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Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES Exceptional Education had 55 Teacher Assistants experience the virtual realities of poverty in a unique poverty simulation conducted on Thursday, August 24th facilitated by Jillian Putnam, Janelle Freer, and Kelli Forster from the CA BOCES ISS Professional Development Team. The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) was designed to help people better understand the realities of poverty. “This program helps people to understand the complexities and frustrations of living in poverty day to day,” and “With a greater awareness of its impact, we can more effectively address the poverty issues in our community” were a few statements made by participants during the simulation. Using a simulation kit, participants role-played the lives of low-income families. Some were TANF recipients, some were disabled, and others were senior citizens on Social Security. They had the stressful task of providing for basic necessities and shelter on a limited budget during the course of 4 15 minute “weeks.” They interacted with human service agencies, grocers, pawnbrokers, bill collectors, job interviewers, police officers, and others. More than 37.2 million people are living at or below the federal poverty level or 11.4% of the U.S. population, were living in poverty in 2020, based on official poverty thresholds. 11.6% of Cattaraugus County families live in poverty. 16.7% of the population for whom poverty statis is determined in Allegany County, NY (6.92k out of 41.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.8%. CAPS enables participants to look at poverty from a variety of angles and then to recognize and discuss the potential for change within their local communities, said Elaine West executive director of the Missouri Association for Community Action, which made the simulation available nationwide. The simulation was designed to sensitize those who frequently deal with low-income families as well as to create a broader awareness of poverty among policymakers, community leaders and others. The Missouri Association for Community Action is a network of community action agencies throughout the state that provide a variety of services to low-income individuals and families. More information about the Poverty Simulation can be found at the following website www.communityaction.org. By: Jillian Putnam, CA BOCES Professional Development
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In August, the CA BOCES region hosted Dr. Pam Kastner for the Science of Reading kickoff event at Good Times of Olean. Pam is an educational consultant at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Harrisburg, where she serves as the State Lead Consultant for Literacy. She shared her years of work, expertise, Instructional Routines and Best Practices in Reading research with 50 area educators. Her work has been featured nationally, with The Reading League, Voyager Sopris Learning, and more. Some focus areas for the day were: Scarborough's Reading Rope, how teaching Spelling is essential, key components to building fluency and vocabulary development. Teachers were involved in key routines that are quick-hitting, effective ways to embed decoding, fluency, spelling and vocabulary into everyday use. Dr. Kastner also shared her Wakelet, full of hundreds of resources and evidence-based best practices. The event was led by CA BOCES Staff Specialists Tessa Levitt and Sarah Cartmill and brought light to the decades of research around structured literacy/explicitly teaching reading. By: Sarah Cartmill, CA BOCES Professional Development
 An overarching theme of the Next Generation Standards for Early Learning is to protect developmentally appropriate expectations and practices. NYS in collaboration with NAEYC define developmentally appropriate practices as a framework of principles that promote learning and development. According to the NGSEL Introductory Document, these principles highlight the need for educators to:
Loose parts play inspires children to develop creativity and innovation. As children use loose parts, they deepen critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It also provides a pathway to celebrate multiple outcomes. Loose parts are sustainable items that learners manipulate through exploration and analysis. Children also engage in rich conversation, learning to use vocabulary and discussion as a method to self-regulate so that they can collaborate with others who think differently than they do. Through loose parts play children engage in developmentally appropriate practice that empowers literacy learning for all. In a world where joy can be difficult to find, the loose parts environment makes joy the central theme of the school day. It is through play that children and adults find joy. In finding joy, creativity and innovation flourish. When children flourish, they experience success in a way that honors dignity and supports learning. Several teachers will be exploring this learning with students in the new school year. It will be an exciting transition towards the Next Generation Standards and the NYS developmentally appropriate practices framework initiative. If you are interested in exploring this initiative and how it informs your classroom or district, please reach out to Michelle Rickicki at michelle_rickicki@caboces.org By, Michelle Rickicki, CA BOCES Professional Development Good vocabulary instruction helps children gain ownership of words, instead of just learning them well enough to pass a test. Good vocabulary instruction provides multiple exposures through rich and varied activities to meaningful information about the word. (Stahl & Kapinus, 2001). Students learn vocabulary indirectly when they hear and see words used in many different contexts i.e., through conversations with adults, through being read to, and through reading extensively on their own. Students learn vocabulary directly when they are explicitly taught both individual works and word- learning strategies. Direct vocabulary instruction aids reading comprehension.
