2015-2016 AMSTI State and Regional Required Meeting Dates as of June 30, 2015

2015-2016 State/Regional Required Meetings

Regional Planning Meetings: JSU InService Center

August 4^th and August 7^th

October 14^th , December 16^th, February 17^th and May 25^th

AMSTI Statewide /Regional Meetings: Locations not determined at this time

Coaching PD  August 17^th and 18^th

Statewide Staff meetings:

August 24^th – 28^th  [Kay and I have a Regional Team Meeting on August 28^th]

October 19^th - October 23^rd [ACTM is October 22 and 23 so I’m guessing the meeting will end on Oct 22 and math specialists will attend ACTM on October 22 and 23]

February 9^th – 10^th

May 2^nd – 6^th

CCRS Quarterly Meetings : Science Specialists, Tanya and/or Kay

 ·         Facilitator training sessions will be held prior to each session. Please mark your calendar for these dates: Thursday, August 27 at ASU; Wednesday, October 21 location TBD (likely somewhere in the UAB region); Tuesday, January 19 location TBD; Wednesday, April 6 location TBD

·         We will rely on each specialist as a facilitator each quarter – not teams with some flexibility in who presents each quarter as with last year’s sessions

Science Specialists facilitate : JSU InService Center : Science specialists, Tanya and/or Kay will set up the rooms on Tuesday prior to the meetings. We supply the chart paper, and tool boxes for each room.

September 23^rd – 24^th

November 18^th – 19^th

February 3^rd -4^th

April 20^th -21^st

AMSTI Director’s Meetings : Tanya and Kay

September 9^th – 10^th

December 2^nd -3^rd

January 20^th – 21^st

March 9^th – 10^th

Curriculum and Instruction Meetings : Tanya or Kay

September 17^th

 November 19^th

 February 4^th

  April 4^th

Information and dates you need

Dr. Littleton will meet with the staff on March 6th at 9:00 am.   It is part of the grant requirement for MSP and ACHE.   It will be a simple conversation as he documents our ability to manage the grant within the requirements.

Once again, I used  the RSS work for 2014-2015 on Google in order to "prove" what schools we have served this year and where we have been.   Thanks for keeping it updated.

The material manager meeting here at JSU is down to one day, February 19th.  At our staff meeting on Friday, February 13th, lets plan the refreshments we will provide for the material staff from across the state.

If you use the laminator, please remember to shut it off.  It has been left on a couple of times. THANKS

As of February 1: If you need assistance with  copying or other things like that related to AMSTI, please ask Leslie for help.  

Please remember to respond / acknowledge the receipt of emails in a timely manner.  Some emails are time sensitive and need a reply as quickly as possibly by the close of business.

DATES for NEXT School Year - 2015-2016 I will post them as soon as I receive them.  This isn't all of them [I haven't received dates for CCRS, RSS or RPT/RSS] only Statewide Staff meeting dates.
Statewide Staff meetings -

August 24-28, 2015
October 19-23, 2015
May 2-6, 2016

THANKS!
Tanya

Updates October 9, 2014

Statewide Staff Meeting

Monday and Tuesday - 44 (Directors, Assistant Directors, SDE)

Tuesday: Middle and  HS Math specialists 30

Wednesday - 176 Everyone including AMSTI and ASIM.

Thursday - 143 - AMSTI 

IF you want to bring your snack on Monday, we will help you get it in the building.

Drinks—If each site could bring two cases of water  and also at least two 12-packs of soft drinks.        

ASU/WCCS – Fruit (apples, bananas, oranges, etc)

Athens- Bagels & Cream Cheese

AU–  Chocolate 

JSU – Cheese & Crackers

SDE – Small paper plates, Napkins and Forks

Troy – Individual bags of chips

UA/UWA – M & Ms, Candy, Chocolaté

UAB–  Homemade goodies and coffee

UAH–  Tortilla Chips and Salsa

UM –  Homemade goodies

UNA: Cookies/Pastry/Muffins

USA–  Nuts and “spicy stuff”

There are two cases of water left from the last staff meeting.  We will carry those and I will bring an additional case.   

Cheese and Crackers:   bags of cheese cubes, boxes of crackers and cheese crackers and peanut butter crackers.  

