We're Here for Oklahoma's Public Schools
Our quarterly HighMarks for Educators is designed to share news and opportunities specifically of interest to Oklahoma educators. The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is dedicated to recognizing and encouraging academic excellence in Oklahoma's public schools. We encourage you to share this newsletter with your colleagues and welcome your questions and comments. Thank you! -- Emily Stratton, Executive Director
|
|
Foundation to Honor State's Top Educators, Students |
|
Five outstanding Oklahoma educators will be honored along with 100 of the state’s top public high school seniors when the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence hosts its 35th Academic Awards Celebration Saturday afternoon, May 22, at the Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa.
Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, attendance for the 2021 Academic Awards Celebration is limited to honorees and their registered family members. The public is encouraged to view the awards broadcast at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 29, or 10 a.m. Sunday, May 30, on OETA Public Television. The broadcast will also be available on the foundation’s website at www.ofe.org.
“Rising Above, Going Beyond” is the theme for this year's celebration, which will feature a keynote address by award-winning teacher and education activist Erin Gruwell. She is the collaborative author of “The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them.”
|
|
|
|
|
Colonial Williamsburg offers online summer professional development for Oklahoma teachers |
|
Oklahoma teachers are encouraged to apply for free online professional development opportunities offered in June and July by our educational partners at the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute.
Teaching about Slavery and Race in the Colonial and American Revolutionary Periods. This five-day course for upper elementary and middle school teachers focuses on teaching about race and slavery during the colonial and American Revolutionary War periods, with a primary focus on African American history.
Building Inquiry and Analysis Skill by Engaging with Primary Sources. This five-day course designed for teachers of all grade levels focuses on teaching with a variety of primary source mediums, with an emphasis on student engagement, critical thinking skills and meaning making.
Unraveling the Tapestry: Diverse Perspectives on the American Revolution. History is akin to a scene on a tapestry, where many threads unite to realize a full image and a comprehensive story. Join us for this five-session webinar, as we explore several different perspectives on the American Revolutionary period and share resources that help bring these diverse stories alive in the classroom.
|
|
80 Oklahoma Teachers Complete ESL Course |
|
|
Congratulations to 80 Oklahoma educators who have completed our ESL Certification Exam Prep Course and earned a voucher to defray the cost of the state exam.
The prep course is part of the Teachers of English Learners online professional development platform created by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. The project uses an online learning platform developed by NextThought to provide professional development, networking and support for classroom teachers in schools with a high enrollment of English Learner students. The foundation recently completed the pilot phase of the project, which is now open for teachers statewide on the Oklahoma State Department of Education Oklahoma EDGE website at https://osdeconnect.ok.gov.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Fund for Teachers Awards
Summer Fellowships
Fund for Teachers, a partner organization that awards grants to teachers seeking customized professional development fellowships, has announced this year’s Oklahoma Program Fellows.
Stephen Biggs, an engineering teacher from Tulsa Technology Center, and Julie Valsaint, a STEM teacher from Central Intermediate Elementary School in Wagoner, will be studying the effects of water pollution on local water sources and how it affects ocean waterways. The team plans to use their new knowledge to create enriching conservation units for their students that will result in community-based conservation projects.
In addition, 15 teachers awarded Fellowships in 2020 will be embarking on their learning odysseys this summer after having been deferred due to the pandemic, and 18 more Fellows will take their fellowships in the summer of 2022 or beyond.
Summer is the perfect time for teachers to research and plan the professional development experience of their dreams. Full-time K-12 teachers can apply for up to $5,000 for an individual grant or up to $10,000 for a team grant. Applications open in early October.
|
|
|
|
State Education Conference
to Include New Track for School Foundation Leaders in August
The Oklahoma State School Boards Association and the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration are set to present their annual Education Leadership Conference at the brand new Oklahoma City Convention Center Aug. 26 through 29.
For the first time ever they will offer a one-day specialized learning track for school foundation leaders on Friday, Aug. 27, featuring presentations developed by the Oklahoma School Foundations Network.
Registration for a specialized track allows attendees to participate in the general session and specific breakout sessions related to school foundation work at a special registration rate of $175.
This is an amazing opportunity to attend a state education conference and learn from school foundation leaders how to energize your foundation as you enter the 2021-22 school year. Registration is open now!
|
|
|
|
Teachers Participate in Foundations of Fractions Sessions |
|
Thanks to online professional development, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence's generous grants are benefitting Oklahoma teachers exponentially this year. Almost 70 teachers from different corners of our state are participating in a six-session online professional development opportunity, “Foundations of Fractions” by Graham Fletcher, a national math expert.
Proficiency with fractions is an important foundation for learning more advanced mathematics. Fractions are a student’s first introduction to abstraction in mathematics and, as such, provide the best introduction to algebra in the elementary and middle school years. Time and emphasis are necessary for students to develop the links among fractions, decimals, and percents and solve problems involving their use. But unfortunately, fractions are one of the topics given the least amount of time in our elementary schools.
"This professional development is a huge step forward in building efficacy and self-confidence in our teachers to be the best teacher possible with strong content knowledge AND research-based teaching strategies," said Robbyn Glinsmann, math curriculum coordinator of Mustang Public Schools, who is assisting with the OFE project.
Special thanks to Verizon and the Edward E. and Helen Bartlett Foundation for supporting this outstanding teacher professional development.
|
|
The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence
Recognizing and Encouraging Academic Excellence in Oklahoma's Public Schools
|
|
101 Park Ave. Suite 420, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
(405) 236-0006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