When all teachers in a school focus on the same academic vocabulary and teach in the same way, a school has a powerful comprehensive approach. When all teachers in a district embrace and use the same comprehensive approach, it becomes even more powerful. Research shows a student in the 50th percentile in terms of ability to comprehend the subject matter taught in school, with no direct vocabulary instruction, scores in the 50th percentile ranking. The same student, after specific content- area terms have been taught in a specific way, raises his/her comprehension ability to the 83rd percentile. Steps to Effective Vocabulary Instruction Ask student what they know Explain in everyday language Use a video or other visual Tell a story that uses the terms Have students investigate the meaning and do a skit Use current events to relate to the term Describe your mental picture of the term Find or create pictures that illustrate the term. Effective Classroom Strategies to Implement Frayer Vocabulary Model Math Word Wall Math Alpha Boxes Math Picture Books Math Games The ability to read, write and speak the “language of math” is ESSENTIAL for mathematical concept development and mastery! Math Concepts = Math Vocabulary By: Tessa Levitt, CA BOCES Professional Development Last month CA BOCES staff specialists associated with the Statewide Social Studies Group for Social Studies Curriculum and Professional Development had the opportunity to hear a presentation from author Mathew Kay, a teacher from Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Mathew was a guest presenter to the Statewide group and shared thoughts and ideas surrounding his book Not Light, But Fire. Participants left the presentation with numerous strategies and ideas of how to lead meaningful and insightful conversation in classrooms surrounding the topic of race.  Many people operate under the assumption that the school environment in which they teach allows all those present to share their ideas and thoughts safely. Mathew challenged this thinning with a segment from his book regarding Creating Safe Spaces. His focus was on helping people to understand what goes into creating a safe space by challenging their thinking with ‘6 Safe Space Myths”.  If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, reach out to Rob Griffith (robert_griffith@caboces.org) or Janelle Free (Janelle_freer@caboces.org) for additional information and resources.
By: Rob Griffith, CA BOCES Professional Development Teachers throughout the CABOCES region were given the opportunity during the 2022-2023 school year to attend seminars designed to support and assist teachers who were either new to the profession or new to a district. This Collaborative Learning Community called New Teacher Academy was divided into two cohorts, one for each of our two counties in our region. Each cohort met three times during the school year separately. Then, on May 31st both cohorts combined to spend the day together at the CTE center in Olean celebrating the completion of their collaborative learning through the past school year.  On behalf of the New Teacher Academy team, best wishes to all of you as you move forward in your career. May the relationships that were built and the skills that were developed during this time assist you in becoming the best educators you can be.
By: Rob Griffith, CA BOCES Professional Development In the world of education, fostering a love for reading at a young age is a key to unlocking a child's potential. One of the ways to make the reading experience truly magical is by taking it outside the classroom. Elementary students, full of curiosity and wonder, are at an ideal stage to embark on outdoor reading adventures. In Scio, second graders are celebrating the joy and benefits of reading outside, as they explore the world of books amidst the beauty of nature. Do you want to spark curiosity and imagination in students? Reading outside stimulates the natural curiosity and imagination of students. Surrounded by the sights, sounds, and textures of the outdoors, children's minds come alive with wonder. They can visualize the stories they read, connecting the characters, settings, and events with the real world around them. The openness of nature fuels their imagination, making the reading experience even more exciting and immersive. Do you want students to connect with nature and the environment? Bringing students outside to read provides a unique opportunity to foster a connection with nature and the environment. As they flip through the pages of books under a tree or in a park, children become aware of the world beyond their immediate surroundings. They observe birds, insects, and plants, igniting their curiosity about the natural world. This connection nurtures a sense of responsibility and care for the environment, planting the seeds of environmental stewardship from an early age. Do you want students to develop a love for literature? The enchantment of reading outdoors helps cultivate a genuine love for literature. With the freedom to choose their reading spot and engage with books in a natural setting, children develop a positive association with reading. The enjoyment of a captivating story while feeling the warmth of the sun or the touch of a gentle