Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
 
Instructional Technology Newsline
December 2005: Volume 7, Number 2 

Newsline Submission Guidelines


 Inside this Issue

Instructional Technology Update 

From the Director’s Desk

E-rate Program

  • Funding News

  • SLD to open filing window Dec. 6

  • FCC releases Eligible Services List

National News

State and National "Technology Days"

Ed Tech Research, Publications, Resources, Special Events

  • GenYES proven effetive as technology professional development model

  • Pew report on teens as content creators and consumers

Missouri Schools and Programs in the News -

  • None this month

MOREnet Update

  • None this month

Cooperating School District Sets Conference

Regular Featured Items 

 


Index by Topics
Archives

The December Newsline provides an update on funding projections for the federal education technology and E-rate programs, the third installment of the Census of Technology Question of the Month series (about items that generate the most questions), updates on the development of state and local education technology plans and other timely topics, and links to numerous and varied web-based resources. Enjoy December and the holiday season. Deborah S. Sutton

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

Budgets/Grant Programs

Funding for the current year appears steady. While some state programs suffered additional withholdings, the Safe and Pilot Schools grant program was not affected.

As for school year 2006-2007, Congress has not yet passed the bill addressing education programs, still confronting a difficult budget year exacerbated by the hurricane devastations. Meanwhile, the state awaits the governor’s mid-January “State of the State” address, outlining his goals and proposed budget for the coming year. (See “National News” for details about recent Congressional activity.)

Technology Data Collection

Census of Technology – To be completed February 15 through April 15, 2006
To ensure timely and proper access to the COT, districts are encouraged to review their contact information by no later than mid-January. Visit the Web Application screen for Data Collection/Data entry, August Cycle (03 screen), and update information as needed. Districts are also encouraged at this time to preview the items and manual instructions. Facsimiles of the census and instructions are located at http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/instrtech/statefunded/census/index.htm. Read through this information to determine district strategies for collecting and reporting timely and accurate data. (See “Technology Census Question of the Month” article about common mistakes and frequently asked questions.)

Technology Planning

District plans due spring 2006 – Option of submitting one-year or three-year plans <Reminder>
Over 400 districts have been informed they must submit new education technology plans for state approval in spring 2006. This round, districts have the option of submitting one-year or three-year plans. With the Department in the process of developing a new state education technology plan, a district can opt to submit a one-year plan (based on the currently approved plan) to allow the district more time to develop a long-range plan that aligns with the new state plan. For more information about this option and this year’s [new] electronic procedures for submitting plans for approval, visit the IT web site at: http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/instrtech/techplan/2006/index.html.

Development of a new State Plan – Review and provide input on goals and objectives now!
Efforts are underway in creating the 2006-2011 Missouri Education Technology Strategic Plan. The current task (through early January) is reviewing the goals and objectives of the current plan to determine what should be kept, modified, or discarded, and to identify what new objectives should be added.

A listing of the 2002-2006 goals and objectives is available on the state technology planning website for viewing or downloading as a rich-text file that can be opened in most word processors. The document can be accessed from the "Ed-Tech Documents" link on the main navigation menu. Please take some time to review this document and post your ideas in the comments area below the article. See:http://www.successlink.us/motechplan/


Participation and feedback from all stakeholders is essential in the creation of the next Missouri Education Technology Strategy Plan! You can participate by registering for a free account with this website and taking part in discussion board forums, provide feedback on specific articles using the "Comments" section below each article, or submit your own recommendations using the "Submit News" link available to registered users of the site.


 TECHNOLOGY CENSUS QUESTION OF THE MONTH

Note: This is the third in a series of articles about the Department’s Census of Technology (COT) collected each spring.  

Q: What Census items present the most problems to school users or generate the most questions?

A: The most commonly asked questions deal with how to prorate shared resources, when to use whole numbers or decimals, and how to respond to new or revised questions. 

Who should be responsible for completing COT data screens?
The Census forms are designed as single point-of-contact surveys. Typically, the District form (Screen 30) is completed by a district technology coordinator or a central office administrator, and the School Building form (Screen 31) is completed by a building-level administrator and/or a school technology specialist. While technical staff should be able to answer all the technical questions, they may not be able to respond to the technology usage items on the school-building census. School contacts are encouraged to consult with principals to complete accurate technology usage data.

How does a school count and report resources shared across grade spans and/or buildings? 
Hardware and Support Items 2 through 4 survey computer-based technologies available in the building by type and location. Prior to 2004, the location types included computer labs, classrooms, library media centers, and administrative offices. Beginning in 2004, classroom locations were separated into grade spans of pre-Kindergarten-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, and area career centers (ACC). So, what should a school do if a room serves multiple grade spans? 
 

If two or more buildings share a room (such as a library media center), the resources in that room should be prorated, so they are not counted twice. A district library that serves the elementary building and the high school building, but the library has distinct areas for users by age group, should be able to determine the resources (computers) used by the elementary school and the number used by secondary students. However, another library (or music, art, or other non-grade specific room) is serving multiple buildings or grade spans without such distinction. In this case, the resources need to be prorated by users and proportion of usage.

