Many of you will roll up your sleeves in the coming weeks to receive a long awaited solution to this tragic virus that has taken away the lives of many of our fellow citizens. You will drive miles, stand in long lines, and battle the side effects or immediate set-backs in order to increase the success and survival rates of yourself, as well as your community members, family members, colleagues, and students. You will do what you think is best--and do that hard work-- for the results you think are most beneficial for everyone around you.
Much in the same way, you have been rolling up your sleeves for your schools, teachers, and students for almost a whole year to make their teaching and learning experiences a success. You have driven the long miles in school busses full of food provisions, stood in long lines to pass out work packets or technology for usage at home, and you have battled the side effects of longer work days, sleepless nights, countless schedule changes, and many problem solving meetings to increase the outcomes for students and create the most successful school year(s) possible.
The RCOE wants to commend you for the work you have done, and will continue to do, to not only teach students, but to love them, protect them from harm, and point them towards the most successful outcomes for their futures. We appreciate the opportunity to come along side of you and support you in this tough journey...down this long road...despite the side effects. We are PROUD to call you our partners in education and our heroes on the front lines!
To find out more about how the RCOE supports you and the students, staff, faculty, and partners in and around our college who are rolling up their sleeves to do the hard work, too, check out the February RCOE Weekly "Connected" Newsletters, featuring news from our own Dean Spooner each week:
Director, Public School Partnership/Regional Director, NC New Teacher Support Program
Reich College of Education, Appalachian State University
rosenbalmem@appstate.edu; 704-657-0764
The Spring PSP Mini-Grant Application Window CLOSES TODAY! Apply Now!
The Appalachian State University Partnership Mini Grants are intended to build relationships between Appalachian State faculty members by engaging in collaborative projects that are connected to internships, student teaching, professional development of teachers, and/or student learning (P12 and preservice teachers). The funding should not be used to take the place of current monies, but should be used to expand or refine existing efforts or to begin new initiatives. Partnership districts include Avery, Ashe, Alleghany, Alexander, Caldwell, Burke, Elkin City, Watauga, Newton-Conover City, NC School for the Deaf, and Wilkes.
The following guidelines should be followed in designing a project proposal:
Groups should include public school teachers or administrators, education faculty, and pre-service teachers if possible.
Funding for grants is contingent on available resources and number of grants submitted.
$500-$1,000 is the funding range. Stipends for teachers are allowed by the University with specific paperwork. Funds may be used for substitute pay, classroom resources, registration, or faculty pay.
Important Considerations Projects should be focused on the preparation and/or professional development of practicing teachers, practicing administrators, practicing faculty members, or current students. Projects should include the involvement of teachers, administrators, teacher education/RCOE faculty, and/or clinical interns in the planning/implementation/evaluation process, when possible.
Deadline for Proposals: February 26, 2021 by midnight! *All work and project evaluations should be submitted, and all funds should be spent by the end of each round of funding. Award Notification- The review team will begin processing proposals as they are received.
Here is the revised Mini-Grant Application for the Febraury 26, 2021 deadline, based on the PSP Mini-Grant committee's feedback. It will not be a Google Form this time, but rather it will be a Google Doc (forced copy). Applications must be emailed to rosenbalmem@appstate.edu no later than Feb. 26th at 5pm. The Mini-Grant Committee will reconvene the first week of March to evaluate the applications for the spring of 2021. The rubric we will be using to evaluate and make decisions on funding is located at the bottom of the application as a resource and a guide for our applicants. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or questions about this application or rubric.
The Grant Committee chose the grants this fall based on their alignment to our goals of collaboration, sustainability, and innovation. See the full description of the PSP Mini-Grant Funded Projects here!
Now, check out our Spring 2021 PSP Mini-Grants application link, which can be found HERE!!
Calling All Curriculum Experts
and Problem Solvers!
Are you interested in co-constructing learning experiences, assessments, and field experiences for pre-service teachers in order to collaborate for a mutually beneficial relationship between the Reich College of Education and P-12 Schools? Would you be excited about being a part of a problem-solving team with members of the Reich College of Education?
If so, we are looking for P-12 educators and various other students and partners who would be willing to serve on an advisory group (either in the official AppVisory Group and/or on a Program Advisory Team) and meet 2-4 times a year for meaningful, collaborative discussions and planning!
If so, look for more detailed information and an application link in the March PSP Newsletter to sign up for this exciting opportunity!
Suggested Activities of the advisory groups and teams:
Participating in a learning exchange between P-12 educators and RCOE Faculty
Providing feedback on curricular content changes
Providing feedback on assessments assigned in coursework
Providing feedback on field experiences
Providing feedback on progression of courses offered and experiences offered in the teacher education program
Providing feedback on recruitment and retention efforts into teacher preparation programs
Collaborating in innovative concepts
Responding to current trends and emerging legislative changes
PSP Governing Board Dates
April 15th: 10 am to 12 noon (Thursday)
Partnership Leaders Council (PLC) Dates
April 14th: 4 to 6pm
June 3rd: 4 to 6pm (subject to change)
July 14-15, 2021: RCOE Conference opportunity (2 day virtual event; responsibilities will vary among participants)
Upcoming PLC Extracurricular Projects
PLC "Deep Dive" PDs being offered in Spring/Summer of 2021:
Impact of the Pandemic on Teacher Well-being and Teacher Resilience
Defining Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (Pt 1)
Navigating Equity, DIversity, and Inclusion in Rural NC (Pt 2)
PLC members' top choices for service projects in Spring/Summer of 2021:
Providing help for parents/families who don't know how to support their students during remote learning (parent nights, tutoring, training for families, etc.)
