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Iowa ASCD Whole Child Award - Apply Now!
The Iowa ASCD Whole Child Award is designed to recognize schools that have gone beyond a vision for educating the whole child to actions that result in learners who are knowledgeable, emotionally and physically healthy, civically active, artistically engaged, prepared for economic self-sufficiency, and ready for the world beyond formal schooling. This award acknowledges those schools that have changed the conversation about education from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that promotes the development of the whole child: a child who is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. If those words - children who are healthy, safe, engaged,  supported, and challenged - are evidenced by actions in your school, please considering applying for this prestigious award by March 10, 2013. The award will be made at the Iowa ASCD Curriculum Leadership Academy on April 10, 2013. You may access the guidelines and application on the Iowa ASCD Website. |
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Not Sure about How to Connect with Your Legislators? Register for One-Day Workshop with ASCD's David Griffith on February 6
You know that the Iowa legislators are back in session, and there is also much going on in education at the national level. We have a responsibility of keeping our legislators informed about what's happening in our district, in our building, in my classroom, with my kids! Not sure how to go about that? Consider joining us February 6 (social the evening of February 5) in Des Moines with ASCD's Public Policy Director David Griffith. He will teach us how to advocate politically and impact student learning in Iowa. He will also share with us what is happening with education at the national level. Please join us for the training and get a $50 coupon toward a future workshop or conference of Iowa ASCD.
Workshop: February 6 (8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.)
Networking Social: February 5 (5:30 - 7:30 P.M.)
Register today for a special workshop just for you - Advocating on the Hill with Your Stories! The Iowa ASCD Board and the first 50 registrants for this professional opportunity on February 6 will learn how to leverage change with legislators. ASCD Director of Public Policy, David Griffith, will be leading our preparation for quality conversations with legislators!
 Registration is $50 for members of Iowa ASCD and $90 for non-members. Upon registration you will receive access to tools for advocacy and influence, including talking points for major issues (e.g., competency- based instruction, readers by third grade, kindergarten readiness, instructional time, teacher and principal evaluation), sample letter and telephone script for contacting your legislators, and a rubric to evaluate your skills in advocacy. Iowa ASCD will also provide you with contact information about your legislators so that you may schedule visits "on the hill" as part of this opportunity. You will also receive a $50 coupon for future event of your choice at Iowa ASCD.
A block of rooms has been reserved for February 5th at the Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel [(515) 244-2151]. Be sure to ask for the Iowa ASCD block of rooms.
Agenda
February 5, 2013 - 5:30 - 7:30 P.M. (optional)
Informal reception at the Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel, 401 Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa. Talk with ASCD Director of Public Policy David Griffith and network with your colleagues around advocacy and influence. Hors d'oeuvres and cash bar.
February 6, 2013 8:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.
Iowa Historical Building, 600 East Locust
Continental breakfast and Working Lunch
Professional Learning with David Griffith
February 6, 2013, 1:00 - 3:00 P.M.
Visits "on the hill" (Capitol - East 12th and Grand)
February 6, 2013, 3:00 - 4:00 P.M.
Informal (and optional) meeting at the Capitol for interested participants to debrief their visits with legislators and share possible next steps for Iowa ASCD and our members around advocacy and influence.
To register - Contact Bridget Arrasmith with name(s) of registrant(s), district and mailing address, e-mail address(es), phone number as well as check or purchase order. She can be reached at the following address:
- Iowa ASCD, Drake University, School of Education, Room 123, 3206 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311
- Phone: 515.271.1872
- FAX: 515.271.2233
- E-mail: Bridget.Arrasmith@drake.edu
You may register online as well with a credit card at the following URL on the Iowa ASCD website: https://iowaascd.org/index.php/events/event-registration/
Register Now! Limited Space!
The participants will receive $50 coupon toward attendance at an upcoming conference in 2013!
