Friday Fax
Date: July 29, 2005
From: Dr. Eugene R. Thompson
Director of Educational Leadership
To keep you updated with activities taking place through
the CSPD efforts on the Navajo Nation, I am sending you a “Friday Fax”
with information about current and upcoming professional development activities.
Current Events
This past week, training and technical assistance was provided as follows:
- Forty-eight general and special education teachers from Ft. Defiance
Agency west cohort (Dilcon, Greasewood Springs, Seba Dalkai) registered
and participated in the Tools for Teaching and The Effective Teacher Institute
(July 25–29) held at the Seba Dalkai Boarding School. Some of the
topics covered included: classroom management & discipline, instructional
strategies, incentives for learning, lesson mastery, positive expectations,
etc. The participants earned certificates of completion.
- The upcoming, three-day Teaching Reading Methods for Students with Disabilities
institute for special and general education K–5 teachers and school
principals from the Ft. Defiance Agency will be held during August 2–4
at the UNM-Gallup campus. Topics will include: informal assessments, effective
reading instruction, and development of early literacy. The purpose of the
institute will be to equip teachers with methods for teaching reading. Registration
for the conference are still being accepted and can be faxed to the project
office fax number listed on the registration form.
- Approximately two hundred and twenty school principals from BIAs operated
and funded schools across the country are participating in the Institute
for Instructional Leadership, Minneapolis this week. Of the total, one hundred
and fifteen participants have registered for 3 graduate credits through
New Mexico State University. Highlights of the institute included book study
groups, defining instructional leadership, supporting instruction in math,
reading and language arts; safe and healthy schools, planning for instructional
improvement, early morning wellness activities, and evening session speakers
by well-reknowned American Indian educators from across the country. The
purpose of the institute is the improve the knowledge and skills of school
principals so that academic outcomes can be improved for all students.
- Four teachers and two teacher aides participated in the Six Traits of
Writing workshop at the Wide Ruins Community School (July 26)
- Approximately ten residential staff from the Aztec Dormitory participated
in the Positive Communication training held at Camp Verde, AZ (July 26-28).
Finally, you may contact us at any time regarding professional development
training plan
and/or activities for the current or future school years. We always look forward
to hearing from you as to how we might facilitate a plan, including Project
IDEAS, for your agency or school or for providing technical assistance or
training above and beyond what we have currently set out to do in the present
scope of work.
Upcoming Events:
August 2-4, 2005.
Reading Methods for Students with Disabilities institute for Ft. Defiance
Agency special education/K-5 teachers and school principals at the UNM-Gallup.
You may consult the CSPD Activity Calendar on the Navajo
Nation on the CDD website at: http://cdd.unm.edu/cspd/
for further information. Have a great week.
