Session I Session II Session III
8:45 -10:15 am
States Sharing with States Session I
STEM Education: Achievement and Innovation
Bruce Umpstead, Director of Educational Technology, Michigan
Dr. Christine Johns, Superintendent, Utica Community Schools, Michigan
Deb Sutton, Director Ed Tech, Missouri
Monica Beglau, Executive Director of the eMINTS National Center
This session will highlight important innovations focused on math & science curriculum rich with technology integration. In Michigan, the Utica Community Schools system has embarked on a broad-based initiative where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are taught through an interdisciplinary approach. In a bold Missouri initiative called the Missouri METS Coalition (Mathematics, Engineering, Technology and Science), state funding has been provided to create model mathematics and science classrooms with technology-rich eMINTS – enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies – resources. Five years of eMINTS research data shows consistently positive results for all students. Learn how eMINTS, a nationally recognized professional development program, is integrating technology with NSF-funded mathematics and science curricula.
Empowering Teachers: A Collaborative Approach to Professional Development
Karen Smith, NCTAF
Wayne Hartschuh, Executive Director, Delaware
Dr. Cathy Higgins, State Ed Tech Director, New Hampshire
Dennis Small, Educational Technology Director, Washington
Meeting the challenges of preparing students for a global workforce requires quality teaching in schools where learning organizations are committed not only to student learning, but to educator learning as well. The e-Learning for Educators initiative is a national professional development and research project funded through a USDOE Ready to Teach grant. Delaware and New Hampshire, two of the eight participating states, will share their unique, but complementary, state implementations. Learn how the provision of high quality online professional development via an array of courses is expanding teachers’ content knowledge, enhancing their instructional strategies, and promoting active reflection on teaching practices. Also, Washington State’s Enhanced Peer Coaching Program is a research-based professional development program and a central component of the state’s EETT program suite. In a recent evaluation, 93% of teacher peer coaching cadres report high levels of satisfaction with the training that includes 10 days of regional training, technology for the classroom.
Powerful Broadband Access: Breaking Through Barriers
Bijaya Devkota, Charles County, Maryland
Mike Kozak, Director, Ed. Tech. Nebraska
Sean McDonough, Interim Technology Director, Pennsylvania
Broadband issues including technical implementation, access for all, and leveraging the resources for long term success will be highlighted during this session. Charles County, MD has 2GB bandwidth between all school locations and has embraced Cisco’s Connected Learning for Schools Blueprint, upgrading the wide area infrastructure to broadband fiber, with the goal of providing voice, data, video and wireless capability in every classroom. Network Nebraska, Nebraska's Educational Network was created to enhance distance education in NE, but the secondary benefit to NE schools is increased bandwidth at lower costs. Specific Nebraska LEA programs and projects will be highlighted. In Pennsylvania, the 2005 Act 183 E-Fund has created several opportunities for Pennsylvania educational entities to promote and accelerate broadband deployment by leveraging the buying power of school districts, career and technical centers, and charter schools though the formation of regional (Intermediate Unit) consortiums. Nearly 42,000 out of a possible 46,000 square miles have been covered thus far, which includes approximately 70% of school districts in the state. This presentation will provide more details regarding the implementation of Act 183, along with future directions for LEAs utilizing E-Fund.
10:30 - 12:00 pm
States Sharing with States Session II
Addressing Students’ Individual Needs
Tracy Gray, NCTI
Dee Appleby Director, eLearning, South Carolina
Kathy Boone, Assistant Technology Director, West Virginia
The Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd), supports leadership at state and local education agencies to integrate instructional technology for all students to achieve high educational standards. CITEd’s Managing Director, Tracy Gray, will discuss how participants can utilize resources offered by CITEd to meet their students’ individual needs. The South Carolina ePortfolio system addresses the technology needs of students by establishing a system that measures technology proficiency of students with online assessments; prescribes resources for students, and demonstrates technology skills through the creation of electronic portfolios aligned with the 2007 NETS Standards. In order to meet the NCLB requirements, associates in the Office of eLearning collaborated with teachers, media specialists, instructional coaches, and administrators in creating the Student ePortfolio System. West Virginia’s statewide implementation of techSteps will promote the development of individual student technology proficiency while also meeting NCLB requirement to report on 8th grade student technology literacy. Because the assessments occur within a 21st century context that supports academic achievement in core content areas, teachers can monitor individual student growth toward technology proficiency and plan appropriate opportunities for students to develop technology proficiencies that align with the ISTE NETS-S.
