As students and teachers prepare for the new normal of learning and working from home, remember that Iowa’s AEAs provide a viable avenue for digital content for all Iowa students, teachers and families. Students and teachers are familiar with these vetted, age-appropriate and high-quality digital resources and use them in their daily work. These resources can be found in Library & Digital Resources on the Heartland AEA website. We are making changes to the website to make navigation easier for parents, yet familiar for students.
Use this link to the building-specific username/passwords to find your district’s username/password. You can copy/paste and share with educators and parents in your district. Please do not share the link.
Events are changing rapidly and some digital content vendors are allowing access without a username/password. As those changes are made the links to resources at the Heartland AEA pages will change on the backend. Students will click and be automatically connected. Link changes have been made to BookFLIX, TrueFLIX, ScienceFLIX, FreedomFLIX, NBC Learn, Culture Grams, Learn 360, TeachingBooks, SIRS, Tales 2 Go, Pebble Go, and Pebble Go Next. Not all vendors are willing, nor technically capable of changing their access at this time. We will continue to work with vendors to make access as easy as possible.
Additional information was sent to teacher librarians. They will be updated regularly on any changes.
*As a friendly reminder, do not publicly post or share usernames/passwords.
If you have any questions, contact Susan Schrader, Heartland AEA Director of Resources and Library Services.
MESSAGE FOR PARENTS
Here is some wording that you may want to share with parents. Add your school’s log in:
As students will be doing more learning and reading from home, there are abundant helpful resources for parents and students through your local Area Education Agency (AEA). Iowa’s AEAs provide a broad variety of digital content for students, teachers and families selected by Iowa educators. Students and teachers are familiar with these vetted, age-appropriate and high-quality digital resources and use them in their daily work. These resources can be found in the Library & Digital Resources on our website.
There are read-aloud ebooks, ebooks, digital audiobooks, videos, encyclopedias, articles, newspapers and more for our youngest and oldest learners.
The username/password that students use to access quality digital content at school <<insert building-specific username/password>>. Most require the username/password.
This just in! Some digital content vendors have waived the username/password so you may click on some resources and get right in.
*As a friendly reminder, do not publicly post or share usernames/passwords.
The Heartland AEA Library & Digital Resources Library & Digital Resources newsletter is now available. Make sure to follow the newsletter and share it with your colleagues! In this issue…
- Principals, Copyright and Reading Books Online & Sterling Publishing
- Free Booklist Access
- Free SLJ Access
- TeachingBooks Access
- Tales 2 Go Audiobook List
- What will you need?
Several book publishers have responded to the COVID-19 crisis by giving educators the right to read their books online to students and families and to post the video online. It’s a great way to stay connected. In normal times this is considered a public performance and runs contrary to copyright.
More publishers are coming on board each week. And, each publisher has their own rules. Here is the most recent, authoritative list and guidelines.
*New info: Here are some new publishers that announced a couple of days ago that are not in the link.
Abrams
HMH
Simon & Schuster
Macmillan
HarperCollins
Here’s what Sterling Publishing posted yesterday:
Here are the guidelines to follow:
- Please send your name, your library or school, and the title of the book you intend to read online to agochnauer@sterlingpublishing.com.
- Please say "All Rights Reserved, Sterling Publishing Co. Inc." at the beginning of a reading and add this language to any digital posting.
- Please tag us in any post about your reading:
- Twitter @sterlingkids
- Instagram @sterlingkids @sterlinglibrarymarketing
- Please be sure that videos posted to your school’s private platforms are deleted after a month. Please be sure that videos posted to social media are deleted after 24 hours.
- These recordings may not used in any commercial way.
Here’s a summary of what some authors are offering online.
So, what if you don’t have a stack of children’s books in your home office? Iowa’s AEA media directors are working with Mackin to identify the eligible ebooks Iowa schools currently have access to in MackinVIA. Give us a week or so to share that list of titles with you.
At Heartland AEA, we are primarily using the Zoom platform for virtual meetings. We recognize that not everyone is familiar with this technology. It’s our intent to support students and families in a meaningful way and to make access to technology as seamless as possible. Our technology team compiled tips when working with Zoom and invites you to share with families in your district.
The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE) newsletter is now available and includes information about fingerprinting services, extensions, online application system and communicating with students.
