Walls that Welcome: BTU Fund for Teachers Fellows Honored with Mural Installation
BTU members Alice Laramore (Frederick) and Kat Atkins Pattenson (Gardner) and their students were honored before last week’s school committee meeting as their mural exploring themes of welcoming and inclusion was installed at the Bolling Building. The project grew out of the teachers’ summer 2017 Fund for Teachers fellowship Paredes que Hablan (Walls that Speak) during which they explored the murals of the American West, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Read more about their project, featured on the FFT’s national blog.
Registration Now Open for EdCamp BTU on March 24 (Time Change)
Join us on Saturday, March 24 from 8:30-11:30 AM for EdCamp BTU & BPS. EdCamp is a unique “unconference” form of professional development where those in attendance lead learning for one another according to their interests. Bring your ideas, your questions, your cool tools to share. Register today and see our flyer. (We will conclude the event by 11:30 so attendees can go together to the March for our Lives.)
NEW — Boston Writing Project Summer Institute
This year’s Summer Institute at UMass Boston, Exploring Cultural Identities through Writing, will take place July 9-19. In this two-week institute, educators will explore the themes of race, culture, gender issues, language, and the immigrant experience as they connect to their own identities and to the teaching of writing. The institute is open to 10 teachers of writing from all grade levels, in all subject areas, and from all types of schools. Read more, and apply online using this form. Contactdominique_herard@psbma.org with questions.
NEW — Observation and Feedback Course
The wildly popular Observation and Feedback course is for evaluators in BPS or those interested in becoming evaluators, including peer evaluators. BTU members can earn one ALC if they demonstrate the required competencies of the course. The facilitators are Leslie Gant, Jess Madden-Fuoco, and Mark Lonergan. The dates are April 10, May 1 and June 5 from 8 AM to 2 PM. Register on My Learning Plan. See the draft of thecourse outline and the flyer for more information.
Evidence-Based Argumentation Grad Course from Boston Debate League
This grad class provides an engaging, hands-on, and collaborative dive into the work. Grad class participants will be form a learning community, and will work Cross-Disciplinary and Content Groups. All participants will walk away with a portfolio of content-specific activities within their curriculums that they can use immediately in their classrooms. Register online, and see this flyer for more info.
Bridging Classrooms at the BTU: Peer Coaching as Part of PD
Last week, 20 educators from across BPS and charter schools joined together for the first meeting of a new BTU-sponsored PD program. Planned through the EdVestors “Zeroing in on Math” Fellowship, educators practiced and planned for more discussion-based math classrooms in grades 2-8. Each teacher came with a colleague who will serve as a “Peer Learning Partner.” We’re looking forward to more great work from the cohort!