| May 31, 2011 - EdConnection
- Weekly Update from Stan Heffner, Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction
- May 31, 2011 |
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May 31, 2011
Good morning:
I hope everyone made the most of the Memorial Day weekend
and had a day’s respite from all the end-of- year
school events. It is hard to believe that we are
about to wrap up another school year. Best of
luck with your commencement ceremonies and close-out
of the school year.
Last week, Deputy Superintendent Marilyn Troyer announced
that she will be leaving ODE in mid-June to become Executive
Director in the School of Continuing Education at Ashland
University, effective July 1. During her 21 years
at ODE, in addition to serving as Deputy Superintendent,
she served as Associate Superintendent for the Teaching
Profession. Marilyn’s leadership in policy development
and program design will be truly missed. We honor her
service and wish her continued success at Ashland University.
Also last week, Gov. John Kasich posted an invitation
to teachers to offer suggestions about how to structure
a new performance-based evaluation and pay system. The
Governor outlines his vision and invitation in a short
video you can view online.
You also can access the accompanying comment form directly
here.
Thanks for your hard work in service to Ohio’s
children. Make it a great week.
Sincerely,
Stan Heffner
Note: Below are news
items of interest to all superintendents and principals.
Please share these items as appropriate with other suggested
educators who will benefit from the information. We
are interested in your thoughts about how EdConnection
fulfills your information needs. Please send any comments
or suggestions to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us.
·
For school treasurers, grant administrators
and superintendents –ARRA
1512 reporting data collection begins.
·
For teachers and administrators –
Register for Advanced Placement Summer Institute Workshops
by June 3.
·
For leadership and teacher teams
–OLAC Summit precedes Making
Ohio Schools Work Conference.
·
For school administrators and school health
professionals – Free training on
school medication administration available.
·
For teachers, curriculum leaders and administrators–
Free online course explores 21st century skill development.
Ohio
Innovative Learning Environments conference is Aug.
1-5.
·
Good news for everyone –
Spotlight on St. Columbkille School in Parma.
For school treasurers, grant administrators
and superintendents
ARRA 1512 reporting data collection begins
On June 1, the American Reinvestment
and Recovery Act (ARRA) 1512 Quarterly Survey will launch
for activity through the second quarter of calendar
year 2011, ending June 30. All local education agencies
receiving ARRA funding through various initiatives –
including Race to the Top, Education Jobs and the Teacher
Incentive Fund – are required to report their
data through this survey. Related guidance is posted
on ODE’s Stimulus Updates website
under the heading Data and Reporting Guidance.
The survey will remain available through close of business
on June 17; no submissions can be accepted
after that time. Please direct any questions concerning
the ARRA 1512 reporting to recovery@ode.state.oh.us.
For teachers and administrators
Register for Advanced Placement Summer Institute
Workshops by June 3
Advanced Placement Summer Institute Workshops
for teachers and administrators will be held June
13-17. Four-day and one-day workshop options
are available at the following Educational Service Centers
(ESC): Montgomery County ESC, ESC of Cuyahoga County,
North Central ESC, ESC of Central Ohio and Hamilton
County ESC. The four-day workshop offers in-depth content
and resources to enhance teaching of AP courses at all
levels. The one-day workshop will concentrate on the
teaching of a specific AP subject and focus on instructional
strategies. Participants will receive documentation
of contact hours. Interested teachers are to access
their SAFE
accounts to register in STARS no later than June
3, using the event search term: advanced
placement. Click here
for assistance getting started with STARS. For assistance
with registration, please contact Lethichia Pope at
(614)
995-3571.
For leadership and teacher teams
OLAC Summit precedes Making Ohio Schools
Work Conference
Two consecutive professional development programs in
Columbus will allow education leaders to hear from national
and state education experts about innovative strategies
for improving instructional practice and student performance:
·
The Ohio Leadership Advisory Council (OLAC) Statewide
Leadership Summit on June 13 will
engage educational leadership teams and strengthen sustained
school improvement efforts. Participants will learn
about free resources to help in facilitating OLAC online
learning modules and connect this learning to both the
Ohio Improvement Process and Race to the Top (RttT)
initiatives. ODE, OLAC and the Buckeye Association
of School Administrators (BASA) are co-sponsoring
the summit.
·
The Making Ohio Schools Work conference
on June 14-15 will feature a panel
discussion on the future of education in Ohio with Stan
Heffner, interim superintendent of public instruction;
Peggy Lehner, chair of the Ohio Senate Education Committee;
Bob Sommers, director of the Governor’s Office
for 21st Century Education; Rob Weiler, deputy director,
American Federation of Teachers; and Larry Hilsheimer,
president, Nationwide Direct and Customer Solutions.
Additional sessions will cover the latest updates on
Race to the Top; Ohio’s evaluation systems for
teachers, principals and superintendents; means of recognizing
and rewarding excellence; and ways to analyze and use
data for decision-making. The conference is sponsored
by BASA and Battelle for Kids.
Register here
for either or both events by June 8.
For school administrators and school health
professionals
Free training on school medication administration
available
In response to a need for training on school medication
administration, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH)
has created a free online train-the-trainer course for
licensed health professionals to use in training other
school staff. The training will help schools in fulfilling
Ohio’s school medication administration law, ORC
§3313.713, which includes changes made in 2009
that take effect July 1. The law’s
new language states that all public school employees
that administer prescription medication must either
be 1) licensed health professionals; or 2) employees
who have been trained by a licensed health professional
in a manner considered appropriate by the local school
board. For an ODH frequently asked questions document,
please click here.
To access the online training, please click here.
Additional questions may be directed to Ann M. Connelly
at ann.connelly@odh.ohio.gov
or (614)
728-0386.
For teachers, curriculum leaders and administrators
Free online course explores 21st century
skill development
Learning for the Digital Age is one of several
professional development initiatives for Ohio’s
K-12 educators presented by Ohio’s statewide educational
technology agencies, educational television stations
and eTech Ohio. This self-paced, five-hour online course
explores technology’s role in supporting “the
four Cs”: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration
and communication. Participants also will learn about
commonly available technology tools and digital resources.
The course offers five contact hours and a course completion
certificate. Although the class is free, participants
must register by June 30 and complete
coursework by July 30. To register
and to learn more, please visit the WVIZ/PBS ideastream
website.
Ohio
Innovative Learning Environments conference is Aug.
1-5
This five-day conference on Aug. 1-5
in Hilliard will enable educators to learn global perspectives
on teaching and learning from internationally known
expert keynote speakers, as well as from educators from
as far away as Finland, South Australia, New Zealand.
The event is co-sponsored by ODE, the Organization of
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Hilliard
City Schools and the Educational Service Center (ESC)
of Central Ohio. Ohio’s Race to the Top (RttT)
funds will provide a limited number of teachers with
up to two travel stipends of $110 per day to attend
the conference. For those not eligible for stipends,
the conference cost is $30 per day or $99 for the entire
week. Contact hours and graduate credit options are
available. Learn more about the conference and registration
details here.
Good news for everyone
Spotlight on St. Columbkille School in Parma
This spring, the St. Columbkille School community in
Parma recently contributed to the Soles4Souls
service project led by Girl Scout Troop # 1730. Altogether,
project participants donated more than 400 pairs of
shoes to help the earthquake and tsunami victims in
Japan, as well as to those who suffered due to the tornadoes
in the southern United States. Assistant Principal Patricia
Zaranec said, “The school’s students also
collected more than $600 by giving up snacks and treats
at lunch to help the victims. We are very proud of the
outstanding service program at our school.”
These recent initiatives are just two examples of the
nearly 20 service projects that St. Columbkille students
participated in this school year. Some efforts, like
the fundraising and shoe collection, were schoolwide
efforts, while others were conducted by a specific grade
or grade level. Activities ranged from leaf-raking and
coat collecting to blanket- and sandwich-making. Seventh
graders also became pen pals with American troops in
Afghanistan. Congratulations St. Columbkille School!
Note: If your students
are engaged in helping their communities and you would
like to share what they are doing, send an email to
superintendent@ode.state.oh.us
and include “Spotlight” and your school
or district in the subject line. We also are pleased
to receive digital images of these activities.
Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here.
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| May 27, 2011 - News, Articles,
Resources and More from PediaStaff |
|
May 27, 2011
Issue 5, Volume 5 |
It's All About the Choices!
Hello All! We have a nice big issue for you today.
If you are winding down your school year and will not have
access to your work email over the summer, be sure to remember
to subscribe
to our newsletter through your personal email, or access
our content through our blog.
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
News Items:
- Mechanical Engineers Design Interactive Toy for Kids with
Autism
- Vermont Tops National Ranking Of Disability Services
- Video of the Week: Speech Language Pathology "Intergalactic"
Rap
- Simple Exercise Improves Lung Function In Children With
Cystic Fibrosis
- DSM Changes in the Mainstream News
- New Testing Helps Change the Game on Youth Concussions
- Plagiocephaly (Flat Head Syndrome) in the News
Tips, Activities and Resources:
- Book Review: Sensory Parenting from Newborn to Toddlers
- Addictive Summer Reading Lists for Kids of All Ages
- My Garden
Upcoming Events:
- The Sequential Oral Sensory Approach to Feeding: Picky
Eaters vs. Problem Feeders
Articles and Blogs
- SLP Corner: Transitional Stage Of Communication
© (Stage 2 of SM-SCCS) The Missing Link!
- OT Corner: A Look at Kinesio® Taping
- Pediatric Therapy Corner: Wait...For...It..- Feeding
Therapy: The Power of Waiting
- School Psychology Corner: Pediatric Brain Injury: Applications
of Clinical Neuropsychology
- Focus on Bilingualism: The Benefits of Sign Language in
Early Acquisition
- Q&A: Ask the Expert - Vision Screenings &
When to Refer for a Developmental Vision Evaluation: What
Every OTR Should Know
- Guest Blog: Top 5 Ninja Characteristics All Speech Pathologists
Have
- Guest Blog: Torticollis: An Effective Tearless Approach
To Treatment
- Worth Repeating: Managing Landau-Kleffner Syndrome
- Also Worth Repeating: Childhood Apraxia of Speech
(CAS) in Neurodevelopmental and Idiopathic Contexts
Please note: Much of our content here is provided by wonderful
contributing authors and organizations. Please support our
contributors and visit their websites. Links and bios are
featured on each article!
Have a great weekend and see you next month!
Heidi Kay, Newsletter Editor
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The Career Center
The links to the right are "live"
and reflect all open jobs with PediaStaff.
To further narrow your search by state use the
drop down menus on the search page to select
a specific state. If a particular
search is returning no hits it is  possible
that we do not currently have openings
for you in that state.
If any of your information (geographic, population
or setting preference) has changed since we've
last spoken, please let us know.
See an opening that interests you? Just
apply to that job and one of our staff will
contact you right away.
Remember, one of the things that makes PediaStaff
unique is that we will actively "market"
your skills to prospective employers of pediatric
and school based therapists, so if you don't
see a position that interests you make sure
you let us know what you are looking for. |
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Innovation
for Autism in the News:
Mechanical Engineers Design
Interactive Toy for Kids with Autism |
Special Thanks to our friends at Healing
Thresholds for the heads up on this story!
[Source: Stevens Institute of Technology Website]
Flashing lights, sounds, and a ricocheting ball.
It's not a game on a New Jersey boardwalk, but
a toy with a positive purpose. Kevin Heaney,
Rowena Lee, and Stephanie Miller, three Mechanical
Engineering students at Stevens Institute of
Technology, are using their Senior Design project
to create a toy for children with autism that
will aid in children's development through play
therapy.
The team collaborated with teachers at Academy
Learning Center, a Monroe Township school that
provides specialized, classroom based instruction,
based on the principles of Applied Behavior
Analysis for students with autism or autistic-like
behavior. Their design won over both the instructors
and the children attending the school.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Disability
Services in the News: Vermont
Tops National Ranking Of Disability Services |
[Source: Disability Scoop]
Vermont offers the best Medicaid services for
individuals with intellectual and developmental
disabilities while Mississippi provides the
worst, according to an annual ranking released
Thursday.
The 50-state analysis from United Cerebral Palsy
compares services offered across the country,
giving preference to states where more individuals
are served in the community as opposed to institutions.
Vermont, Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire and
California fare best in the ranking. Meanwhile,
the District of Columbia, Illinois, Texas, Arkansas
and Mississippi round out the bottom of the
list. (Find out where your state stands >>)
However, the report authors caution that no
state is perfect, writing "although some
states rank better than others, every state
has room for improvement."
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Video
of the Week: Speech Language
Pathology "Intergalactic" Rap |
Special Thanks to our friends at CASPLA
for telling us about this fun YouTube video.
Please enjoy watching some Master's of Speech
and Hearing Sciences ~ Medical SLP students
from the University of Washington make some
crazy speech-related beats to "Intergalactic.
Watch
This Fun Video on Our Blog |
PT
for Cystic Fibrosis in the News
- Simple Exercise Improves
Lung Function In Children With CF |
[Source: Medical News Today]
A small Johns Hopkins Children's Center study
of children and teens with cystic fibrosis (CF)
shows that simple exercise, individually tailored
to each patient's preference and lifestyle,
can help improve lung function and overall fitness.
Frequent lung infections, breathing problems
and decreased lung function are the hallmark
symptoms of CF, a genetic disorder marked by
a disruption in the body's ability to transport
chloride in and out of cells that leads to the
buildup of thick mucus in the lungs and other
organs.
Because rigidly structured high-intensity exercise
routines are hard to sustain over time, the
Johns Hopkins team designed exercise regimens
that fit easily into each patient's daily life.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
DSM
Changes in the News: Asperger's
Syndrome: High-Functioning Autism to Lose Its
Name |
[Source: ABC News/Good Morning America]
Eileen Parker was 41 years old when she discovered
her quirky, misunderstood behavior had a name:
Asperger's. The syndrome, which is marked by
impaired social interaction and sensory overload,
joins other neurological disorders on the autism
spectrum. And for Parker, the label came as
a relief.
"It opened up my world," said Parker,
who is now 45. "Having been on the outside,
I all of sudden found I was on the inside with
millions of other people."
Parker said the Asperger's diagnosis, which
is used interchangeably with high-functioning
autism, made it easier for her to get along
with others -- even her husband and their four
kids.
"They could finally understand why I was
a certain way. They said, 'Oh, that's why you're
like that.'"