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Ph.D. Studies at Iowa State Spotlight 1:1 Laptop Initiatives and Students' College Readiness, and Students' Cognitive Engagement in High School Classrooms
 Two of Iowa State University's newest Ph.D.s in Educational Administration have studied topics Iowa curriculum and school leaders are sure to find relevant to their work. Dr. Trent Grundmeyer pursued answers to questions about 1:1 instruction, while Dr. Jo Prusha researched student engagement in high school classrooms. Read on to learn about these studies and the implications for educational practice.
Trent Grundmeyer,who serves as principal at Indianola High School, examined the impact of adopting a 1:1 laptop initiative on high school students' college readiness. His study focused on explaining first-year college students' perceptions of the effects of a 1:1 laptop experience in high school on their readiness for college, as well as the uses of technology for instructional purposes by high school teachers and college professors. Trent identified fifteen participants from two different countries, various states and five different high schools to interview. Each had experienced a 1:1 laptop initiative while in high school for two or more years. Results indicated first-year college students believed they were more college ready after experiencing a 1:1 laptop initiative in high school. The use of the school issued laptop computer for taking online classes was reported as a major benefit toward improved college readiness. The participants in this study also believed that their high school teachers implemented technology more routinely and effectively than their current college professors. Participants reported their high school teachers worked hard to integrate laptops into classroom lessons. Furthermore, they reported that professors' use of technology was inconsistent and often lacked integration in the classroom even though students were expected to utilize technology outside the classroom. Recommendations based on the findings of this study include utilizing the laptop computer to teach social etiquette and for schools to adopt a 1:1 laptop initiative as a thoughtful and well-planned initiative. These recommendations would maximize the 1:1 laptop initiative potential on college readiness. Schools need more information as they adopt 1:1 laptop initiatives to ensure the program effectively promotes college readiness for students. Furthermore, high school teachers and college professors alike need the skills and training to maximize technology integration.
Trent notes that implications in these research findings for students, parents, teachers, school leaders, professors, and policymakers could result in a more effective and smooth 1:1 laptop adoption and consequently enhanced college readiness skills for high school graduates. To see the full study visit: www.1to1laptopdoctor.weebly.com Jo Prusha, principal at Benton Community Middle School, envisioned the purpose of her qualitative study as examining cognitive engagement in high school classrooms from the perspectives of twelve high school seniors who were members of the National Honor Society. The student perspective in this study is unique. Jo's research showed that no empirical studies had been conducted to explore how students perceive cognitive engagement before and after receiving training in gauging system-wide levels of student engagement, based on the Instructional Practices Inventory (IPI). Jo had seniors participate in two focus groups and individual interviews, utilizing a semi-structured, open-ended interview protocol to elicit responses to questions in order to discover meaning, themes, and patterns in the perceptions of their own and other students' levels of engagement in high school. Participants were also trained with the IPI protocol to become IPI data collectors. They assess levels of student engagement within high school classrooms in a rural Iowa, mid-size school system. Jo's findings indicated a general understanding among high school seniors as to how they are and are not cognitively engaged in high school classrooms based on six categories: compliance, feedback and encouragement, enjoyment and interest, challenge and rigor, relationships and expectations, and control and choice. Understanding how cognitive engagement is conceptualized and experienced by high school seniors may lead to enhanced learning conditions for them. Jo concludes that her research has implications for utilizing student voices, via high school seniors, for articulating a consistent perspective on perceived levels of cognitive engagement in high school classrooms. These findings also have the potential to inform teachers' pedagogical practices, as well as increase understanding of the importance of listening to the student voice. Further studies were recommended to determine if similar results would occur when students from different social, economic, geographic, and ethnic areas are included. |
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Register Now for Grade 4 and Grade 5 Conferences
Register now for a special conference - Impacting Learning in My Classroom! Just for you!
Iowa ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) and ISEA (Iowa State Education Association) are collaborating to offer a hands-on day of learning
for and by . . .
- Fourth-Grade Teachers on April 25 and
- Fifth-Grade Teachers on April 26.
