The Quantum Learning Workshop was held at ESU 10 the weeks of June 22nd and June 29th.

The following are some comments received from the workshop.

We invite you to attend our next Library Media Specialist workshop on Wednesday, September 23rd.  Please register on ODIE at https://odie.esu10.org/workshops.  As usual, we will have plenty to share throughout the day. If you are a new Information Specialist/Media Specialist/Librarian we would encourage you to attend this event.  You will be filled to the brim with library & book hints, technology tips, and information on the latest trends to help meet the needs of your teachers, and will just enjoy chatting with your fellow cohorts! Our morning presenters, Deb Levitov and Sherry Crow, will be addressing Learning 4 Life (L4L).  They have all the latest information as they just returned from the annual American Library Association (ALA) Conference in Chicago. 

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) one-day L4L training summit was created to support schools preparing to implement the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner and Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. The implementation plan was also developed to increase awareness and understanding of the learning standards and guidelines along with creating a committed group of stakeholders with a shared voice.

Judy Henning (Kearney Public Schools Director of Media Services) attended the Learning 4 Life (L4L) training summit on July 9, 2009. Others attending the training from Nebraska were Lori Umstead, Millard MS Media Specialist; Donna Hellvering, Millard Director of Media Services; Sherry Crow, UNK Media Program Instructor; and Deb Levitov, editior of School Media Activities Monthly. Judy commented that "our state had the most people at this L4L workshop." 


More information on the L4L initiative and the 21st-Century Learning Standards is available on the AASL Web site:

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learning4life/index.cfm

Assistive Technology Partnership/Education, part of ESU 10 Program of Services and housed in the ESU 10's Cozad Center, provides statewide assistive technology services to children (birth to twenty-one) with special needs and their families, caregivers, teachers, service providers, etc.  Some of the services offered by ATP/Education include:

• Training (which may range from awareness of assistive technology to specific devices)
• Consultations (child-specific requests/identified needs)
• Technical support (this may include phone support or on-site visitation)
• Funding (assistance with working through the funding process and information on available sources of funding, but ATP/Education is not a funding source)
• Equipment loan pool (short term loans of devices)

Because of the size of Nebraska, ATP/Education has divided the state into five regions, with an educational specialist assigned to each area.  You are able to contact your educational specialist with specific questions you might have or requests for training, technical support, etc.  There are no charges for services provided by ATP/Education.

The educational specialist for ESU 10 is Marcy Feik.  Marcy's contact information is:
    Marcy Feik
    1910 Meridian Ave.
    Cozad, NE  69130
    mfeik@esu10.org
    308.784.4525

Under Nebraska Rule 51, all decisions for a child on an Individual Education Plan (IEP) must be made through a team process.  Educational specialists must operate within this team process.  They work in conjunction with appropriate school personnel (administrators, regular and special education teachers, paraprofessionals, occupational and physical therapists, speech language pathologists, etc.), parents, agency personnel, and, most importantly, the student to assist in determining what assistive technology will be most effective for the student.

Educational specialists provide guidance to the local educational team on gauging and selecting appropriate assistive technology.  They do not make specific recommendations or do evaluations on assistive technology.  All decisions related to assistive technology services and devices are made by the school educational team.

ATP/Education has a statewide loan pool which offers you an opportunity to "try before you buy."  You are able to borrow assistive technology for a short period of time to use and see if it is appropriate.  The loan pool equipment is listed on the AT4ALL website www.at4all.com.  This allows you to view the equipment available and request items via the site.  The AT4ALL website includes descriptions and photos of the devices and links to the manufacturing companies.  AT4ALL also has loan pools from other participating programs and items for sale or give away.

ATP/Education is a good resource for information on where to purchase specific assistive technology.