After much deliberation, Scott McLeod has decided to do another online summer book club. Last year’s discussion of Influencer: The Power to Change Anything was so much fun that he can’t resist doing it again…This year’s reading for the CASTLE summer book club will be Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for Your Classroom. The author is Dr. Daniel Willingham, Professor of Psychology at The University of Virginia. To go to Dr. Willingham's Web site, click here.
The book club will begin June 15, 2009. If you are interested in joining, go to http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/05/summerbookclub.html.
Consider applying for membership in the National Staff Development Council's (NSDC) Learning School Alliance, a network of 100 model schools committed to professional development practices that promote student achievement. Currently, there is a need for representatives from Iowa. Joining the Alliance would be a fantastic opportunity to showcase Iowa's successes in education and to collaborate with other schools in the nation. Visit the NSDC Web site at http://www.nsdc.org/alliance/ for more information. If you are interested in applying, please email NSDC at lsa@nsdc.org.
As a participant in the Cyber Summit on 21st Century Skills, you could contribute your voice to a unique online event being held June 1-12, 2009 and in conjunction with the National Summit on 21st Century Skills in Washington, D.C. on June 12, 2009. The summit is a series of webinars and ongoing live discussions around different subjects dealing with 21st Century skills.Your participation will make a difference. All the information and input gathered through each of these events will be used to create and refine documents and reference materials that will then be shared with you—the people who helped shape them—as well as our leadership in Washington, D.C. and the entire nation.
You can sign up at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/cybersummit.
There is no charge for this online event.
Title III will support the following three professional development opportunities this summer. You can register for these classes by going to the professional development catalog on Heartland AEA's home page or by clicking here.June 26, 2009--Day 1 “A Continuum of Interventions for English Language Learners (ELLs)
- Activity Number: ES005099991001
- Description: An inquiry-based problem-solving process to address specific difficulties” with Theresa Young and Cristina Sanchez-Lopez.
June 27, 2009--Day 2 “A Continuum of Interventions for English Language Learners (ELLs)
- Activity Number: ES005099991002
- Description: An inquiry-based problem-solving process to address specific difficulties” with Theresa Young and Cristina Sanchez-Lopez. You must have attended Day 1 either September 27, 2008 or June 26, 2009 to attend this class.
August 4-5, 2009--
"Engaging ELLs Through Sheltered Instructional Strategies" - Activity Number: ES005499991001 (This is a new listing so please let your staff know.)
- Description: How can academic content be delivered in the classroom so that English Language Learners succeed in learning language and content simultaneously? Dr. Martinez emphasizes theory into practice by offering hands-on activities with the content, grade level and specials teacher in mind. Energize your lesson plans with games, foldables, new Web sites and activities used by other great teachers! Through demonstrations, classroom observations, anecdotal examples and interviews with students and educators, participants learn to apply what they have learned immediately.
Thank you for all the support you give us in your district. It is your administrative support and direction that teachers are able to provide meaningful instruction for all students and, especially, the English Language Learners in their classrooms.Please direct your questions to Stephaney Jones-Vo, ESL/Diversity Consultant (515) 270-0405, ext. 14680 or Pat Latham, ESL/Diversity Consultant (515) 270-0405, ext. 14681.
If your elementary teachers are looking for financial literacy resources for their classrooms, ING Direct, a branchless direct bank with operations in nine countries including the United States, has created a free K-6 educational site called Planet Orange that fits the bill. Teachers can find resources and activities to help explain basic money skills such as earning, spending, saving and investing. They can also find educational materials including lesson plans and quizzes to help students learn the value and good use of money. Find out more about Planet Orange at http://www.orangekids.com/teacher/.
Central Iowa Area Health Education Center (CI AHEC) recruits and retains health professionals in under-served areas. Each center teaches children about health care careers, offers clinical training sites for health profession students and supports health care practitioners with continuing education programs. Programming targets three population groups throughout Iowa. - First, AHEC activities foster kindergarten through undergraduate student interest in the pursuit of health care careers.
- Second, health care profession students are provided greater opportunities for clinical experiences in under-served areas.
- Finally, practicing health professionals are provided continuing education opportunities addressing the unique challenges of serving the under-served.