A building would split the resources evenly if the room is occupied by students in grades preK-2 roughly half the time and grades 3-5 the other half. A room that serves students in grades 3-5 one hour of the day and serves preK-2 students the rest of the day would prorate the resources in a similar fashion. In cases where one hour represents one-sixth of the day, buildings would multiply the available resources (computers) by .17 (the equivalent of 1/6), round that number to the nearest whole number, and enter that number in the cell for grades 3-5 – and enter the remaining number (of computers) in the cell for preK-2. In cases where the number of resources is too few to divide, place the resources in the category that “best fits”.

Building Internet Connectivity Item 1, about bandwidth, is another item generating questions about shared resources. In a case where a district has a T1 line that is shared by two or more buildings, each building would report having T1 access.  

When should whole numbers be used; when are decimals appropriate?
Unless specified otherwise, COT items predominantly require whole numbers. A few items ask about the “percentage” of staff who are at certain technical skill levels, or who routinely use certain technologies for various functions. Since the percentage sign is shown on the form for these items, the appropriate responses would range from 0 through 100. Do not report raw numbers (the actual numbers of teachers), but convert raw numbers into percentages by dividing the actual number of teachers by the total number of teachers. For example, if 5 of 10 teachers routinely use computers to generate written products the school would enter 50 (representing 50 percent) for that item, while 5 of 20 teachers would be 25 (25 percent), 5 of 40 would be 12 (12.5 percent), and so on.  

The only exceptions are those items that deal with FTE: District Item 3 and Building Hardware and Support Item 1 and Internet Connectivity/Tech Usage Item 6. FTE refers to full-time equivalence and it’s possible to have one or more part-time staff assignments. For these items, point-of-contacts enter FTE by staff type (district staff, school certificated staff, and school non-certificated staff). Full-time staff would be represented as whole numbers; part-time staff would be represented by decimals.  For example, a full-time district coordinator equals 1.0, a half-time staff (someone who spends 50 percent of his/her contracted time on district technology issues) equals .5, one quarter-time staff equals .25, and so on. In cases of multiple staff, add all the full and/or partial FTEs (e.g., one full-time and one half-time staff equal 1.5, and three half-time staffs equal 1.5). 

What items are new or revised for 2006?
Those who completed the 2005 Census will see very few changes in 2006. One item was added, one deleted, two items combined, and a handful had response options revised and/or expanded. Details follow: 

District Census (Screen 30) has 11 items. No items have been added or deleted since 2005. Item 3 is being revised to help alleviate confusion reported in previous years. 

Item 3 asks district to estimate the “total FTE of district-level staff and/or others directly responsible for technical maintenance and support of hardware”. The response cells are separated into categories of “employees” and “non-employees”.  

Employees –
  • If the district does not have district employees who have district technology  duties, check the box next to “None” and proceed to the non-employees column.
  • Check the box next to “District technology staff” if the district employs one or more full and/or part-time staff to oversee the district’s technology (such as a technology director or technology coordinator). <AND>
    Enter the full-time equivalence of that work in the “FTE” cell. Full-time staff would be represented as whole numbers; part-time staff would be represented by decimals; multiple staff might amount to both (combination).
    [Examples: A full-time district coordinator equals 1.0, a half-time staff (someone who spends 50 percent of his/her contracted time on district technology issues) equals .5, one quarter-time staff equals .25, and so on. In cases of multiple district-level staff, add the full and/or partial FTEs (e.g., one full-time and one half-time staff equal 1.5, and three half-time staffs equal 1.5).]

Non-employees –

  • Check the box next to “None” if the district does not outsource district technology management.

  • Check the box next to “Vendor/contractor” if the district contracts for equipment maintenance and/or technical support.
    <AND>
    Enter the number of hours purchased through one or more service agreements or contracts. Enter hours in whole numbers, such as 20, 50, or 100.

Building-Level Census (Screen 31) has 19 items, spread across the five areas of technology planning, training, hardware and support, connectivity/distance-learning, and usage. One item (regarding library automation systems) was deleted; one item was added (regarding the number of hours of technology professional development attended); and, a handful of items are being revised to help alleviate questions or uncertainties. 

Training Item 2 is new and asks the school-building point-of-contact about the “number of teachers in the building participating in education technology-related professional development (including eMINTS)”.  

  • Enter the number of teachers in the building who, during the course of the 2005-06 school year,  have or will have participated in training, by the number of hours attended. Enter the number with fewer than 15 hour, the number with 15 to 30 hours, and the number with more than 30 hours of technology-related professional development. Enter whole numbers (use “0” if appropriate).

Training Item 3 is being revised and asks the school-building point-of-contact about the “number of eMINTS-trained teachers in the school building, by training type”. The response cells are separated by type of professional development program. Enter whole numbers. 

eMINTS for Teachers
  • If the building does not have teachers who have participated in the comprehensive two-year eMINTS program for teachers – provided by eMINTS staff or district staff certified by eMINTS – check the box next to “None” and proceed to the next column.
  • Enter the number of teachers who have participated in the teacher professional development program: enter the number who have completed (or will have completed by June 2006) one year of training and the number of teachers with two years of training. Enter whole numbers.
eMINTS for Education Technology Specialists (PD4ETS)
  • If the building does not have educators who have participated in the comprehensive two-year eMINTS train-the-trainer program, check the box next to “None” and proceed to the next column.
  • Enter the number of educators who have participated in the train-the-trainer program: enter the number who have completed (or will have completed by June 2006) one year of training and the number of educators with two years of training. Enter whole numbers.
Other two-year eMINTS staff development programs
  • If the building does not have educators who have participated in other comprehensive two-year eMINTS programs, such as eMINTS4All, check the box next to “None”.
  • Enter the number of educators who have participated in other comprehensive two-year eMINTS programs: enter the number who have completed (or will have completed by June 2006) one year of training and the number of teachers with two years of training. Enter whole numbers.

