Oct. 22, 2015 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
10/22/15 1:45 PM
Oct. 22, 2015 Teachers' Biweekly Message
North Carolina Public Schools <NCPublicSchools@public.govdelivery.com>
Thu 10/22/2015 11:04 AM
Inbox
To: Lynda
Fuller <Lynda.Fuller@dpi.nc.gov>;
Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.
Oct. 22, 2015
At their October meeting, State Board of Education members
amended the Global Educator Badge Policy as it relates to the
criteria and process for educators to earn the Global Educator
Digital Badge.
The amendment builds upon the previous policy criteria for
teachers and expands the opportunity for other educators in
alignment with their annual evaluation process. Educators may
complete the criteria for the Global Educator Digital Badge as part
of their personal growth goals or as a part of a school or district
initiative.
Educator categories included in this policy amendment are:
Teacher, Teacher Leadership Specialist, Library Media Coordinator,
Instructional Technology Facilitator, School Counselor, Career
Development Coordinator, School Social Worker, School
Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist, Instructional Central Office Staff, Principal/Assistant
Principal and Superintendent. The Memorandum of Agreement Form to notify NCDPI staff of an
educator’s intent to complete this process also is available on this page.
For more information, please visit the NC Global Education website or contact Special Assistant for
Global Education Helga Fasciano.
https://outlook.office.com/owa/#viewmodel=ReadMessageItem&ItemI…wLATFQbVDaoQShvuEAAHyg5xxAAA%3D&IsPrintView=1&wid=48&ispopout=1
Page 1 of 7
Oct. 22, 2015 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
10/22/15 1:45 PM
2015-16 Reward Schools’ Recognition
The United States Department of Education continues to sponsor a differentiated system of recognition,
accountability and support for schools. As a result, NCDPI staff have identified the state’s topperforming Title I Schools, also known as Reward Schools, for the 2015-16 school year.
The top ten percent of all Reward Schools are North Carolina’s 2015 nominees for the National Title I
Distinguished Schools Recognition Program. North Carolina will be permitted to select a Title I school to
proudly represent the state at the national level in one of two categories. Over the next few weeks, one
school will be selected for high performance and one school will be selected for high progress.
Congratulations to the directors, principals, staff and students on this great accomplishment. Questions
about Reward Schools may be directed to Freda Lee.
Chatham Teacher Receives Milken Award
Congratulations to Chatham Central High (Chatham County
Schools) science teacher Eric Patin who recently was named North
Carolina’s 2015 Milken Educator Award recipient. Patin received an
unrestricted check in the amount of $25,000.
In presenting the award, State Superintendent June Atkinson said,
"One of the highest compliments any teacher could receive is knowing that students request you for
their teacher and this is true for Eric. He is well respected by students and fellow teachers. Chatham
Central High is fortunate to have him on staff; and North Carolina is fortunate to have him in its teaching
ranks."
It’s Time to Speak Up North Carolina
More than 500,000 students, parents and teachers will share their views on technology and learning to
inform policy at the local, state and national levels as part of the 13th annual Speak Up National
Research Project.
Between now and Dec. 18, all K-12 students, parents, teachers, administrators and community
members in North Carolina have the opportunity to participate in the online surveys. Ensure school
leaders hear your voice so that your school can make more informed decisions about Digital Teaching &
Learning. Check out the Speak Up Promotional Materials for general information and flyers for students
and parents.
https://outlook.office.com/owa/#viewmodel=ReadMessageItem&ItemI…wLATFQbVDaoQShvuEAAHyg5xxAAA%3D&IsPrintView=1&wid=48&ispopout=1
Page 2 of 7
Oct. 22, 2015 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
10/22/15 1:45 PM
North Carolina had two districts (Onslow, Wake) listed in the Top 5 Districts nationwide for total
participation last year! Our challenge is to have more North Carolina districts recognized as Leading
School Districts for 2015! Follow Speak Up on Twitter @SpeakUpEd.
Help Rebrand Teacher Working
Conditions Survey
For the past 12 years, the North Carolina Teacher Working
Conditions Survey has been the microphone used to amplify
teachers’ voices concerning their schools and districts.