Robust, Rigorous, & Right-on-Time Learning through Online Courseware
Susan Patrick, NACOL
Dr. Melinda Maddox, Director Ed Tech, Alabama
Earlene Patton and Jerome Browning, Alabama
Dan Morris, Director, Educational Technology and Innovation, Colorado
Online learning is a powerful innovation that expands education opportunities. NACOL will provide an overview about the steps they have taken to ensure all students have access to a world-class education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime of success. Alabama will focus on a behind-the-scenes look at the funding model used to develop and implement a statewide distance- learning program. Come discuss issues such as the following: How do you get schools on board? Do you purchase, develop, or pay seat costs for courses? How do you get the lowest cost for equipment? How much do you need for state support? In another approach, Colorado is piloting a presentation/video conferencing system to directly support the work of department staff. Over 30 department staff members are currently exploring how this tool can be a “productivity” tool for them and enhance the quality and frequency of support they can provide districts and school staff across the state. This session will include an actual videoconference with staff members in Colorado and will share what we have learned about what works and needs to be in place to support this kind of “21st century” tool.
Systemic Reform: Changing the Role of the Teacher in the Classroom
Karen Kahan, Technology Director, the Texas Education Agency
Cathy Poplin, Deputy Assoc. Supt. for Educational Technology, Arizona
Jeff Mao, Director Ed Tech, Maine
Systemic Reforms models require changes in the roles of the classroom teacher. The Texas TIP program will share new research on the effectiveness of program, based on the teacher’s implementation and fidelity to the TIPs model. Also, come and learn how the role of the teacher is changing in Arizona. IDEAL, Arizona’s educational web portal and eLearning Platform, provides teachers the ability to collaborate with each other The Maine Learning Technology Initiative is the nation's first statewide 1:1 program. Launched in 2002, program's central focus remains teacher professional development in the effective integration of technology into the teaching and learning environment.
2:45 - 4:00 pm
States Sharing with States Session III
Technology Based Assessment Trends
Cheryl Lemke, Metiri
Lan Neugent, Assistant Superintendent of Technology, Virginia
Melinda Stanley, Educational Technology Consultant, Kansas
Dr. Tom Foster, Kansas
Kansas will highlight its statewide online Kansas Assessments initiatives, along with a brief overview of the associated Kansas Individual Data on Students (KIDS) project. Virginia will share details on their three-year, USDOE grant which funds an electronic (send/receive) project in a decentralized SIS environment. This is a follow-on of the highly successful EIMS project that closely follows the goals of the Data Quality Campaign. What are the challenges involved in moving electronic transcripts from district to district, school to school and from K-12 to higher education? This session will identify the various challenges and provide lessons learned from pilot implementation of the project in Virginia.
Web 2.0 & Beyond: Essential Elements for K12 Education
Chris O'Neal, University of Virginia
Peg Henson, Technology Director, South Dakota
Jim Bosco, CoSN
Web 2.0 Tools provide new opportunities for educators to integrate technology into teaching and learning more powerfully than ever before. Key areas for this discussion include, leading a Web 2.0 push out in schools and districts, the role that schools can take in developing the skills of students in these technologies for educational purposes and what policies need to be created regarding the tools. South Dakota will share information about their state technology standards collaborative wiki. Participants will experience the SETDA Twitter feed and receive details on how this tool might be used by states and districts. Finally, details regarding the CoSN/MacArthur Web 2.0 project will be shared form a balanced appraisal of the opportunities and problems for schools of Web 2.0 applications and to generate realistic suggestions for policies and leadership actions.
The Critical Role of Technology in High School Reform
Lyndsay Pinkus, Alliance for Excellent Education
Frances Bradburn, Program Director New Schools Project, North Carolina
Melanie Honeycutt, Instructional Technology Consultant, North Carolina
Peter Drescher, Education Technology Coordinator, Vermont
Over the past several years, US educational efforts have centered around high school reform. In North Carolina, that focus has been highlighted by the work of the North Carolina New Schools Project and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Redesigned high schools, Learn and Earn early colleges, the 1:1 Laptop Pilot, North Carolina Virtual Public School, Learn and Earn Online, and IMPACT have all concentrated on every student successfully graduating from high school with the possibility of at least some college credit if not an Associate's Degree. Technology has added a practical, efficient, and 21st Century component to each of these reform efforts. Vermont will discuss the current program, Transformation of Education and the high school reform initiative High Schools on the Move.The State Board of Education leads these programs and is making a significant impact on the work in Vermont around technology integration and the ability of teaching and learning to reach ALL students. Education technology and the ability of students to be fluent in the essential tools of the 21st century is central to this effort.
