Kentucky Teacher

The Living Arts and Science Center of Lexington will host professional development programs for K-8 teachers in Kentucky. 

LASC workshops are based on Kentucky core concepts and are scheduled for Jan. 29 and 31.

All workshop participants will receive a unit of study complete with lesson plans and a hands-on classroom activity kit. Call the Living Arts and Science Center to register for this free professional development opportunity. For more information, contact Katherine Bullock, kbullock@lasclex.org, at (859) 252-5222.

The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) is working with Strategic Marketing and Research, Inc., to understand educators’ perceptions of historical organizations (museums, historic houses, battlefields and archives) and to gauge interest in using these organizations as a resource in classroom environments.

KHS is looking for school administrators, curriculum staff and educators in grades 4-12 currently teaching social studies, English/ language arts or a humanities course to participate in a focus group. The discussion will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET in Louisville. Participating teachers will receive a $50 Amazon gift card.

Those interested in participating and sharing opinions should contact Tim Talbott at tim.talbott@ky.gov, or (502) 564-1792, ext. 4428.

Teachers can register teams for the Spring Stock Market Game at www.econ.org/smg.

The Stock Market Game (SMG) is an active, engaging Internet simulation for teaching fundamental economic concepts and financial literacy skills within the Kentucky Common Core Standards for students in grades 4-12.

The game teaches and reinforces concepts and skills learned in mathematics, social studies, language arts, technology, business, and family and consumer sciences.

It engages students in 21st-century skills and Common Core Standards as they work in teams, research, collaborate, negotiate, communication and even engage in creative writing as they take part in the national InvestWrite essay competition (optional).

The SMG has a Teacher Support Center which includes more than 25 lessons correlated to national and state standards in mathematics, social studies, language arts, technology and business and are customizable to grade level.

Teachers are automatically included in the Stock Market Game Online Professional Community where ideas, resources, tips and strategies are offered.

Check SMG’s professional development page for upcoming webinars and workshops for teachers at www.econ.org/pd.

Operation Preparation is quickly approaching in March 2013, and the Kentucky Department of Education would like to know what school districts have planned for the monthlong event. 

Let KDE know your intentions by filling out a short survey. This will ensure that KDE has the correct contact information and can help support your efforts.

Operation Preparation is a community-based advising activity designed to help 8th- and 10th-grade students plan for life after high school.  It supports the advising strategy of our college/career-readiness plan.   If you have any questions about Operation Preparation, please contact Sharon Johnston at sharon.johnston@education.ky.gov.

The Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE) will be providing regional workshops for guidance counselors and administrators interested in learning more about career pathway options that lead to college and career readiness. 

The workshops will focus on career and technical education (CTE) career majors and emphasize best practices for scheduling students.  Other topics will include the Individual Learning Plan (ILP), CTE offerings and programs, Kentucky Occupational Skill Standards Assessment (KOSSA), and valid industry certifications available for students in Kentucky.

The registration form includes workshop dates, locations, and times. 

Please contact Laura Arnold at laura.arnold@education.ky.gov for questions.

Achieve has announced that the second and final public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) will be released next month, the first week in January.

Achieve encourages all interested parties to review the draft when it is released and provide feedback. The NGSS will be completed in March 2013.

To read the announcement, go to www.nextgenscience.org.

Applications are now open for the first Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) in summer 2013.

The three-week residential program for high school students places a strong emphasis on innovation and design as elements of creating a sustainable business model. GSE will teach students critical life and work skills of problem-solving, teamwork, iteration and social responsibility.

For more information or to apply, go to http://gse.kstc.com. The application deadline is February 15, 2013.

At the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents (KASS) Conference last week, Education Commissioner Terry Holliday showed a thought-provoking video on the learning environment that is available from the Colorado Legacy Foundation.

The video, entitled “Because Just Building New Schools Does Not Create a Better Learning Experience,” can be accessed at: http://colegacy.org/2012/04/elo_video/.

The Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PGES) Winter Summit is fast approaching.

In preparation for the statewide field test in the 2013-14 school year, instructional leaders from all 174 districts will gather at one of five locations (dates and locations listed below) to learn about PGES and deepen their knowledge about the system. Districts should make plans now to send up to six representatives to participate in one of the summits.

Teams are asked to include a teacher, principal, central office staff member and the superintendent. The decision concerning the actual team make-up is a local district decision. Registration information will be available in January.

Dates and locations include the following:

• Feb. 4, 2013 (Ashland – KEDC)
• Feb. 5, 2013 (Bowling Green – Corvette Museum)
• Feb. 6, 2013 (Murray – Kentucky Dam Village) Continue Reading

The Women in STEM High School (WISH) Aerospace Scholars project is accepting applications from female high school juniors from across the country.

Selected participants will complete online activities and participate in online forums focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) to be eligible for the summer experience at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

During the summer experience, participants will chart a course for Mars, interact with NASA female role models, meet with scientists and engineers and learn about careers in STEM. The deadline for applications is Jan. 3, 2013.

Visit http://wish.aerospacescholars.org/for more details.