Celebrate Excellence 2009

For more than 90 years, the Hamilton County Educational Service Center (HCESC) has provided the public school districts in Hamilton County with numerous services related to special education, as well as professional development for teachers and administrators. HCESC focuses on innovation by bringing together educational best practices and leading-edge knowledge to serve 150,000 students and 10,000 educators in Southwest Ohio. The staff of nearly 500 education professionals emphasizes quality processes and proven implementation experience with a constant focus on what’s best for children. The result is better use of resources, better schools, better teaching, better learning, better students.

As the non-profit fundraising arm of the HCESC, the Hamilton County Education Foundation provides an annual scholarship to a teacher returning to school at the University of Cincinnati as well as a teacher returning to Xavier University for their Masters in Special Education. These scholarships are directly addressing the national shortage of special education teachers – in a sense the Foundation is “growing its own.”

The annual “Celebrate Excellence” event is the Foundation’s main fundraiser recognizing the “Educators of the Year” from more than twenty public school districts in Hamilton County. The event is unique in that it brings K-12 education, university, business and civic leaders together to pay tribute to this impressive group. Anthony Munoz, president of his own education foundation, (http://www.munozfoundation.org/) serves as Master of Ceremonies. The 2009 keynote address was presented by the Ohio Department of Education’s Senior Associate Superintendent for Educational Programs Marilyn Troyer.

The Foundation – like our business, culture and arts communities – hopes that by providing scholarships and recognizing our local educators, more of them will choose to live and work here. Characteristically uncomfortable in the spotlight – not uncommon for those who are called to their profession - educators focus on the success of their kids. Celebrate Excellence honors these dedicated individuals who daily serve as parent, priest, friend, advisor, protector, confidant, and teacher to our children. Their superintendent gives them the day off. They get to hang with Anthony Munoz. And best of all, they get to hear what their nominator says about them.
· “She has stretched the boundaries of education, teaching us not only how to sing but to be good people.”
· “The words ‘no’, ‘impossible,’ and ‘I don’t have time’ do not exist in his vocabulary.”
· “I plan on majoring in education, and she is the teacher that I am trying to model myself after.”

There is no greater praise for those who answer the call.

- Submitted by Robyn Carey Allgeyer

Veterans in our midst

To too many of us, Veterans Day is just another day off from school or from work. Or a day when our trash isn’t picked up or our mail isn’t delivered. Far too many of us give little thought to the sacrifices made by the men and women who have served in the armed forces, especially those who served abroad during times of conflict. The families of those veterans who didn’t come home or that came home with visible or invisible scars made sacrifices that often went unnoticed as well.

So, if many of us do not grasp the importance of our veterans’ contributions to our country, how can we effectively pass the story along to our children? How can we help them understand the true cost to the individual yet see how their collective dedication and selflessness has ensured our country’s survival?

Glen Grundei, now a retired teacher from Winton Woods City Schools, saw the need to teach his students more about World War II than the few paragraphs included in their history textbook. He wanted them to know more than some dates and names and locations. He wanted them to know something about the human side of the war. He wanted them to hear the stories, see the faces, and read the letters. So he built the Hall of Heroes in Winton Woods Primary North School .

While still teaching at Winton Woods Primary North, Mr. Grundei began collecting donations of artifacts from World War II veterans to become part of a permanent exhibit that could be used to help his students better understand the global conflict by learning more about the individuals who experienced it. Even after his retirement a few years ago, Mr. Grundei continued to maintain and connect the precious collection of personal items in the Hall of Heroes with students at Winton Woods Primary North and the larger community beyond.

You can visit the Hall of Heroes virtually (http://www.cetconnect.org/Education/Education.aspx) to see and learn more about the many veterans who have shared a bit of themselves and their story so that future generations would better understand our history.

Thank You!

- Diane

New Study Shows PBS Educational Content and Interactive Games Increase Literacy

There was a new study conducted by researchers at the Education Development Center, Inc. and SRI International which shows that preschoolers who participated in "media-rich literary curriculum" from the popular PBS Kids programs Super Why!, Between the Lions, and Sesame Street were better prepared for their first year of school than those children who did not participate. This is proof positive of the educational impact of PBS programming and interactive media on children, making them better able to find success in the classroom at the earliest, most formative stage of learning.

Here is an excerpt from this important announcement from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB):

“This study underscores the important and unprecedented work that the Ready To Learn initiative has accomplished by teaching these children the skills they will need to succeed in life,” said Pat Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). CPB congratulates the producers, the teachers and caregivers, station staff and their community partners who have made the Ready To Learn initiative the success that it is today.”