Hardware & Support Item 1 is being revised. It asks the building’s point-of-contact to “estimate total FTE of school building staff or others directly responsible for technical maintenance and/or support of hardware”. The response cells are separated into categories of “employees” and “non-employees”.  NOTE: This item is similar to District Item 3, with the district item addressing staff assigned by the district to oversee district-wide technology, and the building item addressing technology hardware and support provided at the building-level.  

Employees –
  • If the building does not receive technology hardware and support provided by district and/or building-level employees, check the box next to “None” and proceed to the non-employees column.
  • Check the box next to “District staff” if the district employs one or more full and/or part-time staff to oversee the building’s technology (such as a district or building technology director); check “School certificated staff” if one or more certificated educators in the building provide such services;  and/or, check “School non-certificated staff” if a non-educator provides the services.
    <AND>
    Enter the full-time equivalence of that work in the “FTE” cell. Full-time staff would be represented as whole numbers; part-time staff would be represented by decimals; multiple staff might amount to both (combination).
    [Examples: A full-time person (building technician) equals 1.0, a half-time staff (a teacher who spends 50 percent of his/her contracted time on building technology issues) equals .5, one quarter-time staff equals .25, and so on. In cases of multiple district-level staff, add the full and/or partial FTEs (e.g., one full-time and one half-time staff equal 1.5, and three half-time staffs equal 1.5).]
Non-employees –
  • Check the box next to “None” if the building does not receive technical services from an outside source.
  • If the building receives equipment maintenance and/or technical support through other sources, check the appropriate source type.
    <AND>
    Enter the number of hours purchased from “vendor/contractors” (through one or more service agreements or contracts) or provided by “students” or “parents/community members” during the school year. Enter hours in whole numbers, such as 20, 50, or 100. 

Hardware and Support Items 3 and 4 address computer-based technologies available in the building by type and location. These items address technologies located in computer labs, classrooms, library media centers, and administrative offices. Item 2 (computer data table) has not been changed but serves as the format standard. Item 3 combines two 2004 items: computer type (multimedia and Internet-connect) and computer type (desktop, laptop, handheld) by connection (wired or wireless). Item 4 addresses classroom technologies (from telephones to complete workstations). Last year this was number 5. The top row where school contacts would have entered the total number of rooms was inadvertently disabled, making data reporting impossible. This has been corrected.

Internet Connectivity/Technology Usage Item 6 is being revised. It asks the building’s point-of-contact to “estimate total FTE of staff or others directly responsible for integration of technology into curriculum and instruction. The response cells are separated into categories of “employees” and “non-employees”.  NOTE: This item is similar to District Item 3 and Building Hardware and Support Item 1. The distinction for this item is the instructional nature of the support. 

Employees –

  • If the building does not receive instructional technology support provided by district and/or building-level employees, check the box next to “None” and proceed to the non-employees column.
  • Check the box next to each appropriate staff type if the district employs one or more of that kind of staff to provide instructional technology support (such as a staff development provider, education technology specialist, or a teacher with part-time instructional support duties).
    <AND>
    Enter the full-time equivalence of that work in the “FTE” cell. Full-time staff would be represented as whole numbers; part-time staff would be represented by decimals; multiple staff might amount to both (combination).
    [Examples: A full-time person equals 1.0, a half-time staff (a teacher who spends 50 percent of his/her contracted time on instructional technology training) equals .5, one quarter-time staff equals .25, and so on. In cases of multiple district-level staff, add the full and/or partial FTEs (e.g., one full-time and one half-time staff equal 1.5, and three half-time staffs equal 1.5).]

Non-employees –

  • Check the box next to “None” if the building does not obtain or contract for instructional technology support from an outside source.

  • If the building receives instructional support through other sources, check the appropriate source type. <AND>
    Enter the number of hours purchased from “vendor/contractors” (through one or more service agreements or contracts) or provided by others (students, RPDC, other) during the school year. Enter hours in whole numbers, such as 20, 50, or 100.
     

NATIONAL NEWS

Congressional action – EETT funding for FY07 not yet finalized
Congress and the Administration are finalizing how much money to devote to the Title II, Part D Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) Program for FY06. This program provides states and school districts with funds to purchase hardware and software, engage in professional development, develop database systems, operate online assessments, and conduct outreach to parents. Nearly 25% of states rely on EETT as their sole source of education technology funding. Last year, the program received an appropriation of $496 million.

At the beginning of this year, the Administration’s FY 06 budget proposed to eliminate EETT. The House and the Senate Appropriations Committees disagreed with the Administration’s position, proposing to fund EETT at $300 million and $425 million, respectively. Since Congress failed to approve final funding figures for all education programs by the end of the 2005 Fiscal Year (September 30), EETT has been operating under a temporary funding measure, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), which funds EETT at the House’s $300 million funding level.  

