Kentucky Department of Education

July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. It is, on average, the warmest month in most of the Northern hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer) and the coldest month in much of the Southern hemisphere.

 

July is: Social Wellness Month; Mental Illness Awareness Month; National Recreation and Parks Month; Purposeful Parenting Month; National Make a Difference to Children Month.

 

July also is: National Take Charge of Change Week (July 5-11); Canada Day (July 1); Independence Day (July 4); Bastille Day (July 14); Pi Approximation Day (July 22); National Parents Day (July 26).

 

On this date: President James A. Garfield is shot. He died 80 days later. (July 2, 1881); Hawaii annexed (July 7, 1898); Coca Cola brings back original formula (July 10, 1985); Etch-a-Sketch goes on sale (July 12, 1960); Alfred Nobel demonstrated dynamite (July 14, 1867); experimental atomic bomb Fat Boy set off in New Mexican desert (July 16, 1945); air conditioner invented (July 17, 1902); Disneyland opens (July 17, 1955); Robert E. Lee’s U.S. citizenship restored (July 22, 1975); Eileen Collins first woman to command space shuttle (July 23, 1999); Louise Joy Brown, first test tube baby born (July 25, 1978); Benjamin Franklin first Postmaster general (July 26, 1775).

Conferences and Professional Development Opportunities

  

 CSHI/GHKIK conference

The Coordinated School Health Institute and the Growing Healthy Kids in Kentucky programs have partnered to present an institute July 20-21 at the Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington. This year's institute will offer speakers presenting best practices of health education; health services; family and community involvement; nutrition; staff wellness; counseling and social services; and a healthy school environment and physical education to make children and youth healthier. For more information, contact Adrienne Grizzell.

 'American Insurgents: The Revolution from the People’s Perspective'

The National Humanities Center is hosting a live, online professional development seminar for U.S. History and American Literature teachers. “American Insurgents: The Revolution from the People’s Perspective,” will be July 9, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will be lead by Timothy H. Breen.

 

KASA summer institute

The Kentucky Association of Schools Administrators 40th Annual Summer Institute will be July 15-17 in Louisville. This year’s event supports the area of preparing future leaders for a world very different from what is known today. A can’t miss at this year’s summer institute is a panel discussion, Meeting the Demands of the Global Age: Is Our Nation/State Preparing? Some of the nation’s leading education experts will discuss the current and future status of policies and practices that equip today’s youth with the skills needed for success in this 21st century global environment.

 

Online summer PD for history, literature teachers

The National Humanities Center's live, online seminars offer teachers fresh ideas and challenging material to deepen content knowledge and strengthen classroom instruction. Instructional materials are free and come from the National Humanities Center's online resources for teachers: the Toolbox Library and TeacherServe. For more information, contact Caryn Koplik at (919) 549-0661

        

Arts educators conference

The Kentucky Art Education Association will be holding its annual conference Oct. 16-17 in Lexington. Participants can earn professional development hours after 3:30 p.m. on Friday and all day on Saturday. For more information, contact Lisa Jameson. 

  

Workshop for K-12 teachers in Niagara Falls

A National Endowment for the Humanities grant awarded to Dr. Thomas Chambers, history professor at Niagara University, will support a pair of week-long workshops to be held this summer for K-12 school teachers. The workshops, set to take place July 13-17 and July 20-24 at Old Fort Niagara in Niagara Falls, N.Y., will focus on American history and culture, specifically the history of European-Native American interaction. Stipends cover most expenses for participants. Click here for eligibility requirements. Classroom teachers and librarians in public, private, parochial and charter schools, as well as home-schooling parents are eligible to participate. For more information, e-mail crossroads@niagara.edu.

Student learning experience in China
Global Interactions Inc. is hosting its fourth annual youth leadership program, “Challenge: Tomorrow,” which pairs American students with their Chinese counterparts. The program includes studying science, culture and language and is geared toward students ages 12-16. Teachers, counselors and advisors also are needed. Participants will travel and learn in Shanghai and Beijing. To view a brochure about the event, which will run from July 8-28, click here. For more information, contact Jerrie Ueberle at (602) 906-8886. 

