For Educators of Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties.
  • Innovative Teaching
  • About
  • Contact
  • CABOCES.ORG/iss
  • Calendar of Events
  • AdvancingSTEM

Innovative Teaching

For Educators of Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties
Subscribe to our Monthly Brief

Driver Education online

2/27/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
The online option for Driver Education will soon be coming to an end. As of July 1, 2023, NYS is removing it as an option for our young drivers. The past couple of years with Covid allowances have given many students access to all of the safety information from an online course offered through CABOCES.

The online course was set up to provide all of the course information through instruction and was in combination with the Driving Log sheet and Parental Signature sheet to satisfy NYS requirements to earn the Driver Education Certificate. The online option has allowed many students who would not have been able to attend in person to be exposed to the safety and maneuvering of the roadways by our young drivers.

Due to NYS no longer allowing the online option, CABOCES will no longer have it available to our students.  I do plan to reach out and share my concerns for the limited in person availability. I am still looking forward to the in-person Driver Education that will be offered in districts throughout the Summer, I hope that each and every student that has the desire to take the course has the opportunity to do so.

If anybody has any questions as these changes are being made, please feel free to contact any of us at Distance Learning.
 
Clay Nolan: clay_nolan@caboces.org
Justin Shumaker: justin_shumaker@caboces.org
Lisa Scott: lisa_scott@caboces.org
Ed Cruz: edelmiro_cruz@caboces.org
Cathy Dunkelman: catherine_dunkelman@caboces.org

​By: Lisa Scott, CA BOCES Learning Resources
0 Comments

Keeping Current With Biographies

2/27/2023

0 Comments

 
Whenever I help a school librarian determine what books should be culled from a collection, the biography selection usually takes a large hit. When a book is written after a person passes away (Daniel Boone, George Washington Carver, Ronald Reagan, etc.), the content is still relevant.  Popular books featuring teen idols, celebrities and athletes encourage students to check out a book to learn more but the shelf life for these books is limited because idols and celebrities change in appearance and careers, and athletes get traded and eventually retire. Now that webpages and social media can easily be accessed to find the latest news, biography sections have become reduced in size. When a teacher’s objective is to have students learn about an individual’s achievements and contributions to society, WorldBook offers a great alternative to print books and the Internet.
 
Free to all CA BOCES component school districts, WorldBook is easily accessed through the school library website or resources.caboces.org.  Using the generic username and password for the school (check with your school librarian or Cecelia_Fuoco@caboces.org if you don’t know it), students can search biographies by Nationality/Ethnicity, Area of Work/Interest, Gender, or Time Period.  For students with IEPs, text size may be increased and voice choices for reading the article aloud are options. Build vocabulary skills by double-clicking any word to have it defined.  For ELLs, the text may be translated too. Students will find the interface easy to use and images may be printed for projects. 
 
Teachers wishing to introduce students to research will appreciate WorldBooks’s How To Do Research guide which includes an introduction to research skills, planning research, conducting research, evaluating resources, organizing data, and presenting a project.  Citations for articles are provided for WorldBook articles but a citation builder is included to help students cite work from other resources. If you are looking for articles that connect to curriculum standards, the tab is easy to locate.  With this being the month of March, type in St. Patrick to learn about his writings and popular legends associated with him.

​By: Cece Fuoco, CA BOCES Learning Resources
0 Comments

eSports at JCC: Visit from CABOCES TCIF + TS Forum

2/27/2023

0 Comments

 
During the afternoon of Friday, February 3rd the participants of the CABOCES Technology Coordinator and Integrator Forum & Technology Solutions paid a visit down to the Olean JCC campus to view their new eSports spaces.  The group was led through JCC’s new program by three of the main people responsible for eSports there at the Olean campus:   
  • Johnathan Kowal, JCC’s Athletics Coordinator and Athletics/Recruiter for Cattaraugus County Campus.   
  • Kassandra Wegner, JCC’s Reference Librarian/ Professor and Esports Club Advisor 
  • George Sisson, JCC’s Director of Athletics and Recreation 
Johnathan and Kassandra showed the district tech representatives JCC’s first open space for students to sit and play on a few machines in the College Center.  President Paula Snyder also stopped by to thank us and our hosts at JCC for the time today.  Participants were given an overview of how they got started with eSports what this facility is used for and some time to explore. ​
Picture
After that session, Johnathan and Kassandra led the group over to the ‘old train station’ building that has been wonderfully re-created into the JCC eSports arena.  All of the visitors were able to watch some of the students competing and had time to explore this brand new arena.  The front main area has three sets of tables with 4-5 gaming laptops each and a big screen TV with a perched viewing area.  The middle section has an enclosed area where the students were able to project their game on the front TV and then there’s a back room with ‘plug and play’ space.
Picture
Jonathan is openly trying to recruit new eSport athletes for this upcoming 2023-2024 school year.  JCC is also open to working with area high schools and their eSports program.  Some of the opportunities that they can offer to high school students are games such as League of Legends, Overwatch, Valorant, Rocket League, and Super Smash Brother Ultimate.  
Chris Swanson is the Head Coach for Esports, JCC’s first season playing Overwatch 2 started Friday February 17th and runs through March 31st.  If you have students interested in more information about JCC’s eSports program, feel free to reach out to Johnathan Kowal jonathankowal@mail.sunyjcc.edu or call 716.376.7535.  If you have an eSports team and would like to see about connecting with another CABOCES area team, please reach out to Karen Insley at karen_insley@caboces.org. 

