The modules will eventually become part of the TEA ELL online portal, but before they can be published, the developers are calling for beta testers to preview the modules and provide valuable evaluation feedback in order to improve them prior to having them go public.  The modules are self-paced, so that each beta tester can take as much time as he/she needs to complete them, with the stipulation that they be completed by the end of summer 2012, or August 31, 2012.

Those interested in participating as a beta tester for this project must meet the following prerequisites:

• Be currently employed as a middle school social studies teacher in Texas
• Must teach in a school with ELL populations integrated and mainstreamed into the social studies classes
• Have taught at least one year as a middle school social studies teacher in Texas
• Have Internet accessibility during the summer
• Must NOT have participated in Project Open Horizons during its first phase

Teachers who are selected to participate as beta testers will receive a $500 stipend upon completing the review of the online social studies modules.

To apply you must submit an application, as well as a letter of support from your current principal, or if you are transitioning into a new school during the 2012-2013 academic school year, from your future principal.

Applications and letters of support must be submitted together by June 8, 2012, and notifications to participants will be emailed and mailed by June 15, 2012, along with instructions on how to access the online modules.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Dr. Leticia De Leon at Ldeleonz1@utpa.edu or Dr. Janine Schall at Jschall@utpa.edu to be sent an application packet.

Visit Gilder Lehrman’s new Home for History website, a resource on the web for teachers, students, scholars, and lovers of American history.

Featuring

• History by Era, a chronological and thematic curriculum online, spanning Exploration to the New Millennium
• Fifty original essays by renowned historians offering a range of views on American history
• Teaching Resources designed around the Common Core, with Timelines and Terms, Featured Primary Sources, Interactives, and more
• More than 300 podcasts of lectures and talks in the new Multimedia section

Go to Home for History

In general, the Sunset Commission periodically evaluates state agencies to determine if the agency is needed, if it is operating effectively, and if state funds are well spent.  Based on the recommendations of the Sunset Commission, the Texas Legislature ultimately decides whether an agency continues to operate into the future.  You can find additional information on the Sunset Commission on our website at www.sunset.state.tx.us.

As part of this agency’s review, we seek the input of organizations and individuals who have an interest in the agency.  Please take some time to comment on the attached preliminary issues identified by the Sunset Commission staff as potential research areas.  Also, let us know of other issues of interest to you or your organization.  Feel free to share copies of this email and the attachment with any others who may have an interest in the Texas Education Agency.  To help ensure the free flow of information, comments submitted to Sunset staff before publication of the staff report are confidential.

To give the staff time to consider your information during our review of the Texas Education Agency, we request you send your response by June 1, 2012.  Please mail, email, or fax your comments to the address or fax number provided in the attached Preliminary Issue List.  Also, if you need more information or have questions about our process, please contact Karen Latta at (512) 463-1300.  We greatly appreciate your assistance and look forward to hearing your ideas.

Sincerely,

Ken Levine

Director

Sunset Advisory Commission

In 2012 Humanities Texas will hold four comprehensive teacher institutes for social studies teachers around the state. The institutes will take place at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, The University of Texas at Brownsville, the University of Houston, and The University of Texas at San Antonio. The Brownsville and San Antonio institutes, titled Shaping the American Republic to 1877, will explore U.S. history from origins to Reconstruction and follow a curriculum that aligns with the 8th-grade U.S. history TEKS. The Dallas and Houston institutes, titled The Making of Modern America, will cover U.S. history from 1877 to the present, following a curriculum that aligns with the 11th-grade U.S. history TEKS.

Humanities Texas teacher institutes provide teachers with a wealth of resources for the classroom as well as the opportunity to work closely with leading scholars of U.S. history. Faculty lectures in the morning are complemented by afternoon workshops in which teachers work with faculty on a close reading of primary source documents.

http://www.humanitiestexas.org/education/teacher-institutes/upcoming-institutes

Benefits
The forty teachers selected to participate in each institute will receive a $200 stipend, continuing professional education credit, a travel allowance of up to $300 if traveling from outside the county in which the institute is held, housing (if necessary), and teaching documents for the classroom. GT credit may be available depending on district standards.

