Educational Technology - Technology tools for learning and assessment

Celebrate Digital Learning Day

2012-01-26T20:25:00.003-05:00

Help celebrate Digital Learning Day and receive a chance to win a $50 gift certificate! Submit a lesson plan that you have successfully used in your classroom that uses at least one digital resource from the Michigan Online Resources for Educators portal or any other free web-based resource. The first 20 lesson plans accepted will receive a $50 gift certificate. Winners may be asked to provide a photo and a quote on the usefulness of M.O.R.E. to their teaching practice. Lesson plans may be added to the M.O.R.E. portal. Lesson plans must use the template provided. Lesson plans should be submitted to contactmore@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation email within 72 hours of submission. If you do not receive a confirmation, please resubmit and note that it is a resubmission in the subject line of the email. The Michigan Online Resources for Educators (M.O.R.E.) is part of the Michigan eLibrary (http://mel.org) Deadline: All entries must be received before 8:00 AM, March 1, 2012. Please share with teachers you know and with whom you work!

Building Michigan Education Fiber Network

2012-01-26T20:23:00.001-05:00

REACH-3MC Update http://www.merit.edu/connections/Jan2012/reachupdate.php

As a new year begins, Merit's REACH-3MC Team can reflect on a busy and accomplished 2011. Having begun construction on the Round 2 portion of the project, deployed optical equipment at key network nodes and made significant progress securing necessary permits, we are ready to hit the ground running in 2012. In December, Merit broke ground on Round 2 with a segment of underground construction from Bruce Crossing south to Watersmeet. This is a very exciting milestone for Merit and REACH-3MC because it also marks the beginning of construction in the Upper Peninsula. Read the entire REACH-3MC Update.

Apple Education Event (IBook) Keynote Video, January 2012 Official Video

2012-01-26T20:12:00.000-05:00

Apple NEW Event in 2012! Official Presentation. Full Video Subscribe and like please please please my channel
Apple just had their education event where they announced publisher partnerships, $15 textbooks for iPads, new iBooks 2, and other stuff.
Apple in education.
iBooks Textbooks for iPad.
Te next chapter in learning.

Copyright To apple.I do not own the video.Full credit goes to beloved Apple.Love Apple.have whole range of products.

Apple iBooks Author Tour

2012-01-26T20:10:00.000-05:00

Rethinking the Technology Paradigm

2012-01-25T10:03:00.001-05:00

Rethinking the Technology Paradigm

Article for Comp II
by
Fred Sharpsteen
A month ago I went to the Technology Conference. At one of the seminar, "Education on the Internet". I was having one of those moments of thought on this day. Are we doing the right things in our society and schools with Technology as it changes so rapidly. The presenter stimulated me to think with these items that are listed. Think about these Items and how they relate to thing that you have heard people say about computers and modern technology.

· Teacher's Conference 1703: Students today can't prepare bark to calculate their problems. They depend on their slates, which are more expensive. What will they do when the slate is dropped and it breaks?

· Principal's Association 1806: Students today depend on paper too much. They don't know how to write on slate without getting chalk dust all over themselves. What will they do when they run out of paper?

· National Association of teachers 1907: Students today depend too much upon ink. They don't know how to use a penknife to sharpen a pencil. Pen and ink will never replace the pencil.

· PTA Gazette 1941: Students today depend on these expensive fountain pens. They can on longer write with a straight pen and nib.

· Federal Teachers 1950: Ballpoint pens will be the ruin of the education in our country. Students use these devices and then throw them away. The American values of thrift and frugality are being discarded.

· 1992: Students today depend too much on the hand held calculators.

By the way what ever happened to the Slide Rule that every engineer had until the middle of the 80's? After looking at these things that have been wrote in the past. There was that sudden moment of clarity for me, that we each experience now and then. Yes we are doing the right thing as a society with computers and modern technology. Other words I would be writing this article on bark.

