Tuesday, January 25, 2011
I have to get used to 'blogging'
I am going to attempt to check this often! Maybe Fridays of each week.
Back to Blogging...
Hello!
As you can see, I have been a little negligent in posting on the blog..and was really wishing someone would ask me what happened to the BLOG??? I do realize we all get pulled in so many directions, the thought of checking one more form of communication isn't what we may feel like doing! However, I also know if you are like me, communication tends to be my most frustrating aspect of my work and knowing there is this wonderful technology tool out there to help with communication is a gift....so I vow to try to communicate more via the blog and I hope you could join me in checking in once and awhile as well.
Three important items to share today:
1.) Our Parent Advisory group is working on ways to improve some of our communication with parents and other teachers. We would like some samples of what our teachers are using to communicate daily or weekly information about our students with parents and teachers. They would like you to send any samples of communication you have found helpful to Ann Loftus at Linn Grove. Please feel free to send electronically to Ann as well...Ann, Kristin Hatfield from Bowman Woods, and Kelly Von Lehmden (parent from Westfield) are co-chairing this wonderful advisory group. We have had exciting meetings this Fall which have been noted in previous blogs. THANKS FOR HELPING US OUT ON MAKING COMMUNICATION BETTER FOR ALL!
2.)Although it may feel rather cool outside Carol O'Donnell is right in the middle of the beginning stages of summer school planning. As you know, for Carol to have a good handle on the numbers of staff needed for the summer programming she needs to have a handle on the students attending. Please note Carol's email message on the time lines for extended year services and meetings that need to be held.
3.) February 21st will be here before we know it....that is our next scheduled Professional Development Day. It will be a great day here in the district with a Wellness Fair planned for all staff along with other 'healthy meetings'. For the purposes of Student Services teachers, there will be no formal meetings scheduled that day. I would ask that the current teachers that serve 5th grade students and the teachers that will serve 6th grade students please meet together to facilitate any transition questions of services and/or programming for the upcoming 6th graders. The AEA staff can help support your meetings as well. It seems the most challenging transitions occur from the elementary to the middle schools. My guess is that is because of the 7 buildings transitioning to 2 buildings. Thank you for your ongoing work together to help with those transition times!
Finally....thank you for all your continued support and guidance to our students, staffs, and families. I am truly proud of the work that happens within the Linn Mar Community and am always excited to share that with others in the 'outside' world!
Take Care,
Julie
As you can see, I have been a little negligent in posting on the blog..and was really wishing someone would ask me what happened to the BLOG??? I do realize we all get pulled in so many directions, the thought of checking one more form of communication isn't what we may feel like doing! However, I also know if you are like me, communication tends to be my most frustrating aspect of my work and knowing there is this wonderful technology tool out there to help with communication is a gift....so I vow to try to communicate more via the blog and I hope you could join me in checking in once and awhile as well.
Three important items to share today:
1.) Our Parent Advisory group is working on ways to improve some of our communication with parents and other teachers. We would like some samples of what our teachers are using to communicate daily or weekly information about our students with parents and teachers. They would like you to send any samples of communication you have found helpful to Ann Loftus at Linn Grove. Please feel free to send electronically to Ann as well...Ann, Kristin Hatfield from Bowman Woods, and Kelly Von Lehmden (parent from Westfield) are co-chairing this wonderful advisory group. We have had exciting meetings this Fall which have been noted in previous blogs. THANKS FOR HELPING US OUT ON MAKING COMMUNICATION BETTER FOR ALL!
2.)Although it may feel rather cool outside Carol O'Donnell is right in the middle of the beginning stages of summer school planning. As you know, for Carol to have a good handle on the numbers of staff needed for the summer programming she needs to have a handle on the students attending. Please note Carol's email message on the time lines for extended year services and meetings that need to be held.