Watch
Video and Read the Rest of this Article Through
a Link on our Blog |
Pediatric
Brain Injury in the News: New
Testing Helps Change the Game on Youth Concussions |
[Source: USA Today]
Shannon Parker got knocked in the head at soccer
practice at Fairfax High School. She sat out
for weeks until passing a comprehensive clinical
evaluation that included a computer test showing
she was back to normal brain function, same
as if she played for the Washington Redskins.
Athletes at the 25 public high schools in Fairfax
County, an affluent suburb of Washington, take
baseline tests like the ones used by NFL players.
The ImPACT tests are one tool doctors and athletic
trainers can use to tell when it is safe to
return to the field. That's crucial because
a second concussion when not fully healed from
a first one is dangerous.
Watch
Video Story and Read the Rest of this Article
Through a Link on Our Blog |
Upcoming
Event / CEU Opportunity: The
Sequential Oral Sensory Approach to Feeding:
Picky Eaters vs. Problem Feeders |
When? Basic Course-July
16-18, 2011 ; Advanced Course-July 19, 2011
Where? Embassy Suites Boston-Waltham,
Waltham, MA
Featuring Kay A. Toomey, PhD
and Erin Ross, PhD, CCC-SLP
The
Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation is
privileged to present Kay A. Toomey, PhD, Pediatric
Psychologist, teaching her internationally renowned
intervention for problem feeders.
The
Sequential Oral Sensory (S.O.S) Approach to
Feeding is a family-centered, transdisciplinary
program for assessing and treating children
with weight/growth problems from birth to 18
years. It integrates postural, sensory, motor,
behavioral/ learning, medical and nutritional
factors to comprehensively evaluate and manage
children with feeding/growth problems.
Who should attend: speech language
pathologists, occupational therapists, special
education teachers, psychologists, physical
therapists, early intervention specialists,
nurses, physicians, dietitians and mental health
workers.
Continuing Education: AOTA
continuing education credit awarded. Basic Course
22.5 hours; Advanced Course 7.5 hours
For
Detailed Agendas, Tuition and Registration
|
Book
Review: Sensory Parenting:
From Newborn to Toddlers |
By: Britt Collins MS, OTR/L and Jackie
Linder Olson
Reviewed By: Susan N. Schriber Orloff,
OTR/L
This is an outstanding book for both
practitioners and parents. For new parents it
covers everything from nursing to nurturing
and for the 0-3 OT it gives great ideas for
home health visits.
Many new parents do not know what is typical
and what is not. This is particularly true for
the first time parent.
The narrative is interspersed with checklists
that help understand developmental expectations.
Covering motor development, hygiene and more
this book helps demystify the growing up process
and provides helpful ideas that are easily implemented.
Read
the Rest of this Review on our Blog |
Therapist
Resource of the Week -
Addictive Summer Reading Lists for Kids of All
Ages |
Special Thanks to Literacy
Speaks for suggesting this week's
Therapy Resource of the Week - Addictive Summer
Reading Lists for Kids of All Ages
[Source: Make and Takes.com]
Want to get your kids addicted to reading all
summer? Sometimes it just takes finding the
right book or series of books. I've rounded-up
my favorite books, ideas beyond Harry Potter.
Many are in a series; many just recently published.
These are so good, you'll want to read them,
too.
Read
This Great List of Summer Books Through a Link
on our Blog |
Therapy
Activity/Resource of the Week:
My Garden |
Special Thanks to Sean Sweeney of Speech
Techie for suggesting this fun
site to use in speech therapy.
Reprinted with the permission of the author
as it appeared on the SpeechTechie
blog
My Garden is a great springtime activity that
is part of the incredibly rich Busytown
Mysteries site, based on Richard Scarry's
books. I think this site would be great to explore
further and implement as part of programming
for K-1 or developmentally equivalent students.
When you arrive in Busytown, to get to this
activity, pick Countryside, then the Barn! You'll
then be able to follow a sequence of instructions
to plant and grow flowers, and use such interactive
features as the "camera" to photograph
your results. This site begs to be explored
more!
Read
More About this Site on
our Blog |
Speech Language Pathology Corner:
Transitional Stage Of Communication
© (Stage 2 of SM-SCCS) The Missing Link! |
By: Dr Elisa Shipon-Blum
Children with SM present in an array of different
ways. Some can be shut down and noncommunicative
(stage 0) while others can become comfortable
but use nonverbal means of communicating, such
as pointing. gesturing, etc. As time goes by
in a particular settings, if efforts are not
on helping the child, via the use of strategies,
the child often remains mute or makes very little
progress into such settings. Especially if anyone
present is consistently asking the child to
talk and/or the child senses a high level of
expectation.
Q: For the nonverbal child,
is lowering anxiety enough to stimulate speech?
A: For the majority, the answer
is NO, especially as a child ages. For the child
who is able to respond via nodding, gesturing,
pointing, writing, etc. he/she may actually
appear comfortable, relaxed and engaged, yet
mutism persists.
Q: If anxiety is low, and the
child appears comfortable, WHY does he/she just
not talk?
A: MUTE behavior becomes learned,
ingrained and conditioned to the point of impossibility.
And with emphasis on trying to get the child
to speak, such as asking him/her when and why
she does not speak, reinforced mute behavior
persists.
Read
the Rest of this Article on our Blog
|
Occupational Therapy Corner: A
Look at Kinesio® Taping |
By: Munira Adenwalla,
Pediatric Occupational Therapist / Certified
Kinesio® Taping Practitioner
David Beckham, Serena Williams and Lance Armstrong
all use Kinesio® Tape and so do the kids
I treat.
Kinesio Tape is an elastic, cotton, water-resistant
tape developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase in 1973. It
was first used in Japan on athletes to enhance
their sports performance and for faster recovery
from injuries.
I have used Kinesio® Taping with babies
and young children for the past eight years.
I find it to be a valuable adjunct to treatment
for infants to older children.
Kinesio tape is applied over and around specific
muscles to provide joint support and muscle
re-education. The tape can be stretched 40-60%
gently 'pulling' on the skin and causing the
muscles underneath to strengthen. It comes in
beige, blue, pink and black and varies in width
from one to three inches.
The thickness and weight of the tape is designed
to be similar to that of skin so it is comfortable
and non-invasive.
Read
the Rest of this Article on our Blog |
Pediatric Therapy Corner: Wait...For...It..-
Feeding Therapy: The Power of Waiting |
By: Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP
As a speech language pathologist who specializes
in feeding, one of the most important strategies
that I teach to parents and caregivers is the
power of waiting. Children need time to organize
their thoughts and their bodies before gathering
up their courage to interact with a new food.
Well-intentioned parents who cheer enthusiastically
for their kids in order to "encourage them
to do it" are accidently reinforcing NOT
eating. If a child isn't eating, the best thing
to do is to give that behavior no attention
by simply waiting. Feeding therapists can provide
strategies on how to negotiate each step to
eating, when to praise, and just as importantly,
how to praise. Whether today's lesson was how
to smell steamed broccoli without gagging or
how to bite into a crunchy cucumber, each step
is celebrated! By waiting for children to take
the next step while we provide the framework
for success, we instill in them a sense of autonomy
and affirm their own feelings of "Wow,
I did that on my own!"
Therapists observe parents and/or caregivers
rewarding "not eating" with the infamous
airplane game at mealtimes. While a flying spoon
loaded with applesauce cargo may be thrilling
for the eager toddler - you know, the one who
loves to have spoons careening into his mouth
on the pink landing strip known as a tongue...well,
it can backfire with the hesitant eater: "Here
comes the airplane...zooom...open up...opennnn
uuuuup....open up for the airplane...now it's
flying higher...here it comes!" The more
the hesitant eater refuses to open, the more
exciting the airshow becomes! Help parents understand
that they need to be aware of rewarding their
child with attention for not opening up. Think
about it: If the child opens up, the air show
ends immediately--and what fun is that?
Read
the Rest of this Article on our Blog |
School Psychology Corner: Pediatric
Brain Injury: Applications of Clinical Neuropsychology |
By: David E. Nilsson Ph.D ABPP/CN
Appropriately, the brain is described as the
functional "center" of any individual,
unique to the individual from conception on,
shaped by our genetic endowment, and experience
in our neurodevelopmental/neurobehavioral history.
The brain directs what we do, how and when we
do it, processing every thought, sensation,
or motor function we experience. It regulates
all body function, our sensory systems (e.g.,
visual, auditory, tactual, gustatory (taste),
and smell), and becomes the foundation of our
personality, moderating all our interaction
with our environment. The brain integrates and
organizes information central to our reasoning,
judgment, and problem-solving, facilitating
communication, learning, and socialization.
Perhaps most important to our discussion is
that of the brain's role in regulating and managing
our exposure to stimulation and our response
to that stimulation (i.e., arousal). Unfortunately,
not all brains are created equal! No one recognizes
this more than clinicians and educators working
with such individuals day-to-day. However, there
remains a lack of consensus for the "logic"
of behavior of the individual. The most basic
consequence of injury to the brain is to disrupt
the "logic" of learning, behavior,
and function of the individual, as they were
and as they will become. As educators and clinicians,
it is our role to identify and understand that
"logic" to direct our efforts.
Read
the Rest of this Article on our Blog |
Focus on Bilingualism
- The Benefits of Sign Language
in Early Acquisition |
By: Ellen Kester, Ph.D.,
CCC-SLP and Alejandro Brice, Ph.D, CCC-SLP
Many parents of children with communication
delays and disorders become very concerned when
a speech-language pathologist proposes the use
of sign language. When probed further about
their concerns, many parents have reported that
they are afraid their children will learn to
sign and not learn to talk, or that they will
no longer be motivated to learn to speak if
they can communicate with sign language. How
do we convince parents that it is okay to teach
signs to their children?
There is a growing body of literature that is
following the growing use of sign language with
infants. Many parents of typically developing
children have started to use sign language,
or baby signs, with their infants and toddlers.
(Pizer, Walters, & Meier, 2007). Many speech-language
pathologists have long viewed sign language
as a bridge between the time a child know what
he/she want to communicate and the time a child
can orally produce what he wants to say. Recent
studies provide support for the use of signs.
Read
the Rest of this Article Online on our Blog |
Q&A: Ask the Expert: Vision
Screenings & When to Refer for a Developmental
Vision Evaluation: What Every OTR Should Know |
by: Carole L. Hong, OD, FCOVD
Why are vision screenings important?
An undetected vision problem may interfere not
only with a child's ability to see clearly,
but may also affect one's ability to learn in
school, interpret what they see and use their
eyes to guide movement. Understanding the components
of a thorough vision screening and collaborating
with an optometrist that can provide developmental
vision care can be critical to your clients'
success. The earlier a vision problem is diagnosed
and treated, the less it will impact an individual's
quality of life.
Why isn't 20/20 visual acuity "perfect"
vision?
Eyesight is the ability to discriminate the
differences between small things. So although
many think that 20/20 is perfect vision, that's
the farthest from the truth. All that it means
is at 20 feet you can see what most people can
see at that distance. This measurement gives
NO information concerning how much effort is
needed to see single, clear images, how well
the eyes track along a line of print or if they
work together properly for long periods of time
(such as throughout the school day). There are
more than 15 visual skills critical to vision
and learning and seeing clearly (visual acuity)
is just one of those skills.
Read
the Rest of this Article on our Blog |
Guest Blogs This Week:
Artic Brain, Kid PT |
Top 5 Ninja Characteristics All Speech
Pathologists Have: By: Erik X. Raj CCC-SLP
When most people hear the word "ninja,"
images of Power Rangers, mutant turtles, or
extremely fast people wearing full black body
suits and masks usually come to mind. But guess
what? When I hear someone speaking about a person
skilled in ninjutsu (the Japanese martial art
characterized by stealthy movement and camouflage),
the first thing that comes to MY mind is a speech-language
pathologist! Here are the top 5 ninja characteristics
that all SLPs have.
5. Speed
We understand that our time is limited so we
jump right into all of our therapy sessions.
We are quick and we never waste a single moment.
A speech therapist is able to inject his/her
client with weeks worth of valuable information
in a single 30 minute block. All of this helps
to ensure that our students are becoming black
belt communicators!
Read
the Rest of this Article on our Blog |
Torticollis - An Effective Tearless
Approach To Treatment: By: Dr. Joni Redlich,
DPT
"I watched a remarkable, quiet,
tearless session in which Susan Blum treated
a 2-months-old infant with torticollis that
ended with his body and head in midline. No
neck stretching!! No stretching of any kind!
In fact, TMR uses the OPPOSITE of stretching
to gain soft tissue extensibility and improved
movement symmetry. It's particularly appealing
in that parents get to hug and hold their children
and get changes in mobility without imposing
any demands."
Billi Cusick's PT, MS, COF in the Progressive
GaitWays Newsletter, February 2011
Torticollis is derived from the Latin word for
"twisted neck." The most common type
of torticollis in children in Congenital Muscular
Torticollis. The head is positioned in various
degrees of tilt to one side and then rotation
to the opposite side. Evidence-Based Care Guideline
for Management of Congenital Muscular Torticollis
in children age 0 to 36 months describes the
traditional approach to torticollis treatment,
which includes stretching, positioning, and
active movement on the weaker side. The guideline
does state to screen upper and lower extremity
range of motion, but treatment of these limitations
is not specifically recommended. Traditionally,
the therapist will assess the full body, but
then we treat the neck because this is the most
visible and obvious problem area.
Read
the Rest of this Article Which Includes a Video
on our Blog |
Worth Repeating: Childhood
Apraxia of Speech (CAS) in Neurodevelopmental
and Idiopathic Contexts |
By: Lawrence D. Shriberg
We have proposed that programmatic
studies of apraxia of speech as it reportedly
occurs in diverse neurodevelopmental and neurological
disorders can inform research on the core features
and diagnostic markers of idiopathic Childhood
Apraxia of Speech, a putative pediatric speech
sound disorder [1]. This paper describes the
research plan, summarizes primary elements of
the speech assessment and analysis methods,
and reports summary perceptual and acoustic
findings from four initial studies.
Read
the Full Text of This Article Through a Link
on our Blog |
Also Worth Repeating: Managing
Landau-Kleffner Syndrome |
by Dr Muhammad Arshad and Prof Michael
FitzGerald
[Source: The Irish Medical Times]
Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) is an acquired
epileptic aphasia of childhood and is a rare,
childhood neurological syndrome. It is accompanied
by abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) and behaviour
symptoms of autism.