Imagine a Technology Blackout Day

2012-01-25T09:57:00.005-05:00

Imagine a Technology Blackout Day Examine the Effective Use of Technology in Your School and Community By Fred Sharpsteen Have you ever stopped for a moment on a busy day at your job and wondered what it would be like if we didn’t have computers and all the modern technology to make our daily lives more productive? Well, on April 20th you will have this opportunity if you choose to do so. The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) asked all schools across the country to do just that. Take a moment to reflect and think about how things would change without technology in the learning environment. What is technology? Is it the computer that sits on your desk? Is it the PDA or cell phone at your side? Actually, the Webster 7th New Collegiate Edition of the dictionary defines it as, “The totality of the means employed to provide objects necessary for human sustenance and comfort.” I like to define it as this--a tool that helps us complete a task faster or easier. One of the tasks that have seen the greatest changes in technology is farming. Farming is one of the oldest uses of technology to mankind. It has allowed our population to grow numerous times over by helping us provide greater quantities of food and other innovative farming techniques. In this age of modern innovations, we need to make sure that our boys and girls are challenged by not only a demanding curriculum but we also need to challenge them with higher level thinking skills. We need to give them modern technology in order to aid students and the community in productive learning and problem solving skills for life. So, as you go forward on the 20th of April, 2005, take the time to think about and imagine what your life would be like without modern technology. If we don’t offer these tools to them in the future, how will we teach our young people the skills they will need to be productive and successful citizens in the next century? To find out more about this event,

http://www.technologyblackoutday.com/

Google data center security

2012-01-24T23:43:00.000-05:00

GoObserve now avalible for the Android.

2012-01-24T17:09:00.003-05:00

GoObserve now avalible for the Android. So now if the principal say they have to get an iPad for the GoObserve you can tell them that it is avalible for the Android also... :-)

GoObserve™ Classroom Observation and Walkthrough Tool

GoObserve greatly simplifies the process of conducting classroom observations and walkthroughs. GoObserve uses native calendar and contact imports to easily set up and schedule teacher observations, import or add additional profile information for teachers, quickly select from up to a dozen customizable preset criteria with associated timers and notes/phrases, and complete an observation.

Developed jointly by GoKnow Mobile Learning and The Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP)

GoObserve™ Classroom Site
http://observe.goknow.com/

Andriod Market
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.goknow.goobserve

CoSN Strategic Plan: 2012-2015

2012-01-24T14:44:00.000-05:00

CoSN Strategic Plan: 2012-2015
http://www.cosn.org/Default.aspx?TabId=11097

CoSN’s 2012-2015 strategic plan builds on our previous work and reflects our strong commitment for the continued progress, growth, and success of the association. The plan is not a static one. Periodically the Board of Directors will reexamine and update the goals and objectives in light of changing conditions and new opportunities and trends in the education environment. CoSN seeks to provide significant benefits and value to its members while it proactively addresses these changing trends.

They invite your ideas and suggestions as they undertake this exciting work (send to info@cosn.org).

What’s New? What Continues?

The release of CoSN’s strategic plan for 2012-2015 coincides with the 20th Anniversary of our founding. Over the past two decades, CoSN has grown and transformed itself into the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. Our history is a rich one, demonstrating how one group can have a profound influence by providing the resources essential for advancing 21st century learning.
Looking to the future, our vision and core values are unchanged. We will continue to position CoSN as the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. We will continue to strengthen our commitment to provide the leadership, community, and advocacy tools essential for the success of education technology leaders.

At the same time, CoSN will also forge ahead with new and revised goals reflective of the ever-changing education technology landscape and designed to make us an even stronger organization offering highly valued and relevant services to our members.

These goals include:

■Seeking to close the technology access gap for learning inside and outside of school.

■Launching the first-ever aspirational certification program for school system Chief Technology Officers (CTOs).

■Building district-wide capacity for team engagement.

■Advocating the importance of investing in education technology.

■Strengthening and expanding the capacity of CoSN state chapters.

CoSN’s mission statement has been updated to reach beyond our core audience of public school districts to encompass education technology system leaders at education service agencies, and independent, parochial, and charter schools.

Strategic Goals

The Board identified five external goals focusing on closing the technology access gap, increasing CTO skills, building system-wide support for technology, advocating for educational technology, and expanding state capacity.
■Close Access Gap: Increase awareness of requirements to close the technology access gap for learning inside and outside of school.

■CTO Skills: Enhance the skills and competencies of CTOs and raise expectations as defined in the Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO and measured by certification.

■Team Capacity: Build district -wide support for technology in education through strategic partnerships and professional learning opportunities.

■Voice: Advocate for investments in education technology as a means of enhancing learning opportunities and driving economic growth.

■State Capacity: Expand the capacity of CoSN chapters by enabling professional learning opportunities and developing ability to influence state policy.