3.) February 21st will be here before we know it....that is our next scheduled Professional Development Day. It will be a great day here in the district with a Wellness Fair planned for all staff along with other 'healthy meetings'. For the purposes of Student Services teachers, there will be no formal meetings scheduled that day. I would ask that the current teachers that serve 5th grade students and the teachers that will serve 6th grade students please meet together to facilitate any transition questions of services and/or programming for the upcoming 6th graders. The AEA staff can help support your meetings as well. It seems the most challenging transitions occur from the elementary to the middle schools. My guess is that is because of the 7 buildings transitioning to 2 buildings. Thank you for your ongoing work together to help with those transition times!
Finally....thank you for all your continued support and guidance to our students, staffs, and families. I am truly proud of the work that happens within the Linn Mar Community and am always excited to share that with others in the 'outside' world!
Take Care,
Julie
Monday, December 13, 2010
Video Self Modeling for Instructional Purposes
Hello!
There are so many new and exciting ways to integrate technology into the instructional school day. I know several of the Linn Mar staff have asked about using flip videos for recording appropriate student behavior. The key work here is appropriate! Hot off the press coming your way via an AEA staff person is a parent permission form to be used when doing any video self monitoring of a student for instructional purposes. This form will be shared with building principals during a Leadership meeting this week. Please note that there are several important facts to remember when using video modeling:
There are so many new and exciting ways to integrate technology into the instructional school day. I know several of the Linn Mar staff have asked about using flip videos for recording appropriate student behavior. The key work here is appropriate! Hot off the press coming your way via an AEA staff person is a parent permission form to be used when doing any video self monitoring of a student for instructional purposes. This form will be shared with building principals during a Leadership meeting this week. Please note that there are several important facts to remember when using video modeling:
- Parent permission is a must! Parents must sign the form and understand the purpose for the use of the videotaping.
- Only positive appropriate social skill instruction is to be videotaped.
- Videos should never be used to show a negative behavior or to show others a negative behavior.
There are some more facts and information that is available through the AEA staff. Please contact your building consultant, psychologist, or social worker for more information. This staff will have the form available to you as well. Middle school and high school staff will have this information shared via their monthly social skill meeting with Kelly Trier. Please feel free to contact your AEA staff or myself if any questions arise.
Stay warm out there!
Julie
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Thankfulness
Hello,
It has been a week or two since I have been able to write a new post. I could certainly give a lot of reasons or 'excuses' to the delay, but I would rather give a list of items that I am thankful for in celebration of our upcoming Thanksgiving Break:
I am thankful for:
-a successful move to Student Services new office area. Please feel free to stop by and see Karen and myself in Room 210 at the LRC!
-AEA staff that support our students, teachers, and building administrators. Did you know the AEA staff are working on a group project with elementary buildings to support students on the autism spectrum in all of our buildings?
-all of the student support teachers that keep our students focused on learning and designing unique ways to deliver instruction!
-guidance from our Department of Education and Ron Peeler, our district attorney to help with supporting families and students by making sure we follow procedures and legal "stuff" in our programming.
-for a Thanksgiving break! May you all enjoy some well deserved time and rest during this Thanksgiving break....(we will get back to more 'technical' messages next week!)
Take Care,
Julie
It has been a week or two since I have been able to write a new post. I could certainly give a lot of reasons or 'excuses' to the delay, but I would rather give a list of items that I am thankful for in celebration of our upcoming Thanksgiving Break:
I am thankful for:
-a successful move to Student Services new office area. Please feel free to stop by and see Karen and myself in Room 210 at the LRC!
-AEA staff that support our students, teachers, and building administrators. Did you know the AEA staff are working on a group project with elementary buildings to support students on the autism spectrum in all of our buildings?
-all of the student support teachers that keep our students focused on learning and designing unique ways to deliver instruction!
-guidance from our Department of Education and Ron Peeler, our district attorney to help with supporting families and students by making sure we follow procedures and legal "stuff" in our programming.
-for a Thanksgiving break! May you all enjoy some well deserved time and rest during this Thanksgiving break....(we will get back to more 'technical' messages next week!)
Take Care,
Julie
Friday, November 5, 2010
Testing Accommodations and more....
