POST #1: Introductions and Sharing Your Past Experience

For the past 5 years, I have been a classroom teacher of 1st and 2nd graders in Council Bluffs.  However, this year, I will be transitioning to full day preschool.  With my 1st and 2nd graders, I have used Bookflix and Britannica.  I've always heard good things about the resources available on AEA online but have never really had the time to learn about and explore what's available.  Prior to coming to Council Bluffs, I taught preschool for 13 years in a different setting.  However, at that time, I used technology very little in the classroom.
Because I know how important technology is in today's classrooms, I thought this class would be useful to explore how I can use technology with my pre-k group.

Currently, and for the last two years, I have been a volunteer ESL teacher in India where I taugh adult monks at Sarnath International Nyingma Institute. I plan to return to Iowa in January when I will volunteer or substitute teach in the Des Moines area and want to keep my teaching license active.

Before I retired from Heartland AEA 11 in 2013, I taught students at the Youth Emergency Services and Shelter, Polk County Detention Facility and Polk County Youth Shelter for 24 years. During that time I took advantage of the many available resources and training that Heartland offered and the Iowa AEA Online resources were of great help. I worked with students at all different levels and used Book Flix at the lower end and Teen Health and Wellness with my high school students.

Using On-line resources especially those provided by the AEAs can add such a wealth of information, interest and creativity to the classroom instruction and assignments. These are resources that should be used in most classrooms. I wanted to learn more about these resources that provide a wealth of options with auditor and visual information rather than just focusing on reading comprehension.

I currently work for the Clarinda Community School District.  My role within the district is split into 80% of the time I am a classroom teacher, and 20% of the time I spend working with other teachers through the TLC grant.  When I am in the classroom, I teach eleventh and twelfth grade English.  I spend one day each week out of my classroom working with other teachers in all three buildings (elementary, middle and high school) collaborating with teachers on best practices and helping teachers out with instructional technology.  

My past experiences with Iowa AEA Online resources have mostly been with Learn360 and the SIRS Issue Researcher.  I taught science for seven years in the middle school prior to teaching High School English and used the Learn360 video clips in my science classroom.  As an English teacher, I use the SIRS issue researcher to have my students write Persuasive Essays each year.  The site has a ton of great information that is appropriate and scholarly for my students.  Last year, all the SIRS articles were updated and have the full MLA citation listed at the bottom of the article.  I am a little torn about this as I feel it is important that students know how to create a citation, but at the same time, it is an awesome feature and my student’s works cited pages are fantastic.  

What interested me about taking this course was twofold.  I want to use more up-to-date information in my English classroom and I want to be able to be able to connect the teachers I work with through the TLC grant to information and resources that will enhance student learning experiences.

I currently work and teach in the Cedar Rapids Community school district in a middle school setting.  I teach 6th grade Social Studies.  General focus of the current curriculum is on ancient history.  New standards will also add in a financial literacy component.  Before taking the self paced course I had used the AEA database off and on.  Primarily i had used Learn360 as a resource mostly for a video clip in class.   I was unaware of many of the resources that were available but have  always been concerned about copyright laws.  I am especially interested in finding articles to support current events in my classroom.

I am currently a stay at home mom.  After having our second child last year, I decided I was not going to sign my contract for the following school year.  I taught for four years as an K-8 Art teacher and one year as a 1st/2nd grade teacher in a private K-8 school.  I hadn't used many of the AEA resources until I taught 1st/2nd grade.  Our school encouraged us to use as much of the online resources offered by AEA as possible.  I used them frequently and felt they were user friendly/kid friendly. I would have kept using them in the classroom if I had decided to stay in that position.  I wanted to take this course because I felt like I was starting to get the grasp of how to integrate AEA online into my classroom, but knew there was more to offer that I probably didn't know about.  

I have been teaching for 7 years. I taught kindergarten for 4 years and I am currently teaching 1st grade at Liberty Elementary School for the Sioux City Community School District. There are 6 classroom teachers at our level with each class consists of 21-24 students. We are a diverse community with many different types of learners.

In past years, I have used some of Iowa AEA Online resources daily. I often use BookFlix during snack or transition time. It is easy to search through the different genres and stories to find a book that goes along with topics we are discussing. I also use BookFlix to get students thinking about something we will be learning soon. I like a different way to present materials/topics to the class to reach the several types of learners. I also use Learn360 to find short videos to give more information on certain topics. I have found several shorts that lend themselves to what we are discussing.

I was interested in taking this course because I knew I wasn’t familiar with all Iowa AEA Online resources had to offer. One of the resources I wanted to learn more about was Kids InfoBits.  I am excited to use this resource in the fall.

I am back in Iowa after being out of state for the past ten years. I will be teaching middle school science at Jesup this school year.

I remember my teachers using AEA a bit when I was in high school, and definitely heard about it while at UNI, but never got to use it as a teacher. Now that I'm back in Iowa and have access to the AEA Online resources, I want to get use out of them.

