Hey Alexa. Hey Google.

Smart speakers such Echo Dot, Google Home, Alexa, Cortans and Siri were developed for personal home use. Some teachers are interested in bringing them into the classroom, which creates a new set of privacy issues that should be planned for and discussed. This AIME News article written by a copyright attorney provides one perspective and a host of questions. Thanks to Susan Schrader, Heartland AEA Director of Resources and Library Services, for providing this information to district and AEA staff. You can find articles like this one in Susan’s Library and Digital Resources e-newsletter. Subscribe and share it with colleagues. There's lots of good info here!

New Transfer Procedures for GOLD Assessment to Protect Students' Personally Identifiable Information

The Department of Education is now requiring all emailed requests to transfer a student in the MyTeachingStrategies GOLD system be password protected. This change in procedure is intended to protect the student's personal information when requesting a transfer. Please use the Iowa Transfer Form for any future transfer requests. The DE will NOT accept any requests for transfer that are not password protected.

The Hits Just Keep on Coming with Professional Learning From Our Instructional Technology Consultants

The Heartland AEA Instructional Technology consultants have a ton of great stuff planned for you this school year! Webinars, networking, coaching, collaboration and learning opportunities galore!

Next Up: Communicating Student Learning and Guiding Informed Actionwith Jennifer Williams, Ed.D., and Monica Burns, Ed.D.

• Register for the online course that starts Oct. 31 at this link: http://bit.ly/2NduFbY
• Join the webinars on Nov. 7 at this link: http://bit.ly/35Xc8sO

The primary role of the tech team is to provide consultative services to the schools served by Heartland AEA related to planning, professional development and integration of appropriate instructional technologies to improve instruction and outcomes for students. The Instructional Technology newsletter is a place to see what’s available, view past training and plan for the school year!