Together we will explore great examples and networking around the Iowa Core and Characteristics of Effective Instruction Impacting Student Learning.
Learn from practitioners across the state and leave with information, ideas, tools, strategies, and networking opportunities with teachers from across the state.
Conference Strands:
- Teaching for Understanding - Curriculum Strand:
What do all students need to learn, know, and be able to do? How do we in our building/grade level connect our teaching with the students' learning expectations identified in the Core?
- Assessment for Learning - Assessment Strand:
How do we know that students have learned? How do we use assessments to assess and diagnose our students' progress in learning? How do we adjust our instruction based on the results of the formative assessments?
- Teaching for Learner Differences - Instruction Strand:
How do we plan and deliver instruction so that we meet the needs of all learners in our classroom? How do we respond if students struggle or don't learn and how do we respond when students have already learned?
Cost:
- $90 if ISEA or Iowa ASCD member
- $150 for non-members
- If a school sends 4 or more teachers to the conference, the administrator comes free!
- Includes opportunities for follow-up webinars and tweet chats as well as Grade 4 and Grade 5 website of resources
Registration - Use One of the Following Methods:
- Register online with a credit card.
- Mail a check/purchase order with date/name of conference and names of participants with grade level/role identified to Bridget A. Arrasmith, Drake University School of Education, 3206 University, Des Moines, IA 50311
- E-mail a purchase order with name/date of conference and names of participants and grade level/role to Bridget A. Arrasmith at bridget.arrasmith@drake.edu.
- FAX purchase order with name/date of conference names of participants and grade level/role to Bridget A. Arrasmith at 515.271.2233.
Location: AEA 267 Cedar Falls Conference Center, 3712 Cedar Heights Drive, Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Dates:
- April 25, 2013 (8:00 - 4:00) Grade 4: Impacting Learning in My Fourth-Grade Classroom
- April 26, 2013 (8:00 - 4:00) Grade 5: Impacting Learning in My Fifth-Grade Classroom
Download flyer!
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Technology Tip: Blue Harvest Feedback
Iowa ASCD member and ASCD Emerging Leader Stefanie Rosenberg-Wager "stumbled across this resource" that she believes has great potential for your classroom and two-way feedback. Blue Harvest Feedback provides teachers with an easy way to give feedback to students. The cool thing about this website is that it allows teachers to leave feedback in written, audio, or video format. In addition, teachers can upload the standards their class is connect to and give students specific feedback about their progress toward the standard(s) that the assessment addressed. In addition, both teachers and students can upload and share files easily and communicate through text message and e-mail features. And the site allows 24/7 access for students and parents. The resource is free the first year, and $36 per year beginning with Year 2.
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Iowa ASCD seeks to keep you informed abut webinars for your learning and the learning of those with whom you work. Check out the following as you prepare for a great start for learning in 2013. Many of these support the work in your collaborative time and definitely help with implementation of The Core!
- Title: Improving Student Learning One Teacher at a Time: Updating a Lesson Plan
- Presenter: Jane E. Pollock
- Provider: ASCD
- Date: January 22, 2013, 2:00 - 3:00 P.M. CST
- Register Free
- Title: Strength-Based Strategies for Students with Special Needs
- Presenter: Thomas Armstrong
- Provider ASCD
- Date: January 29, 2013, 2:00 - 3:00 P.M. CST
- Register Free
- Title: Improving Student Learning One Principal at a Time
- Presenter: Jane E. Pollock
- Provider: ASCD
- Date: February 14, 2013, 2:00 - 3:00 P.M. CST
- Register Free
Access ASCD's archived webinars here.
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Grapple Institute Offered by East Sac Community Schools
Mark your calendars for a 3-day workshop, February 28 - March 2, when teacher leaders will acquire the knowledge, skill set, and practice to effectively lead authentic PLCs by grappling with the issues, content, and processes that develop social capital in their schools. Participants will . . .
- gain understanding, insights, and practice in effectively leading PLCs.