breeze creates lasting memories and a deep appreciation for the written word. Reading outside becomes an adventure that fosters a lifelong love for books. Do you want students to enhance learning and comprehension? Reading outside has been shown to enhance learning and comprehension in young students. The outdoor environment provides a multisensory experience that enriches their understanding of the text. Children can relate what they read to their surroundings, deepening their comprehension and making connections between the story and their real-life experiences. The combination of fresh air, natural light, and a change in scenery can improve focus and engagement, allowing students to absorb information more effectively. By: Jessica Schirrmacher-Smith, CA BOCES Professional Development
Mrs. Crabb’s and Mrs. Costello’s 4th grade classes continued their yearly “Simple Machines” projects and presentations this year.  These 4th grade students had to think about which of the six simple machines they wanted to use: wedge, screw, lever, pulley, inclined plane and the wheel and axle. Many of the students used multiple simple machines as they thought up a design, then took time in school and at home to build their project. Once the projects were completed, each student got up and presented their Simple Machine(s) to the entire class to work on their public speaking skills. Some of these projects were quite involved and took many hours at home with multiple simple machines built in. After the student presented their simple machine projects the other students had the opportunity to ask three questions by raising their hand. The student who presented called on them one at a time and answered the question.  These 4th grade students learned how to plan an idea, figure out whether it would work out, make changes and adjust and then continue moving forward. It was very interesting to not only hear students present but then answer questions on the spot in front of their peers. Congratulations 4th graders!  By: Mark Carls, CA BOCES Professional Development
Teachers spend countless hours building and creating positive classroom culture. When the classroom culture is positive, students make connections with peers and teachers inspire attitudes of lifelong learning. Students carry the culture with them into the wider school community, building bridges across differences and making the world a better place. In the Spring, teachers often revisit classroom culture, adding new incentives to carry students through the remainder of the year. Friendship Central School accomplishes this task collectively through a school-wide book read.
The after-school program offered children materials to create robot animals as a means to build bridges between the classroom and extracurricular activities.  Each classroom invited a “guest reader” to read aloud as a welcoming start to the day.  Students reached out to the national community and experienced a virtual author visit.  Inspired by the community service theme in the novel, high school classes partnered with elementary classes to “grow” a canned goods garden. The food collected was donated to the community food pantry.  Elementary students used the canned goods garden as a resource to learn about data, measurement, and graphing.  At the end of the month, students requested to read another novel as a school next year. Clearly, this venture was time well spent. If you are interested in learning more about building classroom and school culture through a school-wide book read, please contact Michelle Rickicki at michelle_rickicki@caboces.org
By: Michelle Rickicki, CA BOCES Professional Development Pioneer Central School District, along with many other school districts in this region are familiar with Canva. Canva allows educators to sign up with free accounts, and by using your school email, you also have access to the educator “pro” tools and templates. Pioneer Middle School 7th Grade ELA Classes with Mrs. Irizarry have been using Canva alongside their research projects. Students were able to use the CABOCES resources such as the Gale and World Book databases to conduct research, Noodle Tools to save and cite their resources, and Canva to make their presentations come to life. Students first created presentation slides, then incorporated sounds and music, animation, and their own personal touches within their research presentations. Mrs. Irizarry commented that the overall student engagement, and student interest in all the Canva features was one of the best parts of the projects. Here is an example of a research project that a pair of students completed. Ready to try it yourself? To create your own presentation, create your school Canva account. Then, once logged in, click presentations.  Next, choose one template to begin your presentation with! The template will automatically load into your new project.  While Canva has several different presentation templates to choose from, you may want to use Slides Carnival to embed a presentation into Canva for your own educational or teaching use. Simply login to your Canva account. In a new tab, visit Slides Carnival, and choose a Free Template that has the Canva Logo.  Click the blue C, and then Use Template to create your next Science lesson!