The CI AHEC is conducting a community needs assessment within their catchment area and have a survey for K-12 professionals regarding what programs currently exist and what programs would be beneficial. The CI AHEC would be greatly appreciative if school professionals from the counties of Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Jasper, Polk and Story would fill out the pdf form, found by clicking here, and e-mail it to Jill Whitson, Executive Director of the Central Iowa AHEC, at jwhitson@broadlawns.org or mail it to her at the following:
Jill Whitson, Executive Director
Central Iowa AHEC
1801 Hickman Road
Des Moines, IA 50314
Questions about the Community Forum and/or the survey can be directed to Jill Whitson at 515-282-5721 or jwhitson@broadlawns.org.
If your school has summer programs or professional development activities and you would like instructional materials delivered to individual buildings twice a week, contact Sherise Ahlers, sahlers@aea11.k12.ia.us to request summer delivery. Heartland will automatically deliver to each administration building and to extended-year schools twice a week. Summer routes begin June 10, 2009. We will contact the district to arrange for separate, special delivery of large printing orders during the summer.
The Iowa Professional Development Model (IPDM) Technical Guide is now available for use. The Technical Guide replaces the original IPDM Training Manual and the IPDM Administrator’s Guide. The new version of the IPDM Guide includes information on the Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Act (2007) and connections to the Iowa Core Curriculum. Input from Iowa practitioners was used to make the document more concise and useful to district leadership teams.
The Iowa Department of Education (DE) recommends that local education agency (LEA) administrators, district and school leadership teams, Teacher Quality Committees, area education agency (AEA) administrators and AEA Leadership teams study the IPDM guide and use it as a tool for guiding professional development planning and decision making.
The guide will be very beneficial for developing the Iowa Core Curriculum Implementation Plan. This plan includes the outcome, ―Educators engage in professional development focused on implementing Characteristics of Effective Instruction and demonstrate understanding of Essential Concepts and Skill Sets.
This guide may be reprinted and posted on Web sites for use in Iowa education programs. The document is also available on the DE's Web site at http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=232&Itemid=1286#pddocuments.
The Iowa Department of Education is again committing funds to support the Math-in-CTE initiative for the 2009-2010 year. The goal of the MATH-in-CTE professional development is to provide career and technical education (CTE) teachers with a means of enhancing the mathematics already present in their occupational curriculum. The eight days of professional development will guide teachers in developing real-world applications of mathematics instruction in authentic contexts.
Funding will be available for up to three secondary schools in the Heartland region to cover the costs of a school’s team (designated CTE teacher and a mathematics teacher) for summer stipends, cost of substitutes and travel expenses. If more than three Heartland region schools register, we will form a selection committee to work with the DE for possible selection criteria and/or additional funding. Informational brochures can be downloaded here and here, and the registration form can be downloaded here.
For questions or more information, contact Kim Thuente at (800) 255–0405, ext. 14372 or kthuente@aea11.k12.ia.us.
Information about the 2009-2010 Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) application process is now on the Iowa Department of Education's Web site. The application deadline is June 15, 2009. You can access this information on the Department’s AIW Web page at http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1767&Itemid=2544.
In January of 2008, the administrative rule concerning articulated, sequential K-12 school counseling programs was enacted. To help with the K-12 program district-wide, the Heartland Counselor Academy was created. Teams of K-12 counselors come together with direction to audit, refine and develop their programs. There have been three such academies over the past two years, and for the 09-10 school year, districts have two remaining options: one will meet in Coon Rapids, the other in Johnston. After the 09-10 school year, this particular academy will not exist. The Counselor Academy II and III will also be offered during the 09-10 school year.
Because much of this is new territory for administrators, Sue Schirmer developed a District Self-Analysis tool for districts to see where they are with regards to the Iowa Code (minimum standards) and the American School Counseling Association's National Model (best practice-research based).
For more information about the academies or to download the district self-analysis, please go to the Heartland School Counseling Web pages at http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/prodev/counseling/ or contact Sue Schirmer at sschirmer@aea11.k12.ia.us.
The Learning Activity Posters (LAP) will now be available on demand throughout the year. The cost will remain the same at $.30 each. All orders may be sent to Teri Hazen at thazen@aea11.k12.ia.us. Questions can be directed to Teri at (515) 270-9030 ext. 14465.
The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) is currently reviewing the requirements for becoming an elementary teacher. The Board is looking in to the preparation of future teachers to meet the needs of students in the 21st Century. This proposal for the new Elementary Education Teaching Endorsement is a draft prepared by a team of educators working at the building level, AEAs and in colleges and universities.
The BOEE has put together an electronic survey as one way of gathering input from elementary teachers and administrators and elementary prepared AEA staff. Elementary teachers have already been notified, but the BOEE needs school administrators to also fill out the survey. You will find the survey at http://www.boee.iowa.gov/ElementaryEdSurvey.html.