Bring your contribution on October 17th and Kay and I will take it with us on Monday, October 20th.  

Material Managers Meeting here at JSU - change of date:  New date: February 19-20, 2015 - we will supply home made goodies for them.  

Leigh Twigg shared this with me.  It is an article about ASPIRE results.  I thought it might be helpful to you.  

 "Be the change you wish to see in the world."  Mahatma Gandhi

  

http://alabamaschoolconnection.org/2014/09/25/act-aspire-results-what-to-do-with-them/#print

September 4, 2014

Please remember to move your magnet.  It is a matter of safety and security.  Those in offices downstairs need to know who is upstairs in case of emergency.  

Living material update -- 

We spoke with Michelle last week.  Just as FYI:

The teachers’ misunderstanding appears to be with using the correct number off of the living materials card.  As you know, these cards are already paid for so teachers need only redeem them to get their critters; however, by using the PO#, the teachers were creating new orders for these materials.    

We will be discussing this with the specialists at the upcoming statewide meeting and with the materials managers at their meeting in September.

Thanks –

Martha Anne

Martha Anne Allison

AMSTI  Science Administrator

Alabama Department of Education

334-353-9151 

Calhoun County PLTs: Please let me know which ones for your grade level you will be attending.  This is an awesome opportunity for us to support ALL math and science teachers in Calhoun County.  

Math 2nd- 4th are using PLC at work books.
Math 5th - 12th are using the formative assessment books.  Keeley and FA to differentiate.
Science 4th - 12th : Teaching Students to think like sciencetists.

Everyone should have a copy of the books for their subject.

Math PLT's
September 29 (5th-8th grades)
September 30 (9th-12th grades)
October 2 (2nd grade)
October 3rd (3rd-4th grades)

December 8 (2nd grade)
December 9 (5th-8th grades)
December 11 (9th-12th grades)
December 12 (3rd-4th grades)

February 2 (2nd grade)
February 3 (3rd-4th grades)
February 5 (5th-8th grades)
February 6(9th-12th grades)

March 10 (2nd grade)
March 11 (3rd-4th grades)
March 12 (5th-8th grades)
March 13 (9th-12th grades)


Science PLT's
September 30 (4th-6th grades)
October 1 (7th-12th grades)

December 4 (7th-12th grades)
December 5 (4th-6th grades)

February 9 (7th-12th grades)
February 10 (4th-6th grades)

March 17 (7th-12th grades)

March 18 (4th-6th grades)

State meeting update- August 15

 This means that all State Staff, Directors and Assistants will need to be at JSU at 8:00 on Tuesday, August 26^th.  Specialists will need to attend beginning on Wednesday at 8:00.  I will send more information concerning the content of  the 26^th  as well as the rest of SWSMeeting next week.

Per Steve’s earlier email:

The “44” refers to site directors, assistant directors, and SDE staff.

August (at JSU)

Aug. 25                 Cancelled (some people will likely drive in for tomorrow- note: not everyone starts tomorrow) 

Aug. 26                 1 Day DuFours Coaching Academy for the “44.” (Begins at 8 AM)  No site math or science specialists this day.

Aug. 27                 State Staff Meeting everyone – site math and science specialists and the “44.”  Begins at 8 AM

Aug  28                 SSM everyone all day

Aug 29                  SSM  everyone until 12 noon-then dismissal

I have tried to update my Directors distribution list, but please double check to make sure I have not left someone off. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Karen 

Refreshments provided by  JSU AMSTI 

Refreshments for State staff, directors and assistants on Tuesday, August 26

Home made goodies for August 27 and August 28

2 cases of water and 3 cases of soft drinks 

Weekly update - please read before staff meeting on August 15, 2015

August 14, 2014
2014-2015
BLOG will return.  Please read it before a staff meeting and each Friday am.  We will take the first 5 minutes and answer questions from the BLOG.  Hopefully this will cut down the "announcement" time during our staff meeting and we can concentrate on the work in the schools and learning together.

Begin staff meetings 9:00
Tanya will be in the conference room my 8:30 if anyone has something that pertains to only them that they want to discuss.
If there is an item to discuss with only math or science then that group will meet at 8:30 or at 1:30.

