Greater Capital Region Teacher Center
Local and Regional Resources for Educators in and around the
Capital Region of New York
This page was last updated on June
10, 2004
Opportunities
Spotlight on Capital Region
Teachers
Sites of Interest
and Calendars
OPPORTUNITIES
Jobs
for Teachers - Links to a wide variety of openings in education
nationwide.
USA-EdJobs
- Online career center for all education professionals.
Formerly the Job Network Information Service.
If you wish to announce an opening in your district, please contact
us at 518-479-4083 and it will be posted here promptly. Links to
local vacancies listings can be found at http://www.teachercenter.org/jobpage.htm.
PBS TeacherLine
Summer, 2004 Courses 
PBS Teacherline is online professional development sponsored by WNED in
partnership with the Buffalo Public Schools and the Center for Applied
Technologies in Education at the University at Buffalo.
The Summer 2004 TeacherLine courses will begin during the weeks of July
5th and 12th. Due to generous grant support, the first three teachers who
sign up from our local area can get free tuition (only one per district,
however).
These courses will not be free past this summer. We expect the
course cost to be $150 per 30 seat hour course, $110 per 15 hour course
in the future.
To register, visit WNED's TeacherLine website at : http://teacherline.nylearns.org/
-Registration closes June 25th-
For more information, contact Joe Steinmetz at 716-845-7000, ext 341
or
joesteinmetz@wned.org
Online Science Seminars
with the American Museum of Natural History
The Greater Capital Region Teacher Center is proud to co-sponsor these
online science courses developed by the American Museum of Natural History
to address the key science processess of examining evidence, interpreting
and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions. The courses are held
completely online, are six weeks in length and bear inservice credit.
Optional graduate credit can be arranged by the AMNH.
Look for new courses and dates in the upcoming summer issue of our
program guide, Core Connection. For questions or additional information,
contact Sara Zaidspiner-Leibo, 518-479-4083.
Reflecting on the Teaching Life
The GCRTC and the Coordinated School Health Center are proud to present
this annual summer program created
especially for educators . This highly rated Summer Institute provides
the opportunity for school personnel to explore the daily realities of
“the teaching life” which bring together an indiv i d u a l ’s intelle
c t u a l , emotional and spiritual life. M a ny of us became teachers
for reasons of the heart , animated by a passion for some subject and for
helping people learn .Our experience in classrooms is based on the premise
that good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes
from the identity and integrity of the teacher. This workshop is designed
to challenge the intellect and provide opportunities for re f l e ct i
o n , self-definition and collegiality as we end one school ye a r and
begin our preparation for the next. R e n s s e l a e rville provides an
env i ronment conducive to both private reflection and meaningful interaction
with colleagues from schools all acro s s the Greater Capital Regi o n
. Come and join a pro f e s s i o n a l community of both new and seasoned
teachers as we share the m a ny dimensions of the teaching life.
R e q u i red readings will be sent prior to this re t reat . Join us
for re l a xe d , i n f o rmal and invigorating conve rsation among
p rofessional colleagues. Register early - group size is limited.
Location: Rensselaerville Institute, Rensselaerville
Date: June 30, July 1, 2 (Mon-Wed)
Time: 10am Mon to 3pm Wed
Fee: $99/30 hrs 2 inservice credit (includes all meals, overnight
lodging, materials) Code: WS509
Instructor(s): Kay Bradley is currently team leader for the Capital
Region Coordinated School Health Center. She has
many years experience as a school counselor and is committed to the
importance of Renewal for educators.
Bob Moore teaches Social Studies at Algonquin MS, Averill Park CSD.
He has led numerous highly rated staff development programs and has presented
at many regional and statewide conferences.
Call the Teacher Center (518-479-4083) for registration materials or
use the registration form at www.teachercenter.org.
Resources for French and Spanish/Global
Studies Teachers
The Center for European Studies of the University of Carolina at Chapel
Hill is now offering Teacher Resource Packets to French and Spanish and/or
Global Studies teachers who focus on EU-US relations in their classrooms.
Designed by the European Commission's Washington Delegation, these
EU-US relations fact sheet kits are written in French and Spanish. Topics
covered include the Transatlantic Agenda, foreign policy cooperation, economic
and trade
relations, the euro and the dollar, and comparative statistics. You
can request up to 25 copies for classroom use as long as supplies last.
Please contact the Center for European Studies at ces@unc.edu <mailto:ces@unc.edu>
to request your complimentary packet. Many other no-cost teaching resources
for K-12 teachers can be accessed at the Commission website:
http://www.eurunion.org/infores/teaching/teaching.htm
School Grants - Funding Opportunities
Grants plus a wealth of educational funding can be found in the SchoolGrants
Newsletter. Hard copy of the newsletter (updated byweekly) has been
purchased by the Teacher Center and can be borrowed by Center constituents
- call 479-4083.
