EdTech Avenue

For a little while, anyway…

Now that I’m really on the home stretch, work is slightly more stressful than it was before Christmas break. I’m working very hard getting things done that I want settled before I start my leave in what I hope will be a few weeks yet. This week I started updating our mobile lab, which is quite a task when there really is nowhere to set them all up at one time attached to power. I have a few set up in my office and a few out on the top of the cart which is sitting in the hallway for lack of any other place for it! These laptops are pretty slow; they are Pentium III 650 machines with 256 MB RAM running Windows XP. I’ve been working with half of them on a wired 100MB network and the other half on their wireless 54MB cards. Windows updates haven’t been run for quite some time, so there are many!

We’ve also begun our 2nd Learnia test for the year. Since we are only giving one ClassLinks test, I wanted to make sure there was a similar ratio of standards covered as are on the ClassViews tests. That was no small feat for math since of the six from which to choose, none include all the standards. Reading was a bit easier; I was able to find at least one ClassLinks with similar standards to the ClassViews. I ended up building my own tests for math to include as close to the same standards as I could find. I had some trouble with matching up the standards with the actual items available to add to the tests, but I worked around it. We’ll see how it works out!

And then there’s the E-Rate process… We did not receive as many bids as I expected from our Form 470 posting. But now I think that is probably a good thing. With our budget the way it is for next year, I think we’ll hold off on the bigger projects and just apply for discounts on services we already have in place.

We have completed most of our Learnia tests now, save a few absent students. It actually went pretty well, if I had to give an overall opinion. But I’m starting this conversation about what could be done better and what tips and tricks others used to survive the sessions.

Overview
I made sure all student lab workstations were equipped with the proper add-ins/plug-ins needed for the testing, and I went through and enabled pop-ups for the student Learnia site ahead of time. We used Internet Explorer v.7 at Blessed Trinity.

I created cards for the students with their Site Code, Student ID/Username and Password. I used index cards and just pasted a regular mailing label on which I had printed the information using mail merge and a spreadsheet. The “test tickets” printed on the Learnia site are virtually useless - you really can’t use them more than once (even if you laminate them first, I learned last year), and they’re hard to store in those little strips. Each teacher got a set of student cards for each group they teach.

I also created a resource binder for each of my teachers. These binders contained:

• A list of their students with passwords,
• A copy of the instructions for tests they will administer,
• A full printed copy of the test (without answers), so they could make their own copies if giving the test in written form,
• Sample answer sheets to use if giving the test in written form, and
• Math reference sheets (for math teachers only).

This seemed to help them to know exactly what their responsibility was as test administrators and keeps all of their information in one place. My plan is collect the binders at the end of the year so they can be updated if necessary for next year’s teachers.

Scheduling the tests wasn’t nearly the hassle I expected. I had the teachers schedule their own time and was available to help for at least their first testing period. After that, they could request my help if they wanted it. Once students were logged on (more difficult with the 3rd and 4th graders), things went very smoothly, and most teachers did not need my help. Some teachers scheduled an additional time in the lab to teach students just how to log on to the site. Being their first time, I thought this was very beneficial as far as time efficiency was concerned. In future years, perhaps only the 3rd grade would need to do this, since most other students will be familiar with the process. Some teachers broke the tests up into multiple class periods and others used time from other classes to complete the tests in one sitting.

Issues and Questions
There are still some issues with the administrator instructions. Many of the specific instructions are incorrect (such as the existence of a highlight tool?). I found that to be confusing for the teachers and students, and in some cases the teachers went “off-script” to give instructions, which is not ideal for a standardized test.

Students (especially the younger ones) could benefit from a better zoom tool to make the text bigger. At younger reading levels, the students are used to larger text. The zoom tool, while helpful on the first reading passage, does not allow you to use it for the other passages, and it manipulates the screen in a way that prevents the user from being able to scroll properly.

Join the Conversation
Are other schools or teachers having similar experiences and issues? Please add to the conversation with your comments, good and bad, about your Learnia experience! I have also asked my teachers to add their comments here.

What are other schools doing for the mid-year testing? Is anyone using more than one ClassLinks test? If you are using only one, which one?

It’s been a LONG time since my last post, and for that, I apologize. A summer I thought would be spent relaxing by the pool and tweaking my blog for the archdiocese tech coordinators was not so much that. Instead, I managed to just barely make it through NECC and spent much time on the couch suffering the effects of morning sickness!