LKS may also be called infantile 'acquired aphasia',
'acquired epileptic aphasia' or 'acquired aphasia
with convulsive disorder', but Rapin et al (1977)
called it 'auditory verbal agnosia'. It was
first described by Landau and Kleffner, who
identified six children with LKS (1957).
Auditory verbal agnosia or 'pure word deafness'
is involved - in other words, a disturbance
in comprehension of spoken language in the presence
of otherwise intact auditory functioning and,
essentially, normal performance in other language
modalities.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
The
PediaStaff Website - is "Not
Just for Job Searching Anymore" |
If you haven't been to the our website lately
you are in for a treat. Not only have
we completely redesigned it and added a whole
lot of great information about our company,
services and philosophy but we are stuffing
it jam packed with fantastic pediatric and school
based therapy resources for you and your staff
to use everyday.
There you will find links to resources, organizations
and websites on topics in pediatric speech,
occupational and physical therapy including
dozens of articles and videos. Topics
are organized by therapy discipline and include
Stuttering, Bilingualism, Autism, Down Syndrome,
Pediatric Stroke, Oral Motor Issues, Speech
Language Delay and much more. All articles
and videos are resident on our site. No
abstracts, no fees.
We hope you enjoy it! It is still very
much a work in progress, but we think there
is enough there to suggest that you check it
out at your earliest convenience.
Visit
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| May 23, 2011 - Does Your
Board Need Strengthening? High Bar's New Webinar Can Help |
|
The High Bar welcomes you to join us for the
folliowing upcoming events. As always, let
us know how we can support your board.
Free Webinar: 10 Ways to Strengthen the Governance
of Your Charter School
...and how to harness the power of technology
to do it
Wednesday, May 25 12-1pm eastern:
Register
here
Wednesday, June 1 12-1pm eastern:
Register
here
The High Bar will be at the National Charter
Schools Conference - Will You?
Our founder Marci will be leading two
sessions during the National Charter
Schools Conference on June 22-23 in Atlanta,
Georgia. Details below. Click
here for more information or to sign up.
Clear Board Goals + Effective Committees
= A Strategic Board
Wednesday 6/22 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Wonder how you can shift your board from a reactive
board to a strategic one? This session will teach
you how to set clear annual board goals, how to
distinguish the board's goals from those of the
school's leader, and how to structure your committees
for maximum effectiveness.
Effective and Efficient Charter School
Board Meetings
Wednesday 6/22 1:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Board meetings should be focused, strategic, efficient,
and engaging. Very few charter school board meetings
can be described in these terms. If you want to
learn how to dramatically improve your board meetings,
come to this lively, interactive session.
About Us
The
High Bar, founded by charter school governance
expert Marci
Cornell-Feist, creates web-based tools to
help charter school boards become more effective and
efficient. In our experience, Strong
Boards = Strong Schools. If you are passionate
about the mission of your charter school, you
should be passionate about strengthening the governance
of your school - and we can show you how. |
|
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Data-Driven Governance.
Keep your board on track with our web-based,
goal-centered platform for efficient,
effective governance.
|
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What to do. When do to it.
Your virtual board coach will help your board
work smarter with year-round, on-demand
board training.
Click
Here
to See Our Video |
|
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|
| May 23, 2011 - EdConnection
-- Weekly Update from Stan Heffner, Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction
-- May 23, 2011 |
|
May 23, 2011
Good morning,
As the end of this school year approaches, I wish you and
your education team the best for a smooth finish. I know that
you are spending every night and weekend of May at a different
end-of-year event, but your presence is appreciated by students,
their parents and the faculty. Your being there provides a
stage for students to show you and their families the results
of their work. In addition, your presence underscores the
importance of just how much students really did achieve during
the year. Thanks for giving so much of your time to publicly
celebrate your students’ accomplishments.
This week’s message details several items of interest
to you and your team, with dates to place in your calendar,
both in the near future and on the horizon.
Thanks for your hard work in service to Ohio’s children.
Make it a great week.
Sincerely,
Stan W.Heffner
Interim State Superintendent
Note: Below are news items
of interest to all superintendents and principals. Please
share these items as appropriate with other suggested educators
who will benefit from the information. We are interested in
your thoughts about how EdConnection fulfills your information
needs. Please send any comments or suggestions to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us.
·
For district and building administrators –
Comments on Supplemental Educational Services
waivers accepted. Please update Home Education contact information.
Credit flexibility waivers not available next school year.
·
Professional development for multiple educator
groups – Ohio ASCD Summer Conference features
current educational issues. Save the date for Ohio Summit
2.0.
·
For K-12 administrators and fiscal staff –
Reimbursement available for safety and violence prevention
training.
·
For preschool educators –
Early educators sought for professional development study.
·
Good news for everyone –
Spotlight on Great Oaks Institute of Technology
– Live Oaks Campus.
For district and building administrators
Comments on Supplemental Educational Services
waivers accepted
ODE is soliciting comments – both supporting and otherwise
– concerning two U.S. Department of Education Title
I Part A waivers regarding Supplemental Educational Services.
The comment period continues until June 1.
To comment on each waiver, please click here.
This page also is accessible from education.ohio.gov
from the Public Comments Sought on Waivers link at
bottom right. To comment, click on the link at the bottom
of each waiver.
Please update Home Education contact information
ODE is currently updating its list of district personnel who
serve as liaisons for home education. Please check the listing
posted under the Resources heading on ODE’s
home education Web page to see if the district or county representative
for your school is correct. If changes are needed to the names,
telephone numbers or email addresses listed, contact Nina
Pace at nina.pace@ode.state.oh.us
or (614)
752-5068. Please provide the district name in the subject
line of email messages.
Credit flexibility waivers not available next
school year
Waivers for specific elements of the state’s Credit
Flexibility Plan that were available for 2010-‘11 will
end with the close of this school year. These waivers were
available only for this school year to give districts time
to complete their transition planning. No additional waivers
will be granted for the 2011-‘12 school year or beyond.
All school districts (including public districts, community
schools and chartered nonpublic schools) are expected to have
fully developed credit flexibility plans in place at the start
of the 2011-‘12 school year. Also, please remember that districts
have an obligation to inform students and parents of these
opportunities annually. For credit flexibility resources and
guidance, please click here.
Professional development for multiple educator
groups
Ohio ASCD Summer Conference features current educational
issues
The 2011 Ohio ASCD Summer Conference, Current Educational
Issues in Ohio: Standards & Practice, will be held
June 28 at the Concourse Hotel & Conference
Center in Columbus. The conference will feature a keynote
presentation by Michael White, a pediatric psychologist and
educational consultant from Cincinnati. The agenda also will
familiarize participants with the Race to the Top initiative,
Ohio’s revised academic content standards and model
curricula, and what is known about the contributions teachers
make to student growth based on value-added data. ASCD, formerly
known as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development,
is an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing
best practices and policies for the success of each learner.
For registration information, visit the Ohio
ASCD website or call (937)
996-4211.
Save the date for Ohio Summit 2.0
The Ohio Summit 2.0, which was postponed
from its original April dates, will be held Dec. 8
in Columbus. The agenda will include interaction with Karl
Fisch, author of the Did You Know videos; Sarah Ippel,
of the School for Global Citizenship; and Ewan McIntosh, a
European digital learning expert. The conference co-presenters,
Partnership for 21st Century Skills and ODE, are planning
summit sessions that will be tied directly to the recently
approved model
curricula that support Ohio’s revised academic content
standards. The overall theme will continue to focus on transforming
learning environments and on developing 21stcentury skills
for students. More information will be posted on the summit
website. Questions may be directed to Russ Harris at RHarris8@ashland.edu
or Paula Aveni at PAveni@ashland.edu.
For K-12 administrators and fiscal staff
Reimbursement available for safety and violence
prevention training
Districts that have provided, or will provide, ODE’s
Safety and Violence Prevention Curriculum training to school
staff between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011, may seek reimbursement
for related costs until Aug. 31. The Safety
and Violence Prevention Curriculum can be used to ensure that
Ohio all K-12 nurses, teachers, counselors, school psychologists
and administrators receive their required training in positive
youth development, violence prevention and substance abuse
prevention. To access the application, curriculum and more
information, please click here.
For preschool educators
Early educators sought for professional development
study
District-operated preschool programs will benefit from participating
in a federally funded study that involves free professional
development beginning next fall for early education teachers.
The professional development will consist of a one-day session
offered regionally each month from September through December.
The registration deadline has been extended to May
31. The goal of the project, titled Assessing
Preschool Professionals’ Learning Experiences (APPLE:
Ohio), is to determine if the project’s professional
development courses can enhance teachers’ knowledge,
beliefs and practices so they can better prepare students
for kindergarten. Researchers will study Ohio preschool teachers
who complete the specially designed courses and will monitor
the reading skill development of these teachers’ students
during preschool and kindergarten.
The teachers’ seminars are free and, in most cases,
will meet the required hours of professional development for
individuals working in programs licensed by ODE and the Ohio
Department of Job and Family Services. ODE’s Office
of Early Learning and School Readiness and The Ohio State
University’s Early Childhood Quality Network (ecQ-net)
have designed the professional development courses. College
and continuing education unit credits also may be available.
Interested teachers should enroll first at the ecQ-net
website. Enrolled participants will receive email confirmations
with random assignments to study groups and instructions for
professional development registration. This project will continue
through 2013; new teachers will be asked to sign up each year.
Questions can be directed to Kathy Rider at kathryn.rider@ecqnet.org
or (614)
292-0624. |
Good news for everyone
Spotlight on Great Oaks Institute of Technology
– Live Oaks Campus
The Live Oaks Career Development Campus in Milford (near Cincinnati)
held its fourth annual Super Service Saturday in April. During
the event, students provided services to more than 300 community
members in the school’s many different career programs,
which are in areas including construction, animal science,
biotechnology, forensic studies, sports rehabilitation, early
childhood education, food service and computer technology.
The students built 90 toolboxes, supplied parents with child
identification kits and helped children make sun-catchers.
Approximately 50 visitors took fitness tests and nearly 200
visitors were pampered with nail  treatments
by cosmetology students, pictured at left.
Students provided computer “clean-ups” and answered
many questions from patrons about how to improve their computer
systems. Community residents were invited to bring appliances,
metal, cell phones and computers for recycling. Assistant
Dean Joseph Moon said, “The highlight of the day was
the free hot dog lunch provided by our restaurant operations
program. Visitors got to meet our outstanding students and
staff, take advantage of our many services, and see our wonderful
campus. Super Service Saturday was a great
way to spend a rainy spring afternoon!” Congratulations
Live Oaks!
Note: If your students are
engaged in helping their communities and you would like to
share what they are doing, send an email to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us
and include “Spotlight” and your school or district
in the subject line. We also are pleased to receive digital
images of these activities.
Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here. |
|
|
| May 20, 2011 - News, Articles,
Resources and More from PediaStaff |
|
May 20, 2011
Issue 16, Volume 5
It's All About the Choices!
Greetings!
Here is our weekly newsletter! Enjoy!
News Items:
- Service Dogs Teach Educators About Disabilities
- Feel Good Story of the Week: 12 Year Old Blind Boy with
Autism Headed to College
- LA Times: Revisiting ADHD and Ritalin
- 'Play' in the News: So You Think You Know Why Animals
Play...
- Stem Cells - A New Frontier in Autism Research
- Advocacy Opportunity: DSM-5 Comment Period for SPD Reopened
Therapy Activities, Tips and Resources
- Product Review: Songames ™ for Sensory Integration
- Zoom! Wake up the Hand and the Brain for Writing
- Suggested Activities for Speech Sounds
Articles and Blogs
- Guest Blog: 5 Tips for Getting Through TSA with Special
Needs Kids
- Guest Blog: The Power of Therapeutic Play
- Pediatric Therapy Corner: Turn Taking and Waiting Games
- Worth Repeating: Raising a Son with Hearing Loss and Autism
- Also Worth Repeating: Oral Movements and Language Development
Feel free to contact us with any questions about our openings
or items in these pages. Have you discovered our RSS
feed? Click on the orange button below to subscribe to
all our openings and have them delivered to your Feed Reader! Don't
have an RSS Feed Reader set up? Sign up at
Feed
My Inbox and have any feed you like delivered
to your email inbox!
Have a great weekend and Take Care!
Heidi Kay and the PediaStaff Team
|
|
|
The Career Center
The links to the right are "live"
and reflect the most recent
SLP, OT, PT and related assistant jobs, and
ALL our Bilingual and School
Psychology Jobs.
To further narrow your search by state,
setting, bilingual, or term, use the
check boxes drop down menus.
If a particular search is returning
no hits it is possible that we do
not currently have new openings for
you with that selection criteria.
To see ALL our openings
click HERE
and further narrow your
search. |
|
|
|
Animal-Assisted
Therapy in the News:
Service Dogs Teach Educators
About Disabilities |
[Source: NPR.org]
Many disabled people say that life without
their service animals is unthinkable. And while
public institutions are required to admit service
animals without question, some public schools
claim they cannot handle the disruption of a
dog in a busy classroom.
Disabled students are hoping new federal guidelines
will help them avoid legal battles over their
animals.
Nathan And Sylvia
Everyone at Sherando High School in Virginia
knows Nathan Selove: He's the kid with the dog.
"Actually," he says, "she's the
only dog in the Frederick County public school
system, so far."
Sylvia is a sweet-tempered yellow Lab who accompanies
Nathan to school every day. She wears a green
vest that proclaims: "Don't pet me, I'm
working."
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Feel Good Story of the Week:
12 Year Old Blind Boy with
Autism Headed to College |
[Source: Fox News]
A 12-year-old boy from Georgia is heading to
college this fall, despite being blind in one
eye and having autism, MyFoxAtlanta reported.
Alex Beach, who is graduating this spring from
Eaton Academy in Roswell, Ga., has the IQ of
a genius, according to his mother, Melinda,
despite the struggles in life. He plans to attend
North Georgia College and State University in
Dahlonega, a short commute from his home.
Not only is Alex fluent in Japanese and Latin,
but he is a master of chess and can compose
music.
"I think it's kind of amazing for a 12-year-old
kid like me with all my struggles to get to
college," Alex said
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
ADHD in the News: Revisiting
ADHD and Ritalin |
[Source: The Los Angeles Times]
The doctor who in his 1996 book suggested that
the hyperactivity disorder was being over-diagnosed
has released a new book on the progress of some
of his patients over the years.