By: Mark Carls, CA BOCES Professional Development

0 Comments

What is the science behind reading?

2/3/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Science of Reading says that reading comprehension (RC) is the product of decoding (D) and language comprehension (LC), or RC = D x LC. Learning to read for understanding requires sounding out and recognizing words—decoding—but it also requires making meaning of the words and sentences we hear—encoding, and language comprehension.

In agreement with Science of Reading research, there are five main components that are fundamental to reading: phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.  The Science of Reading research has shown that a child's brain needs to first know the different sounds in spoken language and then be able to connect these sounds to written letters and then blend the sounds to make words (decoding).

​The Science of Reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing. This research has been conducted over the last five decades across the world, and it is derived from thousands of studies conducted in multiple languages.
 
By: Tessa Levitt, CA BOCES Professional Development
0 Comments

NYS REQUIRED SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS GOT YOU STUMPED?!?

2/3/2023

0 Comments

 
NYSED recently released Frequently Asked Questions Related to Investigations for the Elementary- and Intermediate-level Science Tests (nysed.gov). Feel free to read through this document at your convenience.

As we learn more from NYSED, experience these Investigations, and encounter new questions, feedback, and ideas from local teachers and administrators, our understanding may shift slightly, causing tweaks* to our recommendations. I assure you that our recommendations come from the most professional judgement and serious considerations - and seem to be very much in congruence with NYSED's objectives.

The remainder of this article will be notes on the NYSED FAQs based on questions I’ve received, conversations I’ve had with both teachers and school leaders, and based on specifics for the C-A region. Links are provided to CA BOCES-made documents*. Upcoming workshops, directly related to the Required Investigations are listed at the end.
 
*CA BOCES Grade Level Alignment
The Elementary Investigation, "Cloud in a Bottle", is aligned with Grade 3 standards. However, it may be found that this Investigation will be too complex, and the reading level too high, for Grade 3 students. Within the Grade 5 Advancing STEM kit, "Models of the Earth", students do an activity exploring cloud formation, as they model how Earth's spheres interact (hydrosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere). Following this unit would be a great opportunity to administer the "Cloud in a Bottle" Investigation to Grade 5 students, instead of in Grade 3.
 
*Record-keeping
In addition to the CA BOCES Record-Keeping document, it is important to keep the Student Answer Packets and Rubric for each Investigation for each student. Although none of these items will be sent to NYSED (they will all be kept within the school building), these documents would be a good formative assessment artifact for any teacher that will be working with that student as they progress towards their summative NYS Science Assessment. These documents should all be sent with a student that may transfer out of the school district as evidence of completion, but also to assist any future teachers and districts in identifying student proficiency and/or remediation needs. These documents may be kept electronically.

Districts may put all of the Student Answer Packets into one booklet to follow the student for 3 years. It would be wise to also add the Record sheet at the front or back of this booklet. By next fall, CA BOCES print shop should have a form that streamlines the ordering process for these booklets.
 
Purpose of the Investigations
The purpose of the NYS Required Science Investigations is to provide another mode of formative assessment in science. In the past teachers have not had a built-in opportunity to identify areas of weakness in science until the NYS summative assessments (such as the Grade 4 or Grade 8 Science Assessments). The Required Investigations now give teachers an opportunity to determine if their students are meeting some of the NYS Science Learning Standards that are not as easy to assess on a written exam. Differently than the old standards, the new science standards ask students to use the skills that scientists use. A skills-based activity is the best way to assess this, as opposed to a written exam. Even so, the logistics of standardizing such a task are complicated across a very diverse state, and so the culminating, summative assessment for science is still a written exam, that will include questions that lean into assessing the students' understanding of such science skills. In addition to providing teachers with vital information to student growth in science, the Required Investigations also provide us with an opportunity to better prepare our students for the summative assessment:  We know that 15% of the NYS Grade 5 and Grade 8 Science Exams will be related to these Investigations. Within our locus of control is the knowledge to prepare our students for a portion of that exam. 

