First Things First
Educational Service Unit #1
Ser ving Cedar, Dakota, Dixon, Knox, Thurston, and Wayne Counties
Vol. 15, No. 1 Wakefield, NE
November 2005
From The Top
Evidence Based Practice
What’s Inside
Staff Development.........pages 2-6
Technology.............................page 7
By Dr. Bob Uhing, Administrator
Media News..........................page 8
Being a professional educator
involves recognizing the social
and legal obligation of oneʼs job
which includes making decisions
in the best interests of students,
through the use of researched
based instructional strategies
and standards of practice. This
commitment to practice, is a
concept called “evidence based
practice”, which requires that as
educators we are aware of the
current knowledge base in our
field. A true story explains this
obligation well:
ESU #1 Happenings...............page 9
A fascinating court case from the
1930ʼs involved the T.J. Hooper,
a tugboat. The T.J. Hooper and
the ship it was guiding got into
trouble in the Atlantic Ocean
when a sudden storm blew up.
The storm damaged the ship and
caused injury and property loss
to its clients, who promptly sued.
At that time common practice
among tugs was to get weather
information via hand signals from
shore. Although radio had been
introduced it was not in common
use. The T.J. Hooper did not use
radio, but if it had, the tug master
would have known of the danger
and been able to take its client
ship to shelter, thus avoiding
damage to life, limb, and property.
The case turned on the question of
T.J. Hooperʼs responsibility: was
adherence to common practice
(e.g. hand signals) enough or did
the situation demand “state of the
art” (radio)? The courts ruled
that, when important matters are
at stake, the legal obligation is to
use the state of the art. (Reynolds,
1989, p.ix, citing Gilhool, 1982)
State-of-the-art practice is
usually determined in educational
standards by the data we use
to guide our decisions, and
the kinds of strategies we then
employ. These are not expected
Contact Information.........page 10
to be uniform across cases, but
to be responsive to the specific
needs of students who differ in
their needs and situations. Five of
the ESUs in Northeast Nebraska
(ESU 1, 2, 7, 8, & 17) and the
Nebraska Department of Education
coordinated a collaborative effort
involving approximately one-third
of Nebraskaʼs school districts,
representing over 4,000 teachers
and 50,000 students. This initiative
was designed to engage educators
in a process to rethink the high
school experience. Participants
during the two-day conference
identified key concepts in the
process of creating a state-of-theart high school experience of the
future.
Currently Nebraska has the
highest average ACT score of
Continued on page 2
Staff Development
Evidence Based
Practice, cont.
the 13 states where at least 70
percent of graduating seniors
took the test. However, higher
education and business leaders
are concerned about skill levels
of high school graduates and their
ability to succeed in college or
work. Based on my experience at
this conference and working with
schools in our area, being on the
“cutting edge” of the High School
reform movement is important.
Hand signals are not an option.
A great deal of work is going on
addressing student achievement
K-12. School staff should be very
proud of your accomplishments.
Schools in Nebraska, especially
in ESU #1, make great efforts to
ensure a quality education for all
students. The ultimate goal is
to have all students prepared for
college and the workplace when
they graduate. We need to continue
to strive towards the “evidence
based practice” that will help us
reach our goal .
Learning Communities Embrace
Career Clusters/Fields
By Rhonda Jindra, ESU #1 Staff
Development
Educational Service Units #1,
10 & 17 received a Carl Perkins
Innovation grant for the 2005-06
school year. The purpose of the
grant is to create district learning
communities which explore
professional literature, making
connections between what they are
reading and the implementation of
Career Fields/Clusters throughout
the district.
Two ESU #1 learning communities
have been created: Laurel-Concord
and Wausa. Participating for
Laurel-Concord are Les Owen,
Stephanie Peterson, Shelley
Groene, Marta Victor, Pam Thies,
and Sue Brandow. Joining Wausaʼs
team are Dawn Friedrich, Greg
Conn, Ann Pfeil, Marge Nelson
If you would like to view the web
site the conference participants
created, it can be found at:
http://www.innovationlabs.com/
newhighschool/blog.html
Checking out the details
Greg mentioned is Ann Pfeil,
Wausa English educator.
November 2005
Greg Conn, Wausa Guidance
Counselor, offers the first
report.
and Connie Vanness. In addition,
Wausa has included Mary
Snowdon, Niobrara Guidance
Counselor, on their team.
All learning communities from
ESU #1, 10 & 17 attended a twoday session in early August to
learn about the process and begin
their responsibilities. During this
time, each learning community set
a preliminary schedule for their
fall meetings. Each meeting is
conducted during non-contract
time and members discuss the
specific book they have read for
that particular session. Books
include Educators as Learners,
Qualities of Effective Teachers,
Building Shared Responsibility
for Student Learning, A Mind at a
Time, and Transforming Schools:
Continued on page 3
Page 2
Staff Development
Learning Communities, cont.
