Get Acquainted with "Prairie Progress" at the Loess Hills Prairie Seminar

Come to the 33rd Annual Loess Hills Prairie Seminar, Prairie Progress, which will be held May 29-31, 2009 in the Loess Hills Wildlife Area northeast of Onawa, Iowa. The seminar's role is to provide education and training for K-12 educators in the areas of conservation, environmental studies and science education. For more information, click here for a flyer or go to http://www.nwaea.k12.ia.us/en/upcoming_events/loess_hills_prairie_seminar/.

Facebook, MySpace, & YouTube: Protect Your Students & Your School

For those school administrators concerned with the use of Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and other online communities at their schools, there will be a live, 60-minute Audio Conference:

"Facebook, MySpace, & YouTube: Protect Your Students & Your School"
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET

Get information on the following issues:
• Drafting an Online Network Policy for Your School
• Monitoring Online Student Behavior: What You Can & Can't Do
• Protecting Your Students & Your School from Online Slander
• How to Communicate With Parents About Dangerous Online Activities

Register for this opportunity by calling (800) 964-6033 or going to http://www.pbconferences.com/CT/0/2/p2EKAWc/p2ATWDFLi/p0e.

Participation in the call is $199.00 per site and allows access to one phone line for an unlimited number of people to listen. Program Materials will be provided approximately one week before the program date via email with PDF links. Please download the PDF files before the day of the program.

Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship Summer Camp Instructors

The Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship is seeking applications for instructors for the following 2009 summer entrepreneurship day camps:

Youth Entrepreneur Camp – July 6-10, 2009 in Iowa City
Grades 4-6
$1,650 for week long contract + preparation (55 total hours @ $30/hour)

Jacobson Entrepreneurship Academy – July 13-17, 2009 in Iowa City
Grades 7-9
$1,650 for week long contract + preparation (55 total hours @ $30/hour)

Jacobson Entrepreneurship Academy – July 27–31, 2009 in Des Moines
Grades 7-9
$1,650 for week long contract + preparation (55 total hours @ $30/hour)

BizSmARTS: An Entrepreneurship in the Arts Summer Day Camp in Des Moines Grades: 4-12
$2,415 for week long contract + preparation (80.5 total hours @ $30/hour)
Note: Overnight accommodations are the responsibility of the instructor; however, home-stay arrangements may be possible through the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa coordinator. A pre-Camp Sunday evening meeting and a Saturday graduation ceremony is part of the program.

Qualifications:
* State certified teacher
* Experience teaching entrepreneurship and business preferred
* > 3 years teaching experience preferred
* Interest in Art and Women Artists is a bonus for BizSmARTS camp!

Responsibilities:
* Lead instruction
* Engage students in interactive and hands-on learning
* Manage classroom ranging from 25 – 40 students
* Facilitate learning in the following content areas:

• Introduction to Entrepreneurship
• Opportunity Recognition
• Idea Evaluation
• Marketing and Market Research
• Basic Finance
• Developing a Business Plan
• Presenting to Investors

* Effectively lead 2-3 classroom counselors/assistants
* Be technologically savvy
* Have basic knowledge of PowerPoint, Microsoft Word and Clip Art
* Ability to excel in a high-pace environment
* Effectively work with academy coordinators

To Apply:

Click here to fill out an Instructor Interest Form. Submit the Instructor Interest Form along with a statement of interest/experience to Dawn Bowlus at dawn-bowlus@uiowa.edu or mail to:

Dawn Bowlus
Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship
The University of Iowa
108 PBB Suite S160
Iowa City, IA 52242

For more information, please contact Dawn Bowlus at dawn-bowlus@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-0985. The application deadline is Friday, May 1, 2009.

Detailed descriptions of the Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship camps are available online at www.jacobsoninstitute.org/camps.html.

Iowa Department of Education Request for Information

We recently received a request for information from the Iowa Department of Education (DE). The DE needs specific information about the number of paraeducators employed by Iowa’s school districts and the training of them. The DE is requesting the AEAs collect this information because it does not currently have access to these data.

We would like to have this information compiled by Wednesday, April 29, 2009. Please alert your district's Human Resources representative to have the numbers to the following questions ready for when a Heartland representative calls next week. If you would rather not be called, you may e-mail the answers to the following questions to the Heartland Communications Department e-mail address at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us. Questions can also be directed to Heartland Communications or Connor Hood at chood@aea11.k12.ia.us.

1. How many paraeducators are employed by your district who are certified? (include all paraeducator certifications recognized by the Iowa Department of Education or other state agency and their associated licensing boards)

2. How many paraeducators are employed by your district who are NOT certified, but have a degree in education?

3. How many paraeducators are employed by your district that are neither certified nor have a degree in education?

4. What is your starting wage for paraeducators?

5. Do paraeducators receive additional pay if certified?

Customer Satisfaction Survey: The Results are In...And Our Schools Delivered!

