Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > ArkansasIDEAS celebrates 10th anniversary
Posted 20 Sep 2016
The Arkansas Educational Television Network is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of ArkansasIDEAS, a free professional development resource for licensed state educators that has become one of the leading such services in the nation.
ArkansasIDEAS, a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education, connects K-12 educators with quality, ADE-approved professional development and educational opportunities to impact student achievement. Resources are available online, in person and through live streaming. ArkansasIDEAS currently serves more than 30,000 educators.
'As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, ArkansasIDEAS is proud of the accomplishments we have made and know we are able to support Arkansas educators for many more decades to come,' AETN Education Director Bryan Fields said. 'ArkansasIDEAS remains one of the nation's leading providers of professional development opportunities for educators.
'Our thinking is always forward, and we strive daily to improve ourselves.'
Since its inception, ArkansasIDEAS has awarded more than 1.5 million hours of professional development credit to Arkansas educators. As of June 30, ArkansasIDEAS offers 593 courses totaling 1,332 credit hours. More than 192,000 credit hours were awarded in the 2015-2016 school year.
Also featured in ArkansasIDEAS is locally produced content from AETN, such as 'Champion Trees,' '108˚:Critical Response' and 'Bell Ringer,' with corresponding curriculum.
The variety of professional development resources available on ArkansasIDEAS includes PBS LearningMedia, PBS Teacherline and Lynda.com. Through the integration with Lynda.com, ArkansasIDEAS now offers Arkansas certified teachers an extensive learning library that includes topics in the latest educational technology.
Act 2318 of 2005 provided funding for a professional development initiative. This initiative established a partnership between AETN and the Arkansas Department of Education that helped create and provide free online professional development opportunities for all Arkansas-licensed educators.
The Arkansas Educational Television Network is Arkansas's statewide public television network that enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at aetn.org. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro) and KETZ (El Dorado).