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Moving Forward and Fighting Back!!! Regional Workshops for BLUE Locals
BLUE will be conducting 5 regional workshops in February and March. All BLUE Locals are encouraged to send teams of members to attend one of the workshops. The adgenda is Introduction and light dinner provided (5:30—6:00pm), then break out into two sections (6:00—8:00pm): (1) Moving Forward - Membership Drive Kick-off Training and (2) Fighting Back - Recall Election Kick-out Training. Click here for details.

The dates and locations are: Wednesday, Feb. 15th in Peshtigo * Thursday, Feb. 16th in Sturgeon Bay * Thursday, Feb. 23rd in Kaukauna * Wednesday, Feb. 29th in Shawano * Tuesday, March 6 at the BLUE office.

Reclaim Wisconsin Tour
The “Reclaim Wisconsin Tour” will be making a stop in Green Bay on Monday, February 27 and will culminate with statewide candlelight vigils on March 9 and a “Reclaim Wisconsin March” in Madison on Saturday, March 10. These events will mark the one year anniversary of when Gov. Walker and Senate Republicans rammed through the collective bargaining bill illegally in the dead of night. For deatils click here.

Moving Forward and Fighting Back! Regional Workshops for BLUE Members
BLUE is asking every Local to send teams of members to attend each of two sectionals: Membership Drive Kick-Off Training & Recall Election Kick-Out Training. The meetings are from 5:30—8:00pm on Feb 15 in Peshtigo, Feb 16 in Sturgeon Bay, February 23 in Kaukauna, Feb 29 in Shawano, March 6 at BLUE office. Additional details will be posted soon.

January 20, 2012 BLUE Newsletter
Can be found under the Newsletters tab at left. In this issue:

• Recall Walker! • Seymour Student Leadership Reaches Out to Community • Non-Renewal Season • Fun Facts About the Recall • Not Any Ordinary Tuesday! (Kay Hansen Delivers Petitions to GAB) • Spotlight on BLUE Board member Angela Weissman • Read Across America • Eleven of Twelve BLUE Locals Vote YES in Recertification Elections • Membership: The Lifeblood of Your Union • Make Sure Mom & Dave Have a Photo ID to Vote • Travel Australia • Dennis W. Muehl Endowment Grant • BLUE PR Committee Grants • PDP Corner • Workshop: Using iDevices in the Classroom • NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence • Workshop: Using SMART Boards in the Classroom • BLUE Board and Staff Directories; CALENDAR of EVENTS

BLUE PR Grants Now Being Accepted
The BLUE Board of Directors is now taking applications for PR Grants from BLUE locals. This grant money is to be used to enhance your local union’s public relations program. Application forms are due in to the BLUE office on or before March 7, 2012. Click here to view or print an application.

BLUE Sponsored Training: Using SMART Boards in the Classroom

Members of the Gillett Education Association have developed several levels of training for the applications of SMART board technology in the classroom. They will be offering a beginning and an advanced training at NWTC on February 13, 2012. The sessions are open to all BLUE members only, space permitting. Contact the BLUE office (800-472-5582, 920-496-2440, www.weac.org/blue) to register. Sessions will be held at NWTC, Green Bay campus. (These sessions will be held in the Business and Information Technology Building, so park in Parking Lot E and look for a big “4” above the door to this building.) The registrants will need to have SMART Notebook 10.0 (or a newer version) downloaded on their laptop if they want to follow along with the lessons. (This makes the training more interactive for those interested.) It is also suggested that participants download the Lesson Activity Toolkit (LAT) from www.smarttech.com.

SMART Board/SMART Notebook, Level 1 Monday, February 13, 2012 5-7:30 pm

In this session teachers will learn how to manipulate the SMART Board along with the SMART notebook software. Teachers will learn how to navigate the tool bars and the side tabs in the notebook software. Teachers will be able to begin to create SMART Board lessons to be used in their classrooms. Please bring classroom materials you would like to use to enhance your lessons. Room BI-211, NWTC.

SMART Board/SMART Notebook, Level 2 Monday, February 13, 2012 5-7:30 pm

In this session teachers will learn how to manipulate the more advanced features of the SMART Board and SMART notebook software. Teachers will be able to animate objects, link to websites, sounds, videos, and documents. Educators will learn to create some original interactive slides that make learning fun. Teachers will also learn how to download and use lessons from the SMART exchange website. Please bring classroom materials you would like to use to enhance your lessons. Room BI-317, NWTC.

