Jenny Nord, Secondary Science Curriculum Coordinator

Email: jnord5257@columbus.k12.oh.us
Website: https://www.ccsoh.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=2577
Location: 3700 South High Street, Columbus, OH, USA
Phone: (380) 997-0466
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColumbusCitySchools/

Hopefully you took some time to relax and enjoy the summer. We all were in desperate need of that! The big news is that the Canvas skeleton courses are now open. You will be able to plan in these like you would in your old Google Classroom. Each unit has the standards, learning targets, pages for you to fill in your teacher and student-facing information, and all the resources that were available to you in both district documents (the old and the new red). Some of the courses have exemplar units included that you may choose to use or modify. You will also find phenomena ideas and misconceptions. Each unit is written in the 5 E Learning Model that the state recommends. This, along with your adopted curriculum materials, should give you the tools you need to create your units and learning environment.

I hope that you took the time to attend one of the professional development sessions for your newly adopted curriculum materials. Just to clarify...these are NOT your curriculum. They are yet another tool for you to use. These are your district-approved, adopted curriculum platforms that will be used in their classrooms as the primary resource. You are still greatly encouraged to conduct hands-on labs and activities, but these platforms are your new curriculum resources. Be sure to follow the district curriculum document found in the CLT folder for your discipline (the red document). See the CLT folder link below. The order of your new materials may not match the order written in your district curriculum guide. This document is also incorporated into the new Canvas courses.

If you did not find time to attend one of the sessions, below find the link to the Implementation Folder found in the CLT folder. In there you will find resources, recordings, and tips from the PDs. This is a great place to start familiarizing yourself with the platform or as a reminder to some of the information you may have learned in the session.

School Links: Virtual Experiences for All Ages: https://tinyurl.com/y5dberrp

Appalachian Academy offers free online STEM lessons and activities focused on Ohio: https://osln.org/2022/08/appalachian-academy-offers-free-lessons/

NSTA:

-Our Beautiful Planet: videos and lessons: https://tinyurl.com/4yvmw3ww

-Case-Based Teaching Collection: https://www.nsta.org/case-studies?utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io&utm_campaign=newsletter

-From the Field Freebies: https://tinyurl.com/2ayzrfvp

Flinn: Safety Course and Certification: https://labsafety.flinnsci.com/UnAuthHome/Index

Ivy Panda:

-The Effectiveness of PowerPoints: https://ivypanda.com/blog/the-effectiveness-of-ms-powerpoint-take-your-presentation-to-the-next-level/

-PowerPoint Presentation Guidelines: https://www.mcgill.ca/skillsets/files/skillsets/powerpointguidelines.pdf

Ditch that Textbook:

Ditch that Textbook:

-The Ultimate Back to School Guide: https://view.genial.ly/62ce4e87e8d7260018613d6b

-Would You Rather Icebreaker Activity: https://www.canva.com/templates/EAEk_KPUmJI-blue-white-and-beige-school-supplies-ice-breaker-class-activity-would-you-rather-education-presentation/

-First Days of School's Hyper Doc: https://read.bookcreator.com/4ImAi7KrwJOY90mE9AnzyYyzUH22/3Vh5hB3HSHuY8PpnbXwzvQ

-The All About Me Google Drawings Poster: https://applieddigitalskills.withgoogle.com/c/middle-and-high-school/en/design-a-poster-about-you/overview.html

-The Chromebook Care Presentation and Kahoot Game: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18nYv06uQXT38sNSRegqtqAhiCI3K6Dnb7NT3NyU7VvM/edit#slide=id.g10ad52f23d8_0_0

-The Check In with Students Pear Deck Slides: https://app.peardeck.com/share/view/h2jq2q

-80 Back to School Ideas and Activities: https://ditchthattextbook.com/back-to-school

-10 Ways to Improve Students' Long-Term Learning: https://ditchthattextbook.com/longterm

-20 Ways to Build Classroom Community and Relationships: https://ditchthattextbook.com/community-relationships

Safety in the classroom is vital. Attached below, you will find a link for general safety guidelines. If you are in one of the 18 middle schools who still need to submit their safety check-off list and/or chemical inventory for last school year, please submit that now.

If you do not have a lab safety contract, there is one from Carolina Biological attached below.

Registration is now open for the Academic Excellence for All Conference. The conference will be held on October 14, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio.

The conference aims to provide Ohio educators with the opportunity to learn how to address gaps in academic achievement specifically those exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The mission of the conference is to provide an opportunity for all educators (P-16) to become familiar with research and strategies that support the six components of the Academic Excellence for All framework:

• Equitable Student Access;
• Culturally Responsive Practices;
• Student-Centered Learning;
• Diverse Staff of Excellent Educators;
• Family and Community Engagement; and
• School Climate.

Welcome back, Department Chairs! If your department chair has changed for this year, please notify Jenny Nord A.S.A.P. Our meetings will mostly fall on the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 3:30-5:30. Please note the time change. We are planning to attend virtually via Zoom this year again unless otherwise notified. March and April will be the only different dates.

September 14

October 12

November 9

December 14

January 11

February 8

March 15

April 19

May 10

Ed Week:

-Get to Know Students through Seating Challenges: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-teaching-secrets-get-to-know-students-through-seating-challenges/2012/06

-Start the School Year with Purpose: 5 Priorities: https://tinyurl.com/2p8jkayy

-How to Build Inclusive Classrooms: https://tinyurl.com/39ten88m

-Veteran Teachers Offer Advice for Beginners: https://tinyurl.com/y87cm9pz

-The Key to Getting Girls Interested in STEM Could Be Their Teacher: https://tinyurl.com/4z7tvrhd

-Teens on TikTok...What Should Teachers Do: https://tinyurl.com/2p8zru2s

-How Schools Can Teach Students to Network: https://tinyurl.com/mr3cv28r

-What Science Can Teach Us about Learning: https://tinyurl.com/2bw8jden

-How Teachers Can Boost Students' Self-Confidence: https://tinyurl.com/37cdrk5p

Kessler Science:

-Top 5 Reasons Your Class Should Be Using Interactive Notebooks: https://www.keslerscience.com/top-5-reasons-that-your-class-should-be-using-interactive-notebooks/?utm_source=ck&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=082322_INB

Welcome, Heather Allen, as our new Spruce Run Coordinator! She is planning many great things this year and really looking for ways to have more secondary teachers involved in the center.

Spruce Run Nature Center fall newsletter: https://www.smore.com/7b89z

From Linda Kennedy's summer environmental science course/class:

Three Ecosystems of Spruce Run: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1InbCPqTtoEIGboljtVC-dXglS4lPo0TuIU-_Cud-SFA/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you, Linda!

Office of Teaching and Learning (614-365-5727) is located at 3700 S. High St.

Brian Morton, Director of Secondary Curriculum

Sonja Dill, Secondary Curriculum Supervisor

Laura Schnebelen, K-5 Coordinator, lschnebe@columbus.k12.oh.us

Jennifer Nord, 6-12 Science Coordinator, jnord5257@columbus.k12.oh.us

Heather Allen, K-12 Spruce Run Coordinator, hallen704@columbus.k12.oh.us