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had an impact, with a number of Congressional members seeking to pay for the federal costs of reconstruction by cutting FY06 funding by a flat percentage rate and/or eliminating programs entirely. On November 17, a day prior to the November 18 CR deadline, the House rejected, by a vote of 224 to 209, the conference report on the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill, which would have funded EETT at $275 million, which represents a 45% cut over last year. Following this action, the house sent the report back to the Senate for re-consideration. This procedural move allows the House to re-engage in negotiations with the Senate on the bill, with a new CR funding the government through December 17.
 

STATE AND NATIONAL "TECHNOLOGY DAYS"

Speak Up Event 2005 – Review on state and national participation
In October, NetDay began collecting survey data for its annual Speak Up event for teachers and students.  Responses to the survey contribute to a national dialogue about technology use and needs and the development of 21st century skills. The goals of Speak Up Events are to gather national data and to encourage participants to use their data to inform local decision-making. To learn about this and previous Speak Up Events, go to http://www.NetDay.org.   

The deadline for completing the online surveys was extended through November. NetDay reported on December 1 that over 190,000 students and nearly 16,000 teachers had completed surveys.  A reporting in mid-November indicated participation by a good number of Missouri students and teachers. The Department plans to purchase a state report to access Missouri aggregated information and student responses to the open-ended question. These data and findings will provide valuable information for state technology planning efforts.

Show-Me TechKnowledge Day 2006 – Apply to present now!
The Missouri Educational Technology Professionals Association (METPA) announces the 5th annual Show-Me TechKnowledge Day will be held in the Third Floor Rotunda of the Capitol, on January 18, 2006. Students, from kindergarten to high school, are invited to enter exhibits and presentations that illustrate how technology is used in Missouri schools to enhance learning and improve student achievement. Applications are available at http://www.successlink.org/showmetech/apply2005.asp.

Technology Impact on Education Month 2006 – Note name change and latest details
The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) Membership and Communications Committee announces the new title for Technology Blackout Day – Technology Impact in Education Month. This event will take place during the month of January 2006. Students and teachers are encouraged to participate in this month of sharing, discovery and celebration of the potential, both realized and envisioned, that educational technologies bring to the teaching and learning environment to help students achieve. The event’s website includes sample lesson plans (grades K-12) and activities and supporting material to help participants examine the impact of technology on teaching and learning.
See: http://www.edtechimpact.com. 

Missouri schools are encouraged to host local events that coincide with Show-Me TechKnowledge Day and/or the Technology Impact on Education Month.  
 

E-RATE PROGRAM
    Funding News
 
Year 2004 -- On December 6, the SLD will issue Wave 44 of funding commitment decision letters, committing over $161,950 in four letters to school and library applicants. Funding for this Wave included funding for PRIORITY ONE (telecommunications services and Internet access) and for PRIORITY TWO (internal connections) at the 81% and above discount level. To date, the SLD has committed over $2.296 billion in over 32,440 letters. For more information on FY2004 funding, see: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/funding/y2004/waves/default.asp.
 
Year 2005 – On December 7, the SLD will issue Wave 24 of funding commitment decision letters for Funding Year 2005 that provides support for services delivered from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. In this wave, the SLD commits over $17.499 million in 596 letters to school and library applicants. The funding associated with this wave includes funding for PRIORITY ONE (telecommunications services and Internet access) services and for PRIORITY TWO (internal connections) at the 90% discount level. To date, the SLD has committed over $1.083 billion in more than 23,500 letters. The SLD plans to issue waves every other week until the process is complete. Those eligible for discounts below the 81% level are being advised their requests for internal connections must be denied due to insufficient funds. For more information, see: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/funding/y2005/waves/default.asp.
Funding Year 2006 News 

SLD to open filing window December 6
The Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2006 will open at noon EST on Tuesday, December 6, 2005 and will close at 11:59 pm EST on Thursday, February 16, 2006. January 19, 2006 will be the last possible date to post a Form 470 on USAC’s website to meet the 28-day posting for the competitive bid requirement and submit a complete Form 471 by the filing window close date. USAC encourages applicants to file and certify Forms 470 and 471 online, as online filing ensures applicants of meeting minimum processing standards and allows for early acknowledgement and quicker decisions. For more information on filing Form 470 and the competitive bidding process, visit “Form 470 Reminders” on the USAC website, at http://www.sl.universalservice.org/whatsnew/reminders-F470.asp, call toll-free at 888-203-8100, or send fax to 888-276-8736. 

FCC releases Eligible Services List
On November 22, the FCC issued Public Notice FCC 05-197 which released the FY2006 Eligible Services List (ESL). This notice waived the requirement that the ESL be published at least 60 days before the commencement of the filing window. 

SLD fall training slides available <Reminder>
In mid-September, the SLD posted four PowerPoint presentations intended to be used in the fall’s training sessions. These materials address the nuts and bolts of the E-rate program, eligible products and services, new procedures, and updated system enhancements. While much of the information applies to FY 2006, some of the information affects earlier funding years – such as program compliance 2005. See: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/training/2005_training.asp.

 

ED TECH RESEARCH, PUBLICATION, RESOURCES, SPECIAL EVENT

GenYES proven effective as technology professional development model
Northwest Regional Education Laboratory (NWREL) released results of its ninth annual study of the Generation YES (GenYES) technology professional development model. The findings demonstrate teachers who work with GenYES students use technology more in their classroom and attribute that change directly to the GENYES process. The program supports teacher technology professional development by providing student partners who help teachers use technology in classroom lessons to improve instruction. The press release can be found at http://genyes.com/news/pressreleases/101905 and the full research report at http://www.genyes.com/programs/genyes/research . 

