ICN News

As many schools are cutting back on field trips due to budget cuts, teachers are looking for new ways to expose their students to outside resources. The ICN is here to help! Through K-12 Connections and other IPTV sessions, online resources to connect students with professionals or other schools, and individual virtual field trips, teachers can still reach valuable community, state and national resources without leaving the building or, in some cases, the classroom. Read on to learn more about ways to use the ICN as a less expensive and convenient field trip alternative.

Iowa Public Television (IPTV) offers a variety of ICN sessions that include every discipline and grade level. Sessions during this past year included encounters with Polk County and Warren County naturalists, Iowa Capital tour guides, experts at the Hoover Presidential library and educators from the Blank Park Zoo just to name a few. If you can’t take a trip to the zoo or the Capital, give your students the next best thing! Presenters often include real animals and other artifacts that bring the topics to life for the students.

In addition to these sessions geared toward elementary students, IPTV also offers Transitions and School to Career sessions for high school and middle school students. Transitions sessions connect students with various experts to assist with the transition from high school to college and adult life. In one upcoming session, students can join staff from Iowa Workforce Development to learn about employment trends and how the recession may impact the job market forecast. School to Career sessions connect students with professionals working in a variety of careers. This year, IPTV has offered a series of sessions specifically geared toward science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. In a March session, naturalists from the Dallas County Conservation Department discussed their careers with Bettendorf and IKM-Manning High School students. During the session, they discussed the habitat, nesting and survival of Iowa eagles and talked about other animals they monitor and study. As always, all IPTV ICN sessions are offered at no cost to the school and often include free classroom resources.

Several high schools have sponsored sessions connecting students and experts in Iowa and other states. In January 2008, students at Hoover High School met via the ICN with students in New Hampshire, another early voting state. During this session, students from the two states were able to ask each other questions about the caucus process, the differing results of the two states and student involvement in the campaigns. Students at both Hoover High School and PCM High School have had the opportunity to meet with Sen. Chuck Grassley in Washington, D.C. via ICN sessions. On both of these occasions, students participated in town meeting sessions where they initiated questions answered by Sen. Grassley. Further student reflection and follow-up questions were addressed as the meetings progressed.

During The Great Debaters session, Roosevelt High School debate team members, one graduate of the team and the Roosevelt debate team coach discussed the skills they have honed through involvement in debate. This session provided information and advice for those around the state interested or involved in high school debate.

If you are interested in any of the options discussed above, please check the K-12 Connections Calendar or contact Lyneé Casper. Casper is also available to help plan more individualized “field trips.” Please contact her for ideas or share your ideas with her, and she’ll work to make them happen. Schools can also work together on the ICN to share resources. Make every budget dollar count. If you are a K-12 building or have an ICN room nearby – be sure to take advantage of it!

Fiscal year 2008 marked another successful year for the ICN as indicated by the 2008 annual report. Over 9,200 hours of video sessions were delivered through the K-12 Connections program, a 26% increase over the previous year. Professional development, in particular, has become a major component of the K-12 Connections sessions as approximately 25% of the 43,000 participants were adults taking part in professional development opportunities. Sessions included topics such as bullying prevention, school nurse certification and food safety. One session brought together over 2,000 food and nutrition workers at 236 ICN video classrooms in the largest session held in the Network’s 15-year history.

High school students continued to benefit academically from high school, college-credit and Advanced Placement classes offered over the ICN. During the 2007-08 school year, classes in foreign languages, health science/medicine and science made up many of the hours of classes offered to students through high school class-sharing agreements or by two- and four-year colleges. Iowa Learning Online (ILO) continues to help connect high school students and teachers across the state to broaden the educational possibilities for Iowa students. In addition, ILO’s new struggling learners initiative, which is currently in development, will increase opportunities for students who are identified as high risk to finish courses and meet high school graduation requirements.

Rapid advancements in conferencing technologies, combined with the widespread presence of IP (Internet Protocol) networks, are changing the way organizations do business. Critical for achieving business goals, conferencing technologies are essential for any organization that wants to advance its business. To answer that need, in the spring ICN Service Delivery introduced a new managed IP video system to Network customers. As discussed in last month’s ICN News blog, PerfectMeetings Managed Video allows users to communicate from desktop and laptop computers in videoconferences across the office, town, country or ocean. Desktop video participants and board room video sites can come together in the same video meeting using the PerfectMeetings Managed Video environment and can be joined with those connecting by phone or viewing through Web streaming. The automated, on-demand and intuitive features of PerfectMeetings Managed Video allows anyone to easily initiate a multi-site video meeting, and any session can be recorded and stored for later viewing.

Changes throughout ICN modes of communication have improved the flow of information and publicity of the network. The ICN site is moving toward a Web 2.0 platform that allows for increased multimedia and more relevant information. Heartland AEA’s ICN information site was redesigned earlier in the year by ICN consultant Lyneé Casper to improve ease of use and include more relevant information. The new blog format of the ICN News has greatly increased the number of articles able to be featured and provides information in a timelier manner.

These are just a few of the many successes seen throughout the ICN in the past year. Please feel free to add comments and share your successful stories from the past year on the blog. What have you seen in your classroom and with your students that might interest others considering the ICN?

Lyneé Casper is the ICN/RTC consultant for Heartland AEA 11. She visits with schools about courses and ICN curriculum-based sessions, including ICN multimedia classroom technologies and supporting Internet Web 2.0 technologies. Casper is also available to provide personal, customized ICN training and ICN related staff development. Casper promotes new and developing ICN networking capabilities, such as bridging an ICN classroom beyond our Iowa borders to national or global connections through Internet IP video conferencing, or via desktop IP videoconferencing. Casper is currently collaborating with the ICN to further promote this area. She communicates ICN awareness through web-based communications, such as the Heartland ICN Distance Learning Web Site, at http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/tech/icn/. She is involved in planning and promoting news for the ICN News Blog, and is currently developing online ICN resources, such as online training, courses and a collaborative Wiki.

Casper feels strongly that the ICN, together with new technologies, can continue to bring significant benefits to education in Iowa. Read her reflections and thoughts concerning the ICN below:

In 2008, the World Future Society predicted that virtual education and distance learning would be one of the emerging top 10 breakthroughs transforming life in the next 20-30 years. (http://tinyurl.com/cnoo53) In addition, 32 states currently have virtual schools and 44 states have significant virtual schools policies or programs. (Watson, Keeping Pace, 2008) More than 50% of all school districts across the U.S. offer online and distance learning. (America’s Digital Schools Report) The Iowa Communications Network is the infrastructure poised to meet the many learning needs for our teachers and students as this shift in education occurs.