Creating a Culture of Continuous
Learning.
Each book was carefully chosen
to inspire high quality instruction
for student achievement. In
addition, professional reading
will spark connectedness among
the members, assisting them as
they seek to implement the Career
Fields/Clusters K-12.
Mary Snowdon of Niobrara is
engaged! Energized! Ready
for the next step!
Career Fields/Clusters prepares
students for career choices
from kindergarten to career. In
elementary, this includes career
awareness and as a middle school
student, career exploration
such as job shadowing and the
implementation of personal
learning plans (PLPs). Secondary
and post-secondary education
includes career preparation and
application such as mentorships,
part-time work, service learning,
and internships. In addition, PLPs
continue. By participating in this
November 2005
project, Laurel-Concord and
Wausa are creating a process back
at the district for the successful
implementation of Career Fields/
Clusters. They are also creating a
“model” for the State of Nebraska
that can be used to assist other
districts as they implement the
process within their educational
setting.
Recently, I had the opportunity to
attend one of the Wausa/Niobrara
learning community meetings.
They met on October 19 at
Niobrara Public School. The
meeting was engaging, thoughtprovoking, and built upon support
and encouragement for one
another.
In the near future, I will be
joining the Laurel-Concord
learning community for one of
their meetings.
In January, the learning communities across ESU #1, 10 & 17 will
reconvene at the Grand Island
Interstate Holiday Inn to explore
PLPs and share their progress
implementing Career Fields/Clusters at their district. In addition,
each learning community meets
one day each semester at their
respective ESU to explore Career
Fields/Clusters further. ESU #1
districts will meet at Wakefield
on November 2 and begin their
session by working with the Nebraska Career Information System
(NCIS) software and then meeting
Learning together. Teaching
one another. Thatʼs the power
of learning communities.
with the ESU #17 district via distance learning during the afternoon.
Learning communities are a powerful professional development
experience. Not only do the Laurel-Concord and Wausa/Niobrara
communities building instructional
capacity, they are also creating
relationships that will invite continued personal and professional
growth and reflection.
If you would like to implement
learning communities at your district, please contact me for further
information (402-287-2061). You
can also contact the Laurel-Concord and Wausa/Niobrara learning
communities for first-hand experience.
Page 3
Staff Development
2 Trainings Keep 20 Math Teachers Busy
By Amy Hill, ESU #1 Staff Development
ESU #1 has been in a collaborative partnership with Wayne State College, Northeast Community College and
the secondary school districts we work with to provide professional development in 7-12th grade mathematics.
This effort has focused on content knowledge and teaching skills pertaining to Algebraic Concepts and Data
Analysis, Probability and Statistics. Twenty mathematics educators from public and private schools have attended summer institutes and school year follow-up training that is aligned to the Nebraska and NCTM Mathematics
Standards and utilizes research based best teaching practices.
This past summer, nineteen 7-12th grade mathematics educators participated in training, led by Dr. Jeff Bauer,
Wayne State College. Instruction focused on Fostering Algebraic Thinking based on Mark Driscollʼs work.
A second summer training involved integrating data analysis and probability with concepts from algebra and
pre-calculus using technology. The emphasis was on hands-on teaching and learning, in addition to integrating
activities with TI-83 graphing calculators. Twenty educators participated in this training led by instructors Dr.
Tami Worner, Wayne State College; Beth Welke, Northeast Community College; and Dan Hackbarth, Greendale
High School, Greendale, Wisconsin.
On-line learning is currently being utilized to increase the level of educator implementation of instructional
strategies in the classroom as part of the school year follow-up. Teachers are posting lesson plans, instructional
ideas, and participating in discussion threads each month. This follow up is being facilitated by Dr. Robert
Sweetland, Wayne State College.
Funding for this project is made possible through the Nebraska Mathematics and Science Partnership grant
program which is federally funded under Title II, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as
amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Terry Hagen and Rod LʼHeurex
work with instructor Beth Welke.
November 2005
ESU #1 7-12 math
educators listen
to Professor Jeff
Bauer.
Instructor Dan Hackbarth works
with Mary Beth and Ray Weier
Page 4
Staff Development
The Nebraska 100
By Rhonda Jindra, ESU #1 Staff
Development
Transformation and renewal begins with a conversation. And not
just any conversation, but one that
is built upon ideas gleaned from
books, articles, interviews and personal experience. At the recent Rethinking the High School Conference, these conversations formed
the foundation for a thought-filled
two days at Northeast Community
College.