In Conclusion

CoSN’s leadership believes that this strategic plan will enable us to continue our 20-year tradition as the premier professional association serving school system technology leaders. As we undertake the exciting work of implementing this plan, we invite you to join in our efforts to enhance learning through the effective use of technology. We welcome and invite feedback from you, our valued members.

Goal 1: Close Access Gap: Increase awareness of requirements to close the technology access gap for learning inside and outside of school.

As documented in the U.S. Department of Education’s 2010 National Educational Technology Plan and the Federal Communications Commission’s 2010 National Broadband Plan, improved educational networks are critical to support the broad range of changes taking place in education technology. A dynamically demanding education technology environment is forcing school systems to deal with major infrastructure requirements presented by common core assessments, conversion from print to digital content, mobile learning, blended instruction, virtual schooling, and personalized learning.

In this new environment, school systems need high-speed broadband and high-density wireless connectivity to meet instructional opportunities and assessment requirements. To truly embrace learning anytime, anyplace, there must be broadband home access. The growing use of student-owned devices, the necessity of protecting intellectual property rights and sensitive data in a highly distributed cloud-based instructional environment, and the creation of online learning environments that cover an appropriate range of instructional approaches and personalized learning opportunities are all placing new infrastructure demands on school systems.

CoSN has a wide range of resources to help school systems intelligently navigate through the key challenges they face. We will expand these resources and focus on providing guidance to deploy broadband networks; to support the security, safety, and technical needs existing in the school environment; and to increase the awareness of closing the access gap for learning inside as well as outside of school. Our goal is to provide school system technology leaders with the knowledge to invest wisely in educational connectivity and communication services for today and tomorrow.

Goal 2: CTO Skills: Enhance the skills and competencies of CTOs and raise expectations as defined in the Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO and measured by certification

A major ongoing priority of CoSN is to develop the human capacity in school systems around leveraging technology for transformation. In 2012, CoSN is launching the first-ever aspirational certification program for U.S. K-12 education technology leaders who are using technology strategically for the improvement of the learning process. Those who pass this rigorous certification process will demonstrate that they are committed to bringing the most current technology tools and ideas to our nation's teachers and students.

When appropriately implemented with strong leadership and a clear vision as well as sufficient professional development, technology can be profoundly powerful and transformative. With this in mind, CoSN has identified the knowledge and skills needed by school system leaders to define and build 21st century learning environments. The Framework defines three overarching knowledge areas critical to today's education technology leaders.

■Leadership & Vision

■Understanding the Educational Environment

■Managing Technology & Support Resources

Under each of these overarching skill areas, there are specific responsibilities and the knowledge needed to be a successful and effective CTO in today's educational environment.

With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), state departments of education, and key corporate partners, CoSN is working with a nationally renowned exam development vendor to create and administer the CTO certification exam for Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) based on the Framework. Beta testing took place during December 2011. The first Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) certification exam is scheduled to be administered in March 2012 during the CoSN’s Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

As part of our new strategic plan, all the professional development offered by CoSN will tie to the Framework as we prepare education technology leaders for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Goal 3: Team Capacity: Build district wide support for technology in education through strategic partnerships and professional learning opportunities

CoSN believes that school technology directors acting alone cannot transform education. The CTO works most effectively when part of a team that recognizes and values the power of technology to transform learning, instruction, and administrative efficiencies throughout the organization. CoSN provides a rich set of resources, educational materials, and activities suitable for all school system/school district leaders. Hot technologies and trends must be put into the context of learning with real examples of what works, what doesn’t, and ideas of how to get there from where you are today. Successful teams include the superintendent and curriculum leaders as well as experienced CTOs.

CoSN recognizes and supports school system teams with the CoSN Team Award, the Empowering the 21st Century Superintendent Leadership Initiative, and through our work with the U.S. Department of Education to leverage online communities of practice for continuous improvement. We are proud to partner with leading foundations such as the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as our collaborations with American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the National School Boards Association.

Institutional membership in CoSN supports and assists school system leaders in building needed team capacity and provides essential membership benefits. The success of technology within a school system depends on system-wide support and leadership, and most important, a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

Goal 4: Voice: Advocate for investments in education technology as a means of enhancing learning opportunities and driving economic growth.

