StationBreak December 2015
The Year in Retrospect
As 2015 comes to a close, we can look back in retrospect and see just how much can change in 11 short months. Since January, leadership in Arkansas has a new face, and, with it, education does, as well. The state's standards are currently undergoing a thorough re-evaluation, and many educators, after decades of teaching our youth, have passed the torch to brand new educators who, in August, began to impact bright young minds for the first time in their very own classroom. This year, ArkansasIDEAS went through a significant change of its own. On June 1, we turned on our new Learning Management System (LMS) and unveiled our new registration system that is tied to licensure … all with the intent of better serving our state's educational system and the educators in it. This year, we formed a partnership with lynda.com to offer more professional development opportunities in technology and produced engaging and impactful online content such as Response To Intervention, Something To Talk About: Suicide Awareness and My Child/My Student: Parents and Teachers Communicating-Reducing Chronic Absenteeism, just to name a few. It's evident that a lot of change occurred this year, yet with all of the change that 2015 held, it is safe to say that 2016 holds even more. We here at ArkansasIDEAS welcome that change.
A Closer Look
- RTI: Arkansas Overview
"RTI: Arkansas Overview" is the first module of the RTI Arkansas educational initiative, which is designed to be a comprehensive, cultural shift within schools. In this overview course, educators from across the state share their insight on Response to Intervention (RTI) to show how it has made an impact. Response to Intervention is defined in detail, including its essential components, the multi-tiered system of supports, screening, progress monitoring, and data-based decision making. - Something to Talk About: Suicide Awareness
The rate of teen suicide is steadily rising in school communities, yet this growing trend is considered taboo by most and not up for discussion. Greg Adams, Program Coordinator for the Center for Good Mourning at Arkansas Children's Hospital, educates school communities about finding better ways to talk about suicide, which can be life saving. In this course, Adams addresses the challenges of talking about suicide and resolves the misconceptions that hinder our ability to prevent such an event. He also provides guidance on identifying the risks and warning signs of suicide, approaches to talking about it, and constructive responses for communities impacted by a suicide. Several resources are also provided to help in the prevention of and understanding what to do in the aftermath of suicide.
Additional Resource videos: - My Child/My Student Parents and Teachers Communicating – Reducing Chronic Absenteeism
This course features Jonathan Crossley, 2014 Arkansas Teacher of the Year. Crossley discusses chronic absenteeism and suggests strategies that teachers can use to help students be successful. In addition, Crossley addresses the underlying meaning of chronic absenteeism and why it matters. He also offers suggestions for teachers as they communicate with parents about the importance of regular school attendance among students.
Coming in 2016
- 4 Courses in Dyslexia: DYC15034, DYC15017, DYC15018, DYC15085
- 4 Courses in Coaches Training: Heat Illness, Concussions, and Communicable Diseases HWG16012, HWG16013, HWG16014, HWG16015
- 4 Courses in English as a Second Language (ESL): ESC15022, ESC15023, ESC15024, ESC15025
- “Bell Ringer” the concussions documentary
Lynda.com is now on ArkansasIDEAS
Lynda.com is a leading online learning company that helps anyone learn business, software, technology, and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Educators registered with ArkansasIDEAS now have access to more than 3,700 courses in the Lynda.com video library of engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts.
At Lynda.com, you can discover and master classroom technologies and practices to help your students succeed. Explore the latest education tools, and learn how to use several of the most popular learning management systems in your classroom. To access the Lynda.com learning libraries, visit ArkansasIDEAS at ideas.aetn.org.
If you receive an error on the Lynda.com page, simply log out of the ArkansasIDEAS LMS. Clear your browser history. Log back into your ArkansasIDEAS account and click on the Lynda.com link again.
Video Tutorial of how to use the site.
Download the AETN Educator Resource Guide, your guide to all AETN and PBS education resources.