Just a Teacher

In 24 hours, I will be just a teacher. There have been mixed reactions in my circles. Some people have asked me how I am feeling about becoming a teacher after serving as a supervisor for two years as if I have contracted a horrible disease. Others have expressed jealousy that I will be working with students, something all quality administrators secretly wish they could do. Overwhelmingly, people have supported my decision to go back to the classroom.

Let's take a look at why I am stoked to be just a teacher:

Birkenstocks. Seriously, plenty of teachers wear them. I know I am not alone. Metaphorically speaking, and also because I do have several pairs, I miss having my feet in those beauties. My arches were more supported and I had better alignment. My life had greater balance and my cup was always half full, even when I had no cup. I know it is hard to believe, but I believe I even smiled more. I also liked to take my Birks off and walk around on grass, sand, and dirt. I could reconnect immediately with what was important. I could lead from within my classroom or on a beach all because of my happy feet. The same shoes I wore on Wednesday worked on Saturdays because I was me. These might not be the shoes that bring you joy and that is OK. Sometimes what brings joy to a classroom might not be immediately identifiable on a rubric and that is OK. Sometimes it looks very different than we had imagined or what others expected. That is OK. We all need to remember what our feet feel like when the breeze hits our toes and let it go. Sometimes happy feet are more important than anything else.

I am not just a teacher. A title does not define me. It should not define you, either. What defines us is our work, our empathy, our light, and our legacy that lives on in all of the people we help.  For me, I am starting with my feet. The rest will be OK.

NGSS update from NJDOE

The NGSS were adopted by the State Board of Education on July 9, 2014. The implementation timeline is as follows:

•       Grades 6-12 to implement by the start of the 2016-2017 school year.
•       Grades K-5 to implement by the start of the  2017-2018 school year.

Resources, including professional development, will be available beginning in September 2014.  Information will be posted on the science webpage as it becomes available (https://app.mobilestorm.com/cp/redirect.php?u=ODM0M3w5MTA4MnxyZWJlbWNsZWxsYW5kQGdtYWlsLmNvbXw4NjczNDh8MTU0MzczMDk3fDExNzYwMTA=&id=22226001) and through the science list serve.

The consensus among states that have adopted the NGSS is that it is essential for teachers of science to become experts on the Frameworks for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012) before making any changes to the local curriculum. The department has established a timeline that provides sufficient time to make the transition, but the work needs to be sustained, intensive, and begin during the fall of 2014.

The NJDOE's professional development plan is to focus on district level administrators during the fall 2014. Building level administrators will be the target of professional development offerings in the spring of 2015. Professional development for teachers of science will begin in late spring 2015 and focus on the model science curriculum and ancillary unit assessments.

The power of words!

Final PD Day

Agenda - Science SGOs at HSN

8am - 6-12 science teachers meet, share, and discuss strengths of this year's tasks

11am LUNCH

12-3pm - Tweak this year's assessment tasks for next year with subject team

Science orders

Please use the June 4 (MS) and June 11 (HS) to meet with your colleagues and finalize your science orders. Email me any questions you have about your courses and budget. 

Happy June!

Rebecca

HS Science Department Meeting 5.21.14

Please complete the common assessment forms with your course team and turn them in before you leave!

In the next few weeks, please remember to: 

• Complete your science orders with your subject team. 

• All microscopes should be moved to a central location for summer repairs. 

• Scales and Spec 20s need to be stored in central location so the technicians can find them easily. 
• All textbooks for each course should be counted and stored in a central location. Use the Google Form. 

Please email me (and the building secretaries) the final locations ASAP so we know where to direct the technicians. 

What are your summer plans?

EdCampSTEAM is August 5 at Linwood MS in North Brunswick. 

You can propose your own session or attend a session someone else is hosting. 

Last year was fantastic and highlighted by NJEA's Classroom CloseUp. PD hours are awarded and it is FREE! 

Want to spend some time getting to know the NGSS? 

http://rmcscience.blogspot.com/2013/10/next-generation-science-standards-update.html 

You are valued. You are awesome. Live your dreams. 

- See more at: http://rmcscience.blogspot.com/#sthash.EFYJxlRR.dpuf

Be more dog ... Because this is always relevant.

Middle School Department Meeting 5.14.14

In the next few weeks, please remember to: 

• Complete your science orders with your subject or grade-level team. 
• All microscopes should be moved to a central location for summer repairs. Please email me and your building secretaries & administrators the final locations ASAP so we know where to direct the technicians. 
• Scales in need of repair should also be stored in central location so the technicians can find them easily. 

What are your summer plans?

EdCampSTEAM is August 5 at Linwood MS in North Brunswick. You can propose your own session or attend a session someone else is hosting. Last year was fantastic and highlighted by NJEA's Classroom CloseUp. PD hours are awarded and it is FREE! 

Want to spend some time getting to know the NGSS? 

http://rmcscience.blogspot.com/2013/10/next-generation-science-standards-update.html 

You are valued. You are awesome. Live your dreams. 