NCTM’s winter e-Workshop series

These interactive 90-minute professional development e-Workshops for Pre-K-5 teachers provide activities and tips for engaging students, as well as a follow-up session to discuss the impact of the activities on student learning. The two-part e-Workshops include three hours of standards-based content that can be immediately applied in a classroom.

   

Check the KDE Professional Development Bulletin Board for additional opportunities.

 

Educators Wanted, Call for Proposals and Presenters

     

Mathematics teachers needed for study

Kentucky mathematics teachers in grades 5-7 can earn $200 for participating in a federally funded research study for LessonLab, a Pearson Education company. Teachers will need to allow LessonLab to videotape one fraction lesson on either ratios/proportions or variables/expression/equations. For more information, contact Frank Sotelo at (310) 664-2347.

 

Grants, awards and contests

  

 Governor’s Ambassador Award

The Personnel Cabinet has launched an enterprise-wide storytelling initiative designed to encourage, support, acknowledge and reward employees who embody the principles of Kentucky’s Unbridled Spirit. To nominate a deserving employee, visit the Governor's Ambassador Award page, which you can access on the Personnel Cabinet's homepage at http://personnel.ky.gov. Nomination deadline is Aug. 31.

 

Summer intensive Arabic or Chinese language study at Beloit

The STARTALK scholarships are competitive scholarships for undergraduates from diverse backgrounds and talented high school students interested in studying Arabic or Chinese this summer through Beloit College's Center for Language Studies (CLS), a nationally recognized intensive language program. The session runs June 13 through Aug. 7. Students completing the program will receive three units of Beloit College credit. Students must be at least 17 years old to qualify for a STARTALK scholarship. For more information, contact Patricia L. Zody at (608) 363-2777.

 

OASIS awards for school information services

The 2009 OASIS (Outstanding Achievement in School Information Services) professional development program, a collaboration between the Kentucky School Public Relations Association and the Kentucky School Boards Association, is accepting entries for its annual awards program, honoring writing, photography, design, content, technology and public engagement. Entry deadline is July 3. All entries, completed nomination forms, fees and/or invoices should be mailed to OASIS Program, KSBA, 260 Democrat Drive, Frankfort, KY 40601.

 

Student sustainability competition

Siemens, Discovery Education and the National Science Teachers Association will host the first of its kind national K-12 student sustainability competition this fall for students in grades 6-8. The Siemens “We Can Change the World Challenge” will provide students and teachers with the tools and resources to inspire innovative thinking about sustainability issues, and engage them in developing actionable solutions for a greener world.

    

Educational Opportunities

  

 'Teacher Institute Teaching Tips' podcast

“Teacher Institute Teaching Tips” is a podcast for science teachers, by science teachers. Each five-minute episode gives hands-on activities, science facts, science history, pedagogy tips for new teachers or other ideas for a science classroom.

 

 Events at Fort Boonesborough

Fort Boonesborough will have two special school days this upcoming season. On Sept. 25, preceding the weekend reenactment of the 1778 Siege of Boonesborough, students will tour the fort and visit camps of reenactors who portray settlers, hunters, scouts, Native Americans and others. The second School Day will be on Oct. 16, preceding the weekend celebration of the 275th anniversary of Daniel Boone’s birthday. For more information or to schedule a visit, call (859) 527-3131, ext. 216.

   

Field trips for elementary and middle schoolers
The Biology Field Station staff hosts grade schools throughout for daylong field trips. The program includes hands-on science activities developed and taught by students at Thomas More. Topics covered include fish, macro invertebrates, food webs and water chemistry, among others. For more details or to schedule a field trip, click here.

    

Kentucky Junior Historical Society

The Kentucky Junior Historical Society (KJHS) is an outreach program that encourages students to appreciate and understand the people, places and events that make Kentucky unique. Through research projects, historic site visits, living-history presentations and other related activities, students gain valuable skills while helping to preserve and promote Kentucky’s heritage. KJHS is designed to enhance curriculum by giving students the opportunity to connect with historical and cultural resources. For more information about KJHS, contact Laura Hiniker.

