Georgians Experience Astronomy Research in Schools (GEARS) Astronomy Resource Teachers
Astronomy is an interdisciplinary physical science that can capture the imaginations of young and old alike and can serve as a science elective that may spark the science interest in our teens. Georgians Experience Astronomy Research in Schools (GEARS) is a NASA funded project to bring GPS Astronomy to all GA high schools. The project has developed a NASA-research based Astronomy curriculum and provide teacher training across the state.
We are looking for a few fabulous teachers to spearhead the introduction of this NASA based, high-tech astronomy curriculum in the state of Georgia. Selected teachers will receive free tuition and a book allowance for two semesters (Fall 2011 and Spring 2012) of on-line astronomy instruction in exchange for teaching the new curriculum in their schools in 2012-2013 and providing feedback to the curriculum designers.
Teachers who successfully complete the course will be eligible and must be willing to assist with and lead professional development workshops (after training) for teachers for two weeks in the summer of 2011. Workshop curriculum and a workshop apprenticeship provided.
In addition to receiving two free semesters of graduate coursework, GEARS Resource Teachers will:
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Receive equipment for their classroom.
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Pilot new exercises and activities in Astronomy using NASA mission data.
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Be first in their region to teach GPS Astronomy.
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Mentor other teachers in using GEARS curricular resources.
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Experience cutting edge technology in action in a classroom setting.
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Attend GSTA meetings for free during project term.
On a competitive basis, GEARS Resource Teachers will be eligible to:
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Send a student and self to a national science meeting to present.
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Receive summer stipends to assist with and lead summer professional development workshops.
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Receive stipends to review curricular materials and activities.
For more information please contact Juan-Carlos Aguilar at (jaguilar@doe.k12.ga.us).
Science National Framework
A Framework for K-12 Science Education identifies the key scientific practices, concepts and ideas that all students should learn by the time they complete high school. It is intended as a guide for those who develop science education standards, those who design curricula and assessments, and others who work in K-12 science education.
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How was the framework developed?
The framework was developed by an 18 member committee of experts in education and scientists from many disciplines, appointed by the National Research Council (NRC). The report represents their consensus based on all the evidence and information they collected during the 18 months of their deliberative and writing process.
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How were the disciplinary core ideas chosen?
The committee built upon previous efforts such as Project 2061 Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy, the National Research Council’s 1996 National Science Education Standards, and their supporting documents, and more recently the Science Framework for the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (or NAEP – the so-called National Report Card) as well as the Science College Board Standards for College Success.
To develop and refine the final list of core ideas, the committee applied the following four criteria. A core idea should:
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Have broad importance across multiple sciences or engineering disciplines or be a key organizing principle of a single discipline.
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Provide a key tool for understanding or investigating more complex ideas and solving problems.
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Relate to the interests and life experiences of students or be connected to societal or personal concerns that require scientific or technical knowledge.
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Be teachable and learnable over multiple grades at increasing levels of depth and sophistication. That is, the idea can be made accessible to younger students but is broad enough to sustain continued investigation over years.
Every core idea had to meet at least two of these criteria, and preferably three or all four.
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How is the new framework’s approach different from that of previous science standards?
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The new framework specifies eight science and engineering practices that students should learn and use over the course of their schooling. The previous standards included practices in its model of “inquiry-based learning,” but the new framework is more specific about the practices that students should learn and use.
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The new framework is designed to bring greater coherence to the science education that students receive across grades K-12. One aspect of this coherence is the emphasis on deepening students’ knowledge of core ideas systematically over multiple grade levels. Another aspect of coherence is the integration of a common set of practices and crosscutting concepts across the disciplines of science and across all of the grades.
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Finally, the framework calls for a full integration of the practices of science with the ideas and concepts. That is, students should learn the ideas of science through actually doing science.
This approach was also emphasized in previous documents, but was not fully implemented on a wide-scale.
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How will the framework be used?
A key purpose for the framework is to serve as the basis for new science education standards.
The framework lays out broadly the core ideas and practices that students should learn, and the standards will build upon that foundation, explaining in detail what students should learn at various grade levels. A group of states will lead the development of the standards, in a process coordinated by nonprofit education organization Achieve Inc. (see http://www.achieve.org/next-generation-science-standards for further information about the next steps in this process)
You can download the full framework from The National Academies Press website (http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13165). Additionally, we will conduct a series of webinars to familiarize Georgia teachers with the framework starting in late September.
Georgia One of the 20 States to Lead Next Generation Science Standards
Georgia has been selected as one of the 20 states that will lead the development of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a state-led effort that will clearly define the content and practices all students will need to learn from kindergarten through high school graduation. The NGSS process is being managed by Achieve, a non-partisan education non-profit.
