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Information Exchange Vol. 46 No. 46 Dec 7th, 2018

INFORMATION EXCHANGE

Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
December 7, 2018

Last call! A4LE Annual Conference Begins December 10

Register now for the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) Alaska Chapter Annual Conference, happening December 10-11, 2018 at the BP Energy Center in Anchorage. This conference is for educators and school planners and will feature keynote speaker Rebecca Lamb from the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project. This year's conference theme is Energizing Education; attendees will benefit from sessions on a variety of topics related to the theme as well as inspirational sessions from Alaska’s Superintendent of the Year—Dr. Karen Gaborik, McConnell Award Finalist—Meg Parsons, and others. Educators register at a discounted cost of $100 for the two-day conference.

Last call! ASTE Leadership Award Nomination Window Closes November 14

The Alaska Society for Technology in Education seeks nominations to honor educators doing amazing things that demonstrate true technology integration that has a positive impact on teaching and learning in Alaska. The nomination must be submitted by an individual planning to attend/register for at least one day of the ASTE 2019 conference. Nominations close on December 14, 2018. For questions, please contact Amanda Adams.

Last call! REAP is Hiring a STEM Educator

The Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) is seeking a STEM Educator to assist with REAP’s education and outreach efforts to K-12 educators and students through classroom visits and teacher trainings, curriculum development and review, and general outreach and promotion of energy education stakeholders in the state. The STEM Educator will also perform other clean energy outreach and education in Alaska and assist with REAP’s broader goals, events and campaigns throughout the year. Applications accepted until December 14th with ideal start time in January 2019. 

NEW! Two Alaska Schools Named National ESEA Distinguished Schools

Willow Elementary School and Finger Lake Elementary School in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District have been named National ESEA Distinguished Schools by DEED. The National Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Distinguished Schools Program (formerly known as the National Title I Distinguished Schools Program) is a project of the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators that publicly recognizes schools for their positive educational services.

NEW! Sheldon Jackson Museum Hands-On Loan Program Available to Alaska Educators

The Hands-On Loan Program provides the chance to learn interactively by borrowing items from the Hands-On collection, a special collection apart from the State of Alaska's permanent collections. The program is free (except for the cost of return shipping) and is open to all Alaska based teachers, students, librarians, home school programs, and museums.

NEW! NIH Facebook Live Event for Middle School Students Happening December 10

Inspiring and fostering today’s students in STEM careers to serve as the next generation of scientists is important to our nation’s future. On December 10, from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis Collins will be taking live questions from middle school students on becoming a scientist and discussing the excitement of pursuing a career in biomedical research.

NEW! 2019 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) Competition Now Open

The 2019 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) competition is now open to Alaskan high school students who will graduate by June 30, 2019. It is a residential science education program that honors and challenges two graduating high school science students from each state and others from selected countries around the world. NYSC is offered at NO COST to its participants so that selected delegates may attend regardless of their financial status. The application window is open as of December 7th, and closes at 11:59pm on February 28th.

NEW! UAF School of Education Earns New Accreditation from CAEP

The University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Education recently earned accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). They are the first university in Alaska to receive full CAEP accreditation. The accreditation followed a multiyear peer-review process and signifies that the program has met nationally recognized standards for teacher preparation programs. CAEP accreditation will be in effect through 2024. The UAF School of Education was previously accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

NEW! K-12 Exercise Starter Kits for Active Shooter Training Now Available

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Intergovernmental Affairs has recently released Exercise Starter Kits (ESKs) designed specifically for the K-12 community that focus on an active shooter incident. ESKs are a set of tools and resources to self-conduct a tabletop exercise. The kits reinforce specific emergency plans, protocols, and procedures, while also testing and strengthening preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities. The new K-12 ESKs are available in three (3) K-12 school levels: elementary school, middle/junior high school, and high school.

NEW! 2019 KidWind Challenge and Teacher Training

The 2019 Alaska KidWind Challenge will be held on Saturday, March 2nd in the Mat-Su area, hosted by the Renewable Energy Alaska Project. Students work in teams to design and build a model wind turbine at home or school and bring it to the competition to measure the energy output in a wind tunnel as well as present their design to a panel of judges. It is open to 4th-12th graders and there will be Middle School (4th-8th grade) and High School (9th-12th grade) divisions. A training for teachers will be held on Saturday, January 12th from 8:30am - 3pm, and continuing education credit will be available, with a stipend to cover the cost. If you are interested in the training and/or competition and would like more info, email Colleen Fisk.

NEW! Free CE Credit for High School Science Teachers

Are you a high school science teacher who wants to teach a unit on energy in your Environmental Science, Physics, or other advanced class next semester? UAF Bristol Bay Campus is offering an opportunity to teach their Home Energy Basics class to high school students. The students can earn 1 college credit (as long as they are 16 or older) and the teacher can also earn one continuing education credit through UAF. Better yet, UAF has a grant to cover the cost of the credits so it’s completely free for you and your students! If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Colleen Fisk at Renewable Energy Alaska Project or Mark Masteller at UAF.