Pew report on teens as content creators and consumers
According to a new Pew report, released November 2, more than half of online teens have created content for the Internet, and most teen downloaders think that getting free music is easy to do. The “Teen Content Creators and Consumers” report, based on a fall 2004 telephone survey of youth 12-17 and a parent or guardian, cites that some 57 percent of online teens reported having created a blog; worked on a personal webpage; worked on a webpage for school, a friend, or an organization; shared original content such as artwork, photos, stories, or videos online; or remixed content found online into a new creation. To download a copy of this or other reports, visit: http://www.pewinternet.org
 

MISSOURI SCHOOLS AND PROJECTS IN THE NEWS
None this month.
 

MOREnet Update
None this month.
 

METPA NEWS

Technology Plan Help: Are you working on your technology plan revision? METPA is sponsoring a tech plan review session at Successlink on January 11, 9 a.m.-noon. In addition, METPA is offering an electronic review of tech plans prior to submission. To register for the drive-in review session or send a tech plan for electronic review, send your request to instrtech@dese.mo.gov via email.

Show-Me Techknowledge Day:  The ShowMe Techknowledge Day held at the State Capitol building is set for January 18, 2006 from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm.  This will be the fifth year that students and school districts are asked to come to the Capitol to share with the state legislators how technology is being used in the classrooms across the state.  This is an excellent opportunity for your students to shine!  The students have the opportunity to visit with Missouri’s decision makers and demonstrate how technology in education is important for each school district.  With funding a relevant issue in all schools, this is a hands-on opportunity for schools to show and tell our elected officials how districts use and depend on technology.  Applications for the event are available at http://www.successlink.org/showmetech/apply2005.asp.

Please submit your application today.  Spots are limited. Applications are accepted until December 15, 2005. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact titleroom@hotmail.com or Claranne.Vogel@dese.mo.gov. 

If you cannot bring students but can attend personally, January 18, is a great day to meet and greet your legislators.  They are open to hearing from you about technology in your schools.

Future METPA-Sponsored Events:  Some of the activities of METPA to look for are –

  • METPA strand at the spring technical conference
  • One day drive-in technology coordinators’ session in May in Columbia
  • Drive-in Technology Coordinators’ Meeting: For the drive-in technology coordinators’ session in May, we want to know what you need.  Currently, the plans include some birds-of-a-feather sessions where users of some of the common products in our districts—SIS, Powerschool, Novell, Microsoft Server 3000—can gather to share information. Groups may be formed to begin work on some position papers about what METPA recommends for Missouri school districts.

You may contact METPA at metpa@sbcglobal.net this school year.
 

Cooperating School District

How does technology integration improve student achievement?  Attend the Midwest Education Technology Conference for answers to that question.  The METC 2006, St. Louis has two full days of breakout sessions devoted to Instructional Technology Integration plus a day of preconference workshops you will find beneficial.

 Monday, January 30, 2006, Tom March will conduct a hands-on preconference workshop on WebQuests that explores the pedagogical process of them in "The Second Decade: Real, Rich, and Relevance Learning for All Student."  As a featured speaker on Wednesday, February 1, 2006, he will continue the conversation on second generation "WebQuests."

On Monday, Bernajean Porter’s workshop “Evaluating Digital Products" gives you the scoring guides that help elevate the quality of student digital products. And on Tuesday, January 31, she will present "Digitales: The Art of Telling Digital Stories."  Attend her Wednesday session "Beyond Words: the Craftsmanship of Digital Storytelling."

On Monday, Brian Friedlander conducts the workshop, “Assistive Computer Technology: Meeting the Challenge in the Classroom.” In this hands-on workshop, participants gain an understanding of the role of assistive computer technology as mandated by special education rules and regulations. And on Tuesday, he will present “Understanding Assistive Technology and Implementing Assistive Tech for Students.”

On Tuesday and Wednesday, January 31 & February 1, 2006, breakout sessions will include topics specific to technology leadership, Instructional technology integration, digital media integration library tech Integration and distance learning.

Hear Tuesday's keynote speaker Annette Lamb, who is known for her realistic approaches to technology integration and information inquiry, address the conference attendees on "I-TOTEMS: Seven Essentials for Successful Technology-Rich Learning." She examines specific technology resources and tools that can be used to facilitate life-long learning and promote information fluency in K-12 students across content areas.

On Wednesday Diane Lewis uses her experience, insight, and humor to guide teachers, administrators and educational leaders towards creating cultural change in classrooms and districts.  In her keynote address, “Creating Classroom Communities on the Web," she shares how students can maximize learning through collaboration and publishing for authentic audiences on the web.

METC 2006 is frameworked within the No Child Left Behind legislation and qualifies as a high quality professional development conference. All 3-hr and 6-hr preconference workshops and 1- and 2-hour general sessions may address teachers’ individualized learning plans and goals.

Registration for one day is $128.00 and two days is $246.00.  Take advantage of the two group discounts.  Send five or more people from your district and receive a 10% discount. Or, send five teachers from your district and one administrator or board member attends free.

Online registration is available at http://www.techd.com/metc2k6/. A hardcopy registration form may be found at http://csd.org/csdrpdc/metc2006/Registration2006.pdf.

