Busing on the Lookout - Truckers Against Trafficking

Human trafficking—or modern-day slavery—is the exploitation of human beings through force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of commercial sex or forced labor. There are an estimated 40 million victims of human trafficking globally, including thousands of school-age children in the United States and Canada. As half of American and Canadian school children ride the bus daily, some victims will continue attending school during the day—and riding the school bus—even while they are being trafficked or groomed at night.

When building an army to fight a crime like human trafficking, the bus industry has a key role to fill. Through their sheer numbers, extensive travels, and the nature of their jobs, members of the bus industry—commercial and school—are uniquely positioned to provide an extra set of eyes and ears for law enforcement in recovering victims and arresting traffickers.

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

Busing on the Lookout: School Bus Drivers on the Lookout to Combat Human Trafficking

As a school transportation employee, you are in a critical position to recognize signs of human trafficking and take action to end this horrible practice. By taking this course, you are equipping yourself with the knowledge, skills, and resources you need to keep your students safe. 

Truckers Against Trafficking, an organization dedicated to ending human trafficking, realizes the impact that local school bus drivers can have in the fight for human dignity and urges bus drivers to join in the effort to end trafficking. Kendis Paris, Executive Director for Truckers Against Trafficking, partners with an executive director of school transportation, a detective, and a survivor of human trafficking to bring you information on signs of human trafficking to look for and expert guidance on what you should do if you witness a suspected incident of human trafficking.   

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

The Challenges of Learning English as a Second Language

With the increasing number of English language learners (ELLs) in K-12 schools, today's teachers have a new responsibility - serving as models of English for ELLs. Most teachers, however, are unfamiliar with aspects of English that are most challenging to ELLs. In this course, Dr. Keith Folse, Associate Professor of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at the University of Central Florida, identifies these challenges using examples of common questions and mistakes made by ELLs. He provides explanations and effective options for answering difficult questions.

This presentation was recorded during the SETESOL conference in Rogers, Arkansas on October 8-11, 2014.

Close Reading of Complex Texts

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts requires students "to read increasingly complex texts with growing independence." When teachers understand what makes a text complex, they can better support their students in reading them. In this course, Dr. Doug Fisher examines the quantitative and qualitative factors of text complexity, as well as the ways in which readers can be matched with texts and tasks. He also examines how close reading of complex texts scaffolds students' understanding. 

This presentation was recorded during the SETESOL conference in Rogers, Arkansas on October 8-11, 2014.

Techniques for Explaining Vocabulary to English Language Learners

In order to improve their second language proficiency, English language learners (ELLs) need a solid knowledge of vocabulary. Dr. Keith Folse identifies the struggles ELLs face with learning English vocabulary and the challenges teachers face with incorporating vocabulary into instruction. Throughout the course, he demonstrates several strategies and activities for learning vocabulary words.

This presentation was recorded during the SETESOL conference in Rogers, Arkansas on October 8-11, 2014.

Sit with Us: Anti-Bullying Strategies for Arkansas Schools

Bullying is a major problem in our society, and it affects the physical, emotional, and academic health of our children and youth. Moreover, the experience of peer mistreatment can leave invisible scars for all involved—the victims, the bystanders, and the bullies themselves. ArkansasIDEAS’ Sit With Us: Anti-Bullying Strategies for Arkansas Schools calls you to join our distinguished panel, including national expert Dr. Charisse Nixon and veteran Arkansas educators, as they explore Arkansas’s Act 1029, an Act to Amend the State Anti-Bullying Policy, and problem-solve simulated scenarios based on in-the-trenches experiences. 

This course meets the anti-bullying training requirements of ACA 6-17-711.

We Are All in This Together: Building Student Relationships

Delve into real-life examples of safe and nurturing classrooms and schools with 2019 and 2020 Arkansas Teachers of the Year Stacey McAdoo and Joel Lookadoo as they share techniques for helping all kids raise their voices and contribute to their school communities. As you watch, consider how these techniques foster positive classroom culture and build student relationships, and how they incorporate the G.U.I.D.E. for Life principles of developing empathy and improving student interactions.

Code of Ethics Part One: Professional Relationships

In this first of twelve courses on Code of Ethics, host Alyson Courtney sits down with Arkansas educators to discuss the topic of professional relationships. Given the advancement in technology and communication, it is more pertinent now than ever for teachers to maintain professional boundaries inside and outside the classroom. Participants in this course will view animated scenarios that delve into the potential pitfalls of crossing boundaries with students and will receive guidance from experts to make good decisions in ethical dilemmas.  

Code of Ethics Part Two: Mental Health Awareness

In part two of Code of Ethics, host Alyson Courtney sits down with Arkansas educators to discuss the topic of mental health awareness. The stress teachers endure can be burdensome, and educators are not immune to hardships in life. This course aims to address the need for teachers to practice self-care and mental preparation when it comes to educating students. Participants in this course will view animated scenarios that illustrate what happens when the mental health of educators is neglected and what can be done to promote and practice mental health awareness. 

Code of Ethics Part Three: Social Media

In part three of Code of Ethics, host Chris Kane sits down with Arkansas educators to discuss the topic of social media. Social media is part of our world, and it can be a very powerful tool when used correctly. This course aims to address the policies that are put into place to protect both students and teachers. Participants in this course will view animated scenarios that illustrate the impact that social media can have on students, teachers, and school districts and hear discussions on the best practices to uphold when using social media in professional settings.