Invitation to the Administrator Connection

If you are interested in having the Administrator Connection sent to other personnel in your district in addition to the superintendent, principal and curriculum coordinator, please email the Heartland Communications Department at comms@heartlandaea.org with the subject line of "Add to Administrator Connection List." Please include the person's name, title (assistant principal, activities director, etc.) and email.

October is Connected Educator Month

Online communities and learning networks are helping hundreds of thousands of educators learn, reducing isolation and providing “just in time” access to knowledge and opportunities for collaboration. To learn more about getting involved in the national movement, go to http://connectededucators.org/.

Part of being connected is through social media. Heartland AEA and the statewide AEA system have been active users of Facebook and Twitter for several years. Also announced this year was the Iowa's AEAs Pinterest page which is a collaborative effort amongst Iowa’s nine AEAs and is maintained by AEA consultants from all over the state who specialize in different curriculum and instructional areas. Please connect with Heartland AEA and the statewide AEA system on social media!

Facebook
Heartland AEA: http://twitter.com/HeartlandAEA
Iowa's AEAs: http://twitter.com/iowa_aea

Twitter
Heartland AEA: http://www.facebook.com/heartlandaea
Iowa's AEAs: http://www.facebook.com/iowaaea/

Pinterest
Iowa's AEAs: http://www.pinterest.com/iowaaea

Impacting Lives Blog Showcases AEA Services

View the latest Impacting Lives update at http://aeas4iowa.wordpress.com/ for stories about the many ways Iowa's AEAs are making a difference. In this issue, read more about the work being done to improve early literacy in Iowa as well as a check-in on a child that receives services from her local AEA.

Iowans Invited to Give Feedback on Science Standards

On September 18, the Iowa Department of Education launched a public opinion survey of Iowans regarding the Next Generation Science Standards. The survey is part of a broader state effort to seek input on the new science standards, which represent a multi-state effort to develop a common set of learning expectations for students in kindergarten through high school.
The standards are internationally benchmarked and identify science and engineering practices and content with a focus on preparing K-12 students to go to college or to enter the workforce. To read the Next Generation Science Standards, visit http://www.nextgenscience.org/.

The survey will be open through Friday, October 11. To participate, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JBQM56P.

For more information about the Next Generation Science Standards Task Force, visit http://www.educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2951&Itemid=5238.

Wanted: Your Input on Extended Learning

Learning doesn’t take place just in a classroom. It can happen before school, after and during the summer.

Called in educational circles “extended learning,” it enhances students’ overall educational experiences. The best programs, research shows, involve both school and community involvement.

And to that end, the Iowa General Assembly directed the Iowa Department of Education to produce a report due Dec. 15 on best practices for extended-learning opportunities in the state. To accomplish this, the Department and the Iowa Afterschool Alliance are seeking input from Iowans on extended learning, both in the form of a survey as well as a series of meetings hosted around the state.

The report for the extended learning pilot model comes from funds appropriated by the 2013 Iowa General Assembly in House File 215.

The survey can be accessed here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/extendedlearningIA2013.

For specific information on the individual state meetings, go to http://educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2962:wanted-your-input-on-extended-learning&catid=666:headlines

October 2013 School Leader Update

Click here to find a link to the October 2013 issue of the School Leader Update from the Iowa Department of Education.