Read more from the announcement here, or to find out more about the study, visit the Center for Children and Technology website @ http://cct.edc.org/ready_to_learn.asp

You can introduce children, especially 2-8-year-olds, to the content and games observed in this study at the websites for Super Why!, Between the Lions, and Sesame Street so they can be Ready to Learn in the classroom.

C is for Cookie!

“C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me,
C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me,
C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me.
Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C.”

Many years ago, I remember watching opera singer Marilyn Horne, dressed as Cleopatra, singing this song on a Sesame Street episode. That little jingle immediately implanted itself deep in my brain and periodically resurfaced, resulting in my aesthetically-lacking but heartfelt warbling ode to cookies. When my daughters were preschoolers and I again could indulge in guilt-free viewing of Sesame Street, I was ecstatic when the “C is for Cookie” segment came along and I could join in with gusto. My daughters, now teenagers, roll their eyes for dramatic effect when I burst into song about cookies but I don’t let that stop me.

Believe it or not, Sesame Street celebrates it’s 40th anniversary on Nov. 10. 40 years of making learning fun for preschoolers and their parents. 40 years of demonstrating the educational power of television. 40 years of feeling at home in an ethnically-diverse urban neighborhood.

Join in and wallow in the fun of celebrating 40 years of Sesame Street.

- Diane

Sid is quite the science kid!

Have you ever met Sid? You know, Sid the Science Kid? He is one of the newer kids on the PBS Kids block. Sid and his friends are curious preschoolers who learn about how the world around them works by using science to help them explore. Surrounded by supportive adults who encourage their curiosity, Sid and his friends start with a question and work their way toward an answer.

While kids learn more about science and exploration when they watch Sid the Science Kid on CET or visit his website online, there is plenty of great stuff for parents and teachers as well. In the Parents & Teachers portion of the website, you’ll find information about the series and characters your children see in each episode. More importantly, there are overviews of the “big picture” science ideas that are built into each weekly set of shows that help you better understand what you’re child will be exploring with Sid. There are also Activities and Resources that help you bring the hands-on learning into your home or preschool.

The producers of Sid the Science Kid go even further to bring fun and learning into your child’s life. They have produced a special show about flu season. Getting a Shot: You Can Do It! premieres on Monday, October 26, and repeats multiple times throughout November and December. There is a weekly set of shows airing now that help parents plan and host a science play date for kids. For those who want to take learning everywhere they go, there is an easy-to-use iPhone app that lets kids share their questions and ideas just like Sid shares with his trusty toy microphone.

Check out Sid and his friends at 8:30am each day on CET.

- Diane

Creative Thinking

Are your students “cutting and pasting” content from the web and presenting it as their own work? Have you noticed the headlines about students file sharing music on the web such as a student recently court ordered to pay $675,000!

To support educators and librarians, Northern Kentucky University (NKU) offers free online lessons, films, and activities on plagiarism and copyright awareness as part of a new educational multimedia project called Creative Thinking. Creative Thinking provides everything needed to present engaging content for teens & young adults. The lessons promote research honesty & copyright consciousness. Both ethical & legal discussions are presented. There is even an amusing intellectual property personality quiz based on the popular Simpson’s television characters.

Want to learn more about how to use Creative Thinking in the classroom? See CET’s video tutorial for educators.

We encourage your feedback! Take a look at the films, lessons, and activities on the Creative Thinking site. Let us know what you think and if you have any successful teaching tips to share. Watch this blog for future discussions about plagiarism and copyright challenges in the classroom.

Creative Thinking was funded by a grant from the Cincinnati Bar Foundation and includes collaborative community support from NKU, CET, Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL), University of Louisville, Campbell County KY Public Library, and other regional partners.

- John Schlipp
Guest Blogger

All Aboard!

Dinosaurs and trains. Can it get any better for most preschoolers? Imagine an adorable preschool-age Tyrannosaurus Rex riding a colorful train on an exciting voyage through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans. That is the premise of Dinosaur Train, a new CGI-animated series.

Now, as a parent or teacher of a young child, imagine how excited you’ll be when you see how Dinosaur Train helps your child learn more about natural science, natural history and paleontology. Each 30-minute episode takes kids on a trip to explore our world during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Dinosaur Train airs on CET at 9:30am and 3pm.

But wait, there’s more! Dinosaur Train also has an interactive website. Children can discover natural history and paleontology through fun games and activities. Parents and teachers of young children can also find resources and activities that build on the learning experience.

All aboard the Dinosaur Train!

- Diane