One hundred administrators, educators, and education partners, including Educational Service Units
#1, 2, 7, 8 & 17 and the Nebraska
Department of Education, participated at the conference. Affectionately coined “The Nebraska 100”,
this group of educational partners
brainstormed what the high school
experience might look like if ALL
students were successful. Participants joined a variety of small
group discussions, exploring a variety of issues including personalized
education, authentic assessment
and integration within the high
school setting. In the midst of the
first dayʼs activities, small groups
also examined “change” and how
to embrace it within the realm of
“Weʼve always done it that way”.
This sparked discussion related to
challenges back at the district when
educators are asked to change in an
environment they already view as
“good”.
During the second day of the
conference, nine key concepts
emerged. These concepts included
the following:
•
A sense of purpose
•
Personalized learning
•
A vision for what “it” looks
like when itʼs done
•
Innovative assessment
•
Relationships with students
•
Broader responsibility
•
Connected learning (inte
grated, interdisciplinary,
relevant learning)
•
Teacher as facilitator
•
Learning Communities.
Participants chose to work in the
area with which they were most
passionate. Ideas were created
from the lively conversations and
then shared in rotating sessions.
Summaries were created, added
to chart paper and then posted for
Continued on page 6
Justin Wagner
of South Sioux
City writes
ideas as his
team brainstorms.
Emerson-Hubbard in action!
November 2005
Page 5
Staff Development
Nebraska 100, cont.
further examination. During the
afternoon, district teams worked together, creating a plan of action for
the concepts that would be implemented back at the district. Each
district then reported their plan to
the large group. A final activity included meeting with each districtʼs
respective ESU, sharing their needs
to make the plan a reality back at
the district.
Innovation Labs, who facilitated
the conference process, created
a website throughout the entire
event. Conversations were captured, pictures were uploaded and
pictoral summaries were created
to highlight additional large group
discussions. The website is avail-
able for viewing at http://www.
innovationlabs.com/newhighschool/blog.html
ESU #1 participating districts
(Emerson-Hubbard, Pender,
Wakefield, Wayne and South
Sioux City) have agreed to continue this process back at the
district for at least two to three
years. In addition, they will meet
periodically at ESU #1 for continued networking and professional
development. Based on the needs
each district shared at the conclusion of the Rethinking the High
School Conference, additional
support will be provided related
to personal learning plans, the
teacher as facilitator, and the suc-
cessful implementation of advisory groups. The next sharing
session will be held on December 7th at ESU #1.
The Nebraska 100 carries the
vision to each student, educator,
administrator, parent and patron
back at the district. One person
at a time, they can create a meaningful high school experience
which prepares their students for
an opportunity-filled future.
For further information, please
contact Bob Uhing, Rhonda
Jindra or Shannon Collin at ESU
#1. They can be reached at (402)
287-2061.
Below: Bill
Heimann, Casey
Hurner, Bill
Trenhaile, and
Mike Moody
of Wakefield
report on their
implementation
plan.
Above: The
Nebraska 100”
brainstorming
the challenges
high schools face
today and how to
meet them.
November 2005
Above: Carol
Hilker, Greg
Conroy, and Deb
Walsh of Pender
work to determine the next
steps their school
will take.
Page 6
Technology
Internet Safety
By Lanita Recob, ESU 1 Technology Trainer
While surfing the web or using the computer to communicate:
1 in 5 children under 17 years of age have received unwanted sexual solicitation.
1 in 33 children have received an aggressive solicitation to meet somewhere.
1 in 4 children ages 10-17 have been exposed to pornography.
Below are several websites with internet safety information, curriculum, games, and parent resources.
Teacher Resources
Parent Resources
www.techcorps.org/resources/internetsafety/index.html
www.websafecrackerz.com
Online safety games
www.bonus.com
www.wiredkids.org
www.websafecrackerz.com
Teaching kids to be safe online
www.media-awareness.ca
Julie Posey’s site
pedowatch.com
United Streaming
Irate about ERATE!
Safe Surfing with your family
yahooligans.yahoo.com/parents/
Protect Kids – Parental Control
www.protectkids.org/solutions.htm
Family Education
www.familyeducation.com
Safe Kids
www.safekids.com
ESU #1 is providing streaming of videos and video clips at
www.unitedstreaming.com
Contact the Media Specialist in your school for information.
By Jim Hopkins, ESU 1 Technology Coordinator
Well, itʼs time to get ready for the new cycle of erate work. Although it is terribly
time consuming and the forms never seem to end, we save our schools thousands and
thousands of dollars. So please try to keep up with the timelines.
First, donʼt forget the Tech Plans. They have to be updated EVERY year. It will need
to be updated prior to submitting Form 470 requesting service. You can get to the tech
plan submission page by going to our home page (http://www.esu1.org) under the Tech
Planning area. After Tech Plans are done, submit your Form 470.
