​What's happening...

Professional Development Workshop

Picture
In an evolving world of “alternative facts” and “fake news,” where anyone can publish content online, it is increasingly difficult for individuals — particularly youth who are “digital natives” — to discern quality in primary and secondary sources as well as literature. Interscholastic speech and debate requires research to draft speeches and debate cases, as well as to find substantive literature to perform. Teachers often are overwhelmed trying to keep up with information literacy and best practices, so this workshop can help educators build skills applicable both in the classroom, as well as at interscholastic forensic contests.
A free workshop will be held Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at UW-La Crosse. Features include:
  • Educators may apply for substitute teacher coverage stipends (where needed)
  • Participants will receive certificates showing professional development hours, which can be used for professional development plans/teaching portfolios.
  • Nationally recognized experts in speech and debate education
  • Exploration of such topics as:
    • Tactics for teaching/coaching information literacy in the 21st century
    • Facts, Opinions and Alternate Facts: Researching for Speeches
    • Separating the Wheat from the Chaff: Quality Literature for Performance
    • Extemporaneous Speaking: Best Teaching Practices
    • Student Performance Trends and Tactics
    • Conducting firsthand interviews (primary sources)
    • Deriving significance of student topics to justify relevance
  • Exhibition debate (see just how accessible our Public Forum format of debate is)
  • Network with colleagues and share best practices
  • Workshop will be followed by a Speech Judge Training session
Registration for this free workshop continues on a rolling basis; once we fill slots, registration will close and we will begin a wait list. Click here to register.

2017 AMLE Conference

The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) invites you to participate in the most comprehensive and valuable professional learning opportunity available to any educator who works with students ages 10-15. The 44th Annual Conference for Middle Level Education is coming to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 6-8, 2017.
With more than 400 of the brightest minds in education presenting research-based practices in more than 60 different topics, you will return to your school or classroom inspired and equipped with proven strategies to improve instruction and help students achieve. Among the more than 500 conference sessions, you'll find sessions on using Technology for learning, understanding Young Adolescent Development, implementing Curriculum Integration, student-driven Assessment, helping At-Risk Students, STEM, Project-Based Learning, and more than 50 additional topics.
Register now to get the best rate, and teams get every fifth person free! Visit www.amle.org/annual for more conference details.

Student Poetry Contest

Picture
The Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets is sponsoring its annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest has no entry fee and is open to all Wisconsin students in grades 6 through 12. The deadline for submissions is Saturday, January 13, 2018. Winners receive cash prizes and get their poem published in the 2019 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar.
For submission guidelines, go to wfop.org and click on “annual contests,” then on “student contest.” We hope you can let your students (and fellow teachers) know about this contest.
For more information about the contest, please contact the Student Contest Coordinator, Lewis Bosworth, wfopstudents@att.net.
The WFOP is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting poetry in Wisconsin. For more information about WFOP, go to wfop.org.
Picture
We are pleased that the Universities of Wisconsin at LaCrosse and Oshkosh combine their talents to present the annual Adolescent Health Symposium.  This is a great opportunity to learn the latest about Adolescent Health issues. 
The 2018 Adolescent Health Symposium
​Feb. 8-9, 2018 at the Madison Marriott West

Middle Level "Spotlight"
WAMLE Co-President, Shelley Joan Weiss, is a liaison to the WI PTA.  We appreciate the great work that the PTA does to support parent engagement at all levels, but particularly at the middle level.
Are you doing something exciting at the middle level?  We would love to feature you on our Middle Level Spotlight.  Tell us about it on our contact form.  
At no other time in the life cycle are the chances of finding one’s self and losing one’s self so closely aligned. ~Erik Erikson
WAMLE's Mission 
The Wisconsin Association for Middle Level Education, Inc. is dedicated to promoting the educational experiences of middle level learners by providing vision, knowledge, and resources to all who serve them in order to foster the development of lifelong learners, caring individuals, and responsible citizens.  
Proudly powered by Weebly