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July 25, 2022 Uncategorized

The Science of Reading and the Alaska Reads Act

Presenters: Lexie Domaradzki and Shelby Skaanes
Dates: October 24, November 7, 14, 21 (Mondays)

For many children, learning to read is a challenging undertaking. This webinar series has been developed to support the Alaska Reads Act, which is designed to improve reading outcomes for Alaskan students.  In this webinar series we will use the Science of Reading to guide our work focused on the lower strands of the Scarborough Rope Model. The Reading Rope, created by Dr. Hollis Scarborough, illustrates the development of skilled reading, and provides a window into understanding the complexity of reading. The lower strand, Word Recognition, consists of phonological awareness, decoding, and word recognition. Throughout each session we will focus on the acquisition of early literacy skills, best practices in reading instruction and strategies to support struggling readers receiving intervention.

Target Audience: Grade K-5 Educators.

Session 1 – The Science of Reading 

Through 40 years of research findings from numerous fields of study, we have a thorough understanding of how the brain works when engaged in the reading process. In this session we will discuss why some students struggle with reading and what factors promote or interfere with children’s progress, we will deepen understanding of the research behind how individuals learn to read, the brain regions involved in reading and we will take a close look at models of skilled reading.

Session 2 – Phonological Awareness

Phonological Awareness includes several skills related to an individual’s understanding of how a spoken language works and the different ways a word can be broken down. Research has shown that students with good phonological awareness are in a great position to become good readers, while students with poor phonological awareness almost always struggle in reading (Kilpatrick, Equipped for Reading Success). In this session we will provide information and modeling of best practices to enhance core instruction and support struggling students in intervention. We will cover basic as well as advanced phonological awareness skills. Participants will have the opportunity to practice and engage in conversations with colleagues from around the state. 

Session 3 – Phonics/Decoding

Decoding requires that a student knows that written letters correspond to speech sounds and that these speech sounds are combined together to make a word. In this session we will provide information about the phoneme-grapheme relationship, we will model explicit instructional routines for core instruction and intervention and introduce phoneme-grapheme mapping activities to support increased proficiency in decoding and encoding. Participants will have the opportunity to practice and engage in conversations with colleagues from around the state.                                                                                  

Session 4 – Word RecognitionSight Recognition is the ability of an individual to look at any word they come across and automatically know what it says. In this session we will clarify the difference between regular and irregular words and model instructional routines to enhance core instruction and support struggling students in intervention.  We will also cover intensifications to use with students who struggle with sight word recognition and discuss the role of decodable text. Participants will have the opportunity to practice and engage in conversations with colleagues from around the state.

READ MORE/REGISTER

July 25, 2022 Uncategorized

Advocating for Education 101

with Dr. Lisa Parady

October 26, November 9, 16 and 30 (Wednesdays)
Time: 3:45-5:15 p.m.

No cost to attend the series for ACSA members and ASDN member districts educators.
Target Audience: Educators (K-12) interested in getting involved in advocacy, especially principals and new school administrators.

Optional one credit available (Pass/Fail) $145

Do you want to make your voice heard in education policy decisions in Alaska? This four-part webinar series will teach you the basics of advocating in the Alaska Legislature from the perspective of an Alaska educator. You’ll learn how to stay updated on bills and the legislative process, the best ways to build relationships with your legislators, and how to communicate your perspective to policymakers and your community.

Expected learning outcomes

  • Understand how to engage with legislators during and outside of legislative session
  • Explore how to prepare written and oral testimony for bill hearings
  • Learn how to research relevant information on bills and hearings using BASIS
  • Investigate how to write effective op-eds to engage communities in advocacy discussions

Session One: Education Advocacy in Alaska
This session provides an introduction to Alaska politics and the legislature. We will discuss caucuses, budget and Permanent Fund basics. We will consider the education funding overview, recent legislative focuses and highlight a few bills that we will use throughout the series.

Session Two: During Legislative Session
Learn how to stay engaged during the legislative session using Basis. Explore ways to advocate during session through written or verbal testimony, and through one-on-one meetings with your legislator.

Session Three: Outside of Legislative Session – Building Relationships
Learn how to contact your representatives and introduce yourself as a resource. Investigate ways to build relationships with your legislators and involve them in your school community.

Session Four: Advocacy as a Public School Employee
This session will discuss advocacy in your community and advocacy with other educators across the state.

