1. African-American History Month Resources
For African-American History Month, the DPI’s social studies consultant, Kristen McDaniel, has compiled a page of resources to help teachers in the classroom.
The page compiles offerings from numerous sources, for example the NAACP, National Endowment for the Humanities, Thinkfinity, the U.S. Dept. of Education, Smithsonian, History.com, Biography.com, and the Library of Congress, among others.
Among the recommended resources is the interactive NAACP Timeline, where you can see milestones in Black history, both on a map of the United States and on a historical timeline. Another map shows notable impacts of each milestone. Clicking on any milestone or impact gives extensive information.
Bio in the Classroom gives brief biographies of individuals of note in African-American history, and pages on topics like African American Achievement and the Harlem Renaissance.
The United States Holocaust Museum has posted primary source photographs relating to Black History Month, mostly of African-Americans involved in the liberation of European concentration camps at the end of World War II.
Back to Top
2. It’s Career and Technical Education Month!
This month, Wisconsin schools and technical colleges are sharing what’s going on in career and technical education (CTE).
They’re working with materials provided at the Wisconsin CTE Month webpage, and on-line video interviews with Wisconsin students and graduates whose lives have benefited from CTE opportunities.
State Supt. Tony Evers is visiting a number of schools with exemplary CTE programs this month, starting with Sun Prairie and Hartford Union high schools this week. Evers and Wisconsin Technical College System President Dan Clancy released a joint editorial last week which highlighted CTE’s benefits for everyone. Some excerpts:
- ... the number of high school students who earned technical college credits through the most common type of dual credit program more than doubled … between 2006 and 2011 ...
- ... success stories happen when the community or local business partners generously step up to support our kids’ and communities’ future ...
- ... academic needs for both [career and college readiness] are really very similar—every student needs important skills like adaptability, critical thinking, responsibility, creativity.
- CTE opportunities … are helping a great many students find their way to good-paying jobs they enjoy. If all of us—schools, communities, and businesses—keep making CTE a priority, even more will do so tomorrow. That helps our future graduates, their families, employers, and our communities.
Back to Top
3. Digital Learning Plan Released on Digital Learning Day
The State Superintendent’s Digital Learning Advisory Council has completed its plan, A Vision for Digital Learning in Wisconsin, presented in the form of a website.
“We gathered good people to formulate these recommendations and action items in order to support innovation in schools and districts,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers. “Schools shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to figuring out how best to use technology. This plan will serve as a roadmap of best practices and maximum impacts.”
Among the recommendations:
- ensure any student may take online/blended courses before high school graduation
- adopt bring-your-own-device policies
- ensure sufficient, affordable, equitable broadband access for every school and student household
- develop an online environment for Wisconsin educators to share and explore best practices and resources
- maximize teacher efforts through methods such as “flipped classrooms” (podcasts replace lectures, while students do “homework” in class with teacher observation, coaching, and assessment)
The Digital Learning Advisory Council will continue to serve, to carry out the Vision.
The plan was released on Digital Learning Day, which also featured an online showcase of exemplary digital learning practices in Wisconsin schools, a digital town hall with Evers, and events in schools throughout Wisconsin.
Back to Top
4. In AP, Wisconsin Excels, but Some Rural Areas Left Out
Advanced Placement (AP) continues to grow in Wisconsin, with student performance last year beating both the national average and every state in the Midwest. Because research shows AP is good preparation for postsecondary studies, State Superintendent Tony Evers urged districts to collaborate to offer the program more equitably within the state.
Of Wisconsin’s entire 2011 graduating class, more than 19.4 percent scored high enough on at least one AP exam to earn credit at most colleges and universities.
The new AP Report to the Nation singled out University of Wisconsin-Madison research showing students who took AP were able to move into more advanced classes and graduate from college sooner than other students.
In light of that study, Evers noted, “Opportunities to take AP classes are not equally distributed across Wisconsin. Collaboration will be critical in providing these college experiences for our high school students. I encourage districts to contact each other and share AP opportunities across school boundaries. Every student who wants an AP opportunity should have access to this accelerated coursework.”
Districts may also offer AP through the Wisconsin Web Academy, a DPI/CESA 9 partnership that provides 19 AP courses via CESA 9’s Wisconsin Virtual School.
Back to Top
5. Fifth Grade Bicycle Poster Contest
Subscriber Submission!
With spring just around the corner it is a great opportunity to get Wisconsin’s fifth grade students thinking about the bicycle as a way of getting places (for fun or for transportation).
A national poster contest asks each student to create a poster that represents this year’s contest theme of “Bicycling Takes Me Places.”
Entries are due by March 1. Teachers and students who want to participate can get more information on the contest online.
This story was submitted by a DPI-ConnectEd subscriber. We are looking for your
news of exciting programs, promising practices, initiatives that could benefit from
publicity, or your questions about working with Wisconsin students. E-mail just a
sentence or two to benson.gardner@dpi.wi.gov, with "Story Idea" in the subject
line.
Back to Top
|
|
