BLUE MAN GROUP AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT DEBUTS SPECIAL TICKET PRICES FOR FLORIDA TEACHERS

To thank educators for their contributions to the lives of Florida students, Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando – in partnership with the Florida Education Foundation – is offering special discounted tickets to performances from May 24 – July 7, 2013. Blue Man Group engages audiences with their unique combination of animated comedy, energetic music and stunning theatrics performed live in a playful atmosphere.
“Florida’s dedicated teachers motivate and inspire their students to reach their goals and become the leaders of tomorrow,” said Ola Wawryn, Resident General Manager of Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando. “What better way to honor these valued educators than inviting them to see the Blue Man Group show, which encourages creativity and promotes discovery.”
Florida public school teachers can purchase Blue Man Group adult tickets for the discounted rate of $34 plus tax (a savings of $60), and/or children’s tickets (ages 3-9) for $29 plus tax. The discount is valid for a maximum of six tickets. Additionally, for every adult ticket purchased, Blue Man Group will donate $2 to the Florida Education Foundation.
To take advantage of this opportunity, educators should visit either the Just for Teachers website or the Florida Education Foundation website and fill out a registration form. After completing the registration process, teachers can download and print a ticket coupon that allows them to purchase tickets by contacting the Blue Man Group box office at 407-BLUEMAN (258-3626) or by visiting the box office in person and identifying themselves as a Florida educator.
To pick up their tickets on the day of the show performance, teachers must present the following:
• The ticket coupon
• A matching valid photo ID
• Proof of employment (a valid Florida public school-issued ID badge, a recent Florida public school paycheck stub which includes their name and the name of the school and district, or an approved public school employment letter).
“Our partners in education do a wonderful job of promoting external learning opportunities like the Blue Man Group shows and supporting our state’s more than 190,000 hard-working teachers,” said Florida Commissioner of Education Dr. Tony Bennett. “I hope Florida’s public school educators will take advantage of this great opportunity to relax and enjoy the performance.”
After enjoying the Blue Man Group performance, educators can also visit select Universal CityWalk venues for free with the presentation of their Blue Man Group ticket stub. Visit the Blue Man Group website for more information.
For more special discounts and deals for teachers, visit the department’s Just for Teachers website.”

Private Classroom Collaboration for Florida Teachers

Social networking has become an integral part of today’s education.  Students can better engage in the learning process when combining classroom activities with online activities.  Parents can better guide their children with homework if they are well informed.  Now if only teachers can control who can participate in these online social communities, information can freely flow similar to a traditional classroom setting.  Now you can with Novachi’s Teacher Classroom Collaboration (TCC).

TCC is a social learning platform designed to facilitate online learning by providing virtual classrooms on top of a social network and can be launched from within Novachi Apps launchpad.  With similar features you would expect from popular social network websites, TCC combines the best of social networking features with private classroom level security to create a whole new way to learn and communicate.

TCC enables teachers to communicate with students and parents in a classroom-like setting with confidence that the classroom activities are restricted from the general public.  Teachers have access to create new classes, invite students and parents, and act as the owner and administrator for their newly created classrooms. Student accounts can find their list of classes, participate in classroom activities and discussions, upload assignments, review shared content, class requirements and calendars,  access learning trees (created by teachers or fellow peers), view photos and videos.  Parents can be invited into the classroom by the teacher that owns the class.  Parent accounts can view any information that is made public to them via classroom sharing.  Parents can also access class calendars and events, and assist in their child’s education process.

Teachers who already have an account on Novachi will automatically see a new Teacher Classroom Collaboration app.  All Florida Teachers should already have an account on Novachi.  Contact Novachi Support if you need help accessing your account.  Additional details about the TCC is available at http://goo.gl/rPdyh.  For additional information, visit Novachi website at www.novachi.com.

Guest Post: Future Presidents: An Invitation to Parents to Help Their Children Make History

Future Presidents: An Invitation to Parents to Help Their Children Make History

Every now and then a great project comes along that’s so family oriented people can’t help but get involved. One of the country’s leading commercial photographers, Matthew Jordan Smith is leading the way with Future Presidents, a project to capture the goals and aspirations of children from each state in the nation.