With financial constraints and teacher shortages prevalent in school districts, the ICN offers low cost alternatives and cost cutting options. Iowa Learning Online continues to build a quality list of high school online course offerings, just when schools may be struggling to provide classes in needed subject-areas. Schools can seek economical ways to work or collaborate in this area. The ICN video classroom, the Internet, desktop videoconferencing, or even telephone conferencing are connectivity options available through the ICN. In addition, many Iowa schools get their Internet connectivity through the ICN. Did you know that the ICN is the Internet provider for all but nine Heartland AEA 11 public school districts and some private schools? Heartland pays for the aggregation services to connect these schools to the Internet via the ICN. The Iowa AEA Online Databases provided to Iowa schools, their students, and their parents (for home use as well), also opens up great opportunities to enhance online learning.

Educators should look at online learning via the ICN in new and innovative ways. Web 2.0 tools, online course offerings, or videoconferencing sessions can be combined in various ways, bringing together 21st Century learning opportunities unique to Iowa. An ICN Learning Scenario starting with the planning and carrying out of an ICN session at a distance takes on new possibilities. In this new scenario, teachers and their students’ can communicate with each other about the shared topic using the Internet before and after an ICN session. Teachers might upload and share online student resources or facilitate online exchanges to help students learn more about each other and their communities. This can be done via a wiki, blog, or other Web 2.0 collaborative online tools. Following the ICN session, teachers can moderate the posting of students’ reflective comments to the wiki or blog, and create surveys using Web 2.0 tools to compile students’ responses using of cell phones. Results can be shared on that same wiki or blog, or right on the cell phone. The sharing of ideas, the exchange of different points of view, and the resulting conclusions about what has been learned together results in higher-level learning for students. Teachers can foster 21st Century Learning through the application of real world, collaborative learning skills through a teaching model such as this. This blended learning scenario, meeting via ICN and the Internet in flexible ways could take place in Iowa, nationally, or globally. Read the ISTE Publication, Interactive Videoconferencing: K-12 Lessons that Work, edited by Kecia Ray and Jan Zanetis, for more excellent examples.

Learning with the ICN and/or the Internet no longer has to be scheduled as synchronous, or in real time. An a-synchronous example, such as an online Webinar, offers individuals the opportunity to meet and collaborate via the Internet through desktop videoconferencing. The communication and collaboration takes place from computer to computer. The meeting can be archived, with necessary documents and resources uploaded so that a learner can return to the archived session at any time. Individuals can access and assimilate online content at their own pace and convenience. Our students as digital natives are motivated to learn in this way. Iowa is clearly set apart from other states with the ICN communications infrastructure already in place, ready for learners seeking flexibility. Teachers and schools should take full advantage of this flexible, valuable technology resource.

Richard “Dick” Stufflebeem is the Regional Telecommunications Council (RTC) technician assigned to oversee the operation and maintenance of ICN classrooms. The state legislature provides funding through Des Moines Area Community College for his services to your classroom. Area 11 is the largest of the ICN areas in the state, and Stufflebeem is responsible for approximately 72 school and library classroom sites in the area. Although the schools own and are responsible for the majority of the equipment in their classrooms, the ICN does provide equipment service through Stufflebeem. His main responsibility is to fix any problem that should arise in an ICN classroom. If a student microphone or a camera is not working, he will come to the school’s ICN room and repair it. While the service is at no charge to the school, the cost of repairing the camera, microphone or any of the electronic equipment in the room is the school’s responsibility. Replacement of TVs, tables, chairs and/ or any other items in the room is also the school’s responsibility.

Stufflebeem’s additional responsibilities include providing assistance and advice concerning equipment purchases for ICN classrooms. For example, he is currently assisting many schools as they replace existing television sets. The original televisions purchased for the ICN rooms were the analog CRT picture tube type, and these televisions are rapidly becoming obsolete. Schools are now upgrading to new flat screen televisions, but not all of these televisions work well in an ICN room. Stufflebeem works with vendors to review flat screen television specifications and find schools the right television for the best price. He is also working closely with many schools as they upgrade their classroom controller unit. The controller unit configures an ICN classroom as an origination or remote site and is responsible for the switching of the cameras. This unit has been discontinued, and thus if it should fail and no used cards are available to repair it, the classroom will no longer function. Stufflebeem can assist in the installation of the upgrade unit to prevent this problem.

If teachers are having problems in their ICN classroom, they can contact the ICN for help by using the telephone located on the side of the equipment rack in the ICN room. Calling the phone number located on the telephone will connect individuals with the help desk at the ICN control/test room. Callers can describe the problem to help desk personnel, and they will assist in fixing the problem if possible. If the problem cannot be solved, the ICN will open a repair ticket, which will then be e-mailed to Stufflebeem to bring his attention to the problem. He will respond to the ticket by coming to the site and checking out the problem, at no charge to the school. If teachers or administrators would like to speak with Stufflebeem to personally answer questions concerning the operation of the room or to talk about the controller upgrade, please call him at (515) 964-6831 (office) or (515) 210-8043 (cell phone) or e-mail him at rlstufflebeem@dmacc.edu.

Stufflebeem’s vision of the future of the ICN is built upon his perspective as the RTC technician and his past work experiences. He has been around this system since its conception. For 28 years he was the Assistant Director of Engineering at Iowa Public Television, and his engineering group was responsible for the design and implementation of the 700+ ICN classrooms. Upon retirement from IPTV six years ago, he came to DMACC to help with the college’s rooms. He has seen this $185,000,000 system work in colleges, high schools and libraries all over the state. In addition, he has traveled all over the United States to visit other distant learning classroom systems and he has never seen a system comparable to what we have in Iowa. He feels that there is not a system like ours anywhere in the world.

Two major factors make the Iowa system very different from the others. In other systems Stufflebeem has studied, the origination classroom is located on a central campus and the remote sites are located in other buildings or in a different town. The origination point is always the classroom on the central campus. In the Iowa system, any ICN classroom can be configured as an origination or a remote site. At any given hour, an instructor can come into an ICN classroom and teach from that room as the origination site to as many classrooms as desired. Students can come into that same room the next hour and receive a class as a remote site with the instructor in a distant origination site. The huge advantage of this type of system, unique to Iowa, is that it gives every school district the opportunity to originate programming from any of its schools. The ICN is also not limited to a certain number of remote classrooms connected to an origination site. In other systems, as many as four or even five rooms may be connected at one time with monitors across the back of the room. Due of the distant proximity, the figures on the screen are so small and so far away that students and teachers cannot clearly discern which individual they are speaking with. In the ICN, participants have one monitor to look at and the video on that monitor is always focused clearly on the site that is currently communicating.

