TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2005
TEACHERS' MESSAGES 2005MAY 12, 2005
Last week, I had the honor of introducing North Carolina's 2005-06 Teacher of the Year, Wendy Miller. Wendy is a K-2 teacher at James W. Smith Elementary School in the Craven County School System anda wonderful example of the dedication and professionalism of our very best teachers. When I think back on my term as State Superintendent, it will be events such as these that will remain fresh in my memory.
Regards,
Tricia Willoughby
In this Biweekly Teachers' Message:
- State Board Meeting Highlights
- Greetings from North Carolina's 2005-06 Teacher of the Year
- Project Recovery Online Courses
- Fulbright Exchange Opportunities
- Interactive Videoconferencing Workshop Scheduled
- NCDPI Middle School Certified Trainers' of Writing Phase IV
- Sound Learning - Environmental Education for the Albemarle-Pamlico Region
- Summer Item Development Institute 2005
State Board Meeting Highlights
The Board approved new high school exit standards effective with the ninth grade class of 2006-07 (graduating class of 2010). The new standards require students to pass the five core end-of-course tests and successfully complete a senior project. Also, the Board approved a new formula for the ABCs accountability model, a result of the comprehensive review of the ABCs that began last fall. Complete highlights of the Board meeting are posted online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights/
Greetings from North Carolina's 2005-06 Teacher of the Year
Years ago as a little girl growing up on a small dairy farm, I dreamed of one day becoming a teacher. Dreams are powerful when they are fueled by passion and supported by love. I have been living my dream for 18 years and could have never imagined where my dream would lead. On Wednesday, May 3, a miracle occurred. I heard my named called as the 2005-06 North Carolina Teacher of the Year. I am truly humbled and honored to have been selected as a representative of the many wonderful teachers across North Carolina. The year ahead will be an exciting one. I will have the opportunity to speak passionately about the profession of teaching and the power of education. I will encourage teachers to become advocates of their profession, risk-takers in their practice, and supporters of their students. I will encourage students to form their own dreams. I will share with students the power of education, for it is only through education that that we can begin to understand, accept, and celebrate diversity in our schools, our communities, and our world. My message to teachers and students across North Carolina is simple?continue to reach for your dreams, for out of dreams come miracles. I am living proof of that! Wendy A. Miller, 2005-06 North Carolina Teacher of the Year
Project Recovery Online Courses
The State Board of Education last week approved the use of its reserve funds for Innovative/Special Projects to support its Project Recovery online courses for middle and high school students. The funds would be used to pay for licensing of courses for at-risk students this summer. The funds will support about 1,200 students in one-half credit courses focusing on Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, US History, and English I. Schools will provide the instructors and facilities for the courses. The Board's funds will support course licensing, hosting, training, and technical support, as well as an instructional team leader who will serve as a mentor for both content and online pedagogy. (Other courses are available but will not have an instructional coordinator/mentor assigned.) This joint effort of LEARN NC, Class.com, and the Department of Public Instruction provides a Web-based means for students to recover credit from failed courses. Teachers will learn how to use Class.com materials in summer school to reach students who struggled during the school year. Two day training sessions are scheduled for May 23-24, May 31-June 1, and June 6-7 in Chapel Hill. Limited travel subsidies are available. There also will be an informational videoconference on May 16 at 3 p.m. (A streamlining Web cast will be available for those unable to attend a NC Information Highway site.) School systems must register teachers by May 20 to be eligible for Project Recovery funding this year. For more information, including registration, please go online to http://rattler.learnnc.org/support/project-recovery or contact Ross White, Director of Online Learning, at ross@learnnc.org.
Fulbright Exchange Opportunities
The Fulbright Teacher/Administrator Exchange Program is currently seeking teachers for the following exchange opportunities. Specific details about each of these programs, the applications and application instructions can be found online at http://www.fulbrightexchanges.org/View/ViewOtherOpps.asp Uruguay. Teachers or administrators with general proficiency in Spanish and strong cross-cultural skills are being sought to act as teacher trainers and make presentations on general education topics in Uruguay for six weeks this summer. The deadline to apply is May 27.Morocco. Teachers (grades 9-12) of English as a second language, French or Arabic are being sought to travel to Morocco for a three or six-week job-shadowing exchange in the fall 2005. In spring 2006, U.S. teachers will host Moroccan teachers for a six-week job-shadowing exchange in the U.S.
Interactive Videoconferencing Workshop Scheduled
The NC School of Science and Mathematics' Distance Learning Department is sponsoring an Interactive Videoconferencing (IVC) Workshop: Promising Practices for K-12, on June 8 from 8:30 a.m. ? 3:30 p.m. Administrators, teachers and counselors may want to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the possibilities of IVC in the classroom and share best practices. There is a $15 registration fee, which covers lunch and materials. Participants will receive 0.5 CEUs. The registration deadline is May 30. For more details, including registration, please go online to http://www.dlt.ncssm.edu/distance_learning/DLWorkshops/ivc_workshop.htm or contact Carole Stern via email at stern@ncssm.edu, or by phone, 919.416.2635.
NCDPI Middle School Certified Trainers' of Writing Phase IV
NCDPI's Middle School Certified Trainers' of Writing - Phase IV, a two-day training session, will be held June 20-21 at the Radisson at Governor's Inn, RTP. The training will focus on "The Five Features of Effective Writing." The registration fee is $275, which includes materials, lunches, and breaks. For more information, including a registration form, please go to the Learn NC/Instructional Services Web site at http://www.learnnc.org/dpi/instserv.nsf/Category3 and click Calendar, then NCDPI Meeting and Training Announcements. For questions regarding the training, please contact Phyllis Blackmon at Middle Grades English Language Arts Consultant, NCDPI Via email at pblackmon@dpi.state.nc.us or by phone, 919.807.3831
Sound Learning - Environmental Education for the Albemarle-Pamlico Region
Elementary teachers and media coordinators in the Roanoke, Chowan, Pasquotank, Tar-Pamlico, Neuse and White Oak Basins are invited to enjoy a week of environmental education activities and field experiences on July 24-29 at the Trinity Center in Salter Path. There is no charge for the institute or lodging and meals; however, space is limited. For more information, including an application, please go online to www.eenorthcarolina.org and look under "eco features" or visit www.apnep.org. Teachers are encouraged to call prior to registration if they are not sure that they work in one of these river basins. For questions and additional information, contact Lisa Tolley via email at lisa.tolley@ncmail.net or by calling 800.482.8724. A map of the state's river basins can be viewed online at http://www.ee.enr.state.nc.us/public/ecoaddress/riverbasins/riverbasinmapinteractive.htm
Summer Item Development Institute 2005
A Summer Item Development Institute will be held Aug. 1-4 at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. This NCDPI professional development opportunity is designed for K-12 teachers of Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and English Language Arts as well as Children with Exceptionalities and ESL. Participants will learn to write multiple-choice and performance test items aligned to the "NC Standard Course of Study." Participants who complete the institute will receive a certificate of attendance for 3.2 teacher renewal credits. For more information, please go online to https://cuacs8.mck.ncsu.edu/itemwriting/siwi or Jerrie Brown via email at jbrown@dpi.state.nc.us or by phone at 919.515.1345.