- learn how to identify, address, and mitigate obstacles that are common, including dealing with challenging interpersonal dynamics.
- practice using and facilitating protocols for looking at teacher and student work, leading text-based discussions, problem-solving issues and dilemmas, setting useful group norms, giving and receiving warm and cool feedback, and unpacking standards.
- gain a clear sense of what they need to do next in their schools.
 The content for the three-day institute is based on The Practice of Authentic PLCs by Daniel R. Venables.
How to Register! Visit authenticPLCS.com or call 803.206.3578. The fee for the 3-day institute is $479 per person. |
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You Ought to Know That . . .
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ASCD to Host Forums - Join the Conversation
ASCD invites you to make your voice heard starting next week in the ASCD Forum, a first-of-its-kind discussion that will inform the ASCD Board of Directors position development process.
Last fall, a Position Advisory Committee comprised of a diverse group of ASCD leaders worked to identify a topic of global significance. That topic is how do we define and measure teacher and principal effectiveness?
This question is the focus of the ASCD Forum, which will start
next Tuesday, January 22, and run through April 12.
 The ASCD Forum is designed to give education leaders a voice in the association, and you are those leaders!
How it Works
All educators are encouraged to join in the ASCD Forum discussions, which will focus on a series of themes to help guide discussion:
- Equity and Access (January 22 - February 2):
How do we give students across the globe equitable access to effective teachers and principals?
- Educator Preparation (February 3-16):
What is the role and responsibility of educator preparation programs to foster and sustain effectiveness?
- Educator Evaluation Purpose (February 17 - March 2):
What is the purpose of educator evaluation systems?
- Educator Evaluation Systems (March 3 - 16):
What research and evidence support the validity of existing evaluation systems?
- Multiple Measures (March 17 - 30):
What measures do we use and how do we weight them to measure educator effectiveness?
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Conclusion: (March 31 - April 6)
How do we define and measure teacher effectiveness?
- Conclusion: (April 7 - 12) How do we define and measure principal effectiveness?
You have several ways to join the themed discussion:
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Iowa ASCD - Twitter!
Stay current with learning! Follow Iowa ASCD on Twitter! http://twitter.com/#!/IowaASCD |
 Iowa ASCD is the source for developing instructional leadership and translating research into daily practice. Serving more than 850 educators - teachers, principals, superintendents, directors of curriculum, technology specialists, college professors, AEA staff - Iowa ASCD strives to develop the collaborative capacity to impact the learning of each and every student in Iowa. |
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Iowa ASCD Contacts President Jason Ellingson Past-President Leslie Moore President-Elect Allan Eckelman Membership Information Bridget Arrasmith Secretary Marcia Tweeten Treasurer Lou Howell Members-at-Large Julie Grotewold Ottie Maxey Becky Martin Kevin Vidergar DE Liaison Tina Ross Higher Education Jan Beatty-Westerman Elaine Smith-Bright Advocacy and Influence Pam Armstrong-Vogel Susan Pecinovsky Curriculum Leadership Academy Sue Wood Fall Institute Kelly Adams Summer Institutes and Grade-Level Conferences Kym Stein Planning Chair Cindy Swanson Technology Chris Welch Membership Relations and E-Learning Amy Wichman Executive Director Lou Howell |
- February 5-6, 2013
- "Advocating for Students and Their Learning"
- Presenter: ASCD Director of Public Policy David Griffith
- February 5: 5:30 - 7:30 P.M., Savory Hotel
- February 6: 8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M., Historical Building and the Capitol
- Focus: training on advocacy "on the hill" as well as update on national and state agendas and tips for influencing your legislators
- April 10 - 11, 2013
- Iowa ASCD Leadership Academy
- 8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. daily
- Hilton Garden Inn, Urbandale/Johnston
- $250 for members; $295 for non-members
- Focus: strategies and best practices around Iowa Core and RTI for curriculum leads
- Get The Source the first and third Friday of each month.
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