Concern over this new virus can make children and families anxious. Helping children cope with anxiety requires providing accurate prevention information and facts without causing undue alarm. The National Association of School Psychologists and the National Association of School Nurses has provided guidance for teaching children positive preventive measures, talking with them about their fears, and giving them a sense of some control over their risk of infection can help reduce anxiety. Read the full guidance here.
The Iowa Department of Education has released new guidance for Iowa schools addressing federally mandated assessments, teacher preparation requirements and special education guidance for parents during school closures. In addition, they have updated the previously released Frequently Asked Questions guidance. The new and updated information covers a wide range of topics and each addition or update is identified in the document as “New” or “Updated.” This guidance is located on the COVID-19 Guidance and Information page on the DE website. All current guidance from the Iowa Department of Education can be found on this page.
I want to start this Administrator Connection with a huge thank you to every educational leader in the Heartland AEA service area. I have been in education since 1982 and I can’t think of a time when teachers, kids and families were more reliant on the leadership that exists in every school district. Over the last week, I have been humbled by the selflessness and service that I have seen from all corners of the educational leader community around Heartland AEA. Thank you for being in the arena. Thank you for being a leader.
Like all of you, our Agency leaders have been working to adjust to unprecedented circumstances over the last week. Our physical offices are all closed, but we are utilizing remote workplace practices to make every effort to maintain as much service to you and your districts as possible. Our regional directors are meeting with staff and reaching out to districts to see how we can help to meet ongoing needs as well as any new needs that may be arising in response to COVID-19.
In today’s Administrator Connection you will see further information regarding special education guidance. We are also providing a collection of digital educational resources and some sample messaging that you will be able to use to help families connect to those resources. Expect to see more resources in the future, as all of the AEAs are continuing to work to provide additional educational resources in the coming days and weeks.
My message to staff this week has been three-fold:
- Take care of yourself.
- Take care of your family.
- Stay connected. Stay connected to your colleagues. Stay connected to the districts and buildings you serve.
My message to school district and school building leaders is simple: We are here. We will be here to keep you connected to guidance. We will be here to help you with resources for your teachers and families. We will be here to help you with your professional learning needs.
As I said earlier, our regional directors will be reaching out, but we need you to reach out as well. Stay connected and thanks again for all you are doing for kids and families.
We know many of you have questions regarding Early ACCESS and Special Education services in the weeks to come. Given this work is driven by both federal and state policy and procedures, please refer to the following documents to address questions you may have at this time:
As students and teachers prepare for the new normal of learning and working from home, remember that Iowa’s AEAs provide a viable avenue for digital content for all Iowa students, teachers and families. Students and teachers are familiar with these vetted, age-appropriate and high-quality digital resources and use them in their daily work. These resources can be found in Library & Digital Resources on the Heartland AEA website. We are making changes to the website to make navigation easier for parents, yet familiar for students.
Use this link to the building-specific username/passwords to find your district’s username/password. You can copy/paste and share with educators and parents in your district. Please do not share the link.
Events are changing rapidly and some digital content vendors are allowing access without a username/password. As those changes are made the links to resources at the Heartland AEA pages will change on the backend. Students will click and be automatically connected. Link changes have already been made for: BookFLIX, TrueFLIX, ScienceFLIX, FreedomFLIX, NBC Learn, Culture Grams, Learn 360, TeachingBooks, and SIRS. Not all vendors are willing, nor technically capable of changing their access at this time. We will continue to work with vendors to make access as easy as possible.
Additional information was sent to teacher librarians. They will be updated regularly on any changes.
*As a friendly reminder, do not publicly post or share usernames/passwords.
If you have any questions, contact Susan Schrader, Heartland AEA Director of Resources and Library Services.
MESSAGE TO SHARE WITH PARENTS
Here is some wording that you may want to share with parents. Add your school’s log in:
As students will be doing more learning and reading from home, there are abundant helpful resources for parents and students through your local Area Education Agency (AEA). Iowa’s AEAs provide a broad variety of digital content for students, teachers and families selected by Iowa educators. Students and teachers are familiar with these vetted, age-appropriate and high-quality digital resources and use them in their daily work. These resources can be found in the Library & Digital Resources on the Heartland AEA website.
There are read-aloud ebooks, ebooks, digital audiobooks, videos, encyclopedias, articles, newspapers and more for our youngest and oldest learners.
The username/password that students use to access quality digital content at school <<insert building-specific username/password>>. Most require the username/password.
This just in! Some digital content vendors have waived the username/password so you may click on some resources and get right in.
