Friday, March 16, 2012

Let Us Know What You Think!

This is a gentle reminder that the AEA Customer Satisfaction Survey will remain open until Friday, April 6, 2012. The survey provides us with your insight on how to improve our services to your school(s), staff and students.

We will send an e-mail reminder to all educators at the end of March to insure that all district staff have a chance to participate. Since the survey is anonymous, we have no way of knowing who has contributed and who has not. You and each of your staff members are only asked to fill out the survey once. After you complete the survey, you may disregard the reminder notices.

The survey can be accessed at http://survey.aea267.k12.ia.us/survey/7145/ba57/.

Please encourage all of your staff to participate. If you have already completed the survey, we thank you for your support!

Last Chance to Save on Microsoft Products for Personal Use

Note: This applies ONLY to Microsoft Office for home and personal use. Current school pricing is NOT changing.

The Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC), in partnership with Microsoft and JourneyEd, has provided K-12 students, faculty and staff with personal discounts on Microsoft Office and Windows software. (Example: Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010, retail $499, IEC price $89.95). These discounts have been significantly less than what you’d find in retail stores.

Microsoft will be discontinuing the current program effective March 23, 2012. It will be replaced with more expensive home versions of Office software.

Order today to ensure you get the best price possible. Orders can be placed online by going to http://www.JourneyEd.com/Select.

Assessing Academic Rigor (Evaluator III) Training

This course is required for school administrators (superintendents, central office administration, building principals, assistant principals, etc.) and other educational leaders responsible for evaluating educators who are renewing their licenses. The fee for this class is $275. Participants should obtain a copy of the book "A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing (2001) (ISBN 9780801319037)" on their own.

There are two more course offerings of Assessing Academic Rigor this spring. These will be the last offerings until mid fall 2012. Due to the assignments for the class, there will not be a summer course offering. Register through the Heartland Professional Development Catalog.

March 29, April 5, April 12 and May 1
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive)
Activity Number: AD013992111205

March 31, April 14, April 21 and April 28
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Johnston Regional Education Center (6500 Corporate Drive)
Activity Number: AD013992111206

If you have further questions contact Rob Brookhart at rbrookhart@aea11.k12.ia.us.

Save the Date: Our Kids Summer Institute 2012

The 2012 Our Kids Summer Institute which will be held June 19-20, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Valley High School in West Des Moines. The institute is an opportunity to network with educational professionals and to discover new strategies for working with English Language Learners throughout Iowa. Click here for more details. Registration will be open soon.

Iowa Teacher of the Year Nominations Due April 2

The deadline to nominate the 2013 Iowa Teacher of the Year is April 2.

The award is an opportunity to recognize an Iowa teacher who motivates, challenges and inspires excellence; who is respected by students and peers; who is a dedicated professional who helps nurture hidden talents and abilities; who is a creative, caring individual; who takes teaching beyond textbooks; and who is an exceptional teacher helping to redefine education.

Nominations will be accepted from anyone, including students, parents, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members and associations. Nomination forms can be found here. The winner will be announced in August.

Winners are chosen by a committee that includes representatives of the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa State Education Association, the School Administrators of Iowa, the Parent Teachers Association and the past Iowa Teacher of the Year.

The Teacher of the Year serves as an ambassador to education and as a liaison to primary and secondary schools, higher education and organizations across the state.

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.

Urbandale Schools to host Langford Four-Day Quality Learning Seminar

The Urbandale Community School District is hosting the Four Day Quality Learning Seminar, facilitated by David Langford, June 11-14, 2012. At this seminar participants will learn to:
  • Manage data-driven learning and improvement
  • Create performance-based learning
  • Create student-led learning
  • Create and manage portfolio assessment
  • Inspire passionate learners
This seminar has a tight alignment with the Iowa Core, as it focuses on student-centered learning. Cost for the seminar is $450. This includes continental breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the day. The learning presented in this seminar lays the foundation for educational transformation and improvement.

Go to the Urbandale Community School District’s website at www.urbandaleschools.com for more information.

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.

Poverty and Education Webcast with David Berliner

On Wednesday, April 4, 2012 the Iowa Educational Research and Evaluation Association (IEREA) will host the web presentation “Why Poverty Matters to Schooling in Iowa and Elsewhere,” from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Dr. David Berliner, a recognized expert in the field of education, will discuss the poverty/school relationship. You are invited to join this presentation and following discussion from the comfort of your own computer. The link to the webcast will be available on the IEREA website at www.ierea.org on April 4. For those unable to attend the live webcast, the recorded presentation will be available on the IEREA website in mid-April.

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.

