Friday, October 27

Rich John, speaker on December 6
Please check this site:  http://actwithrespectalways.com/

Middle School teachers have secured Coach Rich Johns for Dec. 6, a half day.  I think it would be great to have him do something for HS kids too.

HS teachers: After checking out the site along with his bio, please let me know if you have any concerns about that day.  Middle School teachers are building an adjusted schedule for that day. With Mr. Johns' presentation, we could eliminate a few periods or build a customized schedule. We have plenty of time to look at it, and I think it would be a great opportunity for our kids.

Super presentation at Wednesday's board meeting
Thanks to Chris Nixon and Mike Putnam for Wednesday's presentation.  It's great to let our board and interested public know some of the great things happening in Ovid.  I truly appreciate these guys' efforts.

Schooltool help with Phil on Nov. 15
Sign up here.


The next two stories are about some attempts to help learning with new ideas in furniture. 

New tables in Mr. Z's room
Here's a pic and a short recap from Dave Zeitz:

Tables arrived on Weds. 10/25. In the past two days of instruction I have noticed a sizable uptick in student interaction and collaboration. Individual desks presented a barrier of sorts because students had a limited/confined work space. NYSMSA speaker Jack Berckemeyer often references the fact that students are growing, making them twitchy and uncomfortable. Shoving a teenager into what essentially amounts to an acrylic and metal cage for their lower body is akin to jumping into a burlap sack with a wolverine; it won't end well. Using tables reduces that problem because they're constructed in such a way that students have more freedom of movement.

Even when combining desks, students would often struggle to have the room needed to create or collaborate without invading the space of another classmate. The extra width and length allow students to spread out and not feel constrained. At the end of a class, desks would be strewn about the room, along with students' personal belongings and chairs; creating a hassle to clean up and reorganize before the next class or the end of the day. The tables are heavy and relatively immobile, leaving the chairs as the only movable piece of furniture. This is actually beneficial in my current configuration because it takes less time to set up a Socratic/round table discussion, take part in small group activities, prepare for a debate, use arts and crafts, etc... - all one needs to move is a chair. The extra flexibility gives me more options for instruction; simulations, inquiries, projects, research, and even more traditional note-taking are easier to do AND switch between with this table-based set-up.

I'm excited and thankful to move forward with this set of classroom furniture.


Stand up table samples coming to Joe's room
I was able to get a couple of stand up tables for free from Ergotron.  They were just shipped, so feel free to check them out in Joe's room by sometime next week. Here's the Ergotron links:
Learn-Fit sit/stand desk, tall
Learn-Fit sit/stand desk, short


Coaches Care program
This program is a way for coaches to encourage safe driving for their athletes. Thanks to Laurie Fort for forwarding this to me.

Living Healthy program from STEPS

STEPS, in collaboration with the Seneca County Office of Aging, is sponsoring the 6-session Living Healthy Program developed by the Stanford University of Medicine to help anyone living with long-term health conditions manage their symptoms and improve their health.

Anyone adult, young or older, experiencing ongoing health concerns is welcome to participate in this FREE series of evidence-based workshops. Participants learn techniques to manage symptoms like frustration, fatigue, pain; develop skills to self-manage health related physical limitations, improve problem-solving and decision-making skills, and develop healthy eating and exercise routines that make personal sense. With this program, led by peers from your community, participants make an action plan for a healthier life and have the support of others while doing so.

The six-session will be on Wednesdays from 1-3:30 pm from October 25 through December 6, 2017. The program will be held at the Interlaken Reformed Church, please park in the rear of the parking lot, to enter the churches accessible community rooms.

For more information or to enroll, call:  STEPS office 607-403-0069

​Theresa Lahr, STEPS Project Coordinator ​
7150 N. Main St, Ovid, NY 14521
(607) 403-0069


Product showcase:

ASCD - Everyday problem based learning

ASCD video PD

Learning lab clarification
If a student has a learning lab during any lunch period please do not let them sign out to go to lunch to be with friends or otherwise. Students get 36 minutes for lunch, and that's all they should get. Thanks.

Want to try a filter view in the master?
Check this tutorial from Denny.  Thanks Denny.

Living Healthy program from STEPS

STEPS, in collaboration with the Seneca County Office of Aging, is sponsoring the 6-session Living Healthy Program developed by the Stanford University of Medicine to help anyone living with long-term health conditions manage their symptoms and improve their health.

Anyone adult, young or older, experiencing ongoing health concerns is welcome to participate in this FREE series of evidence-based workshops. Participants learn techniques to manage symptoms like frustration, fatigue, pain; develop skills to self-manage health related physical limitations, improve problem-solving and decision-making skills, and develop healthy eating and exercise routines that make personal sense. With this program, led by peers from your community, participants make an action plan for a healthier life and have the support of others while doing so.

The six-session will be on Wednesdays from 1-3:30 pm from October 25 through December 6, 2017. The program will be held at the Interlaken Reformed Church, please park in the rear of the parking lot, to enter the churches accessible community rooms.

For more information or to enroll, call:  STEPS office 607-403-0069

​Theresa Lahr, STEPS Project Coordinator ​
7150 N. Main St, Ovid, NY 14521
(607) 403-0069

No comments: