TheJuly 2012

ConnectorOur focus is on serving you!

76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

1

July 2012

02Grammar Instruction

12 NeSA Math Vocabulary

16 Big 5 of Reading (5 days)

16 Write Tools 101 Foundations (2 days)

18 Write Tools: Multi-Paragraph

Writing and Compare/Contrast Essays

19 Write Tools: Research Papers

& Reports

23 Career & Technical Ed In-dustry Tour-Good Samaritan Hospital

26 Art Teachers Network Day

30 Quantum Learning for First-Time Participants (5 days)

30 Quantum Learning for Past Participants

31 2012 Distance Learning Workshop

August

06 NeSA Science Vocabulary

07 DIBELS Next Essential Workshop

07 Team Blue for LAN Managers

Upcoming WorkshopsA Message from Dr. Bell

It has been a hot summer already and the season is just starting. No, I’m not talking about the weather outside. It’s the hot topics, warm bodies, and ener-getic learners spending time in the ESU 10 build-ing this summer as they partner with ESU 10 staff and contracted presenters “to meet changing needs through professional expertise, training, and support.” It’s exciting to see all of the energy and enthusiasm in the building.

It’s also the time of year when the Network Infor-mation Services staff is out and about completing upgrades and installations. The recent upgrade at ESU 10 seems to have gone without a hitch and

I am assured the same result will be shared by all who receive these technol-ogy services. I’ve also noticed that the men in the cave, formally known as the Computer/AV Service Center, are digging their way out from under a pile of machines that arrived for service and repair.

The Network Information Systems staff is sharing the highways and byways with the Cooperative Purchasing crew as they deliver over $400,000 worth of supplies to school districts in the region in about eight weeks. 13 employees have been hired this summer to make sure all of the orders are filled and deliv-ered to the right locations in a prompt and efficient manner.

The Special Education Department area is being painted as I type while some of the staff is at a conference and others are out in the field providing summer services to students. The pink and mauve walls will be no more.

The Professional Development Staff is working closely with the Technology Trainers to provide an intense immersion into the world of Team Blue. This development and support will continue into the school year for all of these inaugural participants.

The Administration staff is feverishly ending and starting budget years and making sure all staff contracts are in place for existing and new staff.

Someone once asked what we do here all summer since the schools aren’t in session. This is actually one of the busiest times of year at ESU 10. Actions accomplished during the summer propel us into the start of the next school year. Life is always exciting at ESU 10. Sometimes things get a bit crazy, but we adhere to the philosophy of Mario Andretti. He said, “If everything is under control, you are going too slow.”

You won’t find any slow moving vehicle signs at ESU 10!

76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

2

Technology Tips for Teachers by Jamey Boelhower, Remote Learning Speciialist

Vacation, family visits, and fireworks. We take a ton of pictures in the sum-mer. We might post them on Face-book, or get them developed at our local store. Many times the pictures sit on our computers or on the digital camera waiting for us to do something with them. This month’s article will highlight a few ideas for sharing pho-tographs and creating artistic projects with the photos.

The first option is sharing photographs online, other than on Facebook. A site I use is Flickr. Flickr is a photo management and sharing site. It allows you to create albums or “sets” that you control who can see the contents. It also allows you to set your license under creative commons for your photos. A cool feature is that Flickr is connected with iPhoto on Macs. Flickr does have an app that allows you to upload photos on the go. But there are other sites like Shutterfly, Smugmug, Photobucket, and Snapfish that you may like.

can clip photos, add frames, text, or even stickers (there are 12 free stickers and sticker packs you can buy in the app). A unique option with this app is to collect photos from the web or from your Face-book feed. Another cool option is the ability to create a postcard of your finished collage for $1.99 that they will send for you.

These three apps are just some of many that can make sharing your photos with friends and family easy and fun. I hope your summer is filled with memories that you capture in photographs.

One of the fun things about mobile devices are the ways to create cool photo projects that you can share once you are done. I will share three apps that have three different creative activities for photos.

BeFunky is a photo editor app that allows you to create different photo effects from filters to speech bubbles. There are fun frames you can also add to your photo. Once you are finished you can save the photo back to your camera roll or share on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or Tumbler.

Pic Jointer allows you to combine multiple photos into one framed photo. There are some fun effects with an “in app” purchase, but the main idea is to create a framed col-lage of your photos. Again, you can share the finished picture by email, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or save it to your camera roll.

Pic Collage app allows you to make a fun collage with your photos. You

Picture

Perfect

Summer

76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

3

CTE Teachers and Counselors Tour Broken Bow Wind Farm

On June 13, 2012 ten Career and Technical Education teachers and guidance counselors participated in a tour of the Broken Bow Wind Farm. The purpose of the tour was to provide an opportunity for CTE teachers to analyze current business and industry needs in order to provide their students with a broader understanding of career opportunities and qualifications.

The day began at Broken Bow High School with an infor-mative presentation about wind energy in Nebraska. The presentation was given by John Richards, NPPD engineer. Mr. Richards shared the technical and logistical informa-tion pertinent to wind energy production and NPPD’s role in the Broken Bow Wind Farm.

Following the presentation, the group traveled to the wind farm northeast of town. There, the tour participants were

met by Bart Richardson, Broken Bow Wind Farm site manager. Mr. Richardson detailed the planning and construction of the wind turbines. The teachers and guidance counselors viewed the massive disassembled parts of a wind turbine during the visit as Mr. Richards and Mr. Richardson described aspects of assembly and functioning of the wind turbines.

The tour concluded with a debriefing of the day and discussion about how the information gained would be shared with students in the classroom. There will be one more opportunity for CTE teachers and counselors to tour an area business on July 23, 2012 at Good Samaritan Hospital. Several Health Sciences Careers will be highlighted.

Sign up on ODIE now!

by Kelly Clapp,Professional Development Coordinator

76 Plaza Blvd • PO Box 850 • Kearney, NE 68848-0850 • Ph: 308.237.5927 • Fax: 308.237.5920 • www.esu10.org

4

Digging Deeper into Differentiation

Teachers Roxanne Whiting, Carol Keiser, and Teresa Messersmith of Gothenburg High School recently received a grant to attend a national Differentiation Training. An element of the grant involves them sharing their newly acquired skills/knowledge with other Nebraska educa-tors. On June 25, 2012 the three teachers led a workshop at ESU 10 incorporating differentiated instruction (DI) philosophies, tools, and practical examples to meet the tremendous need of teachers trying to effectively reach the students of today.

The 21st century learners no longer respond to 30 minute lectures, worksheets, and uniform instructional methods.

The modern student thrives in utilizing multitasking, net-working, multifunctional devices, all facets of technology, and highly engaging entertainment. The traditional method of the assembly-line, production-line based education is no longer effective for 21st century students.

This workshop included engaging presentations to inspire teachers to embrace the DI mindset through hands-on activities, classroom examples, and resources that equip them with practical tools to challenge their students indi-vidually. The workshop also provided interactive model-ing opportunities for the participants to practice everyday strategies that meet a wide variety of learning styles and levels of thinking.