“Readers All" Conference Promotes Dyslexia Awareness

The Iowa Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), in collaboration with the Illinois, Wisconsin and Kansas-Missouri Branches of IDA, is holding a special conference "Readers All" on April 20 and 21 at the iWireless Center in Moline, IL.

The conference will feature keynote speakers Marilyn Jager Adams and Maryanne Wolf. In addition the conference will include (among others) noted presenters Margie Gillis of Yale University - Haskins Laboraties; Stephanie Gottwald of Tufts University; Marcia Henry, professor emeritus of San Jose State University; and David Tilly of Heartland AEA. Topics will include morphology, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, Response To Intervention, the Common Core Standards, assistive technology and many more.

Complete information (including registration) is now available at http://readersallconference.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.

World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute at Iowa State University

Iowa high schools have a unique opportunity to promote the study of STEM and global issues among their students by participating in the first ever World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute on April 30. On April 30th, each student will interact with other students from around the state in small discussion groups led by experts in research, industry, and policy. Students and teachers will take part in interactive activities on ISU's campus exposing them to research and work currently taking place in Iowa to solve global challenges. The day will include a luncheon and Governor Branstad will provide a keynote, recognizing all participating students as Borlaug Scholars.

Opportunities available to participating students:
  • An exclusive scholarship to attend the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at ISU.
  • The top 80 students will be selected to attend the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute October 18–20, 2012, in Des Moines. There, they will have the amazing opportunity to interact with Nobel and World Food Prize Laureates and leading research scientists from around the world to discuss global issues.
  • Students who participate in the Global Youth Institute are eligible for the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship, an all-expenses-paid, eight-week hands-on experience, working with world-renowned scientists and policymakers at leading research centers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
  • The top students at the World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute will be eligible to apply for a USDA Wallace-Carver Internship, a unique opportunity to conduct original research or policy analysis and development through paid, summer internships with USDA research centers or field offices anywhere in the US, including USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C.
To participate in our Iowa Youth Institute, students research and write an essay about a key global issue affecting food security. The essay is an interdisciplinary exercise, with structured guidelines and a complete resource list for students to explore areas of interest. Students answer a series of guided questions to aid them in developing the essay. We encourage high schools to have many students write the essay and then select its “Borlaug Scholar” from among the most highly qualified and interested students. The essay can be easily incorporated into science, agricultural education, social science, language arts or gifted and talented curricula, and is aligned with the Iowa Core. Essay guidelines and program information is available at: www.worldfoodprize.org/iowayouth.

To ensure your high school does not miss out on this opportunity, please immediately contact, Catherine Swoboda, Director of Iowa Education Programs at the World Food Prize, at cswoboda@worldfoodprize.org or (515) 245-3727 to register your school to participate.

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.

UNI to host Green Schools K-12 Symposium in Johnston

The University of Northern Iowa and the Iowa Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council will host the Green Schools K-12 Symposium from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Thursday, April 19, at the Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston. The symposium will discuss the benefits of green schools, such as enhanced student performance, increased teacher retention, improved student and staff health and a $100,000 annual average savings from energy and water efficiency.

Representatives from Krell Energy Efficiency, SystemWorks LLC, the Iowa Energy Center and Siemens Industy-Builiding Technologies will present at the symposium. Topics include identifying energy savings and achieving sustainability through behavioral change and education. To register for the Green Schools K-12 Symposium, visit www.usgbciowa.org.

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.

Facebook's Timeline & Your District's Page

On March 30, 2012, all Facebook Pages will get a new design, Timeline. Although this change will take a little getting use to, you can still use your page to build connections, share news and gather feedback. Luckily, Facebook has provided guides for making the switch to Timeline.
  • For information about new features, start with the Pages Overview Guide (PDF)
  • If you're new to Pages and want to know how to get started, check out the full Pages Product Guide (PDF)
  • Walk through key features with our product experts in the Pages Learning video
  • See more examples of the new design on live Pages by clicking on the links in the examples section above
  • To find answers to specific questions, visit the Help Center
Checklist
  • Upload a cover photo, 851 x 315 pixels
  • Use a clearly branded profile picture
  • "Pin" a post each week (important story that will stay at the top of your page for 7 days)
  • Post daily to your page
  • Manage your Page through the admin panel
  • Notify your audience of the switch (before and after the change)
Sample Message (Before)
On March 30, (Name of Facebook Page), will move to the "Timeline" layout. You will still receive updates and posts on your news feed, but our page layout will change. Don't forget to share our page with your friends!


Sample Message (After)
(Name of Facebook Page) has changed to a "Timeline" layout. Take a look and let us know what you think! Don't forget to share our page with your friends.