Schedule
The institutes are scheduled in the first half of June. (Teachers will apply to attend only one of the institutes, but may indicate their second choice location.) Exact dates for each program are posted on the institute website.
http://www.humanitiestexas.org/education/teacher-institutes <http://www.humanitiestexas.org/education/teacher-institutes>

Eligibility
Institutes are open to all middle and high school social studies teachers. Preference will be given to teachers in their first few years of teaching.

How to apply
Teachers may apply to attend any one of the four institutes. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Teachers are encouraged to submit applications immediately, as space is limited and we expect to fill the institutes quickly. Teachers may submit an application online or download the paper application from the institute website.
http://www.humanitiestexas.org/education/teacher-institutes/upcoming-institutes <http://www.humanitiestexas.org/education/teacher-institutes/upcoming-institutes>

Questions
Please direct any questions about the institutes to Rachel Spradley, program officer, at 512.440.1991 orinstitutes@humanitiestexas.org.

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The New Perspectives on the Middle East: Roosevelt to G.W. Bush Symposium will feature a guest speaker, Education Specialists from the Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, LBJ, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush Presidential Libraries, and original primary source materials from each library will be featured with the emphasis on items teachers can readily use in the classroom to supplement materials from textbooks and other sources. These items are not usually found in materials available to teachers.

Cost of the symposium is $50 and includes all materials, a copy of primary sources, and breakfast and lunch for each day. Space is limited so register early. Up to 13 hours of CEU credit available.

Primarily Teaching July 23-27, 2012

This workshop provides a varied program of lectures, demonstrations, analysis of documents, independent research, and group work that introduces teachers to the holdings and organization of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. Participants will learn how to do research in historical records, create classroom material from records, and present documents in ways that sharpen students’ skills and enthusiasm for history, social studies, and the humanities. Each participant selects and prepares to research a specific topic, searches the topic in the records of the LBJ Library, and develops a teaching unit that can be presented in the classroom.

Due to limited Reading Room space, the number of participants is limited to 10 persons. Participants will be registered in the order the registration forms are received. Texas Teachers may elect to receive 6 hours credit for Gifted/Talented training or up to 40 hours of CEU credit. Graduate credit from a major university is available for an additional fee.

Inside the Archives

This workshop is designed to be used by schools and school districts to give teachers an opportunity to conduct research in the textual archives of the LBJ Library and learn how the Library can be utilized to enhance classroom activities and learning.

Suggestion: If ten teachers from a single school or school district each select a topic, that group can create a unit of study to be used by other teachers in the district/school. Texas Teachers may elect to receive 6 hours credit for Gifted/Talented training or up to 40 hours of CEU credit.

To register, Visit: www.lbjlibrary.org/education

For more information contact:

Marsha Sharp: Marsha@LBJLibrary.net

Amanda Melancon: Amanda@LBJLibrary.Net

Nominators must be NCGE members, but any K-12 teacher may be nominated for this award. Applications are reviewed by an NCGE task force and evaluated for teaching skills, leadership, professional development accomplishments, involvement in student activities, and development of innovative teaching materials and strategies. Complete nominee materials must be submitted to awards@ncge.org no later than March 19, 2012. Application requirements can be found at http://www.ncge.org/k-12-distinguished-teaching-award. THANK YOU!

HATTON W. SUMNERS INSTITUTES ON THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS

The Hatton W. Sumners institutes focuses on exploration of the Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, Anti-Federalist writings, the U.S. Constitution, and the First Amendment. Sessions with scholars provide content and background. Sessions with Law-Related Education trained teacher-consultants provide practical lessons and strategies to utilize the content in classrooms. All activities are TEKS correlated with gifted/talented and advanced placement extensions. This institute is funded by a grant from the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation. This Law-Related Education institute is approved for continuing education credit by the State Board for Teacher Certification (CPE #500204) and for Gifted and Talented credit, based on local district approval.

Deposit Fee: $50 (will be returned at the end of the session)

Dates and Sites for 2012

June 18-22, 2012- 101 Lubbock

June 18-20, 2012- 201 Lubbock

June 21, 2012- 301 Lubbock

June 18-22, 2012- El Paso (Satellite Locations & 101 Courses only!)