But like many of you, I am now back to work full-force and itching to get blogging again! I have yet to fix my form-mailer to collect data from the archdiocese tech coordinators, but I am hoping that while I was “out” some new plug-ins came “in” and that will help that form to be up and running very soon.

What’s Ahead
The big scurry this fall for most of us is getting ready for Learnia, Harcourt’s answer to standardized testing online. Blessed Trinity was part of the pilot program last year, and apparently we were one of the few schools for whom the testing went well. I hope this can be a forum for some of us to share ideas about what works and what doesn’t, and how to prepare your network, teachers and students for the testing.

I’m finally starting to get caught up after installing some new (refurb) PCs that came in during workshop week!

Another issue for me this year will be researching, encouraging, and attempting to find funding for a Student Information System. Many on our staff (including I) have spent many hours dealing with data issues in the last four weeks. It seems we duplicate our work three or four times these days for all the different changes that come about, which is quite a bit of time when students are still registering on the first day of school! I hope we can reduce that workload with an integrated system soon. I will be looking to my colleagues for advice!

My laptop battery ran out during the session, so I waited to post until I had transcribed all my notes. 

There were no presenter resources for this session, but as I was waiting for the session to start, Jessica Pater approached me from the Georgia Tech Research Institute.  This program publishes grant and funding resources once a month (?) at http://http://www.f3program.org.  You can contact her at Jessica.Pater@gtri.gatech.edu for more information.

My notes on the session follow:

Keys to Great Grants

• Integrated program elements
• Aligned components (what’s going on in your district, city, state? how will the funding support this?)
• High quality and continuous improvement, professional development, evaluation
• Tied to high standards
• Innovation
• Coordination of resources
• Program ties to local needs
• Buy-in

Volunteer to be a grant reader to see what happens on the other side of the door.

People who have money are looking for strategic people to give it to.  How can I showcase my work in a different way than others?

We often think about buying “stuff” but funders need to see demonstration of that stuff being supported by professional development and continuous improvement after the funding is complete.

You only have to earn the last grant, not be the first and best.

Evaluation process is key - no one will give money if there is no proof of it making a difference.  Evaluate EVERY component, not just pieces.  For every piece that is left out, your place on the list will drop.

You’re not going to get a grant to do what you’re already supposed to be doing.  It must be an innovative program.  This might be slightly different in private schools where funding is not necessarily supported by the operating budget as it is in public schools.

Motivate funders with programs they will want to talk about and promote, something they will be proud to fund.  Remind them of the tax write-off.

Community data such as a survey of computers and internet in homes will give sample information for the digital divide in your community.  Library usage patterns are also helpful.  These will show how the proposal can contribute to the economic stability of the community.

Questions Reviewers Ask When Reviewing Proposals

1. Does the proposal tie into the school’s overall plan?
   –team effort, support within the school
2. How will technology be used?
   –team’s vision for how technology will be USED to improve student learning
3. Will the proposal impact student learning?
   –team’s plan to improve student learning BEYOND THE NORM
4. How will desired outcomes be developed?
   –describe SPECIFIC indicators, how curriculum development might change; must be measurable and tied to standards
5. Does this initiative have the potential to be replicated or ourtreached to a larger community?
   –be prepared with a way to do this!
   –how it might have a more far-reaching impact
6. Does the proposal tap creativity in tapping other resources already available in the community?
   –library, women’s shelter, tutoring program
   –must be INNOVATIVE
7. Is the budget clearly defined?
   –make a case why private funding should be used
   –funders will not support what should be already supported by the school, district, state or federal government
8. Who will benefit from this initiative?
   –be very clear about this
   –it’s ALWAYS about the kids!
9. How well does this proposal replicate what the grant funder is looking for?
   –how well do you know the funder, know the corporation/organization funding the grant?  learn about them and their goals and make it work to your benefit; make it personal
10. How committed are you?
    –they want to see your passion in this proposal
    –they want to be your PARTNER

A Grantwriter Should Be A:

