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Join us for a Personal & Authentic Book Study

This past year has taught us about how personal and authentic relationships play a key role in our day-to-day lives. In the spirit of that, our spring book study will cover the book Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences that Impact a Lifetime by Thomas C. Murray.

This asynchronous book study will take place April 12th - May 9th, with continuous weekly checkpoints to help foster discussions and reflection.

The book study costs $25 and earns the participant 8 PD hours at the completion of the course. Participants will also receive a special message from the author himself!
To register for this exciting book study, visit here.
JCC Implements Remote Learning to Ensure Safe Conditions for All

As the outside world of education has been shifting, the Juvenile Justice Center (JJC) has been keeping up with the times and implementing remote learning to ensure students have a safe environment for learning. 

The students who reside at the JJC live in close proximity, so maintaining a healthy learning environment is very important to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the detention center.

Social studies teacher Mr. Pawola has been teaching from home with great success. In November, all of the instructors at the JJC received professional development training on remote learning resources, and have been able to put that knowledge into action. Jimmy has been enjoying getting to connect with his students in a unique way. The other teachers provide remote and in-person instruction simultaneously.
The teachers start off a new unit with tutorial videos to help students get comfortable with the remote learning platform.
Students collaborate on assignments and check back in with their teachers remotely.
Students interactively discuss current events from the safety of their living pods.
Join us for AA #1795

On April 13th, the ROE is hosting AA #1795: Leading the Education of English Learners from 9 am to noon, online: synchronous. This course provides administrators the theoretical and practical foundation they need to provide exemplary leadership in the education of English learners (ELs).

Participants will learn and be able to apply the research and the legal parameters related to:
• Second language acquisition
• Academic language development
• Literacy development for simultaneous sequential emergent bilinguals
• Effective instructional strategies aligned to state standards
• Numerous program models

Reflection and evaluation of past/current decisions will lead to the creation of an action plan for the improvement of services for English learners.
Nominations for Teacher of the Year and Those Who Excel are Now Open!

Those who Excel awards are presented to individuals who have made a significant impact on their school community. This award was created in 1970 and is open to all public and non-public educators. There are five categories to nominate:
  1. Administrator
  2. Team
  3. Community Volunteer
  4. Student Support Personnel
  5. Educational Service Personnel

Nominations are due by Friday, May 21st at 11:59 pm. To nominate someone, visit here.
Illinois Teacher of the year has also been in place since 1970, and honors the best of the best. This is open to all public and non-public educators K-12 with at least 5 years of experience.

Each region in Illinois with have a top nominee (Regional Teachers of the Years,) and then that winner will be selected from that group. There are also categories. for Bilingual, Early Childhood, and Special Education Teachers.

Nominations are due by Friday, May 21st at 11:59 pm. To nominate someone, visit here.
Both 'Those Who Excel' and 'Illinois Teacher of the Year' are awards given directly by the Illinois State Board of Education, and not affiliated with the Kane County 'Educator of the Year' event.
District Licensure Manual Available

Sometimes, it can be tricky to keep up-to-date with the latest information from ISBE. To help with that, our knowledgeable licensure specialists created a manual that includes all the important information from ISBE including, certifications, qualifications, updates to ELIS accounts, and more.

The District Licensure Manual is an interactive resource with helpful links to forms, important websites, and more, and can be downloaded directly from our website or opened in a different tab to save space on your computer.

To view the District Licensure Manual, visit here.
The Progress Report: Traveling During a Pandemic

In this week's post of The Progress Report, Katie Algrim discusses virtual field trip options and how to make the most of the experience for the students.

The Progress Report is a collaborative discussion space for professional learning. If there are any topics that you would like to see a post on or guest write yourself, please contact Katie Algrim.

Where Can I Find Information Regarding COVID-19 In Illinois?
ISBE is working in partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to ensure we are providing the most current resources and guidance to support Illinois education communities regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

The Illinois Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hotline and email address provides consistent information, answer questions, share facts about symptoms, and provides up-to-date information from the CDC. Call 1-800-889-3931 anytime or email dph.sick@illinois.gov

News and information updates from all around Kane County.
Catch Up On Branching Out
"Branching Out" is our new weekly YouTube series with quick videos designed to help educators branch out of their comfort zone and integrate new ideas and technology into their classroom.

To subscribe to our YouTube channel and stay up-to-date with the newest installments, click here.

Upcoming & Ongoing Workshops
AA #1795: Leading the Education of English Learners
April 13th
$175
AA#1374: Implementing Social & Emotional Learning System-Wide to Improve Student Achievement

Ongoing
$125
English Language Learner:
Evaluation & Assessment

Ongoing
$195
Creating Work-Life Harmony in Teaching

Ongoing
$99
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