Newsline

 

Instructional Technology Staff                               (573) 751-8247 http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/instrtech/newsletters Deborah S. Sutton, Director   Claranne Vogel, Supervisor  Lisa Walters, Library Media and      Technology Consultant Rosalyn Wieberg, Supervisor Shirley Brumley, Administrative Assistant

In This Issue . . .  Instructional Technology Update  Ed Tech Research, Publications, Resources  MOREnet Spring Technical Conference:       Connections 2004  METPA Forum:  No Child Left Behind       and Technology  Show-Me TechKnowledge Day  Middle School Teachers Funding       Possibility:  NEC Classroom Competition  Missouri Schools and Programs in the News  Copyright Question of the Month  Mark Your Calendar  Upcoming 2004-2005 Conferences  From the Mailbag  Internet Sites of Interest

  Instructional Technology Update   
  On January 21, Governor Holden gave his State of the State address and presented his proposed budget for 2004-2005. The proposed budget looks much like what is funded for FY04 – with nearly $5 million for Safe Schools and a zero budget for Education Technology. While there may be signs that the state’s economy is improving, the Governor and members of the General Assembly are all claiming that the state’s budget still has major problems. Add to this is the fact that nearly half of the state’s schools have filed suit declaring the state’s foundation formula is unfair and, to be fair, consultants have determined the foundation would need to be increased substantially. It goes without saying that much of this year’s legislative session will focus on K-12 education. We all must stay up to-date on what is going on in the Capitol and be prepared to help inform our legislators about what is working in our schools and where support is deserved and necessary.  -Deb 

FY04 Technology Budget / Grant Programs
Technology Acquisition Grant (TAG) Program
The Governor’s proposed FY05 budget, released on January 21, 2004, did not include reinstatement of the Technology Acquisition Grant Program. 

Technology Network Program (TNP)
MOREnet staffs are working on several initiatives to support schools’ use of the Internet.

• MOREnet is offering a new service to districts to test the district’s network security (see related article in this issue of Newsline).
  
  

• The MOREnet Council (see details below) recently approved the purchase of a statewide Centra contract license to support econferencing capabilities (see related article in this issue of Newsline).
  
  

• MOREnet, DESE, and the Office of the Secretary of State and State Library have been negotiating with staff of The NetSmartz Workshop that teaches educators and students (and parents) how to be safer when using the Internet. Look to see NetSmartz added to MOREnet training offerings.
  
  

• Working with the State Library and DESE, MOREnet conducted research on technical issues of Internet content filtering on the MOREnet network and posted a request for bids. Meanwhile, a selected group of educators from across the state will be asked to complete an online survey about their current uses of filtering solutions and interest in a MOREnet-managed service.
  
  

• In conjunction with the State Library, a selected group of library media specialists from across the state will be asked to complete a survey on their use of online resources and interest in state-provided products.
  (Contact Eric Nicklas for more information about these initiatives.)
  

MOREnet Council Formed -- The Missouri Research and Education Network (MOREnet), Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Secretary of State’s office, and the Department of Higher Education (DHE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in early 2003. The Memorandum created the MOREnet Council whose purpose is ”to direct and oversee planning and budgeting for the MOREnet infrastructure including the technical support required for the future growth and success of programs sponsored by Council members.” The Council is led by a staff member from each of the three (DESE, DHE, Secretary of State) agencies and two external representatives appointed by each agency. In addition the Vice President for Information Systems for the University of Missouri System is a member of the Council. The MOREnet Council meets quarterly and has as its responsibilities the review and approval of long-range plans, of the annual financial plan and general business practices and policies at MOREnet. In addition, the Council reviews and recommends the annual appropriation requests on behalf of MOREnet. 

Safe Schools Grant Program
2003-2004 – The deadline for obligating funds for the purchase of equipment and materials and supplies is March 31.

2004-2005 -- Governor Holden’s FY05 budget proposed continued funding of the Safe Schools Program. 