The development of the Next Generation Science Standards is a two-step process. The first step was the building of a framework that identified the core ideas and practices in natural sciences and engineering that all students should be familiar with by the time they graduate. In July, the National Research Council released A Framework for K-12 Science Education, developed by a committee representing expertise in science, teaching and learning, curriculum, assessment and education policy.
The second step is the development of science standards based on the Framework. The 20 Lead State Partners will guide the standard writing process, gather and deliver feedback from state-level committees and come together to address common issues and challenges.
Drafts of the science standards will be made available for public input at least two times during the NGSS development process. The NGSS should be completed by the end of 2012.
STEM
Contact: Gilda Lyon (glyon@doe.k12.ga.us) or 404.463.1977 or Juan-Carlos Aguilar (jaguilar@doe.k12.ga.us) for more information.
Georgia STEM Festivals
The Georgia Department of Education will sponsor three STEM Festivals in October. All students, parents, teachers, and the general public are welcome on the Saturday of each Festival. The event is designed to foster public understanding of STEM and the relevance of STEM fields to everyday life. Interactive and engaging exhibits will encourage Georgia’s students to consider a STEM career.
Host Sites:
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October 14 & 15, 2011- Gwinnett School for Math, Science, and Technology, Lawrenceville, GA
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October 21 & 22, 2011- Ware County High School, Waycross, GA
For additional information, please contact Gilda Lyon at glyon@doe.k12.ga.us or 404.463.1977. There is no cost to attend.
Registration to attend any of the STEM Festivals is available at http://georgiastemfestival.org
STEM Georgia Webpage
The STEM Georgia webpage is now available at http://stemgeorgia.georgiastandards.org
Follow STEM Georgia on Twitter
Immediate updates on grants, workshops, competitions, scholarships, and STEM resources.
http://twitter.com/stemgeorgia
Georgia Department of Education STEM School Designation
Schools in Georgia may apply for official GaDOE STEM School Designation via an application process where specific criteria indicative of STEM schools are met. Contact info is above.
Social Studies
Contact: Shaun Owen (sowen@doe.k12.ga.us)
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CCGPS Webinars- Literacy in Social Studies
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October 17th @ 3:30
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November 9th @ 3:30
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GLASS meeting- Athens, October 19th
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GCSS Conference- Athens, October 20th-21st
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US History Consortium, October 24th
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National History Teacher of the Year Nominations
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http://www.gilderlehrman.org/education/htoy_overview.php
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Congratulations to Annette Wise- Governor’s Awards in the Humanities
Division for Special Education Services and Supports
Director: Debbie Gay (dgay@doe.k12.ga.us) Telephone: 404-657- 9959
Contact: Kachelle White (kawhite@doe.k12.ga.us) Telephone: 404-657-9970
Interested in Information to Support Families of Students with Disabilities?
Free Assistive Technology Resources from The Family Center on Technology and Disability (http://www.fctd.info/):
FCTD Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology & Transition Planning: Individuals may order one free print copy of this 50 page guide at http://www.fctd.info/show/order_guide. Additional copies are available for $10.00. A discount is available for bulk orders. The pdf version of the guide is also available for download as well as the fully accessible html version at http://www.fctd.info/show/fig_summary. Individuals may also order free copies of the 2011 FCTD AT Resources CD-Rom at http://www.fctd.info/show/order_form.
Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership (PMP)
Tenth Annual Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership State Conference is Major Success! Nearly 200 administrators and parents collaborated at the Division of Special Education's 10th Annual Parent Mentor Partnership (GaPMP) in late September in Athens focusing on ways to embed family engagement into the work of increasing graduation for all students, particularly those with disabilities. This innovative partnership between special education directors and parents of students with disabilities is a statewide initiative that began in 2001 by the Division for Special Education. With nearly 100 moms and dads, who are raising a child who receives special education services, working directly for one of 86 local school districts across Georgia, this partnership reached more than one million families, educators and community members in the last two years.
The conference welcomed legendary UGA Coach Vince Dooley as the keynote speaker who discussed the critical role leadership and team work play in successful outcomes. In addition, four high school graduates from the Henry County School District who dropped out of school but came back last year under an innovative program, the Transition Academy, told their success stories. Daniel Purvis, an inspiring 8th grade science teacher from Upson Middle School in Thomaston-Upson School District, explained to participants how he motivates all students to get on board to succeed and shared his strong data results. Other sessions centered on effective improvement planning, promising family engagement practices embedded into the work of school improvement, how to tie activity data to outcomes, vital behaviors for change, scaffolding school communication and a preview of the state’s parent portal prototype which will be part of the State Longitudinal Data System.
Among their many activities, parent mentors embed family engagement initiatives into their district’s work to improve IDEA State Performance Goals. In addition, these parents work closely with the more than 700 Title I Parent Involvement Coordinators as well as other state organizations, particularly Parent to Parent of Georgia. Over the past decade, promising practices developed through the Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership have been featured at many state and national conferences. Information about the Partnership is available through their innovative website for families and educators, www.parentmentors.org. Questions? Contact Patti Solomon, psolomon@doe.k12.ga.us.