As part of our emphasis on coaching this year, we need to encourage the teacher to be reflective. When we leave they need to be able to do things that they couldn't do before we got there. They need to feel more confident in their ability to do something.  We should be able to assist with and model  questioning, and formative assessment in our lessons.   Offer to help them with differentiated instruction  and with planning.

For your one schools there might be a lot of modeling.  Please ask the teacher should give the specialist feedback so that they're getting in the habit for year two and beyond.  We need to be moving into that reflective coaching cycle.  

We need to use ongoing evidence of learning to inform our support and to guide feedback for our teachers. We need to do what we ask our teachers to do. Use PQP when we are teaching and ask the teachers to give us feedback. 

GOOD NEWS:   InService is buying a new copier.  The copier from down stair will be moved upstairs.  We will assume the service contract on it.  I'm guessing the one upstairs will be deleted from inventory and picked up.  We will have to request that to be done. 

Dr. Bice will be at Jacksonville High School on October 7 at 6 pm.  As many as possible, we need to be there.   

Please try to post something on our  JSU AMSTI page at least weekly.  Post where you are, who you are working with, a lesson you are teaching, student work posted in the hallway, something.   If you have a professional twitter account, post something there too.   Promote your work!!!!!

Check the JSU Facebook page for Material pick up pics.  Trying to promote their work too. 

SDE news:  Dr. Mark Kirkmier is not our Regional Support Coordinator any longer.  He took another job at the SDE or just stopped doing 2 jobs.   Karen Winn is our Regional Support Coordinator. 

By next Friday, August 22, please submit an updated list of every piece of equipment  you have in your possession that belongs to JSU AMSTI.  This includes cameras, clickers, remotes, computers, speakers, projectors, etc.

Please bring the review of work and planning for work form to the staff meeting on Sept 19. [days in a school, pd, etc..]

Email from Jeff Loper:

Please get with your science specialist and make sure they get with their teachers on how to redeem the Living Material cards.  Apparently several are going on line and placing orders for additional ‘critters’ with the sites PO# (See below).   Michelle is going to get me a list and I will be in contact with the sites that need to address this issue.

The teachers are going on the web and ordered their living materials and referenced site’s PO#.  Customer service is looking to see how many more we have had in the past couple of days.  

Update : dates for 2014-2015

We do not have RSS or CCRS dates but they may be similar to this year so you could tentative plan for the same time frame.  Save those dates too!

AMSTI dates: 

Statewide staff meetings:

May 5-8, 2014 [you had this date, no  change]

New dates 

August 25-28, 2014

November 5-7, 2014

May 4-7, 2015

Directors meetings

January 7-8, 2015

March 10-11, 2015

EIE training - train the trainer :  ALL SCIENCE SPECIALISTS

Hold these dates:  July 8 - 11, 2014

JSU Summer Training dates for K-12 math [year 1 and year 2], science 6-8 what ever is needed. 

June 16-20 and 23-27 

Robotics - July -

OGAP dates  need to be decided 

I think we need 2 or 3 additive, 2 multiplicative and possibly 5  or more fractional - we can start with 5 and see how the registration goes.

August 2, 2013

August 2, 2013

Everyone:

Congratulations to everyone on a successful summer supporting our teachers.

Odenville Middle canceled for August 16th so I can help clean out 3170.   Next clean out/up day is August 20th. 

Hokes Bluff Middle Data PD is moved to Thursday, August6 15th.  9-11 is the time. 

Calendars: No JSU calendars are avaiable at this time.  If you need a calendar, our only option for us to purchase is Office Max. Or you can print one, in any format you want, bind it, etc The credit union usually brings come for everyone or the National Guard.  Talk to Kay and she can let me know what you decide.

From Steve:  Memo from Dr. Bice:

Subject: Beginning of School

Last year we began a tradition that was well received by our local school systems and thoroughly enjoyed by our staff - volunteering on the first day of school.

August 19, 2013 is the first day of school for the majority of school systems in the state and I would like to ask that you inform your employees of this opportunity and urge them to participate. I would also like to keep a running list of volunteer efforts so please ask each of your “offices” to assign someone to keep of record of who volunteers and in what school they volunteered. This will be considered part of a regular work day for all employees participating and no leave will be required.

