Human Trafficking: Who Are the Victims?

The U.S. Department of State estimates there are 27.6 victims of human trafficking at any given moment in the world. According to the Department of Homeland Security, “Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion in exchange for labor, services, or a commercial sex act.” The department also makes it clear that human trafficking can happen anywhere to anyone, even here in the United States, regardless of the victim’s age, race, gender, or nationality. 

Arkansas is not immune to the crime of human trafficking. Between 2007 and 2021, the Human Trafficking Hotline identified 557 cases of human trafficking in Arkansas which led to 1,492 victims identified. In 2021, the hotline received 270 contacts identifying 74 cases and 168 victims. In two years, (2019-2021) the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline received 115 child sex trafficking reports and 10 child labor trafficking reports.

Recognizing the indicators and risk factors of human trafficking can help in the prevention and early detection of human trafficking. Our host, Alyson Courtney, asks the difficult questions from our experts Sergeant Matt Foster of the Arkansas Human Trafficking Council and Arkansas State Police, Gretchen Smelter from Into the Light, and Detective Jennifer Tarvin of the Saline County Sherrif's Office. They discuss important topics such as misconceptions, vulnerabilities, and indicators of human trafficking and its victims. 

This course meets the human trafficking professional development requirements of ACA 6-17-710.

Code of Ethics Part Ten: Testing Integrity

In part ten of Code of Ethics, host Chris Kane visits with Arkansas educators to discuss the topic of testing integrity. Participants in this course will view animated scenarios that illustrate how professional responsibilities, or the lack thereof, can impact students, teachers, and school districts. In addition, participants will hear discussions on the best practices to uphold as a professional educator.

Code of Ethics Part Nine: Professional Responsibilities II

In course nine of the Code of Ethics series, host Chris Kane sits down with a panel of educators to examine the role ethics play in teachers' behaviors and decision-making.  The panel will use Standard Two and Standard Four of the Arkansas Code of Ethics to guide them as they discuss a variety of scenarios. Participants in this course will view animated scenarios that illustrate how professional responsibilities, or the lack thereof, can impact students, teachers, and school districts. In addition, participants will hear discussions on the best practices to uphold as a professional educator.

Code of Ethics Part Eight: Effective Communication

In the eighth course from the Code of Ethics series, our host, Alyson Courtney, visits with Jamie Reed-Moss and Tom Cypert, both assistant principals in different school districts in Arkansas, to review two based-on-real-life scenarios in which educators have violated the Code of Ethics. The scenarios in this course will focus on the importance of timely, honest, and considerate communication. 

Code of Ethics Part Seven: An Educator's Influence

In the seventh course from the Code of Ethics series, our host, Alyson Courtney, visits with Jamie Reed-Moss and Tom Cypert, both assistant principals in different school districts in Arkansas, to review two based-on-real-life scenarios in which educators have violated the Code of Ethics. The scenarios in these videos will focus on the tremendous influence that educators have on their students and on the communities in which they serve. 

Arkansas History Overview

Educators enrolled in this course will explore a brief overview of key topics in Arkansas history. The video content is a carefully curated selection from previously released ArkansasIDEAS courses, offering a broad survey of the state's history, from pre-European exploration to the late 20th century. 

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirements as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by ACA 6-17-703. 

Closing the Empathy Gap

Closing the Empathy Gap brings to the forefront the vision of Susanna Post, 2021 Arkansas Teacher of the Year. Through her experience of teaching in alternative learning classrooms, she realized something important was missing. She began to understand that her students' life experiences were very different from her own, and she was unable to empathize to some degree. She began to suspect this was happening in every classroom across the country. Mrs. Post understood that these gaps were unintentional and built a platform on the desire to close those empathy gaps. 

Arkansas has the highest rate of traumatic adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the country, so it made sense to start here in Arkansas. Through this course, you will follow her journey, learn about the brain science behind her claims, listen as other Arkansas Teachers of the Year and one Missouri Teacher of the Year discuss how empathy impacts their own classrooms, and watch one student's journey as he learns that empathy also comes with high expectations. 

This course meets the requirements of ACA 6-17-708.

SMACtalk for Teachers: Digital Learning Unit

As students spend more time learning and socializing online, we all need to work together to ensure our students stay healthy and safe. The social media awareness campaign, SMACtalk, was formed in response to this need. SMACtalk for Teachers is a series featuring an audio podcast published by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. The purpose of SMACtalk for Teachers is to raise awareness, provide resources, and increase communication for parents, teachers, and students.

This course is the eighth in a SMACtalk for Teachers series. The host, Cassandra Barnett, has been a school librarian for 42 years and is currently the Program Advisor for School Libraries for the Arkansas Department of Education. Digital citizenship is part of what school librarians teach, making them very interested in helping our students be responsible and ethical when online.

SMACtalk for Teachers: Unplugging

As students spend more time learning and socializing online, we all need to work together to ensure our students stay healthy and safe. The social media awareness campaign, SMACtalk, was formed in response to this need. SMACtalk for Teachers is a series featuring an audio podcast published by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. The purpose of SMACtalk for Teachers is to raise awareness, provide resources, and increase communication for parents, teachers, and students.

This course is the seventh in the SMACtalk for Teachers series. The host, Cassandra Barnett, has been a school librarian for 42 years and is currently the Program Advisor for School Libraries for the Arkansas Department of Education. As advocates for digital citizenship, school librarians teach students how to behave ethically and responsibly when online.

SMACtalk for Teachers: Online Dangers

As students spend more time learning and socializing online, we all need to work together to ensure our students stay healthy and safe. The social media awareness campaign, SMACtalk, was formed in response to this need. SMACtalk for Teachers is a series featuring an audio podcast published by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. The purpose of SMACtalk for Teachers is to raise awareness, provide resources, and increase communication for parents, teachers, and students.

This course is the sixth in a SMACtalk for Teachers series. The host, Cassandra Barnett, has been a school librarian for 42 years and is currently the Program Advisor for School Libraries for the Arkansas Department of Education. As advocates for digital citizenship, school librarians teach students how to behave ethically and responsibly when online.