October is the Month of the Young Adolescent.
Follow the link to resources.
Have a way to celebrate Early Adolescents
in your school? Share your story and pictures!
Contact WAMLE to share the news!
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The complete program for conference is available as a Word document or PDF!
Plan your two day experience before you arrive!
Hard copies of the program will be available at conference compliments of SchoolMate.
Questions?
Please feel free to contact the WAMLE office via e-mail
or phone (608) 846-0418.
| When you pack for the
WAMLE Conference this year, don't forget your purchase order, credit card or cash
(with proper id) 
The WAMLE Bookstore is featuring over 40 titles from National Middle School Association.
Follow
the links on the titles for full descriptions. Save shipping and
handling costs as you plan to make your purchases at conference!
| EXHIBITORS
Why not consider sharing
the best you have at our
conference?
Your exhibit application is
available here.
Applications are due
September 30, 2010.
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Professors of Middle Level Education Best Practices Discussion Group
Tom Lo Guidice, National Association of Professors of Middle Level Education (facilitator)
When: October 14, 2010
1:00-4:00 p.m.
Where: Grand Ballroom, Chula Vista Resort
This session is an opportunity for professors, administrators and teachers who have pre-service teachers in their buildings to discuss teacher preparation.
This WAMLE Conference session will feature discussions lead by:
Deb Pattee (UW-Eau Claire)
The Necessity of Knowing our Students: Using the "Compelling Why"
Leigh Monhardt (UW-Platteville)
The Interdisciplinary Studies Minor and PDS (Professional Development School) Approach
There will also be a brief discussion on middle level associations as a resource for teacher candidates.
Finally, professors are invited to share course syllabi. Please bring 12 copies or e-mail your syllabus by October 10 to loguidice@fastmail.fm.
| Deb Pattee (UW-Eau Claire)
The Necessity of Knowing our Students: Using the "Compelling Why"
Many middle school students are asking the question, "Why do I need to learn this?" As a result, we are now requiring that our preservice teachers make a meaningful, relevant, real world connection to the lives of their students outside of school and explain the reason that their students need to learn that content. They need to address why what they are teaching is important to the lives of their students. We call this a "compelling why" and expect that it be shared in each lesson. This addresses standard one (content and meaningful to students), standard five (motivation of students), and uses two parts of culturally responsive pedagogy: relevance and real. Middle school students then should expect to be told how what they learn connects to their lives and is relevant and real to them. We have found the 5 E's lesson plan format, which emphasizes the importance of student engagement, instrumental in addressing this compelling why, and it has revolutionized how our preservice candidates teach. In teaching this way, three tenants of This We Believe are addressed: 1) Educators value young adolescents and are prepared to teach them. This is proven by purposely making a connection to their lives, since one has to know their students in order to make that connection. 2) Leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about this age group, educational research, and best practices. One must have a thorough understanding of their students' lives in order to make connections. 3) Comprehensive guidance and support services meet the needs of young adolescents. Creating lessons that make it easier to learn by engaging students more actively in the learning process provides support.
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| Jason Kotecki, 2010 Keynote Speaker |
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Check out the latest conference information on
the Conference 2010 pages on the left menu bar and see links to our keynote below!
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Welcome Jason Kotecki of Kim & Jason, WAMLE Conference Keynote for 2010!
Stress
makes its way into all our lives. We all know that less stress makes
us much more enjoyable educators, benefiting our middle level learners
by enhancing our effectiveness. As educators, we also see how our middle level learners bring their own level of stress to our classrooms. Stress shuts down learning! How can we create classrooms unburdened with stressful educators and learners?
Jason's presentation will help all of
us recognize the degree to which we suffer adultitis in our lives.
| What do people have to say about Kim & Jason's work?
"There is still a child in me that will never die. I am so thrilled
to find this web site that finally has something about a deep
appreciation on childhood." - Christopher Klusman
"For the past few days I have read all that I could and am
constantly laughing. Thank you for the escape that I desperately need
after a long day at work. It's people like you that make our world a
better place, especially when our world is so upside down." - Shannan
Connelly
"The 'highlight' of my day at work is logging on to my computer
every morning and seeing the new cartoon! Thanks for making me smile
every day!" - Jane McGowan, Madison, WI
"I am totally impressed with you, your writing and your work. I hope
your dreams are all richly fulfilled and that you will continue to be
an inspiration to others as you have been to me." - Steensrud
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| Visit Kim and Jason's web site! |
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| Barry Kamrath |
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| Wisconsin Middle School Principal of the Year Named by AWSA
Barry Kamrath has been principal of Bloomer Middle School since 2000; prior to that he served as the band director of Northstar Middle School/North High School in Eau Claire. Barry, according to his district administrator, has "shaped the school into a highly engaging place where teachers teach collaboratively and students learn in personalized settings. His leadership makes a difference in the classroom instruction, the school environment, the community and has brought BMS to higher levels of excellence."
Barry's energy, enthusiasm and belief in student success infuses the school. He encourages professional learning and growth and promotes meaningful connections. He has led his staff in the development of six principles that are posted throughout the school and which guide activities and procedures. These are: safety, success, love and belonging, freedom and independence, fun and enjoyment and valued purpose.