The best part of this project is the excitement of the children and hearing their goals and aspirations.-Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) April 17, 2013

If there was a way to help children be part of a history making project, wouldn’t every parent want to know about it? Welcome to Future Presidents, a project that brings Disney’s Zendaya Coleman and President Jimmy Carter together with thousands of families across the United States.

Children across the country are getting involved in the Future Presidents Project. Acclaimed photographer Matthew Jordan Smith is interviewing and photographing kids in each state asking them to weigh in on Presidential issues, and what they would do as President themselves. Their answers are inspiring, humorous and give an interesting perspective on their view of the world.

Scheduled to be released at the end of this year, the book will be an intriguing read and window to the thoughts of the future leaders of our country. The book includes an introduction by Zendaya and an incredibly powerful quote by President Jimmy Carter written exclusively for the book, Future Presidents.

“The kids I’ve met in this project are truly inspiring,” Smith says, “and it’s been humbling to hear the stories of their families and their hopes for America.”

Smith is searching each state for families to photograph for the project. He makes the kids feel like stars, something his career as a photographer includes, having worked with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Vanessa Williams and Zendaya, just to name a few. In many of the interviews, he involves parents and grandparents (many of whom are immigrants to the U.S.) who also share their hopes for their children and the country. Smith has just 18 states left to finish, and has a Kickstarter page to help complete the project.

“Americans have been overwhelmingly supportive and I’ve heard so many wonderful stories, I wish I could include many more in the book,” Smith says, “That’s why we’ve created the opportunity for all children to share their stories via the Internet.”

How People Contribute: Parents can simply use a poster board to express their children’s dreams to be President, and photograph them holding the poster. No need to be a professional photographer– a camera phone is adequate (tip: lots of light will make the writing easier to read). Then they need to share the pictures on the project’s Facebook page or on Pinterest using the hashtag #FuturePres/

The accumulated online images will be a powerful testimonial to the growing generation. Each day, Smith will feature the most powerful image as the Facebook cover page.

Ever since he was a twelve year old, Matthew Jordan Smith’s passion has been telling stories with photographs. He is now one of the most sought after commercial photographers in the world. The Future Presidents Project will be his third book, along with Sepia Dreams,: A celebration of Black Achievement Through Word and Images, and Lost and Found (The Microsoft Mission Series.)

CCSS Toolkits are Here!

The Florida Department of Education is pleased to present the English Language Arts (ELA) Digital Repository to ultimately develop, review, and align formative assessment activities to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

By the 2013-2014 school year, student and teacher support tools to implement the English Language Arts CCSS will be accessible to all students and teachers in Florida. Educator log in will be available at that time.

Available Now: Professional Development Modules

The first two of five English Language Arts Common Core State Standards Formative Assessment System Professional Development Modules are presented.

■Teachers: These modules are designed to provide professional development resources to support the implementation of the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards and the English Language Arts Formative Assessment System.

■District Administrators and Pre-Service Instructors: These modules are designed to be presented to pre-service and/or in-service teachers in order to increase their knowledge of the Common Core State Standards and formative assessments.

Available Now: Professional Development Toolkits (K-8)

Providing teachers with a storehouse of information and resources to support teaching and learning, specific to the Florida English/Language Arts Formative Assessment System and Common Core State Standards. These resources support teachers in completing lessons and can enhance the Lesson Study process through differentiated instruction.

■The K-2, 3-5 grades Reading Foundational Skills Toolkits provide: Student Activities, Teaching Strategies, Materials and Formative Assessment information.

■The K-5 and 6-8 grades Common Core State Standards Toolkits provide: Teaching Strategies, Materials and Formative Assessment information.