New Edition Released: “Practical Guide for Crisis Response in Our Schools”

School crisis response can no longer be delegated solely to members of a School Crisis Response Team, but is the responsibility of all educators. Published by The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, this publication provides a structure and process for effectively managing the wide spectrum of school-based crises. It conveys critical information to assist schools in responding effectively to “everyday crises” as well as school-based disasters. The website offers downloadable school crisis response documents, information about the guide and its authors, who uses the guide, and pricing ($24.95) and ordering information http://www.crisisinfo.org/schoolcrisisresponse 

Title IID “Ed Tech” Program
2003-2004 – The deadline for obligating funds for the purchase of equipment and materials and supplies is March 31.

2004-2005 – Indications are Congress will level-fund the Ed Tech Program for next year. Application information for Missouri’s FY05 Title IID competitive grant program were mailed to districts in late January. Grants are available to NEW districts wanting to participate in the eMINTS program for the first time and ESTABLISHED districts wanting to expand eMINTS into new classrooms or participate in the professional development for education technology specialists. The application due date is March 31, 2004. A general program information workshop will be conducted on February 23, 2004 in Jefferson City. [See Instructional Technology website for program details, application forms, FAQs, and workshop information.] 

Census of Technology / Core Data Screens 30 and 31
2004 Form Samples – (Reminder that FORMS AVAILABLE FOR PREVIEW) The Census of Technology (COT) is collected via Core Data during the April Cycle. The 2004 COT forms and instructions for completing the forms can be accessed on the Instructional Technology home web page. These are being released now to help district and school building personnel prepare for the data collection and submit the necessary data by the April 15 deadline date. Our special thanks to Craig Snethen from Fulton Public Schools and Michelle Dryer with the Nixa R-II School District who volunteered their time and assistance in reviewing draft forms. 

The state summary report of the 2003 COT data is posted on the IT website at http://www.dese.state.mo.us/divimprove/instrtech/statefunded/census/index.htm.     

E-rate Program 
Funding Year 2003 – Wave 20 for E-rate funding for funding year 2003 (July 1, 2003-June 30, 2004) will be issued on Tuesday, January 20, 2004. In this wave, the SLD will be committing over $49.8 million in 271 letters to school and library applicants. The funding associated with this wave included funding for priority 1 (telecommunications and Internet access) and for priority 2 (internal connections) at the 85% - 90% discount level. To date, the SLD has committed nearly $1.7 billion in over 29,700 letters for funding year 2003. Additional waves will be issued every other week until the process is complete. Visit the E-rate website at http://www.sl.universalservice.org/default.asp. 

Funding Year 2004 – Special Note from Jeanne Sullivan (MOREnet), January 29, 2004
The Form 471 Window closes on Wednesday, February 4 at 11:59 p.m. EST.  By this date and time, a Form 470 must have been posted online for 28 days and the Form 471 must be either submitted online or postmarked.  The Form 470 and Form 471 certification pages must also be postmarked by this date if they weren't electronically certified.    

It is highly recommended that anything mailed to the SLD be sent with some sort of receipt confirmation or tracking capability. Don't forget, the submission of the 471 does not "complete" the application process.  After you receive a Funding Commitment Decision Letter (which could be months after the 471 is submitted) you will need to complete a Form 486. 

Washington News / Update

FY04 Budget News -- Last week, the Senate approved the FY04 Omnibus Appropriations Bill on a vote of 65 to 28, and the President is expected to sign it shortly. Below are the expected key appropriations amounts (minus the .59% across-the-board cut):           

The President is expected to release his Budget Proposal for FY05 in early February.

John Bailey Leaving His Post – Effective January 31, 2004, John Bailey resigned from his position with the U.S. Department of Education to join the President’s campaign as a deputy policy director. Susan Patrick has assumed John’s responsibilities as the Acting Director of the Office of Educational Technology.