Fifteen years ago, Dr. Lawrence H. Diller, a
pediatrician from Walnut Creek, ignited a national
debate over the steep rise in children being
diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder and treated with stimulant medication.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
The Role of 'Play' for the Young
in the News: So You Think
You Know Why Animals Play |
Editor's Note:
We thought many of our readers would thoroughly
enjoy this article on the role of play in young
animals/mammals. This article came to our attention
through a Google Alert that we run on all articles
that cite "occupational therapy" and
"children." One of the references
to this article refers to an AJOT journal article.
Enjoy!
[Source: Scientific American]
The lush riverside vegetation sways as a herd
of elephant wends its way between the broken
pools. Standing at the top of an embankment,
a half-grown male is watching a larger elephant
trudge up the slope toward it.
Without warning, the youngster squats down on
his haunches (just like a dog) and launches
himself down the slope. Slithering at a good
speed, he collides (with an audible thump) into
the elephant below, sweeping them both, in a
flurry of waving limbs and trunks, to the foot
of the hill. There, lying on their stomachs,
the pair jousts, twisting and parrying with
trunk and tusk.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Autism Research
in the News: Stem Cells - A
New Frontier in Autism Research |
[Source: Autism Speaks]
Ricardo Dolmetsch, Ph.D. has a vision for autism
research. Using pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)
technology to create rare stem cells from other
"common" cells of the human body cells,
Dolmetsch and his lab at Stanford study neurodevelopmental
disorders such as autism.
Unlike embryonic stem cells or adult stem cells
which are isolated from existing and often difficult
to obtain tissues, iPSC's are "created"
from easy to obtain and plentiful sources, such
as skin or hair samples. This is accomplished
through a unique process where cells are developmentally
regressed to an earlier state.
Read
the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Advocacy Opportunity: DSM-5
Comment Period for SPD Reopened |
[Source: The Sensory Processing Disorder
Foundation]
The publishers of the 2013 revision of the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) have announced
another opportunity for public comments on the
proposed revisions to the DSM-5. The Sensory
Processing Disorder Foundation is coordinating
another comment campaign to show the APA that
there is widespread, informed support for including
SPD in the revised DSM-5 that will be published
in 2013.
Please follow the link below to find suggestions
and instructions for commenting.
Additionally, please forward this page to colleagues,
family members, teachers, and friends and ask
them to submit a comment to the American Psychiatric
Association (APA) supporting recognition of
Sensory Processing Disorder in DSM-5.
We especially need comments from physicians,
particularly child psychiatrists and researchers.
If you have a website, blog or social networking
page, those are great places to get the word
out, too.
Learn
How You can Comment on the DSM-5 Regarding SPD |
Product Review: Songames
™ for Sensory Integration |
Songames ™ for Sensory Integration
is a wonderful resource for any therapist, teacher,
or parent who's looking for a structured, musically-facilitated,
20-minute experience for their child or client.
The product comes with 2 CDs and a 66-page instructional
booklet. I was highly impressed with the booklet,
which includes:
- a brief history of how Songames came to
be;a description of the Circle Form concept
and the 5 different Circle Form experiences
included in the product;
- ideas for how to use Songames individually,
at home, in a classroom, and in a group;
- variation ideas for each song and experience;
- a glossary of terms; and
- a lengthy reference section
Read
the Rest of this Review on our Blog |
Therapy Activity of the Week: 'Zoom'
- Wake Up the Hand and Brain for Writing |
Special Thanks to our friends at SensoryFlow.com
for permission to reprint this excellent video!
Please support our contributors and visit SensoryFlow.com
Let's do ZOOM!
John Murray, Occupational Therapist, has been
teaching parents and teachers this easy fast
technique to increase successful writing in
kids! He has it down to 52 seconds after a few
practice tries. Any teacher in any class can
incorporate this before any writing activity
takes place.
The purpose of ZOOM! is to wake up the nerves
in the hands, separate the left and right sides
of the brain and to get kids fingers in the
right position for optimal writing position.
Read
More and Watch this Video on our Blog |
Therapy Activity/Resource of the
Week: Suggested Activities
for Speech Sounds |
Special Thanks to Literacy
Speaks for suggesting this week's
Therapy Resource of the Week - Suggested Activities
with Speech Sounds
[Source: Reading Rockets]
Children must understand how speech sounds work
to be ready for instruction in reading and writing.
There are many activities that you can do with
your students to help them increase their knowledge
of speech sounds and their relationship to letters.
Check
out These Activities Through a Link on our Blog |
|
|
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Guest
Blogs This Week: Family Trek, Full
Spectrum |
5 Tips for Getting Through TSA with Special Needs
Kids - By: Stephanie Yost Hicks
Editor's Note: This
blog post was written for parents of special needs children.
With the summer vacation season nearly upon us, we thought
it would be a nice article to share with the parents of
your kiddos.
Last July I traveled to Philadelphia for the annual
Juvenile Arthritis Conference. My then 2-year-old has Juvenile
Arthritis and this was our first big trip across country.
She has traveled many times, but her health had kept us
home for quite some time. I knew this trip was going to
be difficult for her and tricky to navigate the airline
regulations with her special needs. I made several phone
calls to TSA and the airlines on what could be done to ensure
a smooth trip, unlike so many other trips we had taken.
Read
the Rest of this Article on our Blog |
The Power of Therapeutic Play - By: Pamela
Ullmann, ATR-BC, LCAT
Children with Autism have many challenges with socialization
and communication. They find it extremely difficult to relate
to others; especially to their peers. Instead of playing
with toys in imaginative ways (such as pretending a doll
is really "my baby") they may use toys for self-stimulation,
perseverate on objects, and become entirely self-absorbed.
For typical children, play allows learning and social skills
to build naturally. We usually do not have to "teach"
children to play. However, a child on the spectrum may need
some guidance. Play can be a great tool for helping children
to go beyond autism's self-absorption into a real and shared
interaction. When directed properly, creative play can also
help children explore their feelings and their environment.
Eventually this can lead to stronger relationships with
parents, siblings and peers.
Read
the Rest of this Guest Post on our Blog |
|
Pediatric Therapy Corner: Turn
Taking and Waiting Games |
By: Marinet vanVuren
Turn-taking is an important social skill to learn. Communication
involves listening, waiting and taking turns. Two people
having a conversation take turns to speak, gesture and make
eye contact. If two people talk at once, communication breaks
down. Many young children find it difficult to learn to
wait, share and take turns. A child with a communication
difficulty may find it particularly hard to accept the rules
of turn-taking and sharing.
Turn taking begins very early, long before children learn
to talk. Parents respond to sounds which their baby makes,
and the baby repeats the sound again, resulting in a 'conversation'
where the two speakers listen to each other and take their
turn. Turn taking skills should be encouraged early on,
to help develop an understanding of the rules of conversational
turn-taking as well as promoting good standards of behaviour.
Read
the Rest of This Article on our Blog |
Worth Repeating: - Amy Lapain's
Story: Raising a Son with Hearing Loss and Autism |
By: Amy Lapain
Editor's Note: Thanks to our friends
at CASPLA
for calling this article on Cochlear
Implant Online to our attention!
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away... well that is
how it seems. As I prepared to write this article, I was
sent searching through my pictures to find one the day Andrew
was diagnosed as profoundly hearing impaired. You see, he
was born before the digital age, so I had to go through
a few boxes of actual print pictures to find it! I was recalling
all the fun, and difficult times we have had over the last
10 years as I thumbed through the pictures.
Andrew was born with a profound sensorineural hearing loss
and was implanted at 13 months of age. He was born early,
received the proper hearing test in the NICU and I was told
by the pediatrician that he might "grow into his hearing."
I was a new, first time mom. This, my dear friends, is not
the case and I find it difficult to believe that such a
good doctor could even utter those words. Thankfully, I
am a pursuer. And pursue I did. We went ahead with the appropriate
testing and on October 31, 2000, just two months after Andrew
was born, we had a confirmed diagnosis.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog |
Also Worth Repeating - Oral
Movements and Language Development |
by: by Katie Alcock
How are Language Development and Motor Development
Linked?
Editor's Note: We wish
to thank Apraxia-Kids
for allowing us to link to their useful articles.
People have been asking for a long time whether children
who are good, or poor, at motor (movement) skills are likely
to be good, or poor, at language skills. Here's what we
know so far. When you look at walking, running, jumping
and other gross motor skills you don't find any link between
these and language - children who are slow or fast to walk
are not necessarily slow or fast to talk. However there
is a lot of evidence that hand gestures (including things
like waving bye-bye and pointing - communicative gestures
- and things like showing what you do with scissors or a
comb, without having them in your hand - symbolic gestures)
are linked to language abilities. Children who use hand
gestures early are likely to be early talkers. Children
who are late to use gestures are likely to be late talkers,
and are more likely than children whose gestures are on
schedule to remain delayed in their language use. There
is also an association in older children between having
disordered or delayed language development and having difficulties
with control of limb movements - it is not just a link in
early life.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog |
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Up For Your Copy of This Newsletter! |
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Please Note: The views
and advice expressed in articles, videos and other pieces
published in this newsletter are not necessarily the views
and advice of PediaStaff or its employees but rather that
of the author. PediaStaff is not endorsing or implying
agreement with the views or advice contained therein, rather
presenting them for the independent analysis and information
of its readers. |
|
|
| May 20, 2011 - Food Solutions |
Are you still looking for a
point-of-sale system?
We can get you taken care of by the end of this school year.
There's no need to stay frustrated any longer. Let us help.
By the way, each POS comes with access to our online payment portal so that
parents can pay for lunch, school fees and after school programs. It's
another frustration out of the way for you.
Ready for help?
Mitch Johns
President/CEO
Food Service Solutions, Inc. | MySchoolAccount
Toll Free: 1-800-425-1425
Office: 814-317-4400
mitch@myschoolaccount.com
www.foodserve.com
www.myschoolaccount.com |
| May 19, 2011 - Doing More
with Less - School Year End Savings |
Doing More with
Less – School Year End Savings
- Are your budgets under pressure? YES!
- Are you being asked to do more with less? YES!
- Do you have $2,500 available in your year-end monies (General Funds,
ARRA Title Funds)?
If the answer to last question is “YES” then I have a special
offer for your consideration.
Schools and school districts across the state are being asked to do more
with less, yet research shows again and again that high-quality formative
assessments can have a powerful affect on student learning.
Scantron is allowing me to offer you a special school-year-end one-time
purchase price of only $2,500 for a formative assessment software
package that includes a perpetual license (NO ANNUAL license fees)for
the 1)Prosper Assessment System, 2) online training for this software,
and 3) one year of toll-free telephone support.
In addition, if your school already owns a compatible Scantron scanner,
I will include 1,000 test answer sheets at no additional charge.
Prosper Assessment System works with a wide variety of scanners
for scanning tests – if in doubt - please contact me to confirm
your scanner compatibility.
· Please take 5 minutes from your hectic
schedule to call me at O: 989-652-9293
or V\M: 800-722-6876
x6550, or email me at jack_brown@scantron.com,
I can quickly show how you can provide your teachers and the students
you serve with a formative assessment system that is practical, effective,
affordable and easy to use at the classroom and school levels.
· Simplifying your assessment process,
Prosper Assessment System automates your process of scoring tests
as well as managing and reporting the results from these tests.
· Prosper Assessment System provides
immediate feedback by learning standards for individual students and
groups of students so that your instruction can be focused where the need
is the greatest.
For a ONE-TIME PURCHASE OF $2,500, you receive a classroom assessment
program that will help you and your teachers 1) measure your student’s
progress, 2) provide immediate assessment results, and 3) allow you to
make adjustments in your student’s instruction.
If you are able to take advantage of this offer, PLEASE ACT
NOW!
This SPECIAL OFFER EXPIRES on JUNE
30, 2011. Please call or email me today!
Jack D. Brown, M.A.
O: 989-652-9293
V\M: 800-722-6876
x6550
jack_brown@scantron.com
For more information about the Prosper Assessment System, please see:
http://www.scantron.com/prosper |
| May 17, 2011 - Autism &
Asperger Bookstore - Free Shipping - Over 250 Books! |
|
Spectrum Training Systems,
Inc.
Autism Bookstore with Free Shipping
 Our newly
remodeled online
bookstore has over 250 books and products that were
selected specifically to educate teachers,
parents, therapists and children about Autism Spectrum
Disorders (ASDs).
Inside our bookstore, you can browse through books
on specific topics
such as: behavior, social skills, education, children's
books, Asperger Syndrome, emotional wellness and more.
And as always, we ship for free across
the continental United States!
|
|
Pedro's
Whale
By Paula Kluth, Ph.D. & Patrick Schwarz, Ph.D. |
Book Price: $18.95
Pedro, a young boy who loves whales more than anything,
is heartbroken when he is told to put away his favorite
toy whale on the first day of school. But then Pedro's
teacher discovers the secret to helping him do his best
work: not only giving him his whale, but also incorporating
his special interest into the whole curriculum. Soon,
Pedro's whale is helping all the children learn, as
the teacher works whales into math lessons, storytime,
simple science experiments, and more!
An ideal teaching tool, Pedro's Whale will inspire educators
to harness their students natural motivations. The engaging,
full-color illustrations (by Justin Canha, a gifted
artist on the autism spectrum) also make this book perfect
for storytime, so all children can increase their sensitivity
to peers with special needs and learning differences.
Click
here to read more
Click
here to browse Children's Books
|
Inclusive Programming for High School Students
with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome
By Sheila Wagner, M.Ed. |
Book Price: $24.95
Successful inclusion relies on flexibility of parents
and educators, and their ability to work together for
the sake of the student. Training, collaboration, specialized
teaching, long-term planning, and a clear idea of the
desired outcome for the student are just as important
at the high school level as they were in elementary
and middle school.
This comprehensive guide will help you give your child
or student the best possible high school experience.
You will learn how to help students navigate the social
minefields of friendships and dating, while fostering
the executive functioning skills they will need as adults.
Expert Sheila Wagner provides the strategies and solutions
you'll need before, during, and after high school.
Click
here to read more
Click
here to browse Inclusion books
|
The Social Skills Picture Book: Teaching
Play, Emotion, and Communication to Children with Autism
By Jed Baker, Ph.D. |
Book Price: $39.95
The Social Skills Picture Book provides a teaching
tool that "engages the attention and motivation
of students who need help learning appropriate social
skills." It demonstrates through 200 pictures nearly
30 social skills, such as sharing, listening, empathy,
compromising, keeping calm, and dealing with mistakes.