NGSS resources

A Reader's Guide for the NGSS is available to help teachers in the transition. You can click here to access the document. This resource is provided by the NSTA. 

If you are interested in checking out videos related to your discipline, you can click here for the Bozeman NGSS videos.

Final stretch

As we enter the final marking period, remember these standard science items:

Any summer assignments determined and agreed upon by you and your AP colleagues need to be sent to me so I may forward them to Martin Smith before April 30. If you cannot agree on the same assignment, you can only offer enrichment work and the assignment is voluntary and not graded. All summer work will be posted on the main district website. 

Complete your science orders with your subject or grade-level team. 

All microscopes should be moved to a central location for summer repairs. Email me the final locations ASAP so I can create a microscope map for the technicians. 

Scales and Spec 20s should also be stored in central location so the technicians can find them easily. 

All textbooks for each course should be counted and stored in a central location. A Google form will be shared for our book inventory. 

Summer PD opportunities

EdCampSTEAM is August 5 at Linwood MS in North Brunswick. You can propose your own session or attend a session someone else is hosting. Last year was fantastic and highlighted by NJEA's Classroom CloseUp. PD hours are awarded and it is FREE! 

Investigating Environmental Issues in the Raritan Watershed 
July 28 to August 1 at Duke Farms, Hillsborough, NJ

Interested in trying out an online course this summer? Check out the any of these FREE courses: 

• American Museum of Natural History and Coursera (4/14, 7/2, 7/7/14)
• Re-Engineering Your Science Curriculum  began on April 6, but it is not too late to check it out!
• 4 weeks of  Next Generation Science Standards  with Coursera and Rice University begins on May 12!

Please send me any summer PD opportunities you hear about so we can share them here!

Thanks!
Rebecca

ASCD PD opportunities

Looking for PD on being a connected educator? ASCD in Monroe has the following options:

For more information and additional workshop offerings, check out http://www.njascd.org/Page/19

My views on a prescribed pedagogical approach

I have been a science educator for more than 17 years and believe it to be the most amazing vocation for passionate, science enthusiasts. I fully support the personal choice of educators to know their students and to select innovative practices and pedagogical approaches to reach their students. I do not, and will not, support an educational system that forces all teachers to be cookie cutters of one prescribed approach. We all bring a uniqueness to our own classrooms and, in a world of overarching standards and learning outcomes setting the blueprints, we are the interior designers. I support teachers who take risks based on best practices, but will not institute a system where all teachers are following the same design. Know your students and the best ways to reach all of them.

Be you. Be awesome. Be the change!

~Rebecca

Hangout with BIE: Creativity and Innovation in Middle and High School Pr...

Just an FYI.

Science resources for all

If you have ever clicked on the resource tab, I have complied multiple links for everyone.

Please take a minute to check it out. If there are other valuable sites that you would like to see added, please send them my way!

Thinking about NGSS? Engineers are cool.

Engineering practices resource:

https://ceismc.gatech.edu/sites/default/files/NARST2012Paper-AssessingS+EPractices%20(1).pdf

Department Meeting 2.26.14

Each MS grade-level team and most HS course teams have expressed an interest in meeting with their teams on Wednesday. Please send me your meeting notes via Google Drive. 

Enjoy your meeting time with your colleagues. 

~Rebecca

Independent Researchers

Our students are amazing and with your thoughtful guidance they often pursue independent research projects. If you are working with students this year, let's celebrate and highlight their hard work and achievements together.

Here is a link to Celena Chen's blog on her Duckweed Study under the direction of Dr. Bhattacharya:

http://projectduckweed.blogspot.com/ 



It continues to be an honor to work with such a dedicated group!

~Rebecca

Important reminders

1. A district expectation is for teachers to post grades on assignments within a two week window. Grades should be updated throughout the marking period so that students and parents can review the feedback. Our students should have a minimum of 2 grades per week to allow them multiple opportunities for success and pointed feedback.  In collecting data more frequently, we are better able to modify instruction. 
2. Make sure that you and your colleagues (course or grade level) are providing similar opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding of the important concepts throughout the marking period. A student's grade in one section should not be based on 3 assignments compared to a student in a different section who received 30 assignments.  Let us all have consistent feedback for the students we are serving. The standards and feedback should be determined collaboratively with your colleagues in your professional learning community. 
3. Grades from the midterm common assessments cannot be used as a marking period grade as well. We cannot double dip these points. 
4. February 15 will be here in a few days! Are we ready to roll out our SGO assessments?

Recent Science Safety Incidents

Below is information provided by Flinn on the recent incidents: 

"On January 2, 2014 a fire and explosion occurred at a New York City high school injuring two students.  One student remains hospitalized with burns over 50% of his body.  Unfortunately, this was the fourth time in four months that similar accidents across the United States have occurred. These accidents are always tragic, and we can prevent them.  The message I wish to send to you is -- learn from these accidents . . . with better attention to good safety practices, accidents like these are entirely preventable.

www.flinnsci.com/MethylSafety "

Four days ago, Hightstown HS was also evacuated because of a science lab incident. 

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2014/01/hazmat_situation_reported_at_hightstown_high_school.html

Stay safe!