St. Louis to Host National Leadership Summit -- The U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring three "No Child Left Behind Leadership Summits" intended to provide technical assistance to state and local education leaders on how technology can assist the implementation of NCLB. They will be held during the spring and summer of 2004. The goals of the summits are to provide states and districts with the foundational knowledge and tools to implement NCLB; allow state and district-level team participants an opportunity to work together to develop an understanding of effective ways to implement NCLB using technology solutions; build state and districts' capacity for promoting and sustaining effective professional development in the selection and effective use of technology tools; and engage states and large school districts in a national movement to improve academic achievement for all students through the appropriate and effective use of technology. The first Summit, "Empowering Accountability and Assessment Using Technology," will be held at the Millennium Hotel in St. Louis on March 10-12, 2004.  See: http://www.nclbtechsummits.org/  

  Ed Tech Research, Publications, Resources  

Center on Education Policy Reports on Year 2 of the No Child Left Behind Act
The Center on Education Policy recently released a report on implementing the No Child Left Behind Act.  Among the major findings, that states and school districts are trying hard to meet the requirements of the Act and agree with its goals; broader and deeper effects of the law were being felt by school districts in 2003, which is resulting in additional help for schools identified for improvement; choosing another public school is rarely used by parents of children in identified schools, while the option of receiving tutoring services is used more frequently; states and school districts are moving slowly to update the qualifications of teachers and paraprofessionals as required by the Act; some of the requirements of the Act are unworkable; and states and school districts face serious funding pressures and a lack of capacity to carry out the Act.  The report says that the NCLB Act has already put more than a quarter of the nation's public schools on academic probation, and that thousands more are likely to face sanctions. 

The report, "From the Capital to the Classroom: Year 2 of the No Child Left Behind Act," is based on a survey of 47 states and the District of Columbia, a nationally representative survey of 274 school districts, in-depth case studies of 33 urban, suburban, and rural school districts, and other research methods.
See: http://www.cep-dc.org/pubs/nclby2/cep_nclb_y2.pdf
 

e-Lead Web Site to Enhance Professional Development for Principals
The Institute for Educational Leadership and the Laboratory for Student Success have created a web site called e-Lead, a free online resource intended to provide states and school districts with information about how to provide better professional development for school principals. The site suggests that professional development works best when it is focused on sound learning strategies, driven by a clear definition of leadership, conducted within the context of an overall plan, anchored by leadership standards, designed and implemented according to proven practices, and evaluated through processes that seek meaningful results. http://www.e-lead.org 

NSBA Publishes Primer on How to Start a School Foundation
Subtitled, "What you should know before you start fundraising," this primer was developed by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) to assist school board members in thinking broadly about education foundations at a time when these effective school reform organizations are becoming increasingly popular due to decreased tax revenues, budget cuts, and rising expectations. As Kate Coventry reports, K-12 education foundation activities run the gamut from funding scholarship and innovative programs to improve teaching and learning, to reinvigorating community participation in public education and spurring parent and citizen activism. The downloadable publication also includes key steps to consider in starting a school foundation, local education fund case studies, and an article by PEN’s president Wendy D. Puriefoy on the growing partnership between local education funds and school board leaders.
http://www.nsba.org/site/docs/32800/32703.pdf 

Grants.gov Web Site Helps in Finding Federal Dollars 
A new resource on the web should make searching and applying for federal grants much easier. 
The grants.gov site allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. Navigation of the site is simple. The site includes information about more than 900 grant programs offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies. It streamlines the process of awarding more than $350 billion annually to state and local governments, education institutions, and other organizations. http://www.grants.gov/ 

TechSoup.org Web Site Offers Nonprofits Free Technology Resources 
Techsoup.org offers nonprofits an online resource for technology needs by providing free information, resources, and support. TechSoup works with technology partners to provide nonprofit organizations access to donated and discounted technology products. TechSoup provides instructional articles and worksheets for nonprofit staff members who utilize information technology. http://www.techsoup.org/    