Stufflebeem feels strongly that the ICN is still very relevant in today’s world and is dismayed by the underutilization of this valuable Iowa educational tool. He finds that ICN classrooms are used for many things other than distant learning. His question to the education community is, “Why are we not using this great system more?” Although he realizes that Video over IPs popularity is rising, he feels that this new technology has “a long ways to go before it can come close to matching the quality and dependability of the ICN classroom.” No other current technology will allow teachers to go into a classroom, (not a conference room or office, but a classroom), turn on the equipment with a switch and teach day in and day out. Video over IP currently requires a technician to set up and program the equipment for each meeting. In addition, if the speed of the session is slow, the video is poor quality and the audio fades in and out. Alternatively, teachers and students can walk into an ICN room, turn on the system and teach or participate with full motion video and full duplex audio. For those wishing to communicate with people outside of Iowa, the new Video over IP technology can be incorporated right into the ICN classroom. Stufflebeem feels we should “add new technology to the working existing technology instead of throwing away what works.” He feels that Iowa currently has the greatest system in the world and that we should continue to refine it and to find more ways to use it.

Stufflebeem feels that any decline in ICN use can be attributed to a lack of understanding concerning appropriate content and specific effective uses for the system. The ICN is not a content provider, but it is a transport provider. The role of the ICN is to get information, like a phone company, from one point to another. According to Stufflebeem, leadership in providing appropriate content to be used on the system is the most important factor toward continued effective use of the ICN. Teachers and administrators need to become aware of reasons they should use their ICN classrooms. They must realize the value and benefits of using their ICN classrooms now and as future technologies develop.

As the Area XI ICN Scheduler, Janelle Archer provides support to educational institution personnel concerning video classroom scheduling procedures. She processes requests and alerts personnel of scheduling deadlines, confirmations and conflicts. She also works with fellow schedulers across the state and trains local site contacts in working with the daily schedule and submitting reservations. Archer is available to visit ICN classroom sites and to discuss scheduling questions.

Prior to her current position at the ICN, Archer worked at Pioneer Hi-Bred as a receptionist, administrative assistant and distribution assistant. This background, which included scheduling work and deadlines, prepared her well for the demands of her current position. She has been the Area XI ICN Scheduler for five years.

Like Stufflebeem and Casper, Archer would love to see schools use their ICN classrooms more. She feels that although many classes are shifting to online formats, the ICN provides, “a ‘face-to-face’ meeting from a distance to connect with the students.” The ICN provides a way to share instructors in this more personal manner without the cost and time of driving to another location.

For teachers using the ICN for the first time, she suggests scheduling a training session and allowing time to practice before the session. If they have any questions, she would be happy to help them out. She also recommends keeping presentations and appearance simple. Too much flash can take away from the content and distract the students. If teachers have any questions or concerns or would like Archer to visit them, they can contact her at jjarcher@dmacc.edu or 515-964-6856.

This summer, the Consortium of Iowa Community Colleges, Iowa Public Television and the Iowa Communications Network are sponsoring a new school food service program for K-12 school food service personnel. This three-day, 20-hour program will provide current information for all school food service personnel and encompass two School Nutrition Association (SNA) approved classes. The first class, Food Safety and Sanitation, uses the curriculum Serving It Safe and is designed specifically for school food service personnel to learn about methods of safe food handling, sanitation, and safety in all areas. The second class, School Food Service Nutrition 101, includes the most current information on nutrition needs, program requirements and practical how-to’s on implementing good nutrition practices. Together, these classes meet the Nutrition Education and Sanitation and Safety components of the new Level I Certification requirements with SNA.

The presenter for both classes is Ann Feilmann, a SNA Certified Trainer. Interested individuals can attend the program at various ICN locations throughout the state of Iowa. Online registration for the program includes selection of a preferred ICN room. Food Safety and Sanitation will meet on June 16 from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and on June 17 from 8:00-11:45 a.m. School Food Service Nutrition 101 will meet on June 17 from 1:00-4:30 p.m. and on June 18 from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Cost for the entire course (two sessions, three days) is $180 which includes presenter fees, materials and CEUs. Sessions priced individually are $90 each. Please check with your school district to see if it will cover the class costs or if you will need to pay them yourself. If you are paying personally, an Iowa Community College representative will contact you regarding payment. Registration for both courses ends on June 2, 2009.

For questions regarding the program, please contact Cheryl Little, Director Health Education, Cheryl.Little@iavalley.edu, 641-844-5623 with program content questions or contact Marcia Wych at Iowa Public Television, marcia@iptv.org, 800-532-1290 with registration questions.

As part of the Raising Readers initiative highlighted in the March ICN News blog, IPTV and K-12 Connections are offering two sessions in May based upon Raising Readers programming. The first session, PBS KIDS Island, will focus on the exciting new PBS KIDS Island website where kids can play and read with their parents, teachers, and caregivers. Students can play reading games with favorite PBS KIDS characters, earn tickets and win prizes. Parents or teachers can track their progress and find fun reading activities to do every day. Bring your students to this ICN session to learn how to register for free and build their own island carnival. In this session, the facilitator and participants will take a tour of PBS KIDS Island, preview PBS KIDS Island Games, learn how to customize their own tree house, check out the Child Progress Tracker and learn about other Raising Readers resources.

The PBS KIDS Island session is offered on May 11th at several times throughout the day. Confirmed registrants for the session will receive a pack of Raising Readers materials including a DVD containing episodes of WordWorld and Super Why! programs, a Martha Speaks book, and other educational materials by mail. As always, sessions are provided at no cost to PK-12 students and the adults working with or on behalf of PK-12 students in Iowa. Please call Trista Peitzman or Marcia Wych at (800) 532-1290 or (515) 242-6663 or (515) 242-4187 or e-mail at trista@iptv.org with any questions.