*As a friendly reminder, do not publicly post or share usernames/passwords.
Spring arrived this week, and families with students on school break learned classes will not resume as expected. In light of these cancellations due to growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19, Iowa PBS has collected a variety of resources for families and caregivers. All of these resources are available online.
Iowa PBS Education is hosting a Virtual Learning Camp on Facebook beginning March 23. Families from across the state can keep their children's skills sharp through a guided online learning camp.
Parents and caregivers can also visit iowapbs.org to find information on discussing coronavirus with children and educational games and activities to play with children during school closures.
And PBS LearningMedia has created a collection of videos, lesson plans and activities that support learning at home.
In addition, many of Iowa PBS's upcoming events have been postponed or canceled, either by us, or by our partners. This includes various education events around the state as well as events that were pledge thank-you gifts. A list of canceled events can be found here.
As organizations around the world are feeling the effects of the spread of COVID-19, many are having their teams work from home. This information from Maritz Motivation provides insights to help alleviate friction for your teams working remotely in this uncertain time.
Our Mission
To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.
Our Goals
- Increase learning growth for students
- Decrease the gap in achievement
- Increase annual graduation rates
- Increase gateways to post-secondary success
This information below is being provided to keep you in the loop on the communications coming to us. We continue to wait for additional guidance from the Iowa Department of Education. You can expect to hear more specific guidance from agency leadership regarding our delivery of our services, especially in Early ACCESS, Early Childhood and Special Education Services.
Secretary DeVos Releases New Resources for Educators, Local Leaders on K-12 Flexibilities, Student Privacy, and Educating Students with Disabilities During Coronavirus Outbreak
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos issued new resources that will assist education leaders in protecting student privacy and ensuring students with disabilities continue to receive services required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the event of school closures due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Read more here.
Iowa Department of Public Health Releases K-12 Information for Educators
The Iowa Department of Public Health also released important information for K-12 educators.
The Heartland AEA Library & Digital Resources Library & Digital Resources newsletter is now available. Make sure to follow the newsletter and share it with your colleagues! In this issue…
- Used Book Give-Away in March
- OH, CRAAP
- OER Curation and School Librarians
- Social Studies Primary Source Sets
- New Science Read-Along K-6 Ebooks
- School Librarian of the Year Award
- New Learn 360 Titles
CANCELLED
We’re giving away 1,500+ PK-8 and professional books for educators in the Heartland AEA service area. Come see us March 18-20 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Heartland AEA 6500 Corporate Drive in Johnston and pick up some awesome previously-used books!
*This event takes the place of our summer book giveaway so don't miss it!
EdCamp-style workshops will be held in the 2019-20 school year to provide additional learning, collaboration and conversation for those interested in Standards-Based Learning (SBL) including Grading and Reporting. The workshops coincide with specific strands of the Standards-Based Learning Framework developed by Heartland AEA. These workshops will be participatory, hands-on, collaborative sessions. Participants will walk away with ideas, information, articles, activities and videos that can be used immediately with an SBL guiding team or building team. You can attend whatever sessions are of interest to you; you do not need to attend all sessions. Curriculum directors, principals, TLC leaders, Professional Learning leaders and members of SBL guiding teams can benefit from attending these sessions. Learn more about the learning opportunities and register at Heartland AEA Framework Fridays.
Heartland AEA has two Google Expedition kits (one set of 15 devices and headsets and one set of 30 devices and headsets). To check out the kits for the 2020-21 school year you must attend our half-day training. More information and registration here
Iowa Association of Alternative Education (IAAE) Spring Conference, April 2-3, Prairie Meadows Conference Center. The keynote speaker this year is from aha Process! and will be focusing on addressing anger, anxiety and violence in the classroom with breakouts based on Emotional Poverty by Ruby Payne. Register here.
*UPDATED MARCH 14*
The MISIC conference has now been postponed until Sept. 14, 2020.
Do you want to help your students feel safe, supported, and nurtured? Join MISIC on March 30 in Ankeny to strengthen your skills in supporting the social-emotional learning needs of students and in helping yourself and your staff engage in self-care strategies.
The keynote speakers will include Joan Becker, author of Sentenced to Life - The Mark Becker Story - Mental Illness, Tragedy, and Transformation, Jennifer Ulie-Wells from Please Pass the Love, and Tonya Hotchkin from Tanager Place.
