Friday, May 25, 2012

IEC Summer 2012 Statewide Paper Buy Deadline May 31

Order forms are posted online for immediate download, and paper copies were sent to schools via AEA van mail during the week of May 14. Complete ordering information is available here. The order deadline is Thursday, May 31, 2012.

Bid Features Include:
  • Wide variety of paper weights, colors and sizes
  • Additional discounts for orders of 440 cartons or greater
  • Letter and catalog envelopes
This offer is brought to you by the Iowa Educators Consortium, an initiative of Iowa’s Area Education Agencies.

2012 Summer Hours for Heartland AEA Regional Offices

We have set the summer office hours for our regional offices. These times will be in effect from June 11-August 10. Our Johnston Regional Education Center and Administration Center will maintain our Agency hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please see the regional office summer schedule below.

Adel
7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Ames
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Carroll
7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Guthrie Center
7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Indianola
7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Johnston (Regional Office)
7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (June 11-29) and 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (July 2-August 10)

Knoxville
7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Newton
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Heartland AEA Offers Affordable Window Clings and Decals for the Classrooms

We can create window clings or decals for the car, classroom window or door, laptop, notebook and more! Go to www.aea11.k12.ia.us/print to view some samples and download an order form. The cost is $1.00 for 8.5x11 sheet in either white or transparent.

Below are just a few examples of how you can use them!
  • Insects on the window for a 2nd grade science unit
  • Exotic animals on the window to inspire 5th graders’ creative writing
  • Music and math symbols interplayed on the window to show connections
  • Decals for a math notebook
  • Clings for the laptop or iPad
  • School spirit decals
  • I ♥ reading decals

Continuing Education for New School Nurses

Heartland AEA is offering an exciting online learning experience for new school nurses. Beginning September 3, the Moodle-based class will be open to all school nurses hired August 2011 or later. Registration is mandatory but the class is free. Credit toward nurse license renewal is optional for a flat fee of $15 dollars. Topics to be covered include:
  • Nursing delegation of health procedures to paraprofessionals
  • Instruction on how to write an individual health plan (IHP)
  • Instructions on how to conduct health evaluations and screenings for special education
  • Understanding special health services and the IEP
  • Medicaid billing and the role of the school nurse
  • Section 504 and the nurse as a team member
  • Heartland AEA resources available to assist nurses
Please pass on this opportunity to new school nurses. They may register through our Professional Development catalog and enter Activity Number DR346899991301 in the correct field.

Reminder: Registration Deadlines Coming Soon for PLC Sessions

Registration for the Professional Learning Community (PLC) sessions offered through Heartland AEA and Solution Tree will be closing soon. Click here for a flyer with more information about these opportunities.

Leading Professional Learning Communities
Registration Deadline June 1, 2012
This is a two-day session with a focus on the leadership needed for Professional Learning Communities. Day one is for administrators. On day two administrators may bring up to four members of their leadership teams. The fee for administrators is $175. The fee for teachers is $10. Click here to register.

PLC Coaching Academy
Registration Deadline June 15, 2012
The Coaching Academy is a unique training opportunity designed by Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker and a team of PLC Master Coaches. Led by a PLC Master Coach, the PLC at Work™ Coaching Academy is a six-day (three two-day sessions) capacity-building professional development experience. Participating school teams will leave each academy session with a new skill set, activities and an action plan for implementing what they’ve learned. Click here for more information.

Save these Dates for ESL Opportunities

We wanted to make you aware of some upcoming events and opportunities that focus on the unique needs of ELL/ESL learners.

Our Kids Summer Institute
June 19 & 20, 2012
Valley High School
Network with other Iowa educational professionals and learn new strategies for working with English Language Leaner students. Other topics include RtI, co-teaching, technology for ELLs and literacy for the limited formal school population. To register, click here. Registration is $100, and is limited to the first 400 registrants on a first come/first served basis. Registration is almost full so apply today!

ESL Best Practices Seminar, Implementing a Quality ESL Program: A day Seminar for Administrators and Teachers
September 26, 2012
More information will be sent in the fall.

The Iowa Culture and Language Conference
November 13-14, 2012 (Pre-conference – November 12, 2012)
Coralville Marriott Hotel and Convention Center
This is an excellent conference designed to support administrators, classroom teachers and ESL teachers in their work with Iowa’s ELLs. Heartland AEA Title III funds will be used to help support registration for this event. Additional information will be coming in the fall.

