CiTi ISS Weekly Communicator

The purpose of this weekly newsletter is to provide professional development, support and resources to foster adult learning and student achievement. You will find offerings from Instructional Support Services, Distance Learning and Model Schools Teams.

If you weren't able to catch the virtual showcase live, we are happy to share that we have a link to watch a recording of the showcase when its convenient for you. The link will be available for a few weeks for schools to preview available shows so take advantage of the opportunity while you can.

https://www.academicentertainment.com/showcase1

We have partnered with DCMO BOCES to continue growing our list of virtual opportunities for this school year. Like all of you, our artists are working hard to modify and adapt to the changing learning environment and are continuously adding new enrichment opportunities that can now be enjoyed virtually. We currently have over 80 high-quality virtual opportunities for students and schools to enjoy with more being added daily. If you have any questions regarding a specific program please feel free to reach out to WJones@citiboces.org.

This is a self-paced, asynchronous learning opportunity! The focus of this module is to support you in learning strategies to disconnect and focus in simple ways on self maintenance. We cannot show up for others if we do not show up for ourselves. The mini-module begins with the Press Pause webinar. Following the webinar you will find practices to engage in, resources to read and explore, and videos to view. Upon completion you will be asked to complete a survey where you will offer insights you gained and certify your completion of all tasks. Once complete, you will receive 3 hours of professional development, documented in MyLearningPlan. Once registered, you will receive the mini-module in the form of a Smore "newsletter" containing the webinar and all items to complete.

Register in MLP

Welcome to the What is Mindfulness Mini Module! The focus of this module is to support you in learning the basics of mindfulness - the what, why and how. Key concepts will be explored and you will engage in a sampling of practices to experience mindfulness first hand. The module begins with a webinar, followed by videos to watch, resources to read, practices to try and information for further learning. Upon completion you will be asked to complete a survey/reflection where you will offer insights and key takewaways as well as certify your completion of all tasks. Once complete, you will receive 3 hours of professional development, documented in MyLearningPlan. Once registered, you will receive the mini-module in the form of a Smore "newsletter" containing the webinar and all items to complete.

Register in MLP

The mindset and skills of SEL are needed now more than ever as we navigate our current world in our own lives and as we educate and support our students, colleagues and our community. This group continues to learn and grow in our efforts to foster SEL and mindfulness practices in our schools and classrooms through modeling of practices in our meetings, sharing of strategies and resources, and exploring a deeper understanding of our own lives in service of others. Join Kate and Liane for these collaborative conversations!

Remaining Meeting Dates (all meetings scheduled for 3:45 - 5:00 PM):

• December 10th

Register in MLP

As the role of mindfulness in our classrooms and our lives grows ever more necessary, being in community with other educators practicing and implementing mindfulness offers important support and inspiration. This group meets monthly to experience practices together as well as share strategies for implementation with students whether in person or virtual. Join us!

Upcoming Date:

• 12/16

Meetings are scheduled 3:30 - 4:30 PM

PK-12 teachers of science, as well as building and district leaders are encouraged to visit NYSED’s Science page for valuable information and resources to assist and support in implementation efforts of the new New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards(2016). The new standards are grade by grade now; (No longer Grade-band K-4, 5-8, 9-12). There are many updates including a commonly answered questions page. Check it out!

This educator's network will focus on professional dialogue aligned to evidence-based practices in literacy. Topic will be: Effective Practices in Writing. Session will include opportunities to share remote teaching practices. Small group break-out discussions will also be included. Choose only one date in January as session topic/format repeats to accommodate various schedules.

Click here to register for January 13th at 2:00 p.m.

OR

Click here to register for January 15th at 2:15 p.m.

Social studies builds the knowledge that students need to understand what they read, and builds vocabulary and long-term background knowledge that frees up their working memory to process information. Has your curriculum been narrowed to only focus on reading and math? View this webinar featuring Natalie Wexler to learn more about the effect this has on reading achievement.

This series of workshops is designed to help with computer skills and productivity through the understanding of similarities and differences between Microsoft and Google products and when it is best to use each platform. Each session, taught by CiTi Model Schools Staff, will have information related to a specific type of product and will include tips and tricks to assist you in your position.

6 Online Sessions from 1:00 - 2:00 PM (Zoom)

Please register on MyLearningPlan/Frontline.

11/17 Microsoft Excel & Google Sheets

Many of us are familiar with the ins and outs of Microsoft Word. We are going to look at the similarities and differences between Word and Google Docs, and see which program is better for doing specific functions.

1/26 Microsoft Excel & Google Sheets

During this session, you will learn the basics of creating and using a spreadsheet, as well as, identify the similarities and differences between Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. You may leave this training with a favorite, but it is intended to help you pick the best tool for each job.

2/23 Microsoft PowerPoint & Google Slides

Compare similarities and explore the differences between Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides. We’ll explore the unique features for each platform to help determine what works best for you.

3/23 Adobe PDF, Microsoft Fillable Forms & Google Forms

In this session, we will look at the similarities and differences between three tools commonly used to collect information: fillable PDFs made with Adobe, Microsoft Forms, and Google Forms. We will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each to help determine which might be most useful in different areas of your work.

4/20 Microsoft Outlook & Google Calendar/ Gmail

We will first explore Microsoft Outlook Email & Gmail, identifying features that differentiate the two platforms and discussing the pros and cons of each. We will then look at Microsoft Outlook Calendar & Google Calendar, examining their defining features. We will close with a discussion about how to decide which tool best fits your needs, and how the platforms can work in conjunction with one another.

5/18 Microsoft Publisher & Google Suite
In this session, you will explore the differences between how Google and Microsoft handle publishing and basic paint/drawing tools. First, we will look at Publisher and understand the limitations of Publisher files and publishing generically in Google. We'll close out by comparing and contrasting Microsoft Paint and Google Drawings. We'll also have a quick detour of the Snipping Tool, and how to take screenshots on Chromebook devices.

Email: CITIISS@citiboces.org
Website: CiTiBoces.org/ISS
Location: 179 County Route 64, Mexico, NY, USA
Phone: 315-963-4425