TRB

August 13th
Leslie will need to borrow a laptop for August 13th.  She has a training for the Online Science Course at Pelham / UM AMSTI.  Barry is also attending.

Lots of work ahead and that is just in August.

Specialist:  PDs:  PDs [Quality Questioning, Thinking Through Quality Questioning, Leading Throught Quality Questioning, Formative Assessment and Data Driven Decision Making]  are in the dropbox and have been shared with you.  Complete with facilitator notes.  If a participant packet is required, then those are in an adobe packet that will print all pages in order. 

If you are presenting the Data pd, please review it and let me know if there are questions or if we need to review it as a group. .  It has been updated to include the latest info on Assessment and Plan 2020.     I think we should use the video of Dr. Bice from the 3rd quarter CCRS meetings.  I will work on downloading that and getting it in the drop box.

Please do not let the participants keep the articles from the PD.

Staff meeing moved from August 19th to August 21st

June 14, 2013

Thanks to everyone for all your work in preparing for our summer trainings!  It truly is a team effort!
Almost everyone will need to check out a projector.  Ben Hicks will be at our training and he is bringing 4 from the SDE.  Next week there should not be a problem.   The next week is when it might be close.   Let's make sure if you have a projector/document camera combo that you bring it to Saks Middle next week.  There are at least 5 of those, and I think there are 6. 

FYI: Friday, June 21st,  I will be at a RSS planning meeting in Montgomery. 

Update:
New principal at Handley Middle School : Lynn Robinson:  lrobinson@roanokecityschools.org

News you can use:

We will host some middle school training. July 8-11 and 15-18 at White Plains Middle School.  Very limited. 

6th grade year 1, 7th grade year 1, 8th grade year 1 and 7th grade year 2. 

I have contacted the principals.  Shelley will begin contacting the teachers who have contacted us litterally begging for this training. 

Thanks to Barry and Jason for being flexible and helping us provide this training  to our teachers.  

July 12:  will be AMSTI homecoming for all AMSTI Equipment.   Check your car, your spouses car, your kids car, your closet, basement, garage... you get the idea.  Bring anything and everything that belongs to JSU/AMSTI.  We are going to label all equipment with your name and JSU AMSTI AND make a list of materials that are checked out to everyone.   We are going to bring the camera boxes from the vault and get all cameras back in their home box.  Then we will designate one person who will check out random items to staff and ensure that when that item is returned it is "checked" back in and placed back in its home. :)  Just some housekeeping that needs to be done.

By looking at the calendar, it appears everyone will be here on July 12th.  Kay and Amber have a PD here but their equipment can still have a homecoming.  :) 

Next question:  who wants to be the check out person? I'm thinking the new PD person, whomever that may be.

August 16 and August 20:   is CLEAN 3170 day.   Science has begun this process.  Now it will be Math's turn to clean out the math stuff from 3170 and the PX.  Consolidate and figure out what can be given to teachers when you work with them in the schools.  Again, looking at the calendar, it looks like everyone will be here.  Even though it is Math clean out day, when math is working at the PX, science may want to check out some of the stuff that is in the repo math kits.  You may be able to use it.  I know one of those kits has a balance in it. 

Have a great weekend!

May 31, 2013

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Info for EVERYONE!

Remember:   Inservice Review will be Monday.  Please arrive in the conference room, 2113 around 315.  The committee is suppose to be here at 330.   It will probably be a question and answer time.  They as questions and we answer to the best of our knowledge. 

I am going to take Wed - Friday off.  June 5-8 and maybe leave early on Tuesday(depending on Tim's schedule). 

Monday AM, I will print the final batch of confirmation letters.  WHEW! I think we will have everyone registered. 

Thanks to everyone who made the OGAP sessions a success.  It truly was a TEAM effort.   Melanie and Amber did a great job presenting/facilitating.

Specialists:   

June  12, I need to meet with Polly and Shelley about the Administrator PD for June 19-20.  I am going to need your help to manage a group.   


PD week is filling up.  