Central Iowa Area Health Education Center (CI AHEC) recruits and retains health professionals in under-served areas. Each center teaches children about health care careers, offers clinical training sites for health profession students and supports health care practitioners with continuing education programs. Programming targets three population groups throughout Iowa. - First, AHEC activities foster kindergarten through undergraduate student interest in the pursuit of health care careers.
- Second, health care profession students are provided greater opportunities for clinical experiences in under-served areas.
- Finally, practicing health professionals are provided continuing education opportunities addressing the unique challenges of serving the under-served.
The CI AHEC is interested in using the communities in their catchment area (Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Jasper, Polk, Poweshiek and Story counties) to help assess and further their services. On May 14, 2009, K-12 professionals in the above listed counties are invited to a Community Forum that will be held in Des Moines. For an informational flyer, click here.
The CI AHEC is also conducting a community needs assessment within their catchment area and have a survey for K-12 professionals regarding what programs currently exist and what programs would be beneficial.
The CI AHEC would greatly appreciate if school professionals from the counties of Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Jasper, Polk and Story would fill out the pdf form, found by clicking here, and e-mail it to Jill Whitson, Executive Director of the Central Iowa AHEC, at jwhitson@broadlawns.org or mail it to her at the following:
Jill Whitson, Executive Director
Central Iowa AHEC
1801 Hickman Road
Des Moines, IA 50314
Questions about the Community Forum and/or the survey can be directed to Jill Whitson at 515-282-5721 or jwhitson@broadlawns.org.
Click here for the May SAI Leadership Link.
ASCD announced the online version of Planning the Possible: How Schools Can Use Stimulus Dollars for Lasting Impact which can be viewed at http://stimulus.ascd.org/ascd/2009/. It explains how sustained, capacity-building professional development can improve student achievement and what resources are available. There are also resources on how to make critical decisions about school improvement. This digital format includes keyword searching and interactive links.
In 1986, David Langford became the first classroom teacher to apply Quality Learning philosophy, theory, tools and processes to improve student learning. Over the past 20 years, David has traveled extensively to present his trademark 4-Day Quality Learning Seminar to colleagues in K-12 school systems, the military, universities, colleges, pre-schools and businesses in how to identify systemic problems and create quality solutions that improve learning.
Now he is bringing his 4-Day Seminar to Des Moines, June 29-July 2, 2009. This is an exciting opportunity for teachers, administrators, central office leaders, anyone!What will you learn?- Learn how brain research and quality improvement marry to create dynamic learning environments.
- Learn how to reduce or eliminate behavior problems.
- Learn how to create successful Professional Learning Communities.
- Learn how to lead with systems thinking and data analysis.
- Learn what educators around the world have discovered: Students can and will self-assess and manage their own learning processes.
- Learn how to use over 60 quality tools that will help you identify problems and create solutions.
Why should you attend?
- Administrators develop solid skills enabling them to effectively lead change, support their staff and improve their organization.
- Teachers learn to teach more efficiently, actively engaging and stimulating learners using quality tools and assessments.
- Students become engaged learners, intrinsically motivated.
How do you register?
- Register and pay online with a credit card for this seminar by clicking here.
- Download a brochure and pay with check or PO# by clicking here.
- Call 406-628-2227 to register over the phone or e-mail office@langfordlearning.com.
The cost is $575.00 USD which includes daily lunch, break refreshments, manuals and materials.
You will receive a confirmation e-mail with seminar details upon registration.
For more information on this exciting opportunity, visit http://www.langfordlearning.com/.
Recently there was a documentary on Iowa Public Television called, Cry For Help. The documentary pertained to teen mental health and suicide and has been described as "powerful". A copy of this documentary is now available in our Media Resources.
"Sexting" is the act of sending sexually explicit materials electronically (usually through cell phones). It is a growing concern in schools as the primary abusers are teenagers. Click here to hear an interview with an assistant principal that was wrongfully charged with possession of child pornography after investigating a sexting incident at his school.
The Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship at The University of Iowa (U of I) is offering a camp for business-minded students in 7th-9th grades in Des Moines. The Jacobson Entrepreneurship Academy will be offered July 27 – July 31, 2009 at the Pappajohn Higher Education Center, 1200 Grand Avenue in downtown Des Moines.