 

We are teachers, and this is our role to play

As we roll into March, we know that Florida educators have been receiving lots of data from various sources throughout the year. Having been a reading coach and working closely with data myself, I know how daunting all of this information can be. It is important that we take a step back and view the data as “assessments for learning,” as opposed to “assessments of learning.” As teachers, it is our responsibility to take a child from what he or she currently knows (Point A) and move him or her to knowing all of the benchmarks for your class (Point B). Sometimes students may be starting with a deficit and are able to make it closer to Point B, but not completely reach it. This is learning growth and should be celebrated. Sometimes students will surpass Point B; this too should be encouraged and celebrated. Regardless of where students’ Point A is at the beginning of their year in your class, their movement toward and perhaps beyond Point B is what we do as teachers. Data gained from sources such as FCAT, FAIR, formative assessments, etc., is information that will help you determine each student’s Point A and how close he or she is to reaching Point B. In the words of William Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” We are teachers, and this is our role to play.

Outstanding Principal and Assistant Principal Achievement Awards

Two Florida school administrators were recognized today for their superior leadership skills during the eighth-annual Commissioner’s Summit for Principals. Former Miami Edison Senior High School Provost Dr. Pablo Ortiz, and Lake Stevens Middle School Assistant Principal Dr. Denise Barrett-Johnson received the 2012-2013 Principal Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership and Outstanding Assistant Principal Achievement Award respectively. Both winners are from the Miami-Dade County School District.

Commissioner of Education Dr. Tony Bennett was on hand to recognize effective school leaders from across the state during today’s summit. This event brings together Florida’s top principals and assistant principals, honoring their accomplishments and providing them opportunities to share best practices on education issues.

“Strong school leaders have a direct impact on increasing overall student achievement,” said Commissioner Bennett. “It’s with great pleasure that I recognize Dr. Ortiz and Dr. Barrett-Johnson for their remarkable track record of preparing students and teachers for greater success.”

Commissioner Bennett presented Dr. Ortiz with a $5,000 check and an additional $1,000 for his school. Dr. Barrett-Johnson was presented with a check for $2,500 and $575 for her school.

The Commissioner’s Summit for Principals is hosted by the Florida Department of Education and supported by the Florida Education Foundation, the Florida Association of School Administrators, and the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. This year’s summit included events sponsored by Disney Youth Programs and Pearson.

Three state finalists were chosen by the department from district nominees and an overall winner was selected from each category. These principals and assistant principals foster a culture that increases student performance, promotes safe learning environments, and establishes partnerships with parents and community members. The finalists for each award are listed below.

Principal Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership Finalists

Pablo Ortiz, Miami-Dade County
Jayne Ellspermann, Marion County
Sandy Moore, Escambia County

Outstanding Assistant Principal Achievement Award Finalists

Denise Barrett-Johnson, Miami-Dade County
Michelle Rovira Daly, Clay County
William McAteer, Marion County

2012-2013 Principal Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership district winners receive a certificate, $500 cash award, and $150 for their school. 2012-2013 Outstanding Assistant Principal Achievement Award district winners receive a certificate, $300 cash award, and $100 for their school. A full list of district winners and state finalists is located online. at http://www.fldoe.org/profdev/rec_prog.asp.

About the Florida Department of Education

The Department of Education serves as the single repository of education data from school districts, state and community colleges, universities, and independent postsecondary institutions – allowing us to track student performance over time and across varying education sectors.

We administer a statewide reading initiative for Florida’s public schools, and among community groups and volunteer organizations that support them, with a goal of having every child able to read at or above grade level.

Serving nearly 2.7 million students, 4,200 public schools, 28 colleges, 192,000 teachers, 47,000 college professors and administrators, and 321,000 full-time staff throughout the state, the department enhances the economic self-sufficiency of Floridians through programs and services geared toward college, workforce education, apprenticeships, job-specific skills, and career development. The department manages programs that assist individuals who are blind, visually-impaired, or disabled succeed either in school settings or careers – encouraging independence and self-sufficiency.

Department Facts

• More than 2,400 total full-time positions, including
  • Division of Vocational Rehabilitation – 930 positions
  • Division of Blind Services – 300 positions
• Annual operating budget for all entities in 2012-13 – approximately $18.6 billion
• Oversee 28 locally-governed public state colleges and 47 school district technical centers

Number of Schools for 2012-13 School Year by Grade Levels Taught

Grade Levels Taught	Number of Schools
Elementary Schools	1,967
Middle/Junior High Schools	609
Senior High Schools	985
Combination Schools	553
Adult Schools	156
Total	4,270