Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Welcome to the ConnectEd Bulletin Board!
This is the place to find opportunities for further professional development, grant and awards opportunities, and much more!
- DPI's Kevin Anderson receives the Ron Gibbs award from the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST)
- White House Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds
- Young Scholars Applications Due May 9
- Stevens Initiative Virtual Exchange Fair
- Teaching & Learning Summer Institute: “Transforming Systems for Innovation"
- DNR Accepting Entries for Air, Air Everywhere Poetry Contest
- Call for Student Art
- 14 New Languages Added to Seal of Biliteracy Assessments
- Wisconsin Creativity Summit Online August 7
- News from Around the State
DPI's Kevin Anderson receives the Ron Gibbs award from the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST)
This is WSST’s most prestigious award given to honor a person who has made outstanding contributions in science education over a long and distinguished career in Wisconsin.
Kevin is DPI’s current Education Consultant on Science and STEM, and has been with the agency for nine years (coming up on 10 this year). Prior to DPI, he worked at CESA 2 and UW-Madison.
WSST wrote, “You truly embody the vision and mission of WSST. Your work in the field of science education has been inspiring to many. Thank you.”
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White House Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds
The White House is hosting its first-ever Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds Friday, April 26th from noon - 2:30 p.m. CDT!
This event will spotlight the benefits of healthy and climate-resilient schools. We’re especially excited to share that event will feature one of Wisconsin’s own-- Andy Weiland from the Oregon School District
Students, educators, administrators, parents, and other school stakeholders are invited to join the event. We would love your help getting the word out to others. Please share with other advocates for healthy, sustainable, and cost-effective schools across the state.
Young Scholars Applications Due May 9
The Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship, open to high-performing 7th grade students with some financial need. It provides comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for high school. There are Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, music/art lessons, support for the purchase of electronic hardware and software needs, camps,and other learning enrichment opportunities that are specific to the student. For more information, contact the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation website or email Tammie Stewart.
Stevens Initiative Virtual Exchange Fair
Want to bring exciting, FREE global experiences to your students this fall?
Join the Stevens Initiative for a virtual exchange provider fair, a unique opportunity to meet directly with programs and learn more about how virtual exchange can fit into your classroom or club. Wisconsin DPI and the Stevens Initiative are partnering to support global learning across the curriculum through virtual exchange. Virtual exchange gives all students (and educators) access to global relationships and learning. We believe in the value of
language, intercultural, and global competence for a world-ready Wisconsin.
April 24 from 4-5pm Central.
Register to join this free opportunity to meet directly with virtual exchange programs: https://aspeninstitute.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwsc-yrrjMtGNb363vfdDOavAAH2-t8vtw6
Teaching & Learning Summer Institute: “Transforming Systems for Innovation"
A three-day retreat for school teams on innovation and growing hope.
When: July 15–18, 2024
Where: Lowenwood, Land O'Lakes (contract pending)
Who: School teams of between 4–6 people, including (but not limited to) administrators, educators, and instructional leaders, will engage in hands-on activities, sessions, discussions, and networking to discover and develop pathways to innovate. Continuous support for implementation will be provided throughout the 2024-25 school year via online sessions.
What: Through hands-on experiences, concurrent sessions, small-group discussion, networking, and reflection, school teams can joyfully explore ways to create their own pathways to hope. Participants will also receive implementation support throughout the 2024-25 school year through online sessions.
Topics include:
- Alternatives to Traditional Grading
- Culturally Relevant Instruction
- Flexibility within the Law
- Growing Hope
- Personalized, Competency-based learning
- and more…
Registration includes food and lodging. Limited to 60 participants. Registration priority will be given to school teams of between 4–6 people. Please complete the application on the bottom of this page. Download the application PDF to preview questions (For planning only. Applications must be submitted through the online form.)
DNR Accepting Entries for Air, Air Everywhere Poetry Contest
This year DNR is offering Wisconsin's parents and teachers a classroom or virtual learning opportunity. Parents and teachers can lead students through an activity (or more than one!) from the Air, Air Everywhere Teacher's Activity guide. The guide includes ten activities to help third, fourth and fifth grade students learn about air quality and the importance of clean air.
Teachers and parents can submit original poems and riddles created by their student(s) to Wisconsin DNR. Three winning poems will have their work featured below as well as on the DNR’s social media accounts.
REQUIREMENTS
- Open to all third, fourth and fifth grade students in Wisconsin.
- Any form of original poetry or riddle is acceptable. Entry must be 200 words or less and describe air and/or the importance of clean air.
- Writing MUST be the original work of the student.
