October 11-14
* Conference on Digital Writing
*Teachers Teaching Teachers about Technology
Location: Cyberspace--To see the scheduled sessions and times, click HERE.
The conference will focus on the research, pedagogy, and tools of writing in digital spaces in
the K-12 classroom. Throughout the virtual sessions, participants will explore the complexities
of teaching writing in a digital age in which students potentially play the role of writer,
multimedia creator, collaborator, publisher, reader/viewer/audience member, and critic during
their online engagement both during and outside of school.
This FREE four-day event will also provide a space for dialogue between K-12 and university
educators about the ways that the teaching of writing is enacted in schools, colleges, workplaces,
and communities. For more information and to register, click HERE.
October 16
Worth U
Location: TWHS Library; 9am -12 pm Friday
Edcamp is a form of unconference designed specifically for teachers and their needs. Unlike
traditional conferences, which have schedules set months in advance by the people running the
conference, Edcamp has an agenda that’s created by the participants at the start of the event.
Instead of one person standing in front of the room talking for an hour, people are encouraged to
have discussions and hands-on sessions.
Built on principles of connected and participatory learning, Edcamp strives to bring teachers
together to talk about the things that matter most to them: their interests, passions, and
questions. Teachers who attend Edcamp can choose to lead sessions on those things that matter,
with an expectation that the people in the room will work together to build understanding by
sharing their own knowledge and questions. Want to see more? Watch this EdCamp video
produced by True Life Media.
For more information on Worthington’s inaugural EdCamp, click HERE. Register through
PDExpress by noon on Thursday, October 15th!
October 2015
October 23 & 24
Assessment Literacy
Location: TWHS Library; 5:30 pm-8 pm Friday & 9 am-4 pm Saturday
If you want help designing high quality formative and summative assessments (and are interested
in earning 1 hour of OSU credit), this course is for you! Frank Beickelman will guide
participants in the creation of assessment items for classroom use, the examination of new State
Test item prototypes in order to prepare for testing, and much more. Click HERE for the course
flyer, and click HERE for the course syllabus. For more information, contact Casey Hammond,
[email protected], 614-292-2742.
October 28 OR November 2
Building Leadership Team Training
Location: WEC; 3:30 pm-5:00 pm 10/28 OR 4:15-5:45 pm 11/2
This training is for principals and one or two Building Leadership Team members from every
school. Participants will examine protocols for BLT work, including a protocol for analyzing
student engagement and PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) data and
determining how best to support Teacher-Based Teams based upon that analysis. Register
through PDExpress.
TBD
Leading Student Inquiry Through Science Fair
Location: TWHS; 1-1.5 hour monthly through the end of science fair season
Science Fair projects offer students an opportunity
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to explore the world;
to learn and practice critical thinking, inquiry, technological design and investigative
skills;
to learn research methods and develop research techniques, including obtaining data,
keeping a research log or notebook, graphing, and analyzing data and making evidencebased conclusions;
to foster imagination and creative thought;
to develop organizational skills;
to work independently as well as in a group;
to enhance communications skills;
to meet others interested in science study and earn recognition for academic excellence.
For teachers, there is no better way to differentiate science instruction. Our own Erica Hitzhusen
and Sara Quart will provide teachers the opportunity to learn details about guiding students
through science fair projects or inquiry-based projects. From the difficulties of helping students
find a topic to dealing with human subjects, Erica and Sara (experienced Science Fair
coordinators and teachers) will provide assistance as you review and develop rubrics, timelines,
October 2015
expectations, and research opportunities for your students. Open to teachers K-12. Ashland
credit is available. Register through PDExpress.
November 3 & 4
Messages That Motivate: Creating a Strategy
for Communication with Parents and Your
Community
Location: TBD; 5:30 pm-8 pm Friday & 9 am-4 pm Saturday
Lisa Riegel will help teachers frame the way to conceptualize parent engagement. Teachers will
create a strategy to make parent engagement part of their everyday routine and will integrate
parent engagement with learning at home. Click HERE for the course flyer. For more
information, contact Casey Hammond, [email protected], 614-292-2742.
Also happening this month…
Google Technology Integration for 7-12 (Ashland credit available), Google 3-6 Math
Integration, and much more. To get a better sense of the professional learning taking place in
Worthington every day, check out the Staff Activity Calendar.
Resources you may want to check out…
Achieve the Core: Annotated Mini-Assessments (ELA) or Annotated Mini-Assessments (Math)
These mini-assessments illustrate the shifts required in the ELA and math standards and are a
great resource for Teacher-Based Teams!
Apps User Group: Resources, Training and News for Google Apps for Education
The purpose of the Apps User Group is to connect and assist schools in the use of Google Apps
for Education. The site, which is maintained by Google Educator Eric Curts (Google Certified
Teacher and Education Trainer) contains resources for implementing and using Google
Apps, news from the Google blogs, links to schools that use Google Apps, a discussion forum,
and more. All users are encouraged to share resources, ideas, questions, and comments.
More Growth Mindset: The Mindset Kit
If you are interested in further strategies for fostering growth mindset in yourself, your students,
and/or your Teacher-Based Team, you will want to take a look at this free resource from
Stanford University.
October 2015