 

Toyota Environmental Education Center
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) invites people to visit the Toyota Environmental Education Center Nature Trail for an outdoor environmental education experience. Be sure to check out the KERA-aligned curriculum for grades 4-12, which makes relevant connections to the environment through hands-on learning.

     

Resources

 

Free teacher resources

The National Museum of Education is offering free resources for teachers (K-12) on innovation, invention, problem-solving and design. These materials meet state and national standards in science, technology, social studies and more. Classroom sets of eight high-quality glossy posters with 35 heavy postcards are offered. Additionally, there are free resources available for an extensive innovation unit including:

·         free original downloads for classroom use

·         online database of student inventors

·         technology integration ideas including problem-solving activities, invention research, more

·         student competitions for great prizes and opportunities

 

NSTA Web site

Many students make fundamental career decisions by the time they get to middle school, so engaging students in science at an early age provides them with more career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.

The National Science Teachers Association Science Matters Web site provides you the opportunity to:

·         read reports and policy statements from key stakeholders on why science matters

·         determine if your child is receiving a quality science education by using this easy-to-use science education checklist

·         find practical ideas to help your child learn science

·         learn how parents, teachers, informal science educators and community and business organizations can work together to foster better learning experiences in K–12 science

 

Web site rates effectiveness of educational programs

Educators looking for useful, educator-friendly reviews of the evidence supporting mathematics, reading and other programs including textbooks, technology and professional development approaches can find effectiveness ratings on the Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE) Web site. The Web site synthesizes the results of hundreds of studies by numerous researchers to rate the effectiveness of educational programs and practices. Recently published on the site is a review of beginning reading programs. The BEE is produced by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education’s Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education (CDDRE), under funding from the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education.

 

Featured videos for middle school educators

Each Monday through the end of August, the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will post a featured video on its Web site, including clips from its CD “Transforming Practice: The Middle Grades.” Each Monday will bring a new clip from the CD in the categories of: Caught in the Middle; Characteristics of Effective Middle Schools; Standards-Based Integrated Learning; and Support for Learning. More information and a complete schedule of the video series can be found here.

 

Primary source database

A new primary-source database, with on-site search, is now available for schools, libraries, educators and students. Its features include 15,000 images plus documents, narrations, video/audio clips and organized slide shows. Libraries and schools have permission to link to the various databases. Also incorporated into the text are secondary sources, such as links to Google Books. Group access to the site is free for all schools, libraries, educators and students.

 

Understanding science Web site

UCMP (University of California Museum of Paleontology) has just released a Web site entitled “Understanding Science,” based upon its current “Understanding Evolution” Web site. The new site has resources and information that can be used to help students understand what science is and what it isn’t. 

 

100 Web tools for elementary teachers

The Internet can be a scary place for elementary teachers. On one hand, teachers want to share the Internet as a wonderful tool with their students, but on the other, they worry about safety and helping them find the most useful resources without getting lost on the information superhighway. Because of this, a listing has been put together by smartteaching.org of some of the best sites for elementary teachers and students online, plus a few tools to help keep everything together.

 

KET EncycloMedia
This Internet-based comprehensive learning service is free to Kentucky public schools. It is the result of a partnership between Kentucky Educational Television and the Kentucky Department of Education. It offers teachers and students more than 4,000 videos, 40,000 video clips and thousands of digital images, all searchable by keyword, content area, grade level and Kentucky academic standards.

 

Kentucky Teacher
The Kentucky Department of Education keeps people informed about the good things happening in Kentucky schools through its professional development publication, "Kentucky Teacher."

 

Online KDE Bookstore
Buying publications, compact discs and videotapes about the state's education system has been made simpler by the opening of the Online KDE Bookstore.

 

For Parents
The Kentucky Department of Education has a Web site, "For Parents," that gives parents of Kentucky schoolchildren one-stop access to education information, resources and "ParentInfo" e-mail updates.

 

Scholarship information
Find helpful scholarship information and tips to avoid scholarship scams.