SchoolGrants: Grants
and Opportunities for K-12 Schools
Peace Education Project
The Peace Education Project of UNESCO offers units at three different grade
levels to assist educators address the broader objective of building a
culture of peace. Units include: Ecological Thinking and Respect
for Life, Tolerance and Respect for Dignity and Identity, and Leadership
and Global Citizenship. Access the free curriculum through PEACE
EDUCATION.
Teaching Tolerance Grants Program
The Teaching Tolerance project of the Southern Poverty Law Center offers
grants of up to $2,000 to K-12 teachers for small-scale, resourceful, student-focused
projects that promote acceptance of diversity,
peacemaking, community service or any other aspect of tolerance education.
There is no deadline for application. Application form can be found
at Splcenter.org.
Speakers in the Humanities
Non-profit organizations, including high schools, are entitled to one free
lecture a year from this program sponsored by the New York Council for
the Humanities. Your school can take advantage of this program to
host local presentations by leading humanities scholars. To receive
a new catalog of speakers, call 212-233-1131, ext. 42.
Make a Difference!
Check out The Hunger
Site Home - Donate Food for Free to Feed Hungry People in the World
for a truly innovative and philantropic use of the Internet.
SPOTLIGHT ON CAPITAL REGION TEACHERS
Enables science teachers in the Capital Region to connect via e-mail
and web sites to improve physics education through teacher communication.
It includes Interactive Java Applets for the Physics Lab. Created by local
teachers through a grant from the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center.
Prepared by P. Jaeger and S. Duval through a grant from the Greater Capital
Region Teacher Center, this site introduces some of the roots of English.
Congratulations to Bob Lawrence, Farnsworth Middle School
teacher and Teacher Center Policy Board member, on the publication of his
book and curriculum, Sailor of the Stars.
Sailor of the Stars is a language-arts based simulation
for Grades (4-8) that takes students through the entire process of astronaut
training. Students apply for a position as an astronaut, attend astronaut
candidate training and join an orbiter crew.
Students learn the basics of Internet navigation, Web Site evaluation,
etc. through this web site prepared by Paige Jaeger, Librarian, Glens Falls
City School District, through an Innovation Grant from the Greater Capital
Region Teacher Center.
Be sure to check out Time Warner Cable’s Crystal Apple Winners, who are
teachers from the Capital Region. Dominique Morehouse of Giffen Memorial
Elementary School won for her Oceans and Ocean Life Multimedia Presentation
and David Ashdown of Cambridge Central School’s award-winning entry, Save
the Coelacanths, engaged his fourth grade students’ creative abilities.
Outstanding WebQuest designed by Cairo-Durham Social Studies teachers,
Donna Wexler and Shelley O'Leary. Also check their WebQuest on Genocide.
A WebQuest is a unit of study that uses the Internet to its full potential
to enrich the lessons and promote critical thinking skills.
OWL is the private practice website of one of the Teacher Center's highly
esteemed instructors, Lee-Ann Mertzloff, specialist in learning disabilities
and multi-sensory reading program intruction.
Innovative interage project designed as a "living museum" of Ellis Island
immigrants meets diverse needs of all students in grades 1, 5, 8, and 11.
It was created by a team of Guilderland City School District teachers as
a result of an Innovation Grant from the Greater Capital Region Teacher
Center.
Science Fair ideas from Middleburgh Elementary School.
Local history project, designed to give fourth graders an understanding
of how local architecture reflects the history, culture, and traditions
of a community. This project was designed by teachers at Middleburgh
Elementary School with support from a Teacher Center Innovation Grant.
Web linked lab exercises designed and used by Teacher Center constituents.
This exciting project is the result of a workshop sponsored by the Teacher
Center in collaboration with Union College. Visit this site to see the
creativity and energy of your colleagues.
Labs cover topics in the environment, minearology, geology, and weather.
Any science teacher may participate and information is provided to submit
your own labs.
This
page is continuously updated to include new lab exercises developed by
teachers. If you are a science educator in the capital region, you can
submit your own labs and we will mount them on the page! This is your opportunity
to join this innovative project.
This project of the History Department at theUniversity at Albany, SUNY
is a weekly broadcast/ Internet radio program that "focuses on all aspects
of history: how we recall it, how we preserve it, how we interpret it,
how we transform it into myth, and how we pass it on -- as teachers, researchers,
archivists, museum curators, documentary filmmakers, and so on." Aimed
at a non-professional audience, the program attempts to bridge the gap
between professional historians and the general public. At the site, users
can listen to recent and archived programs (back to 1997) in their entirety,
in high or low fidelity.
Journal founded in 1989 and published in Titusville, FL (Space City, USA)
covers detailed information about upcoming space missions, their payloads,
and their crew members. A local link is found in their Education
Editor, Capital Region educator, Robert Lawrence, who is a middle school
teacher in Guilderland and serves on the Teacher Center policy board. Local
teachers can contact Bob and ask how this useful resource can be incorporated
in their curriculum.