Canva allows creativity and engagement for educators and students alike! We can’t wait to see your next Canva creation! By: Jenna Tost, CA BOCES Professional Development This June a brand-new Regents exam, the USHG exam, is set to be offered for the first time. It has been years of preparation for teachers who anticipated this exam coming for over five years after being told it would arrive. Set to debut last June, but canceled because of unforeseen circumstances, the 2023 United States History & Government exam will be administered for the first time ever this June. Over the past few years, the New York State Education Department has been developing new exams for High School Social Studies in both Grade 10 Global History and Geography and Grade 11 U.S. History and Government. These new exams reflect the shifts in instruction that were identified in the 2014 released Field Guide for Social Studies and assess students according to the practices identified in the Social Studies Framework for K-12 instruction. The US History exam was supposed to be offered for the first time in June 2020. As a result of shutdowns and cancellations this exam was never given. However, come June this brand-new assessment will be administered for the first time. This new exam design has 28 MC questions that are attached to a stimulus, a Part II Stimulus Based Short Essay task where students will write 2 responses to 4 documents, and Part 3 will be a 6 document Civic Literacy DBQ Essay. The purpose of this new Regents exam is to align assessment to the content, skills, and practices of the Framework.  One of the most noticeable changes in the exam will be regarding Part II. Replacing the Part II Thematic essay, the Framework exam Part II has two stimulus-based essay responses. These will require students to both analyze and make connections between sets of provided documents and discuss the context surrounding these documents.  Teachers across the region have been participating in professional development offered through CABOCES around the exam structure and the assessment style. In these workshops, they have participated in identifying skills students will need to be successful with this exam, have created learning experiences to prepare students, and developed assessment tasks that reflect the same criteria the new exam will address. They have been working hard to prepare students for a relatively unknown aspect of High Stakes Assessment and are to be commended as we approach the roll out of this much anticipated assessment.
By: Rob Griffith, CA BOCES Professional Development In the Bolivar-Richburg Central School district, a group of bright and curious third-grade students were afforded a unique and immersive learning experience. With the invaluable guidance of local police department officers, the students were introduced to the basics of crime scene investigation. This involved hands-on training that equipped them with essential skills to investigate a challenging case where their principal, Mrs. Duke, had gone missing.
Throughout the investigation, the students were presented with various obstacles that put their critical thinking, problem-solving, and physical abilities to the test. They were tasked with making inferences, assessing the reasonableness of their answers, honing their writing skills, reading fluency, mastering multiplication fluency, finding the area of a rectangle, and collaborating effectively with their peers. This immersive experience provided them with invaluable skills that they will carry with them for years to come. By: Sarah Cartmill, CA BOCES Professional Development 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:
 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.  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  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 Have you ever walked out of a meeting or away from a lesson and thought that the conversation that was had could have been better or more focused? A colleague and I attended a Technology of Participation (ToP) Facilitation workshop in September that guided us to do just that! We walked away with the steps to help people reflect together on just about any subject. We were taught the use of a structure known as O.R.I.D (Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, Decisional) In this conversation structure, the facilitator has crafted questions that lead the participants to answer difficult questions or participate in conversations while also generating a decision for next steps or a future direction. The focused conversation starts by answering objective questions to get the facts and information about the goal of a meeting/lesson subject. Then they reflect on their personal reactions or the emotions felt during the meeting/lesson. Participants then interpret the significance, meaning, values, or implications that the meeting/lesson has impacted. Lastly, the participants resolve the goal of the meeting/lesson by determining a decision that will lead them to next steps, an action that can be taken, or a future direction. The O.R.I.D. conversation method can be used with any group that would like to focus their conversation on having a resolution or developing ideas to better their participants’ knowledge of meeting/lesson topics, including students. Teachers at Cuba-Rushford Elementary School, participated in a training to lead difficult conversations with students. The teachers worked together to help each other create a structure for clear dialogue and reflection for their students in the classroom. Using the O.R.I.D. method teachers are encouraging all students to have a voice in a non-confrontational way. This leads to belonging in their classrooms and school. If you feel like Focused Conversations may help administrators, teachers, and/or students in your district and would like