For more information, please visit the METC website at http://www.csd.org/metc2006.htm or contact Nancy George at ngeorge@csd.org or 314.692.1251.
 

eMINTS QUESTION OF THE MONTH
Q: Are there any basic technical self-help documents available for eMINTS teachers? I need something to help me with basics so I don't drive my tech coordinator crazy with simple problems.

A: Check out the Trouble-Shooting Flowcharts at http://www.emints.org/equipment/troubleshootingcharts.pdf. These are helpful in trying to solve some very basic problems with all of the different pieces of eMINTS equipment. Sometimes the problem is something that can be easily solved and even if it is not an easily solved problem, your tech coordinator will appreciate that you have tried some basics before calling for help.
 

COPYRIGHT QUESTION OF THE MONTH
Q: May an educator (e.g., administrator, classroom teacher, substitute teacher, or student teacher) other district employee, volunteer, or others read and translate a work into a student’s native language and create an audio tape?

A: No Translation of print materials from one language to another or to an audio format creates a derivative work. This is the exclusive right of the copyright owner.

Note: Permission to change print materials to audio format must be requested from the copyright owner.
 

UPCOMING 2006 CONFERENCES

2006

 

January 30-
February 1

Midwest Education Technology Conference (METC)
Sheraton Westport
St. Louis, MO
http://www.csd.org/metc2006.htm

February 23-25

Interface A 2006:  Making Connections for Student Success (Grades K-6)
Tan-Tar-A, Osage Beach, MO

February 26-28

Interface B 2006:  Making Connections for Student Success (Grades 7-12)
Tan-Tar-A, Osage Beach, MO

March 22-23

MOREnet Spring Connections 2006 Conference
Tan-Tar-A, Osage Beach, MO
http://www.more.net/conferences

March 22 – 23

MOREnet Helix 2006 Collaborations and Partnerships: Communities in Action
Tan-Tar-A, Osage Beach, MO
http://www.more.net/conferences/helix2006/

June 17- 22

Teaching and Learning Conference
Holiday Inn Select, Columbia, MO
http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curiculum/conferences/schoolleadersconf.htm


GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Deadline Grant
Ongoing Educational Foundation of America Grants
http://www.efaw.org
Ongoing Westinghouse Education
http://www.westinghouse.com/E2a.asp
Ongoing The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Education Grants Program
http://www.hewlett.org
Ongoing Intel’s Model School Grant Program
http://www.intel.com/modelschool
Ongoing Adopt a Classroom Grants
http://www.adoptaclassroom.com
Ongoing Build an Outdoor Classroom at Your School
 http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=AboutLowes/outdoor/index.html
2006  
January 13 Youth Service America and Disney Minnie Grants for National and Global Youth Service Day Projects http://www.ysa.org/awards
January 15 State Farm Charitable Contributions to Teacher Excellence Programs http://www.statefarm.com/foundati/foundati.htm
February 1 Innovation and Learning and Leadership Grants
http://www.nfie.org
February 1 The American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
The Information Technology Pathfinder Award
http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards.html
February 24 Civiconnections
 http://www.civiconnections.org
March 1 The NEC Foundation of America grants
http://www.necfoundation.org
June 1 Innovation and Learning and Leadership Grants
(NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education)
http://www.nfie.org
 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

December 1

Newsline published online

December 24

Newsline articles due
December 25 Happy Holidays from DESE

January 18

The 5th Annual Show-Me TechKnowledge Day -  State Capitol Jefferson City, MO 7:00 am to 12:00 pm.
March 15 Tech Plan Reading


FROM THE MAILBAG  

How to Hold a Technology Fair
http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/WCE/archives/nelsontf.htm

From Proposed Topics for Technology Fair sessions, to tips to hosting your fair or evening, to evaluation suggestions, this site offers a rundown on how to hold an effective and exciting technology modeling exposition with your students and the community at large.

Penguins
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0511/whats_new/march_of_the_penguins.html   

A visit with Director Luc Jacquet about making the movie March of the Penguins.

 Photography is Critical to Learning
http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?sssdmh=dm4.158682&articleID=172303086

Digital photography works well with its power to quickly create a visual impression and promote lasting learning experiences for this "instant results" generation.

Professional Development Quick Tips
 http://www.techlearning.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=CFKBSPT22RTJAQSNDBCCKH0CJUMEKJVN?articleID=172303297

How can technology support reading and writing? Check this column for some ideas.

Tate the Cat Advent Calendar
http://www.advent-calendars.com/

Tate, the French cat, is back this year, beginning December 1st with an online story that students can click on each day until December 25th. This unique advent calendar is available in several different languages, with an archive of previous years' stories.

Project Inkwell
 http://www.projectinkwell.net/

A strategic news service initiative, has recently been created to outline schools' hardware and software needs for a successful one-to-one initiative and to provide a resource to help educators incorporate technology into the classroom.

If You Can Imagine the Future, You Can Invent the Future.
http://www.exploravision.org/2005/home.htm

Enroll your students, grades K-12 for the chance to create their own vision of the future in the Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association ExploraVision Awards competition.

1:1 Computing Guidebook
http://www.techlearning.com/1to1Guide/?sssdmh=dm4.157927

For many districts, the goal is to implement an effective 1:1 computing program that uses technology to spark instructional and academic achievement change. Reaching that goal requires careful planning. Here's a great way to start the process.