The New York History Net has found a new home at the State University of
New York at Albany. This site was developed to provide interested users
with access to the full range of historical assets within New York State.
It provides an integrated source of related information, crossing lines
among academic, governmental, and commercial sources. Its mission is to
promote awareness of New York State's rich history resources, and to promote
their enjoyment by the largest number of people possible.
Designed and funded as part of the Teacher Center's Innovative Grant Program,
this web site was created by local teachers to make Character Education
in their school more interactive. The web pages highlight the monthly theme
with which students become involved. They emphasize ways to make the connection
from school to home and community by enhancing and extending the theme
presented in classrooms and at assemblies.
Developed by the History and Media Committee of the History Department
at the University at Albany, this site provides a means of communication
among and with local scholars who are writing historical fiction. It includes
essays and samples by each author.
A K-16 American history curriculum developed by teachers from the Niskayuna
school district and the Sage Colleges. The curriculum is chronologically
organized into twelve historical periods--each covered by a unit at each
of the three grade levels. The web site is published by ERIC.
Essay by Arden Rauch, earth science teacher at Schenectady High School.
Innovative organic gardening with students project that was designed and
funded as part of the Teacher Center's Innovative Grant Program.
EDUCATION LINKS
WITH A LOCAL OR NEW YORK STATE FOCUS
Please note that many of these sites also contain a calendar or schedule
of events relevant to their organization and of potential interest to Greater
Capital Region Teacher Center constituents.
Guide to the
New Standards: New York Teacher - NYSUT
From New York Teacher, this site offers an overview of where
New York state stands in the move to higher standards and more rigorous
tests.
NYS Teacher Resource and
Computer Training Centers
Homepage that lists all the Teacher Centers in the state by regional
networks with links to those with web sites.
N.Y. State Education Department
Includes announcements, upcoming programs, current reports, and information
on standards and assessments.
Sharing Success
NYSED's statewide system for identifying and disseminating successful
educational programs and practices.
Education 21
A non-profit agency providing the technologies and services needed
to usher students into the 21st century. Located in Troy, NY.
NYWIRED
Located in Albany, NYWired offers an educational center where districts
and teachers can learn about new classroom technology and seek help in
developing plans for incorporating technology into their schools.
The Wadsworth Center
Located in Albany, it is the most comprehensive public health laboratory
in the nation combining basic research and education in biomedical and
environmental sciences. The Teacher Center is currently collaborating with
Wadsworth on a number of projects including the upcoming local link to
Antarctica and marine biology study.
NYS Early Childhood Career
Development Initiative
Features state-wide (by county) Early Childhood education professional
development opportunities.
NYS Systemic Initiative (SSI)
State sponsored campaign to transform education in Mathematics, Science,
and Technology.
Equity 5
Provides assistance to those with a commitment to the inclusion of
equity initiatives in Tech Prep/School-to-Work programs.
Capital Region Board
of Cooperative Educational Services
Includes resources in Albany, Schenectady, and Schoharie counties on
special education, occupational education, and other school support services.
NERIC
The Northeast Regional Information Center's goals are to provide computer
services to their member districts.
TRE PAGE The
home page for the assistive technology resource and training center for
parents, educators, therapists and agencies in New York state.
WSWHE BOCES
Washington Saratoga Warren Hamilton Essex counties Board of Cooperative
Education Services home page.
New York State English Council
NYSEC is an organization dedicated to keeping New York State English
Language Arts educators from pre-K through college in public and private
schools informed, enthusiastic and unified.
National Research
Center on English Learning & Achievement
CELA, located at the SUNY Albany campus, conducts and disseminates
research dedicated to improving the teaching of English and Language Arts.
Capital Area School Development
Association (CASDA)
Includes CASDA, its purpose, and upcoming events sponsored by CASDA.
K-5 CyberTrail: The
Best of the Rest
Links to over 20 Capital Region schools with home pages and a link
to WEB 66, the international WWW schools registry.
PBS Mathline
Elementary and Middle school math teachers are given the opportunity
to be part of online learning communities that provide professional development
aligned with the NCTM Standards. The GCRTC sponsored local teachers in
their participation through local provider, WMHT.
NYS School-to-Work
Online
Includes links to the regional STW web sites, funding opportunities,
workforce preparation programs, the State Department of Labor, and a calendar
of events.
School-to-Work
Partnerships
New York State Writers
Institute
Includes calendar of Writers Institute events. Look for events co-sponsored
by the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center.
The HUMOR Project, Inc.
Located in Saratoga Springs, the Humor Project helps people and organizations
to tap the positive power of humor and creativity. They provide practical
services, programs, and resources that improve the effectiveness and quality
of life of individuals, groups, and organizations. GCRTC regularly co-sponsors
teachers' attendance at their yearly conference.
Click here
to
submit opportunities or information of specific interest to educators in
the Greater Capital Region of New York.