You will also hear from classroom practitioners, school administrators, mental health specialists and other professionals who work with and support students and teachers. License renewal credit will also be available. If questions, please contact Jamie Morgan at jamie@misiciowa.org or click on this link to register now.
Principals go into their jobs wanting to be instructional leaders but much of the time get sidetracked by all the management duties that go along with being a principal. The SAM process changes all of that.
Three national/independent research studies completed on the SAM process found that:
- The SAM process significantly increases leader time spent on instructional leadership time.
- Principals are happier.
- Teachers like their principals better.
- There is a relationship/correlation with student achievement.
The SAM process is the only professional development system for school leaders that has an evidence base. Many districts believe the SAM process is why particular schools perform better. Missouri has adopted the SAM process statewide based on its experience. One administrator said, “I can personally attest to the value of the process because I was a SAM principal for five years. During that time, my instructional time increased from 27% to 70%. I was able to get into every classroom twice a week. My teachers felt supported because I was an active part in what was happening in the classrooms and student achievement increased.”
For more information, contact Sandy Merritt, Time Track Coach with the National SAM Innovation Project, at (319) 560-2295.
Our Mission
To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.
Our Goals
- Increase learning growth for students
- Decrease the gap in achievement
- Increase annual graduation rates
- Increase gateways to post-secondary success
CANCELLED
Join this special event with Anthony Muhammad, Ph.D., to explore the dynamics of school culture from a sociological, psychological, anthropological, political, historical and economic lens, using the Transforming School Culture framework.
Dr. Muhammad has been a practitioner of education for 20 years, serving as a middle school teacher, assistant principal and high school principal as well as an author and educational consultant. He is recognized as a leading expert in school culture and developing strong PLC schools.
Dr. Muhammad is a best-selling author of the books:
- Time for Change: The Four Essential Skills of a Transformational School Leader
- Overcoming the Achievement Gap Trap: Liberating Mindsets to Effect Change
- The Will to Lead and the Skill to Teach
- Transforming Schools at Every Level
- Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division
Transforming School Culture: Understanding and Overcoming Resistance to Necessary Change Featuring Anthony Muhammad, Ph.D.
April 23, 2020
8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Hilton Garden Inn
8600 Northpark Drive Johnston, IA
Registration
Register by April 20, 2020 at this link: http://bit.ly/2MEyMyA using course #181933
$50 per person. Lunch included.
Registration is limited to 125. There is no waiting list for this event.
All educators are invited!
The 2020 Summit on School Climate and Culture, Aug. 10-11, is designed to help educators improve school climate and culture through professional development, skill building and application of best practices and research. This event will allow participants to engage with leading experts in education and school improvement on how a positive school climate and culture is key to student, school and district improvements. Registration is now open at https://sscc.dmschools.org/. For more information, contact Nyla Kenne, Culture, Climate and Community Coordinator with Des Moines Public Schools at nyla.kenne@dmschools.org.
Educators love to learn from their peers! Have you done something you'd like to share? We are now accepting session proposals for our 2020 Heart of Innovation Summer Summit. Submit a session proposal by May 1 at this link http://bit.ly/32QTj9t.
Do you need support putting together a proposal for your presentation? Are you unsure how to turn your classroom experience into a session? Let us know! We would love to support you. Email us at haeatech@heartlandaea.org or contact your Instructional Technology Consultant.
Heart of Innovation Summer Summit
June 10, 2020
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Heartland AEA Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston
The Iowa Association of Alternative Education (IAAE) Spring Conference will be held on April 2-3 at Prairie Meadows Conference Center. The keynote speaker this year is from aha Process! and will be focusing on addressing anger, anxiety and violence in the classroom with breakouts based on Emotional Poverty by Ruby Payne. Register here.
Do you want to help your students feel safe, supported, and nurtured? Join MISIC on March 30 in Ankeny to strengthen your skills in supporting the social-emotional learning needs of students and in helping yourself and your staff engage in self-care strategies.
The keynote speakers will include Joan Becker, author of Sentenced to Life - The Mark Becker Story - Mental Illness, Tragedy, and Transformation, Jennifer Ulie-Wells from Please Pass the Love, and Tonya Hotchkin from Tanager Place.
You will also hear from classroom practitioners, school administrators, mental health specialists and other professionals who work with and support students and teachers. License renewal credit will also be available. If questions, please contact Jamie Morgan at jamie@misiciowa.org or click on this link to register now.
