1. What Digital Resources Are Available to Support STEM?
Welcome to today’s Educator Effectiveness Training on the digital resources that are available to support STEM. As is true of all the trainings, you may choose to present this training as a 30 minute session to your school staff, or (based on your evaluation of what your teachers already know and are able to do) you may choose to use the Extension activities built-in to the training. We strongly encourage you to co-present the digital resources training with your library media specialist as he or she has received extensive training on each of the digital resources.
Teacher Effectiveness Academy Library Information Services and Instructional Technology

2. Participant Outcomes Participants will:
Increase awareness of how to access digital content that supports the Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.
Cite a least two ways to utilize trans-disciplinary BCPS Online Research Models to engage students in STEM investigations, research, inquiry, and problem solving.

3. Select Your School Level
Elementary School Teacher
Middle or High School Teacher

4. Why focus on digital content now?
The CCSS for English Language Arts and Literacy calls for students to be able to:
Read texts of increasing complexity;
Read and use exposition, including literary nonfiction;
Read a wider range of reading materials;
And use reading, writing, speaking and listening, language skills and strategies across all subject areas
in order to be prepared for college and the workforce.
Soon after the CCSS were adopted in June, teams of educators from across that state began working on a gap analysis by comparing the State Curriculum Standards with the Common Core State Standards. In English Language Arts, there were several key “take-aways”:
Text complexity must be evaluated and students must read more complex texts in all subject areas.
There must be an emphasis on reading informational texts.

5. Creativity & Innovation Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Investigations
Reading
Writing
Speaking & Listening
Research
Communication
Creativity & Innovation
Collaboration
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

6. Increase in Text Complexity: Grades 2-3
Lexile Ranges Aligned to CCR Expectations
Old Lexile Ranges
Typical Reader Lexile Scores

7. Increase in Text Complexity: Grades 4 - 5
Lexile Ranges Aligned to CCR Expectations
Old Lexile Ranges
Typical Reader Lexile Scores

8. Where can you find a wide range of expository texts (including literary nonfiction) of increasing complexity about all subjects?

9. What elementary digital content is available?
Many MORE than we can share with you today!

10. Today we will focus on . . .

11. SIRS Discoverer
SIRS Discoverer contains a wide range of expository texts (including literary nonfiction) of increasing complexity about all subjects. Click the SIRS Discoverer icon to start the screen cast.

12. SIRS Discoverer - Extension
Time permitting, view video of WHY using SIRS digital content saves time in searching for information. Click image on right.

13. BrainPop
How does BrainPop provide access to a wide range of expository texts (including literary nonfiction) of increasing complexity about all subjects? It’s simple; turn on Closed Captioning. Click the BrainPop icon to begin the screen cast.

14. Defined STEM is a collection of digital resources designed to promote effective and relevant connections between STEM classroom content and STEM career pathways, thus providing learning opportunities for students. Defined STEM provides teachers a resource where they can access highly effective media content, literacy tasks, and related support materials – all aligned to the Common Core English Language Arts and Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects. These resources and materials allow teachers to prepare students for entry into the 21st century global market place, where students must excel in science, math, technology and engineering to become a contributor to the marketplace. Click on the Defined STEM icon to view the screen cast. After you have viewed the screen cast, click on the Play button to go to the next slide.

15. Why focus on digital content now?
The CCSS for English Language Arts and Literacy calls for students to be able to:
Read texts of increasing complexity;
Read and use exposition, including literary nonfiction;
Read a wider range of reading materials;
And use reading, writing, speaking and listening, language skills and strategies across all subject areas;
in order to be prepared for college and the workforce.
Soon after the CCSS were adopted in June, teams of educators from across that state began working on a gap analysis by comparing the State Curriculum Standards with the Common Core State Standards. In English Language Arts, there were several key “take-aways”:
Text complexity must be evaluated and students must read more complex texts in all subject areas.
There must be an emphasis on reading informational texts.

16. Creativity & Innovation Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Investigations
Reading
Writing
Speaking & Listening
Research
Communication
Creativity & Innovation
Collaboration
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

17. Increase in Text Complexity: Grades 6-8
Lexile Ranges Aligned to CCR Expectations
Old Lexile Ranges
Typical Reader Lexile Scores

18. Increase in Text Complexity: Grades 9-12
Lexile Ranges Aligned to CCR Expectations
Old Lexile Ranges
Typical Reader Lexile Scores

19. Where can you find a wide range of expository texts (including literary nonfiction) of increasing complexity about all subjects?

20. What secondary digital resources are available?
Many MORE than we can share with you today!

21. Today we will focus on . . .

23. What secondary digital resources are available?

24. What secondary digital resources are available?

25. Online Research Models
The Online Research Models (ORM), developed by Baltimore County Public Schools, represent an exciting way to guide student research toward higher-level thinking that fully utilizes digital resources. The research models will help teachers meet the CCSS’s increased demand for research by providing the scaffolding and a key collaborator: the school’s library media specialist. The ORM are designed as web pages that present students with a clear research structure, including a research scenario, a learning task, rubrics and scoring tools, directions for use of various media resources, links to useful web sites, creation of a product or presentation, and reflection.
Students who use the self-guided online research lessons are challenged to employ thoughtful reading, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information to create answers, not just find them.

26. Select Your School Level
Elementary School Teacher
Middle or High School Teacher

27. Example of Elementary Online Research Model: Schoolyard Habitat
Click the Schoolyard Habitat icon to view the screen cast.

28. Online Research Models
The Online Research Models (ORM), developed by Baltimore County Public Schools, represent an exciting way to guide student research toward higher-level thinking that fully utilizes digital resources. The research models will help teachers meet the CCSS’s increased demand for research by providing the scaffolding and a key collaborator: the school’s library media specialist. The ORM are designed as web pages that present students with a clear research structure, including a research scenario, a learning task, rubrics and scoring tools, directions for use of various media resources, links to useful web sites, creation of a product or presentation, and reflection.
Students who use the self-guided online research lessons are challenged to employ thoughtful reading, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information to create answers, not just find them.

29. Example of Secondary Online Research Model: Biotech Connections
Click on the Biotech Connections icon to view the screen cast.

30. Review objectives
Have you increased your awareness of how to access digital content to support the Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects?
Can you cite a least two ways to utilize trans- disciplinary BCPS Online Research Models to engage students in STEM investigations, research, inquiry, and problem solving?

31. Future Investigations
Click on the icon above to view tutorials and resources on each of the elementary databases.

32. Future Investigations
Click on the icon above to view tutorials and resources on each of the elementary databases.