WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?
THE END TO ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR IS UPON US!!
 

For those of us who are a little "longer in the tooth", the adage that indicates "time flies as we get older" has never been more true.  Maybe I should qualify that by saying it certainly applies to me, maybe not everyone!  In any event, it is difficult to comprehend the fact that another school year is coming to an end.  As this school year, like any other, started, it seemed that we had plenty of time to get all the projects completed in a timely fashion.  Lo and behold, here we are near the end of the year and there are still items left on our lists of things to do.  Well, I guess we have a good starting point for the upcoming 2017-18 school year!

During the course of the 2016-17 school year, the staff of the East Central Educational Service Center has attempted to provide professional development opportunities on a vast variety of topics to serve the wishes and needs of our constituents.  Looking toward the upcoming school year, Gay Worth, Program Coordinator, has already gotten workshops scheduled for this summer and well into the fall of the year.  Please watch your school e-mail for opportunities that may fit your needs.

As always, if there is an avenue you would like for us to pursue in the way of PD offerings, don't hesitate to contact us.  It is always our hope that if one of you has an interest in a particular topic there will be sufficient numbers of other staff members within our member school districts with a similar interest to warrant providing a workshop.  Please contact Gay at gworth@ecesc.k12.in.us with your thoughts.

In addition, we added tech kits and "Technology Roadshows" to further heighten the interest of students and staff in the use of technology equipment.  Hopefully, everyone is learning that technology is utilized for a variety of workplace applications and is not just for entertainment purposes.  If you would like to schedule technology events, please contact Larry Williams at lwilliams@ecesc.k12.in.us

With respect to cooperative purchasing opportunities, we have listened to your concerns regarding the methodology to be employed when ordering supplies, copy paper etc.  Consequently, within the past couple of weeks, we introduced a new process by which you can order from School Specialty and Staples directly from our web-page.  I hope this provides a more user-friendly avenue for you to utilize when ordering the upcoming school year.  Your ordering directly from our website supports YOUR service center.

As the school year winds down and some of you are retiring this year, please accept my congratulations and thanks for working with the young people in your school community.  You have had more of an impact on their young lives than you will ever know!

I hope everyone has a SAFE, HEALTHY, RESTFUL summer vacation!!

Larry John
Executive Director

 

 

TECHNOLOGY ROADSHOW
 

The Technology Roadshow is a program that was developed by the ECESC to introduce students to new technologies.  The ECESC had devices that used these technologies, but didn't have a good way of sharing them with our member schools.  With this in mind, the Roadshow was born.

When you schedule the Technology Roadshow, Larry Williams will bring the devices to your classroom.  He will demonstrate 3D Printing, several different Augmented and Virtual Reality apps, and a couple of drones.  Larry also has coloring pages for the elementary level students to color and then watch their pages come alive, through the use of an app on his phone.  He will explain ways in which the technologies are being used by businesses to generate income too.

The program is used to hopefully excite your students about the STEM related occupations of tomorrow.  We have received very positive feedback from the schools that we have presented in.  The Connersville News Examiner did an article about the program when we presented at Connersville Middle School.  You can read the article by clicking https://goo.gl/tFt5dm

If you would like to schedule Larry to present to your students, please contact him by phone at (765) 825-1247 or email at lwilliams@ecesc.k12.in.us





 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
FOR 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR ALREADY SCHEDULED!!


 

August
Teacher Evaluation Training for Primary and Secondary Evaluators
Google Apps for Education
Instructional Coaching:  Building the Teachers' Capacity for Success Grades K-5
Instructional Coaching:  Building the Teachers' Capacity for Success  Grades 6-12
Un-Wrapping the Science Standards 6-12
Struggling Readers & Writers 
     Helping Students in ALL Classes Grades 6-12 (Day #1)
eLearning Rules & Regulations, Sample Curriculum

September
Digitalis Starlab Portable Planetarium Training
Creativity, Innovation, and Application
     CIA - Teach in the world kids want to live in
Struggling Readers & Writers
     Helping Students in ALL Classes Grades 6-12 (Day #2)
High Quality Assessment Practices (Day #1)
Technology Kits Training
But I'm Not a Reading Teacher!  Literacy Strategies for Content Area Teachers
     Grades 6-12
Grades K-5 Pursuing the Depths of Knowledge:  Creating Powerful Lessons
     to Challenge All Students 
Grades 6-12 Incorporating The Indiana academic Standards For Content Area
     Literacy Into Daily Classroom Instruction
Grades 6-12 Pursuing the Depths of Knowledge:  Creating Powerful Lessons
     to Challenge All Students
Creating Curiosity:  A Non--Fiction Adventure
WIDA Standards Overview Training
Building Digital Content for eLearning Days