Dr. Lisa Skiles Parady became the Executive Director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators in 2014 and has brought her energy and passion for education advocacy to the position. The Mission of ACSA is: Leadership, Unity and Advocacy for Public Education. ACSA was created to serve as the umbrella organization for Alaska’s school administrators forty-five years ago. Dr. Parady joined ACSA after six years in Utqiagvik (formerly known as Barrow) as the Acting Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent of the North Slope Borough School District. She led the district’s curriculum and evaluation processes and dealt with the many issues that confront rural districts – educator recruitment and retention, engaging students with curriculum that matters to them, and the day-to-day challenges of school and district administration. Before moving to Alaska, she served as Chief of Staff in the Wyoming Department of Education, as Director of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, and as Senior Policy Analyst in the Governor’s office responsible for all K-12 education, higher education, health and social service issues, was an adjunct professor and was managing partner in a general law practice. Dr. Parady holds a Juris Doctorate and a Doctorate in Education Leadership and Administration.

READ MORE/REGISTER

July 25, 2022 Home Featured right 1 top

Learn to Teach Computer Science K-12

Code.org is a national nonprofit that believes that every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra.  The no-cost Code.org curriculum is the most popular in K-12 computer science, with courses for every grade band. It is used in more than 120 districts, including the 7 largest U.S. districts, and by over 700,000 teachers–including almost 1,000 teachers here in Alaska!

The Code.org professional learning workshops provide time and instruction so that teachers to become comfortable with computer science curricular materials, content, and pedagogy. The program supports teachers with varying teaching backgrounds to work in Alaska’s diverse classrooms. Teachers may participate in a series of workshops that can span the academic year.

Is Code.org free?

The curriculum, online student learning platform, and access to support from the teacher and Code.org community are available to all schools year-round, free of charge. Additionally most of the workshops are no-cost to you. (They are also highly-rated by teachers, and align with the Alaska State Computer Science Standards!)

“The Code.org training was FANTASTIC.  Very practical, met a clear need, provided all the materials needed to get started on day one upon returning to the classroom, lots on ongoing support, intellectually engaging, equitable, super organized with minimal wasted time, a comfortable learning environment, and provided open doors and opportunities to our students.  All PD should be like this.”

Elementary Educator Workshop Information
Secondary Educator Application Information

Our Vision

“Anybody can learn” (whether you’re a student or teacher) 

We believe in opportunity for every student in every school. Anybody can start with the ABCs and 123s of computer science, just like any other field. To go beyond the basics, you need hard work and perseverance. You’ll make mistakes, but that’s how one learns, especially in computer science. (Note: we do not say “anybody can teach.” It takes a LOT to be a great teacher). 

It’s about “computer science,” not “code,” and our focus is on schools 

Code.org’s message is every school should teach computer science. Computer science is broader than just coding, just like English is broader than grammar. We picked the shortest name for simplicity. Because our name is “Code.org,” we use “computer science” everywhere else to avoid the perception that we’re narrowly focused on coding. The Code.org curricula will stand the test of time because it is not about any one coding language or platform. 

Computer science is foundational for every child 

Even if you don’t want to become an electrician, you still learn about electricity in school. Computer science is the electricity of the 21st century. It’s relevant to every career. But of course, it helps that computer science leads to some of the best careers in the world. And by helping millions of girls or underrepresented minorities learn computer science, we’re not only preparing them for the 21st century, but we’re also addressing problems with the inequality of opportunity or diversity in tech. Did you know that Alaska has adopted K-12 computer science standards?

Improving diversity is core to our mission 

Computer science is now foundational knowledge for all 21st-century careers, making access to this field a critical equity issue. We embed a focus on diversity throughout our work – from the Hour of Code, our curriculum design, our work with schools and teachers, to our government affairs. Stereotypes drive girls and students of color away from computer science; we balance this by showcasing diverse role models using computer science to change the world.

This is a teacher-powered movement 

Computer Science for Alaska is a grassroots revolution that’s fueled by the passion and support of teachers. We believe in empowering educators—they are our most important agents of change. Many educators feel their students would benefit from critical thinking, collaboration, leadership skills, and exposure to careers that come from studying computer science. Code.org provides teachers with tools and resources to create equitable opportunities for our Alaska students to be creative and innovative designers in computer science.

For all the details about Code.org’s current curriculum and Professional Learning Programs go to code.org/educate. The collaboration between Code.org, the Alaska Staff Development Network and the Alaska Council of School Administrators is working to expand access to computer science in schools throughout Alaska.  Find out more about the partnership here.

Contact Alaska Code.org Program Manager Cheryl Bobo cbobo@alaskaacsa.org with program questions.