August 12:  Quality Questioning at White Plains HS 8 - 11
August 13:

• Quality Questioning at Pleasant Valley Elementary 8-11 and Thinking Through Quality Questioning 1-3. 
• Hokes Bluff Middle Data: 9-11 (need a volunteer)
• Saks E data:  8-10 (need a volunteer)

August 14: Saks Middle and High Quality Questioning 8-12 and Data Saks Middle, 1-3
August 15:  PLT PD - beginning PLTs presentation at Walnut Park - 8-12

Info for Everyone
PreService Training for JSU is set.  Dates have been approved.
Tara, Polly, Amber, Kay and Lynn Vaughn will be involved in these sessions. 
We will provide the participant guides.
It will be 3rd grade, year 1 so we will need Plant Growth and Development and Chem Test as well a a 3rd grade GLOBE kit and a 3rd math kit and bundle.   We should have one left from training. 
We will not need bundles for science guides for everyone.  Probably 6 science TGs total and one or two sets of bundles.  (we should have that left from training this summer).
 

	Group A	Group B	Group C
Math	Sept 12, 13, 19, 20	Sept 5, 6, 19, 20	Sept 5, 6, 12, 13
Science	Sept 4, 5, 6	Sept 11, 12, 13	Nov 13, 14, 15
GLOBE	Nov 8	Sept 4	Sept 20

May 10, 2013

May 10, 2013

• Everyone:  Please meet Monday, May 20th for a brief staff meeting.  There are a few things I need to share with everyone. 9:00
• Tara, Kay, Amber and I need to talk "Preservice" Monday after the staff meeting.

• Everyone:  Let's plan for a staff meeting on 9:30 on May 28th so that we are all on the same page for summer institute/training.  What needs to be done, etc...   I know OGAP is May 29-31 and the session for Calhoun County administers is May 29 and trainers is May 30 but we need to get together.   
• May 29 is the Leading Through Quality Questioning for Calhoun Admins.
• May 30 is the Coaching Conversations PD for our new trainers .   If Polly and Shelley are available then, I would appreciate you sharing facilitating tips, working with adults, etc.  I have activities to take them through each chapter of CC.  

• Math Extras for SI 2013.  There are some things that need to be made.   Please help get these made this week (May 20-24) if you have the time.

For next year:  Specialists

• I'm just thinking out loud and sharing some thoughts for next year.   All of this is up for discussion.  Just sharing my thoughts, so please don't read it as a must do
• An idea for next year:   develop a Survey to send to teachers after a cycle at a school.   Help them to be reflective, give us good data and also helps us to be reflective.  Use survey monkey, kwik survey, etc
• Someone volunteer to put together a committee of three (elementary math, elementary science and middle school/high school specialist) to develop a way so taht between staff meetings we know everyones agenda for a week.   Calendar is an option nbut it needs to be more specific.  ie what classes are schedule, who are you meeting with, where, etc.   I will leave the how up to the committe on how to communicate the specifics of each specialists agenda but this is a real need.  Lots of reasons, one is if someone calls, text, they are sick then how can we communicate to the school what was scheduled other than the specialist not just showing up.   Also, it will help me and help with documentation for what is going on in each school.  This has been a strange year but I feel completely lost as to what is going on.  I don't want this to be a burden or just somehitng else to do, but we need a better way of communicating what we are all doing each week.  I'm open to ideas.  The committee  can bring recommendations, send them to me and then I will meet with the committee and we will come to a decision.  I don't think the Activity Log has plans to return at this time.   
• Another topic for the committee:  Please think about this:   Let's also visit how we can have some type of communication at the begining of each year with all teachers.   It can be an email, it can be a flyer sent to teachers at schools, just something that connects us with them at least once a year.  Even if it is just a postcard at the begining of the year.  UseEdumundo, etc. 

• Change in CCRS dates for April 2014:  JSU dates are April 24 and April 25.

• 2013-14 Staff Meeting Updates
  May 20 – replaces the canceled date May 6th
  May 28 – get on the same page for what needs to be done to move to Saks Middle June 10
  2013-2014 school year
  Aug 19
  Sept 16
  Oct 21
  Nov 18
  Dec 9
  Jan 13
  Feb 17
  Mar 17
  Apr 14
  May 12
  2013-14 Birthday Lunches
  July 15
  Oct 28
  Dec 2
  Jan 27
  Apr 7
  May 19

April 19th, 2013

CCRS May 1 and May 2

JSU Region 6  schedule for the CCRS Quarterly Meeting #4

Due to the large number of participants and the small rooms, at the participants’ request, we are breaking our meeting into two days.  We met with the administrators at the administrator meeting during CCRS QM #3 and gave them the dates.  Below are the systems and the date they chose.