Please be aware that we will be requesting several items from your schools to keep on file in case ESU #1 gets
audited. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
November 2005
Page 7
News
a
i
d
e
M
Jenny Heimann
Driverʼs Education DVD
ESU #1 DVD Promotion
Each Media Specialist received a list of titles purchased by ESU #1 for the 2005-2006
school year. Five DVD orders received
from each Media Specialist by November
30 will be copied and sent FREE of charge.
School districts will be charged the regular
rate of $2.00 per title for all DVD orders received after November 30 or after receiving
five FREE DVDʼs. DVDʼs are stored at the
ESU. Please contact the Media Specialist in
your school for more details.
DVD-050A* Rules of the Road 105 Minutes
Topics Include: Driving Basics, City and
Residential Driving, Highway Driving, The
Driverʼs Exam, Safety Tips, Tips for Hazardous Conditions, Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Interactive Features and Bonus Features
This DVD cannot be copied. Contact your
Media Specialist to order.
To view the Media Catalog: go to
www.esu1.org, departments, media,
search the media catalog
FREE Video
The National Arbor Day Foundation is currently offering a free copy of the video Arbor
Day: The Holiday That Makes a Difference to schools.
The nineteen minute video is designed for upper elementary aged children and offers
inspiring examples of young people who are keeping the Arbor Day tradition alive by
planting and caring for trees in their communities.
Straight from the home of Arbor Day, forestry experts and kids talk about the benefits
of tree planting and the impact trees have on the environment and our lives. Discover
the Arbor Day story of a young man named J. Sterling Morton and his vision of transforming the barren Midwestern prairie into a land blessed with trees: trees for shade,
food, fuel, building materials and beauty. Through Mortonʼs leadership the Arbor Day
holiday was born.
To receive your free copy, send your name, school, shipping address to:
National Arbor Day Foundation, Arbor Day Video, P.O. Box 85784,
United Streaming
November 2005
ESU #1 is providing streaming of videos and video clips at
www.unitedstreaming.com
Contact the Media Specialist in your school for information.
Page 8
ESU #1 Happenings
ESU #1 is always a busy place. Take a look at a few of the snapshots from
some of the many trainings that have happened this year.
Above: Garage Band participants work with their computers.
Above: ESU #1 Media Specialists listen
to speaker Dorothy
Willis from UNO.
Left: Teachers work to align their
districtʼs social studies curriculum
to state standards.
Above: Jeff Ingraham
facilitiates a Garage
Band training.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
Dealing With Bullying
a conference sponsored by KAPPA DELTA PI
Date:
Time:
Where:
Topics:
November 17, 2005
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Wayne State College Student Center
The BULLY - Some Defining Characteristics
Strategies for dealing with the BULLY
Relating the Community to the School
November 2005
Workshops are continuously being
added to the calendar. Because
cancellations and reschedulings occur
from time to time, a complete listing has
not been included. However, you can
keep up to date on the latest workshop
information by going to
http://www.esu1.org. Click on ESU
Newsletter. From there, you can print
a monthly calendar. Make sure to check
back frequently for updates.
Page 9
Contact Information
The Educational Service Unit #1 staff welcomes your questions, ideas, and concerns. We look forward to
hearing from you. Below is a listing of our central staff and their emaill addressess.
Administration
Dr. Bob Uhing, Administrator
Kim Neal, Special Education Director
Lisa Salmon, Business Manager
buhing@esu1.org
kimneal@esu1.org
lsalmon@esu1.org
Central Office Support Staff
Wendy Ellis, Secretary/Media Assistant
Sarah Elton, Secretary/Receptionist
Joleen Gustafson, Special Education Secretary
Diane Keim, Accounting
wellis@esu1.org
selton@esu1.org
jgustaf@esu1.org
dkeim@esu1.org
Professional Development
Amy Hill, Staff Development Coordinator
Rhonda Jindra, Staff Development Coordinator
Shannon Collin, Staff Development Coordinator
Susan Strahm, Early Childhood Staff Development Coordinator
ahill@esu1.org
rjindra@esu1.org
scollin@esu1.org
sstrahm@esu1.org
Technology/Media
Jim Hopkins, Technology Coordinator
Jenny Heimann, Media
Lanita Recob, Technology/Media
jhopkins@esu1.org
jheimann@esu1.org
lrecob@esu1.org
Program Coordinators
Cheri Matthews, Early Childhood Special Education
Ron Lorenzen, School Psychologist
Leah Moritz, ILCD
Peg Roush, Speech Language
Larry Athey, Transition
November 2005
cmatthew@esu1.org
rlorenze@esu1.org
lmoritz@esu1.org
proush@esu1.org
lathey@esu1.org
Page 10