The second session, The NEW Electric Company!, will focus on the new series by PBS that is broadcast on IPTV. That’s right, The Electric Company is back and better than ever! In the 2009 version of the popular show, the power of the original show is surging back with a cool cast of characters, amazing literacy superpowers, side-splitting cartoons, and songs that will make you dance. The Electric Company aims to entertain children between the ages of 6 and 9 while simultaneously teaching four crucial areas of literacy that are challenging for struggling readers: decoding, vocabulary, comprehension of connected text and motivation. Like the original series, the new show filters these educational goals through pop culture — music, comedy, technology, and celebrities — to create a playful, hip, multimedia experience. Unlike the original series, each new episode of The Electric Company includes a narrative with regular characters and three "curriculum commercial breaks" that consist of a variety of short-form segments: sketches, animations and songs. In this ICN session, Trista Peitzman will show video clips from the program, view games online, and engage your students in a learning activity.

The Electric Company session is offered on May 21st at several times throughout the day. Confirmed registrants receive the book The Kit: Educator's Guide for The Electric Company by mail after the session. Please contact Trista Peitzman or Marcia Wych at the numbers listed above with any questions about this new Raising Readers session.

This summer, Iowa Public Television and the State Library of Iowa are once again sponsoring a FREE series of Stories and More ICN events to libraries, childcare programs and schools. The overall theme for the 2009 Stories & More series is Be Creative at Your Library, tying into the summer reading programs being conducted by many local libraries across Iowa. Registration deadlines for sessions are approximately 10 days prior to the session dates. Each 50-minute session, aimed at students entering grades K-5, will be offered on two different days at both 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The session dates and topics are listed below:

June 16 and June 18
I’ve Got Rhythm
The guest presenter for these sessions enjoys music in all aspects of her life. Professionally, she is the Music Coordinator for Des Moines Schools, and personally, she is a member of the Des Moines Choral Society.

June 23 and June 25
Ham it Up!
These sessions are all about drama and storytelling. Kids will enjoying exploring the many places you can go and faces you can wear when you jump into character and put on a performance!

June 30 and July 2
Now You See It
Talk about different kinds of art and create some of your own. These sessions are all about the visual arts. Our special guest is a middle school art teacher with a creative eye and some insight to creating your own masterpiece!

July 7 and July 9
Dance and Move
They call her the "Dancing Queen" because she has all the moves to some of our favorite dances both classic and modern. Our special guest presenter is Urbandale's 2005 Teacher of the Year. Make sure you wear clothes to move in and have plenty of space for dancing!

July 14 and July 16
Free Play
Our final sessions allow the imagination to roam free! Our special guest, Michele Beschen, is the host of television shows "B. Original," "Courage to Create," and "B. Organic." According to Michele's website, “There's nothing more exciting than discovering new ways of doing things, unleashing the crazy thoughts, and observations that naturally come when you start looking at things through the eyes of possibility.”

For my tip this month, I have chosen to address two questions regarding ICN session recording. The first question is, “When my room is configured as a remote site, why I am unable to record all of the audio when I record a session?” The second question is, “Why do some ICN Classrooms have two recorders/players in them?” Answers to both of these frequently asked questions can be found below.

For the first question, some appropriate background information is necessary to fully provide the answer. When the ICN was first developed, some of the high school and university instructors did not want students to have the ability to record a class at the remote site. Some instructors were concerned that their material could be recorded and distributed outside of the classroom. Other instructors were concerned that students might choose to watch recordings of the classes rather than come to the actual classes. For these reasons, only origination sites, and not remote sites, were initially set up with the capability to record.

As the ICN grew, however, requests to record sessions from remote sites became more numerous. Schools and teachers wanted students to have a way to access prior sessions due to illness or other legitimate reasons for missing a class. During this time, several schools also inquired about ways to view classroom programming in an auditorium to accommodate overflow crowds. In response to these requests, the ICN technical staff designed an electronic circuit that could be added to the ICN equipment and allow recording of a session at a remote site. This classroom option is called the “Overflow Option.” It allows recording at a remote site and also provides a means for accommodating larger crowds.

By adding the “Overflow Option” to their ICN equipment, schools can connect their auditoriums to the ICN Classroom and allow the extra people to watch the session. This “Overflow Option” is for viewing sessions only. The people in the overflow area will not have the ability to talk back to the origination site. Only participants in the classroom can talk back to the origination site. If a school would like to record sessions in the ICN classroom when it is configured as a remote site or would like the ability to view the classroom in an overflow location, the “Overflow Option” must be installed. This “Overflow Option” only concerns recording sessions in another location, not classes that occur in the ICN classroom. Teachers can always walk into an ICN room, use the recorder provided to record their class and then play back the information for students at a later time. If your school does not have the “Overflow Option” and would like to have it installed, please contact me, Dick Stufflebeem at (515) 964-6831 (office) or (515) 210-8043 (cell). My cell number is the best way to find me right away. You can also reach me via e-mail at rlstufflebeem@dmacc.edu.

The second question is, “Why are there two recorder/player machines in some of the classrooms?” To explain the answer to this question, I must also provide some background information. While at IPTV several years ago, I assisted a group in an ICN Session. The presenter asked me if we could record the session to be reviewed at a later date. As the site was an origination site, I said, “yes.” The session started and I began recording the session. About ten minutes into the session the presenter asked me if we could also play a VHS videotape during the session. I initially said, “No, we are using the machine to record,” but after a few minutes, I thought about the predicament and searched the studio for a second recorder/player.

I connected the second machine to the outgoing video/audio circuit and told the presenter that he could now record and playback at the same time. Following this experience, the ICN technology department and I concluded that a second machine would benefit many schools. Thus, we sent out a notice to the schools and encouraged them to add the second machine. As technology has changed over the past few years, we have encouraged schools to change out the machine that is being used as the playback to new VHS/DVD combination units. With the increasing use of DVD’s, the combination unit will accommodate both formats. If you are interested in more information concerning the VHS/DVD players or have any questions, please contact me at the numbers listed above.

IPTV educators are presenting a series of sessions based on the Biz Kid$ public TV series during April and May. This series features kids teaching other kids about money and business. During the sessions, recommended for grades 4-8, students watch a video from the BizKid$ series and complete activities with session facilitators that relate to each week’s topic. Participating schools also receive great resource materials to use in their classrooms. For more information on this, check out the Biz Kid$ Web site at http://www.bizkids.com.

Production and educational outreach funding for Biz Kid$ is generously provided to Biz Kid$ by a coalition of America’s Credit Unions. Descriptions and information for the May Biz Kid$ sessions are listed below. Click on the session links to learn more about the educational objectives and student concepts covered in each session.

You Can't Manage What You Don't Know – May 11, 2009

The Biz Kids learn the first rule of money management: You can’t spend what you don’t know. Join the kids and you’ll look at spending and expenses and examine several proven methods on how to gain control of both.