• Gambler: taking chances that what you produce will hit a jackpot somewhere
• Masochist: resubmitting proposals after being rejected over and over again
• Diplomat: standing by quietly supportive, encouraging the grant team to “re-think” and “re-work” the proposal over and over again
• Squirrel: savign every article about grants and every scrap of paper on which notes are written just in case they might be useful someday
• Inventor: always seeking news ways to solve the age-old problem of fundraising
• Rhinoceros: be tough so rejections “bounce off your hide”
• Magician: crafting a proposal that appears to meet EVERY requirement of the RFP and just what the funder asks for
• Butcher: always cutting the proposal making it more and more concise and to the point; give a copy to someone unrelated to your work to get an objective viewpoint - can they understand what you want?
• Financial Wizard: stretching every dollar, doing more with less and garnering matching funds from every imaginable source
• Night Owl: requiring little sleep to work non-stop to meet numerous deadlines - NEVER miss one!  Pad your schedule by 2 weeks to avoid missing deadlines.
• Party Animal: always prepared to celebrate receiving a grant

**Do NOT change formatting to fit your needs - failure to comply with formatting and other requirements put forth by the grantee could disqualify your proposal.

**Don’t even START before being able to draw a line between what you’re doing and what students will be able to do.

Persistence pays off!

Share websites not already on www.cpsb.org/scripts/abshire/grants.asp

www.schoolgrants.org
–Bring Home the Bacon listserve ($30)
–Index of Sample Proposals

www.quinlan.com

www.eschoolnews.org/erc/funding

As it looks now, Monday’s first time slot will be my toughest decision; I already had to eliminate some from my original list.  All other time slots are only a few choices I’ll have to make.  This list is numbered by my current choice preference, but as with all scheduling, that could change!  Schedule items here are linked to the NECC program for more information about the sessions, and the blog tags for the sessions are in parentheses as well as some presenter names I wanted to highlight for myself.

edited/updated Sunday, 6/24, at 1:45 p.m. EDT, also update as the conference goes to eliminate invalid tags (sessions I’m not going to end up blogging)

Sunday, 5:45-7:00 p.m.
Opening Keynote, Murphy Ballroom

Monday, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

1. Building An Educational Portal: A Single Stop for Learning Resources, B204 (n07s679)
2. When the Best is Free: Open Source Software in Education, Murphy 4 (n07s841)
3. Using Tech to Differentiate by Interest in the Upper Elementary Classroom, B301 (n07s583)
4. A Computer on Every Desk? Now What?, B207 (n07s621)
5. Almost All New Return of the Gadgets!, Murphy 1 (n07s644)

Monday, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

1. Voices from the Past: Fictional Blogs of Historical Figures, B303 (n07s740)
2. Passing Notes in Cyberspace: Communication and Privacy at School, B405 (n07s668)
3. Daring Conversations: An Actor Shares the Voices of Students, Murphy 1 (n07s581) this session is being archived via podcast

Monday, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

1. A Bright Idea: Shedding Light on Web 2.0 Applications, Murphy 2/3 (Kathy Schrock, n07s800)
2. Sowing the Seeds for a More Creative Society, Murphy 1 (n07s737) this session is being archived via podcast

Monday, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

1. Process Writing for the MySpace Generation, B207 (n07s537)
2. Applets to Zeta: Making Math More than Fun, B215 (n07s539)
3. Creating a Community of Learners Using Technology, B302 (Cara Hagen, n07s632)
4. Free Is Good: No-Cost Programs, Web Sites, and Shortcuts, B208 (n07s610)

Monday, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

1. Funding Your Dreams: Grantwriting in the Information Age, Murphy 4 (n07s827)
2. Report from the Policy Front: What’s in Store for Ed Tech, B203 (n07s837)
3. In the News! It Is Elementary!, B207 (n07s852)

Monday, 4:45-6:15 p.m.

How to Help Teachers Successfully Integrate Technology (BoF), B207 (Laurie Ellis, n07s249)

Tuesday, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

1. Digital Media Tools for English Language Learners, B306 (n07s597)
2. Educating Students About Online Safety, B213 (n07s672)
3. School 2.0: Technology and the Future of School, Murphy 2/3 (US Dept of Ed, n07s624)
4. Staggeringly Good Things Integrating Media and Google Earth, Murphy 1 (n07s739) this session is being archived via podcast

Tuesday, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

1. New Tools, New Schools: Starting the Conversation about Web 2.0, B207 (Gwen Solomon, Will Richardson, Timothy Magner, Lynne Schrum, David Warlick, n07s702)
2. Can Technology Make Us Wise?, Murphy 2/3 (Bernie Dodge, n07s746) this session is being archived via video-on-demand

Tuesday, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Contemporary Literacy in the New Information Landscape, Murphy 2/3 (David Warlick, n07s705) this session is being archived via video-on-demand

Tuesday, 3:30-4:40 p.m.