further information, please contact me at Janelle_Freer@caboces.org. By: Janelle Freer, CA BOCES Professional Development  Our host was Alex Freer, Digital Resources & Technology Coordinator. Not only did Alex provide meaningful, relevant digital-resource professional development, she was an amazing tour guide. Regional MS and HS ELA teachers enjoyed touring the Learning Resources Warehouse. The supplies, the kits, the tools, and the books: everyone could have explored for hours. Alex also encouraged teachers to reach out with creative ideas for kits to support curriculum and instruction development as well as engage students. Another highlight was the LR Professional Library; there are so many great books to support teachers’ professional growth, including texts that teachers can borrow as they pursue their advanced degrees. In addition to the hands-on experience, Alex provided an in-depth, ELA teacher-focused tour of all the digital resources that are available. I know firsthand that teachers always want more time to explore because there are so many great resources that connect to NYS Learning Standards. The presentation included time. Teachers explored and planned, connecting digital resources to content. They were amazed by all that’s available and grateful for the gift of time AND for Rachelle Evans, Digital Resources Support Specialist, who made sure everyone had accounts and could access all the tools. Jenna Tost and I would like to encourage teachers to visit CA BOCES Learning Resources, St. Bonaventure Campus Annex: they’ll likely be surprised and definitely amazed by all that’s there to support them as well as their students. By: Anne Mitchell, CA BOCES Professional Development
Math teachers across the region have been exploring Visible Learning for Mathematics: What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning written by John Hattie, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey. This year’s K-5 Math CLC has focused on the benefits of using effect size research to identify best practices for optimizing student achievement in the classroom. Identifying the right approach at the right time can help design more intentional classroom experiences that hit the surface, deep, and transfer phases of learning. We began this learning journey in June with Joseph Assof, a high school and community college mathematics teacher and the math department chair at Health Sciences High and Middle College in San Diego, CA. He is a member of the San Diego County Math Leaders Task Force, whose mission is to support every student in meeting the rigorous expectations of the Common Core. Joseph co-authored Teaching Mathematics in the Visible Learning Classroom, High School, Teaching Mathematics in the Visible Learning Classroom, Grades 6-8, and The Teacher Clarity Playbook, and his classroom is featured in a number of Visible Learning for Mathematics, Grades K-12 videos. As we continued our learning journey into October 2022, we focused on chapters 1 and 2 from the Visible Learning for Mathematics: What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning text. This allowed participants to explore the role of clear learning intentions and success criteria as well as the kinds of rich mathematical tasks and mathematical discourse central to each phase of learning. Participants had an opportunity to practice writing learning intentions directly aligned to NYS Next Generation Math Learning Standards. As we continue our K-5 Math Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) this year we will be shifting our focus from surface level learning to deep learning in December. We will focus on students making generalizations and connections between mathematical ideas and concepts. Participants will walk through different approaches and participate in exercises that promote deeper learning. In March, we will focus on transfer learning where we will discuss formative assessment, feedback, interventions, and how to support students in becoming observers and owners of their own learning. It’s not too late to join us this year! Our next meetings are scheduled for Thursday, December 8th and Thursday, March 2nd. This is a great opportunity for teachers in the C-A region to learn, discuss and collaborate! By: Jillian Putnam, CA BOCES Professional Development   New Teacher Academy is a CABOCES workshop and seminars to support and assist teachers who are either new to the profession or new to a district to become familiar with many of the various aspects of the profession. CA BOCES welcomed new teachers from around the region to the 2022-2023 New Teacher Academy. This year over thirty teachers will be participating in one of two different cohorts with sessions held throughout the year in both the Olean CTE center and the Belmont CTE center. The first session for the Catt. county cohort was held on September 21st, 2022 with eighteen teachers in attendance, and the Allegany county cohort was held September 22nd, 2022 with over twenty teachers in attendance.  The day was filled with meaningful activities to help teachers build a better understanding of what it means to be a new teacher, as well as helpful resources and ways to make connections with fellow colleagues. Collaboration, engagement, reflection on teaching standards, and exposure to various strategies and protocols to implement right away in the classroom were the focus of this first day.  There will be multiple more opportunities for these educators to not only continue to develop their teaching skill in the profession, but also to become aware of the various resources and support that CABOCES can provide to them and their districts. The next sessions will be held November 1st and 8th, and will focus on classroom management, lesson development & planning, and digital resources offered through CABOCES Learning Resources program.