Rebecca 

Department meeting agenda 1.15.14

Safety training
Please select the training that most meets your needs. We need to plan accordingly based on your responses. The in-person sessions (you will attend both) are January 29 and March 19. http://rmcscience.blogspot.com/2013/12/safety-training-differentiation.html

It is essential that we provide the highest level of safety in our science classrooms. 

This includes:

• Being physically present at all times to supervise students wherever and whenever laboratory equipment or chemicals are used. Never leave students unattended—be prepared and anticipate student behavior to stop accidents before they happen.
• Supervising students in the classroom and lab.
• Providing adequate instructions for students to perform the tasks required of them.
• Warning students of the possible dangers involved in performing lab activities.

For more information on safety regulations and suggestions, visit http://rmcscience.blogspot.com/2014/01/science-safety-notes.html. 

EdCamp Style PD - https://sites.google.com/a/ww-p.org/wwpscience/edcamppd

January 15 at HSS
Danielson Group - Room 203
Tech Ninjas - Room 207

Standards Based Grading - Room 114

NGSS - Room 113

PLC Common Assessment Review - Science Workroom

Please make sure you sign up for your preferred sessions for the Feb and March meetings as well. 

February 26 at HSN
Sign up for your preferred session here.

March 26 at GMS
Sign up for your preferred session here. 

April 23 at CMS
Small and whole group share-out of what was learned.

Guiding questions and resources are posted HERE. 

Enjoy your learning journey! If you want to stay with your group and continue learning about the topic, sign up for the same session. If you want to try something different, you are free to do so as well. 

Science Safety Notes

As is the case with many training systems designed for teachers in many states, some videos you watch may make reference to laws and court cases in other states. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of teachers and administrators to know the laws and regulations of their own states. 

We have a legal responsibility to be physically present in our classrooms. We are not to leave our classrooms unsupervised. This is standard operating procedure in our schools and is reiterated in the following notes from Flinn Scientific. 

http://www.flinnsci.com/media/396277/practicalsolutions.pdf

http://www.flinnsci.com/media/976679/safety_notes_vol_14-1.pdf

Please email me if you have any questions. 

Thank you for maintaining the highest level of safety for our students!

What do we want for our students?

How to Learn TEDTalk

How has the world changed?

How are we responding to the changing paradigm?

How can we continue to provide our students with a world-class education?

How do we provide opportunities for our students to use their voices?

Calling all tech ninjas and those who aspire to learn more about digital leadership...

NJASCD North Region Workshop- Focus: Digital Leadership and Learning

Click to be directed to the online registration form. Keynote: Eric Sheninger Eric is the award-winning Principal at New Milford High School located in Bergen County, NJ. His work focuses on leading and learning in the digital age as a model for moving schools and districts forward. This has led to the formation of the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a framework for all educators to initiate sustainable change to transform school cultures. As a result Eric has emerged as an innovative leader and sought after speaker. His main focus is the use of social media and web 2.0 technology as tools to engage students, improve communications with stakeholders, enhance public relations, create a positive brand presence, discover opportunity, transform learning spaces, and help educators grow professionally. Please visit www.ericsheninger.com for more information. Breakout Sessions to follow Keynote: Session #1: Brad Currie (Chester) and Matt Hall (Bernards) Session #2: Samantha Morra (EdTechTeacher) and Jay Eitner (Alloways Creek) Session #3: Scott Rocco (Spotswood) and Rebecca McLelland-Crawley (West Windsor) David Brearley High School, 401 Monroe Avenue Avenue, Kenilworth, NJ Wednesday, Feb. 26th 2014 at 4:15pm If you are interested in attending this in lieu of the department meeting on 2/26, please submit a request for reimbursement for the workshop and applicable travel. If you would like to attend virtually, please contact me so I can invite you to the Google Hangout at no cost.

2014 6-12 Department Meeting Dates January-April

Our revised schedule, so we can all meet, share, and learn together, is as follows:

January 15 at HSS
Sign up for your preferred session here.

February 26 at HSN
Sign up for your preferred session here.

March 26 at GMS
Sign up for your preferred session here. 

April 23 at CMS
Small and whole group share-out of what was learned.

Guiding questions and resources are posted HERE. 

Digital Learning Day

Interested in submitting a plan of how you will use educational technology on Feb 5 for Digital Learning Day? The link is below. 

http://www.digitallearningday.org/sign-in/create-event/

Emergency notifications

WW-P will post emergency closing information on the district web site and on the main district telephone number (609-716-5000). You also can receive emergency closing information via your cell phone from the WW-P Twitter account. There are two ways to get this information:

 

1. If you do not have a Twitter account (or if you do not want an account), follow us on Twitter this way: From your cell phone, send this text "follow WWP_Notices" to 40404. Do not use quotation marks and there is a space between 'follow' and 'WWP_Notices.'

 

2. If you have a Twitter account, follow WWP_Notices

 

To remove your phone from Twitter: Send STOP twice in succession to 40404, which will delete you from Twitter.

 

There will be no phone calls made regarding school closings.