July 16-20, 2012- 101 Arlington

July 16-18, 2012- 201 Arlington

July 19, 2012- 301 Arlington BEING AN AMERICAN: EXPLORING THE IDEALS THAT UNITE USThis twelve-hour institute is for secondary teachers who would like to explore material which focuses on the significance of America’s founding documents and civic values, as well as the contributions of great Americans who were committed to these principles and exemplified these values. Being An American: Exploring the Ideals that Unites Us institute will focus on five areas of study: The United States Constitution, The United States Bill of Rights, America’s Civic Values, American Heroes: Past and Present and American Citizenship: A Personal Response.Deposit Fee: $50 (will be returned at the end of the session)

SITES FOR 2012

San Angelo — June 26-27, 2012

Victoria — June 28-29, 2012

Wichita Falls — July 30-31, 2012

Fort Worth — August 9-10, 2012

SOCIAL STUDIES TEKS UPDATE—LRE STYLE

Join us for a new Law-Related Education initiative as you prepare for 2011 school year. Our one day program will focus on key people, events, and court cases now added to the social studies TEKS K-12. Using the history, government, and citizenship strands of the new TEKS, separate breakout sessions with new innovative lessons will be conducted for elementary, middle, and high school teachers. Teachers will receive all materials in electronic format and even lunch will be provided on site.

Registration Fee: $75

SITES FOR 2012

Fort Worth — June 4, 2012

Kilgore — June 26, 2012

Austin — July 9, 2012

TEACHERS’ LAW SCHOOL
JULY 12-14, 2012

State Bar of Texas
Austin, TexasThe Teachers’ Law School features the best and brightest members of the Texas bench and bar who live and work with the law and who will share the practical realities of systems that protect all Americans. The institute is designed for high school and middle school educators involved in teaching government, law classes and law magnet programs across the state. Noted judges and attorneys will discuss Texas criminal and civil law procedures with participants. Over a three-day period, these teachers will take part in presentations and roundtables discussions.

The institute is sponsored by the Texas American Board of Trial Advocates, Law Focused Education, Inc. and the State Bar of Texas Law-Related Education.

To download an application, click here! ]]> http://txcss.org/?feed=rss2&p=2886 0 http://txcss.org/?p=2874 http://txcss.org/?p=2874#comments Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:41:59 +0000 admin http://txcss.org/?p=2874

Texas Council on Economic Education (TCEE), in conjunction with UH Bauer College Financial Symposium to be held at the University of Houston on April 14, 2012 during Houston Money Week 2012,  will sponsor a poster contest. Each school may enter their top 5 posters from each grade band (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) that address the theme, Managing Your Money.  Kindergarten through grade 12 students who live in the greater Houston metropolitan area are eligible to enter the poster competition. Click here for Poster Contest Rules

July 9-13, 2012

Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI

Competing Visions of Human Rights

More information and an application can be found at http://www.choices.edu/pd/institutes_seminars.php.

 Applications are due by Friday, March 16, 2012

The Choices 2012 Summer Leadership Institute provides teachers with an opportunity to examine the concept of human rights and the challenges of enforcing human rights at an international level. Using the Choices curriculum unit, Competing Visions of Human Rights: Challenges for U.S. Policy, participants will learn from leading scholars in the fields of international law and foreign policy, explore effective instructional strategies for engaging students in the topic, and share best practices with other dedicated and innovative teachers.  Time is also allocated to discuss and plan new ways to conduct educational outreach, which is a requirement of the Leadership Institute.

There is no charge for the Leadership Institute.  Meals, housing, reading materials and a certificate of completion are provided.  Participants pay their own round trip travel.

Applications are due by Friday, March 16, 2012.

Texas Law Center, State Bar of Texas

Austin, Texas

The Teachers’ Law School is designed for middle and high school educators involved in teaching government, law classes and law magnet programs across the state. Noted judges and attorneys will discuss Texas criminal and civil law procedures with participants. Over a three-day period, thirty teachers will take part in presentations, roundtables, and breakout sessions. The Teachers’ Law school will feature the best and brightest members of the Texas bench and bar who live and work with the law and who will share the practical realities of systems that protect all Americans. It is hoped that this emphasis on teaching law to all students will spark an interest in the legal profession.

Participants will be provided two nights in an Austin hotel, round trip travel to Austin, all meals, and all materials.

The institute is funded by TEX-ABOTA

For application please go to: http://www.texaslre.org/lre_teacherslaw.html

Deadline for applications in April 15, 2012