Income and Expenses – May 18, 2009

Go with the cash flow. The Biz Kids watch the ebb and flow of income and expenses. Join them and you’ll learn proven methods for getting expenses under control while growing income with new ideas, smarter work habits, and innovation. Meet some entrepreneurs who have seen success with cash flow and more!

IPTV, together with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Education Grant and the Iowa Communications Network, is sponsoring an ICN session that introduces educators and students across the state to Iowan David Thoreson, who is an adventurer, educator, writer and photographer. Thoreson is getting ready to embark on a fantastic journey Around the Americas over the course of 13 months and 25,000 miles! In the May ICN session, students and teachers will learn why Thoreson is making this journey and how they can track his progress at the Around the Americas Web site.

Around the Americas is a circumnavigation by sailboat of the North and South American continents as though they were one, gigantic island. A voyage with purpose, the expedition's novelty lies in its unique synergy of adventure, science, education and international cultures with ocean health as its unifying theme. Project Director and Captain Mark Schrader will lead the sailing expedition from a 64-foot, steel-hulled sailboat named Ocean Watch. On board during the entire journey will be four crewmembers and one Pacific Science Center educator. In addition, ocean and atmospheric scientists will join certain legs of the cruise to conduct research on board.


There will be some time for questions during the session, so please be prepared. If you would like to send your questions in advance, please email them to trista@iptv.org. Thoreson will answer as many questions as possible during the sessions. Two students sessions as well as a special professional development session for teachers will be held on May 5th. The afternoon teacher session will provide teachers a chance to learn more about the curriculum materials available on the Web site and have their questions answered as well.

The times for the sessions are listed below. Please contact Trista Peitzman at trista@iptv or call at (800) 532-1290 or (515) 242-6663 or (515) 242-4187 with questions. If you cannot attend the May sessions, be sure to check the Around the Americas website and look for additional Around the Americas ICN sessions next fall as David continues his journey!

All sessions will occur on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 and are appropriate for students and/or educators in grades 4-12.

Student Session: 12:30 PM - 1:20 PM

Student Session: 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM

Teacher Session: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Although students and teachers do not often see the faces behind the scenes at the ICN, numerous individuals keep the network running smoothly. Joseph Cassis, Tami Fujinaka, and Gail McMahon are three of the individuals who play a vital role keeping the ICN working properly and visible to the public. In addition, these individuals and others are constantly working on new ways to utilize the ICN technology to meet future needs of Iowa students and teachers.

In his role as Deputy Director of the ICN, Joseph Cassis provides direction relating to Corporate Marketing and Communications (including PR), training, strategic planning, IT, policy development, office management including video scheduling, and State Operator functions. In addition to these key responsibilities, he is also Chief of Staff for the Executive Director.

Cassis has a myriad of experiences that provided him with the foundation for his current position, ranging from working several years at a Iowa-based telecom provider as the Vice President of Application Development to being the president/owner of a marketing and internet firm. He also spent several years developing computer systems at major corporations located in Chicago, was Vice President of Communications for a commodity association, and held the position of Director of Marketing within Alumni Services at University of Iowa. His education includes a psychology degree in behavioral modification and a double MBA in management information systems and marketing. Cassis feels that these well-balanced educational experiences helped him, “to develop a bridge between the technology (left brain thinking) and application/creative efforts (right brain thinking) to communicate the capabilities that technology can bring to improve our communities more efficiently and effectively.”

As the Government Relations Manager, Tami Fujinaka works closely with the Executive Director and Deputy Director to develop strategies to work with various government agencies and entities including the Iowa Legislature, the state executive branch agencies, and federal and local entities. She is also the liaison to the Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission and develops the commission’s administrative rules. Along with Cassis and Gail McMahon, she is a member of the agency’s Corporate Marketing and Communications Team.

Prior to her current position, Fujinaka worked for several Midwest industry associations and chambers of commerce in a legislative manager role. She also worked four years as an analyst for a state legislative agency. Her education includes a BA in Political Science from Central College and a MBA from Drake University.

As the ICN Public Relations Manager, Gail McMahon works as part of the Corporate Marketing and Communications team, which also includes Cassis, Fujinaka, and the ICN Webmaster, to establish, promote, and maintain a positive identity for the Agency. An additional new focus for the team is to provide training for customers on various ICN-related subjects, from the technical to non-technical. McMahon works closely with the educational arena, media and general public to promote and encourage use of the ICN. This includes, but is not limited to, writing and distributing press releases, representing ICN by attending, presenting, and exhibiting at appropriate conferences or meetings and creating content for the Web site. She is often a first point of contact for educators who have questions about ICN.

Prior to her current position, McMahon worked in college admissions for 15 years in Iowa, as an admissions counselor and as Director of Admissions for a two-year business college. She holds a journalism degree from Iowa State University and worked in radio broadcasting immediately after completing her degree. She also worked in college admissions on the East Coast for six years before returning to Iowa.

Cassis, Fujinaka and McMahon feel that the current role of the ICN is to support distance learning through the videoconference environment, whether by broadcasting through the ICN video classrooms or through IP-based technology. The ICN allows schools to successfully access curriculum supplements available from all over the world as well as share local classroom resources using quality two-way video conferencing. The ICN provides many high quality student opportunities, as well as a growing number of professional development sessions now available for teachers, school support staff, and administrators. In addition to the videoconference benefits of the ICN, Internet access is also provided to schools through the ICN. According to Cassis, “The Internet is a powerful learning tool and what the ICN brings is the broadband through which this 'equalizer of opportunity' can enhance students' enrichment” All three feel that the ICN is particularly vital as a way to share resources and expand opportunities for students and teachers.

As they plan for the future, this team feels strongly that the ICN must stay current with the trends that are becoming increasingly more evident. Cassis notes a “significant increase in bandwidth usage (the Internet usage). It has almost doubled in the past 3 years.” Schools are using Internet services at an exponential rate. IP services, in particularly, are becoming increasingly popular due to their mobility. All three feel that today’s students are different from students of even a decade ago. Students today have an expectation of communication at all times and in all locations. As McMahon mentions, “In this global economy, students want and need more opportunities to broaden their horizons and better prepare them for college.”

To address these trends, the team feels that the ICN needs to be adaptable and accessibility should continue to be a focus. Broadband access only to the schools will not meet future needs. Fujinaka notes, “As the world is moving to using Internet Protocol for voice, video and data services, the key for value of the ICN is that it can adapt to any IP technology.” Regardless of future demands, the ICN will continue to provide Iowa and its students with a solid fiber optic network that, with its bandwidth and flexibility, can be adapted to meet the new challenges. Cassis, Fujinaka and McMahon are committed to ensuring that this valuable resource continues to move forward and meet the needs of schools across Iowa.