1. Constructivist Teaching with Technology: Learning with Laptops, B208 (n07s647)
2. Of Mice and Men, B313/314 (n07s809)

Wednesday, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

1. Assessing Student Technology Literacy, B213 (n07s759)
2. Beyond Testing: Projects that Nurture Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Collaboration, Murphy 2/3 (n07s691) this session is being archived via video-on-demand

Wednesday, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

1. From Hand It In to Publish It: Re-Envisioning Our Classrooms, Murphy 4 (Will Richardson, n07s584)
2. Using Technology to Support Learning for All Children, B304 (n07s591)
3. With Power Comes Responsibility: Online Awareness, Ethics, and Safety, B217 (n07s707) this session is being archived via video-on-demand
4. From Web Consumer to Producer: Student-Created Virtual Exhibits, B303 (n07s780)

Wednesday, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

1. E-Blocks: Using a Multisensory Approach to English Language Learning, B208 (n07s694)
2. Teach Web Design using Macromedia Dreamweaver 8, B301 (n07s660)
3. Inspired Writing: Using Inspiration with the Four Square Writing Method, B303 (n07s783)

Wednesday, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

1. Expanding Boundaries of Learning: Designing Rigorous and Globally Connected Assignments, Murphy 1 (Alan November, n07s722)
2. First Things First: Technology Successes in the Primary Grades, B212 (n07s536) this session is being archived via podcast
3. Write a Winning Grant Proposal: The Eight-Step Grant Proposal Model, B304 (n07s559)
4. Loud Music, Competitions, Funky Presentations! This is NOT Your Grannie’s Classroom, B201 (n07s704)
5. Effective Use of Technology in the Middle School Math Curriculum, B301 (n07s708)

Wednesday, 2:45-4:00
Closing Keynote, Murphy Ballroom

 

I recently was asked by a friend and colleague if I had an advice for first-timers to NECC.  I came up with a list that I thought I would post, since it might help others as well.  Only a few more days before we travel to NECC for what I believe to be the best ed tech conference around!

General
Know what you want to get from the conference before you go.  I recommend focusing on just one or two topics.  This conference is extremely large and can be overwhelming if you try to concentrate on more than just a couple of topics.

When you check in you’ll get a pouch for your name tag that you have to wear everywhere.  You also get some “ticket”-type contact cards.  Tear apart the cards and slip them in your pouch so you have something to hand out to people who want to contact you.  If you have business cards, keep a few of those in your pouch as well.

Sessions
Sessions about Web 2.0, blogging, podcasting, 1-to-1, and any other newer topic will be PACKED, so if you really want to see the session, get a seat early.

Be prepared with more than one session (in rooms close together) in case your first choice is a bust.

Look up presenter information before you go.  Sometimes you’ll see that a presenter has posted virtually their entire presentation online and you could use your time to go to another session instead.  This is not to say posted information can replace every session, but if you are looking mainly for resources, this might be a good solution for some topics.

Beware of sessions sponsored by companies like software and services, those are sometimes more commercials than informative sessions.

See if any of the bloggers you follow will be presenting.  Even though those are likely to be very popular and crowded, it’s nice to see the person behind the blog.

Exhibits
Unless you are an exhibit-groupie or want to see something specific, take a half day and breeze through the exhibit hall fast.  Yes, there’s lots of free stuff, but you can waste an entire day or more in there if you aren’t focused.

Food/Beverage
The snack breaks near or in the exhibit halls have really long lines, so unless you’re starving or really like the “free food” deal, I’d save the time and bring a snack with you.  If you were smart or lucky enough to be in a hotel with a fridge, get some snacks or breakfast items to keep in your room and throw into your bag for the day.

Make time in your schedule to experience some of the local restaurants.  Ask some of the local residents (many of the volunteers will be from Atlanta) what restaurants can’t be missed by a visitor.  Grab a group of colleagues or new friends to join you!

