Assignment of Professional Development for Non-licensed Personnel
ArkansasIDEAS accounts are assigned according to the individual's designation in the Arkansas Educator Licensure System (AELS). There are two types of designations in AELS, Non-Licensed and Certified Teacher.
- Certified teachers have access to all courses available from ArkansasIDEAS.
- Non-Licensed accounts have a limited number of courses available.
Before assigning ArkansasIDEAS professional development courses to non-licensed personnel, please check the list below. If the course is not listed, it is unavailable to non-licensed account holders. As more courses are made available, this list is updated, so be sure to check back periodically.
Attention: Individual courses cannot be added to non-licensed accounts, nor can non-licensed accounts be upgraded to certified teacher or given access to the Certified Teacher Audience courses. This is based on intellectual property rights and copyrighted materials provided by subject matter experts at the time the course was created.
RTI Arkansas: Overview
RTI Arkansas: Overview is the first module of the RTI Arkansas educational initiative, which is designed to be a comprehensive, cultural shift within schools. In this overview course, educators from across the state share their insight on Response to Intervention (RTI) to show how it has made an impact. Response to Intervention is defined in detail, including its essential components, the multi-tiered system of supports, screening, progress monitoring, and data-based decision making.
Creating a Culture that Connects
Creating a Culture that Connects showcases Joel Lookadoo, 2020 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, as he provides understanding that the culture of our classrooms helps build students’ identities and that developing the whole person and high-quality, academic instruction are not mutually exclusive. Developing the whole person is for adults just as much as it is for kids, and this course is designed to help you explore that. Joel will provide strategies on incorporating academic content alongside skills that develop the whole person and evaluate the use of technology and instructional strategies for their ability to foster connection to create innovative experiences.
Hands on Nutrition
One in four Arkansas children is food insecure, one in three is obese, and poverty is a major risk factor for both food insecurity as well as obesity. This course’s curriculum from The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance Cooking Matters at the Store $10 Challenge will sensitize us to the prevalence of food insecurity and obesity in Arkansas and provide resources and adaptable lesson plans teachers can use to teach their students how to plan healthy meals on a budget.
The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance Cooking Matters at the Store $10 Challenge is a lesson plan focused on integrating healthful eating, meal planning, and comparing food labels and unit prices into core courses. The lesson plan is written very generally to allow for content-specific modifications, if desired.
Understanding Alternative Education in Arkansas
This course highlights successful Alternative Learning Environments (ALEs) across the state and the techniques and approaches that are used to reach struggling learners. Students are given the chance to voice their opinion on the experiences they have had in an ALE. The teachers and experts discuss a variety of topics, covering everything from student-teacher ratio to the advantages and disadvantages of hiring security guards.
Dyslexia: A Three-Part Professional Awareness
Please Note: Referral policies for school districts may vary. Before making a referral, please investigate your school's policies and follow them accordingly.
In this three-part dyslexia professional awareness program, we look at some of the indicators of dyslexia, the need for screening and early intervention, and important processes like Response to Intervention and referral for evaluation. We hear from students, parents, and various professionals in the fields of medicine, psychology, and education regarding the importance of the science behind teaching a student who is dyslexic. Experts and students themselves say it takes patience, long hours, hard work, and practice to overcome dyslexia. It is our hope to whet your appetite and to instill in you the desire and a sense of urgency to learn more about Specific Learning Disabilities, especially dyslexia, and how to make a lasting impact in the life of each student, every day.
More Than Sad: Teen Suicide / Depression - Prevention and Awareness Programs
This course meets the requirements of ACA 6-17-708. This course, provided by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), is designed to help teachers and other school personnel learn more about teen suicide and how they can play a role in its prevention. This course features two films and their supporting documents. The first film, “More Than Sad: Preventing Teen Suicide”, educates teachers, counselors, other school personnel about the causes of youth suicide as well as warning signs and steps they can take to get help for students. The second film, “More Than Sad: Teen Depression”, features four vignettes- each designed to present to teens as a recognizable picture of depression, reduce fears and misconceptions about treatment, and promote help-seeking behavior. Both films were produced by AFSP in conjunction with the award-winning Break Thru Films.
Special thanks specifically to the Arkansas Chapter of AFSP for their contribution of the films. Schools interested in obtaining a free copy of the More Than Sad films can find contact information at the end of the each video.
This course meets the suicide awareness and prevention components of ACA 6-17-708.
