MBAEA Media Newsletter

Students at Forest Grove Elementary helped carry on Jewish survivor Riva Barenboim's journey to safety during the holocaust. With the help of their teacher, Sarah Vice, author Anna Vorzhtsova, a comic industry illustrator, and MBAEA consultant Aaron Maurer, they illustrated the book Riva's Reality: A Childhood Stolen by Hitler. Aaron Maurer explains the importance of capturing stories and questions to guide the process.

Rebecca Lower, a student at Northeast High School, wrote and illustrated If Not Now, When? with the help of her teacher, Lisa LeConte. She captured the story of Sol Nayman, a Jewish man whose family was displaced during the holocaust. She explains the impact of her experience.

If you want to learn more about the writing process to capture the story of a holocaust, human rights, or hero story, complete the registration form or contact Heather Whitman, hwhitman@mbaea.org.

"Instead of better glasses, your networks gives you better eyes."

--Ronald Burt

We had 56 teacher-librarians and district administrators attend the first session of Media Academy. It was a busy day with whole group learning, breakout session opportunities, and district planning time. The room was buzzing with discussions and, of course, laughter. The quote above seemed to describe our time together well. I learned a ton and heard many positive comments about the value of discussing processes and ideas with others.

Our second Media Academy session is on Dec. 5, and our optional check-in meeting is on Nov. 9 from 3:30-4:15 via Zoom.

High schools have access to Newsbank's America's Historical Newspapers 1690-2000 database until December 31, 2023. This informational document provides additional information about the resource and how to access the database.

Please get in touch with Heather Whitman, hwhitman@mbaea.org, with additional questions.

You have to check out this fantastic tool!

ZipCaptions provides an easy-to-use live captions experience that lives right inside your browser. Users can translate the text into French, Spanish, Italian, and German. In addition, users can change the font, background color, text sizing, and spacing. According to their website, they don't capture, store, or share any of your data, and there are no hidden fees and no agreements to sign. I encourage you to look at their privacy policy. Check out their YouTube channel with tips on how to utilize this tool.

Educators can use this tool during classroom lessons or professional development meetings to enhance learning for all. It would greatly benefit students with hearing loss, auditory processing difficulties, and those who speak English as a second language. In addition, educators can add captions to prerecorded content.

If you are willing to share ways you use this tool, please let me know at hwhitman@mbaea.org so I can highlight this in future newsletters.

The AEAs provide a quarterly newsletter focused on media-related topics. The most recent newsletter focuses on artificial intelligence and offers great insight.

Important Takeaways:

• AI continues to dominate the use of technology in our lives.
• Copyright infringement, misinformation, and the invasion of privacy are just a few of the challenges educators will be faced with.
• AI is not going away. We will need to embrace it in our classroom in a positive manner.

All AIME newsletters are available in the AEA Digital Library database on MBAEA OneClick or the Iowa AEA website.

As AI becomes more and more prevalent in our daily lives, it is essential to think about how to educate students and staff on how to responsibly and ethically give credit to AI sources.

This informational document addresses AI usage, plagiarism, AI citations, and MLA and APA guidance. Contact Aaron Maurer at amaurer@mbaea.org with additional questions.

AI can be used to help with planning engaging lessons, accommodating student needs, and assessing student growth. Cecile Retrosi shared her presentation on ISTE Connect, highlighting six AI products and tutorials that can be used to improve instruction. I anticipate that you will find one of these tools beneficial for planning.

Learn about the Native American tribes in PebbleGo Next. It is broken into 11 regional groups, providing the history of each tribe, more about their culture, and how they live today.

Access it through MBAEA OneClick or on our Iowa AEA website.

Teachingbooks provides audio, digital, and other media to bring books to interest readers. Consider adding QR code labels or shelf-talkers to existing library or classroom books centered around Native American characters or other books.

New digital titles were recently added to MackinVIA dashboards based on interest level. Audio copies for many of our set books were included in this purchase.

We are excited for new print titles to arrive in the next 6-8 weeks. The print and digital titles support instruction on the solar system, climate change, biographies, high-interest nonfiction titles, computer science, and STEM. In addition, we purchased graphic novels, award winners aligned to science, math, and social studies or other notable award winners, high-interest nonfiction, and books with Asian, Native American, and Middle Eastern cultures or authors.

If you have purchasing recommendations that would enhance your curriculum, please email Heather Whitman at hwhitman@mbaea.org.

Pear Deck is designed to aid in creating an inclusive, engaging learning environment. Features like anonymous responses, student-paced lessons, and the ability to integrate multimedia to appeal to different learning styles all help engage a broader range of students, ensuring no one gets left behind.

Interested in learning more about how to use Pear Deck? Attend the next monthly sync sessions.

🗓️ Virtual Sync Dates and Times

• November 28, 2023, 3:30- 4:15 pm

• December 12, 2023, 3:30- 4:15 pm

🍐REGISTRATION LINK 🍐

Register for one or both monthly sync sessions. If you can't attend and have a question, still post it, and if you're registered, you will get the recording!

We are beginning to add district/building subscription apps to district MBAEA OneClick dashboards. Please get in touch with Heather Whitman, hwhitman@mbaea.org, or Courtney Chandler, cchandler@mbaea.org, for further information.

For the latest in STEM and computer science, follow Aaron Maurer's newsletter.

The Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled provides materials in alternative formats due to blindness, low vision, or physical or reading disabilities for all ages. They offer 200,000+ items available in braille or audio, and their library grows daily. The instructional materials center blog and overview video provide additional information.

If you have students needing library books in large print or braille, please contact Heather Whitman at hwhitman@mbaea.org. She will connect you with the AEA teacher of the visually impaired who works with your district.

Discover resources and tips to utilize technology to meet the needs of all learners.

We offer media kits, assistive technology, set books, robotics, and much more. Log in to our media catalog today! Please do not hesitate to contact us with any issues logging in for the first time or booking an item.

Media Center Support

• media-center-staff@aea9.k12.ia.us
• 563-344-6231

We deliver weekly to district-designated locations and AEA buildings.

Our offices are open from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Before/after-hours pickup options are available at the Bettendorf office from 6:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. Please get in touch with us at media-center-staff@aea9.k12.ia.us with any questions.

Mississippi Bend AEA Registration ends Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Course Name and Link: MB - Paraeducator Certification Area of Concentration: Special needs

Instructor: Jana Van Wetzinga, jvanwetzinga@mbaea.org

Cost: $180.00

Format: Virtual via Zoom

Start date: November 28, 2023

Meeting dates: November 28, 30, December 05, 06, & 07, 2023

Meeting time: 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Mississippi Bend AEA provides various instructional tools and resources for teachers and students supporting teaching and learning.

Email media-center-staff@aea9.k12.ia.us or call us at 563-344-6231 anytime for assistance with login credentials or other media-related questions.

Check out all our services! We are here to support you!

Email: hwhitman@mbaea.org
Website: https://mbaea.org/media-library/
Location: 729 21st Street, Bettendorf, IA, USA
Phone: 563-344-6256
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missbend9/
Twitter: @MBAEA

The Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender identity, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, socioeconomic status, or disability in its educational programs, services or employment practices. Inquiries concerning this statement should be addressed to Joe Prosek, Equity Coordinator, at 563-344-6445.