Month: January 2020

The Our Alaskan Schools Blog Celebrates Its First Year! by Sam Jordan at ASDN

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Highlighting and celebrating public education in Alaska is a privilege. Over the past year, the Our Alaskan Schools blog has hosted over 50 unique education stories from across Alaska, most written by educators themselves. To celebrate our first year, here is a brief recap of our ten most viewed stories about the ‘great things happening in Alaska’s schools’.

Continue reading The Our Alaskan Schools Blog Celebrates Its First Year! by Sam Jordan at ASDN

‘The Importance of K-12 libraries in Alaska’ by Tana Martin, Librarian/Media Specialist at Tanana Middle School

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“We love kids. We love books. We love to serve.” This was a recent consensus made by the combined library staff in Fairbanks North Star Borough School District as to why we work in a school library. And that, my friends, is why K-12 school libraries are important. Kids need love. Kids need books. Kids need help. 

Tanana Middle, Fairbanks – Just Dance Fridays during lunch: Lunch in the library is a Tanana staple. The crowd varies daily from 30-70 students. Just Dance Fridays are icing on the cake. It’s a time to get the wiggles out, and be comfortable in their own skin. (Photo courtesy of Tana Martin @runnergirlT)

Continue reading ‘The Importance of K-12 libraries in Alaska’ by Tana Martin, Librarian/Media Specialist at Tanana Middle School

DVR’s ‘Health Career Connections’ for Students with Disabilities by Jim Kreatschman

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This past December, high school students from Petersburg, the MatSu valley, Shaktoolik and Kotzebue attended ‘Health Career Connections’ in Juneau. Health Career Connections is designed to give students who experience disabilities an opportunity to explore all facets of the healthcare industry to determine if a career in healthcare is in line with their personal interests, skills and abilities. This program is part of the Alaska State Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s (DOLWD) investment in supporting school age students through its Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) Transition Program.

Students learned health care skills at the Health Career Connections program in Juneau.

Continue reading DVR’s ‘Health Career Connections’ for Students with Disabilities by Jim Kreatschman

The Alaska Professional Learning Network (AkPLN) by Tammy Morris at ASDN

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The sheer size of Alaska is daunting:

  • 663,300 square miles
  • 1420 miles, north to south, and 2500 miles, east to west
  • 640 square miles of land for every mile of paved road
  • 1 person per square mile

For educators across the state, many of whom who live off the road system, the need for online connection and collaboration is critical for their continued development as K-12 professionals. The the Alaska Professional Learning Network (AkPLN) is meeting that need for many of Alaska’s educators.

The AkPLN is in its 4th year of service, and continues to grow in resources and membership. The goal of AkPLN is to provide Alaskan educators valuable professional development by offering resources like curated video content and focused learning plans with an online platform to network and support each other. AkPLN currently has 2200+ members and 60+ open learning plans. Continue reading The Alaska Professional Learning Network (AkPLN) by Tammy Morris at ASDN