Polaroid Education Program
http://www.polaroid.com/global/detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3c%3eprd_id=845524441760596 

The Polaroid Education Program provides activities and lesson plans that encourage children to develop through the use of photographic imagery. Check out the activities under "Articles" and "Areas of Interest" and our Visual Learning Newsletters under "Downloadables".

Polaroid Education CD Guide available:
Whether you are interested in enriching student achievement, helping children to imagine or celebrating magic moments with your students, you'll find useful ideas in this the simple to use CD Guide. Created using the lessons from our most popular 'hard copy' resource guides you will find topics such as Early Childhood Classroom Activities, Elementary Classroom Activities, Parent Ideas, Photo Fun, and Resources on the topic of Visual Literacy.

Mockingbird Foundation Music Grants
http://www.mockingbirdfoundation.org/funding/guidelines.html
The Mockingbird Foundation is offering grants ranging from $50 to $5,000 for in-school music projects that promote creative expression through music; the application deadline is February 1, 2006. Mockingbird encourages applications associated with diverse or unusual musical styles, genres, forms, and philosophies.

Teen Radio Reporter Handbook
http://www.radiodiaries.org/handbook.pdf

Want to help someone become a radio producer? Here's a source that instructs the reader in great interview approaches, provides good technical tips, lists of other Web resources, and contains a library of wonderful stories.

Revised Teachers' Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tech/international

One of the key tools available to educators who would like to internationalize their classrooms is the newly revised 'Teacher's Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet,' which is now available on the Department of Education's website. The Teachers' Guide was written and revised by a team assembled by iEARN-USA.

Science, Math, Health and Literacy Activities for Community Technology Centers
http://www.deltasee.org/trainers/trainers_CTCactivities.htm

This publication contains 34 inquiry-based science, math, health and literacy activities for students in grades K-12. Each activity lists the appropriate grade level, estimated time, materials needed, education standards, safety concerns, adaptations for children with disabilities, the educational objective, questions to ask students as they do the activity, information on why it happens, links to web sites, software suggestions, recommended reading materials, and career connections. Topics include electricity, magnetism, air pressure, density, understanding numbers, measurement, thinking skills, and much more.

Kidz Online Teaches Filmmaking
http://www.kidzonline.org/TechTraining/

Kidz Online was asked to webcast the second annual Hatchfest 2005, a film festival in Bozeman, Montana for emerging filmmakers and other creative types. The footage is available online to give budding filmmakers the chance to learn filmmaking techniques from industry leaders. The festival covered everything from screenwriting and cinematography to fashion and fine arts in a variety of panel discussions that you can see at www.KidzOnline.org/hatch. Check out Kidz online for streamed video tutorials on topics such as 2D Animation, 3D Animation, Digital Audio, Online Collaboration, and Security and Ethics
 

INTERNET SITES OF INTEREST

Word Central
http://www.wordcentral.com/

From Merriam Webster, Word Central is a site where kids can learn how much fun words can be. This site was developed with input from teachers around the country using a language arts curriculum framework. Resources include: spelling and word/vocabulary games A Catalog of Books for Students, School and Library Distributors, Lesson Plans, Daily Buzzword (hear the words pronounced) Daily Buzzword Archive, Who was Noah Webster?, How Does a Word Get Into the Dictionary?, A Brief History of the English Language, Citing Online Sources, Build your own dictionary, Science lab, Computer lab, Teachers lounge, Bulletin Board, and Music room.

Story–It: Language Art Resources for Children and their Teachers
http://www.storyit.com/ 

Resources for teaching kids classics, nursery rhymes, rhymes to print, poems online, Aesop’s fables, word magnets, story starters, picture starters, write on shapes and more.

 Writing Fix
http://www.writingfix.com/

Lessons for better writing skills found on interactive pages. Over 200 interactive on-line games designed by writers, teachers, and students to spark the imaginations of writers, teachers and students of all ages.

 edZONE
http://www.edzone.net/

Visit edZONE for a variety of resources, most notably:

Prongo
http://www.prongo.com/

An educational website that offers fun, interactive, and educational games for kids. For teachers, also offers Quizstation that allows teachers to create online quizzes for their students.

Batters Up Baseball Math
http://www.prongo.com/math/ 

Paragraph a Week:  A Yearly Writing Program
http://www.teachersdesk.org/topics/par_week_program.html

Paragraph a Week is a yearly writing program designed to give fifth- and sixth-graders practice with writing various types of paragraphs. It reinforces good study habits and preparation of long-term assignments, and involves parents in their child's language arts curriculum.

 Teachers Desk Lesson Plans
http://www.teachersdesk.org/lessons.html

A collection of over 150 lesson ideas for spelling, writing, English, reading, and vocabulary activities, with a few extras thrown-in, currently being utilized in a fifth or sixth grade classroom.

FREE Science resources,
http://www.ed.gov/free 

More than 30 Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make hundreds of federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to find. The result of that work is the FREE web site.

Exploring the Extreme
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Exploring.the.Extreme.Guide.html 

Site provides lessons (K-8) on key concepts in the design of F-15 fighter planes:  center of gravity; its relationship to thrust vectoring, pitch, and yaw; how thrust is created in a jet engine; how vectoring (directing the thrust from a jet engine) affects movement of a plane; and fuel efficiency and drag.

Investigating the Climate System: Energy
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/ICS_Energy.html

Site offers lessons that focus on questions: Does ground surface influence temperature?  How important is water evaporation to the cooling of a surface?  If my town grows, will it affect the area's temperature?  Why are summer temperatures in the desert southwest so much higher than at the same latitude in the southeast?