ESL Advisory/Networking Meetings
This is an excellent opportunity for teachers and administrators to meet for an hour of networking, learning of the latest ESL opportunities and receive updates about testing and other important Title III information. All meetings will be held in Room 13B of the Heartland AEA Johnston Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston) from 4:00-5:00 p.m. on the following dates:

September 5, 2012
December 4, 2012
February 5, 2013
May 7, 2013

A Note From TransAct
Principals may pre-order the FREE Anti-Bullying kits from TransAct.com and have them sent directly to the school by filling out the form at http://www.transact.com/2012bullykit.

Inside the kit:
  • Bully-Free Zone Campus Sign
  • Bullying, Incident Report Form
  • Bullying, Information for Parents
  • Information on how to access www.transact.com

Iowa Dept. of Ed, Gov. & Lt. Gov. Announce Iowa Teacher and Principal Symposium

Earlier this week, the Iowa Dept. of Education announced the Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium which will be held Friday, August 3, at Drake University in Des Moines. Registration is open to the public, and the DE is hoping a broad cross section of Iowans including teachers, school administrators, school board members, legislators, parents and business leaders will attend. For more information and to register, click here.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Iowa Educators Consortium and Instructure Announce Statewide Pricing for Canvas

The Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) and Instructure invite you to explore how to extend teaching and learning beyond your classroom using Canvas, the advanced, easy-to-use online education platform.

The Heartland area face-to-face conversation about Canvas and the IEC contract is next Wednesday, May 23. Bring your questions about using Canvas to support online learning, distance education and 1:1 programs at your school or district. Registration is due today and can be done here.

Rosetta Stone Pricing through the Iowa Educators Consortium

Recognizing that language and technology skills are important even as budgets are tightening, the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) is continuing its partnership with Rosetta Stone® Education. As a result of this partnership, you have the opportunity to provide your school with access to more than 20 languages at a special price. This rate is open to all Iowa schools with two purchasing windows from May through August.

To be invoiced prior to July 1, 2012
Orders must be received by Rosetta Stone by May 21, 2012 and will have an estimated start date of June 1, 2012.

To be invoiced after July 1, 2012
Orders must be received between May 22, 2012 – August 21, 2012 and will have an estimated start date of September 1, 2012.

For more information about this opportunity or to learn more about new offerings from Rosetta, contact one of the following:

Micah Battino
mbattino@rosettastone.com
(800) 788-0822 ext. 7117

René Nicolle Murphy
rmurphy@rosettastone.com
(800) 788-0822 ext. 7712

To download the order form, go to: http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/Technology/Software/Instructional/Rosetta_Stone

IEC Note: This offer is targeted for foreign language classroom instruction. The product is a one-year web-based license. Content is accessible 24-hours a day. One student may use the license at a time, but it can be assigned to multiple students throughout the year. Example: Your school purchases one license. ‘Student one’ uses the license first semester, ‘student two’ uses the same license second semester and ‘student three’ uses the same license again during summer school. School funding could come from a foreign language student lab fee. Rosetta Stone has set the minimum purchase at 50 licenses per year. If you would like to purchase between 25 and 50 licenses, contact Jerry Cochrane at jcochrane@iec-ia.org.

Registration Deadlines Coming Soon for PLC Sessions

Registration for the Professional Learning Community (PLC) sessions offered through Heartland AEA and Solution Tree will be closing soon. Click here for a flyer with more information about these opportunities.

Leading Professional Learning Communities
Registration Deadline June 1, 2012
This is a two-day session with a focus on the leadership needed for Professional Learning Communities. Day one is for administrators. On day two administrators may bring up to four members of their leadership teams. The fee for administrators is $175. The fee for teachers is $10. Click here to register.

PLC Coaching Academy
Registration Deadline June 15, 2012
The Coaching Academy is a unique training opportunity designed by Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker and a team of PLC Master Coaches. Led by a PLC Master Coach, the PLC at Work™ Coaching Academy is a six-day (three two-day sessions) capacity-building professional development experience. Participating school teams will leave each academy session with a new skill set, activities and an action plan for implementing what they’ve learned. Click here for more information.

Draft Next Generation Science Standards - Ready for Review

The first public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is available at www.nextgenscience.org from May 11 to June 1. They welcome and appreciate your feedback.

