IMLEA Monday Minute

Congratulations to Sunman Dearborn Middle School in St. Leon, Indiana. They are one of our newest schools to watch. Here is a quote from Principal, Matt Maple at the conclusion of the designation process:

Throughout the Schools to Watch process, our school has taken some drastic changes; we are implementing a teaming schedule for 6th grade students, the implementation of the Trojan Careers Program and our Community Service Day. Our staff has transformed their mentality of education, and understand the importance of a positive culture and importance of educating the whole student.

In coming weeks, we will feature other schools that have earned designation or redesignation recently. As a reminder, we have workshops coming up on February 22 and April 10 where you can learn more about the Schools to Watch process. Contact Shirley Wright if you have any questions.

Foolproof Middle School?

How often have you seen the word "foolproof" in connection with middle school? Shirley Wright learned of this free curriculum now available for middle school, created after a high school version was successfully implemented in over 5500 schools. It covers financial literacy, media literacy, and more. Access information for free download of the materials at FoolProofMiddleSchool.com It consists of twenty lessons in nine modules, including videos and animations. It could be used in advisory, in stand alone classes, or integrated into other disciplines.


DOE Digital Content Workshop Tour DOE hosts Digital Content Workshops across the state to assist districts as they explore curating information, including OER. The form to apply for this one in Anderson on March 14 says it closed Feb 9, but as of this morning, it was still open. There is another at Southridge in May. It is free, you can send a team of up to 5, and subs are reimbursed by the state. You can find a great example of an OER resource with the Black History link shared in the calendar below.	DOE Tool Smackdowns (and other webinars) On Tuesday, February 20, DOE will be hosting a webinar at 4 pm ET for secondary teachers to share their favorite tech tools in a smackdown. You can use this link to register. You can also find archived videos of past webinars here. These webinars have covered a variety of topics, including holding eLearning days, coding, digital citizenship, and more. Last week they held a similar webinar for elementary teachers that is not yet archived.	Favorite Teacher Tools Twice a week, Indiana teachers are sharing videos explaining why certain tech tools are among their favorites. So far, these have included Padlet, diigo, Doceri, and Google Calendar. These videos could serve as models for sharing within your own district. The educators who have volunteered are also open to answering questions about these and other tools.

DOE Digital Content Workshop Tour

DOE hosts Digital Content Workshops across the state to assist districts as they explore curating information, including OER. The form to apply for this one in Anderson on March 14 says it closed Feb 9, but as of this morning, it was still open. There is another at Southridge in May. It is free, you can send a team of up to 5, and subs are reimbursed by the state. You can find a great example of an OER resource with the Black History link shared in the calendar below.

DOE Tool Smackdowns (and other webinars)

On Tuesday, February 20, DOE will be hosting a webinar at 4 pm ET for secondary teachers to share their favorite tech tools in a smackdown. You can use this link to register. You can also find archived videos of past webinars here. These webinars have covered a variety of topics, including holding eLearning days, coding, digital citizenship, and more. Last week they held a similar webinar for elementary teachers that is not yet archived.

Favorite Teacher Tools

Twice a week, Indiana teachers are sharing videos explaining why certain tech tools are among their favorites. So far, these have included Padlet, diigo, Doceri, and Google Calendar. These videos could serve as models for sharing within your own district. The educators who have volunteered are also open to answering questions about these and other tools.

MythBusters: Teacher Leader Edition

What avenues for teacher leadership does your district have? This article by Sandy Cameli, EdD was just shared on the AMLE website. It makes some great points about ways to empower teachers, and could be another one leading to great discussions. My favorite quote from it:

"Teacher leadership is an exciting and expanding asset to the field of education. Opportunities for personal and professional growth have evolved from individual professional development courses to action research projects and community-based learning experiences. The question is no longer if teacher leadership should be an option for schools and districts, but how stakeholders will capitalize on the evolving roles of teacher leaders to promote student success."

Nominate Someone in the "My Favorite Teacher" Contest

Barnes & Noble is offering a chance for middle and high school students to name a favorite teacher. Students write an essay, poem, or thank-you letter (500 words or less, in English on 8.5" x 11" white paper) sharing how a teacher has influenced their life and why they appreciate them. Each store designates a winner, who is then entered into regional and national competition. You can participate as a school, or students can mail or deliver the entry to a Barnes & Noble. Entry form & more information. Deadline March 2.