 Learning to Fly: The Wright Brothers' Adventure
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Learning.to.FlyThe.Wright.Brothers.Adventure.html

Send students undercover to Dayton and Kitty Hawk to report secretly on the activities of two brothers who are making a big glider in their bicycle shop.  Students prepare by researching aviation history and then, posing as news reporters, interview the brothers (and neighbors). Instructions are included for building the Wright brothers' gliders and first plane.

NASA Educator Guides
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/By_Type_Guides_landingpage.html

Offers lessons and activities for learning about aeronautics, clouds, energy, the electromagnetic spectrum, the International Space Station, Mars, microgravity, the moon and the Apollo missions, ocean winds, optics (light and color),planetary geology, rainfall, rockets, sun-earth connections, weather, the Wright brothers, and the brain in space.

 National Middle School Science Bowl 2006
http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/nmsb/default.htm

The National Middle School Science Bowl is two competitions:  an academic competition in which middle school students answer fast-paced questions about math and science and a model fuel cell car competition that challenges students to design, build, and race model cars.  In 2005, more than 2,000 students participated in 24 regional competitions.

 Space Science Education Resource Directory
http://teachspacescience.org/cgi-bin/ssrtop.plex

NASA space science resources for learning. Hundreds of resources can be sorted by science type (earth, physical, or space) or by grade range.  Topics include algebra, atoms, big bang, black holes, comets, cosmic distances, energy, force and motion, geometry, graphing, gravity, heat, light and color, measurement and estimation, planets, satellites, solar energy, solar system, space missions, stars, telescopes, and waves.

 A Short and Easy Search Engine Tutorial
 http://www.techlearning.com/webpicks/showArticle.jhtml?sssdmh=dm4.158682&articleID=172303715
Learn about Search Engines and how to use them effectively.

Riverdeep Resources
 http://rivapprod2.riverdeep.net/

The Classroom Flyer is a daily newsletter from Riverdeep delivered online or to your e-mail inbox.

Techniques for Teaching Reading Effectively
http://www.readingrockets.org/teaching

Topics include Print Awareness, Phonemic Awareness, Fluency, Assessment, Spelling, Writing, and Text Comprehension, and each topic is addressed with both video clips and strategies for teaching reading to elementary students.

 Activities for Struggling Readers
http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/205

Find several suggestions here to help build students' literacy skills, both at home and in the classroom.

 Tips for Encouraging Kids to Read
http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/194

Seven tips try to cross the boundary where reading becomes less of an academic chore for students, and more of an activity they can look forward to with enthusiasm. See if any of these strategies work for your classes.

Podcasting Resources
http://www.podcastforteachers.org/

Fordham University’s Podcasting resource page. Fordham University's Regional Educational Technology Center's (RETC) weekly podcast, Techpod, Podcast for Teachers, was honored with the 2005 Innovation Award for educational Leadership in the field of professional development on Oct. 28 at the Professional Organizational Development (POD) Network's annual conference in Milwaukee, WI.  The weekly podcast, which is broadcast over the Web and can be accessed on a computer or MP3 player, was developed by Kathy King, Ed.D., director of the RETC, and Mark Gura, a professional developer and outreach coordinator for the RETC. Visit their webpage and discover the uses of Podcasting in your school.

 Videoconferencing for Learning
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/vidconf/vidconf.html

Videoconferencing resources for classroom use.

 Creating Multimedia Projects — A Classroom Tutorial to Engage Students in Day-to-Day Learning
http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/training/multimedia_projects_tutorial.html

The Adobe Digital Kids Club is continually adding free online resources that help teachers introduce digital media in the classroom. Adobe Master Teacher Meredith Blache has provided this exciting addition to the website. This helpful tutorial presents easy-to-follow steps for creating multimedia projects using Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 and Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 software. Each lesson contains objectives, simple instructions, and exercise files.

 Active Learning Practice for Schools (ALPS)
http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/home/index.cfm

ALPS is an immense resource that is difficult to describe in just a few words. You can reflect on the central questions of teaching and learning, build curriculum through their online tools, see real examples of what meaningful teaching and learning look like, and much much more. It's published by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Project Zero. Take a look - there's a lot to explore!

New LessonPlansPage.com Offerings
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/

The highlights of this month's new lessons include:

Music - Peter and the Wolf and musical instruments, jump rope rhymes to teach note values
Social Studies - How barbed wire changed the West, rights vs. responsibilities, and creating a veteran wall
Art - How art is influenced by current events, the Civil Rights Movement and art, and American Indian basket weaving
Math - Several brief ideas
Physical Education / Health - Designing, creating, and walking through a haunted maze
Science - Bird adaptations, exploring question based inquiry, and a general science knowledge activity
Language Arts - A vocabulary activity

LessonPlans Page now has over 2,500 free lessons. To find lesson plans that match your criteria, begin by selecting a subject or search for specific topics. Looking for Holiday lessons? They're all available in the Seasonal Lesson Plans section. Other sections of this site are accessible via the menu. You can participate in discussions with other educators on a variety of topics .through their Educator Discussion Forums. Also, you may find the Weekly Science Experiments section and Math Worksheets section useful.

DESE 3370-40 12/05
 

 

   

Revised: February 09, 2006
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