I was interested in this course because I wanted to know what resources were available and which ones would help me best to teach my content standards. I also was interested in receiving a brief overview on how to work through each resource.

My name is Dee Hellmich, and I have been a teacher librarian for twenty-two years. The last ten years have been with the Emmetsburg School District. In my job I use many of the AEA online resources with my preschool - high school students and in preparing my lessons. Part of my job is to teach the students how to use the AEA resources. I also try to help the teachers find and better use resources in their classrooms. Some of the AEA resources are used by me much more than others in my own lessons and research. Therefore I have a better familiarity with some resources. Even the resources I use regularly have many more features than I use. Some features that I have forgotten about and others that I didn't know . This course is a refresher and learning course for me to expand on what the AEA online resources can do for me, my students and the teachers I work with.

Hi, my name is Rachel Shanks. I currently work at Lewis and Clark Elementary in Council Bluffs. This year I will be teaching 4th grade. I have taught grades 1-5 and college courses.
Prior to taking this course, I have worked with AEA to find books about topics we are researching. We have also used the cameras for area and perimeter lessons.
I knew the AEA offered a lot of different resources, but I didn't have time during the school year to explore the options. What the AEA offers is going to be an asset for my students this year!

I currently work as a first grade teacher at Woodward-Granger ELC.  In the past I have used Learn360, Youtube and BookFlix.  I used Learn360 primarily in science and social studies.  I need to revisit our new science standards and see how to apply it now.  Bookflix was used as a stand alone for kids to use and also I used the specific topics to enhance current topics of learning.  I used youtube throughout my curriculum--math has been a current favorite of my students.   We've found so many videos that incorporate song and movement in to learning. After taking this online course, my mind is flying in a million new directions.  I see so many new ways I want to use them and integrate them appropriately into my curriculum.  I was interested in taking the course because I felt like our school's PD focus had shifted away from tech and online resources.  We spent many years upgrading our tech skills and learning about integration tech into our daily lessons.  I don't want to lose what I learned and I wanted to see how I could "upgrade" what I do use and know.  I'm interested in adding what I learned in all curricular areas.

I am currently working at Weber Elementary School in Iowa City.  I am the K-6 General music teacher.  This is my 19th year teaching but only my 3rd year at Weber Elementary.  

In the past I have used AEA online to complete professional development courses requirements through our district.  I have always known that there were many resources available at the AEA online site but had never had the opportunity to learn more about the vast resources and how to use them because it is hard to find time to look online and discover them during the school year.

This summer I needed to take a course for professional development and noticed this course was an option.  It was really interesting to me to be able to learn more about something that could actually benefit my lesson planning and give me so many resources to be able to use for free.  It was nice to have the time to really learn about each one and to think about how I can begin to apply them.

I have taught high school science for 24 years.  This year I will teach physical science, honors biology, biology, AP biology, zoology,  and science research.  In previous years I have also taught honors chemistry and AP Chemistry.  I enjoy the variety of the classes I teach.
Prior to taking this online class, I had very little experience with Iowa AEA Online.  I knew that it existed because our media specialist provided a packet of contact information last school year.  The packet ended up in a pile of “things I plan to look at later” and later didn’t come this past school year.  Previously, I think I used a few of the older features such as EBSCO but my usage was quite infrequent.  
In many of my classes, I require students to do independent research.  As the internet became available during my career, I was excited about the ease of access students would have to valuable information.  The problem I have encountered is the ability of students to find reputable, scientifically valid material.  Often the sources they find have no authors and we spend time checking on the validity of the website.  Another issue is they find a reputable source but we can only access the abstract because our school does not have a subscription to that particular publication.  Additionally, some of the sources while quite excellent,  can be over the reading level of my younger students. When I was looking for courses to take this summer, I was hopeful that this course could help with these issues.

Currently I am preparing for a long term sub assignment for 1st grade in the Johnston Community School District.  I have not been in a full-time position since retiring 10 years ago.  My last experiences with AEA would have been laminating items and receiving monthly "book boxes" for additional reading materials in the classroom centered around an author or a theme.  Oh how times have changed!!  

In preparation for returning to the classroom, I have taken several online classes dealing with technology.  To be the best teacher I can be in today's world, I know I have to become literate with technology and I need to be able to know where to go to find resources.  Taking this class has given me many avenues to use and has shown me the value of the AEA online services because of their ease of negotiating and their vast wealth of resources.  I am especially excited to use the AEA Digital Library!!

I am currently teaching first grade in Mt. Vernon.  I have been teaching in this district for 24 years.  I know I admit I have not utilized the AEA online resources enough over the years.I've taken mandatory trainings online and ordered books for my classroom.  I have seen my students learning about BookFlix in library, but haven't really tried it in my own room.  I took this class to gain a better understanding of what is available and how I could incorporate some of these resources into my classroom.  Our media specialist does a great job of introducing various sites to our students, however they are then left to try them at home. The sites are all available to them on our school website.  This makes for easy access for students in the classroom as well. After taking this class I am excited about using some of these resources in my class. BookFlix and Britannica School can be used to differentiate literacy opportunities for students in my class with varying abilities. Many of the titles and topics fit nicely into our theme units and match Common Core standards.  I plan to use these whole group and in literacy stations. Learn 360 will enhance our science units and gives me a way to search safely and easily for age appropriate information for my first graders. iClipart is also one I plan to use and introduce to my daughter who often has to make powerpoint presentations for school.

