Standards, PD, & Resources

Update from the Wyoming Department of Education  |  view online |  website

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January 25, 2018

IN THIS EDITION

  • Girls Go Cyber Challenge
  • Welcome New WDE ELA/Fine Arts Consultant
  • Online PD Courses Through Natrona County
  • Math, Science, and Computer Science Teaching Awards
  • Physics of Atomic Nuclei (PAN) Camp
  • ChemEd XChange
  • iNSIGHT Apps & Labs
  • Vernier Engineering Award
  • Presidential Award for Environmental Educators
  • Presidential Primary Sources Project
  • Henry Ford Teacher Innovator Awards
  • National History Teacher of the Year Award
  • George Washington Teacher Institute
  • World War II Museum Summer Teacher Institute
  • Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program
  • WIDA ACCESS 2.0 Webinars and Q&A Sessions
Happy New Year

GIRLS GO CYBERSTART CHALLENGE

Girls Go Cyberstart logo

Registration closes February 16, 2018
No prior computer knowledge is needed

Gov. Matt Mead has announced a cybersecurity competition for young women in grades 9-12 to learn to protect digital assets while honing skills in technology. Participants in the

Girls Go CyberStart Challenge will have the opportunity to share in $150 scholarships, registration, and travel to Chicago for the Women in CyberSecurity Conference (WiCyS) March 23-24, 2018.

No prior computer knowledge is needed and students from all educational backgrounds are welcomed. If students enjoy solving problems, logically working through challenging tasks and learning new skills, then they will have what they need to succeed at the Girls Go CyberStart Challenge.

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WELCOME NEW WDE ELA/FINE ARTS CONSULTANT

The Standards and Assessment Division is excited to welcome its newest team member, Elizabeth (Liz) Gilbert, who is the WDE English Language Arts/Fine and Performing Arts Consultant. Liz, who originally hails from New York, received a B.A. in Elementary Education from Brooklyn College, M.Ed. in Reading Education from Nova Southeastern University, and completed post-graduate work leading toward a second M.Ed. in Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation from Boston College. 

Liz has dedicated over 17 years in various K-12 educational public and private sector roles. Her primary goal is to address and support the literacy needs of Wyoming's educational constituents. Besides her passion for the arts, Liz enjoys spending time with her family, watching sports, and engaging in outdoor adventures.

Liz Gilbert

ONLINE PD COURSES THROUGH NATRONA COUNTY

NCSD Online

Natrona County School District No. 1 offers professional development courses for online credit. State educators are welcome to join to earn either 2 PTSB credits (free) or 2 UW graduate credits ($50 per credit). 

Courses begin January 24. Registration is $100.


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MATH, SCIENCE, AND COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHING AWARDS

Nominations close April 1, 2018

Applications due May 1, 2018

Nominate a teacher for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). This year's awards will honor mathematics and science teachers (including computer science) teachers in grades K-6.

A minimum of five years full-time employment in K-12 as a math or science teacher is required.

PAEMST logo
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PHYSICS OF ATOMIC NUCLEI (PAN) CAMP

PAN logo

Application deadline March 30, 2018

In this free residential summer program, high school students will learn about scientific research in nuclear astrophysics as well as the impact of nuclear science and its applications for society, through conducting their own experiments.


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CHEMED XCHANGE

ChemEd X provides a place for high school and college chemistry teachers to collaborate globally, communicate experiences, and share pedagogical ideas and tips.

CHEMED logo

All content is moderated and includes articles and activities peer reviewed by high school and college-level chemistry teachers, as well as blogs, videos, event announcements, and staff "picks" of books, journals and apps.

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iNSIGHT APPS & LABS

INSIGHT LOGO

Curriculum supplement for lab classes

iNSIGHT offers apps for vision science and experimental psychology lab classes. Each lab is complete with a quick-start guide, detailed instructions, background information, and one or more guided exercises.

Six experiment apps (Scaling Vision, Feature Analysis, Signal Detection, Global Precedence, Measuring Illusions, Depth Perception) and seven interactive demo apps (Form and Motion, Illusions and After-effects, Spatial Vision, Color Vision Test, Stereograms, Receptive Field Mapping, Mach Bands) are available.

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VERNIER ENGINEERING AWARD

Applications due February 15, 2018

Vernier Software & Technology is committed to helping educators develop the next generation of engineers and scientists.

Vernier logo

Vernier will recognize two instructors -- one middle school and one high school instructor -- with the Vernier Engineering Award. The $5,500 award will be presented to instructors who are creatively using Vernier sensors to introduce engineering concepts or engineering practices. This may be in conjunction with Vernier’s Logger Pro software, NI LabVIEW software, LEGO NXT, VEX, or any other system incorporating Vernier sensors. 