Since our founding in 1992, CoSN has been committed to maintaining a strong and effective voice in policy formation and implementation at the federal level. We work to ensure that legislation supports and promotes the power of technology to transform learning. Our efforts include an annual policy summit and ongoing mechanisms to provide educators with the tools and training necessary to be powerful advocates for the value of education technology.

CoSN is a sponsor of the EdTech Action Network (ETAN), which provides a forum for educators and others to engage in the political process and project a unified voice in support of improving teaching and learning through the systemic use of technology. CoSN also publishes the Washington Update, which is a monthly members-only e-newsletter that reports on legislation affecting our school systems. CoSN will continue to expand its advocacy role and will build on its commitment to be a leading voice on Capitol Hill and with the Administration, for ed tech issues as well as a source of information in the policy process.

Goal 5: State Capacity: Expand the capacity of CoSN chapters by enabling professional learning opportunities and developing ability to influence state policy.

CoSN is committed to building a strong network of education technology leaders across North America. To accomplish this goal, we work closely with school Chief Technology Officers at the local level through a network of strong and active state chapters.

Since CoSN first changed its Bylaws in 2004 to allow the establishment of state chapters, thirteen state chapters have been launched. These chapters provide members with local access to valuable professional development opportunities such as CoSN’s CTO Clinics. Chapters also provide CoSN with the opportunity to influence state educational policy at a grassroots level and extend our national voice. Our new strategic plan includes building chapters in Canada at the provincial level.

In support of this strategic goal, CoSN created a new staff position with focused responsibility for chapter relations. This staff member will offer assistance to emerging and established state chapters as they work to become strong, vibrant chapters that provide support to their individual members. As a part of this work, in 2012 CoSN will increase the number of regional CTO Clinics from five to six per year and expand the CTO clinic reach to include members from the new region.

Novell training courses, get a large educational discount

2012-01-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

It is now possible for staff and students of academic institutions world-wide to get over $440 off list price for electronic self-study courseware before you even consider delivery costs . Please forward this message to anyone who you consider may be interested. You may now purchase all of the self-study courseware (in electronic form) from Novell, including SUSE® Linux courses, for a cost of $52 USD per kit. Standard courseware supplied in printed form with associated media is still available from your current sources. This offer is only available via the link below. Order your kits today https://fs12.formsite.com/mindworksuk/form42/secure_index.html?em=sharpstf%40fs1.usa.k12.mi.us

Education Week: What Works in School Turnarounds?

2012-01-22T18:05:00.000-05:00

Here are some practical thing a school can to that can improve education.

Education Week: What Works in School Turnarounds?:

'via Blog this'

Teacher Technology Survey

2012-01-22T13:07:00.001-05:00

Please feel free to share this link with other teachers and lets see how many people we can get to take this. Thanks for your help. http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22EHLQEPYCT

Online Quiz Maker Packages and Pricing | Atrixware Online Quiz Maker

2012-01-22T11:27:00.000-05:00

Online Quiz Maker Packages and Pricing | Atrixware Online Quiz Maker

ASPELL - Cisco CCNA resources

2012-01-22T11:12:00.000-05:00

Need help working on your CCNA here is a site that has good information on programming your Cisco CLI equipment.

http://aspell.org/CCNA/CCNA.php

Premium Membership at Spelling City.com

2012-01-22T01:36:00.000-05:00

VocabularySpellingCity Overview

2012-01-22T01:34:00.000-05:00

Desmos Graphing Calculator 2.0

2012-01-22T01:16:00.000-05:00

No-longer do students have to spend hundreds of dollars for a TI graphing calculator. It is now online and it is FREE! Go and check it out today.

Lynda.com video training site

2012-01-21T16:40:00.001-05:00

This site offers video training for your students or staff. I first viewed this at Ferris State University. It is a great way to help train your staff.