The camp, sponsored by the Richard O. Jacobson Foundation, will be held daily from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the center, convenient for working parents in downtown Des Moines.Throughout the week, campers will hear from nationally recognized entrepreneurs, tour local start-up companies and get hands-on instruction from the U of I entrepreneurship faculty. They will write their own business plans and at the end of the week, campers will present their businesses plans and compete for seed capital, cash prizes and recognition as a top young entrepreneur in Iowa.The priority registration fee of $139 per student has been extended. The fee includes lunches, snacks, instruction, class materials, camp T-shirt, bus transportation for tours and the graduation reception.
Several scholarships are available to those in need. Registration continues until all spaces are filled. Registration materials are available on the Jacobson Institute Web site at www.jacobsoninstitute.org.
For more information, contact Dawn Bowlus, Jacobson Institute director, at 319-335-0985 or dawn-bowlus@uiowa.edu.
Please remind your staff and students about the ICN Programs available at William Penn University. William Penn has scholarship funding available for the following programs:
- Associate of Arts in Leadership Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education
- Bilingual Educator On-Campus Program (for High School Seniors)
- Bilingual Teacher Education (For the application packet, click here.)
Although they do not have funding for the ESL Endorsement, they provide a reduced graduate tuition rate for Endorsement candidates.
More information about ICN programs at William Penn University, please go to http://www.wmpenn.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=148.
Heartland AEA will be undergoing renovations to our print department during the month of May. We do not anticipate any difficulties in printing or delivering your requests. During the renovation time period, an off-site print shop will do our printing, and our van delivery will pick up the printed material and distribute to the schools as usual. The method of ordering your print jobs during the renovation will remain the same. Please use the same request forms for your jobs until further notice.
Our new equipment will offer current and additional products faster and more economically. Please contact Heartland Communications at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us for any questions you may have on our print department renovation.
The Iowa Department of Education will be providing updates and revised guidance about the Novel Influenza (H1N1) Virus (Swine Flu) on their Web site: www.iowa.gov/educate.
Included in their updates will be action steps and resources available for schools. They will also be providing an FAQ for education-specific information (e.g., If I close one building, do we need to make up that school day?). Due to the rapidly changing status of H1N1, guidance will be updated as it becomes available. It is recommended that you check the Web site frequently.
You can also visit this Web site http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=133813762&message_id=718792&user_id=NSPRA from the National School Public Relations Association. It provides more information on how to communicate about the H1N1 virus to school staff and to parents. Visit http://www.nspra.org/node/3249 to find examples of how schools around the country are communicating about the virus.
Also visit http://www.cdc.gov/germstopper/materials.htm to download posters from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about hand washing and proper hygiene.
Reading Recovery is a highly effective short-term intervention of one-to-one instruction for the lowest-achieving first graders. Individual students receive a half-hour lesson each school day for 12 to 20 weeks with a specially trained Reading Recovery teacher. As soon as students can meet grade-level expectations and demonstrate that they can continue to work independently in the classroom, their lessons are discontinued, and new students begin individual instruction.Reading Recovery’s one-to-one instruction delivers measurable results in weeks not years. After a full 12 to 20-week series of lessons, more than 66% of students meet grade-level expectations.
For information on this shared-cost initiative click here.
To enroll a teacher in the Reading Recovery training, contact Geri Jacobs at gjacobs@aea11.k12.ia.us by June 5, 2009.
As part of the requirement for districts to meet compliance with Chapter 103-Corporal Punishment regulations, the following statement from the Iowa Department of Education should be in district handbooks annually. Click here for a Word doc of this notice.
This text was prepared and approved by the Department.
Notice: Corporal Punishment, Restraint, and Physical Confinement and Detention
State law forbids schools employees from using corporal punishment against any student. Certain actions by school employees are not considered corporal punishment. Additionally, school employees may use “reasonable and necessary force, not designed or intended to cause pain” to do certain things, such as prevent harm to persons or property.
State law also places limits school employees’ abilities to restrain or confine and detain any student. The law limits why, how, where, and for how long a school employee may restrain or confine and detain a child. If a child is restrained or confined and detained, the school must maintain documentation and must provide certain types of notice to the child’s parent.
[If school or AEA has additional policies or procedures, briefly describe them here].
If you have any questions about this state law, please contact your school. The complete text of the law and additional information is available on the Iowa Department of Education’s Web site: www.iowa.gov/educate.
As the use of the Internet is becoming more central to the educational curriculum, the nature of Acceptable Use Polices (AUPs) is becoming an outdated concept. Click here to read more on this issue.