Hello!
Ok....this is the second post of the day...the first one was not meant to go out....did you know if you hit the tab button too many times...your blog post will be sent out?! :-)
It is a Friday afternoon in November and I am still able to get by with a light coat....Iowa weather is amazing! Last year at this time I believe there was snow on the ground and the mittens were already on the hands!
One thing that does stay steady is ITBS/ITED testing! Whew! The week is over and unless I hear something in the next half hour, everyone made it through without too many accommodation challenges! Please do note that when an IEP meeting is held, it is always good to review the testing accommodations that are defined for district wide testing. A few areas to clarify include:
Extended time....please define what extended time means...the best guideline is to use 1 1/2 times the set time for a test. (This gets extremely important in middle school and high school programming!)
Scribe vs. writing in the test booklet.....the rule of thumb is to offer a scribe rather than writing in the testbook. We can't copy the test booklet pages (illegal!) and writing in the booklet means the booklet can not be returned!
Small group setting.....hard to define what is a small group...by definition a small group can be two people or up to...a smaller number than the class size....pretty grey area.
Testing accommodations are always a challenge for us, especially this time of year. But as many of you hear me say almost daily...."The beauty of special education is that it is individualized.....the challenge of special education is that it is individualized!!"
From the myths of special education by Thomas Mayes:
Myth: "All this compliance [garbage] is getting in the way of improving student performance." Thomas' reply: Compliance is the road to improved performance. Each compliance 'issue' has a demonstrable link to achievement.
May you enjoy this compliance free weekend with any accommodations that you find helpful!
Have a good one!
Julie
Ok....this is the second post of the day...the first one was not meant to go out....did you know if you hit the tab button too many times...your blog post will be sent out?! :-)
It is a Friday afternoon in November and I am still able to get by with a light coat....Iowa weather is amazing! Last year at this time I believe there was snow on the ground and the mittens were already on the hands!
One thing that does stay steady is ITBS/ITED testing! Whew! The week is over and unless I hear something in the next half hour, everyone made it through without too many accommodation challenges! Please do note that when an IEP meeting is held, it is always good to review the testing accommodations that are defined for district wide testing. A few areas to clarify include:
Extended time....please define what extended time means...the best guideline is to use 1 1/2 times the set time for a test. (This gets extremely important in middle school and high school programming!)
Scribe vs. writing in the test booklet.....the rule of thumb is to offer a scribe rather than writing in the testbook. We can't copy the test booklet pages (illegal!) and writing in the booklet means the booklet can not be returned!
Small group setting.....hard to define what is a small group...by definition a small group can be two people or up to...a smaller number than the class size....pretty grey area.
Testing accommodations are always a challenge for us, especially this time of year. But as many of you hear me say almost daily...."The beauty of special education is that it is individualized.....the challenge of special education is that it is individualized!!"
From the myths of special education by Thomas Mayes:
Myth: "All this compliance [garbage] is getting in the way of improving student performance." Thomas' reply: Compliance is the road to improved performance. Each compliance 'issue' has a demonstrable link to achievement.
May you enjoy this compliance free weekend with any accommodations that you find helpful!
Have a good one!
Julie
Friday, October 29, 2010
Congratulations on Count Day!
Hello!
Wow! What a great student support services staff at Linn Mar!! Thank you all for your professionalism and timeliness in completing all district IEPs in a timely fashion! By 1:00 this afternoon, Karen Wilson assured me everything was turned in and complete. Congratulations! As I have shared with AEA staff and other special education administrators across the state, I believe our system of keeping IEPs current month by month helps us to not feel like the end of the world when October comes around....kudos to all of you, building administrators, and to Karen Wilson for sending out those friendly monthly reminders!
Here are two more Myths in Special Education as presented by Thomas Mayes:
"Little Johnnie has Level 3 weighting. Therefore, Little Johnnie goes to the Level 3classroom, where he takes 'Level 3 Math,'....Thomas's response: "Levels" 1,2, and 3 are finance mechanisms, based on a child's need. They do not determine a child's programming or placement. Basing a child's programming or placement based on a child's "level" or "weightedness" is illegal!