NCDPI staff invite teachers to participate in a contest to create a fresh, new brand that represents how
important the teacher’s voice is in shaping educational policies and improving working conditions
across the state.
If you are interested in submitting an idea, please visit the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions
website on Friday afternoon for detailed instructions. The winner becomes a featured part of the
marketing campaign promoting the survey. The deadline to submit an entry is Monday, Nov. 2.
Literacy Credit Now Available in Home
Base PD System
Preparation for Foundation of Reading Licensure Exam provides an
excellent resource for teachers wanting to refresh their knowledge on the foundations of reading
development and comprehension.
For a full description of the course, please visit www.rt3nc.org. This self-paced module is worth 1.0
Literacy Credit.
State Advisory Council on Indian
Education Offers Culturally Responsive
Resources
The State Advisory Council on Indian Education encourages
educators to teach about American Indians to all populations of
students, including American Indian students.
To help students feel comfortable and to give accurate, respectful
information to all students, the Council offers a number of culturally
responsive resources. Culturally responsive instruction is a philosophy and accompanying
implementation of instruction that purposefully acknowledges, embraces and uses what each student
brings culturally to the classroom is important for all students to have equitable access to the learning
https://outlook.office.com/owa/#viewmodel=ReadMessageItem&ItemI…wLATFQbVDaoQShvuEAAHyg5xxAAA%3D&IsPrintView=1&wid=48&ispopout=1
Page 3 of 7
Oct. 22, 2015 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
10/22/15 1:45 PM
content. It is built on a foundation of relationships and respect.
On this website, educators will find a wealth of information both to teach accurately about Indian tribes
in a historical context and also to bring the thriving contemporary Indian world to students, enabling
educators to present a balanced view - both historical and contemporary. It is crucial for students’ wellbeing and future education that teachers educate themselves about contemporary American Indians in
order to teach about American Indians accurately.
Council members hope educators will take advantage of these helpful resources to expand your
knowledge base, plan your instruction, and pass along to colleagues. Throughout these resources,
these collective terms may be used interchangeably to refer to the indigenous populations of the United
States: American Indian, Indian, Native American, First Nations, First People and indigenous.
NC Virtual Public School Offers
LEAD Ed Program
How do you step away from the busy halls and classrooms that dominate your time each day and
refresh or relearn? How do you keep sharp in the face of an ever-changing landscape of online and
blended learning? Let the professional learning opportunities with the North Carolina Virtual Public
School's LEAD Ed program help!
LEAD Ed is an online professional learning program that focuses on both teaching and learning in a new
and cutting edge environment. It is a great way to keep the tools sharp and add new blades to the
toolkit.
The LEAD Ed pathway of learning and leadership offers educators the following professional learning
courses that will help them lead in the future:
• Shattering Myths of Online and Blended Learning
• Individualized Learning
• Building a Learning Map: Assessment and Feedback
• Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Fair Use (January 2016)
And coming soon:
• Foundations of Online and Blended Learning and Teaching
• How to Support Blended Learning: An Administrator’s Field Guide
Click any of the course titles above for course information and enrollment. Click here for general LEAD
Ed and professional learning Information.
Be a Connected Educator
Year-Round
As you engage in professional learning activities during Connected Educator Month it is important to
remember that this is a year-round, lifelong process.
https://outlook.office.com/owa/#viewmodel=ReadMessageItem&ItemI…wLATFQbVDaoQShvuEAAHyg5xxAAA%3D&IsPrintView=1&wid=48&ispopout=1
Page 4 of 7
Oct. 22, 2015 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
10/22/15 1:45 PM
Reflect on how you can do this as you review the following resources during the week of Oct. 19 and
beyond:
- Visit Edutopia to examine ways to “stay connected.” Topics include Five Ways to Connect and Do-ItYourself Professional Development.
- Have you reviewed this year’s Connected Educator’s themes? Tweet about your activities during this
week by using the hashtags #CE15 and #nctechat. While you are at it, be sure to follow the Digital
Teaching and Learning team @ncdpiDTL.