Barry received his bachelor and master's degrees from UW-Eau Claire, principal certification from Winona State University in Minnesota, and PhD from the University of Minnesota. He is an adjunct instructor in Viterbo University's educational administration program. Barry has been an AWSA member since 2000 and has presented at the AWSA Middle Level Conference and written a number of articles and papers. Barry will be honored as Wisconsin's representative in October in Washington, DC at the NASSP/MetLife Principal's Institute. He is the Wisconsin nominee for the NASSP/MetLife National Middle Level Principal of the Year award.
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Sincere thanks to our 2009 Conference Exhibitors!
Big
Ideas Learning
Mike
Raub
www.bigideaslearning.com
Middle
School Math Textbooks.
Holt-McDougal
Kent
Berger and Amanda Fjerstad
www.hmhpub.com
Holt-McDougal,
a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing combins a tradition of
excellence with a commitment to innovation, providing comprehensive best-in
class pre-K-12 educational solutions, research-based assessments and
award-winning literature and reference materials.
Junior
Great Books
Christ
J. Sakelaris, Fred Hang and Cedric Lewis
www.greatbooks.org
The
Junior Great Boos program is a research-based K-12 reading program that
provides a superb framework for teaching reading comprehension, critical
thinking, and writing, all in the context of students sharing their ideas about
great literature. We provide
professional development and materials for teachers to teach essential literacy
skills – reading carefully, thinking critically, listening intently, and
speaking and writing persuasively.
LEAF:
Wisconsin K-12 Forestry Education
Kelly
Mortenson
www.uwsp.edu/env/leaf
LEAF
is the Wisconsin K-12 Forest Education Program. Learn how LEAF’s K-12 interdisciplinary curriculum makes it
easy to teach about environmental education using Wisconsin’s urban and rural
forests as the backdrop to life-long stewardship.
Lifetouch
National School Studios
Chad
Schnyder and Jeff Cochard
www.lifetouch.com
School
Photography
Marian
University
rmarianuniversity.edu
Education
– Masters and PH. D
OASYS
LLC
Allan
Unger
www.oasys-llc.com
OASYS
provides a complete solution for managing school districts special education
and RtI data. Offering a fully
integrated, user-friendly special education and RtI management program,
district wide IEP forms, Medicaid reimbursement, student management interfacing,
report processing and much more!
| The
Pampered Chef
Julie
Schnell
www.pamperedcheff.biz/julieschnell
The
Pampered Chef offers high-quality, multifunctional products to help people feed
their families and entertain their friends conveniently and affordably.
Renaissance
Learning
Jackie
Hamelink
www.renlearn.com
Renaissance
Learning is the world’s leading provider of computer-based assessment
technology for K-12 schools.
Adopted by more than 73,000 North American schools, Renaissance
Learning’s tools provide daily formative assessment and periodic
progress-monitoring technology to enhance curriculum, support differentiated
instruction, and personalize practice in reading, writing and math.
Scholastic
Reflections
Chuck
Bolduc and Jeff Edwards
www.wcholasticreflections.com
School
photos, school yearbooks, school planners, Jeff Edwards Studio, Taylor
Yearbooks.
School
Datebooks
Chelsie
Kilmer
www.schooldatebooks.com
School
Datebooks creates fully customized datebooks. From our PolyFusionTM covers to formatted
handbooks to events listed on the day, our standard custom creations are
unmatched. All this is backed up
by the best customer service in the school market. Find out today why we are simply the best.
Simply
Fun
Julie
Schnell
www.anthonyschnell.simplyfun.com
Games,
puzzles, puppets and activities for people of all ages. Simple Fun products bring families and
friends together through play while fitting into busy lives and schedules.
Signal
Press
Claire
Josten, James Josten, Thelma Capps, and Velma Tobias
www.signalpress.org
Pamphlets
on information for educational purposes concerning drugs, alcohol and tobacco –
our youth today.
Triple
M Promotions
Mike
Muscanero
Reward
Party – Team Building
Walsworth
Yearbooks
Shelley
Mosley
www.walsworthyearbooks.com
Your
memories matter to us. No other
yearbook publisher can surpass the online technological edge and superior
production methods that we utilize to make the yearbook process simpler for our
schools. But more than that, as
times changes, so do we. In
addition to partnering with you to print a yearbook that your school can be
proud of for year to come, we can help you form a memory collection network with
your entire school community that goes beyond the yearbook.
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| Rachel Rydzewski, Wisconsin Middle Level Teacher of the Year |
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| State
Superintendent Tony Evers named Rachel Rydzewski of Waunakee Community Middle
School the Wisconsin Middle/Junior High School Teacher of the Year. See complete story.
Congratulations, Rachel!
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Wisconsin Association for Middle Level Education, Inc.
Kathy L. Jochman, Executive Coordinator
6908 Southwind Circle
Windsor, WI 53598
Phone: (608) 846-0418
E-mail: wamle@wamle.org
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