Thanks,

Wendy

May 1, 2013

Anniston City
Pell City
Randolph County
Etowah County
Oxford City
Calhoun County
Clay County

 May 2, 2013

Attalla City
Gadsden City
Roanoke City
Cleburne County
Jacksonville City
Piedmont City
St. Clair County
Cherokee County

• May 6th staff meeting is moved.  May 6th is the only afternoon I can meet with Ashland Elementary School.  So, if anyone would like to go to Ashland E.  Just let me know.

April 12, 2013

April 12, 2013

May 6th Staff Meeting
Unless there are conflicts, I would like to move the May 6th staff  meeting to 1 PM.  I may need to attend a RPT visit to a school system that morning. 


Save the Date
We received a Save the Date announcement from Nick and Anelizabeth.  Their wedding is June 22, 2013. 

At my home, I received an invitation to Anelizabeth's shower which is April 28th.  If anyone wants to chip in for a gift for them, please let me know.  They are registered at Bed, Bath and Beyond, Target, Dillards, Couch's and Walmart (I think).  We can take a gift to the wedding or I can take it to the shower. 

PD check list/planning
Please remember to complete a PD check list form for ALL PDs.   This will help everyone to know what is going on and what budget is paying for the PD.   Eveyrone has been shared a google doc.   I'm looking at creating a Google form that can be on the Wiki page for us to complete and then a copy would be emailed to everyone involved automatically.

Statewide Staff Meeting Updates
After a statewide staff meeting, (specialists, materials and director meetings) we need to schedule a debrief session so that we can share the information shared in each group.   We don't need every detail but the big idea of what was shared with you.  If it was training for your content then that is no info that everyone needs.   If it is training that will affect schools then yes, we all need to have a big idea knowledge to be able to answer questions that teachers and leaders will pose.  ie.... Summer Academy - who, what, where, when, etc.  Last summer, math discussed PLTs and resources and that info never came to me from SDE and itis only by accident that I ordered those books to help us with work with teachers working with Implementing the Common Core.  We need  copies of handouts that contain any info from the SDE to your specific group.  Vision or plan for the year, changes, etc...  The directors have requested a brief update from science, math and materials but that doesn't always happen so it was suggested that we also work this into our site structure.   When we met weekly, then we did a better job of this and now that we meet monthly, sometimes the statewide staff meeting info gets pushed aside by other site infomation that needs to be shared each month.  Monday at our meeting, please be prepare to give a 5 minute update from the statewide staff meeting.  If you received any hanouts with info from the SDE or something needed for future planning or that has been communicated with systems, please copy for Tanya and Kay. 

Updates from the Directors meeting:

OGAP at other AMSTI sites:
Athens:  Fractional August 5-8
UNA Fractional: Sept 16-19
It would be good if Kay and Melanie attends one or both of these depending on your schedule. 

Cathy Miller at the SDE is resigning effective May 1st.

COS adoption:
Science standards adopted in 2014 and full implmentation 2015-2016

Explore test will be phased out and replaced with Aspire.  Tanya will provide a handout at the staff meeing.

Summer Academy's :  SDE specialist will take the lead.  Site specialists can be a table facilitator if avaiable, no requirements.  It would be a regular work day.  We are training when folks from our area are attending training. This training is not expected to be turned around by the specialist or teachers.

Summer Registration Updates
We have begun to recieve registration.  We need someone to enter the registration on Monday and copy for Lynn. 

From Tod Beers: Math PreService Training:

Hello Directors,

Please help us with three issues related to Preservice Training:

1. Send us the names of all the people in your region that would like to attend the Math Preservice TTT  :  A seperate letter was sent to COE.  I can't imagine that teachers can get out of school to train preservice teachers so I don't think we need to send in a list of teachers.  Your thoughts? 

a. Math Preservice TTT – May 9^th and 10^th at the Lincoln Center in Birmingham, 9:00 to 3:30 both days.

b. Make up days for Math Preservice TTT - May 16^th and 17^th at the Lincoln Center in Birmingham, 9:00 to 3:30 both days.