The NGSS have been written as student performance expectations grouped by topics, and can be viewed in the topical groupings or individually. The draft performance expectations are composed of the three dimensions from the NRC's Framework for K-12 Science Education. These draft performance expectations describe how students will demonstrate their understanding.

To review the draft standards, go to www.nextgenscience.org. When you are ready to provide comments, click on any of the links that say "Go to the NGSS Survey." Be sure to submit your survey by June 1. Feedback collected during the comment period will be organized and shared with the leading states and writing team members. After the feedback is considered, a feedback report will be issued that will explain how feedback was handled and why.

Feedback from across the nation will be used to fine tune the next generation science standards. The anticipated final standards will probably not occur until early 2013. At which time states may begin their adoption of the standards.

C-Plan Technical Assistance Webinars

The Iowa Dept. of Education is hosting four webinars to provide technical assistance to local schools and districts as they input their data into the new C-Plan application. The dates and times are the following:

Thursday, June 14, 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, June 20, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Monday, June 25, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 10, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Please visit the DE website to register and for additional information: http://educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2583

Iowa Dept. of Education's June Issue of "Each and Every Child"

Find ways of engaging students throughout the summer in the June issue of the Iowa Department of Education's "Each and Every Child." The newsletter is designed to enhance communication between parents and teachers and eliminate the achievement gap in the State of Iowa. Please let parents know that the newsletter is available at http://www.educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2518.

“Teaching Deliberatively” Workshop Fosters Tools to Promote Student Civic Literacy

Want students to learn to deliberate over important contemporary issues? Want them to learn how "civility" can be better practiced in classrooms and school communities? The "Teaching Deliberatively" workshop is a joint project of the Iowa Writing Project at University of Iowa, the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) and the Iowa Partners in Learning. The institute will be held July 9-13, 2012 at ISEA headquarters in Des Moines. Participants will develop a take-home guide for deliberation over the timely issue of "bullying in schools and communities." Click here for more information about the workshop.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.

Registration Extended for UNI/Google Scratch Computer Science Training

Although the registration deadline has passed, the University of Northern Iowa will continue to process applications for their two Scratch workshops as long as seats are available. See below for information of the two offered workshops. To apply for either of them, teachers can submit an application at http://www.cs.uni.edu/connections/cs4hs/.

Questions can be directed to Ben Schafer, Assoc. Professor in Computer Science, at schafer@cs.uni.edu or (319) 273-2187.

Introduction to Scratch in Education - 1 cr. hr
Date: July 11-13, 2012
(plus one follow-up Saturday in November 2012)
Preparation for teachers in Grades 7-12 to have their students use Scratch in the classroom (all disciplines). This workshop will address the basics of Scratch (mostly by example), ways to introduce Scratch to students and a discussion on general classroom integration. No computer science or programming background required. Teachers will be expected to have their students use Scratch and to report on that use during a follow-up meeting in November 2012.

Teaching Programming Using Scratch - 1 cr. hr.
Dates: July 16-18, 2012
(plus one follow-up Saturday in November 2012)
Preparation for teachers in Grades 7-12 to teach a unit on computer programming using Scratch or a similar graphical languages. This workshop will discuss Scratch and several Scratch-based variations. We will review the basics of programming as well as discuss the challenges and methods of teaching introductory programming. Participants are expected to have prior experience with Scratch or some other programming experience. Teachers will be expected to plan and begin teaching a unit on computer programming to an appropriate group of students and to report on that use during a follow-up meeting in November 2012.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.

Money Mammal Financial Literacy Program Geared to Young Audiences

Money Mammals is a financial literacy presentation designed for 4-to 6-year-olds that fits in well with the Iowa Core Curriculum requirements. The program has been well received by educators and they often call requesting presenters return year after year. Click here for more information on the Money Mammals program. The first page gives a great description of the program, followed by referrals from educators, an article from a local newspaper and finally, a description of what is covered in the presentation.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Heartland AEA 2012 Summer Van Delivery

Heartland AEA is in the process of scheduling summer van delivery. We will deliver twice a week to each district administration building. If you have summer school, professional development programs or intercessions and you would like regularly scheduled deliveries to additional buildings, please e-mail Sherise Ahlers at sahlers@aea11.k12.ia.us.