Mind Movement: Move the Body, Expand the Mind
Everybody, out of your seats! Movement isn’t just for physical education class. New research tells us that if we want our kids to learn and achieve, no matter the age level or subject area, we will get them out of their chairs to move their bodies—and their minds. This physical education course produced by ArkansasIDEAS and the Arkansas Department of Education identifies the problems with a sedentary learning method, teaches the science behind the mind/body connection as it relates to physical activity, and explains how educators can be part of the solution for healthier, happier students. You will learn how physical activity can be integral to classroom learning and just how serious the problem of physical inactivity is for our students here in Arkansas. Judy LoBianco joins us all the way from New Jersey to provide insight from her background as a national health and physical education expert.
Tackling Heat Illness
Credit Hours: 1
Vendor: IDEAS
Arkansas summers are hot, and according to the National Weather Service, the days are likely to become hotter. Consequently, exertional heat illnesses are a valid concern for coaches, trainers, parents, and students who participate in summer activities such as practices and competitions. The most severe exertional heat illness is exertional heat stroke which is 100 percent survivable with proper and quick response. This course will discuss the dangers of heat, the proper methods of prevention, and most importantly, how to recognize and treat exertional heat illnesses should they occur.
Hunter Midkiff, a junior at Piggot High School, died on August 15, 2020, as a result of exertional heatstroke. You will hear his story and how his death has impacted those who knew and loved him.
Our host, Krista Bradley, and our expert, Dr. Michael Israel, Pediatric Sports Medicine for Arkansas Children's Hospital and UAMS, discuss ways to recognize and treat exertional heat illnesses as well as ways to prevent them altogether. He also shares the effect that heat has on the body, the proper way to measure the heat, and the steps to take that can save a life.
This course meets the heat illness prevention training requirements for coaches as set forth in ACA 6-18-708.Dealing with Death: Crisis Communication
There are many different types of school crises that occur and being prepared is essential in order to provide appropriate support in the event of a traumatic school or community event, especially one that involves the death of students, faculty, or staff members. It is important to be ready beforehand, with a crisis response team and action plan in place. Inspired by When Death Impacts Your School: A Guide for School Administrators, a 2007 publication from The Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children and Families, ArkansasIDEAS brings you Dealing with Death: Crisis Communication, the first episode in a two-part podcast series exploring the importance of a crisis response team, the respective roles and tasks of team members, and what should be included within the team’s action plan.
This course features a podcast-style production hosted by Christina Muñoz and featuring both scenarios and interview segments. Experts interviewed include Andrea Fortner, Guidance and Counseling Coordinator for the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education; Dr. Marisha DiCarlo, Vice President of Community Engagement, Advocacy, and Health for Arkansas Children's Hospital; and Greg Adams, Program Coordinator for Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s Center for Good Mourning. Course takers may choose to experience the podcast via video or audio-only options.
This course meets the mental health awareness components of ACA 6-17-708.
NOTE: The content of this course overtly deals with potentially distressing topics, including death and human loss, illness, violence, and trauma.
Grief and Loss: School Community Support
In Arkansas, one in eleven children will experience the death of a close family member before the age of eighteen. Additionally, there are many types of school and community crises that could occur involving the death of a student or staff member. It is important to be prepared to provide support for students and staff through the pain and grief of such losses. Inspired by the 2007 publication, When Death Impacts Your School: A Guide for School Administrators by the Dougy Center: The National Grief Center for Children and Families and featuring a segment highlighting key points from the book’s chapter, “The Six Principles of Grief,” ArkansasIDEAS brings you Grief and Loss: School Community Support. This is the second episode in a two-part podcast series that explores how to distinguish between grief and mourning, the factors that influence grief responses, and how to identify and support grieving students and staff members.
This course features a podcast-style production hosted by Christina Muñoz. Experts interviewed include Greg Adams, Program Coordinator for Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s Center for Good Mourning; Dr. Sufna John, Licensed Psychologist and Associate Professor of the Department of Psychiatry at UAMS; Andrea Fortner, Guidance and Counseling Coordinator for the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education; and Rodney Ford, Program Advisor for the Guidance and Counseling Office at the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Course takers may choose to experience the podcast via video or audio-only options.
This course meets the mental health awareness components of ACA 6-17-708.
NOTE: The content of this course overtly deals with potentially distressing topics, including death and human loss, illness, violence, and trauma.