October
Achieving Rigor in the 6-12 ELA Classroom

November
Instructional Coaching 
     Becoming the Best Support for Your Teachers!
High Quality Assessment Practices (Virtual Check-in) (Day #2)
Math Grades 3-5
Building a Growth Mindset Classroom 6-12 (Encore)
Struggling Readers & Writers
     Helping Students in ALL Classes Grades 6-12 (Day #3)
Reaching All Learners/Leadership and Learning
Literacy Skills for Today's Tech-Savvy Youth


December
Google Certified Educator Level 2 Training (2-day training)

Dates and additional information for most of these workshops can be found under the Workshop Registration tab on our website at www.ecesc.k12.in.us or you can call (800) 669-3010.

ECESC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SURVEY
SPRING 2017
RESULTS


 

Staff from 36 school districts, including members, associate members, and interlocals, have taken the time to complete the survey and we want to thank everyone who participated!  We appreciate your feedback.  We have listed the top three choices in each category that you would like to see professional development programs scheduled for, and they are:

English Learners/WIDA
  1.  Instructional Strategies (70.7%)
  2.  Co-Teaching Strategies (39%)
  3.  Paraprofessional Training (21.1%)

Data
  1.  Formative Assessments (NWEA, Acuity, Pivot (53.7%)
  2.  Data to Inform Instruction (49%)
  3.  Preparing for state assessments (48.3%)

Curriculum
  1.  Best Practices (45.4%)
  2.  Math (42%)
  3.  Depth of Knowledge/Rigor (41.4%)

Technology
  1.  Best Practices Using Technology (57.8%)
  2.  Developing Digital Content (38.6%)
  3.  eLearning Days (35.5%)

Leadership Development
  1.  Teacher Leadership (62.2%)
  2.  Technology Leadership (32.3%)
        Instructional Coaching (32.3%)
  3.   Administrator Leadership (26.8%)

Support Staff
  1.  Technology Skills (55.6%)
  2.  Leadership Skills (41.1%)
  3.  Soft Skills (personal and social) (38.9%)

Student Services
  1.  Social/Emotional Needs (76.6%)
  2.  Poverty (52.4%)
  3.  Career Development (37.1%)

Additional information from the survey includes the following:

Other workshops members would like the ECESC to provide include:
   ISTEP or ILearn - activity based learning
   Latest releases in young adult literature
   New book titles
   Library services
   Supporting children in crisis, early childhood support for at-risk, behavioral needs
   After school programming
   ODD and OCD training
   Grants
   Trauma-informed care, neuroscience research, mindfulness
   Training for substitute teachers and instructional assistants in best practices
   504

How do you hear about professional development opportunities?
   Emails from the ECESC directly (55.6%)
   Emails from your administration (47.6%)
   ECESC Newsletter (31.7%)

How do you prefer to be contacted about professional development programs?
   Email (97.4%)
   Newsletter (20.1%)

How often do you want to receive communication from the ECESC?
   Monthly (52.4%)
   Weekly (23.3%)
   Twice monthly (19.6%)

As mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter, please contact Gay Worth, Program Coordinator, at gworth@ecesc.k12.in.us with any other ideas that you may have for professional development opportunities.

 

EAST CENTRAL ESC STAFF

Executive Director
Larry D. John . . . . . . ljohn@ecesc.k12.in.us
Program Coordinator
Gay Worth . . . . . . . . gworth@ecesc.k12.in.us
Educational Technology Coordinator
Larry Williams . . . . . . lwilliams@ecesc.k12.in.us
Administrative Assistant 
Teresa Amick . . . . . . tamick@ecesc.k12.in.us
Secretary/Receptionist
Mary Barbour . . . . . . mbarbour@ecesc.k12.in.us
Administrative Assistant
Angie McCreary . . . . amccreary@ecesc.k12.in.us
Director of Trust Operations
Erin Riggle . . . . . . . . eriggle@ecesc.k12.in.us

ECESC Executive Board

Mrs. Laura Blessing, Northeastern Wayne Schools
Mr. Stephen Fisher, New Castle Community School Corporation
Mr. Wes Hammond, South Henry School Corporation
Mr. Scott Collins, Fayette County School Corporation
Mr. Tom Hunter, Greensburg Community Schools
Mr. Matt Vance, Rush County Schools
Mr. Donnie Bowsman, Randolph Southern School Corporation