Holdrege, NE
Teachers and administrators from the ESU 11 area gathered on April 17 to continue to learn how to implement MTSS. School teams gathered and organized various sources of data and then held conversations to determine if their core program is effective. They then held conversations to determine next steps for MTSS implementation. NDE MTSS Consultants Jane Byers and Mary Jo McElhose were the facilitators for the day.
On February 26, 2018, Kate Hatch organized an art enrichment workshop for area art teachers. This workshop was facilitated by Southwest Public School Art Teacher, Carol Kelley. This day was designed for the artist/educator teaching kindergarten through twelfth grade. Carol taught the art of Batik. Batik is a technique of hand-dyeing fabrics by using wax as a dye repellent to cover parts of a design, dyeing the uncovered fabric with a color or colors, and dissolving the wax in boiling water.
In addition to learning these art techniques, the art teachers were also able to collaborate and share other ideas that they were able to take back to their individual schools.
On October 11, 2018, Kate Hatch conducted Day 3 of the Entry Year Assistance Program. During the first half of the workshop, Kate presented information on managing stress and teacher resilience. She also provided an opportunity for teachers to reflect on the successes and challenges of their first quarter of teaching. Entry-level teachers and mentors also held lengthy small group discussions regarding parent/teacher conferences and classroom management.
During the second half of the day, Technology Curriculum Consultant, Jody Bauer, and Media and Technology Coordinator, Wade Gibson, demonstrated various technology tools that can be used to promote student engagement such as mini drones, HoloLens, Google Expeditions, Plickers, and Quiver. The mini drones and HoloLenses are available for checkout from the ESU 11 Media Department.
On September 27, 2018, Becky Hamik and Nick Dinan from Hastings College conducted a workshop for Physical Education teachers. During the course of the day, teachers learned a variety of strategies and activities that align with the state standards and teach about diversity. They also acquired the latest information regarding nutritional strategies for the high school athlete. Teachers were also able to collaborate and share activities that they use successfully in their classrooms.
On September 5, 2018, ESU #11 hosted a photography workshop. This workshop was facilitated by Alan Mais, “The Camera Doctor”. This training was specifically designed for students and teachers who have digital application and yearbook responsibilities. During the course of this half-day, participants learned about the basics of taking pictures, how to operate their specific camera, the variety of accessories that are available for their camera, how to troubleshoot a variety of problems, and the proper care of cameras and prints.