The results are in on the Iowa AEA Customer Satisfaction Survey, and Heartland AEA has reason to celebrate. Although we did not reach our goal of a 36% participation rate, we are thrilled with the 30.72% rate that we received! That's a 61.1% increase from last year! We appreciate the 4,594 individuals who took the time to complete the survey. The data collected from the survey will be used to make important program decisions that benefit all schools in the Heartland region. Relevant data results and more information from the survey will be shared by your Partnership Director at a later time. Please be sure to extend our sincere gratitude to your school staff who completed the survey.

Department of Education's Title I Spring Update

Mark your calendars for the Title I Spring update meeting which will be held on Friday, May 8, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the Johnston Library. Please share this information with others in your district who should be included. Click here for an informational flyer.

To register, click here or visit the Heartland Professional Development Catalog and enter activity number RE011799990901.

Corporal Punishment Chapter 103B Training Modules

Heartland AEA now has Corporal Punishment Chapter 103B Training Modules available on our Web site. There are seven sections (none longer than 10 minutes). Viewing all sections takes 53 minutes. We recommend that a group of people view the training together and have discussions between each section. At the end of each section, the viewers will need to scroll down to the the bottom of their screen and hit "return to menu" or hit the back button on their browser to get to the main menu and select the next section.

Districts are to document the training. You may develop your own documentation or request certificates from Heartland by e-mailing Anita Davids at adavids@aea11.k12.ia.us. A district administrator will need to sign the certificate.

To view the Corporal Punishment Training, click the following link: http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/spedresources/video/index.html

Earn Your Elementary or Secondary Reading Endorsement from Drake University

Classes are available in online and face-to-face formats. Complete the entire endorsement in as little as one summer or take classes at your own pace throughout the school year. This endorsement can be used towards Drake's Masters of Science in Education degree in Effective Teaching.

Click here for an informational flyer, or attend an informational session to find out more. One session will be April 23, 2009, at 4:30 p.m. at Valley High School, West Des Moines. The other session is on April 28, 2009, at 4:30 p.m. at Heartland AEA's Johnston office.

For more information, contact reading@drake.edu or 1-800-DRAKE, ext. 3888.

Summer Professional Development Opportunities

It is an exciting time in the world of professional development. Our summer catalog of offerings is on the Web, and we are pleased to showcase some new opportunities available for teachers and administrators.

Vocal Pedagogy for the High School Voice is being offered by Dr. James Tener from Iowa State University. In this 1 credit course, Dr. Tener will instruct high school vocal music instructors on vocal music pedagogy in the morning, then in the afternoon, will observe and coach that instructor in working with their high school students. For more information or to register for the course, go to: https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/FA013699171001INV*

We are again partnering with Des Moines Area Community College to offer several courses in the Career-Technical Area. Courses in Engines, Cabinet Making, Robotics, Programming and Cryptography are just a few of the offerings in this area. They can be found on the Heartland Professional Development Catalog under "Career-Technical Education" and "Mathematics."

Time is running short for educators to apply for the 21st Century Workplace Skills Experience. Applications must be sent in by May 1, 2009. For more information on this exciting opportunity to learn at a job site, go to: http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/prodev/counseling/workplace.html.

For more information about these and other opportunities, please see the professional development catalog on Heartland's Web site.

Available Iowa Educators Consortium Software Discounts

As of April 1, school students and staff will have access to software discounts of up to 85% with the NEW! Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) Software Store powered by Journey Education. Partnerships with Microsoft, Adobe, NUANCE and Inspiration have been made which extends fantastic discounts to Iowa K-12 students, teachers and school staff. In addition, thousands of other software programs as well as computer hardware, books, bags and more are available at discounted prices!

Journey Education products can be ordered online at http://www.JourneyEd.com/Select or by calling (800) 874-9001. Any product ordered will be shipped directly to the customer’s home.

Pricing examples:
• Microsoft Office Standard 2007 - Retail $399, IEC Price $59.98
• Microsoft Office Professional 2007 - Retail $499, IEC Price $89.98
• Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Standard K-12 – Retail $1,399, IEC Price $219.98
• Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium - Retail $1,699, IEC Price $319.98
• Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred 10.0 Student/Teacher Edition - Retail $99, IEC Price $49.98
• Inspiration Kidspiration 3 Student Single - IEC Price $29.98

Buying Textbooks and NIMAS Guidelines

NIMAS guidelines for providing print-accessible textbooks are outlined at http://trueaim.iowa.gov. It is recommended that the following paragraph be inserted in all textbook purchasing contracts. It requires the publisher to send a NIMAS fileset to the NIMAC.

By agreeing to deliver the materials marked with "NIMAS" on this contract or purchase order, the publisher agrees to prepare and submit, on or before ___/___/_____ a NIMAS fileset to the NIMAC that complies with the terms and procedures set forth by the NIMAC. Should the vendor be a distributor of the materials and not the publisher, the distributor agrees to immediately notify the publisher of its obligation to submit NIMAS filesets of the purchased products to the NIMAC. The files will be used for the production of alternate formats as permitted under the law for students with print disabilities. Please note that the delivery of print versions should not be delayed in cases where the NIMAS fileset has yet to be validated and cataloged by the NIMAC.