Most children need and want social skills to make friends,
and, often, their level of happiness and productivity
is dependant on these fundamentals. The Social Skills
Picture Book teaches these critical social skills by
visually showing children what to do. This book uses
photographs of students engaging in a variety of real-life
social situations. The realistic format plays to the
visual strengths of children with ASD to teach appropriate
social behaviors. Color photographs illustrate the "right
way" and "wrong way" to approach each
situation, and the positive/negative consequences of
each. A facilitator is initially needed to explain each
situation, and ask questions such as "What is happening
here?" Children are able to role-play these skills
until confident enough to practice them in real-life
interactions.
Click
here to read more
Click
here to browse Social Skills books
|
A Treasure Chest of Behavioral Strategies
for Individuals with Autism
By Maria Wheeler, M.Ed. and Beth Fouse, Ph.D. |
Book Price: $39.95
A cornucopia of ideas, strategies, and concepts that
will apply to virtually any situation! The authors address
sensory, communication, and physical and social-emotional
issues by increasing desired behaviors and decreasing
unwanted behaviors.
You will also learn how to build "sensory diets"
into everyday activities; use antecedent control; teach
students to self-regulate; deal with self-injurious
behaviors, physical or verbal aggression, toilet training,
obsessive-compulsive behavior, and fixations; deal with
crisis/stress/data management and much more.
Click
here to read more
Click
here to browse Behavior books |
|
|
|
|
| May 17, 2011 - From The
High Bar: Is Your Board Strategic or Reactive? |
Do
you have a plan in place
to conduct an end of year
school leader evaluation?
The High Bar can help.
Click the link below to
learn more:
THB
End of Year Leader Evaluation
Opportunity
Want to see The
High Bar tools in Action?
Click below to register
for one of our upcoming
web-demos--where you can
see our time-saving tools,
developed exclusively
for charter school boards,
in action:
Product
Demo Registration |
Welcome to the May 2011 edition
of The High Bar's
Newsletter! Please let
us know how we can support
your board in reaching the high
bar of charter school governance.
Is Your Board Strategic
or Reactive?
by Marci Cornell-Feist
Our last newsletter polled board
members: how much meeting time
is spent reacting to
immediate issues, and how much
time is spent strategizing for
the future? A full 90% of
responding boards spend most
of their meeting time reacting. Does
this sound like your board?
At The High Bar,
we know how immediate issues
have the tendency to overtake
meeting time. However, we believe
a board's work--and thus meeting
content--should evolve over
time, and we use the table below
as an easy guide. What do you
think - does this fit your board?
How Are Effective Boards Preparing
for Next Year?
With the end of the
school year fast approaching,
the most effective school boards
are asking:
- How did our board add
value this year?
- What are the most important
things our board should focus
on next year?
- How did our students
perform academically and
how does this compare to what
is stated in our charter
and accountability plan?
- Do we have an effective
process for supporting
and evaluating our leader?
- How many new trustees should
we add and where are we going
to find them?
To discuss these questions
and learn more about the web-based
tools that we've built to answer
them, click on one of the links
below to register for our free
webinar -
10 Things to Do to Strengthen
the Governance of Your Charter
School (and how to harness the
power of technology to do this)
Wednesday, May 25 from noon
to 1pm eastern time
Register here
or
Wednesday, June 1 from noon
to 1pm eastern time
Register
here
If you are interested in a demonstration
but can't make the above times,
please let
us know and we will
find a time that works for you.
About Us
The
High Bar, founded by
charter school governance expert Marci
Cornell-Feist, creates web-based
tools to help charter school
boards become more effective and
efficient. In our experience, Strong
Boards = Strong Schools. If
you are passionate about the
mission of your charter school,
you should be passionate about
strengthening the governance
of your school - and we can
show you how. |
|
|
Data-Driven Governance System
Keep your board on track with
our web-based,
goal-centered platform for efficient,
effective governance.
click the image above
to learn more
or click here to
take a quick tour
|
|
What to do. When do to it.
Your virtual board coach will
help your board work smarter
with year-round,
on-demand board training. Take
the BoardSavvy assessments and
see how your board stacks up.
Our electronic
coach will then
help you craft an improvement
plan. Strengthen your governance
with 24/7 access to our road-tested
wisdom.
click the image above
to learn more
or click here
to see our video |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| May 17, 2011 - From The
High Bar: Is Your Board Strategic or Reactive? |
Welcome to the May 2011 edition
of The High Bar's Newsletter!
Please let
us know how we can support your board
in reaching the high bar of charter school governance.
Is Your Board Strategic or Reactive?
by Marci Cornell-Feist
Our last newsletter polled board members: how
much meeting time is spent reacting to
immediate issues, and how much time is spent strategizing for
the future? A full 90% of
responding boards spend most of their meeting
time reacting. Does
this sound like your board?
At The High Bar, we know how
immediate issues have the tendency to overtake
meeting time. However, we believe a board's work--and
thus meeting content--should evolve over time,
and we use the table below as an easy guide. What
do you think - does this fit your board?
How Are Effective Boards Preparing for Next Year?
With the end of the school year fast approaching,
the most effective school boards are asking:
- How did our board add value this year?
- What are the most important things our board
should focus on next year?
- How did our students perform academically and
how does this compare to what is stated in our charter
and accountability plan?
- Do we have an effective process for supporting
and evaluating our leader?
- How many new trustees should
we add and where are we going to find them?
To discuss these questions and learn more about
the web-based tools that we've built to answer
them, click on one of the links below to register
for our free webinar -
10 Things to Do to Strengthen the Governance
of Your Charter School (and how to harness the
power of technology to do this)
Wednesday, May 25 from noon to 1pm eastern time
Register here
or
Wednesday, June 1 from noon to 1pm eastern time
Register
here
If you are interested in a demonstration but can't
make the above times, please let
us know and we will find a time that
works for you.
About Us
The
High Bar, founded by charter school governance
expert Marci
Cornell-Feist, creates web-based tools to
help charter school boards become more effective and
efficient. In our experience, Strong
Boards = Strong Schools. If you
are passionate about the mission of your charter
school, you should be passionate about strengthening
the governance of your school - and we can show
you how. |
|
|
Data-Driven Governance System
Keep your board on track with our web-based,
goal-centered platform for efficient,
effective governance.
click the image above to learn more
or click here to
take a quick tour
|
|
What to do. When do to it.
Your virtual board coach will help your board
work smarter with year-round, on-demand
board training. Take the BoardSavvy
assessments and see how your board stacks up.
Our electronic coach will
then help you craft an improvement plan. Strengthen
your governance with 24/7 access to our road-tested
wisdom.
click the image above to learn more
or click here
to see our video |
|
|
|
|
| May 17, 2011 - Reminder
- Danielson Framework Webinar Today |
Charlotte
Danielson Webinar
Reduce PD Costs While Increasing Teacher Effectiveness |
May 10, 2011 |
Register
for the Webinar |
Get More Results from PD with the Danielson
Online Resource Library
By deeply aligning professional development (PD) resources to the
Danielson Framework for Teaching, districts and schools can lower
their PD cost and increase teacher effectiveness.
In this free webinar, learn how the Danielson Resource Library,
part of the ASCD Teacher Effectiveness Suite, can be used to turn
your teacher observation process into a growth and development process
as teachers utilize the Danielson Resource Library to improve their
instructional practices. See examples of videos and teacher classroom
tools and reflection activities.
Register
online to attend the webinar on Tuesday, May 17 at 2pm
Eastern.
 |
This information is provided by iObservation,
a comprehensive system for teacher effectiveness. |
 
|
Charlotte Danielson Webinar
 |
Charlotte Danielson
Author
Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching |
|
|
| May 16, 2011 - Gangs, Guns,
Drugs, & School Safety Workshop |
Susan M. Clark,
Community Relations Consultant
Portage County Educational Service Center
326 East Main Street
Ravenna, OH 44266
P 330.297.1436
X1405|F 330.297.1113
Email: sclark@portage.esc.org
Website: http://www.portage-esc.org |
| May 16, 2011 - Common Core
State Standards (CCSS) Screener Promo |
Good morning,
Attached, please find a promo
flyer for our new i-READY Common Core State Standards
Screener (CCSS). Through Sept. 1,
2011, we are offering our CCSS site licenses at 50% off.
Find out how prepared your schools are for the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS). The i-Ready CCSS Screener is
a quick, online assessment that makes it easy to identify potential
trouble spots—taking the guesswork out of effectively preparing
for the CCSS.
· Identify the
standards with which your school or district is most likely to struggle
· Inform curriculum
and professional development planning based on gaps
· Receive instructional
recommendations to help plan instruction for the standards tested
directly in the screener
Click
here to view a demo of the CCSS
We also have a great NEW Diagnostic Assessment and Instructional
piece called i-Ready Diagnostic and Instruction. i-Ready
Diagnostic & Instruction (Diagnostic Grades K-8; Instruction
Grades K-6) Precisely pinpoint student needs and accelerate learning
with a powerful online Reading and Math program customized for every
student. The all-new i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction Reading
and Math is an effective combination of adaptive diagnostic assessment,
engaging differentiated instruction, and instant reporting.
Please let me know if you have any questions or would like any
additional information.
Best Wishes,
Morgan Bennett King | Southern OH & WV
Curriculum Associates LLC
614-296-2356 |
mbennett@cainc.com
Fax: 614-386-2082
http://www.CurriculumAssociates.com
Learn
more about the BRIGANCE Transition Skills Inventory (TSI)
Learn
more about the Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills II (CIBS
II)
Learn
more about the Inventory of Early Development II (IED II) |
|
| May 16, 2011 - EdConnection
-- Weekly Update from Stan Heffner, Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction
-- May 16, 2011 |
|
May 16, 2011
Good afternoon,
Last Wednesday I testified before the Senate Finance Committee
on the House-passed version of HB 153, the 2012-13 biennium budget
bill. My testimony focused on the work conducted by ODE to prepare
Ohio’s 1.8 million students to be ready for making successful
college and career choices after high school graduation. Specifically,
I highlighted the current work and new initiatives proposed in the
bill around curriculum and assessment, the teaching profession,
student supports and options, and accountability and intervention.
My testimony is available here.
Additional budget information can be found at education.ohio.gov,
or by following this link: FY
2012-2013 budget information. The Senate is expected to
approve the final version of the budget in early June and then the
bill will go to conference committee with expected approval by June
30. This process is lengthy and I will continue to keep you updated
on the development of the budget.
I want to share two changes in ODE leadership so that you have
updated information for your communication with two centers. First,
Sasheen Phillips is now the interim associate superintendent of
ODE’s Center for Curriculum and Assessment. Second, Lori Lofton
is now the executive director of the Center for the Teaching Profession.
Thanks for your hard work in service to Ohio’s children.
Make it a great week.
Sincerely,
Stan Heffner
Note: Below are news items of interest
to all superintendents and principals. Please share these items
as appropriate with other suggested educators who will benefit from
the information. We are interested in your thoughts about how EdConnection
fulfills your information needs. Please send any comments or suggestions
to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us.
· For
all administrators, especially EMIS managers and guidance counselors
– Further information on SSIDs provided;
· For
leadership teams, treasurers and Safe and Drug-Free Schools coordinators
– Fiscal and planning activities required as Title IV
– Part A funds conclude;
· For
curriculum leaders – Meetings to help in transitioning
to revised standards implementation;
· Good
news for everyone – Spotlight on Emerson Magnet School
in Westerville.
For all administrators, especially EMIS managers and
guidance counselors
Further information on SSIDs provided
As reported in last week’s newsletter, ODE is asking districts
to begin including state student identifying (SSID) numbers on student
records that high schools transfer to postsecondary institutions.
As a note of clarification, we recommend that schools ask Information
Technology Centers (ITCs) or software vendors to have SSIDs included
when these documents are generated electronically. While adding
the SSID by hand is possible, it is preferable to have the numbers
printed by electronic means.
For leadership teams, treasurers and Safe and Drug-Free
Schools coordinators
Fiscal and planning activities required as Title IV
– Part A funds conclude
Because the Safe and Drug-Free Schools (SDFS) funds, which
are Title IV – Part A federal funds, will be eliminated as
the federal fiscal year ends in September, districts are asked to
take several steps:
· Fiscal
activities – ODE has extended the obligation period for
these funds from June 30 to Sept. 30. The liquidation
period and Final Expenditure Report (FER) deadlines will remain
Sept. 30. School districts with Title IV –
Part A carryover funds may purchase materials, curriculum or services
for school climate purposes, including: preventing violence in and
around schools; preventing the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and
drugs; involving parents and communities in children’s education;
fostering safe and drug-free learning environments that promote
student academic achievement; and sustaining SDFS programs by collaborating
and sharing resources with community partners.
Additional guidance is available through an hour-long webinar titled
Title IV Carryover Funds, which is posted on the SDFS
Web page. If the district SFDS budget needs revisions, please
contact the assigned ODE federal programs consultant. District treasurers
will be contacted by ODE staff from May 23 to June
3 to discuss use of SDFS funds.
· District
planning survey – Because the SDFS funding will be eliminated,
ODE will begin surveying districts this week to learn how they have
planned prevention and intervention services with community partners,
and identified risk factors and students’ nonacademic needs.
Superintendents will be receiving an email with a link to a brief
survey that they may complete themselves, or request a designated
staff member to complete by the June 17 deadline.
· State resources
– Please review Ohio’s
Climate Guidelines (2004) and A
Comprehensive System of Learning Supports (2007) as the
district develops its annual school improvement plan. These resources
offer guidance for developing safe and supportive learning environments
that promote student achievement. Please direct any questions to
Jill Jackson at (614)
466-9540 or jill.jackson@ode.state.oh.us.
For curriculum leaders
Meetings to help in transitioning to revised standards
implementation
Curriculum leaders from all Ohio schools (public and nonpublic)
and Educational Service Centers (ESCs) will have another opportunity
on June 3 to attend one of the spring/summer meetings
ODE has been conducting related to Ohio’s revised academic
content standards and model curricula. The meeting will be held
from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Columbus Northgate Center. Participants,
who will be prepared to hold similar local meetings for their teachers,
will conduct collaborative planning and learn about the stages outlined
in a transition roadmap for the next few years. Also at this session,
ODE will gather suggestions for future professional development,
related information resources and effective planning strategies.