- Visit the “Connected Educator’s” week ahead page on Monday to find out other exciting things are
taking place during the week of Oct. 19.
- Follow along with the suggested activities in the Connected Educator Starter Kit.
Enhance your High School STEM Content
and Delivery
Are your schools and programs into robotics, web-based
applications, and looking for new innovative ways to invent? Then
check out The Construct. The Construct is the place in the cloud for
the creation of robotics simulations using the most popular
simulators in the market. Just log into their system, select a
simulator and start simulating.
Or, are your schools and programs involved in agriscience, aviation and robotics? If so, visit the Real
World Design Challenge (RWDC) for an overview and full proposal on the Getting Started page. This
challenge focuses on unmanned systems and precision agriculture through the design and
implementation of a UAS and other robotic systems to support precision agriculture, specifically the
detection of moisture around a local food production crop (regional to your area).
Take the challenge and implement concepts from Engineering Technology; but you must register by
Nov. 20. Contact Tina Marcus for more information.
Nov 20 is Deadline to Register for NCDOT Bridge Building
Competition
As a reminder, Nov. 20 is the deadline to complete and submit a registration form online to participate in
the 17th Annual North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Bridge Building Competition.
The NCDOT invites all middle and high school teachers and students to participate in this competition
that is designed to create a greater awareness of transportation careers and the services provided by
NCDOT.
Regional competitions will be held Friday, March 11, in Kinston, Raleigh and Morganton. Middle and
high school students will compete separately. One middle and one high school team from each region
will advance to the State Final Competition, which will be held Friday, April 15, in Raleigh.
Questions regarding the competition may be sent to NCDOT Program Coordinator Gail Herring.
https://outlook.office.com/owa/#viewmodel=ReadMessageItem&ItemI…wLATFQbVDaoQShvuEAAHyg5xxAAA%3D&IsPrintView=1&wid=48&ispopout=1
Page 5 of 7
Oct. 22, 2015 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
10/22/15 1:45 PM
BWF Offers PRISM Grant
K-12 public school teachers may want to consider submitting a Request for Proposal for the Burroughs
Wellcome Fund (BWF) Promoting Innovation in Science and Mathematics (PRISM) Grant Award.
This award supports teaching professionals in their efforts to provide quality hands-on, inquiry-based
activities for their students by providing up to $3,000 for one year to cover the cost of equipment,
materials and supplies. An additional $1,500 may be requested for professional development related to
the implementation of new equipment or use of materials in the classroom.
The Request for Proposal and additional grant details are available on the BWF website. The application
deadline is 4 p.m., Dec. 7.
Nov. 18 is Deadline to Enroll in State Health Plan/NCFlex
Teachers are reminded that open enrollment for the State Health Plan and NCFlex ends Nov. 18.
To get answers to your enrollment questions, you may want to spend time with Alex, your personal
online benefits counselor. Alex will explain all options in plain language and help guide you through the
benefits selection process.
Contact your district’s Human Resources department if you have any questions regarding enrollment
and/or your benefits. Employees having trouble logging in or enrolling may contact the Eligibility and
Enrollment Support Center at 1.855.859.0966.
Stay Connected with North Carolina Public Schools:
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Manage Subscriptions | Help
https://outlook.office.com/owa/#viewmodel=ReadMessageItem&ItemI…wLATFQbVDaoQShvuEAAHyg5xxAAA%3D&IsPrintView=1&wid=48&ispopout=1
Page 6 of 7
Oct. 22, 2015 Teachers' Biweekly Message - Lynda Fuller
10/22/15 1:45 PM
This email was sent to lynda.fuller@dpi.nc.gov using GovDelivery, on behalf of: North Carolina Public Schools · 301 N. Wilmington
St. · Raleigh, NC 27601
https://outlook.office.com/owa/#viewmodel=ReadMessageItem&ItemI…wLATFQbVDaoQShvuEAAHyg5xxAAA%3D&IsPrintView=1&wid=48&ispopout=1
Page 7 of 7