10 Tips for Funding Technology – This January 22, 2004 article explains how to fund and sustain technology in an organization. While technology plans are great, organizations need to be able to pay for all the equipment, training, and staffing costs the plan requires. While there are no silver bullets when it comes to fundraising, especially during tough economic times, the article offers ten tips to help find the funds needed to implement and sustain critical technology strategies. http://www.techsoup.org/howto/articlepage.cfm?ArticleId=538  

Guide Released on Creating Partnerships, Bridging Worlds: Family And Community Engagement
For many students, particularly students from low-income families and students of color, a significant disconnect exists between the worlds of school, family, and community. A new guide helps schools and teachers bring these diverse worlds together and recognize the assets and strengths inherent in each. Such efforts help schools to be more successful in supporting and engaging students, resulting in higher student achievement. The guide provides resources, models, and tools to help schools create a framework for family and community engagement. The framework, based in part on the work of Dr. Joyce Epstein at the National Network of Partnership Schools, Johns Hopkins University, consists of: Parenting; Communicating; Volunteering; Supporting Student Learning at Home; Inclusive Decision Making; and Collaborating with the Community. Turning Points is a comprehensive school reform model designed to strengthen the academic core of middle schools and to establish challenging, caring, and equitable learning environments that meet the needs of young adolescents.
http://www.turningpts.org/guides.htm 

SIIA Announces 2003 Codie Software Award Finalists
The Codie awards, established by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) to showcase what it considers the best software products and services that were introduced last year, announced its list of finalists last week. The finalists in categories associated with higher education are noted below. 
Source: Syllabus News Update for Tuesday, January 13, 2004 

Best Postsecondary Education Instructional Solution:

• ALEKS, from ALEKS Corp. / McGraw-Hill Higher Education         

• Advanced Listening, from DynEd International, Inc.

• Sanako Lounge, from Sanako Corp.

• EndNote, form Thomson ISI ResearchSoft

• Reel Society, from WILL Interactive, Inc. / McGraw Hill - Higher Education

Best Education Administration Solution:

• e*Assessment, from Harcourt Supplemental Publishers / Wireless Generation

• GPS smartPortal, from iAssessment, LLC

• Maple T.A., from Maplesoft / Brownstone Research Group, Inc.

• PowerSchool 3.6, from PowerSchool / Apple

• SCT Banner, from SCT

Best Educational Special Needs Solution

• Kurzweil 3000, from Kurzweil Educational Systems

• LearnStar SC, from ESL Module, LearnStar Inc.

• deafplanet.com, from marblemedia

• NEARStar, from Pacific Resources for Education and Learning

• TIENET, from TIECorp

Best Educational Total Comprehensive Solution

• Blackboard Learning System, from Blackboard Inc.

• Discourse, from Educational Testing Service (ETS)

• Mapping Our World:  GIS Lessons for Educators, from ESRI Press

• The Achievement Planner, from Kaplan K12 Learning Services

• Yearly ProgressPro, from McGraw-Hill Digital Learning   

  Connections 2004: MOREnet Spring Technical Conference
--Submitted by Eric Nicklas, Program Manager, K-12 Technology Network Program, MOREnet
http://www.more.net/conferences/spring2004/ 

Connections 2004: MOREnet’s Spring Technical Conference is scheduled for March 24-25, 2004 at Tan-Tar-A in Osage Beach, Missouri. Register online for this conference Jan. 26 - March 12.  

This conference is designed to provide information on current technologies and solutions as well as offer insight on the future directions of technology in education. It is targeted to those who manage and support technology. This includes, but not limited to, technology coordinators and technology support specialists from higher education, K-12, MOREnet affiliates and public libraries in Missouri that are current MOREnet customers.  For complete information visit the conference website. 

MOREnet Announces Two New Fee-Based Services
Remote Vulnerability Assessment Service
http://www.more.net/services/rva/ 

In December, MOREnet announced its Remote Vulnerability Assessment Service. This service studies your organization's publicly visible Internet presence. The assessment, performed over the Internet, looks for signs of vulnerabilities that could pose a risk if not addressed. Essentially, MOREnet's Security staff provides a "hacker's" view of your public network, allowing you to exercise due diligence in planning and to secure it against current threats. 