By: Rob Griffith, CA BOCES Professional Development On August 24, 2022, PreK and Kindergarten teachers came together across the region to participate in a workshop centered around CRSE, Play-Based Learning using the Media Kits, and Family Engagement/Involvement. During this workshop, teachers began to understand the work around the Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education Framework in which a cultural view of learning and human development in which multiple expressions of diversity (e.g. race, social class, gender, language, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, ability, etc.) are recognized and regarded as assets for teaching and learning. Teachers shared the many ways they already acknowledge culture in their classrooms and began exploring new ideas and ways to build on that culture in their classroom and with other stakeholders in their districts. Teachers also had the opportunity to explore the vast number of Media Kits that are available from CABOCES including SEL Kits, Fairy Tales, Dinosaurs, block building, Legos, community helpers, etc. Collaborative time between teachers and school districts allowed for sharing of ideas, lesson planning conversations, theme and holiday schedules, classroom management tips, and academic success strategies. Finally, teachers participated in engaging discussions about family involvement and engagement in student education and learning. Participants shared goals for the upcoming school year which will be revisited when we meet again on November 8, 2022. By: Kelli Spink, CA BOCES Professional Development
 Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler, coauthors of The Writing Revolution, have joined together to provide educators with an evidence-based roadmap for teaching writing to all K-12 students. Popularly known as ‘The Hochman Method,’ which begins with teaching the basic building blocks for writing a sentence and progressively teaching students the framework for designing outlines, paragraphs, and compositions. This teaching structure is so empowering to students; if you can write a sentence, you can write anything. This method is transformative in teaching students to write, as students are introduced to each strategy utilizing the ‘I do, we do, you do’ gradual release model for direct explicit instruction. The strategies for this method of writing remain the same for all grades and content areas, as it is the content that drives the rigor of each strategy. This method is designed to equip students with the skills to become better readers, more effective when communicating in both writing and speaking, and to elevate student thinking.   Each strategy in the book begins with ‘the why’ as well as an overview of the benefits of teaching the strategy to students. When introducing the strategy for teaching basic conjunctions (because, but, & so) common language is established so students know what each conjunction word is telling the writer to do (because- explains/tells why something is true, but- shows change of direction, & so- tells us what happens as a result of something/ indicates cause and effect). Students complete each sentence using each conjunction in turn. Rather than regurgitating facts about a topic, students use the sentence stem to think deeply about the content being covered. It is the format that really matters in this method and strategy. Let’s look at the ‘because, but, & so’ strategy in action. Often, we question students about a topic as follows: Why was Andrew Jackson a popular president? The Writing Revolution flips this question using the ‘because, but, so’ strategy in order to assess what students already know about Andrew Jackson. Using the gradual release model, the teacher would provide students with the sentence stem: ‘Andrew Jackson was a popular president____________.’ Students would see the sentence stem repeated three times using ‘because, but, so’ and using the gradual release model, would write three separate sentences. Andrew Jackson was a popular president because _________________________________. Andrew Jackson was a popular president, but _____________________________________. Andrew Jackson was a popular president, so ______________________________________. In teaching this strategy it would be made clear to students that they are creating three separate sentences as the conjunction dictates the end of their response. The sentence stem is repeated three times because we are looking for students to provide three separate sentences about Andrew Jackson. The possibilities for this strategy are endless as they can be easily translated into any content area and/or grade level. It’s not too late to join us to revolutionize your writing activities! The Writing Revolution CLC Grades 2-8 met once this summer, however we have three more sessions throughout the school year. We will be gathering again via zoom from 3-4:30pm on the following dates: 10/13/22, 12/13/22, and 2/07/23. Please consider joining Sarah Cartmill, Tessa Levitt, and Jessica Schirrmacher-Smith by contacting your district professional development representative to register for our remaining sessions. We can’t wait to connect with you!  By: Jessica Schirrmacher-Smith, CA BOCES Professional Development
On August 16th, regional World Language teachers came together over Zoom to discuss the NYS WL Standards as well as Unit planning and finding authentic resources in the target language. We shared experiences, lesson ideas and communication resources. Because of the great group discussions, we decided to make it an area Collaborative Learning Community and meet in person in the fall. Stay tuned for a September date at register.caboces.org.  By: Sarah Cartmill, CA BOCES Professional Development
 Have you ever tried to change a habit? Was it easy or difficult? Have you ever wanted to become more effective in your professional and personal life with things that matter?