Clothing
Although I’m sure it will be hot in Atlanta, the conference centers in my experience are cool, so if you get chilled easily, make sure you have a sweater or sweatshirt in your bag for the sessions.  Walking shoes, not sandles for your days.  Ladies, you might want a change of clothes for evening events, but nothing is too fancy.  Did I mention walking shoes?

Follow Me
I’ll be blogging the conference and my sessions, so make sure to check back here often!  I’ll be posting my tentative schedule by Friday.  I have to sort through my planner and the many sessions I want to attend to create a realistic schedule I might be able to follow.

Have more suggestions?  Add them in the comments!

I am sending the following in an email to our teachers this week. I want to encourage them to not take off their thinking caps for the entire summer, just as they send out a summer reading list for students with the same intent. My hope is that they return in the fall with some fresh ideas for integrating technology as a means for creative assessment and that they use the time they have in the summer to really delve in and explore some of today’s great technologies and idea-sharing media.

• Find one educational blogger whose posts you consider valid and relevant to your teaching. Read on average at least 1 post a week, and be prepared to share what you have found during workshop week in the fall.
• Go to TeacherTube.com and find one video you could either use in one of your classes or replicate as a student project.
• Come up with one multimedia project you could use to enhance your curriculum in some way. This project could involve digital photos, music, movie clips, slides, clay animation, drawings, podcasts…
• Come up with one project in your class where you could use a blog with students. You post something and have them respond, give comments, reactions, reflections…
• Look into the following educational technology trends and buzz-words and prepare to talk about them and how they might impact not only your teaching but the learning of our students:
  • Wiki
  • Blog
  • Podcast, Webcast
  • Ning
  • Web 2.0, School 2.0
  • RSS, Aggregator, Feed
  • Streaming
  • Skype
  • Twitter, Meebo
  • Chat, Instant Message
  • Del.icio.us
• Complete the following regarding technology:
  • The one thing I wish I had in my classroom is __________.
  • One activity I wish I could do with my students is __________.
  • Technology would be easier to use in my classes if __________.

I may be setting myself up for disappointment here, but I don’t think so. I believe that the incredible staff with whom I work will come through. If just one or two teachers come back with a great idea, that energy will spark a flame that I can feed throughout the year!

A program is being offered for elementary schools to examine the “Perils and Potential of Media and Technology in Catholic Education” by NCEA, Boston College and the U.S. Conference of Bishops. It sounds like an interesting program but overlaps with NECC so I can’t get there (I would LOVE to - loved Boston last time I was there).

If you are planning to go, would you be willing to share your experiences here on EdTech Avenue? The conference is from June 21-23, 2007, in Boston, MA.

I have been working on a near-zero budget for a couple of years now.  Before that, we were blessed with grant money from Best Buy Corporate that allowed us to improve our one working computer lab and install two more - one mobile.  I used that money as frugally as I could, purchasing refurbished computers from an organization called Minnesota Computers for Schools.  They were “good enough,” but I told our administrators that, while these machines will get us up and running on limited funds, they will need to be replaced sooner than if we would buy new.  I also stated that what is really essential is that we get technology upgrades into our school operating budget so we can replace equipment on a reasonable cycle.  We are now two years A.B.B. (After Best Buy), and we are in desperate need of updates to not just one area but three.  While purchasing refurbished machines works, it is almost twice the work each year to install and support, and the end financial cost is actually higher.
I am not working with techno-phobic administrators.  They realize the importance of technology in the lives of our students, but there is simply no money.  This year I submitted a technology plan to the state in hopes of eligibility for E-Rate funds, but what I’m hearing in the blogosphere is that these types of funding programs are fading.

The biggest challenge for Spellings is that her rhetoric doesn’t coincide with her actions. She says that underfunding of technology in schools is a big problem, but the Department’s failure to fund the federal Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program gives her statements no credibility. The federal Technology Innovation Challenge Grant program, the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund, the Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) program, the Community Technology Centers, and the Regional Technology in Education Consortia – they are all gone. The only thing left is EETT, and now the feds have proposed zeroing out that budget yet again.

To say that this scares me as far as my job is concerned is certainly an understatement.  For those of us in the private sector, I can only think the funding is even less accessible.  I hope we can get some federal help and that my hours and hours of composing a four-year technology play are not in vain.

I hope I can convince my administrators of the urgency with which we must now seek out funds to budget for technology for school operations.  I will continue the crusade!