OCM BOCES to open Seven Valleys New Tech Academy in September 2016

Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES will open Seven Valleys New Tech Academy in Cortland County in Fall 2016, the organization announced this week. The creation of the school was announced last July.

The school will serve area high school students in grades 9-12, and will provide an innovative learning environment that aims to improve students’ college and career readiness through project-based learning, collaborative workspace and technology. The school will also be a site for teacher training. Seven Valleys New Tech Academy will be located at 240 Port Watson Street, Cortland.

“We are excited to bring this state-of-the-art learning environment to the students and educators of Cortland County,” says OCM BOCES Superintendent J. Francis Manning. “The school is the culmination of years of planning—with all of the school superintendents working together on the concept and planning. Businesses, too, are providing direction and connections to the real-world.”

The creation of Seven Valleys New Tech Academy is OCM BOCES’ latest step in its fulfillment of the Central New York Regional Vision for College, Career and Citizenship Readiness, a steadfast commitment to preparing students for their future as lifelong learners, as skilled workers or entrepreneurs, and as global citizens.

The school will accommodate 100 students and employ 9 teachers and staff. Renovations of the building have commenced and are expected to be completed in July 2016. The school will feature modern classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, computers for all faculty and students, and a conference facility where teachers will come to learn about the school and project-based learning.

Seven Valleys New Tech Academy joins Innovation Tech High School, which OCM BOCES opened in Liverpool in 2014, as the first and only two New Tech schools in Central New York. New Tech schools are part of the New Tech Network, a non-profit organization that provides services and support nationwide to schools, districts and communities for developing public schools in which project-based learning is the primary instructional approach. Founded in Napa, California, in 1996, New Tech is made up approximately 175 schools in 28 states, China and Australia.

The New Tech Network and the CNY Regional Vision share three main tenets, which are “instruction that engages,” “culture that empowers,” and “technology that enables,” a philosophy which strives to empower students with engaging instruction and real-world learning opportunities, while providing a collaborative, interactive, technology-based learning environment.

Greater CNY School Library System Annual Conference on November 18

The 2015 Greater CNY School Library System Annual Conference will be held Wednesday, November 18 at the Syracuse OnCenter (800 South State Street) in Syracuse. The event will feature keynote speaker Eric Sheninger as well as Shannon McClintock Miller as a featured speaker.

The event will run from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This year’s conference carries the theme, “The Transformational Power of School Libraries,” and will host a variety of information sessions including critical thinking through coding, new tech tool kits, effective advocacy, digital leadership, engaging learners and much more. School librarian poster presentations, vendor tables and vendor presentations will also take place throughout the day.

Registration is open at https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=15882&I=1821043.


Keynote Speaker: Eric Sheninger
Eric is a Senior Fellow and Thought Leader on Digital Leadership with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) and Scholastic Achievement Partners (SAP). He also maintains a presence as a practitioner by serving as the K-12 Director of Technology and Innovation in the Spotswood School District (NJ). Prior to this he was the award-winning Principal at New Milford High School. Under his leadership his school became a globally recognized model for innovative practices. Eric oversaw the successful implementation of several sustainable change initiatives that radically transformed the learning culture at his school while increasing achievement. His work focuses on leading and learning in the digital age as a model for moving schools and districts forward. This has led to the formation of the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a framework for all educators to initiate sustainable change to transform school cultures. As a result Eric has emerged as an innovative leader, best-selling author, and sought after speaker. His main focus is the use of social media and technology as tools to facilitate student learning, improve communications with stakeholders, enhance public relations, create a positive brand presence, discover opportunity, transform learning spaces, and help educators grow professionally.

Featured Speaker: Shannon McClintock Miller
As a teacher librarian and technology integration specialist, Shannon speaks on education, librarianship, technology, social media, and making a difference in education and the lives of others. Shannon is the author of the award winning The Library Voice blog and serves on AASL Best Websites committee and STEM Task Force; advisory boards for Library Journal, Horn Book, and School Library Journal; School Library Monthly; Rosen Digital Library, StarWalk Kids board of advisors; EasyBib advisory board; BiblioNasium advisory board; eSchool Media advisory board; Canva Educational Advisors; and Gale K12 Customer advisory board. She is a FableVision Ambassador, Social Media WRADvocate for LitWorld's World Read Aloud Day and on the Board of Advisors for In This Together Media. She is part of the Bammy Awards Council of Peers. In 2014, Shannon was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker.

We know the vision: it's time for action!
Let's roll up our sleeves and get down to work.
Be sure to check back here for future information

About Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES
For more than 60 years, Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES) has provided a wide array of services for its 23 component school districts in Onondaga, Cortland and Madison counties, and the Syracuse City School District. Program offerings include career and technical education, special education, alternative education and workforce preparation for adults. Instructional support offers professional development, science kits, library services and related programs for teachers and administrators. Our administrative services division offers opportunities for school districts to save money by working together through financial services, including cooperative purchasing and business office support as well as a regional energy services program, providing large-scale purchasing of natural gas and electricity for more than 160 school districts and municipalities. OCM BOCES District Superintendent J. Francis Manning works closely with the component districts as a liaison to, and agent of, the New York State Commissioner of Education.