Similar meetings were held in April for representatives of all 57
Ohio ESCs and district curriculum leaders (including those who are
and are not currently working with an ESC). Please note
that the meeting updates and expands content covered during fall
meetings on this topic. To register for the June 3 meeting or to
express interest in another meeting date, please contact Lisa Simpson
at lisa.simpson@ode.state.oh.us.
Good news for everyone
Spotlight on Emerson Magnet School in Westerville
When they learned that more than 4,000 children die every day from
diseases caused by unsafe drinking water, students at Emerson World
Languages and Cultures Magnet School in Westerville agreed to do
what they can to make a difference. Emerson began a schoolwide service
learning effort to support the P&G
Safe Drinking Water Project. The students’ goals are to
raise awareness of the safe drinking water issue, as well as funding
for water purification packets through the P&G project for those
without access to clean drinking water worldwide.
 Under
the direction of third-grade teacher Beth Dalin and first-grade
teacher Mary Taylor, students have done extensive research and problem-solving.
They continue to talk about their project with fellow pupils, parents,
faculty and staff within Westerville City Schools and its community.
(Students at left staff a project information booth at a Westerville
community event.) As a learning exercise when presenting to
these groups, the students share bottles of donated water that display
handmade labels describing their program. So far, audiences have
donated more than $4,100, with many more events on the calendar.
Through their efforts, Emerson students have raised enough funds
to provide at least 547 children safe drinking water for a year.
Principal Vicki Jarrell said, “This project is growing in
size and has presented a rich and relevant learning opportunity
for our students across all grade levels.” Jarrell also reported
that Emerson was selected last year by The League (now
part of the generationOn youth service movement) as the
number one elementary school in Ohio for its overall community service
programs, and the number six school nationwide in a League recognition
competition.
Note: If your students are engaged
in helping their communities and you would like to share what they
are doing, send an email to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us
and include “Spotlight” and your school or district
in the subject line. We also are pleased to receive digital images
of these activities.
Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here.
|
|
| May 15, 2011 - (OEC-LS)
Registration Now Open for the Special Education Leadership Conference |
|
Kathe Shelby, Director
- Office for Exceptional Children (May 2011) |
Registration Open for Ohio's 5th Annual Special
Education Leadership Conference
Registration is open at www.ocecd.org
for Ohio's 5th Annual Special Education Leadership Conference scheduled
for September 19-20, 2011 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
The 2011 conference theme "Charting a Course for Improvement
- Strategies That Work!" continues the tradition of quality
professional development by presenting an outstanding program featuring
local and national experts in the field of special education.
This year's program includes a variety of sessions for Directors,
Supervisors, Coordinators, other administrative professionals and
Special Education Instructional personnel. Select conference strands
and sessions will be geared toward those who are interested in how
state and federal policies are affecting children. Concurrent session
will provide information on professional development and effective
instructional strategies that teachers will be able to implement
right away! For additional information on the program visit www.edresourcesohio.org.
An important feature includes commercial and nonprofit vendors who
will showcase the latest resources, technology and products available
for classroom instruction and support. The exhibit area has been
expanded to include more vendors, Research Poster presentations
and ODE's "Avenue of Answers" - for informal dialogue
and Q & A sessions with ODE consultants. The registration fee
of $100 includes participation in the sessions, meeting with the
exhibitors and sponsors, socializing with Kathe Shelby and the national
presenters at a Meet and Greet in the exhibit area, a networking
luncheon on Monday and a continental breakfast on Tuesday. After
August 29th the registration fee increases to $175. |
|
--
|
|
| May 10, 2011 - Danielson
Framework Webinar: Reduce PD Costs While Increasing Teacher Effectiveness |
Charlotte
Danielson Webinar
Reduce PD Costs While Increasing Teacher Effectiveness |
May 10, 2011 |
Register
for the Webinar |
Get More Results from PD
with the Danielson Online Resource Library
By deeply aligning professional development (PD) resources
to the Danielson Framework for Teaching, districts and
schools can lower their PD cost and increase teacher
effectiveness.
In this free webinar, learn how the Danielson Resource
Library, part of the ASCD Teacher Effectiveness Suite,
can be used to turn your teacher observation process
into a growth and development process as teachers utilize
the Danielson Resource Library to improve their instructional
practices. See examples of videos and teacher classroom
tools and reflection activities.
Register
online to attend the webinar on Tuesday, May 17
at 2pm Eastern.
|
This information is provided by
iObservation,
a comprehensive system for teacher effectiveness. |
|
Charlotte Danielson Webinar
|
Charlotte Danielson
Author
Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework
for Teaching |
|
|
|
|
| May 9, 2011 - EdConnection
-- Weekly Update from Stan Heffner, Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction |
|
May 9, 2011
Good afternoon,
I do hope everyone had a pleasant weekend and an opportunity to
honor a mom in your life (perhaps your own) – or those of
your students or teachers in your building. It is a great time to
reflect on the life lessons we have all learned because of a mom.
Last week, I mentioned the importance of the primary election this
past Tuesday. Now that we have an unofficial canvass
of results, I congratulate those districts that were successful
in their efforts. Across the state, of the 146 school ballot issues,
we had 86 pass. I know the amount of time and team effort it takes
to take on a ballot issue campaign. It can be overwhelming, to say
the least. For those of you who were successful, as you move forward
in your plans to support your district, I know you will remember
the trust your community has placed in you. It is a gratifying vote
of confidence when your community supports a school ballot issue.
Your commitment to make a difference for your students is greatly
appreciated.
During a time when budgetary challenges force many districts to
curtail programs in the arts, 14 Ohio school districts were selected
last week to receive the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME)
designation by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM)
Foundation. The Ohio recipients are among 179 communities acknowledged
nationwide for their commitment to, and support for, music education
in schools. Music and the arts are important components of a well-rounded
curriculum that promote creativity, self-discipline and self-expression.
I commend the BCME communities of Ohio – including their students,
parents, teachers and administrators – for making this honor
possible. Learn more about the selected districts and the NAMM award
here.
Other positive news received last week concerns an Ohio
READ poster featuring two Ohio State School for the Blind Marching
Band students. The poster, which features the students using a Digital
Talking Book reader, is receiving attention from many other states.
Learn more about the posters and how to access the readers for students
with visual impairments in the news section below.
Also last week, the state budget continued to be revised as a substitute
bill was introduced and passed by the House of Representatives.
The bill will now move to the Ohio Senate and I will provide testimony
on this legislation soon. I will work to provide you with updates
as the bill continues its progress toward final passage.
Thanks for your hard work in service to Ohio’s children.
Make it a great week.
Sincerely,
Stan Heffner
Items that may be of interest or require follow up are:
· For
superintendents and principals – Please
respond to surveys regarding technology readiness and assessment
accommodations,
· For
teachers and leaders of curriculum and assessment –Updates
on Ohio Resident Educator Program described, Schedule for 2011 Summer
Teacher Academy in financial literacy posted, Consider planning
a Take a Veteran to School Day around Memorial Day, English language
arts model curriculum is online
· Resources
and good news – State library provides talking book
readers, Spotlight on Assumption Academy in Broadview Heights
For superintendents and principals
Please respond to surveys regarding technology readiness
and assessment accommodations
As the school year ends, ODE is using surveys to gather important
information. Because the schedule for several initiatives overlap,
ODE must ask superintendents and principals to ensure that several
questionnaires are completed soon by the appropriate staff members:
· Survey
regarding technology readiness – All Ohio superintendents
(at traditional districts, community schools and nonpublic schools)
will be receiving two email messages regarding a technology readiness
survey ODE is asking technology experts to complete. The surveys
are the first step in developing a new statewide assessment system,
to be implemented in 2014-2015. The system, which will include computer-based
assessments, will be aimed at tracking student progress through
the elementary and high school years and ensuring that students
will graduate from high school with 21st-century knowledge and skills.
The survey data will be critically important as Ohio develops a
new statewide assessment system and will help in selecting districts
for assessment field tests in 2012-2013. Please identify the individual(s)
with the most complete understanding of district technological capacity
to complete the survey by May 31. The first email
message will provide more information about the assessment development,
and the second message will include a unique link for each district
to use in completing the online survey. Project information and
staff contacts are available here.
· Survey
about accommodations on the OAA and OGT – District personnel
who provided and/or administered accommodations during the 2011
Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) and Ohio Graduation Tests (OGT)
are asked to complete two surveys. Responses will be reported to
the U.S. Department of Education, which requires states to study
the appropriateness and effectiveness of accommodations for students
with disabilities and English language learners (ELL). Respondents
are asked to complete the survey as early as possible, but no later
than June 15. The survey for students with disabilities
(including ELLs with disabilities) is accessible here
and the survey for ELLs without disabilities is here.
For teachers and curriculum leaders
Updates on Ohio Resident Educator Program described
As readers know, the Ohio Resident Educator Program
is a four-year program of support and mentoring for new teachers,
scheduled to begin in August 2011. ODE staff provided information
at regional sessions this past winter to support district implementation.
The video PowerPoint of this presentation is now posted on the resident
educator Web page,
or by visiting education.ohio.gov
and searching keywords: resident educator. In addition,
the Resident Educator Program Standards Planning Tool is now available
in CORE to those with either the entry-year coordinator, treasurer
or superintendent role in the Ohio Educational Directory System.
Mentors who already have had the instructional mentoring (IM) training
in 2009-2011 will need only to take the one-day Resident Educator-1
training to qualify as a mentor for the residency program. New mentors
will be required to take both Instructional Mentoring Revised
and Resident Educator-1, two single-day trainings that
will be offered consecutively. The first series of trainings for
active mentors in the 2011-2012 school year will be held in various
locations during the last week of June. Additional trainings will
be scheduled through the summer and into the fall. Registration
is available now in STARS using SAFE
accounts. To learn more about starting a SAFE account, click here.
Schedule for 2011 Summer Teacher Academies in financial
literacy posted
Teachers of financial literacy in both high schools and middle schools
will be interested in training sessions beginning in late June through
August around the state. The programs are sponsored by Centers for
Economic Education and cover topics including: financial decision-making;
working and earning; budgeting, banking, saving and philanthropy;
effective use of credit; wealth creation and investing; and risk
management. Each center sets its own fees and handles registration
for its courses. The master schedule, listed here
under the heading Teacher Academy, provides schedules and
contact information for each center. This page also is available
from education.ohio.gov,
keyword search: financial literacy.
Consider planning a Take a Veteran to School Day around
Memorial Day
There are many meaningful ways to incorporate veterans as classroom
speakers into the curriculum throughout the school year, yet Memorial
Day and Veterans Day offer timely occasions to do so. Memorial
Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men
and women who died while serving in the American military. Originally
known as Decoration Day, it began in the years following the Civil
War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.
Inviting veterans to share their stories is a way of connecting
multiple generations, while helping young people learn about the
past. Local offices of the Veterans of Foreign War will connect
teachers with veterans who are willing to visit schools. Consider
adding a presentation or a visit to upcoming activities. Veterans
have a first-hand view of history and can bring it to life for students
and teachers alike.
English language arts model curriculum is online
As EdConnection readers will remember, during the summer
and fall of 2010, teachers across Ohio worked collaboratively in
teams to suggest instructional strategies and resources that align
with revised standards in science and social studies, and the Common
Core State Standards in mathematics and English language arts. Following
an intensive effort involving educators and advisory groups across
the state, the State Board of Education adopted model curricula
on March 15 in all four content areas. These curricula include the
instructional strategies, resources and several additional sections
with in-depth information. Since March, ODE has been editing the
material to eliminate any style, formatting or grammatical errors.
The edited model curriculum in English language arts is now posted
here.
Resources and good news
State library provides talking book readers
Digital Talking Book (DTB) readers are assistive technology devices
provided to Ohioans by the National Library Service through the
State Library of Ohio. During the past year, students and adults
who are blind or visually impaired have used the readers to hear
digitized books and materials read aloud. The National Library Service
has presented Ohio with a Best Practices citation for its efforts
in promoting use of the DTB readers. For more information on the
talking books, please see the State Library of Ohio website.
Districts also may request printed copies of posters
that promote reading, including one that features two students from
the Ohio State School for the Blind with a DTB reader. To request
a poster, contact Jim Buchman at jbuchman@library.ohio.gov
or (800) 686-1531.
Spotlight on Assumption Academy in Broadview Heights
Students of Assumption Academy in Broadview Heights held an annual
St. Jude Math-A-Thon® to benefit the children of St. Jude’s
Children’s Research Hospital. The program includes a free
math curriculum supplement for grades K-8 that students complete
after obtaining sponsorships from their families and friends. This
year, Assumption students raised $8,439, surpassing last year’s
total of $5,100. Kelly Schroeder, third grade teacher, served as
the project coordinator.
Principal Donna Sejba said, “In a world where cancer seems
to touch all of us, students showed their support in the Assumption
spirit. While St. Jude offered many tempting participation prizes
– including t-shirts, cameras and portable MP3 stereo speakers
– most students volunteered out of service to those families
struggling with cancer. Several students even donated their prizes
back to St. Jude.” Learn more about the St. Jude program here.
Hats off to Assumption Academy for their incredible results!
Note: If your students are engaged
in helping their communities and you would like to share what they
are doing, send an email to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us
and include “Spotlight” and your school or district
in the subject line. We also are pleased to receive digital images
of these activities.
Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here.
|
|
| May 8, 2011 - (OEC-LS) Pre-college
Experience for Students with Disabilities in Southeast Ohio, Twice Exceptional
Students Podcast, OSSB Summer Camp Programs |
|
Kathe Shelby, Director
- Office for Exceptional Children (May 2011) |
Pre-College Experience for High School Students
with Disabilities in Southeast Ohio-June 29-30
High school juniors and seniors with disabilities who live in Gallia,
Jackson, Vinton, Meigs, Scioto and Lawrence counties are eligible
to participate in “Ready, Set, Go…To College!”,
an on-campus pre-college experience at the University of Rio Grande
on June 29 and 30.
This free to students and parents experience will allow participants
to experience college life and learn how to be prepared to successfully
make the transition from high school to college. Students will
learn from current college students with disabilities, hear from
disability services personnel, take a college class and spend one
night in a residence hall. Night time recreational activities
included as are all meals while on campus. There is also a
separate track of programs for parents.