"Vaccines cause autism." Thomas's response: There is no scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism. The "study" has been withdrawn by its publisher. The author lost his medical license. The court cases have also concluded this is a myth.
Happy Halloween to All! May you and your families stay safe out there!!
Have a great weekend,
Julie
Wow! What a great student support services staff at Linn Mar!! Thank you all for your professionalism and timeliness in completing all district IEPs in a timely fashion! By 1:00 this afternoon, Karen Wilson assured me everything was turned in and complete. Congratulations! As I have shared with AEA staff and other special education administrators across the state, I believe our system of keeping IEPs current month by month helps us to not feel like the end of the world when October comes around....kudos to all of you, building administrators, and to Karen Wilson for sending out those friendly monthly reminders!
Here are two more Myths in Special Education as presented by Thomas Mayes:
"Little Johnnie has Level 3 weighting. Therefore, Little Johnnie goes to the Level 3classroom, where he takes 'Level 3 Math,'....Thomas's response: "Levels" 1,2, and 3 are finance mechanisms, based on a child's need. They do not determine a child's programming or placement. Basing a child's programming or placement based on a child's "level" or "weightedness" is illegal!
"Vaccines cause autism." Thomas's response: There is no scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism. The "study" has been withdrawn by its publisher. The author lost his medical license. The court cases have also concluded this is a myth.
Happy Halloween to All! May you and your families stay safe out there!!
Have a great weekend,
Julie
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Exciting Teacher/Parent Advisory Group and....
Hello!
What a wonderful parent/teacher advisory meeting we had this past Wednesday. It was a great group of parents, teachers (special education and general education), associate representative and AEA staff! Thank you for those who attended and for those of you invited and want to make sure and come next time! The group completed a survey helping to set goals for the group and agendas for next meetings. The group also set group norms for the meetings. I believe the first step for this group is to learn about the "Best Buddies" program for helping students with IEPs and general education students to connect and support each other. This social program has been started in several middle school and high schools across Iowa including some in our local area. We will be having another meeting the beginning of December...so stay tuned!
As promised...I want to share some of the myths that Thomas Mayes (Department of Ed attorney)shared at the I-CASE conference this Fall. Here is number 1: "The goal of the IEP team is to reach consensus" Thomas's reply: The goal of the IEP team is to write an IEP. Number 2: "My doctor suggested a service in a report. The school has to provide it." Thomas's answer: Decision are made by teams, not individuals. The report is important, but not binding.
Finally......yes it is October and yes....this is the absolutely last week to make sure all IEPs in the district are current! Look out.....if we don't have good information on the status of any noncurrent IEPs we will be calling!!
Have a great week!
Julie
What a wonderful parent/teacher advisory meeting we had this past Wednesday. It was a great group of parents, teachers (special education and general education), associate representative and AEA staff! Thank you for those who attended and for those of you invited and want to make sure and come next time! The group completed a survey helping to set goals for the group and agendas for next meetings. The group also set group norms for the meetings. I believe the first step for this group is to learn about the "Best Buddies" program for helping students with IEPs and general education students to connect and support each other. This social program has been started in several middle school and high schools across Iowa including some in our local area. We will be having another meeting the beginning of December...so stay tuned!
As promised...I want to share some of the myths that Thomas Mayes (Department of Ed attorney)shared at the I-CASE conference this Fall. Here is number 1: "The goal of the IEP team is to reach consensus" Thomas's reply: The goal of the IEP team is to write an IEP. Number 2: "My doctor suggested a service in a report. The school has to provide it." Thomas's answer: Decision are made by teams, not individuals. The report is important, but not binding.
Finally......yes it is October and yes....this is the absolutely last week to make sure all IEPs in the district are current! Look out.....if we don't have good information on the status of any noncurrent IEPs we will be calling!!
Have a great week!
Julie
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