Schedule-to-date:
  • Twice-a-week delivery to each district administration building runs June 11 to August 2.
  • Twice-a-week delivery will automatically continue to each building that has an extended year calendar.
  • Regular fall van delivery resumes August 6.
Printing:
  • Heartland AEA will contact the district to arrange for special delivery of large printing orders during the summer.

May 2012 Educator Connection Newsletter Now Available

Click here for the May 2012 issue of the Educator Connection. This issue was emailed to all educators this week and contains information about our summer professional development courses, special print offers and a story about a graduating teen who has been helped by his AEA physical therapist since he was two.

May 2012 Impacting Lives Newsletter

Go to http://aeas4iowa.wordpress.com/ to read the latest edition of "Impacting Lives." The blog newsletter is a statewide effort to communicate AEA success stories and services across the state.

This issue includes:
  • AEA Instrumental in Helping First-Year Teacher Meet Preschool Program Standards
  • Pleasantville Teen Anticipates Transition to College Thanks in Part to Support from AEA
  • Competency-Based Education Catches On at Prairie Lakes AEA
  • Northwest AEA/Akron-Westfield Team Keeps Pushing for Student
  • AEA Saves Educators Time and Money through the Use of Technology
  • ‘Amazing' Results Make Literacy Kits Popular
  • Inclusive PE Program Benefits Norwalk Students

AEA PD Online: Online Training Prioritization Survey

With the new ramping up of online professional development, we are dedicating more resources to developing online trainings. We plan on creating five new trainings each year for the online training system. To help us prioritize, complete the survey below.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/aea11.k12.ia.us/viewform?formkey=dF91bklIb0hYcHBWdTlYZGhyOWdlZXc6MQ

IEC Summer 2012 Statewide Paper Buy

Order forms are posted online for immediate download. Paper copies will be sent to schools via AEA van mail during the week of May 14. Complete ordering information is available at http://www.iec-ia.org/pages/IEC/Office_Classroom/Paper/Summer_Buy.

Bid Features Include:
  • Wide variety of paper weights, colors and sizes
  • Additional discounts for orders of 440 cartons or greater
  • Letter and catalog envelopes
Clients Eligible for Participation:
  • K-12 Schools
  • Public and Private
  • Colleges and Universities
  • Public Libraries
  • City, County, State Government
  • Nonprofit educational organizations
This offer is brought to you by the Iowa Educators Consortium, an initiative of Iowa’s Area Education Agencies.

Iowa Dept. of Education Seeks Feedback to Improve

The Iowa Department of Education is looking for honest and constructive feedback so it can improve. Iowa educators can give their feedback via a survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/Home_Landing.aspx?sm=txR0NwoalsroCd6MScgi531p9dwOUOf48ywsKxKsu1Y%3d.

SecurityCoverage Releases Results of 2012 Iowa 1:1 Survey

SecurityCoverage, Inc. recently conducted a 2012 Iowa 1:1 Survey with their TotalTech Education service. The survey asked educators across the state about their current technology, their goals and the challenges they face. Click here for information about the survey results. To learn more about TotalTech Education and to download the full 2012 Iowa 1:1 Survey results white paper, visit www.totaltecheducation.com.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.

DMACC Surplus

The DMACC Ankeny Campus have the following surplus supplies available:

18 of the four legged stack chairs








26 of the sled base chair










10 of the 5 ft x 24 ft in tables









10 of the 6 ft x 24 ft in tables









55 of the sled base desk









These items will be available for pick up on July 1, 2012 on the Ankeny DMACC campus. Please contact Julie Klocke at jaklocke1@dmacc.edu to schedule pickup or (515) 964-6386.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.

Friday, May 4, 2012

AEA PD Online: Online Training Prioritization Survey

With the new ramping up of online professional development, we are dedicating more resources to developing online trainings. We plan on creating five new trainings each year for the online training system. To help us prioritize, complete the survey below.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/aea11.k12.ia.us/viewform?formkey=dF91bklIb0hYcHBWdTlYZGhyOWdlZXc6MQ

Online Learning is Changing Education

Last spring, Iowa's nine AEAs collectively launched AEA PD Online, a one-stop shop for Iowa educators' online professional development needs. Still haven't dived into online learning? What are you waiting for?! Click here for information about AEA PD Online including an in-depth section on the costs associated with the online training system. Wonder how online learning can transform your school? Click here for information on the services currently provided by the AEAs in the area of K-12 online- or blended-learning.