These trainings will be facilitated by LuAnn Neuenschwander and Amy Berkovitz. LuAnn has been a classroom teacher for the past 27 years in Gillett and has recently switched to 5K after 24 years teacher fifth grade. She began using the SMART Board in her classroom about six years ago. LuAnn believes that using the interactive whiteboard makes learning much more engaging for all learners. LuAnn has taught various SMART Board classes for CESA 8 and other districts. Amy has taught middle and high school Spanish in Gillett for the past 9 years. Along with LuAnn, she was one of the first teachers in Gillett to receive a SMART Board in her classroom. She has co-presented a SMART Board basics session for teachers in her district. Amy is a part of the IPD committee and a board member at the BLUE office.

Take Control of Your Financial Future
The WEA Trust Member Benefits will be conducting seminars at the BLUE office on February 27 (Finances 101 @ 5:00pm & Retirement Planning 101 @ 6:30pm) and March 5 (Insurance 101 @5:00pm & Understanding WRS 101 @ 6:30pm). For details click on the BLUE calendar tab, go to the date in question and click on the seminar title. To view a flyer click here.

Using iDevices in the Classroom - Session #2 - Apps - Feb. 16th
Join the Brown County Special Educators in the second of our three part series on iDevices. This training will focus on apps! We will share websites that review apps for education (including regular and special education as well as apps for therapy). It takes seconds to download an app, but is it really worth it? We will also give you a rubric for evaluating the worth of an app. Come with your iDevices and we will spend part of the session networking with others and sharing apps that are your favorites! There’s no better way to find great apps than by finding out what works for others and how they’re using them in the classroom. Contact the BLUE office to register.

Dennis W. Muehl Endowment Grant 2012
Click here or go to the Resources tab at left for a grant application.

The Dennis W. Muehl Endowment Grant was created from memorial contributions following his death in October, 1995.

Dennis Muehl was the first Director of Bayland Teachers United, our area’s first Uniserv. This grant is open to all Bay Lakes United Educators members and staff. $300.00 in grants are awarded annually. The Endowment Grant issues $300.00 annually.

The Grant Review Committee hopes that it will help several people attend activities that will help lead them to becoming more active and effective leaders within our organization.

Please consider applying if you meet these two following criteria:

• You are a dues paying member of Bay Lakes United Educators (BLUE)

• The grant qualifying activity relates to building the Union, Political Action, Public Relations, Membership Training or any activity listed above.

Here is a list of just some great ideas and ways you might be able to apply to use the Dennis W. Muehl endowment grant!

• Labor Organization Workshops • Registration Fees or Mileage (related) • WEAC/NEA Meetings • Funding to NEA Workshops • Consensus Building • Team Learning • Organizing • Building Bridges to the Community • Negotiations • Community Outreach • Bargaining Conferences • Any other Union Activities • Qualified Activities Already Attended

Blanketing Brown County
The BLUE office is serving as a collection location for the Greater Green Bay Labor Council's Blanket Collection. Please drop off any new or gently used blankets prior to January 31. For details check out the Blanketing Brown County facebook page.

Three BLUE Members Attain National Board Certification!
Huge Congratulations!!! To the BLUE members who recently attained National Board Certification: Lynn Hlinak from Menominee Indian School District, Jeffrey Stoberl from Pulaski SD and Susan Tegen from Howard-Suamico SD. Great Job Educators!

For the most RECENT listing of events
related to the recall elections and the attacks on working families click on the BLUE calendar tab at left or visit one of the following websites: Bay Lakes United Educators events on facebook , WEAC Activities, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Activities.

2011-12 BLUE PDP Workshop information
Dates and details for the BLUE 2011-12 PDP Writing Workshops for Initial Educators, PDP Goal Approval Sessions and PDP Verifcation Sessions can be found under the Training tab at left.

Local Organizing & Recertification Information
can be found by clicking on the Members' Only tab at left. Then click on the Organizing/Recertification tab. Use your WEAC username and password to access the BLUE Members' Only page.

BLUE-Retired
Are you retired or retiring and want to keep your BLUE member benefits?

Tax Management Services - Discount for BLUE members

AAA WISCONSIN UNE Member Benefits and Pricing