Real world ICN sessions, sponsored through an IT STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Grant for science, technology, and education were held in February with additional sessions scheduled for March and April. The two types of sessions, IT-Adventures and HyperStream, strive to develop student interest in STEM careers. IT-Adventures is an innovative program that engages Iowa high school students in exploration and experimentation with information technology (IT) through instructional material delivery, competitive events, and service learning projects. Iowa State University’s Information Assurance Center, the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the Technology Association of Iowa, the Iowa chapter of InfraGard and Iowa businesses have forged a partnership for development of this program. The program is dedicated to increasing interest and awareness of IT among high school students across the state and stemming the downward curve of students selecting IT as a career. The HyperStream program, also highlighted in the December blog, is a a technology career awareness program developed and tested by The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) Educational Foundation has to support its key initiative of developing Iowa's future technology workforce. Iowa Public Television (IPTV) and the ICN are working with the program to offer ICN sessions focused on increasing student interest in technology careers.

IT-Adventures sessions provide an opportunity for current IT-Adventures Teams to get together (via the ICN) to discuss their projects with staff from Iowa State. IT-Adventures is an exciting innovative IT exploration program for high school students managed by staff at Iowa State University. During these sessions, staff from Iowa State will also offer guidance on service learning projects and will provide more information about what happens when students travel to Iowa State University for the IT-Olympics. Interested students and teachers who participate will also be invited to learn more about IT-Adventures and the IT-Olympics coming up in April 2009.

During the Hyperstream ICN sessions, students have the opportunity to meet with individuals involved in the program. During the February sessions, Jennifer O’Conner (picture, on the left), a representative of the Technology Association of Iowa, shared resources with students through the TAI’s Hyperstream Program and website. She also talked about the Technology Association of Iowa’s HyperStream partnership between business and education. Also during the February sessions, Spencer High School students met with Microsoft’s Linda Welseng (pictured, on the right), a senior technical account manager. Welseng talked about her career path from her high school studies, to college and graduate school, and finally to her career with Microsoft. Welseng shared with students that she would help them develop a class project. She or other volunteers will partner with the class to help them complete their project. March and April sessions will have the same or similar speakers.

The times and dates for both HyperStream and IT-Adventures sessions are listed below:

IT-Adventures Sessions:

March 31
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

April 02, 2009
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

HyperStream Session:

March 23
9:00 AM – 9:50 AM

If you are interested in attending these sessions with your students, please check the K-12 Connections website or contact LaShell Staley at lashell@iptv.org with questions.

The ICN has introduced a new slogan and new web site! The previous slogan worked well over the past five years; however, the Agency felt a new one was needed to better delineate ICN’s relationship with customers and end users like you. “Sharing Iowa’s Infinite Possibilities” reflects our mission to the state of Iowa and our vision of increased use of IP technology, which has unlimited possibilities. This slogan replaces Connecting Iowans to the World.

Additionally, changes have been made to ICN’s web site. The fresh, crisp look includes a video snippet on the home page that will be changed routinely to bring viewers information about ICN users, products, news, etc. If you have an idea for a video snippet, please contact ICN Public Relations Manager Gail McMahon at Gail.McMahon@iowa.gov.

You will notice that the VOSS Scheduling System and ICN Classrooms Map are now located on the right side of the home page with other “Customer Tools.” The next stage, known as Web 2.0, will incorporate even greater features and robust navigational tools to create a user-friendly web site, along with changes to the content and layout of pages. The site will have extensive interactive capabilities and will provide web portal applications and video training. Web 2.0 is scheduled for release in late spring.

We have listened to your comments, suggestions, and concerns voiced in focus groups and in conversation as we pursue these projects, and as always, appreciate the feedback!

1. 21st Century Learning: Why not choose a meaningful ICN learning experience, enhancing student skills through communicating, collaborating, or collectively analyzing learning? This article highlights 21st Century learning: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/news-bysubject/curriculum/index.cfm?i=54606. Learn how easy it is to excite students of any age through interactive ICN learning and sharing at http://www.aea11.k12.ia.us/tech/icn.

2. Students can take a course online (See Iowa Learning Online, http://www.iowalearningonline.org/) or connect to community, state or national experts to learn more about real life careers, critical social issues, or enjoy the flexibility of online learning.

3. IPTV develops and provides a wide range of rich ICN, real world learning for all grade levels. These ICN K-12 Connections are authentic and timely, with opportunities to utilize related curriculum materials and follow-up curricular activities. Check the calendar at http://www.iptv.org/iowa_database/default.cfm.

4. The 2008 Technology Standards for Teachers identified by the ISTE (International Society for Technology Educators), supports the use of video conferencing by addressing these standards:

• Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity by promoting student reflection using collaborative tools
• Design and develop Digital Age Learning Experiences
• Promote and model Digital Citizenship and responsibility
• Model Digital Age work and learning
• Engage in professional growth and leadership

A new professional development course offered this spring will uncover new ways for teachers to bring learning experiences to their students using ICN classroom connections or the Internet. This course will emphasize 21st century learning skills as participants look at many types of collaborative learning scenarios and opportunities online. An awareness component regarding the use of the ICN will also be included in the course. Time will be spent exploring resources to support global, national or statewide distance learning connections. Participants will explore blogs, wiki, or selected Web 2.0 tools that strengthen curricular lessons and in turn can be incorporated into collaborative activities via the ICN classroom or online.

This two credit course is a blended class, with participants attending two ICN sessions, each two hours long, in addition to completing on-line learning modules completed on their own time. The first ICN session takes place May 11, 2009, from either 1:00-3:00 p.m. or 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the AEA ICN site or, upon request, at an ICN site near you. The second ICN session in the course takes place on April 6, 2009, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the AEA ICN site or at an ICN site near you. The on-line learning modules will consist of assignments completed on a weekly basis over the length of the course. The course will end and all work must be completed by June 16, 2009. Drake credit is available for those who are interested. For any questions regarding this course, please contact Lynee Casper at lcasper@aea11.k12.ia.us. Interested individuals may register on-line at https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/YYYYYYYYYYYYYYSRCH. The activity number for this course is TE081292110902.

Customers using the ICN Internet now have a new option for connecting with students and teachers in other locations. The desktop video conferencing service PerfectMeetings is now available for authorized users through the ICN for a special low rate. With service beginning last fall, several schools are already using this convenient and economical option to share information and resources. This service allows individual desktop video conferencing or entire room video conferencing.

