PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Staff Knowledge of Green School Status
During a staff meeting in August 2012, all staff members were informed about our intent to reapply for Green School in Spring of 2013. They were also invited to sign pledges to save energy, paper, recycle and reduce their carbon footprint. The PPT is to the right.
A survey was sent out in December 2012, asking staff about their knowledge of Green School and application at MRHS. Emails Summarizing the results were sent out in January 2013 and February 2013, they are also to the right. |
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Professional Development: RECYCLING
Alicia Moore from Howard County came to the November 5th, 2012 Staff Meeting to share what can and cannot be recycled as many staff had questions. She brought in materials for staff to see and provided flyers which are now located over recycling bins in planning rooms. Students from the Environmental Club liked the idea and created signs that were placed over every recycling bin in the classrooms. Alicia also shared a video on recycling in Howard County.
Professional Development: ENERGY USE
From the Green School Survey, many staff members wanted to know about energy conservation at school and at home. Diane Sweeney came from Howard County to share our energy use numbers as well as ideas for how we can reduce consumption. Her PPT is below.
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Using Turnitin.com and Hand in/Hand out Folders
Teachers received training on how to use Turnitin.com. While teachers from various departments use this tool, the English teachers lead the charge.
Each of the 12 English teachers use turnitin.com to some degree with their students. At a minimum each teacher uses this website for the submission of their research papers. These papers are usually 5-10 pages in length.
Submitting work in this way saves a tremendous amount of paper. Having 110 students submit 10 papers, of an average of 2 pages each, saves 2,200 sheets of paper.
In addition, In an effort to reduce our waste, many teachers in the building use our online folders called Hand In and Hand Out. This program is two fold. The first advantage to this is if teachers have documents that they want their students to read or have, they can upload them to the Hand Out folder so students can have access to these items without having to print them out. The second advantange to this concept is when students have completed work, whether it is a power point, video, a word document, or any other material that can be sent online, the students can save the documents to the Hand In folder, so the teachers do not need hard copies of the items. This way, the students and staff are cutting down on paper consumption and DVD/CD use.
Each of the 12 English teachers use turnitin.com to some degree with their students. At a minimum each teacher uses this website for the submission of their research papers. These papers are usually 5-10 pages in length.
Submitting work in this way saves a tremendous amount of paper. Having 110 students submit 10 papers, of an average of 2 pages each, saves 2,200 sheets of paper.
In addition, In an effort to reduce our waste, many teachers in the building use our online folders called Hand In and Hand Out. This program is two fold. The first advantage to this is if teachers have documents that they want their students to read or have, they can upload them to the Hand Out folder so students can have access to these items without having to print them out. The second advantange to this concept is when students have completed work, whether it is a power point, video, a word document, or any other material that can be sent online, the students can save the documents to the Hand In folder, so the teachers do not need hard copies of the items. This way, the students and staff are cutting down on paper consumption and DVD/CD use.
STEM/NASA Presentation
Approximately 10 staff that were not involved were present during this presentation in September 2012.
Thursday, during break is our STEM/NASA kickoff. Greg Strimel and I are presenting to the entire faculty the MRHS STEM program and STEM/NASA program - but unfortunately not until DECEMBER! SO, don't wait till then! I am inviting you all to attend - I promise it will be entertaining. I am dressing up as Mother Earth.
We will have 50 students from Mt. View - and students from Greg Strimel, Matt Beattie, Amanda Brady, Don Rodis and my classes.
Thursday, during break is our STEM/NASA kickoff. Greg Strimel and I are presenting to the entire faculty the MRHS STEM program and STEM/NASA program - but unfortunately not until DECEMBER! SO, don't wait till then! I am inviting you all to attend - I promise it will be entertaining. I am dressing up as Mother Earth.
We will have 50 students from Mt. View - and students from Greg Strimel, Matt Beattie, Amanda Brady, Don Rodis and my classes.
Summer 2012
Middle School and High School Teachers Team-Up for STEM Learning Studios
During a NCTAF-led [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SfjzGsKwrI&feature=plcp ]Design Session this summer the Learning Studio teachers from Mt. View Middle School and Marriotts Ridge High School in Howard County, Maryland discussed how to maximize the geographic proximity of their schools with the goal to create a pipeline of STEM talent from middle school to high school. By aligning their work across schools and grade levels the teachers anticipate deeper student engagement and increased proficiency across all content areas…Waste from last year's senior prank served as a point of discussion…The teacher team launched the year's investigations, a part of a NASA Climate Change grant, by bringing about 200 students from both schools together in an assembly. The event began with a discussion of last year's senior prank which resulted in hundreds of plastic cups strewn across the campus. The team used this real life example to frame its essential question “What is the connection between human actions and climate change?”
Team Leader Stephanie Doodigian dressed up as Mother Earth covered in pesticides, fertilizers, pollution, trash and CO2 emissions. The teachers purposefully selected the same overarching question for both middle school and high school to unify their projects and create opportunities for peer-teaching opportunities between the groups of students this year. Each teacher explained what his/her content area would contribute to the project, and framed the challenge to the students at the end of the assembly as “your mission if you choose to accept it…” The students enthusiastically accepted the challenge. The educators are planning to “guide [the students] but give them full reign to come up with plans and insights as to how we can address our essential question”.
-- from Principal Dr. Kaufman's monthly emails (Nov. 2012)
Middle School and High School Teachers Team-Up for STEM Learning Studios
During a NCTAF-led [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SfjzGsKwrI&feature=plcp ]Design Session this summer the Learning Studio teachers from Mt. View Middle School and Marriotts Ridge High School in Howard County, Maryland discussed how to maximize the geographic proximity of their schools with the goal to create a pipeline of STEM talent from middle school to high school. By aligning their work across schools and grade levels the teachers anticipate deeper student engagement and increased proficiency across all content areas…Waste from last year's senior prank served as a point of discussion…The teacher team launched the year's investigations, a part of a NASA Climate Change grant, by bringing about 200 students from both schools together in an assembly. The event began with a discussion of last year's senior prank which resulted in hundreds of plastic cups strewn across the campus. The team used this real life example to frame its essential question “What is the connection between human actions and climate change?”
Team Leader Stephanie Doodigian dressed up as Mother Earth covered in pesticides, fertilizers, pollution, trash and CO2 emissions. The teachers purposefully selected the same overarching question for both middle school and high school to unify their projects and create opportunities for peer-teaching opportunities between the groups of students this year. Each teacher explained what his/her content area would contribute to the project, and framed the challenge to the students at the end of the assembly as “your mission if you choose to accept it…” The students enthusiastically accepted the challenge. The educators are planning to “guide [the students] but give them full reign to come up with plans and insights as to how we can address our essential question”.
-- from Principal Dr. Kaufman's monthly emails (Nov. 2012)
Green School Webinar
Carrie Noel-Nosbaum and Laverne Miers-Bond attended the October 17th, 2011 Green School Webinar. The purpose of the Webinar was to help schools applying to be a Green School. Topics covered included resources and examples.
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