Distance Learning Funding — 2:00 (Doug)

Executive Summary
For a session sponsored by a vendor (Polycom), this workshop remained extremely non-salesy and full of great references for districts looking for funding resources. If you have interest in securing local, regional, or federal dollars for distance learning, make sure that the scope is at least national, if not international.

Details
Presenters
· Andrew Knox – Eastern Area Grant Manager
· Kristen DeProspero – Grants Director

Education Programs

• Honors Program: Reduced prices, memberships, application training
• Tuition Reduction Program: Professional development through technology from Nova Southeastern University
• Free Industry memberships with purchase
• Polycom Content Access Program: Polycom Collaboration Center that matches interests of people using videoconferencing equipment worldwide
• Case studies, blog, and special events
• Content Provider Program

Trends

• The U.S. DoE has cut more than 65% of educational technology grants in the past three years
• The fourth year of NCLB IID saw 28% reduction in funds and more stringent guidelines
  

Demands

• Demonstrate models
• Include research on current hot topics

Sources

• Federal Grants
  § Competitive: Provide compelling argument for funding
  § Formula: Meet certain requirements and get funded automatically
• State governments
• Private foundations
• Foundation Center
• Organizations
  § Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
  § Toyota
  § AT&T
  § Verizon
  § Kellogg
  § Coca-Cola
  § Exxon-Mobil
  § Aetna Foundation
  § Grants.gov
  § Law suit reconciliations (Microsoft, Toshiba, others)
• Freedom of Information Act requests, allowing for the release of information on any federally funded program
  § Winning grant applications
  § Scoring
  § Other relevant information

A Reflective Look at Online Professional Development — 12:30 PM (Doug)

Executive Summary
Excellent overview of current standards in online professional development as well as research proving the efficacy of distance learning.

Details
Facilitator: Michael Murray, Assistant Director of Technology, Southern Regional Education Board
· Regional effort to bring together best practices among ESAs and districts from states from Tennessee to Delaware
· Standards available through Multi-State Online Professional Development MOPD) consortium:
o Learning communities
o Resources
o Evaluation
o Design
o Collaboration
o Quality Teaching
o Leadership
o Data
o Research
o Learning
o Equity

Barbara Treacy, EdTech Leaders Online
· Goal of building capacity to use online learning to meet local goals
- Online Instructor: Semester-long course that prepares instructors
- Online Course Developer
- Online community to provide support to fellow facilitators
- Participating organizations include state departments of education, school districts, regional consortia, and professional development providers

E-Learning for Educators
· Multiple programs and initiatives across many states and cities: Mississippi, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Delaware, Oregon, Boston, Milwaukee
· Measurement
- Boston College 5-year study
- 2,297 teacher participants
- 98% rate quality of good to excellent
· Harvard Graduate School of Education Study
- Chris Dede, author
- http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~uk/otpd/
· Future Directions
- Further analysis of existing research
- Research on engagement: How to get teachers to commit to platform
- Balance between evaluation and research: analysis as well as data capture and reporting
· Opportunity to mainstream online professional development at the National Staff Development Council

Assessing Students’ and Teachers’ Technology Skills: NETS-S as Benchmarks — 10:00 AM (Doug)

Executive Summary
A nice overview of free and (relatively) low-cost student technology assessment tools. This session was light on the standards themselves and heavier on assessment platforms.

Details

Current Assessments

• PBS TeacherLine — Tim Lum




• 130 courses in math, language arts, science, instructional technology, and instructional strategies


• Funded through grant from US DoE


• Research-based on PD practices that lead to “highly qualified” instructors


• Aligned to NCLB, state, local, and professional standards


• Capstone Program




• Three courses that lead to an ISTE NET-S Certificate of Proficiency as well as a portfolio of work that teachers can use in the classroom


• Geared toward teachers with several years of experience in integrating technology in the classroom


• Multimedia-rich with samples and library of resources


• Facilitators with at least a master’s degree provide support and feedback to participants




• In the state of Virginia, a mandate exists to require at least one technology coordinator for each 1,000 students




• State Education Technology Directors’ Association — Mary Wolf




• Federal 8th-grade proficiency requirement does not mandate the collection of data from students; however, DoE is now requesting that states provide data on how many students were assessed and how many passed




• Learning.com — Alia Jackson




• Technology literacy curriculum


• Elementary (grades 3 – 5) and middle school (6 – 8) versions, grade-3 and grade-6 reading levels, respectively


• Multiple-choice as well fully interactive questions (hands-on demonstrations of student proficiency in solving problems with software)


• Standards based on Angoff standard-setting method


• Statistical computation of ratings to compute cut scores


• Enables teachers to assess and respond to technology strand needs




• Certiport — Anita Brooks




• Based on IC3 standard


• Assessment mode provides feedback on proficiency and feeds into Mentor mode


• Mentor mode provides a year-long subscription to materials to support technology proficiency

New Assessments

ATTAIN

• Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Act
• Introduced in House, soon to be introduced in Senate; stronger wording over EETT standards ("must" versus "should")
• Aims to make significant improvements to the federal Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) block-grant program
• Read the U.S. House bill
• Read CoSN (key supporter) news release

NETS-S Refresh Release — 8:30 AM (Doug)

Executive Summary
Good news: ISTE is releasing its revised standards on student technology proficiencies.
Bad news: This session was 45 minutes of nonstop self-congratulating on behalf of the many contributors to the new standards. A small price to pay for a great benchmark.

Background:
· Input from all 50 states and 22 countries
· Emphasis on technology literacy as a basis for learning
· Preparation for 8th-grade assessment, rather than an immediate cram for skills
· Using technology to learn rather than learning technology
· Alignment with standards introduced through the Partnership for 21st-Century Skills

View the draft NETS-S standards