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EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY NEWS From the New Hampshire Department of Education |
April 12, 2005 |
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IN THIS ISSUE § Technology Blackout Day § Federal Funding Info § Assistive Technology Call for Proposals § inTASC Research Report: Use of Computers § Updated K-12 TCO Calculator
Looking for other info? Check out previous issues online at www.nheon.org/oet/etnews |
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====================================== TECHNOLOGY BLACKOUT DAY ====================================== http://www.technologyblackoutday.com
On April 20th, 2005 Thousands of Teachers, Students & Parents Will Examine the Power and Potential of Technology In the Classroom During “National Imagine a Technology Blackout Day!”
March 21, 2005 (Arlington, Virginia) –The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) announced today that it will host the first annual National Imagine a Technology Black Out Day (NITBOD) to be held on April 20, 2005. The purpose of this event is to highlight the vast power, potential and necessity of effective technology use in America’s public schools.
Thousands of teachers, students, parents will participate in the event to analyze and share the impact technology has on closing the achievement gap, enhancing accountability, and increasing teacher quality – not to mention providing a 21st century environment for students to learn, share and grow.
From now until May 20th, teachers will facilitate discussions about the effects that modern technology has on students’ daily lives. Students will examine the ways technology permeates the way we work, learn, and play. They will even have an opportunity to assign homework to their parents that addresses the transformative nature of technology on the workforce. Those submitting their outcomes will be eligible for great prizes!
By imaging one full day without technology, participants will begin to realize the vast potential that technology offers in the field of education and the absolute need for our nation’s students to leave high school with strong technology literacy skills no matter their career choice!
Free lessons and activities for elementary, middle and high school students, addressing state standards in social studies, language arts and technology are available at http://www.technologyblackoutday.com. Teachers, students and parents will have a chance to win great prizes when they post their findings!
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====================================== FEDERAL FUNDING NEWS for ED TECH PROGRAM ======================================
We receive lots of queries about the status of grant funding for the 5th year of NCLB Title II-D (funds that would be released in July 2006). Congress is still considering this and many other programs as part of their federal budget appropriations discussions, while they gauge the importance of these programs via correspondence from their constituents. Meanwhile, here are some resources that have come across my desk that you may wish to browse:
State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) has some press releases on the topic: http://www.setda.org/content.cfm?sectionID=184 and http://www.setda.org/content.cfm?sectionID=258. SETDA also is hosting briefings with Congressional committees in Washington this month on the critical role that educational technology, and in particular, EETT funding, is playing in schools and districts across the country. SETDA members will share examples and data about the impact of these programs in their home states and provide the SETDA National Trends Report. Visit www.setda.org to read the full report.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has an Advocacy Toolkit for educational technology with all sorts of templates for a variety of audiences. Find it at: http://www.iste.org/advocacy/toolkit
Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has a toolkit with lots of information about program impact. http://www.siia.net/govt/docs/pub/SIIAadvocacytoolkitEETT.pdf
Ed Tech Action Network (ETAN) is sponsored by CoSN and ISTE. They have a newsletter and much more information at: http://www.edtechactionnetwork.org/
Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has a press release about it: http://www.cosn.org/about/press/020705.cfm
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======================================== ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY – CALL FOR PRESENTERS ========================================
The Rhode Island Assistive Technology Conference Committee invites the submission of proposals to present at our 2005 Conference, being held November 17, 2005 at the Crowne Plaza at the Crossings, Warwick, RI. The conference focuses on the significant role assistive technology plays in helping people with disabilities achieve their goals in education, employment and the community.
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=========================================== USE OF COMPUTERS: U.S. RESEARCHERS FIND MIXED RESULTS =========================================== http://www.bc.edu/research/intasc/
A joint study by researchers at Boston College and the University of Massachusetts found the more students used computers to write school papers, the higher they scored on the state's English/Language Arts exam. The report from the study, Use, Support and Effect of Instructional Technology (USEIT), was conducted by the Technology and Assessment Study Collaborative of the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, researchers analyzed test performance and computer use habits of 986 fourth grade students from 55 classrooms in nine Massachusetts school districts.
The study also found the more students used computers to prepare PowerPoint presentations, surf the Web or play games, the worse they performed on the exam. The more students used computers to write school papers, the better they performed on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems (MCAS) English/Language Arts exam, claim researchers at Boston College and the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. But the more students used computers to play games, Web surf, chat with friends or create PowerPoint presentations, the worse they did on the non-computerized exam. Researchers said the study provides evidence that investments in computers can have positive effects on student achievement, and that teachers and students must be thoughtful about how computers are used and what types of learning they expect to impact the non-computerized exam. See: http://www.bc.edu/research/intasc/
(Thanks to Arthur D. Sheekey, Project Director, ATEC for sharing the article above.)
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====================================== UPDATED K-12 TCO CALCULATOR ====================================== Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) formulas are more common in industry than education; however, as schools purchase more information technologies and build the technical and human infrastructures to support them, school leaders must judge the return of investment on their technology expenditures. The K12 TCO Calculator is designed to support school leaders who must make critical decisions about technology purchases and the long-range impacts these purchases have on their budgets. It calculates approximate costs for implementing a school or district's technology plan. These costs are based on input from current and projected inventory and practice, professional development needs, building characteristics and proposed modifications, electrical power consumption, and goals defined in the technology plan. What’s in it?
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Regards, Cathy Higgins Visit us on NH Educators Online at http://nheon.org/oet |
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ET News is sent from the Office of Educational Technology at the New Hampshire Department of Education. ET News serves as a primary e-mail communication tool about technology matters pertinent to NH educators. Current and previous issues are posted on the web at www.nheon.org/oet/etnews and include information about: · NHDOE technology surveys and technology planning · Federal technology funding and E-rate discounts · Research studies, curriculum information, and professional development related to technology implementation
Requests from service providers to disseminate information about their technology products and services using the electronic newsletter ET News can no longer be accommodated by existing OET staff (see 3/29/04 of ET News). Providers are referred to the Reports and Statistics section of the NHDOE website, where several data reports are available in various formats, including School and SAU Information with names, phone numbers, and addresses, Student Dropout Data, and more. Go to the Reports and Statistics area of the NHDOE website at: www.ed.state.nh.us
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