NYSED continues to recommend that these Investigations are administered as a classroom activity by their teacher as the students are learning the related content. The Required Investigations are not a test, but a set of activities to assure student hands-on experience in science and allow formative assessment of science skills at multiple grade levels. Please make sure that students (and teachers and you!) do not take on undue angst over these activities!  They should be fun as students get to be active in their learning and figuring out their own understanding of our natural world.
 
Modifying NYSED Investigations Documents
A common question from local teachers has been about modifying student documents:  Modifications can definitely be made to benefit the student as long as the integrity of the question is not lost. If modifications are to be made to the Student Directions or Student Answer Packets, teachers may do this prior to printing these materials for students. Some examples of modifying the documents:
  • Cutting up the procedural steps and putting them on a ring of index cards
  • Reformatting a table in the Student Answer Packet so it is clearer to your students where they write their answer or what that space should include (See data table in Cloud in a Bottle, Observations box)
  • Placing numbers in a table space to indicate how many answers they need to put in the box (See data table in Light it Up)
  • Rewording a question (I don’t think #7 in Answer Packet 2 of Cloud in a Bottle fits the intended objective of the Investigation and would reword it to meet the rubric dimension)
 
Scaffolding and Accommodations for Students
Another common question is how much scaffolding, assistance, and support can be provided during these Investigations:  Teacher assistance is encouraged, welcomed, and totally allowed. If it is something that a teacher would normally do as they taught a typical science lesson, they are welcome to do so during the Investigations. Teachers must keep in mind that although it may appear the vocabulary used in these Investigations is above their students, the wording comes from the NYS Science Learning Standards and could appear on the Grade 5 Science Assessment. Teachers can define or replace words in the student documents but will want to make sure their students are learning those words for the long-term. Other assistance that has been mentioned and is allowed, as long as the students are still authentically doing the science themselves, and fulfilling the objectives of the Investigation (teachers should regularly refer to the Rubric to decide this):
  • Reading the questions or steps aloud
  • Checking off steps for a student as they go through so they don't lose their place
  • Writing the definition of a tough word on the board (remember students may see this word on the Grade 5 Assessment)
  • Modeling how to do certain parts of the experiment (but then also having the students do it)
  • Re-doing a part of the activity if something goes haywire
 
Accelerated Middle School Students
NYSED notes that all middle school students, including accelerated science students, are expected to complete all four Intermediate Required Investigations. This note reinforces the importance that Intermediate students should be exposed to all of the Grades 6-8 NYS Science Learning Standards at some point during their middle school years. Districts have often struggled with how to provide the opportunity for students to accelerate in science.
​
Please contact me (kelli_grabowski@caboces.org or 716-376-8285) if you would like to discuss the best way for your district to do this. As food for thought, my professional opinion would be to wait until the students are in 9th or 10th grade to double-up on their Regents science courses. If these are students that plan to take AP science courses in the future, two Regents courses will be good training to prepare them for that workload, and they will still have the full foundation of the middle school science program to support them.
 
Resources and Time for Science
Finally, NYSED fully supports more resources being put towards science instruction. These Investigations must be allotted appropriate time for the students to fully engage in the science skills being assessed, in addition to science instruction beyond these Investigations to support good science learning. Supplies and equipment, including some consumable materials, are also necessary to complete these Investigations. Thank you for investing in the initial construction of CA BOCES kits for this purpose. A notification will be sent as soon as the kits are complete. If teachers want to administer an Investigation before this time, please use the attached "Teachers Materials Lists" to identify items you may need to borrow before our kits are released. 
 
News about HS Science Assessments from NYSED
  • For science, the new learning standards are not as strongly aligned to the prior standards as other subjects. As a result, there will be an overlap period of the old and new NYS Science Regents Exams for two years. See the NYSED New Regents Implementation Schedule.
  • The new Earth Science Regents Exam will not include a Performance Component (Part D) as it has in the past, and the current Regents Living Environment mandated labs will become obsolete. For all Science Regents courses, NYSED is working on developing a system of formative assessments, such as the Required Investigations for Grades 3-5 and 6-8.
Picture
Free Summer STEM Opportunities for Students

Appalachian STEM Academy at Oak Ridge is a residential, hands-on learning experience for 7th-9th grade students, as well as high school teachers in STEM-related fields. In an indoor/outdoor research environment, students will engage in creative problem solving as they design models and conduct short-term research projects alongside internationally recognized scientists. The application deadline is February 10th.  

Picture
National Youth Science Camp is a residential science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) program designed to honor and challenge 11th-12th grade students by providing them with opportunities to engage with STEAM professionals and participate in exciting outdoor activities. The application deadline is February 28th.