 

2. Contact the Professors that you have been working with for Preservice and any others you know that might be interested. Let them know about the Math Preservice TTT opportunityand that a letter will be coming to them (provided you give us their names and contact info). I will let Dr. Johns know of this training.

 

3. We are compiling a Preservice Training Calendar for 2013. If you know of any Preservice Trainings (Math or Science) that are currently being conducted or planned for this year, please email us the dates. This includes trainings that are being conducted by AMSTI specialists. Once we have a calendar, we will share it with all of the sites. I will contact Dr. Troncale and see if she has thought about spreading out the training or if we go with the dates Amber and Tara have. 

 

SPECIALISTS that have attended the Math Preservice TTT in the past, AND attended the recent AMSTI Math TTT for the specific grade training of your local Preservice training will be “grandfathered in” and do not have to attend the Math Preservice TTT. Site specialists that have not attended the Math Preservice TTT in the past, OR did not attend the specific grade training at the recent AMSTI Math TTT for your local Preservice training, are requested to attend this training.

KLN/PCN dates -

August 2013

Tuesday 27^th - KLN North

September 2013
Thursday 12^th- PCN Secondary
Thursday 19^th- PCN Elementary

October 2013
Tuesday 8^th- KLN North

November 2013
Thursday 7^th- PCN Secondary
Thursday 14^th- PCN Elementary

December 2013
No meetings scheduled

January 2014
Thursday 16^th- KLN North
 
February 2014
Tuesday 4^th- PCN Secondary
Thursday 6^th- PCN Elementary

March 2014

Tuesday 11^th- KLN North

March 31, 2013

Happy Spring Break:

AMSTI is featured in an article by the Dept. of Commerce.  It is really a good article.  http://www.madeinalabama.com/2013/03/alabama-stem-education-initiative-gets-international-attention/

AMSTI Specialists: Please remember to enroll through STIPD for the April Statewide Staff meeting.

April Statewide Staff meeting snacks:
JSU – Candy other than chocolate  a case of water and 2 twelve packs of soft drinks.

The food you bring should be enough to last for 3 days for our group(Directors, Assistant Directors and Math/Science Specialists-also on Tuesday we will have SDE personnel for joint-planning ).

 

Tanya's out of office dates until the next staff meeting:

April 3rd:  Admin PLT (InService Center)

 

I have submitted a request for Math Journaling for the Summer participants.  I have requested the start date to be April 15 and the completion date to be May 24.  Each math specialist will receive information about being a Course Manager.

 

We will send out Math Journaling Codes in the registration packets. 

 

Registration packets are being "stuffed" and should go in the mail April 1st or 2nd.   OGAP will go to the schools and Robotics info will go to the Central office.    Everyone will receive a copy of what will be sent out so you can answer questions when they are posed to you at a schools, store, church, etc.

 

 

FYI:

• Calhoun County has requested the Quality Questioning PD for their teachers.
• I will develop and facilitate with help from science specialists if they are avaiable. 
• Dates: July 10 and August 7
• THe PD will be in 2 sessions each day.   Quality Questioning from 8-11 and Thinking Through Quality Questioning from 12-3. 

• They also requested Leading Through Quality Questioning for their Administrators.   That PD will be May 29 from 8 - 12. 

• Coaching training for our trainers (Equipping the Trainers) will have to be moved to May 28 and May 30.  I will develop and get input from everyone.  I can facilitate with help from science specialists who are avaiable. 

Hope everyone had a great and restful Spring Break. 

 

 

March 15, 2013

SCIENCE:

• Online classes:   all science specialists will be trained as online facilitators in August.  If you want to facilitate online classes please let me know and I will submit the names to Sandy.  There will be a rotation of facilitators.  All will be trained but everyone may not facilitate.  Also think of kits and rank them in the order you would like to facilitate. 

• From Sandy: Let me know if you have any suggestions: 

From:	Ledwell Sandy J (sledwell@ALSDE.edu)This sender is in your contact list.
Sent:	Tue 3/05/13 10:20 AM
To:

Good morning, everyone!