For those choosing the desktop option, any computer that meets the minimum requirements can connect with any other subscriber to the service—no ICN room required—just a high-speed Internet connection and a computer with the correct specifications. The desktop subscription to PerfectMeetings is portable and can be used on different computers, including laptops connected to wireless networks with appropriate bandwidth. Each subscription participant is provided with a username, password and meeting pin number. All participants can then connect through a common URL by sharing the meeting pin number. Up to 25 participants can join in on one session. In addition, the sessions can be recorded for future retrieval free of charge. The storage space with each subscription is approximately eight hours.

To involve more individuals in a session, other options are available. In addition to the 25 participants who can join the meeting in a fully interactive way, additional individuals or sites can watch the conference through video streaming or listen to the conference with the call-in option. Call-in participants can participate in the audio component of the meeting with per-minute charges. Streaming participants can only see and hear the meeting, not participate. The site subscription is another option that allows an entire room to interact and participate fully in the session. These rooms must already be equipped with a Polycom unit or 323 video conferencing system. To connect with individuals who do not also have subscriptions, a per-minute guest charge is yet another available option.

For any of the available options, several features of PerfectMeetings remain the same. The meeting chair controls the screen to show just video, a 4-way split screen or a 9-way split screen. This flexibility allows participants to see 1, 4 or 9 other participants and/or screens. The screen will automatically change to someone who is speaking unless the meeting chair changes the settings. PowerPoint presentations and images can be shared with other participants during the session. In addition to these features, new enhancements this spring will allow more sharing during the conferences.

If you or your school is interested in this dependable, easy to use, economical service, call (877) 426-4692 for more information or visit the Web site at http://www.icn.state.ia.us/services/IPconferencing/index.html for an order form and further instructions. In addition to a computer that meets the minimum requirements, session participants will need a Web cam and headset. These items are available for purchase on the Web site.

Burlington Notre Dame foreign language instructor Richard Dunshee, together with Iowa Learning Online, is working to provide students across Iowa the opportunity to learn Chinese, Arabic and other critical languages. Dunshee feels strongly that all students should be given the opportunity to take these courses and has worked tirelessly to bring Chinese to Iowa students this year. He feels that the ICN is a great way to reach these students and share limited resources with the entire state.

The U.S. State Department classifies certain languages, including Chinese and Arabic, as “critical needs languages.” Individuals who can speak these languages will find increased opportunities throughout their education and in their careers. Grants and scholarships are also available for students who study these languages. Dunshee feels that increased instruction in these languages will help not only the individual, but also help our country. With the rapid increase in worldwide trade and manufacturing, as well as ever-growing security issues, the U.S. needs to improve its communication efforts. In addition to these economic and security needs, Americans will be perceived in a more amicable way if we make the effort to learn more about other countries’ languages and cultures. Despite this need, many schools still only offer students Spanish and maybe one or two European languages. Students are not typically offered the chance to take these critical languages, and yet research is showing that the need for these languages is growing every day.

The barrier for many schools is not that they do not want to teach these critical languages, but they can’t afford or find qualified teachers to do so. Dunshee feels strongly that the ICN and/or Internet provide a means to reach kids who might not otherwise be reached. “A little school could never hire a Chinese teacher, but with this technology, we can reach even one student,” he says. Schools are able to share the cost of the teacher in this manner. He feels that the ICN setting is not as ideal as a traditional classroom, but it does work well and gives access that is not possible any other way.

The pilot course, Chinese, had a successful first semester and is having an even more successful second semester. The new instructor, Yehmin Yu, is an excellent teacher who has been teaching Chinese on a grant at Colona Elementary for the past few years. Currently, students from five different districts or schools are taking the course, which is offered at 7:15 a.m. before the regular school day begins. Students are very enthusiastic about the course, and Dunshee feels strongly about the success of the program.

As a result of the success of the Chinese course, as well as interest from students, several new courses will be offered next year. First year Chinese will continue to be offered, but will increase to three sections offered during the school day. Second year Chinese will be offered at the zero hour for students in the current Chinese course. Three sections of Arabic will be added, and Japanese is a possibility. Dunshee hopes to continue adding new courses and new languages each year in an effort to eventually offer four years of all eight languages listed on the government’s critical language list.

To learn more about any of these courses, contact Richard Dunshee at richard.dunshee@gpaea.k12.ia.us. For questions related to Iowa Learning Online, contact Arlan Thorson at athorson@iowalearningonline.org or at (515) 238-4765. Interested individuals can also visit http://iowalearningonline.org for more information.

According to the 2007-2008 Kindergarten Literacy Assessment Data report, 40% of Iowa’s children do not have the literacy skills required for school readiness when entering kindergarten. IPTV’s new Raising Readers campaign combines television programs, on-line resources, on-site resources, and ICN sessions in a 360° approach to improving young children’s literacy skills. Although the objective of the campaign is “to improve the literacy skills of children ages 2-8 living in poverty,” all students in this age group will benefit from the innovative and effective new programs, resources and events. Raising Readers, designed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Ready to Learn initiative, focuses on extensive reading research and what methods work best for kids. PBS KIDS programs that form the core of the campaign include both well-known programs such as Sesame Street and Between the Lions as well as new programs such as Super Why, Word World, Martha Speaks, and The Electric Company. For these programs, research was conducted prior and during show development as well as during subsequent story line writing. Research is also ongoing in Iowa classrooms and across the nation to ensure that the content is increasing the literacy skills of children.

As part of Raising Readers and the Ready to Learn initiative, IPTV and the ICN offered Martha Speaks ICN sessions in December and January. Martha Speaks is an animated series that is designed to enrich the vocabulary of 4 to 7-year-olds based on the popular books by Susan Meddaugh. Each episode uses Martha's unique linguistic abilities and the hilarious consequences to engage kids and help build their vocabulary skills. In these ICN sessions, the presenter and participants read the book Martha Speaks, watched an episode of the new TV program, learned about the author Susan Meddaugh, and checked out Martha's web site which is full of fun activities for children 4-7 years of age. More sessions for both teachers and students, including one based on the new and very popular Electric Company, will be offered in the coming months. Check the K-12 Connections Calendar at http://www3.iptv.org/iowa_database/cal-default.cfm to find out more about these exciting new sessions.

