Kentucky Teacher

Several new resources to support schools in implementing Operation Preparation have been posted to the Operation Preparation toolkits available on the Kentucky Department of Education website.

Included is a video which can be downloaded and used to help promote the March event. For questions about Operation Preparation, contact Sharon Johnston, sharon.johnston@educationl.ky.gov or (502) 564-2106, ext. 4517.

In the wake of last week’s tragic school shooting in Newtown, CT, the Kentucky Center for School Safety (KCSS) has provided a list of helpful resources that school administrators can look to for recommendations on how to ensure their schools are safe and also handle student fears and parental and community concerns.

The center’s website has posted the following message:

Kentucky Center for School Safety grieves for Sandy Hook School and community because of the school shooting on Friday, Dec. 14. The loss of children and staff is such a senseless tragedy, and our prayers go out to them during this time of great sorrow.

The safety of our precious children and staff is our first priority. Over the next few days, school children may need extra care or support when hearing about the Sandy Hook tragedy or seeing television or Internet accounts of this horrific event. Here are some available resources: Read the full story

The 2013 Kentucky Literacy Celebration, hosted by the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development (CCLD), is scheduled for March 4-8, 2013.

As a part of the pre-event festivities, CCLD is posting daily tips and/or activities to the KLC Facebook page. Those interested may visit the KLC Facebook page to participate in the tips/activities.

Those wishing to include a tip/activity/resource to be posted on the page should e-mail it to Erin Wobbekind.

The Kentucky Center for School Safety has released a checklist for schools to use in reducing incidents of bullying.

“This is not an all-inclusive list, but it is a good start for principals to reflect and act accordingly,” said Jon Akers, the center’s executive director. “Our website is a great resource for bullying prevention and cyberbullying prevention information as well at www.kysafeschools.org.”

The list is as follows:

1. Ensure that all staff and students are publicly exposed to and given a copy of the bullying/harassment policy. For example, have school-based administrators discuss the policy with students and staff at faculty, staff and student-group meetings within the first couple of weeks of school, as well as again periodically during the school year. Call attention to these policies in student and staff handbooks, school board policies, criminal laws, etc.

2. Describe the steps that will be taken by school officials when they receive a report or witness a child being bullied or harassed. Read the full story

Being a parent of a school-age child is no easy job. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) would like to offer some help, and we’re asking you to share this information with your staff members for appropriate distribution.

Twice a month, KDE sends out an issue of ParentInfo, an e-mail newsletter with timely tips and ideas on how parents can help children succeed in school. Topics include college and career readiness, testing, school-based decision making councils, bullying, technology and more.

ParentInfo also includes links to helpful resources on the Web. Parents and statewide educators can sign up at http://education.ky.gov/FormServ/Default.aspx?ID=ParentInfo for ParentInfo e-mails.

Please encourage your staff to pass this free subscription opportunity along to parents in your district. Also, feel free to link the ParentInfo sign-up page on your district website, Facebook page or any other service you use for communication purposes.

For questions regarding this, contact Susan Riddell at (502) 564-2000, ext. 4621.

To read previous issues of ParentInfo, go to KDE’s ParentInfo Archive page.

The following teaching and learning materials are available for free in the public domain and are provided by Kathy Mansfield, library media and textbook consultant for the Kentucky Department of Education, for consideration by educators to supplement the curriculum.

The resources may be customized, modified or combined with other materials according to their creative commons licensing.

Digital Textbooks

CK-12 Flexbooks

• This uses an open-content, Web-based collaborative model to provide online textbooks for K-12 students.
• Content can be edited by teachers and delivered via multiple devices

Flatworld Knowledge

• free and open college textbooks Read the full story

NASA’s DIY Podcast offers resources for educators and students to use to create podcasts using free NASA images, video footage and audio clips. Various topic modules are available on the site, including:

• space station
• microgravity (micro-g)
• fitness
• lab safety
• Newton’s laws
• robots
• rocket science
• solar arrays
• spacesuits
• sports demo (science of sports) Read the full story

Black History Month is celebrated each February, and Scholastic, Inc. offers many resources for teachers to use in the classroom to support this recognition.

See suggestions on how to incorporate black history into the curriculum, sample lesson plans and other resources by clicking here.

Commissioner Terry Holliday

Technology can be a wonderful tool for learning.

It allows access to up-to-date information, increases communication, and offers interactivity and relevance as we prepare ALL students to be college- and career-ready in a global, technology-driven world.

It also holds immense instructional promise for students who, due to financial, physical or learning disabilities and other educational barriers, struggle to achieve their highest potential.

Nationally we have seen how technology is increasingly impacting teaching and learning. In Kentucky, just in the past several months, we announced an iTunes project that offers educators access to high-quality digital content resources; witnessed the emergence of 1:1 tablet projects in school districts that provide digital learning resources and textbooks to students; seen school districts utilize Skype to bridge physical barriers to providing rigorous coursework; and introduced a mobile portal application that enables parents to monitor their children’s progress. Read the full story

Augusta High School Principal Lisa McCane and Assistant Principal Robin Kelsch, both at left, pose with the rest of the teaching staff of the Augusta Independent school district. Augusta Independent had a 100 percent participation rate on the TELL Kentucky survey. Photo by Amy Wallot, May 11, 2011

Editor’s Note: Since interviews and the picture for this story were completed, John Cordle has retired as Augusta Independent school district superintendent and Lisa McCane, then principal at Augusta High School, has taken over as superintendent.

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Kentucky educators are transforming their perceptions into plans for school improvement.

Last school year, state teachers and administrators had the opportunity to make their opinions known on various school issues by responding to the TELL (Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning) Kentucky survey. More than 42,000 educators across the commonwealth filled out the anonymous online questionnaire regarding working conditions.

Questions on the survey pertained to time; facilities and resources; community support and involvement; managing student conduct; teacher leadership; school leadership; professional development; instructional practices and support; and new teacher support. Read the full story