I need your help in identifying a teacher(s) in your region you feel would be good presenters and who are implementing literacy strategies in the classroom. Or, you could designate yourself if you feel you have particular talents in incorporating literacy in the classroom. Please see below for information – that’s all I know about the Summer Academies as it relates to science at this point. Keep in mind, everyone who is submitted will not be asked to lead a session, but I didn’t want to arbitrarily submit names without consulting you guys.

Everyone:

• PreService Training:  Either after our staff meeting or at 2:00 I need to discuss PreService Training with Kay, Amber and Tara.  I had a long conversation with Sandy, Tod and Shelia and have some updates. 

• From Steve:
  The blip that Change the Equation put up about us doesn’t seem overly positive. We currently have a link to it on our AMSTI home page. Looks like there are places for people to make comments. 
  It would sure be nice is some folks went to the comments section and included some positive comments.
•  
• One of the latest objections to the College and Career Ready Standards is that implementing them will drain money that should go to AMSTI and ARI:   Well, as much as we wish there was a bucket of money to come our way, here is the answer from Steve:

In 2009, as a result of the economy, AMSTI took a significant reduction in its budget (cut by approximately 1/3). To date, funding has not increased back to the former level. This reduced funding has hurt expansion. AMSTI continues to serve all previously trained schools with equipment and materials, additional professional development, and on site support (coaching and mentoring). AMSTI is also supporting all schools by helping teachers better understand and implement the new College and Career Ready Standards.

As an initiative of the State Department of Education (SDE), AMSTI supports the work of the SDE as it has been restructured under new leadership. Examples of AMSTI supporting Plan 2020 include collaboratively planning with each school district for focused support during the current or next school year, and provide training to administrator and teacher leaders concerning College and Career Ready Standards. This support is customized based on the differentiated support requested.

 

AMSTI Schools have shown tremendous growth in ARMT scores which assessed the former state standards. However, our growth on assessments like TIMSS which used different, more rigorous standards, has not been as strong. The new College and Career Ready standards will likely result in major increases on this assessment in the near future.

 

AMSTI is standards-based, so its program has always been designed to support whatever standards are adopted by the State Board of Education. The initiative has always based its work on the current educational research and best practices. As a result, many AMSTI schools feel better equipped to implement College and Career Ready Standards than those that have not previously participated in the initiative.

 

The role of AMSTI is to help teachers teach the state standards to their students in an effective and efficient manner. AMSTI is not responsible for what standards are selected by the state, but is charged with helping teachers deliver instruction on whatever standards are adopted. With the recent adoption of the more rigorous College and Career Ready standards, AMSTI has undertaken a retooling to specifically address these standards.

March 8, 2013

March 8, 2013

New Math Trainers:
At our summer trianing  we will have a lot of new trainers.  The ones from this area, I want to include in their contract a "facilitating adults" PD.  I hope to offer it on May 29 or May 30.  I want to use the Coaching Conversations book, the facilitator's guides that Kay copied for you and some stuff from a TTT from about 5 years ago.  



Housekeeping:

Please remember to take a van for all PD and all out of inservice area trips.   Staff PD is budgeted based on taking the van and the number of overnight trips. 

Remember to include all activities on the site report, even you think it doesn't "fit" a category, place it in other.

Any activity you facilitate, please keep a copy of the sign in sheets.  I need a copy for my records. 

Any activity where we are paying for subs:  copy of the sign in sheets to: Tanya, Lynn, Nancy, and Kay (if related to OGAP or Robotics; MSP stuff), Barry (if it involves kits) and the yet to be named PD coordinator for CEU credit. 


Random thoughts:

Shelley : at our staff meeting please share with us your experience at Randolph County BOE. I think this was a content literacy connection, right?

Math:  OGAP assessments for the summer training.   Have you given any to use in the summer?  Didn't we decide to have a randon sample set to use during the training?

OGAP for April:  We need to take OGAP preassessment to the Weaver teachers so they can give them at their convenience.  probably 3rd grade

Does anyone remember anything about the registration process for summer training that we need to change or any ideas on how to improve?   You can comment on this blog and I think everyone gets the  comments or at least can see the comments or you can share at staff meeting on March 18th.