Top 10 Benefits to Learning with lynda.com lynda.com produces thousands of tutorials, invaluable training, inspiration and more to help you get the most out of your software. Don’t just gain skills—gain confidence. Online Training Library®—Subscribe to a World of Knowledge Our Online Training Library® is a constantly growing and evolving body of training video tutorials designed to help you learn what you want, when you want it. All subscription levels provide access to 1234 courses and 71,285 tutorials organized by subject, software, and instructor. Experience our quality before you sign up: 10 percent of all content is free to try. more »

Memberships to Fit Multiple Budgets and Needs We offer a variety of membership types to meet a diversity of needs. Monthly membership costs less than a dollar a day for access to all online courses, with no long-term commitment. Our annual plan saves $50 a year, and our Premium annual subscription includes access to instructors’ files to follow along from start to finish.
A Wide Selection of Topics and Software Categories We feature a growing library of software and technique training courses for a number of disciplines: 3D, video, business, photography, web design, graphic design, and more. We’re here to help you better understand and maximize your software, whether you want to build your business, improve your job skills, or simply want to learn more for personal enrichment. more » New Releases Every Week Our content grows every week, sometimes every day. From New Features and in-depth Essential Training titles on new software, to previews of beta software, to titles in our documentary and creative series, we strive to publish timely quality training at a steady pace to keep you productive and up to date.
Top Quality Training and Tutorials Our recording and training technology and techniques are constantly improving. Our professional editors and producers have extensive experience and a talent for showing our content in its best light for successful learning. From live-action video, state-of-the-art studios, and improved video players, lynda.com strives to stay ahead of the curve both in front of and behind the camera. The Highest Quality Instructors Our instructors are top professionals in their areas of expertise, with a passion to teach and share their knowledge and industry experience in a straightforward, candid way. Some come from academic or training backgrounds, others are industry experts and speakers, and some are all of the above. All meet our stringent requirements for quality, practical, impartial training. meet our instructors.
Inspirational and Behind-the-Scenes Project Documentaries We’re more than just software training—we also feature insightful documentaries about innovative, creative people and what they make and do. Our Creative Inspirations and Start to Finish series go behind the scenes with creative professionals and industry veterans to witness how great products, ventures, and careers come together.
Searchable Closed Captions We originally added Closed Captioning to our training to assist people with hearing impairments to have access to our tutorials. We’ve found that it’s also an enhancement for anyone who wants to read along with the video training in order to better comprehend the lesson. In addition, we added the feature of making our Closed Captioned transcript text searchable to help anyone quickly find information in a course.
Certificates of Completion Show coworkers, friends, and potential employers just how valuable you are by earning Certificates of Completion for each course viewed in the lynda.com Online Training Library®. Whether you’re up for a promotion, seeking employment, or just wanting to show off to your friends, members are now able to share a Certificate of Completion for each lynda.com course viewed.
Economical Multi-User Training for Businesses and Schools Our multi-user solutions for companies or academic institutions are an economical, efficient way to increase training ROI. Companies and schools can save on subscription costs with a minimum of just five memberships. Check with our Enterprise and Academic sales team for customized options, from classroom access for students to site-wide corporate access.

Salman Khan on Big Think

2012-01-21T16:14:00.000-05:00

Sal Khan thoughts on how the classroom of the future may change.

Future Learning: Sal Khan

2012-01-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

Can geometry and physics be truly fascinating to students without gimmicks like rap songs? Sal Khan believes they can. Khan is the founder of Khan Academy, a nonprofit with a new model for helping kids learn. Focusing on his philosophy about on-demand, project-based learning, Khan shares his vision about what the future of education could look like, and how we can help students self-direct their pursuit of knowledge.

Chromebook: Set Up

2012-01-21T15:53:00.000-05:00

Here is a short video on how to setup a chrome book.

Chromebook: Boot Up

2012-01-21T15:52:00.000-05:00

How long does it take your computer with windows to boot? Check how fast a Chrome book boots.

Connected Educator Series - REMC Association

2012-01-20T17:41:00.003-05:00

MI Educators, The REMC Association of Michigan is excited to share our new project with you called the Connected Educator Series. The purpose of this project is to bring some of the most innovative educational technology ideas and applications straight to your inbox. As part of this series we will bring you weekly videos of MI educators explaining how they use technology in their teaching and showing you how you can get started in your own classroom. Our first showcase focuses on Nick Provenzano (aka "The Nerdy Teacher"), who teaches English at Grosse Pointe South High School. See how he and his students are using blogs to make connections and build communities far beyond the walls of their classroom. Nick will show you how he set up his own blog, how his students blog during class for notes, how student use blogs for reflection, and how blogs can connect parents and other classrooms to student work.

Easiteach Next Generation - Basic Intro

2012-01-19T22:44:00.000-05:00

The Power of Digital Learning - Great Teaching

2012-01-19T22:39:00.000-05:00