MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL

ESU 10 REGIONAL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 17, 2009!

 
What is the Science Olympiad? 

The Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers.   

---

 

 

 

Each year ESU 10 staff plan a variety of activities which directly involve more than 1,400 students.  Science Olympiad is only one of these activities where students are provided opportunities to compete in the areas of physical, life, and earth sciences. This event allows students to accomplish goals in demonstrating understanding and mastery of science, mathematics, and technology concepts that require not only knowledge and problem-solving skills but also the ability to work together as a group.

Competition is provided on national, state, and regional levels. ESU 10 is providing the opportunity for area schools to compete by hosting the 20^th Annual Regional Science Olympiad on March 17, 2009. A Science Olympiad team is composed of up to fifteen students for Division B (grades 6-9) and up to fifteen students for Division C (grades 9-12).

 

Science Olympiad events are designed to use a variety of intellectual and practical skills.  Some events require a quick recall of specific facts while others require concept development, a process skill, or an application of a specific concept. Some events require general knowledge while others require a specific skill. Others may require a student to build an apparatus.

 

Athletic-style medals will be given for each event. In addition, championship trophies will be awarded to the Division B and C school teams compiling the most total points during the Science Olympiad tournament.

To receive more detailed information regarding this upcoming event, please contact Bob Lungrin or Gaylene Mays at ESU 10 by email at blungrin@esu10.org or gmays@esu10.org or phone 308-237-5927.                                                  

 

Nearly 100 educators from over 25 districts attended the 4-day workshop on Classroom Instruction That Works workshop this summer which focused on Marzano’s nine instructional strategies as well as the technology that supports those strategies.  Teachers realized they are already practicing many of these techniques, but now understand how effective each strategy is for student learning and why they need to incorporate others into their instruction.

Using laptops, teachers learned of many tools that are available, most at no cost. For some participants, much was new, while others added to their repertoire of technology tools. Teachers learned new ideas for setting objectives, summarizing and note taking, cues questions and advance organizers, non-linguistic representation, cooperative learning, homework and practice, similarities and differences, as well as generating and testing hypotheses.

One teacher commented, “I am reminded of how important technology is for the 21st Century learner.” Another said, “This was a GREAT workshop. I have learned a wealth of information! As well, it has generated the rethinking of several of my practices.”

While all agreed more time was needed to absorb everything that was presented during the four days, there was also a general consensus that each educator must take a little extra time to add new strategies and tools to their instruction…for the kids’ sake.

Several schools in attendance have requested a series of Instructional Strategies in-services for their entire staff. If interested for your district, contact Bob Lungrin at308-237-5927 or blungrin@esu10.org.

To learn more about 21st Century Skills and helpful hints on how to get started implementing them in your classroom visit my blog for part one at http://tinyurl.com/deannapart1 and part two at http://tinyurl.com/deannapart2

Submitted by Dawna Sigurdson, Central Region ASD Coordinator, ESU 10

Regardless of age, good bedtime routines are important. They help students fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up in the morning rested and ready for a successful day at school.

One of the most difficult challenges teachers can have at school is trying to teach children who have not gotten enough sleep last night.

Unfortunately, a number of our students on the autism spectrum (and many other students, too) have difficulty establishing a good sleep habit. There will be lots of individual differences in sleep patterns, but working toward following a consistent evening routine can help achieve success. Here's how.

Make it a priority
People more commonly create a morning routine. In contrast, getting ready for bed at night can easilybecome a much less structured, much more hurried part of the day. It is important to dedicate the time necessary to follow a successful routine.

How much sleep?
First determine how much sleep a child needs. A good test is to observe what happens during the summer or on a weekend when there is no specific time to get up. Some simple math will tell you what time he or she needs to go to bed.

Keep in mind that when there are multiple children in the family, their sleep needs may be very different.

Make a list
Create a list of everything that needs to be done as a part of getting ready for bed. Be sure to include all the things that are a necessary part of the evening. Here are some possibilities.

Traditional go-to-bed activities
      Have a snack
      Take off clothes
      Put dirty clothes in the hamper
      Take a bath
      Wash hair
      Brush teeth
      Put PJs on
      Go to the bathroom
      Find favorite sleep blanket or animal

And a few more things to consider
      Set the alarm
      Say prayers
      Read a book
      Sing a song
      Turn on music
      Go to sleep

Here are more options that become a part of ending the day
      Check the calendar
      Get clothes ready for tomorrow
      Find things you need to take to school
      Get backpack ready for the morning
      Check lunch menu
      Pack lunch

Now an important question
How much time will it take? What you begin to discover is that It may not be just about going to bed. You really have an "ending the day" routine. So the critical question . . . how much time
will it take? Realistically.

And here's the problem
It probably takes more time than you think. One important factor is the age and capability of the student. How much is he able to do independently? Or how much "teaching time" do you need so that she can learnto become independent with the tasks involved.

Now you can develop a routine
Kids LOVE routines. They thrive on routines. A regular nightly routine helps them learn to be sleepy. A good evening routine also helps students have good feelings. It creates a sense of security and control.

Winding down
Try to sequence the evening activities so they will gradually wind down and create a sense of calm. That is why bathing near the end can be a good idea. Soft music, lights down, massage
or other calming activities help.

Let your child know the routine
A visual schedule of end of day activities is a perfect tool to guide children through the necessary steps. Sometimes people put "go to bed" on a daily schedule. That is OK, but creating a "mini-schedule" of all those end of day activities will help establish a consistent routine.

Be a time keeper
Try using a visual timer to let kids know how much time each activity can take. That will prevent the procrastinators from succeeding. Sticking to a time limit is important in the evening, so that your timing goals can be reached.

Simple steps with great results
How children handle the school day can be directly related to what kind of a night they had last night. Spend some time in the evening getting ready for the morning. Then take steps to help
get a good night's sleep. These are two important steps toward having a good tomorrow.

Copyright © 2008 Linda Hodgdon

by John Stritt, Distance Learning Coordinator

TECHS, Technology Education Challenges in High Schools, has begun its fifth year of instruction to 9th-12th grade students across Nebraska.  The intent of the course is to provide technical and career opportunity awareness for students with skills in information technology.

TECHS is a ten-unit course created by the ESU 10 Network & Information Systems team and covers such topics as technology troubleshooting, computer platforms, web authoring, video conferencing, networking, and programming.  TECHS is delivered in an asynchronous or on a delayed fashion which allows schools to share the class based around their individual school schedule.

TECHS 2008-2009 includes 26 school teams and 130 students from seven different educational service unit areas.  Over 400 students from some 40 schools across Nebraska have participated in the course during the past four years.

To learn more about TECHS, go to http://www.studenttechs.org