The Iowa legislature has tasked the AEAs to convene a work group that is made up of representation from the Iowa Department of Education, Community Colleges and school districts. This group is examining K-12 online learning opportunities to make recommendations to the legislature on Oct. 15 for:
- Identifying the current offerings for and needs of districts
- Identifying areas for efficiencies via partnerships between the aforementioned stakeholder groups
- Identifying measures for quality assurance
To take advantage of this opportunity, the work group has created a short needs-assessment survey about the current needs districts have regarding K-12 online learning opportunities. We encourage anyone involved with programmatic decisions regarding online learning to complete the survey. This might include superintendents, building principals, curriculum and technology directors, school counselors, and many other staff members. Each district is different.
The survey can be found at http://survey.aealearningonline.org and will be open until Sept. 7. Please forward this information to other individuals within the district so that we may hear from everyone.
Your input will have a direct effect on legislative recommendations, as well as future actions from the statewide system. For questions about the survey or the current work group, contact Evan Abbey, Program Director for AEA Learning Online, eabbey@aealearningonline.org, (800) 255-0405 ext. 14511.
While school districts in Iowa can set their own staff training requirements, there are some important statewide mandated trainings that need to be included in district plans. Online trainings from AEA Learning Online are easy to deliver and monitor and are an efficient use of teacher time, as they can be flexibly taken. In addition, AEA Learning Online has over 100 other professional development trainings in areas as diverse as classroom management, technology integration, instructional strategies and more! If you have questions about how your district can make better use of trainings and whether it is in compliance with various mandates, contact AEA Learning Online. By not participating in mandatory trainings, your district could face significant financial penalties and accreditation issues.
Instructional Practices Inventory Level 1 Workshop
The IPI workshop will begin with an overview of the IPI categories and the protocols for data collection. Detailed practice in the recognition of the IPI categories and consistent application of the data collection protocols enable each participant to develop both validity and reliability in the process. The skill development begins with written scenarios to develop basic understanding of the protocols for data collection and the instructional activities that fit each category. The workshop then transitions to a local school to make observations in classroom settings. All observations are discussed with peers and with the trainer.
Date: Oct. 2, 2018
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Saydel Community School District, 5740 NE 14th Street, Des Moines
Register at this link
Instructional Practices Inventory Technology Workshop
During the workshop, participants will develop the skills to document student engagement through the use of technology and learn how to use the profiles to engage faculty in collaborative learning conversations about engagement, instructional change, technology integration and school-wide instructional goals.
Date: Oct. 4, 2018
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Register at this link
