day of learning how to model and print.  This will be hands on with lots of support as you navigate the software and hardware.  Please sign up here: https://www.ecboces.org/course/view.php?id=433

Please review the professional development opportunities provided by the BOCES for the month of November. We look forward to seeing you there!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RVCV-pB6BGuoOF0nMzZ3sCfLwkRVvtlQUAPO5Yv9ZK0/edit?usp=sharing

Apparently this training didn't get activated on the calendar - sorry for the short notice.  Don't forget to sign up for our next 3D Printer Training.  The guys from the 3D Printing Store are coming out.  You are encouraged to bring your printer with you and get some hands on experience.

DATE: November 5, 2019 TIME: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM LOCATION: BOCES West Training Room DESCRIPTION: "3D Printing: Not Just a Buzz Word any more" -Come learn the start to finish process of 3D design and 3D printing. We will sketch, and 3D design a model, review the file for imperfections and then 3D print a version or two of the design we make. You will learn basics about 3D design, 3D Printing Workflow, How to Run your 3D Printer and troubleshooting and tips to help keep you going! Learn how to make your 3D printer one of the most valuable tools in your classroom.

https://www.ecboces.org/course/view.php?id=433

Please sign up soon or we will have to reschedule!

Due to the weather conditions, the East Central BOCES office will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, October 30th.  Stay safe out there!

If you were not able to attend Rachel Fairchild's zoom on Oct. 9th on Reaching and Teaching ELLs, you can access the recorded video on our website. You will find the video link under the professional development tab, then go to PD for ALL & English Language Learners and you will find a section for Rachel Fairchild. 

To receive EL credit hours, you will need to watch the zoom and send a one page summary of the content and what strategies you will be implementing to megand@ecboces.org

Once your summary is received, your attendance will be marked for the Oct. 9th sessions. You will need to fill out the evaluation in the calendar event page on that day to receive your certificate. If you have any questions please contact Megan Donnellon at megand@ecboces.org or 719-775-4030.

East Central BOCES is starting a virtual STEM PLC.  We have created an online space where STEM teachers can get together to share lessons, collaborate on projects, support each others in STEM programming, and present and learn about new opportunities and projects.  Teachers from East Central BOCES, South Central BOCES and STEM K12 Highlands Ranch will be invited to the initial PLC with the hope that this will grow to include other teachers from around the state.  Teachers will be able to receive continuing education credit for monthly zoom collaborations and presentations.

We are looking for a few great teachers to be facilitators/collaborators for this project.  Each facilitator will earn a Surface Pro computer with pen and keyboard!  Facilitators will be asked to commit to participating in forum discussions, presenting at one of the monthly Zoom sessions and sharing resources and lesson plans and responding to surveys.  This is a one year commitment with the hope that teachers will stay on because they find value in the project!

Please CLICK HERE to apply for the chance to get a free Surface Pro computer!

For those teachers who have school email addresses associated with a Google Apps account, we have now enabled Google login so that you can log in to our website with your school credentials.  Currently, this is set up for the following districts:  Agate, Arickaree, Arriba Flagler, Burlington, Hi Plains, Idalia, Limon, Kiowa, Stratton. 

To take advantage of this, you have to do the following:

1. The email in your ECBOCES profile must be your school email address.  (If you are unsure, when logged into the site, click on your name in the top right hand corner of the site, click on Profile.  If the email there is not your school email, click on Edit Profile, update the email and click on update profile)

2. If you are logged into the ECBOCES website, log out.  Then, from the home page, click on the Google icon in the Login box.  Enter your school login.

3. You will then be sent an email to connect your Google login to your ECBOCES website account.  Once you have clicked on the link in the email, the two accounts will be linked and you will then be able to use your school login to access our website.

We hope that this will make it easier for you to access our site.  I hope to be able to add more districts as they confirm that the emails will match correctly so if your district is not listed and you know that you have Google Apps, please put in a help desk ticket and we will follow up.  A few districts (Bennett, Byers, Deer Trail) do not have your school email linked to Google and so we cannot set those up as yet.

Please review the professional development opportunities provided by the BOCES for the month of October. We look forward to seeing you there!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ZwI8HYtJLXGtxJYoDdfZAkiMoId3ioRUcFnmTXVCW_E

Attention Secondary Teachers!! Starr Sackstein with the Core Collaborative will be zooming with us in October. She will be covering reading strategies across all content areas. She has asked me to send out this link to have teachers provide feedback on what would be most helpful for you. Please take some time to fill out this quick survey if you are planning on attending the zoom or watching the recorded webinar. This is for ALL secondary teachers. Thank you!

https://forms.gle/w2GUKXErYQi94yXKA

I apologize for the late notice but we need to reschedule the 3D printer that was scheduled for Thursday.

Please sign up for the training on September 30th (click HERE to register) which will cover 3D Printing - from design to print.  This training is for beginners and those that have already started with printing.  It will take you through the basics from finding ideas, to creating your first model and printing it out.

We will reschedule another training in October that will build on the one in September.