Olean City School District staff members have been participating in the work of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and have been loving his principles! Teachers and administrators are invited to explore the work of Stephen Covey through the lens of his most popular work: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This one-day introductory course (or six zoom meeting sessions) will cover all 7 Habits in an abbreviated fashion to provide an overview of the effective practices that yield to private and public victories. All are welcome to learn for the first time or refresh yourself in becoming well acquainted with the 7 Habits. Join us as we explore the work of Stephen Covey’s timeless principles of effectiveness. Please reach out to your district representative to register for one of our next sessions; please note there is a fee to cover the cost of the participant workbook. One day offerings in-person at the Olean CTE center from 8:30-2:30pm: 10/26/22 and again on 2/8/23 Six zoom sessions from 3-4pm: 9/20, 9/21, 9/27, 9/28, 10/4, and 10/5 (Participants are requested to commit to all six of these 1-hour sessions.) By: Michelle Rickicki and Jessica Schirrmacher-Smith, CA BOCES Professional Development On Monday, August 8, Dr. Anita Archer joined the region via Zoom for a day of learning about the importance of vocabulary instruction in ALL grade levels and ALL content areas. She started the morning with this quote; “Words are all we have…for understanding new concepts, building background knowledge, expressing our ideas, and understanding narrative and informational texts.”  Dr. Archer shared the research around the importance of effective vocabulary instruction.
Dr. Archer shared the WHY behind Explicit Vocabulary Instruction. Direct vocabulary instruction has an impressive track record of improving students’ background knowledge and comprehension of academic content. The strategies Dr. Archer shared for improving adolescent literacy and vocabulary instruction are as follows:
By: Tessa Levitt, CA BOCES Professional Development The New York State Education Department not only developed a new framework for Social Studies instruction five years ago but had also developed a new format for both the Global History and Geography Regents exam and the United States History & Government Regents exam.  We have yet to see the initial administration of the US exam, but that has not prevented teachers from preparing students for this new assessment format and structure.  Change can be difficult at any time and in any profession, but in education having multiple changes simultaneously can be extremely overwhelming. However, the combination of changes has brought an opportunity to review and revise social studies curriculum across multiple grade levels. One district that has spent time focusing on these changes and developing assessments that align to the content and the format of the state changes has been the Pioneer Central School District. This month teachers at Pioneer worked to conduct assessment analysis of state administered assessments and assessments they had used in the past.  They examined ways in which they could both replicate the format and performance expectations though modifying their assessment structure and creating items that were uitl uses the NYS Task Models for assessment. Utilizing a stimulus source, constructing the language to reflect that of the Task Models from NYS, and modifying the format of assessments, teachers were able to develop questions and tasks that prepared students for what they will eventually see in the form of assessment as they enter High School.  Spending time doing this type of curriculum development and assessment building work not only enhances the professional practice and understanding of the teachers involved but allows them to prepare the students for what they will be asked to accomplish when they are assessed in the future.
By: Rob Griffith, CA BOCES Professional Development The 2021-2021 school year presented school districts across New York the opportunity to participate in a pilot program that gave students the chance to earn a Seal of Civic Readiness with their school diploma.  Multiple schools from across the state applied to participate in the pilot, including one from our CABOCES region, Salamanca High School. This program was created to offer students a wide variety of choices and opportunities to acquire and use their skills, mindsets and experiences to attain civic readiness. New York State defines civic readiness as the ability to make a positive difference in the public life of our communities through the combination of civic knowledge, civic skill, and civic action. To obtain and receive the Seal students need to earn multiple points based in demonstrating their Civic Knowledge and their Civic Participation. Schools have the flexibility to adjust projects and experiences to student interest and outcomes.  The Salamanca pilot was led by Global teacher Justin Hubbard who led his department in creating and adopting the criteria necessary to meet the requirements of the seal and his students in working to demonstrate participation to earn the seal. Students worked in various capacities of research, analysis, and presentation to demonstrate their knowledge and share information pertaining to the topics and projects they worked on. Several students were also able to travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in lobbying sessions with members of Congress.  Congratulations and thank you to the Salamanca SCR Committee and the students for all the work they completed and gaining valuable learning experience participating in this unique opportunity.
By: Rob Griffith, CA BOCES Professional Development |