Since new vulnerabilities are discovered daily, MOREnet's Security Team researches and reviews new security tools and methodologies that can be used to collect data on customer networks. The data gathered is used to provide customers with a clear, non-biased view of the current status of the network upon which to base a risk assessment. Based on the results of the vulnerability assessment, the MOREnet Security Team creates a report of the findings with recommendations for actions that the site should take to remedy or mitigate vulnerabilities discovered during the review.  

All current MOREnet customers are eligible for this for-fee service. For more information, go to the website. 

e-Conferencing Service
MOREnet is pleased to announce the purchase of Centra 7. This tool will allow MOREnet to offer for-fee e-Conferencing services to its customers.  

Centra is an Internet-based, e-Conferencing tool suite that allows people to communicate and create virtual learning and meeting environments over the Internet. Audio conferencing, live one-way video, collaborative conferencing and Web conferencing are all components of this e-Conferencing tool suite. Meeting or class participants can share applications, documents, websites or presentations with all participants. Chat and polling capabilities provide channels for private communication and group feedback. Archival capabilities allow meetings and class sessions to be saved for later viewing.  

e-Conferencing service implementation timeline:

• Mid-February 2004: Customer pricing and service details available 
  
• Early March 2004: Service roll out and customer training available for Centra Symposium, Conference and eMeeting. Training sessions will introduce users to the tool suite's features for setting up and conducting classes and meetings. 
  
• March 24-25, 2004: Centra e-Conferencing service highlighted at the MOREnet Spring Technical and HELIX conferences; vendor will be onsite and available for in-depth questions and answers 
  
• Early April 2004: Centra Knowledge Center will be available for content management.

For more information visit

• Centra’s website - http://www.centra.com 

• MOREnet’s website - http://www.more.net/services/e-conferencing/

 METPA Forum:  No Child Left Behind and Technology
--Submitted by David Dillard, Vocational Director, Arcadia Valley CTC 

The Missouri Educational Technology Professionals Association (MEPTA) is sponsoring its Spring Forum titled No Child Left Behind and Technology.  The Forum will be broadcast over ITV from the MOREnet building in Columbia, Missouri on March 10, 2004.  The Forum will run from 9:30 AM till 12:00 noon.  The session will assist schools in using their federal funds to best meet the demands the new law is placing on them.  An introduction to the NCLB legislation and how technology can play a part in raising student achievement is a timely issue for all schools.  

There will be an overview of the NCLB law as it pertains to technology provided by Randy Rook, Director of the DESE Grants Management Section and examples of how to use federal funds for technology presented by David Dillard, Federal Programs Coordinator for Arcadia Valley R-II Schools. 

Currently the following sites have agreed to host the Forum in their area and it is expected that other sites will be added to the list.  Please contact the site for arrangements, as seating is limited at most sites.

Southeast RPDC  800-401-6680 or 573-651-5161

South-Central RPDC in Rolla  573-341-6473 or 800-667-0665

Northeast RPDC in Kirksville  888-878-7732

Northwest RPDC in Maryville  800-663-3348 or 660-562-1995  

Cooperating School Districts (CSD) of  St. Louis 800-835-8282

There will also be limited seating at the MOREnet building in Columbia 

  Show-Me TechKnowledge Day 2004 
--Submitted by Sally Burnett, Show-Me TechKnowledge 2004 Chairperson

The third annual Show Me TechKnowledge Day will be held on February 18, 2004 from 7:00 AM to 12:00 noon in the Capitol Rotunda on the third floor in Jefferson City.  

Based on a review of applications, this year’s event shows great promise. Congratulations to the following districts/schools chosen to participate:

Schools are doing great things with technology in Missouri!  If you’d like to showcase your students, it’s not too early to consider submitting an application for the 2005 event.

