ESC TODAY
Timely Information and Resources for Region 11 Schools
October 12, 2016
ESC TODAY is published twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays throughout the school year.
Take a moment and watch the video below about the great things happening in Region 11 schools. Featured this month are Denton ISD, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, and Fort Worth ISD.
Accountability Overview for Teachers
All teachers are invited to attend an accountability overview on October 21 for a step-by-step walkthrough of the accountability system. During the workshop, we'll explore how assessments affect the overall state and federal accountability systems for schools and districts, and debate the question “performance or progress?".
Teachers will leave with a solid understanding of all four indices and ideas for how to use this information to plan for effective instruction, increase student progress and performance, and improve overall teacher quality.
Connect2Texas: Why Connected Learning?
Connect2Texas is an outstanding educational resource that connects your students with various Texas-based organizations and experts. Our curriculum-based programs are designed to be entertaining and educational by offering learning possibilities that aren’t readily available in the classroom. Integrating “connected learning” can play an essential role in your instruction and create opportunities for new discovery. Connection options include:
- Amarillo Zoo
- Amon Carter Museum of American Art
- Bass Hall Performance Hall
- Bullock Texas State History Museum
- Don Harrington Discovery Center
- Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
- Fort Worth Library
- Fort Worth Zoo
- George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
- Grace Museum
- Houston Zoo
- John R. Erickson (Author of the Hank the Cowdog series)
- McDonald Observatory
- National Archives Fort Worth
- National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
- Old Jail Art Center
- Perot Museum of Nature and Science
- Sixth Floor Museum
- Texas State Aquarium
- Texas Wildlife Association
Register today at www.Connect2Texas.net and start connecting!
Full STEAM Ahead for K-12 Teachers
NASA and Trash4Teaching will present FREE professional learning sessions for teachers throughout the STEAM Carnival, October 17-19, to help teachers continue to impact the learning of students in Region 11.
NASA will discuss and demonstrate a collection of NASA-unique lesson plans, hands-on activities, and education resources for engaging K-12 students in STEAM using NASA’s MMS Mission. Participants will explore worlds of magnetism, spacecraft, engineering design, and 3D printing.
Register here:
STEAM PD: NASA MMS Mission
1/2 day sessions (9 a.m. - noon)
Trash4Teaching (T4T) will offer STEAMopolis, a fun, hands-on experience designed to engage all learners using an environmental stewardship approach to STEAM education. Students will use the Engineering Design Process and their own creativity to turn recycled materials into innovative products.
Register here:
STEAMopolis (t4t.org)
Full-day sessions (9 a.m.- 4 p.m.)
Join the K-12 STEAM PLC Network
You are invited to join a community of STEAM/STEM teachers in Region 11 to network and learn through a series of face-to-face collaboration times with continued partnership and learning through Canvas.
Face-to-face network collaboration times include:
- Action Time: TEKS-based, hands-on investigations for Grades K-5 and 6-12.
- Unconference: informal participant exchange of information, ideas, and solutions related to current issues.
- Reality Check: industry connections and trends related to STEAM careers.
- Product Development: extended collaboration time for planning classroom instruction with colleagues.
Canvas network collaboration times include:
- Product Implementation: extended collaboration time for planning classroom instruction using discussion chats about lesson integration.
- Unconference Part Deux: new monthly discussions and follow-up.
- STEAMCenter: spotlights campus-based STEAM in Action during December, January, and March.
The STEAM PLC Network is free. To register, visit www.esc11.net and click on Register. For questions, please contact Alison Lentz, (817) 740-3636, or Thais Mitchell, (817) 740-3679 or visit esc11.net/STEAM.
Texas SUCCESS
Texas SUCCESS ( Student Success Initiative Support) programs accelerate student learning through online instructional resources. ESC Region 11 is offering several levels of teacher training and comprehensive overview of each program:
Istation
November 14, 2016
9 a.m.-noon - Novice User
1-4 p.m. - Intermediate/Advanced User
Apex
November 15, 2016
9 a.m.-noon - Intermediate/Advanced User
1-4 p.m. - Novice User
Think Through Math
November 17, 2016
9 a.m.-noon - Novice User
1-4 p.m. - Intermediate/Advanced User
Compass Learning
November 18, 2016
9 a.m.-noon - Novice User
1-4 p.m. - Intermediate/Advanced User
For more information, contact Michelle Bateman, (817) 740-3691.
Transition Specialists, Vocational Coordinators, Service Agency Representatives, Other Educators, and Youth with Disabilities and their Families
The Texas Transition Conference is a two-day event, February 22-24, 2017, with a pre-conference session, focused on providing evidence-based practices that result in a smooth transition from school to adult life for youth with disabilities. Participants will receive intensive training in five focus areas: student-focused planning, family involvement, interagency collaboration, student development, and program structure.
Conference attendees come from all over the state of Texas and include educators, transition specialists, vocational coordinators, service agency representatives, and youth with disabilities and their families.
Beyond Barriers to Postsecondary Education and Employment: Passion and Possibilities!
2017 Texas Transition Conference on February 22-24, 2017
Westin Galleria Houston
Join Our Social Community
Stay connected to ESC Region 11 through our Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts; blogs; and email contact lists/listservs. Join the ESC Region 11 pages, and/or find the specific group that meets your needs. Browse through the list and click on the one you are interested in joining.
Click on this QR code to go to our Facebook page, then "Like" our page.
Would You Like to Receive This Newsletter?
ESC Region 11
Email: communications@esc11.net
Website: esc11.net
Location: 1451 Cherry Lane, White Settlement, TX 76108, United States
Phone: (817)740-3600
Facebook: facebook.com/ESCRegion11
Twitter: @ESCRegion11