I have been a substitute teacher for 13 years.  I currently work at 3 different schools, in 4 different towns.  I have 4 children: 1 married with a son, 2 in college, and a junior in high school.  I took the sub authorization class and now need to renew my license once again.  
   
When I took the sub authorization class, I was given information about AEA resources and was even given a teacher number so that I could utilized those resources.  Unfortunately, I never took advantage of that privilege.  Again, a couple years ago when I was subbing, the teacher had a guest speaker come in and talk to the JH students about the AEA resources available to them.  However, the kids were not really listening and I think too much was thrown at them in one sitting.  I listened and found it interesting, but again never utilized the resources.

When it came to renew my license again, I looked over the available classes at AEA.  Nothing really interested me that was within a 45 mile radius.  I could travel over a hour one way for 3 days for a credit, but I had done that before and was looking for a better option.  My brother, a teacher, told me about the online classes.  When I looked into them, I saw this course offered and thought that it was time to hone my skills about AEA resources and to be able to help the kids when working on research papers and such in class.  Many times I will be subbing and the teacher may have the kids "work on their projects".  I want to be able to actually have advise for them on where to go and get reliable information.  

I currently work for Northwest AEA as an instructional technology consultant.

My past experiences have been offering training/support on the use/integration of these resources into the classroom setting. It's been interesting learning how much they are used/not used then brainstorming how to make it easier to implement these resources. I was interested in taking this course for LR, but also because I wanted to see if I was missing something in terms of what the resources have to offer (yes, I've overlooked a few things in each of the resources!).

1. I am currently teaching second grade at Cedar Valley Christian school in Cedar Rapids.  I have been teaching there for 13 years, mostly at second grade but have also taught fifth grade and some combined 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th classes.

2. I have had experience with AEA resources like the van service and checking out materials from the building but have never used the online resources before.

3. After another teacher in our building had shared some of the resources that were available online, I had been hoping to find the time to look more into it.  When I saw this class I felt that this was a good chance to find out more.  Our school is also currently trying to transition to a more technological format so I was interested in seeing how I could do that in my own personal classroom, especially at the primary level.  We do a few research projects during the year and I wanted to know how I could make information for my students more accessible but yet keep it appropriate and reliable.  

I quit teaching full time in 2010, and currently spend a majority of my days working on my family's apple orchard. Most of my time is spent outdoors working with my hands, but I also help with marketing, advertising, tours, delivery of products, and many other tasks.

I taught high school math for 10 years, and occasionally incorporated videos from some websites recommended by the AEA that were able to explain difficult concepts that students required extra assistance with.

I am taking this course because I still find myself in the classroom as a substitute teacher from time to time, and so I try to stay caught up on the technology that is available to teachers which I could incorporate when subbing.

I am currently employed in the West Des Moines Schools as a Special Education teacher.  Besides the mandatory online class this is the first one I have taken in awhile.  Before moving to the West Des Moines School district, I taught in the Des Moines Public schools.  At that time we had very little electronic resources for our students.  Most of it was the use of pen and paper, along with textbooks.  This year my district decided to give each student a Chromebook to use.  I wanted to take this course to help my students with the one-on-one devices and see what was out there to bring less pen and paper in the classroom.  I was very impressed with all the online resources that the AEA has available to me.  I will definitely be using these in my classroom.  Such as iClipArt for Schools and BookFLIX.

I have been working as a substitute teacher for about the past seven to ten years. I first started subbing because the small, private school my kids attended had only one sub and they really needed others. I talked to the principal and told her that I had two bachelor's degrees and asked what it would take to become a sub. She gave me information, I contacted the AEA and attended the sub authorization class. I initially started subbing at that school and eventually branched out to the Pleasant Valley school district, in both the junior high and the high school. At that time, subs who didn't have a teaching degree were only allowed to sub at the junior high or higher level.
The prior experience that I've had with the AEA PD online courses consisted of online classes and trainings. About three years ago, I needed to renew my license in order to continue subbing and I signed up for three classes through the AEA PD. These were online course with a instructor with regular online classes spread out over a period of time.
Now, three years later, I find that I am again needing to renew my license so I did a search on topics for courses to take. There aren't many classes on the site that are geared strictly for subs so I did a little searching. I chose this one because I was hoping it would help me to understand how to use technology in the classroom and to help give me an idea of how the different sites are set up. This way if I'm subbing in a class that and I have to assign the students to work on these sites, I've had some experience with the sites and am in a better position to assist students when they are working on the sites.