​Workshops
On our CA BOCES workshop calendar are Required Science Investigations sessions over the next few months (March 16, April 12, and July 12). Principals are encouraged to attend with their teacher teams. For the weekend warrior, there is also a workshop at Buffalo State on March 4.
To learn more about the new NYS P-12 Science Learning Standards, please join the session on March 1.
 
Please contact me (kelli_grabowski@caboces.org or 716-376-8285) for work with Teacher-Administrator teams to come up with the best solution for Required Investigations implementation at your district.


By: Kelli Grabowski, CA BOCES Learning Resources

0 Comments

    Follow us on
    ​social media

    Want to attend a professional development session offered by Instructional Support Services?  Click here to review our catalog of professional development offerings.  
    Need 24/7 access to digital classroom resources?
    Click here to access "no charge" digital resources for you and your students.

    Categories

    All
    1:1
    3d Modeling
    7 Habits
    AdvancingSTEM
    Akom
    Allegany County
    Allegany Limestone
    Alternate Assessment
    Andover
    Angela Stockman
    Anti Bullying
    Anti-bullying
    Anxiety
    APPR
    Art
    Arts
    Arts In Education
    Artspower
    Arts Power
    Assessments
    Audiobooks
    Belfast
    Benchmarks
    Blended Learning
    Bolivar Richburg
    Book Study
    BPO
    Brain Based
    Breakout EDU
    Ca Boces
    Canva
    Career Day
    Career Resources
    Castle Learning
    CA Today
    Cattaraugus Little Valley
    Cbt
    Clc
    CLC (collaborative Learning Community)
    Coding
    Collaborative Project
    Common Core
    Community And Schools Together
    Community Schools
    Community Schools Service Showcase
    Community & Schools Together Conference
    Cooperative Learning
    Co-teaching
    Credit Recovery
    CRSE
    Cte
    Cuba Rushford
    Cuba-Rushford
    Curriculum Modules
    Dasa
    Data
    Dave Ruch
    Delevan Elementary
    Distance
    Distance Learning
    Diversity
    Driver Education
    Drone
    Drones
    Dyslexia
    Early Childhood
    Ebooks
    Ela
    ELA CLC
    ELA Learning Standards
    Ellicottville
    Environmental Education
    Eresources
    Esl
    Esports
    Family Engagement
    Field Trips
    Field Trip Zoom
    Fillmore
    Film Festival
    Flipgrid
    Fossils
    Franklinville
    French
    Friendship
    Game Based Learning
    Game-based Learning
    Genesee Valley
    Global History
    Global Studies
    Grit
    Growth Mindset
    Health
    Hinsdale
    Houghton College
    Innovation
    Instruction
    Ipad
    Jcc
    Khan Academy
    Kimberly Morrow
    Kits
    Language Line
    Leadership
    Learning Resources
    Lego League
    Libraries
    Library
    Literacy
    Maker
    Math
    Math Clc
    Math Modules
    Matt Miller
    Media
    Mental Health
    Microsoft
    Microsoft 365
    Microsoft Teams
    Minecraft Education
    Model Schools
    Moodle
    Moodle/Mahara
    Music
    Nerdle
    Newsbank
    New Teacher Academy
    Next Generation Science
    Odyssey Of The Mind
    Olean
    Online Class
    Osmo
    Overdrive
    Padlet
    Parents
    Parent University
    PBL
    PE
    Physical Education
    Pioneer
    Pioneer Central School
    Pixar In A Box
    Play
    Portville
    Poverty Simulation
    Power Apps
    Power Automate
    Power Teaching
    Pre K
    Pre-K
    Professional Development
    Professional Development]
    Randolph
    Randolph Academy
    Reading
    Regents
    Regents Exam
    Remote Learning
    Resilience
    Restorative Circles
    Restorative Practice
    Rocket League
    Salamanca
    Scholastic Challenge
    School Library
    Schoology
    Science
    Science Investigations
    Science Of Reading
    Scio
    Seesaw
    Sel
    Self Care
    Sharepoint
    SLO's
    SNAP
    Social Emotional
    Social Emotional Learning
    Social-emotional Learning
    Social Studies
    Sora
    Spanish
    Special Education
    Standards
    Star Lab
    Stem
    STEM Challenge
    Student
    Student Programming
    Student Programs
    Summer School
    Summer Tech Camp
    Tcif
    Teacher Academy
    TeachingBooks
    Teach Like A Champion
    Technology
    TheaterWorks USA
    Theatre
    The Mailbox
    TITC
    Trauma
    TRLE
    Vex
    Virtual Field Trip
    Virtual Scholastic Challenge
    Wellsville
    West Valley
    Whitesville
    Why Try
    Writing
    Zoom
    Zulama

    Archives

    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Innovative Teaching
  • About
  • Contact
  • CABOCES.ORG/iss
  • Calendar of Events
  • AdvancingSTEM