TMS BLIF Update
January 6, 2017
Professional Development Opportunities
Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership: Teachers Invited To Apply For Fellowships
The deadline to apply for the 2017-2018 fellowship year is on Monday, January 16.
Recently, new fellowships were added to our website. Check back regularly for additional new fellowships
- Our fellowships are based in STEM-connected research and industry fields. They are designed to give teachers a summer internship where they gain insight into innovative ways of creating authentic learning experiences for students.
- Teachers remain in the classroom while participating in the year-long program. Selected Kenan Fellows receive 80 hours of professional development and at least a $5,000 stipend.
- The fellowship program positions teachers to serve as leaders in their schools, districts, and beyond. Fellowships are awarded in the spring.
Student Opportunities
CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS LAUNCHING NEW LOW-COST, HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND SERVICE FOR U.S. FAMILIES, SENIORS
To assist consumers with the eligibility process and enrollment, Charter has launched a new dedicated Spectrum Internet Assist website: www.SpectrumInternetAssist.com. Prospective enrollees may also call the Spectrum Internet Assist toll-free helpline at 1-844-525-1574 for assistance.
What’s the offer?
$14.99/mo. for a 30/4Mbps speed package
- Includes all standard Internet features; i.e. security suite, mailboxes, etc.
- Includes a modem at no extra cost and free self-install.
$5.00/month for Charter WiFi
- Includes a router
- Activation fee waived
- Rate will not be increased during the life of the program
Enrichment Activities
- The Mathematics Department at Appalachian State University hosts a NCCTM Math Contest on March 8, 2017.
Metric Video Contest for the metric system students, schools and classrooms.
video submissions may be either 30 second, 1 minute or 3 minute submissions. They should incorporate the information shared in the attachment.
Metric cubes are available from Kim Morton, if anyone needs for a prop in the video.
- All entries are to be sent to Dr. Taylor.
Grant Opportunities
TAF Project-Based Learning Grants for Grades 6–12
Sponsor: Toshiba America Foundation
Award: Two categories: Up to $5,000 and more than $5,000
Number of Awards: Not specified
Application Deadline: Up to $5,000 awarded on a rolling basis; Feb. 1 deadline for applications for more than $5,000Steelcase Active Learning Center Grant
Sponsor: Steelcase Education
Award: Estimated $65,000 in "furniture, design, installation, onsite training and pre- and post-occupancy measurement tool for one of four classroom types designed for up to 30 students"
Number of Awards: Up to 15 per year
Application Deadline: Feb. 10- Sponsor: McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
Award: $30,000 maximum ($10,000 over three years)
Number of Awards: Not specified (five awarded last year)
Application Deadline: April 15 (submissions open Jan. 15) - Sponsor: McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
Award: $30,000 maximum ($10,000 over three years)
Number of Awards: Not specified (two awarded last year)
Application Deadline: April 15 (submissions open Jan. 15) - Deadline: Ongoing
- Deadline: Ongoing
- Deadline: Ongoing
- Deadline: Ongoing
- Deadline: Ongoing
Food For Thought
Teacher Advisor With Watson
Good Idea or Bad Idea?
Teacher Advisor with Watson
As the demands on educators increase, teachers need ongoing opportunities to build their instructional and content expertise to help them better meet the needs of their students and enable them to achieve at higher and higher levels.
Meet the first tool, powered by cutting-edge cognitive computing technology, developed by teachers, for teachers, to provide high-quality lesson plans and instructional materials, with guidance from a virtual, cognitive coach. Teacher Advisor with Watson has been trained by education experts, including teachers and an Advisory Board of respected thinkers in education – all focused on one purpose: the professional development of today’s modern educator.
A Free Cognitive Coach for Teachers:
This free resource is powered by IBM Watson, a cognitive computing engine that, towards the end of 2017, will guide teachers as they plan and deliver lessons aligned to 21st century standards, saving them time and enabling them to better meet the needs of every student in their classroom. In the current version of the tool, teachers are able to leverage Watson’s ability to understand natural language to ask targeted individual questions, and receive specific answers and resources that will better meet their teaching needs.
Teachers will also be able to leverage four unique experiences that bring the highest quality content to their fingertips in one user-friendly space.
Four Interrelated Experiences
Exploring Academic Standards
Teacher Advisor helps teachers learn what they need to teach and importantly, how to effectively teach it. Teachers can:
· Learn about a specific concept or academic standard in depth
· See connections to pre- and post-requisite standards
· View related instructional strategies aligned to a selected standard/concept
Finding and Customizing Lesson Plans to Fit Classroom Needs
Teacher Advisor enables teachers to easily identify lessons targeted to specific concepts or standards that have been vetted by educational experts. Teachers can:
· Select full-length, vetted lessons and export to their personal workspace for use
· Customize lessons to meet specific classroom needs using a bank of high quality activities.
· Receive guidance from Watson as they customize their lessons
Finding an Activity or Worksheet
Teachers do not always need a whole lesson. For that reason, Teacher Advisor helps teachers identify and select vetted activities aligned to academic standards that teachers can use to:
· Review prior learning
· Elaborate on a particularly complex concept
· Prepare students more effectively for an upcoming lesson
View Instructional Strategies
All teachers need resources to enhance their instruction, encourage reflection, and enable teacher growth. Teacher Advisor provides teachers with a corpus of instructional resources that will grow in diversity and depth over time. Teachers will be able to find materials in the following categories:
· Curriculum materials
· Mathematics standards
· Mathematics teaching strategies
· Engaging and managing students (by 2017)
· Supporting diverse learners (by 2017)
Teacher Advisor, in conjunction with the IBM International Foundation, was piloted with a small group of 3rd grade math teachers nationwide, from August 2016 – November 2016. The IBM development team is incorporating teacher feedback for a December 2016 revised release, which will support up to 1,000 users nationwide. And thanks to the IBM International Foundation and funding partners, including: The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation, this game changing resource will see new robust functionality, and be 100% free to teachers around the world by the end of 2017.