This school year I have been working in ECSES classrooms to implement STEM lessons for our students. I have taught lessons in 9 classes over the first nine weeks of school and am currently on week 4 for another 10 classes. I will be ending the last 9 weeks of this school year working with another 10 more classes. If you are interested in learning how to get involved with these STEM lessons for the 19-20 school year please let your supervisor know or contact me directly. Throughout my lessons I have been collecting all kinds or materials. I am working to set up a Maker Space room that next year teachers can take out items to use in their classes. I am needing donations to start this project. For the months of January and February items I am looking to collect are:

Congratulations goes out to Rachel Weiler, teacher at Valley Road in an elementary ES classroom.  She had the winning essay submitted for this month's OSMO iPad case. Enjoy the case with your students and thank you for all your work in the classroom. 

When I hear the brand Crayola I think of crayons. Don't you? Well, Crayola is a whole lot more than just crayons and for all ages. Go to Crayola for Educators and you will see lesson plans, resources and grant opportunities. Since STEM or STEAM has moved into classrooms throughout United States, companies are trying to get ahead of others to have their materials be implemented in this new learning modality. Some examples of lesson plans : A Proportional World: Explore proportion and Geometry! Create a vibrant watercolor of your bedroom. This lesson teaches fractions, ratios, measurement, shapes, geometry, colors, lines, speaking and listening.

Hello all ECSES Staff members,

I want to share with you a way to try out neat things in your room or during your itinerant time to determine if they are appropriate for your students before purchasing them or even trying to win them via my monthly essays contests. I have created Google Forms to sign out a Google Expedition Kit, BreakoutEDU boxes, Bee Bots and Mat, Mini Spheros, and Ozobots. If you are interested in using these in your room and would like to sign them out please complete the respected form below. If you need assistance using them, please connect with Lori Blantz or Hillary Holler first to determine a time to teach you how to use or do a lesson for you first. Click on the names below of the item you would like to sign out to access the form. Google Expedition Kit, BreakoutEDU boxes, Bee Bots and Mat, Spheros and Mini Spheros, and Ozobots. An email will go to Hillary Holler and she will connect with you.

This was in a recent email from Code.org founder, Hadi Partovi.

Congratulations goes out to the SEC of the DHH program, Teresa Fleming. She submitted the winning essay that was chosen by the ECSES program supervisors today at their meeting. Teresa shared that she is looking to use this tool in two of her DHH classes she supports at John Beck Elementary School. Teresa and her teacher Elizabeth taught the students coding last year via the online program Code.org. She is hoping to continue having them code by using the Bee Bot during their regular classroom lessons. Congratulations again. For others that either submitted an essay and it was not chosen, or would like to try out a Bee Bot and mat, I do have a few Bee Bots and mats staff borrow for use in their classroom. If you are interested in doing this, please complete this Google Form HereBee Bot Sign-Out form. The form entry will go to Hillary and she will connect with you on how to get it out to your classroom. Thanks again for all you do for your students in our IU13 classes.

Today I received an email from IXL on how to use this tool in classrooms to personalized students learning.

Gina Monteleone, ES teacher at Manheim Central HS was the winner of the BreakoutEDU kit for her classroom. I received 10 essays this month. The voting by our ECSES supervisors was very close, but I think what stood out in Gina's essay would be that she asked her students why a BreakoutEDU kit would help them with social skills and she provided their reasons!!! Great idea Gina and class. Enjoy. Check out the next give-a-way on the right.

Have you ever heard of or used PBS Learning Media? If you haven't, read on and learn about an amazing tool to us in your classroom. PBS Learning Media This site is recently redesigned. They continue to improve it so you can provide high-quality media in your classroom. This is for grades Preschool and above in all subject matters. Do you want to introduce your students to a novel like Charlotte's Web, The Giver, Hatchet, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Outsiders, Great Expectations, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and more? You can use PBS LearningMedia The Great America Read resources to introduce the book by a celebrity, and even the author. There are movies, lesson plans, and all types of teacher resources available for your use. You log in using your Google Account, so no passwords are needed to remember. When you active directory account changes, so does this account. See below the list of the subjects. If you are using Google Classroom or Schoology, you can link your students assignments to these learning management systems (LMS). If you want more information on the tool, either check it out or contact me and we can do over together. It is an amazing FREE site.