With the 2016 election season officially over, members of the Rodel Teacher Council this week released a series of education policy briefs and recommendations they hope will inform our state’s new and returning elected officials in 2017 and beyond.
The four policy briefs were researched and written by RTC members. They delve into a variety of topics relating to personalized learning—an approach that utilizes technology and other strategies to address students’ individual needs and maximize their strengths. The briefs identify current challenges and barriers in place, and offer recommendations to shift policies and scale personalized learning stateside.
During the 2016-2017 term, the council will continue its work of scaling personalized learning statewide while removing barriers to personalized learning currently in place. As with previous years, council members will meet with and hear from key education leaders and policymakers, and in the winter, they will host a personalize learning workshop for fellow educators.
Opportunities
2017 Making A Difference Conference (Presentation proposals due: Nov. 15) The Delaware Head Start Association and the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children will hold the Sixth Annual Making A Difference Conference on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1. They are seeking qualified presenters to share their knowledge, and proposals for an engaging workshop at the 2017 conference. For more information, please contact conference coordinator, Diane Frentzel.
Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Fellowship(Applications due: Nov. 27) If you are a high school math or science teacher who is new to the profession, a KSTF Teaching Fellowship is an opportunity unlike any other. This fellowship provides the financial and professional resources you need to establish the foundation for a successful STEM teaching career.
Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program (Applications due: Dec. 1)
The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program provides funding for highly accomplished U.S. primary and secondary level educators to take part in an intensive professional development program for three to six months abroad.
EIEIO Childcare Nomination Information(Nominations due: Dec.15)
The Expanding Inclusive Early Intervention Opportunities (EIEIO) committee would like to recognize high quality early childhood educators who represent the components of inclusion: access, participation, and supports. Please send completed nominations to kimberly.brancato@appo.k12.de.us.
UD Education Technology Conference(Presentation proposals being accepted)
The University of Delaware Educational Technology Conference will be held Saturday, March 4. The conference is a joint effort by the College School, the Education Resource Center, the Office of Educational Technology, and the Education Graduate Association in the College of Education and Human Development. All educators are invited to participate, and proposals for conference topics are currently being accepted.
EdTech Happy Hour Hosted by the Rodel Teacher Council(Nov. 14, Newark)
Join the Rodel Teacher Council for a happy hour at Stone Balloon Ale House. Come to network, engage, and share your favorite ed tech tools with other Delaware educators. This event takes place in conjunction with Delaware Innovation Week, an annual celebration of technology and innovation. Admission is free. The Rodel Teacher Council will provide appetizers and one drink ticket for all attendees.
A day of networking, learning, and catalyzing STEM in the state and celebrating accomplishments of the 2016 STEM Award applicants.The Delaware STEM Educator Award recognizes a teacher or team of teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels that demonstrate STEM innovation and excellence through teaching, academic collaboration, and student engagement.
The Delaware Department of Education will host a second round of community conversations to collect public input on the first draft of the state’s plan under the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The first round of community conversations and online surveys in September provided public input that is informing the first draft of the state’s plan, which was released on Oct. 31. The second round of community conversations will allow department leaders to receive feedback on the draft.
Learning Forward 2016 Annual Conference(Dec. 3 – 7, Vancouver) Learning Forward’s 2016 Annual Conference will provide educators with outstanding content and valuable tools to bring the most powerful forms of professional learning back home to the educators with whom they work. Gain practical solutions to the challenges you face in your classroom, school, or district every day. This conference offers powerful strategies to build school leader capacity.
The Summit on Professional Learning Communities at Work(Feb. 22 – 24, Phoenix) Build and sustain a strong, collaborative professional learning community. This unique event brings the PLC at Work champions—Richard DuFour, Robert Eaker, Rebecca DuFour, Mike Mattos, Anthony Muhammad, and Tim Brown—together with some of the brightest, most respected minds in education. You’ll hear dynamic keynotes and attend powerful breakouts designed to help infuse the PLC at Work process into every aspect of your school or district.
University of Delaware SOE Colloquium series(Ongoing)
The 2016-17 colloquium series will foster an extended conversation about topics related to education across disciplines and grade levels, especially diversity and inclusion. Invited speakers Ed Brockenbrough, Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Robert Lee, Janine De Novais, and Jessica Shiller will participate in a special theme titled “Framing the Conversation Towards Engagement and Transformation: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education and Human Development.”
Personalized Learning Tip Of The Month
Rodel Teacher Council member Mary Grace Flowers takes us on a tour of her library media center, complete with green screen and flexible learning spaces for students. For more ideas on how to create flexible learning spaces for your students, check out these resources on EdSurge and Edutopia!
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