Heartland AEA's World of Media

Make sure to take a look at Heartland AEA's April edition of the World of Media newsletter which included some technology and 21st century research and reports. You will find full articles of the below summaries and more at http://wom.aea11.k12.ia.us.

The annual SpeakUp survey from Project Tomorrow shows that students feel restricted using technology when they enter school and suggests that this signals weakness in U.S. global competition. Survey results are linked and highlights from the survey are summarized.

The Horizon Report 2009 was released in March. It identifies six emerging technologies that will have a huge impact on education in the next 1-5 years: collaborative environments, online communication tools, mobile devices, cloud computing, "smart" objects and the personal web.

Check out Web sites that explore how cell phones can be used in the classroom. Different areas of usage include simple text messaging voting, GoogleText, audio blogs, real-time sharing of audio and video, etc.

See demonstration and lecture videos posted online by an Urbandale High School chemistry and physics teacher.

YouTubeEDU includes special channels for university and college lectures and demonstrations--similar to what Urbandale High School is doing.

Perry Elementary Provides Healthier School Environment

Congratulations to Perry Elementary School for winning the Silver Award and being the fifth school in Iowa to receive a HealthierUS School Challenge award! The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) award is the highest nationally recognized award for making changes to school nutrition environments, providing physical activity opportunities, improving the quality of the foods served and providing students with more nutritious, healthy choices.

Perry Elementary is offering legumes, whole grain products and dark green and orange fruits and vegetables more often in school lunches. A special, congratulatory school award ceremony involving various dignitaries and fun for the students will take place in Perry in the near future.

Go to http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=373&Itemid=1332 for additional HealthierUS School Challenge information.

Need Classroom Space or Storage? FEMA Trailers May Be Available Soon

IASB has learned that many of the mobile homes that were used to house displaced families after the natural disasters of 2008 are in the process of being transitioned to other uses.

According to the Rebuild Iowa Office, it is quite possible the trailers will be made available to local governments within a few days or weeks. If you are interested in obtaining one of the units, your district should fill out the application and submit it to Clint Schmidt at Iowa Prison Industries for approval. You will then be positioned for consideration if and when the trailers become available. The only costs to acquire a trailer would be payment to Prison Industries (approximately $500) and moving expenses. FEMA will likely want the trailers moved within 10 working days of notification that a sale is approved. The trailers are currently located in Black Hawk County.

You can download the application, approximate timeline and instructions at http://members.ia-sb.org/fileshare/IASB04022009102222.zip.

If you have questions, please contact Clint Schmidt from the Iowa Prison Industries at clint.schmidt@iowa.gov or (515) 281-0426.

Note: This e-mail was sent to K-12 superintendents and business managers, and the administrators and business managers at AEAs and community colleges.

Superintendents: April 7th HAA Minutes and Presentation

Click here to view minutes from the April 7th Heartland Administrators Association meeting. Also available is the America’s Reinvestment and Recovery Act presentation given by Heartland AEA Chief Administrator, Maxine Kilcrease. Click here for the presentation.

Counselor Connections: Career Pathways

This session is open to administrators, counselors and teachers who are interested in post-high school options for students. Focus will be on the career pathways and opportunities through the Central Iowa Works consortium.

The session is scheduled for April 7, 2009 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Heartland AEA Johnston office. Register through the Heartland Professional Development Catalog at https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/CN004092110901INV*.

Questions or concerns can be addressed to Susen Schirmer, Heartland AEA 11 Professional Learning and Leadership Consultant, at sschirmer@aea11.k12.ia.us or at (515) 270-0405 ext. 14379.

Improving Transition Results Workshop to Be Offered in May

The Improving Transition Results Workshop will provide an understanding and clarification of transition assessments and how to gather assessments needed for students age 14 and up. Staff, teachers and AEA staff will learn how to access and use the matrix designed by the Iowa Department of Education. Participants will review IEP design and the six critical elements required to meet the State Performance Plan (i.e., special education indicators 13 and 14). This training is appropriate for middle and high school special education teachers.

Please Note: This is the same course offered in October 2008. Heartland is offering this course for those who were unable to participate in October. If available, please bring your computer to the training. We will be accessing the Iowa Assessment Matrix.

The workshop will be offered May 8, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Heartland AEA Johnston Office, Rooms 3 & 4.

Teachers may register for this activity through Heartland Professional Development. Please go to the Heartland Web Site and click Classes, Workshops and Trainings. Then go to Professional Development Catalog, the activity is titled Improving Transition Results, and the Activity Number is DL002092110909.

If you have questions or concerns, contact Sue Severson at sseverson@aea11.k12.ia.us or at (515) 270-0405 ext. 14661.