Each award will consist of $1,000 cash, $3,000 in Vernier technology, and $1,500 toward expenses to attend either the NSTA STEM conference or the ASEE conference. 

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PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS

epa logo

Applications due May 1, 2018

The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators recognizes outstanding kindergarten through grade 12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. 

Up to two teachers from each of EPA's 10 regions, from different states, will be selected to receive this award. 

Teacher awardees will receive a presidential award plaque and an award up to $2,500 to be used to further the recipient's professional development in environmental education.

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PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY SOURCES PROJECT

Understanding presidential legacies

The Presidential Primary Sources Project is a free, interactive classroom videoconferencing program for grades 6-12. The presentations utilize primary source documents and artifacts to teach students about presidential legacy and U.S. history. Because of the broad nature of the presidential theme, teachers will find that a number of the historical presentations coincide with their yearly curriculum.

PPSP

The program will run through the end of March and feature rangers from the National Park Service and educators from presidential libraries and museums and other organizations.  

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HENRY FORD TEACHER INNOVATOR AWARDS

Henry Ford photo

Nominations due February 28, 2018

The Henry Ford Education Institution and Litton Entertainment are looking for teachers who demonstrate the habits of an innovator -- teachers who inspire their students to challenge the rules and take risks, who demonstrate how to be collaborative and empathetic, and teach the value of staying curious and learning from failure.

Twenty teachers will receive prizes, with the top 10 grand prize winners receiving a week-long “Innovation Immersion Experience” in Dearborn, Michigan. Winners will be announced in June. Contact TIA@thehenryford.org.

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NATIONAL HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Deadline for nominations March 31, 2018

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History recognizes exceptional K–12 American history teachers across the country. The national winner is chosen from among state winners and receives a $10,000 prize and will be honored at an award ceremony in New York City. 

hISTORY TEACHER

State winners receive a $1,000 prize, an archive of classroom resources, and recognition at a ceremony in their state.

Any full-time educator of grades K–12 who teaches American history (including state and local history) is eligible. The nominated teacher must have at least three years of classroom teaching experience. Nominations can be made by a student, parent, colleague or principal or other administrator familiar with the teacher’s work. Self-nominations are not accepted.

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GEORGE WASHINGTON TEACHER INSTITUTE

George Washington

Deadline to apply January 29, 2018

The George Washington Teacher Institute in Mount Vernon, Va., will host six summer residential programs featuring access to content scholars, the Mount Vernon estate, and sources both primary and secondary.

Full scholarships are available to all K-12 teachers that currently teach U.S. students. State-specific full scholarships, including travel stipends, are available for applicants in several states including Wyoming.

The schedule: Martha Washington and the Women of the 18th Century (June 12-16); Slavery in George Washington’s World (June 19-23); The Great Experiment: George Washington and Founding of the U.S. Government (July 10-14); First in Business: Washington, Mount Vernon, and the New Nation (July 17-21); Washington at War: From Soldier to Commander in Chief (July 31-August 4); and Leadership and Legacy: Lessons from George Washington (August 7-11). 

 Contact Jackie Jecha, jjecha@mountvernon.org or (703) 799-5082.

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NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM SUMMER INSTITUTE

Applications close February 1, 2018

The National World War II Museum Summer Teacher Institute will explore the U.S. Home Front -- the engine of production, innovation, and volunteerism that made Allied victory possible on battlefields across the globe. Participants will spend a week this summer in New Orleans learning from a team of curators, educators, and WWII scholars, followed by a trip to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in summer 2019.

wORLD WAR TWO INSTITUTE PARTICIPANTS

The institute is open to any middle or high school teacher who has at least three years of classroom teaching experience as of July 2018. Participants will receive free lodging, a travel stipend, seminar materials, and most meals free of charge. 

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FULBRIGHT-HAYS SEMINARS ABROAD

fulbright

The Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program provides opportunities for overseas experience and is open to educators and administrators with responsibilities for curriculum development in fields related to humanities, languages, and area studies. The program is geared towards educators with little or no experience in the host country who demonstrate the need to develop and enhance their curriculum through short-term study and travel abroad.

The following seminars will be offered in FY 2018:

  • Elementary/Middle (Grades K-8) Seminar: Exploring Cultural and Social Diversities in India
  • Secondary (Grades 9-12): Examining the Impact of Ecuador’s History, Biodiversity, and Cultural Diversity
  • Postsecondary Seminar: Exploring Contemporary United States – Poland Relations
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WIDA ACCESS 2.0 WEBINARS AND Q&A SESSIONS

If you're looking for guidance on administering ACCESS 2.0, follow this link to WIDA ACCESS 2.0 webinars and Q&A sessions

Upcoming webinars

WIDA

During testing: Monitoring Completion (online) - Wednesday, February 7th from 10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. MT

Post testing: Data Validation (Paper) - Tuesday, February 27th from 10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. MT