Georgia Department of Education’s State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS)
Contact: Hubert Bennett (hbennett@doe.k12.ga.us) 404-656-5798
SLDS is designed to improve instruction by bringing student data to the teacher’s desktop through the SIS or student information system. Many Georgia school districts may use Infinite Campus, Power School or SchoolMax for their SIS. SLDS is designed to house many components for districts, schools and teachers alike. SLDS will eventually deliver state programs to districts, schools, and teachers via a secure information highway between the GaDOE and a district where data is sent and received called “The Tunnel”. This tunnel provides a safe access point for districts and schools to upload data and a secure location for GaDOE to pick-up the information districts uploaded. In essence, SLDS is a student’s permanent records folder in digital form.
Now available to all users via SLDS, is the current statewide testing and attendance data. The data is available to provide student information based on data provided through FTE and GTID numbers. This information is available to districts, schools and teachers. The goal is to offer a single sign-in for users to gather important information to make data-driven decisions regarding the district, school and classroom.
The SLDS system will have many components. The first is a data resource provided on a district, school and teacher level. In progress is the teacher resource link, also known as TRL. The resource link will provide teachers with additional free resources to assist in differentiation of student learning. Teachers will be able to provide quality resources to supplement a student's learning through the teacher resource link. For future development there is an assortment of programs intended to assist educators each and every day with all students. Items in development to be delivered through the tunnel include, Common Core GPS standards and resources, IEP/RTI, GAVS, IIS, professional development, Class and Leaders KEYS and many more!
SLDS Training
The SLDS Team in comprised of a number of resources. While most users are finding SLDS easy and intuitive, the SLDS is offering face-to-face training as requested by districts.
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For more information visit:
http://slds.doe.k12.ga.us/Pages/SLDS.aspx
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For training modules visit:
http://slds.doe.k12.ga.us/Lists/Other%20Resources/AllItems.aspx
SLDS@doe.k12.ga.us
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Join the SLDS Mailing List:
join-slds@list.doe.k12.ga.us
http://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaSLDS
http://twitter.com/#!/GeorgiaSLDS
Title IV-A: Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities
Contacts: Marilyn Watson (mawatson@doe.k12.ga.us) and/or Jeff Hodges (jhodges@doe.k12.ga.us)
Georgia Student Health Survey II
It will soon be time to administer the Georgia Student Health Survey II (GSHS II) for the
2011-2012 school year. The survey generally opens every year in October. However, the opening of the survey has been delayed this year to coincide with the Georgia College and Career Ready Performance Index (GCCRPI) which is currently under review by the U.S. Department of Education. Because the survey window will open later than usual, schools will be given much longer to administer the survey.
The survey has been expanded this year to include all middle and high school grades (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12). URL addresses (web addresses) will remain the same as previous years. Each school in your school district with grades 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 is assigned a unique URL address to allow student access to the online survey. URL addresses are also available for private schools in your district that wish to participate. The survey consists of approximately 100 questions on a variety of health-related and school-safety related issues and takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please stay tuned for more details regarding the opening of the survey and to receive your URL addresses.
Copies of the middle and high school survey are available on the GaDOE Safe and Drug-Free Schools (SDFS) webpage at http://www.gadoe.org/sia_titleiv.aspx under “Title IV Resources.” Federal law requires that the survey be made available for review by all interested parties; therefore, copies may be reproduced and made available to parents or other parties upon request. Also, please make sure that your parents know about the survey and are given the option to opt out if so desired. A Passive Parental Permission form is also available on the SDFS webpage under "Title IV Resources."
Thank you for your continued support of the GSHS II and for using the survey results in planning your drug and violence prevention programs. Please contact Jeff Hodges or Marilyn Watson if you have additional questions about the survey.
World Languages and International Education
Contact: Jon Valentine (jvalentine@doe.k12.ga.us)
Learning Resources/Materials/Textbooks
Contact: Randall N. Lee (rlee@doe.k12.ga.us) or 404-656-0476
The process for reviewing K-12 mathematics learning resources/instructional materials/textbooks will take place during the summer of 2012. Information was sent to Curriculum Directors concerning the request for mathematics’ educators to serve on the committee. We will be looking to identify evaluation sites in the 13 congressional districts. Please contact me if you need additional information and/or your interest in participation with this review process. Please forward this announcement to your mathematics’ coordinators and teachers.
NEXT CIA Monthly Update Webinar is scheduled for:
The next webinar is planned for Monday, November 14, 2011, at 9:00 a.m.
All webinars can be accessed through the Training page of GeorgiaStandards.org or the link below.
http://elluminate.gavirtualschool.org/doe
Georgia Department of Education
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent
October 19, 2016 • Page of
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