Collecting and distributing needed items for children and families who lack resources (garden vegetables, canned foods, clothes, toiletries, school supplies, etc.)
Doing online/virtual story time for children with recorded read alouds of picture books
The Mathematics and Science Education Center is excited to share the following professional development offerings:
MELT: The Mathematics Education Leadership Training program will be offering a variety of professional development during its summer institutes programming. Courses include Mathematics by topics or grade levels as well as courses in mathematics teaching for students in special education and the new Career and College Ready Graduate Mathematics course. Visit: https://mathsci.appstate.edu/melt for more information.
Chemical Safety: Chemical safety in the classroom is vital to ensuring that students and teachers avoid injuries and enjoy exploring science in engaging but safe ways. The Mathematics and Science Education Center is offering a workshop on Saturday, April 17 facilitated by international expert Samuella Sigmann. This workshop is available to the first 25 applicants, and after the workshop, participants will be mailed a box of classroom safety materials. See more information on the center website, https://msec.appstate.edu/.
See below for upcoming opportunities in the Mathematics and Science and Education Center!
Celebrations in Store!
The Public School Partnership (PSP) would like to celebrate your district Teacher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Principal of the Year by sending them a care package of goodies to celebrate their accomplishments!
Superintendents, please fill out this quick form to share your district's information for the 2020-2021 school year!
NBCTApps Update!
Thank you to all of those participants who were able to benefit from for our sixth National Board Support Group Session entitled, "Self-Assessment and Wellness Check!" We hope to see you next month at our March 8th meeting, "Content Specific Meetings", from 3:45 to 5:15pm.
Check out our additional support events in the coming months, and sign up to attend at the link below!
April 12, 2021 (3:45-5:15): Finalizing Products & the e-Portfolio
May 10, 2021 (3:45-5:15): Celebration of Submission!
Additional Resources for Candidates:
Component Deep Dive webinars are in full swing. You’ll find webinar dates, recordings and more details here.
The new candidate flexibility details and updated resources have been added to the 2020-21 COVID-19 page. For recordings of the candidate flexibility webinars, scroll to the bottom of the Core Connections page.
Additional Candidate Flexibility
NBCT has made adjustments to provide more time for candidates to finalize decisions and submit their National Board work; additional supports developed to address COVID pandemic-related impacts and an option to defer to next school year if needed.
You’ll find communications for each candidate group linked here(Initial, MOC and Renewal) as well as a few important details and resources highlighted below.
The following documents have been updated to reflect the information above and will be available on the National Board website on 2/1/21:
Guide to National Board Certification
Guide to Maintenance of Certification
Renewal Guide
Third-Party Payer Guide
NBCT knows that candidates may have some questions that are not answered in these resources. In the coming week, they will add additional clarification to their COVID-19 page. If you receive questions that you can’t answer, please direct candidates to reach out to the Customer Support Team at 1-800-22TEACH (83224) or via the National Board web form.
And please consider filling out this brief registration survey to take advantage of our App State NBCT supports! You will be contacted with more information via email, upon completion of this form. Interested Candidates Complete THIS Form!
Celebrating our NC New Teacher Support Program!
On behalf of the NC New Teacher Support Program, we want to thank our beginning teachers for their hard work and the dedicated efforts they have shown this year. They are the real MVPs, and we hope this video will uplift, encourage and motivate them. Please take a few moments to reflect on messages from your beginning teacher colleagues around the state. This video is meant to be light-hearted and remind you that we are all in this together!
Please watch the video (below) from our NC NTSP Program Office which features some of our ROCK STAR BEGINNING TEACHERS from across the state!
Bradley Sasser, ECU Instructional Coach has hosted weekly 1-hr. webinars to support NC NTSP teachers in the ECU region. Each event focuses on a different tech tool that teachers can use to engage their students online. You can listen to the recorded webinars by clicking on the titles below.
We know that teachers are used to having guest readers in their classrooms during Read Across America (RAA) Week in March of every year. Sadly, Covid restrictions will not allow that to happen this year, but have no fear! The Public School Partnership and the Appalachian Educators Club have a real treat for you! Undergraduate and graduate students (as well as a few staff and faculty members) in the Reich College of Education selected picture books to read aloud to your students on pre-recorded videos. Each of these recordings is now available for your class to view at your convenience for RAA Week!
These story videos are included on a YouTube channel specifically for elementary teachers in our 12 Public School Partnership districts. Teachers are now able to choose and play videos from this variety of read-alouds during Read Across America Week (March 1-5, 2021.) We hope that our partnering elementary students in these pK-5 classrooms will enjoy watching our RCOE members read to them all week long, in lieu of face to face visitors this year.
The YouTube Channel link is HERE! Please let us know what you think about this resource in your classrooms and share this link among your fellow PSP classrooms, if you enjoy it!
Mailing address: Appalachian State University, 493 Ridgeway Ave, Statesville, NC, 28677, US