- Each entry must be in PDF or Word format, or written out in an email. No Google Doc links will be accepted.
- Each entry must include the name of the author, the name of the parent/teacher and the parent/teacher's email and phone number.
- Email entries to: DNRAirEducation@wisconsin.gov
- Submit entries by Friday, May 3, 2024, to be eligible. Contest entries will not be returned and will become the property of the contest sponsor.
Instructions
As part of the Where's the Air? activity, students will complete simple sensory experiments to discover the characteristics of air and then write a poem or riddle describing air. Parents and teachers, do not forget to use the Wisconsin air quality facts and information document to help students complete their riddles and poems. This resource is filled with facts on Wisconsin's air quality history and current status to help students understand the state's air quality!
Download the complete Air, Air Everywhere guide, which includes ten activities. For more information about air education, contact Lindsay Haas.
Call for Student Art
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is proud to announce a new project that will annually collect high quality digital images of student artwork from across the state. The images will be printed, framed, and hung in the new home for DPI in the Tommy G. Thompson Center near the capitol building in Madison for one year beginning the summer of 2024. In addition, the artwork will also be displayed on the Arts & Creativity page of the DPI Website.
Quick Overview:
- Entries are open to all K-12 aged students in Wisconsin.
- Each Wisconsin art educator can submit up to 5 works of art from their school’s current work.
- Submission of the student art is done 100% digitally via the project Google Form.
- To be considered for this year, artwork and accompanying information must be submitted no later than May 15, 2024.
- View Project Details and the Submission Form here
14 New Languages Added to Seal of Biliteracy Assessments
Please join us in celebration our partnership for proficiency with the MN Department of Education through which we are celebrating multilingual learners by expanding access to Seal of Biliteracy assessments in 14 new languages! Read to learn more! If your district is not yet authorized to implement the Seal of Biliteracy Program, apply to DPI, and become a part of this national movement to recognize students’ heritage and second language skills! Bilingualism is an indicator of college, career and community readiness. The Seal credential communicates a student’s ability to use languages across cultures and contexts with confidence. Let’s work together to bring this opportunity to all learners across Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Creativity Summit Online August 7
Join the DPI for a fantastic day learning from nationally renown experts on creativity and education. Collaborate with others from across the state and nation focusing on practical ways to nurture creativity in classrooms, schools, libraries, and communities. Be inspired by an administrator and educators from a Wisconsin school that is recognized as a leader in cultivating creativity with their students. Take part in an opportunity to create a video sharing your story about the impact that creativity has had on your life and the importance of creativity moving forward.
Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024 from 8:45 am - 4:00 pm
Free, Online via Zoom
Audience: Educators, Administrators, School Board Members, Community Leaders, Artists
Format:
- 4 Keynote Speakers - Ted Talk Style (20 minutes) followed by connected break out sessions with participant interaction (40 minutes)
- Wisconsin School spotlighted for its work developing and cultivating creativity
- Keynote Panel Discussion and Q & A
- Optional opportunity for participants to create brief video testimonial sharing the impact creativity has had on their life and the importance of creativity to our future.
Guest Speakers
Dr. Peter Gamwell, Administrator, Educator, Speaker, and Author of "The Wonder Wall"
Dr. S. Renee Mitchell, Creative Revolutionist, Pulitzer Prize nominee, IAmM.O.R.E visionary
Dr. Sarah Cunningham, Rhode Island School of Design Vice Provost for Strategic Partnerships
James Wells, Award-Winning Innovative Teaching and Learning Manager for Crayola
James Murray, Waukesha STEM Academy Principal, 2017 AWSA Principal of the Year
State superintendent statement on Wisconsin Teacher Pledge program extension via Wisconsin DPI
"Wisconsin needs innovation and investment to train more teachers and get them to stay in the profession." The Wisconsin Teacher Pledge program covers the cost of in-state tuition and fees, testing, and licensing costs for students in the school’s teacher education programs.
Inclusive playgrounds provide a safe place for children of all abilities. Here’s why that’s important via Post Crescent
Being ADA-compliant does not necessarily mean a playground is accessible, meaning easy for people who use mobility devices to navigate.
Children's Mental Health Office urges safe gun storage, less bullying to curb impact of school shootings via Green Bay Press-Gazette
More than half of Wisconsin's 27 school shootings between 1970 and 2022 happened in the last eight years of that time period. That's one of the many alarming facts in a new release from Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health on the toll school shootings are having on students’ mental health. Linda Hall, director of the Office of Children’s Mental Health, said gun violence is top of mind for many students, and “some do not feel safe in school.”