Reminder: Natural Disaster Health and Safety Resources Available

Natural disaster health and safety resources for schools and families are available on DEED’s homepage at https://education.alaska.gov. School and district contact information can be found at https://education.alaska.gov/doe_rolodex/schoolcalendar.

Reminder: The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is Seeking Alaska Nominees

Anyone may nominate exceptional STEM teachers teaching grades 7-12. (Awards alternate between elementary and secondary teachers.) Teachers may also self-nominate. The President bestows up to 108 awards each year. Since the program’s inception, over 4,800 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession. Nomination period closes March 1, 2019. Contact Ms. Joey Jigliotti with questions.

Reminder: RFP 190000028 for Alaska Safe Children’s Act Curricula Development

DEED is seeking interested contractors to work with our staff to develop curricula for grades 7-12 on sexual abuse, sexual assault, teen dating violence and abuse awareness and prevention. At the present time, there is a lack of grade level specific curriculum that is tailored to Alaska that meets the requirements of the Alaska Safe Children’s Act. DEED believes that the development of Alaska specific curricula will be useful for local school districts in Alaska to provide the required education to students under the Alaska Safe Children’s Act. For more information please contact DEED Procurement Officer, Rob Roys, at (907) 465-8654.

Special Feature: 2018 Power Pledge Challenge Winners

More than 3,000 students from 128 sixth through eighth grade classrooms around the state participated in the 2018 Power Pledge Challenge, an initiative aimed at helping youth better understand energy use. This year’s campaign covered the largest geographic area of the challenge to date with students competing for regional and statewide prizes. Congratulations to Susan Tifental’s 3rd period class from Hanshew Middle School in Anchorage as this year’s statewide winner!

Registration is open for the 2019 Alaska RTI/MTSS Effective Instruction Conference

January 25-27 in Anchorage. Dr. Jo Boaler, Stanford University, is the keynote speaker. Featured conference topics include mathematical mindset, student engagement and self-efficacy, computational thinking and computer science, collaborative leadership, close reading, social emotional learning, formative feedback, productive group work, restorative practices, visible learning for literacy, Tier II behavioral interventions, and using data to increase impact of classroom management and reading interventions. Contact Kathy Blanc with questions.

Alaska Retired Educators Association (AKREA) Offers Teacher Grants

The Alaska Retired Educators Association (AKREA) is offering awards of up to $200 to five classroom teachers for projects otherwise unfunded. In the past, AKREA has funded first grade readers, bike helmets, a sewing machine, gas money for a field trip and many other deserving projects to teachers all over the state. The money is made available for second semester. Deadline for application is December 20, 2018. For an application form or further information contact Virginia Walters.

PTPC Code of Ethics of the Education Profession Updated

The Professional Teaching Practices Commission (PTPC) has made three revisions to the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession, which took effect August 2, 2018. There are four downloadable versions of the newly revised Code of Ethics on the PTPC website. 11 x 17” posters of the updates code of ethics can be shipped to a school district upon request. Contact Melody Mann for more information.

2019 Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference (ASSEC) Registration Now Open

Join the largest gathering of special educators in Alaska at ASSEC for high quality professional development relevant to the cultural, rural, and remote characteristics of our great state. February 25-27, 2019 in Anchorage. 

Applications Now Open for Summer Computer Science Workshops for Grade 6-12 Teachers

Applications are now open for the 2019 Code.org Summer Workshops in Alaska. Middle and high school teachers can apply for scholarships to participate in the 5-day CS Discoveries (Grades 6-10) or CS Principles (Grades 9-12 and AP) summer workshops in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau. Contact Cheryl Bobo with questions.

DEED Initial FY20 Capital Improvement Project Grant Rankings Available
DEED’s initial priority lists of district-submitted CIP grant applications for school construction and major maintenance projects are now available. Priority lists are used by the department, governor, and legislature to determine school construction and major maintenance projects for capital budget funding.

2019 National Missing Children's Day Poster Contest Seeks Alaska Submissions

The 2019 National Missing Children’s Day poster contest of open to any Alaskan fifth grader, with entries due January 15, 2019 at 5pm. The Alaska State Troopers are coordinating this year’s Alaska state contest. Send submissions and any questions to Lt. Paul Fussey.

Register for the AASB 2019 School Climate and Connectedness Survey (SCCS)

Join over 30 Alaska school districts who collect and use school climate data each year to improve and strengthen school environments, relationships, and connections between students, staff, and families. SCCS’s interactive survey platform makes survey administration, reporting, and analysis interactive and user-friendly. Participating districts also receive free webinars and training on overseeing survey administration and using the interactive platform. Additional support on how to use survey results includes on-site workshops or video conferences led by AASB staff. Districts choose a two-week window between January 18 - March 22 to take the survey.

The 2019 ASTE iDidAContest is Now Accepting Submissions

ASTE recognizes the best photos, movies, documentaries, podcasts, music, books, apps and things through its 19th annual digital media contest. Deadline is January 31, 2019.

The Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN) Code.org Fundamentals (K-6) Curriculum Training Enrollment Now Open

Contact Cheryl Bobo with questions.

Info Exchange Housekeeping:
This newsletter is available weekly and in archived form at DEED Information Exchange Website. To submit news items, call 907-465-6535 or email Erin Hardin