A grassroots organization, Show-Me TechKnowledge helps identify and support students as they exhibit effective and innovative uses of technology. State leaders, policy-makers and others are invited to the Capitol Rotunda to view the exhibits, talk to the students, and learn how education technology positively impacts teaching and learning. Representatives from various educational groups, businesses, and organizations throughout the state are supporters of the Show-Me TechKnowledge Day.

  Middle School Teachers Funding Possibility:  NEC Perfect Classroom Competition
http://www.sciserve.org/cgi-bin/nec/PerfClassroom.asp 

A national competition for middle school science teachers, NEC Perfect Classroom Competition is designed to support teachers’ efforts to improve their classrooms and to enhance the learning experience for their students.  The competition seeks to acknowledge the creativity of teachers and to help bridge the gap in classroom funding for three prize-winning teachers. 

Research indicates that teaches spend an average of $400 of their own money per year on classroom supplies.  The competition will award $9,000 in cash to teachers across the country to make their idea of the perfect classroom a reality. 

To enter the competition, please access and print out the application form, release and letter.  The application form can be filled out online prior to printing.  Entries must be submitted by February 9, 2004.  Winners will be selected and announced in conjunction with National Teacher Appreciation Week in May of 2004.  Mail your questions to mailto:emints-info@more.net
 

   Missouri Schools and Programs in the News

Hannibal
Congratulations to Mr. Terry Smith’s 4^th Grade class for being selected the EduHound Spotlight Classroom of the Week recently!  Visit his classroom at http://home.dstream.net/~tksmith  

eMINTS
Congratulations to the eThemes staff for their recent landmark achievement!  As of the end of December, the eThemes site recorded over one million visitors per quarter (October, November, and December) for the first time in their existence.  The number of hits on the site attests to its usefulness to educators at all levels.  It is rare for a non-commercial site to achieve over one million hits per quarter.  We are proud of the eThemes site and the special services that the eThemes staff provides to eMINTS teachers.

  Copyright Question of the Month 

17. May an educator (e.g., administrator, classroom teacher, substitute teacher, or student teacher) other district employee, volunteer, or others upload an original student project onto a network server?

1. No Students are the owners of their original projects and permission must be obtained before the work is posted.

CAUTION:  Please refer to district policy concerning identification of students by name, photograph, etc., and parent permission policy.   

  Mark Your Calendar

   Upcoming 2004-2005 Conferences  

   
  From the Mailbag  
United States Colored Troops in Missouri  
http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/education  

The Missouri State Archives’ education website will soon house a new lesson plan to honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and support student study in African American History.  The educational materials will be available on the Archives’ website, a division of the office of Secretary of State Matt Blunt, beginning Tuesday, January 20, 2004.  

United States Colored Troops in Missouri: Finding African American History at the Missouri State Archives is geared toward students in grades five through eight, and written with an emphasis on the importance of original documents in the study of history.   The Colored Volunteer Descriptive List and the Colored Volunteer Enlistment Record of George W. Reynolds, an enslaved African American from St. Joseph, are presented for analysis by students as they learn about the role that United States Colored Troops played in Missouri during the Civil War.  

The new lesson plan is aligned to meet standards of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Framework for Curriculum Development in Social Studies.  In addition to images of original documents, United States Colored Troops in Missouri contains a lesson overview, two histories dealing with the role of U.S. Colored Troops in Missouri during the Civil War, an analysis of the importance of reviewing original documents, a worksheet, an enrichment activity list, discussion questions, and listed sites of interest.  

For more information on United States Colored Troops in Missouri, contact Kelly Smith, Education Specialist at the Archives, at (573) 526-5296 or kelly.smith@sos.mo.gov  

Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
http://www.mhopus.org  
The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation supports music education and its many benefits through the donation and repair of musical instruments to underserved schools, community music programs and individual students nationwide.  

Technology for Teaching
Hewlett Packard Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative http://grants.hp.com/us/programs/tech_teaching/index.html
The Hewlett Packard Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative is designed to support the innovative use of technology in K-16 education, and to help identify K-12 schools and higher education institutions that Hewlett Packard might support with futur