For additional information contact Mike Kinney, Rehabilitation
Program Specialist for Transition Services at the Ohio Rehabilitation
Services Commission, at (614)
438-1724 or at Michael.Kinney@rsc.state.oh.us.
Twice Exceptional Students Podcast on Advanced Placement
The latest Ohio Advanced Placement Podcast - Barb Murphy, School
Psychology Consultant in the Office for Exceptional Children, on
Twice Exceptional Students http://bit.ly/eXvdhA
2011 Summer Camp Programs at the Ohio State School for the Blind
The Ohio State School for the Blind, in cooperation with the Ohio
Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children, Center
for Instructional Supports and Accessible Materials (CISAM), Braille
Excellence for Students and Teachers Project (BEST) Grant and the
Ohio State University will be hosting two summer camps. Through
this collaboration, we will be offering educational experiences
to school age students who are blind or visually impaired.
The following camps will be offered during summer 2011:
- Enrichment Camp Dates Student’s Grade & Ages Braille
Immersion - June 13-17, 2011 Entering Grades 3-7, Ages 8-12
in Fall 2011; and
- Technology Exploration - June 13-17, 2011, Entering Grades 8-12,
Ages 13-18 in Fall 2011
Go to http://www.ossb.oh.gov/SummerCamps.php
for the application forms. |
|
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| May 6, 2011 - News, Articles,
Resources and More from PediaStaff |
|
May 6, 2011
Issue 14, Volume 5
It's All About the Choices!
Greetings!
Wow, how did it get to be May already? And if it's May,
it's Better Hearing and Speech Month. Please enjoy this
year's ASHA Video contest winner and our annual list of BHSM
resources.
Have a great weekend!
News Items:
- Linked Wii Balance Boards Help Children Learn Balance
Skills
- Update: Paralyzed Rutgers Defensive Tackle Believes
He Will One Day Walk Again
- School Based OT in the News
- Newest Robots Dance, Help Children with Special Needs
- Stuttering Foundation Gets Starring Role on The King's
Speech DVD
- Brain Overgrowth in Tots Is Linked to Autism
- Early Surgery Boosts Outcomes for Babies With Cleft Palate
- Better Hearing and Speech Month Video Winner
Therapy Activities, Tips and Resources
- Resources for Better Hearing and Speech Month
- Book Review: Learn to Have Fun with Your Senses:
The Sensory Avoider's Survival Guide
- Bilateral Coordination Activity - String Designs
Articles and Blogs
- Guest Blog: How a Child's Lifestyle is Part of his Therapy
- Guest Blog: Eyes and Hands are Attached to the Body
- Pediatric Therapy Corner: Service Dogs for Autism / Questions
to Ask When Selecting a Service Dog
- Worth Repeating: Why We Hate Forward Facing Strollers
- Also Worth Repeating: Guidelines for Choosing a Speech-Language
Pathologist
Feel free to contact us with any questions about our openings
or items in these pages. Have you discovered our RSS
feed? Click on the orange button below to subscribe to
all our openings and have them delivered to your Feed Reader! Don't
have an RSS Feed Reader set up? Sign up at
Feed
My Inbox and have any feed you like delivered
to your email inbox!
Have a great weekend and Take Care!
Heidi Kay and the PediaStaff Team
|
|
|
The Career Center
The links to the right are "live"
and reflect the most recent
SLP, OT, PT and related assistant jobs, and
ALL our Bilingual and School
Psychology Jobs.
To further narrow your search by state,
setting, bilingual, or term, use the
check boxes drop down menus.
If a particular search is returning
no hits it is possible that we do
not currently have new openings for
you with that selection criteria.
To see ALL our openings
click HERE
and further narrow your
search. |
|
|
|
Cool
University Research in the News: Linked
Wii Balance Boards Help Children Learn Balance
Skills |
[Source: Gizmag.com]
Can killing monsters help physically-challenged
children learn to walk? It can if they're virtual
monsters, that are part of a balance-developing
system created by engineering and computer game
design students from Houston's Rice University.
Called the Equiliberator, the system consists
of five linked Wii Balance Boards with two pressure-sensitive
hand rails running along either side, all of
which are linked by Bluetooth to a PC running
a custom-designed video game. Children using
the setup are able to kill on-screen monsters,
by successfully performing exercises that build
their balance skills.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
News Update:
Paralyzed Rutgers Defensive
Tackle Believes He Will Walk Again |
[Source: NY Daily News]
Eric LeGrand still occasionally takes a peek
at the video of his worst nightmare. He still
finds it difficult to believe it's him lying
motionless on the field at the Meadowlands.
He was supposed to be indestructible.
One step left, one step right and life might
not have changed as dramatically as it did for
Rutgers' 6-2, 275 pound junior defensive tackle
last Oct. 16.
The 20-year-old, soft spoken LeGrand was paralyzed
from the neck down, fracturing his C-3 and C-4
vertebrae while making a tackle on special teams
in a game against Army.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
School Based OT in the News
- Play Ball Children's Therapy
Helps Families in At-Home Setting |
Editor's Note:
We do not know this therapist, but can't help
but be excited to see such enthusiasm in the
field, so we thought we would share this article!
[Source: The Tennesean.com]
Occupational therapist Andrea Ball has worked
in the Nashville Public School system since
2006, and she has spent additional time after
school and during the summer working for an
agency that put her to work with children in
their own home.
Using her skills to help her patients determine
what their goals were ? from relearning old
skills after an injury to helping those with
disabilities to participate fully in school
and social situations ? Ball soon realized that
the time spent working with a child in their
own home was so helpful in getting that child
to succeed.
"I would see children in their home setting
with this agency, and it was a really great
idea because you were able to serve the child
in their natural setting, the home setting,"
Ball says. "In the school setting, you
are limited to working with just them, and it
is a different type of therapy model."
Read
this Story Through a Link on our Blog |
Technology in the News
- Newest Robots Dance, Help
Children with Special Needs |
[Source: CNN]
The future arrives at American Morning's set
this morning.
They're two feet tall, nine pounds, equipped
with touch sensors and Wi-Fi, and they just
might be able to beat you at soccer.
These bots, the Nao, made by Intel and Aldebaran
Robotics, are the robots of the future. Intel
General Manager Frank Soqui brings his robots
on set and shows Ali Velshi and Christine Romans
how they will be changing the future in schools
and hospitals
Watch
this Video Story on our Blog |
Stuttering Foundation in the News:
Stuttering Foundation Gets Starring Role on
The King's Speech DVD |
[Source: The Stuttering Foundation]
The Stuttering Foundation's captivating public
service announcement plays a starring role on
every copy of The King's Speech DVD, which was
released in April.
The 60-second PSA will let millions of people
who view the movie in the years to come know
that the Foundation offers free resources.
The King's Speech has raised awareness of stuttering
beyond any level we could ever have imagined.
The actors' incredibly accurate portrayal of
the anguish faced by people who stutter has
been instrumental in opening up honest dialogue
about stuttering and its treatment," said
Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation.
She also thanked the film's director and screenwriter
"for giving us a hero and a movie we can
look to for inspiration, much as my father looked
to King George VI more than six decades ago."
"We hope a copy of The King's Speech DVD
will end up in the home of every person who
stutters and in schools and universities around
the world," added Fraser. "It is a
story worth seeing over and over again for years
to come."
Visit
the Stuttering Foundation's SLP Page Through
a Link on our Blog |
Autism in the News:
Brain Overgrowth in Tots Is
Linked to Autism |
[Source: Yahoo News/LiveScience.com]
The brains of children who have autism spectrum
disorder are larger than those of other children,
a difference that seems to arise before they
are 2 years old, according to a new study.
In 2005, researchers from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that 2-year-old
children with autism had brains up to 10 percent
larger than other children of the same age.
This new study reveals that the children with
enlarged brains at age 2 continued to have enlarged
brains at ages 4 and 5, but by no more than
the amount at age 2.
"Brain enlargement resulting from increased
folding on the surface of the brain is most
likely genetic in origin and a result of an
increase in the proliferation of neurons in
the developing brain," study researcher
Heather Cody Hazlett, an assistant professor
in UNC's Department of Psychiatry, said in a
statement.
Read
the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Cleft Palate in
the News: Early Surgery Boosts
Outcomes for Babies With Cleft Palate |
[Source: Yahoo News/HealthDay]
Prenatal diagnosis, early surgery and well-coordinated
care by a team of specialists are vital for
children born with cleft lip and/or cleft palate,
experts say.
Cleft lip and/or palate - which occur in the
first trimester of pregnancy when the roof of
the mouth fails to fuse properly - affects more
than 7,000 babies born in the United States
each year and is the second most common birth
defect.
Prenatal ultrasounds can detect the majority
of cases. As soon as a diagnosis is made, doctors
should counsel parents in order to give them
time to prepare emotionally before the birth
of the baby, experts say. Doctors and parents
also need to develop a treatment plan, according
to Dr. Richard Redett, a pediatric plastic and
reconstructive surgeon and co-director of the
Cleft & Craniofacial Clinic at Johns Hopkins
Children's Center.
Read
the Rest of This Article Through a Link on our
Blog |
Better Hearing and Speech Month
in the News: 2011 Video Winner |
[Source: ASHA]
To celebrate Better Hearing and Speech Month
(BHSM), ASHA sponsored its annual video contest.
The inspiration for this year's theme was the
Oscar-award-winning movie "The King's Speech."
Contestants were tasked with making an original
video about what it is like to be a person who
has difficulty speaking or hearing, to show
how important it is to understand how that person
feels, and how to help them. Videos were evaluated
on originality, creativity, and relevance to
the topic. Congratulations to the winners!
Read
the Watch the Winning Entry on our Blog |
Therapist Resources: Better
Hearing and Speech Month Resources |
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month. Here
are some great resources from ASHA and Beyond
to Help you spread the word!
- Activity Books, Coloring Pages, Bookmarks,
Fact Sheets and More BHSM Resources from ASHA
- Listen to Your Buds
- The Michigan State University BHSM Page
- The American Academy of Audiology BHSM Resources
for Kids and Teens
- The Starkey Hearing Foundation 'Listen Carefully'
Sweepstakes with Miley Cyrus
- PediaStaff's 2010 BHSM Resources Page
Access
all These Resources Through a Link on our Blog |
Book Review: Learn
to Have Fun with Your Senses: The Sensory Avoider's
Survival Guide |
By: John Taylor, PhD; Illustrations
by: Lynda Farrington Wilson
Reviewed By: Susan N. Schriber Orloff,
OTR/L
This is a wonderful book for children with sensory
avoiding issues. Not only is this book applicable
to children, it is also helpful for parents
and practitioners working with children who
struggle with sensory processing disorder.
The book simplifies sensory problems in a way
that gives children a way to understand what
is happening in their brains and bodies.
Most children are unaware that their brain is
not processing senses the way it needs to, but
instead just feel different. This book provides
a simplified explanation children can understand
and helps them realize there are many people
who feel the way they do.
Read
the Rest of This Review on our Blog |
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|
Guest
Blogs This Week: Enabled Kids, PediatricOT |
How a Child's Lifestyle is Part of his Therapy
- By: Natan Gendelman, PT
As we've mentioned before, autism and autism spectrum disorders
are complex conditions which are influenced by several different
factors. Often, parents may bring their child to attend
various therapies in hopes of improving their social, cognitive
and motor function. Like I always say however, we need to
realize that therapy isn't something that occurs only once
or twice a week. Instead, it is an ongoing process which
happens every hour, every minute, and every second of a
child's life.
For both parents and therapists, this means that a child's
ability to learn does not rely solely on any physical challenges
he may have. What he does, what he eats, and how he interacts
with his surroundings all work to influence whether a child
is able to accomplish his goals and achieve independent
in his everyday life. For this reason, we need to pay attention
and watch how different factors can affect a child's development.
Read
the Rest of this Guest Post on our Blog |
Eyes and Hands Are Attached to the Body - By: Loren
Shlaes, OTR/L
I recently received a call from a mother who was
referred to me by a learning specialist because her son
was having problems with his handwriting. She started to
mention the orthotics a physical therapist had prescribed
for him due to his abnormal gait, but quickly stopped herself,
saying, "You're an OT, so you are only interested in
his hands." I replied that his hands were attached
to his body, and that I was very interested indeed.
Although it's true that handwriting is often not given priority
in schools these days, problems with the child's ability
to write legibly are rarely just a pedagogical issue. When
a child cannot express his thoughts on paper in a manner
that is consistent with his abilities, it is a symptom of
underlying physical impairments. If these are not addressed,
the child's ability to improve will be limited.
Read
the Rest of this Guest Post on our Blog |
|
Pediatric Therapy Corner: Service
Dogs for Autism / Questions to Ask When Selecting a Service
Dog |
[Source: Autism Asperger's
Digest]
"Autism & Asperger's: The Way I See It," by
Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is an exclusive column in every issue
of the Autism Asperger's Digest. This article appears
in the March/April 2011 issue and is reprinted with permission
of the editor.
As I travel around the country and talk with parents of
individuals with ASD, more of them are asking whether they
should get a service dog for their child with autism. The
use of service, or assistance, dogs with spectrum children
is gaining popularity. However, this is a complicated issue.
Unlike other autism interventions that can be more easily
started and stopped, embarking on the journey to find an
appropriate service dog for a child is a long-term commitment
on the part of the entire family. A service dog is much
more than a well-trained pet.
The first question I ask is, "Does your child like
dogs?" If the family does not already own a dog, I
suggest they see how their child will react to a friend's
friendly dog first. There are three kinds of reactions the
child can have. The first is an almost magical connection
with dogs. The child and the dog are best buddies. They
love being together. The second type of reaction is a child
who may be initially hesitant but gets to really like dogs.
The child should be carefully introduced to a calm, friendly
dog. The third type of reaction is avoidance or fear. Often
the child who avoids dogs has a sensory issue. For instance,
a child with sensitive hearing may be afraid of the dog's
bark because it hurts his ears.
Read
the Rest of This Article on our Blog |
Worth Repeating: - Why We Hate
Forward Facing Strollers |
[Source: The
Smart Talkers Blog]
This has long been a bone of contention among speech
and language therapists and the basis of many a discussion
between Franky and me. Here is an extract from the New York
Times which sums up our concerns very well:
By Tara Parker-Pope from the New York Times
What direction does your child's stroller face? New research
raises questions about stroller design and the role it may
play in a child's language development.