You Can Become an AEA PD Online Instructor

AEA PD Online is always looking for instructors with a passion for their subject area and the desire to teach in new methods. For those wishing to become online instructors, AEA PD Online offers Online Learning for Iowa Educators (OLLIE) courses. Click here for more information about the OLLIE training, which includes foundational courses in online pedagogy designed around the Iowa Teaching Standards.

Workshop Will Explore Enhancing Reading Instruction for All Students, May 22

Click here to find information about a workshop provided by Dr. Kevin Feldman that will explore strategies of enhancing reading instruction with all students. This session will focus on improving core instruction within a school-wide system to support reading achievement. The one-day session will be held on May 22, 2012 at Zion Lutheran Church at 4300 Beaver in Des Moines. The cost is $30.

Our Kids Summer Institute Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for the 2012 Our Kids Summer Institute. The institute is appropriate for all content teachers and administrators, not just ELL teachers, and will provide the opportunity to discover new strategies for working with English language learner students. Other topics include Response to Intervention (RtI), co-teaching, technology for ELLs and literacy for the limited formal school population.

The first 350 participants registered will receive a $125 stipend from the Iowa Department of Education for attending the full conference. In order to receive a stipend, you must attend both days and sign in and out. Two graduate credit hours through William Penn University will be available on site. No other credit will be offered for this conference.

Click here for a flyer that can be distributed to interested teachers and administrators. Registration is available through the Heartland AEA Professional Development Catalog.

Heartland Area Spring Title I Meeting

The annual Spring Title I meeting will be held on Monday, May 14, 2012 form 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. in Rooms 13A & B of the Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston). The Iowa Department of Education will be sharing the latest updates and requirements concerning Title I programs and funding.

If this date does not work for you, click here for the Iowa Dept. of Education's May School Leaders Update, which has a listing of the other AEA meetings in the state.

ICAM Update: 2012 and Beyond

The Iowa Collaborative Assessment Modules (ICAM) will be offered for another two years. At that time the Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium program will be in place to provide multi-format testing that ICAM has provided for districts.

Click here for a set of FAQs to bring you up-to-date with the future of multi-format testing in Iowa.

Contact Lisa Krapfl, ICAM State Coordinator, at lkrapfl@aea1.k12.ia.us or (800) 942-4668 with any questions you may have.

Print School Graduation Programs Through Heartland AEA

It's May and many schools are starting to prepare for graduation/commencement ceremonies. Remember that Heartland AEA is able to print, fold and bind your school's graduation programs, whether it is preschool, elementary, middle school or high school, in a variety of formats.

The most popular sizes are 5.5x8.5 or 8.5x11, and we can print in full color or black/white. You are not limited to a set number of pages -- we've printed everything from a simple one-pager to a 30+ page, full color program.

Submit an electronic copy of your program with a Print Request Form to our Print Center at printcenter@aea11.k12.ia.us. We also have graphic artists that can create your programs. Please submit a Production Request Form to our graphic designers at graphics@aea11.k12.ia.us, and one of them will contact you about layout, information and design. The Print Request Form and Production Request Form can be found on our website at http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/print/index.html.

Please allow two weeks for the completion of your order. Finished programs will be shipped via our van mail delivery or can be picked up at our Print Center in the Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive).

Quick Pitch Biz Competition for Business-Minded High School Students

In partnership with Ernst and Young, the Jacobson Institute is hosting a Quick Pitch Biz Competition. The competition is open to any Iowa high school student(s) with an existing business or a business idea.

Students must submit the application and one-page executive summary by Friday, May 11, 2012. Cash prizes totaling $6,000 will be awarded to the top businesses! The school with the most student applicants will receive a $1,000 grant to support entrepreneurship education.

Go to http://www.jacobsoninstitute.org/bizplan/ for competition information, promotional materials and the online application.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.

Surplus Microscopes Available from DMACC

There are surplus microscopes available from the DMACC Ankeny campus available to any high school classroom. There are 13 singular eye piece American Optical microscopes each with three ocular sizes (4x, 10x and 45x). If interested, please contact Julie Klocke at jaklocke1@dmacc.edu or (515) 964-6386 to schedule a pickup.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.