In addition to attending the ICN sessions and watching the television programs, teachers, parents and students can utilize the new and improved resources available on-line. The new PBS Kids Island, for example, has interactive literacy games for kids based on the Raising Readers programs. Progress reporting for parents is also included as part of this website. Raising Readers has also sponsored events throughout the state to further meet their objectives including Super Why camps, Raising Readers Learning Centers, promotional giveaways, and the Launch Event at last year’s Iowa State Fair. Parents and teachers should continue to look out for events and resources in their communities as the campaign continues to grow. More information about the Raising Readers campaign and the Ready to Learn initiative can be found at http://pbskids.org/read/about/. Questions may also be directed to Trista Peitzman at trista@iptv.org.

According to the 2007 U.S. Department of Labor Report, “American pre-eminence in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) will not be secured or extended without effort and investments. Trends in K-12 and higher education science and math preparation, coupled with demographic and labor trends, point to a serious challenge: our nation needs to increase the supply and quality of ‘knowledge workers,’ whose specialized skills enable them to work productively within STEM industries and occupations.” (The STEM Workforce Challenge: The role of the Public Workforce System in a National Solution for a Competitive Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce)

To help address this increasing need for jobs in STEM fields, Iowa Public Television (IPTV) is partnering with FIRST (coordinated by the Iowa State University College of Engineering) and other STEM-related organizations to promote youth interest in STEM education. The primary target audience for IPTV's work will be youth with a focus on helping them become excited about opportunities and careers in these fields. As part of this partnership, IPTV is providing a series of free ICN sessions related to these careers for students in grades 7-9. During these sessions, students will have the opportunity to meet various professionals in Iowa who are working in STEM careers. Students will also have the opportunity to see professionals on the job as they view a short video produced by IPTV during the session. These sessions are provided as part of a CPB Community Engagement/STEM grant.

In addition to providing students with valuable insight into STEM careers, these sessions are also a great resource for schools looking to help meet the Iowa career education requirement. This requirement is designed to help students complete a high school and career development plan. These sessions are a great resource for schools needing to help students with the critical work of planning their futures. Sign up today!

March Sessions:

Instructional Designer
March 4
9:00 AM - 9:50 AM

Health Professionals
March 26
10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

Prosthetist and Orthotist
March 25
9:00 AM - 9:50 AM

Now is the time to start thinking about next year’s Iowa Learning Online (ILO) courses. Below is a listing of available high school credit classes. Please check the ILO website at http://iowalearningonline.org/classes.cfm for information concerning start dates and tuition fees, if applicable.

Algebra
Algebra
American History
American Government
American History
American Literature
Anatomy and Physiology
AP Music Theory
Biology
British and World Literature
Calculus
Chemistry
Critical Reading and Effective Writing
Earth Science
Economics
English 10
English 9
Fundamental Math
General Biology
Geography and World Cultures
Geometry
German I & II
Intro to English Lit and Composition
Introductory Algebra
Physical Education
Physical Science
Physics
Pre-Calculus
Reading Skills and Strategies
Skills for Health
Spanish
The Works of Shakespeare
U.S. Government and Politics
World History
World History
Writing and Grammar

A continually updated listing of these courses can be found also be found at the ILO website.

The University of Northern Iowa’s (UNI) Center for Energy & Environmental Education, the Iowa Energy Center, the Iowa Math and Science Education Partnership, IPTV and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are sponsoring a new series of sessions for teachers this spring focused on energy education. The series of classes, offered through UNI and IPTV, follows the inquiry learning format recommended for science education in Iowa's Core Curriculum. A six-session student series is also being offered.

Led by presenters William Stigliani, a professor and Pat Higby, an energy educator, K-12 teachers participating in the Energize Me! course will discover new resources and activities for teaching about energy efficiency, wind energy and solar energy. Participants will also have the opportunity to review cutting-edge teaching materials such as model solar cars, model wind turbines and Kill-a-Watt meters. The kits used in the course can be borrowed for use in the classroom.

Teachers attending all nine ICN sessions and complying with the coursework requirements can earn graduate credit. Coursework requirements include completion of a portfolio of the experience using the workshop materials in the classroom and a summary of an interview with an energy expert in your local area. Grant support covers the $50 tuition for teachers participating in these sessions! Upon successful completion of the course, teachers will receive reimbursement of their tuition due to grant support from the Iowa Math and Science Education Partnership. Sessions can also be taken individually without charge but participants will not receive graduate credit.

Although all graduate credit seats for the spring course have now been filled, if you would like to participate in a course like this for summer or fall, please register for the waiting list. You will be contacted with dates/times and more information if a future course is secured. In addition, teachers may still register for individual sessions. Times and dates are listed below:

Energize Me to Teach about Energy Efficiency I
March 3
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Energize Me to Teach about Energy Efficiency II
March 24
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Energize Me to Teach about Energy Efficiency III
March 26
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Energize Me to Teach about Wind Energy I
March 10
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Energize Me to Teach about Wind Energy II
March 31
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Energize Me to Teach about Wind Energy III
April 2
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Energize Me to Teach about Solar Energy I
April 7
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Energize Me to Teach about Solar Energy II
April 21
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Energize Me to Teach about Solar Energy III
April 23
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

In addition to the teacher workshops, student ICN sessions related to the series are also being offered this spring. These sessions include Solar Model Cars and Solar Models Cars II, in which students design and keep their own solar model cars, and Wind Energy and Energy Efficiency II. Teachers and their students may go to all sessions or individual sessions. The dates and times for these student sessions are listed below:

Introduction to Wind Energy
March 10
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Wind Energy II
March 21
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Introduction to Model Solar Cars
April 7
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Model Solar Cars II
April 21
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

On March 10, 2009, Heartland AEA is supporting a student-to-student cultural learning opportunity for grades 9-12 through the ICN. This event will occur during two ICN sessions, the first from 9:00-9:50 a.m. and the second from 10:00-10:50 a.m. The registration deadline for both of these sessions is March 4, 2009. The event will originate from Heartland AEA, with sites joining around the state. It is free to participating Iowa schools.

This ICN event is a collaborative effort of the IRIS (Iowa Resource for International Service) Education Center, Heartland AEA, Iowa Public Television and the Iowa Communications Network. It coincides with International Women's Day and is intended to be an examination of women's rights in Nigeria, Tanzania and the United States. IRIS students around the state will interact with Iowa students in grades 9-12, addressing this global celebration and comparing their experiences. Questions such as the following will focus the students' conversations via the ICN across the state:

• Where is value placed on women in each society?
• How can men in leadership positions facilitate the ability of women to reach their goals?
• How can American students help foster an increase of women’s opportunities and values in their home country?