Thank you to our sponsors:

Elementary Educator Workshop Information
Secondary Educator Application Information

Alaska Region Code.org Program Manager Cheryl Bobo Featured in National Computer Science Event

Cheryl Bobo, ASDN’s Code.org Regional Partner program manager, was featured in a panel with Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi and former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The panel discussed why computer science is important for EVERY student. Cheryl shared how rural Alaskan educators have continued to expand computer science education across the state.  View the discussion here!




June 12, 2022 Home Featured right 2 middle

New Online Courses

June 11, 2022 Home Featured big left

The Alaska School Leadership Academy (ASLA)

This unique program is designed to provide early career principals with a collegial cohort that is engaged in networking, skill building and mutual support across the state.

K-12 principals new to the profession or to Alaska are invited annually in the summer/fall to apply to participate in the Alaska School Leadership Academy.

Why Join?

  • Foster or build a culture in your school community with a focus on student learning.
  • Find support with an Alaska-based, seasoned principal who will serve as your professional mentor.
  • Connect to a network of new principals across the state.
  • Participate in ongoing professional learning that is focused on the dispositions and tools early career principals need.
  • Learn strategies to communicate effectively with your staff and navigate difficult conversations.
  • Explore how to use school data for continuous improvement.

The 2019-2020 application period has closed.

Program Design

As a participant in the program you will have face-to-face and online opportunities to work with trained facilitators, mentors and other principals. This program goes deeper than traditional sit-and-get professional development because it: 

1) is job embedded — activities and planning are immediately applicable to your individual school, 
2) Sets aside time you need for reflection and planning, 
3) connects you to a diverse group of principals and districts, and 
4) is based on the latest research, delivered by school leaders with years of experience working in Alaska.

Participants can expect to spend about 3 hours per month in program activities except for the months of October, January and May, when the cohort meets in person. The program will also provide a number of optional no-cost college credit opportunities.

PERSONALIZED MENTORING

Each cohort member will be paired with and Alaska-based, seasoned principal who will serve as your professional mentor. Required interactions twice per month will focus on themes of leadership and problems of practice (minimum one hour per month total time commitment).

FACE TO FACE MEETINGS

Program participants are required to take part in three face-to-face meetings throughout the year. Gary Whiteley and Lexie Domaradzki will lead these professional learning opportunities in 2019-2020.

Alaska Principals Conference: October, Anchorage.

RTI MTSS Effective Instruction – January, Anchorage

Alaska School Leadership Institute (ASLI) – May, Anchorage

BLENDED LEARNING

Topical Webinars Participants will have 3 or more webinar opportunities throughout the year on topics such as leadership, K-12 advocacy and data driven instructional leadership.

Book Study and Ongoing Discussion Group in AkPLN (Alaska Professional Learning Network): Participants will participate in monthly facilitated discussions on the book Dispositions of Leadership using the AkPLN Network.

2019-2020 Program Calendar

View the 2018-2019 ASLA Program EvaluationDownload

Please contact ASLA program director Sam Jordan with any questions

Thank you to our partner organizations. The Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals, Alaska Association of Elementary School Principals, The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, the University of Alaska College of Education, and Anchorage School District.



This program was developed with the assistance of Supporting Effective Instruction, Title II, Part A federal funds from the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development, awarded to the Alaska Council of School Administrators. However, this program does not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education & Early Development, nor endorsement by the Federal Government.
 
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Primary Sidebar

Important Information

  • ASDN Membership-Level 1 & 2
    • ASDN Spring Catalog
    • Transcript Requests
    • Anchorage School District MLP
      • Save the Date! Alaska School Leadership Institute, May 24-26, 2023
        • MTSS Refresh Cohort Information

Our Alaskan Schools Blog

  • ‘Year Four for the Our Alaskan Schools Blog!’ by Sam Jordan at ASDN
  • ‘Delta Elementary School Honored for Second Time as a National Blue Ribbon School’ by Principal Milt Hooton
  • Denali Elementary Named 2022-23 ESEA Distinguished School by Principal Becky Zaverl
  • ‘ASDN Celebrates Code.org Award + Preparing for the 2022 Hour of Code’ by Sam Jordan
  • ‘Passing On Knowledge and Wisdom Through the Qaspeq’ by Sew Yupik’s Nikki Corbett

Partnerships

  • Code.org
  • Alaska Rural Gear Up Grant
  • Increasing Performance and Retention in Alaska’s Rural Schools (IPRARS) Grant
  • The SILA Grant in BSSD
  • Alaska School Leadership Academy (ASLA)
  • Math and Computer Science Advancement Project (MaCSA)
  • Alaska Professional Learning Network (AkPLN)
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