M. Suzanne Zeedyk, a senior lecturer in developmental psychology
at the University of Dundee in Scotland, studied the way
2,700 families interact with their infants and toddlers
while pushing them in strollers. She found that caregivers
were less likely to speak to infants when the child was
facing forward, compared with strollers where the baby faces
the caregiver - what she calls a toward-facing journey.
In a small controlled experiment, the researchers gave 20
mothers and infants ages 9 to 24 months a chance to use
both types of strollers, and recorded their conversations.
She wrote about her findings in a recent Op-Ed article in
The Times.
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog |
Also Worth Repeating - Guidelines
for Choosing A Speech Language Pathologist |
[Source: The Hanen Center]
by: Toby Stephan (with suggestions from numerous
Hanen Certified SLPs)
When your child has been diagnosed with a language delay,
perhaps the first question that comes to mind is, "Now
what?" As a parent, you want to make sure you know
what steps to take next. You want to move in a direction
that will help your child learn to communicate more effectively
and you want to move in this direction with confidence.
You shouldn't feel alone when looking for answers. Choosing
the right therapist can help you begin to answer the "Now
what?" question in a way that makes the most sense
for your family and your child. So, a more specific question
that could be answered is "What should I look for in
a speech-language pathologist or therapist?"
Read
the Rest of this Article Through a Link on our Blog |
Did You Get This From a Friend? Sign
Up For Your Copy of This Newsletter! |
Would you like pediatric and school-based therapy tips,
resources, articles, and news delivered to your computer
once a week? Sign up here for our newsletter!
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up HERE |
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there is a link located in the footer below. However, please
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Please Note: The views
and advice expressed in articles, videos and other pieces
published in this newsletter are not necessarily the views
and advice of PediaStaff or its employees but rather that
of the author. PediaStaff is not endorsing or implying
agreement with the views or advice contained therein, rather
presenting them for the independent analysis and information
of its readers. |
|
|
| May 4, 2011 - It's time
to evaluate your school leader: Is your board ready? |
Announcing a New Service from The High Bar:
How Are You Planning to Evaluate Your Leader?
Do you have an effective and efficient process in place
to evaluate your charter school leader at the end of this school
year?
Is it helpful to the board as well as to the leader?
Is your process guided by an HR expert?
Is it calibrated against the standards and competencies of the
best charter schools in the country?
If your process has room for improvement, our 10-step guided
process, methodology, and evaluation tool will get your board up
to speed fast.
One of the most important roles of a charter school board
is to hire, and then annually assess, the performance of its leader.
But very few boards are prepared to do this important task.
The High Bar has developed an evaluation tool exclusively for charter
school boards. The tool is confidential and electronically administered.
Our time-tested process, methodology and evaluation tool will help
you execute this task professionally and efficiently.
Space is EXTREMELY LIMITED for this time-sensitive service.
We will fill available slots on a first-come, first-served
basis.
Click here
to learn more and sign up.
About Us
The
High Bar, founded by charter school governance expert Marci
Cornell-Feist, creates web-based tools to help charter school
boards become more effective and efficient. In our experience, Strong
Boards = Strong Schools. If you are passionate about the
mission of your charter school, you should be passionate about strengthening
the governance of your school - and we can show you how.
The High Bar
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| May 4, 2011 - Dr. Marzano
Webinar: Redevelop Teacher Evaluation to Raise Student Achievement |
Dr.
Robert Marzano Webinar
Redevelop Teacher Evaluation to Raise Student Achievement |
May 4, 2011 |
Register
for the Webinar |
Teacher Evaluation System
= Raise Student Learning
This is a reminder that you are invited to attend today's
free webinar with Dr. Marzano. Register
online to attend if you haven't done so already.
Does your teacher evaluation system raise student learning?
In this free webinar, Dr. Robert Marzano discusses his
new causal teacher evaluation model based on research
to “cause” student learning gains. This
innovative approach to teacher evaluation puts in place
the systems for teachers to develop incremental gains
in expertise leading to a powerful cumulative effect
on raising student learning gains.
You are invited to the webinar with Dr. Marzano to learn
more about his approach to teacher evaluation. Register
online to attend the webinar today at
3pm Eastern. Participants in the webinar will have the
chance to post questions for Dr. Marzano.
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Marzano Webinar
 
Dr. Robert Marzano
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| May 2, 2011 - Weekly Update
from Stan W. Heffner, Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction - May
2, 2011 |
|
May 2, 2011
Good afternoon,
It is my honor to officially begin serving today as Ohio’s
Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction. I appreciate the support
and confidence of the State Board of Education as we all work together
to provide support, leadership and direction in this time of transition
for the education of our state’s children.
My primary mission is to clearly communicate how ODE can achieve
its goals and to provide a smooth transition as the State Board
of Education selects the next State Superintendent. These goals
include advocating for the educational needs of our children during
the budget process and legislative sessions, and assuring that the
work of Race to the Top initiatives is sustained for the long term,
especially after federal funding ends. My intent is for ODE to provide
service and assistance to you in meeting your needs as we all deal
with changes in Ohio’s educational landscape. Because I am
proud to be working with so many talented and dedicated educators,
I pledge to honor my roots as a teacher, principal and superintendent
as we work together. I will remain mindful of where I came from
and what we must do, together, to advance the educational outcomes
for all of our students. I ask for both your support and your guidance
in making sure that we succeed for their future.
Today is the start of Teacher Appreciation Week, with tomorrow
as the official Teacher Appreciation Day established by the National
Education Association and the National Parent Teachers Association.
Of course, it is important to show our gratitude to teachers all
throughout the year. But, it is also appropriate that this week-long
commemoration calls special attention to the meaningful contributions
that our state’s and nation’s educators make in the
lives of the students they teach. My sincere congratulations to
all teachers for providing our children with a high-quality education
and for serving as effective role models. What you do every day
will make a significant contribution to each and every student whose
life you touch, sometimes in ways you may not even notice at first!
Congratulations to more than two dozen Ohio school districts that
have been honored by the College Board for expanding access to Advanced
Placement (AP®) examinations while maintaining or improving
the rate at which students earn college credit for passing these
rigorous exams. The 25
Ohio districts are among 388 nationally to earn a spot on the
AP honor roll for 2011.
Today also is National Bus Driver Appreciation Day. It is vital
that we not take for granted the important work that these individuals
perform on a daily basis. A student’s time in transit is a
natural extension of the classroom. The professionalism of Ohio’s
15,000 school bus drivers is a key reason why the school bus remains
– by far – the safest way for students to get to and
from school.
This is the beginning of an important election week for many districts,
with 148 school issues appearing tomorrow on ballots statewide.
I wish those of you going before your voters the very best of luck
as the polling takes place. I know the amount of time it takes to
work through levy issues and so often, there is more work than meets
the eye. I appreciate all that you must do to prepare for yet another
round of levies, and I hope that your efforts are recognized and
rewarded at the polls.
Please accept my continuing thanks for your hard work in service
to Ohio’s children. We cannot say thanks enough for all you
do.
Sincerely,
Stan Heffner
Items that may be of interest or require follow up are:
· For
superintendents and principals - Biennial
Educational Technology Assessment (BETA), administered by eTech
Ohio, 2010-11 BETA surveys to be sent soon;
· For
teachers, and curriculum, assessment and guidance staff –
The Ohio Core changed graduation requirements and Honors
Diploma criteria, Race to the Top LEAs may apply for two pilot assessment
projects, SSID use expanded to high school transcripts, Teachers
– register by May 30 for the Global Language Educators Network
– Ohio;
· For
finance staff – SFSF final payments and cash management
rules noted; and
· Good
news for everyone – Send ODE stories of inspirational
graduates who have planned ahead, Spotlight on McComb High School
in Hancock County.
For superintendents and principals
2010-11 BETA surveys to arrive soon
In the next week or so, superintendents and principals will be receiving
the 2010-2011 BETA Survey.
The Biennial Educational Technology Assessment (BETA), administered
by eTech Ohio, 2010-11 BETA surveys will be collected through May
27, 2011. District information is self-reported through
two surveys: Teacher surveys (which explore teacher and student
use of technology) and Building surveys (which collect information
about technology resources available at the building level). Thorough
and high-quality BETA data is a resource of unparalleled importance
to the education community in forecasting needs and tracking trends.
BETA data gets more accurate and informative with every individual
survey submitted, and eTech Ohio is aiming for 100% participation.
Because BETA data is self-reported at the building and classroom
levels, it provides a unique and detailed perspective that is otherwise
hard to grasp. That’s why your district's participation in
the 2010-11 BETA survey is critical. Once received, please encourage
your district’s Technical Coordinators to complete the building
survey and your teachers to complete the teacher survey by May 27,
2011. Surveys and supplemental materials can be accessed at
www.etech.ohio.gov/beta.
For teachers, and curriculum, assessment and guidance
staff
Ohio Core changed graduation requirements and Honors
Diploma criteria
Schools are reminded that the Ohio Core graduation requirements
are now in effect for students who first enrolled as ninth-grade
students and who will graduate in 2014. Students need to be properly
advised of those changes when scheduling classes for next school
year. Please also be aware that when the Ohio Core graduation requirement
changes were announced in 2007, the qualifying criteria for earning
the Diploma with Honors also changed, beginning with the graduating
class of 2011. Schools officials are urged to review those criteria
and inform students and all critical educational personnel of the
timing and implications of those changes. Questions may be directed
to Tom Rutan at tom.rutan@ode.state.oh.us.
Race to the Top LEAs may apply for two pilot assessment
projects
Local Education Agencies involved in Race to the Top (RttT) may
choose to participate in one or two upcoming pilot assessment projects
in multiple content areas that ODE will conduct – the Ohio
Performance Assessment Pilot Project (OPAPP)for grades
3-5 and 9-12, and the Formative
Assessment in Middle Schools (FAMS) pilot. The application
period for the first cohorts of each pilot will be open until May
12. Click the links above for more information and application
procedures.
SSID use expanded to high school transcripts
House Bill 290, passed in December 2009, enables and requires the
Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) to be on student records that
high schools transfer on behalf of students to postsecondary institutions.
This key requirement allows universities to have the SSID to report
to the Board of Regents in the Institutions of Higher Education
(IHE) system. The IHE data can then be merged with EMIS data. That
data then goes to a P-20 Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS)
repository for research and policy purposes.
ODE is asking districts to start handwriting the SSIDs on student
transcripts by the end of this school year, but no later than Sept.
1. Please note that ODE is coordinating with IHEs so that
the universities are ready to accept transcripts with SSIDs and
the Board of Regents is ready to integrate the information into
its system.
In the past, state legislation has been extremely restrictive on
the use of the SSID, and it was used only for EMIS reporting. Districts
should be careful to protect and handle the use of the SSID just
as it would any other confidential student record under the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Ohio Revised Code.
Teachers – register for Institute for Global
Language Educators Network – Ohio by May 30
World language teachers in grades K-12 with two-to-five years of
experience are encouraged to join the Global Language Educators
Network (GLEN) – Ohio by registering for its first summer
institute. To be held July 5 to 9 at Denison University
in Granville, the institute will begin a two-year opportunity for
teachers to network with fellow world language teachers, develop
leadership capabilities and earn college or continuing education
credit. The ongoing GLEN activities will help teachers identify
classroom problems and strategies, self-reflect through journaling
and discuss interests through face-to-face and online methods. Participants
will conduct an action research project and will be invited to attend
a second institute stressing leadership development in July 2012.
GLEN is sponsored by ODE, the Ohio Foreign Language Association
and the University of Oregon Center for Applied Second Language
Studies. The application deadline is May 30. Institute
participation is limited to the first 25 teachers who apply. For
an application form and more information, click here.
For finance staff
SFSF final payments and cash management rules noted
The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) portion of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is coming to a close. The funding
method for SFSF differs from other ARRA funds that are distributed
on request. LEAs receive SFSF funds through regularly scheduled
payments. The final SFSF payment will be made on June 17
to traditional districts within the last payment of foundation funding
for fiscal year 2011. Community schools will receive their final
SFSF payment within the first 10 business days of June.
Please remember that cash management rules apply to the SFSF funds.
While obligations could be made through Sept. 30, districts must
exercise caution, because federal regulations prevent cash to be
accumulated for the SFSF program for any reason. The funds that
are included in the foundation payments for the SFSF program must
be expended in accordance with federal regulations. Direct any questions
concerning this or other ARRA issues to recovery@ode.state.oh.us.
Good news for everyone
Send ODE stories of inspirational graduates who have
planned ahead
This summer, ODE’s Office of Communications and Outreach wants
to highlight impressive and/or inspiring stories about Ohio’s
2011 high school graduates on the agency’s website at education.ohio.gov.
The focus will be on graduates who have used available public school
options to get a jump on their future, including those who have
overcome academic or personal challenges. Nominations are requested
by May 9. To learn more and submit your ideas,
click here:
Spotlight on McComb High School in Hancock County
The Blankets 4 Kids in Need (BKIND) service idea created by Katie
Slosser’s students at McComb High School of the McComb Local
School district has grown well beyond the project’s original
scope. Last fall, students in Slosser’s sophomore honors history
class decided to create care packages for patients at Toledo Children’s
Hospital throughout the year. As a result of the students’
grant request to the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation,
they received an initial $590 to purchase fleece material to make
“tie” blankets and enough stuffed animals, books and
crayons to make 30 packages. Slosser’s sister-in-law created
a BKIND logo and a local embroidery company provided discounted
services in stitching the logo onto the blankets. The logo also
appears on the students’ bright yellow T-shirts at left.
 As
word of the project spread, an outpouring of community support nearly
quadrupled the original goals. Unexpectedly, the school received
additional funds from the foundation, First Presbyterian Church
in McComb and an anonymous donor that increased the project size
to approximately $2,000. Faced with the pleasant task of determining
how to spend the additional funds, the students gathered more support
from the school’s National Honor Society students and increased
the number of care packages to 65. They also are purchasing a bookshelf
with books, puzzles, a DVD player and other educational activities
for the hospital. Slosser says that the students will proudly wear
their BKIND shirts as they deliver the gifts to the hospital and
describe the results of the project to the First Presbyterian Church
members who supported them. Congratulations McComb High School!
Note: If your students are engaged
in helping their communities and you would like to share what they
are doing, send an email to superintendent@ode.state.oh.us
and include “Spotlight” and your school or district
in the subject line. We also are pleased to receive digital images
of these activities.
Follow ODE’s Twitter feed by clicking here.
|
|
| May 1, 2011 |
| Keep watching for updates |
