Central Iowa Area Health Education Center (CI AHEC) recruits and retains health professionals in under-served areas. Each center teaches children about health care careers, offers clinical training sites for health profession students and supports health care practitioners with continuing education programs. Programming targets three population groups throughout Iowa. - First, AHEC activities foster kindergarten through undergraduate student interest in the pursuit of health care careers.
- Second, health care profession students are provided greater opportunities for clinical experiences in under-served areas.
- Finally, practicing health professionals are provided continuing education opportunities addressing the unique challenges of serving the under-served.
The CI AHEC is interested in using the communities in their catchment area (Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Jasper, Polk, Poweshiek and Story counties) to help assess and further their services. On May 14, 2009, K-12 professionals in the above listed counties are invited to a Community Forum that will be held in Des Moines. For an informational flyer, click here.
The CI AHEC is also conducting a community needs assessment within their catchment area and have a survey for K-12 professionals regarding what programs currently exist and what programs would be beneficial.
The CI AHEC would greatly appreciate if school professionals from the counties of Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Jasper, Polk and Story would fill out the pdf form, found by clicking here, and e-mail it to Jill Whitson, Executive Director of the Central Iowa AHEC, at jwhitson@broadlawns.org or mail it to her at the following:
Jill Whitson, Executive Director
Central Iowa AHEC
1801 Hickman Road
Des Moines, IA 50314
Questions about the Community Forum and/or the survey can be directed to Jill Whitson at 515-282-5721 or jwhitson@broadlawns.org.
Click here for the May SAI Leadership Link.
ASCD announced the online version of Planning the Possible: How Schools Can Use Stimulus Dollars for Lasting Impact which can be viewed at http://stimulus.ascd.org/ascd/2009/. It explains how sustained, capacity-building professional development can improve student achievement and what resources are available. There are also resources on how to make critical decisions about school improvement. This digital format includes keyword searching and interactive links.
In 1986, David Langford became the first classroom teacher to apply Quality Learning philosophy, theory, tools and processes to improve student learning. Over the past 20 years, David has traveled extensively to present his trademark 4-Day Quality Learning Seminar to colleagues in K-12 school systems, the military, universities, colleges, pre-schools and businesses in how to identify systemic problems and create quality solutions that improve learning.
Now he is bringing his 4-Day Seminar to Des Moines, June 29-July 2, 2009. This is an exciting opportunity for teachers, administrators, central office leaders, anyone!What will you learn?- Learn how brain research and quality improvement marry to create dynamic learning environments.
- Learn how to reduce or eliminate behavior problems.
- Learn how to create successful Professional Learning Communities.
- Learn how to lead with systems thinking and data analysis.
- Learn what educators around the world have discovered: Students can and will self-assess and manage their own learning processes.
- Learn how to use over 60 quality tools that will help you identify problems and create solutions.
Why should you attend?
- Administrators develop solid skills enabling them to effectively lead change, support their staff and improve their organization.
- Teachers learn to teach more efficiently, actively engaging and stimulating learners using quality tools and assessments.
- Students become engaged learners, intrinsically motivated.
How do you register?
- Register and pay online with a credit card for this seminar by clicking here.
- Download a brochure and pay with check or PO# by clicking here.
- Call 406-628-2227 to register over the phone or e-mail office@langfordlearning.com.
The cost is $575.00 USD which includes daily lunch, break refreshments, manuals and materials.
You will receive a confirmation e-mail with seminar details upon registration.
For more information on this exciting opportunity, visit http://www.langfordlearning.com/.
Recently there was a documentary on Iowa Public Television called, Cry For Help. The documentary pertained to teen mental health and suicide and has been described as "powerful". A copy of this documentary is now available in our Media Resources.
"Sexting" is the act of sending sexually explicit materials electronically (usually through cell phones). It is a growing concern in schools as the primary abusers are teenagers. Click here to hear an interview with an assistant principal that was wrongfully charged with possession of child pornography after investigating a sexting incident at his school.
The Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship at The University of Iowa (U of I) is offering a camp for business-minded students in 7th-9th grades in Des Moines. The Jacobson Entrepreneurship Academy will be offered July 27 – July 31, 2009 at the Pappajohn Higher Education Center, 1200 Grand Avenue in downtown Des Moines.
The camp, sponsored by the Richard O. Jacobson Foundation, will be held daily from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the center, convenient for working parents in downtown Des Moines.Throughout the week, campers will hear from nationally recognized entrepreneurs, tour local start-up companies and get hands-on instruction from the U of I entrepreneurship faculty. They will write their own business plans and at the end of the week, campers will present their businesses plans and compete for seed capital, cash prizes and recognition as a top young entrepreneur in Iowa.The priority registration fee of $139 per student has been extended. The fee includes lunches, snacks, instruction, class materials, camp T-shirt, bus transportation for tours and the graduation reception.
Several scholarships are available to those in need. Registration continues until all spaces are filled. Registration materials are available on the Jacobson Institute Web site at www.jacobsoninstitute.org.
For more information, contact Dawn Bowlus, Jacobson Institute director, at 319-335-0985 or dawn-bowlus@uiowa.edu.
Please remind your staff and students about the ICN Programs available at William Penn University. William Penn has scholarship funding available for the following programs:
- Associate of Arts in Leadership Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education
- Bilingual Educator On-Campus Program (for High School Seniors)
- Bilingual Teacher Education (For the application packet, click here.)
Although they do not have funding for the ESL Endorsement, they provide a reduced graduate tuition rate for Endorsement candidates.
More information about ICN programs at William Penn University, please go to http://www.wmpenn.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=148.
Heartland AEA will be undergoing renovations to our print department during the month of May. We do not anticipate any difficulties in printing or delivering your requests. During the renovation time period, an off-site print shop will do our printing, and our van delivery will pick up the printed material and distribute to the schools as usual. The method of ordering your print jobs during the renovation will remain the same. Please use the same request forms for your jobs until further notice.
Our new equipment will offer current and additional products faster and more economically. Please contact Heartland Communications at comms@aea11.k12.ia.us for any questions you may have on our print department renovation.
The Iowa Department of Education will be providing updates and revised guidance about the Novel Influenza (H1N1) Virus (Swine Flu) on their Web site: www.iowa.gov/educate.
Included in their updates will be action steps and resources available for schools. They will also be providing an FAQ for education-specific information (e.g., If I close one building, do we need to make up that school day?). Due to the rapidly changing status of H1N1, guidance will be updated as it becomes available. It is recommended that you check the Web site frequently.
You can also visit this Web site http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=133813762&message_id=718792&user_id=NSPRA from the National School Public Relations Association. It provides more information on how to communicate about the H1N1 virus to school staff and to parents. Visit http://www.nspra.org/node/3249 to find examples of how schools around the country are communicating about the virus.
Also visit http://www.cdc.gov/germstopper/materials.htm to download posters from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about hand washing and proper hygiene.
Reading Recovery is a highly effective short-term intervention of one-to-one instruction for the lowest-achieving first graders. Individual students receive a half-hour lesson each school day for 12 to 20 weeks with a specially trained Reading Recovery teacher. As soon as students can meet grade-level expectations and demonstrate that they can continue to work independently in the classroom, their lessons are discontinued, and new students begin individual instruction.Reading Recovery’s one-to-one instruction delivers measurable results in weeks not years. After a full 12 to 20-week series of lessons, more than 66% of students meet grade-level expectations.
For information on this shared-cost initiative click here.
To enroll a teacher in the Reading Recovery training, contact Geri Jacobs at gjacobs@aea11.k12.ia.us by June 5, 2009.
