Vita-Learn NW Meeting Minutes October 10
Vita Learn NW Minutes
Friday October 10, 2008
South Burlington High School
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I. Introductions and Sharing
Lucie suggested that continue with the sharing of what’s new, but also share a question or issue you would like feedback, or future dialogue about., so that we can continue the dialogue outside this meeting time.
Lauren: Addison
Share: 140 tenth graders collaborating on US. History Wiki
Takeaway: letting them do their presentation in any format they wanted, half used a poster.
Hector: ADL
Working on Time Management (especially lab time)
Explosion in the use of Photostory (the new Powerpoint)
Carrie: Essex High School
Focus on copyright awareness.
Using Flickr Creative Commons rather than Google Image
Creating 5 minute “info” session on copyright
Joanne: Chittenden
Working with students as low as 2 nd grade using Excel.
Lots of video happening with using Flickr, Audacity, voice recorders,
Lucie - St. Albans City School
Returned from Open Source Conference with lots of resources and contacts.
Keyboarding in Grades 3 – 4
Google Apps for Your Domain in Grades 7-8 (will share permission document)
5 th and 6 th grade level immersion
Room redesigns
attended Open Source Conference: Lots of resources and contacts.
Making decisions about Open Source adoptions vs. Microsoft. For productivity suite.
Lisa – Essex
- Use of wikis exploding as a curriculum creating tool.
- 21 stcentury learning
-using more video (Flip Video)
-Middle School - EPerl (for E-portfolio) runs on their server
-wireless in all the buildings
-ran new fiber between elementary and the rest of the district
-hired out Twin State did wireless
-working with Joe Thibault, Global Classroom and developing a Web 2.0 course for administrator (will be a 4-5 week course)
Mike – BFA – St. Albans
Working with budget/vouchers, Power School upgrade, and ConnectEdu, and student privacy
Kristen & Steve – South Burlington
Election Projects
Flip Cameras - expanded the use of video (edits with movie maker)
Election polls/ surveys/
Have a high school student as an intern
working in classroom 60 – 90 minutes a week.
Getting the library media specialist involved with tech integration in a more formal role.
Filtering conversation being revisited.
Re-examining : keyboarding software
7th grade team
Tours with Google Earth
By the end of 8th grade certain set of minium skills before they enter high school
Using RCA (Small Wonder) instead of Flip Video.
Using Atlas for curriculum mapping
DNS put in server so they now have remote access for ALL teachers
The district tech committee has split into 2 groups
One group for 21st century teaching and learning and one infrastructure group.
Infrastructure group takes direction from 21st century learning group as to the type of needs they should be trying to meet.
Dave - Essex
Using Jing for Ed tech support.
Users can also communicate with IT and show them the problem.
Recommends a screen saver that pushes RSS
i.e. http://www.web-screen-saver.com/rss-feed.html
Recommends the following book for tasks / time management
Getting Things Done by David Allen w. software Easy Task Manager
Is working on some paradigm shifts to deal with ‘overwhelm’ feeling.
“Take things off the table” What do we take things off the table.?
Things may fall off the table but responsible teachers still worry about this.
Other
I forgot who this ‘share” belonged to. Sorry.
Every teacher has to enter at least one course in Rubicon Atlas.
When there is an observation, that class has to be in the Atlas.
Amy: Burlington (Elementary)
Teacher laptop initiative.
Weave in the world of web 2.0, includes wiki, moodle, and lots more.
Using VCAT elementary level: using VCAT
using it as a standard based report card.
Examining “Where does traditional web publishing: fits with Web 2.0? How do we evolve from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 publishing?
It's easy, and enthusiasm is high. How do we capture the momentum?
How do we categorize the tools, strengths, PD committee is trying to wrap their head around this.
Steve – VCAT
Working with 12 districts.
Tim – Hinesburg
First and 2nd grade class using Community Builder (Tom Snyder product)
Creates 3D model of the town going from concrete to abstract (very tactile)
Using SKYPE
CSSU - 5 tech educator in SU
each one is part of a curriculum committee (academic) working
Ed: Milton
Recommends: Sir Ken Robbins Ted Talk - video on creativity and how schools kill it
Milton: web 2.0 meeting once a month
LNV
"offering ipod touch"
Allowing personal digital devices.
Inspect their computer; remove file sharing if they have it.
Spot check:
We give them 3 handouts
how to connect to the Internt; how to connect to the internet; how to print
Curriculum work to identify power GE's
Summer laptop program: 1 week
Used their tuition reimbursement "get laptop"
Working on keyboarding format.
How can we do ½ hr a day for 6 weeks.
Don't assess for speed and access
Installed 24 Smartboards:
$400 install using plenum wiring
$629 Elmo
smarboard 64 inch
Multiyear program to get classes equipped
Implemented minigrant:
Teams can ask for up to $1000
Example: Math team requested for 10 web cams to use with skype
Nancy – Fairfax
Using wikis in fifth grade
Working on project with teacher going to China and collaborating with 8th graders every day
Other
Many schools using RM Math. Math is becoming the focus of where we start putting smartboards.
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II. Questions Raised:
Lucie offered to scribe questions that came up during the Share Time so that members could support each other and offer advice or opportunities for future conversations, including VTCITE forum dialogue.
- What high schools 7-12 are required to take and what electives are we offering regarding technology.
- Alternative to Frontpage (want it local)
- Web Publishing Guidelines
- Wondering about how others are doing with Rubricon?
- What will be the next tool after Photostory wears off. Any one else having corrupt file issues with Photosory? They are using this solution: open them through Photostory.
- Looking for exemplary Moodle units to share.
- How do you manage the “desktop”, lab, or mobile cart decision. Do we add more computers or redesign what we offer as available solutions?
- Wondering about experience with MPC (Gateway) as a vendor. Is everyone else working with them backordered?
- We are developing student profile of 21st century learners. What is the best format for accomplishing that?
- What are some strategies that work with resistant educators?
- How would we establish a workable clearing house for information and habits that we could all benefit from in this pioneering work?
- How do we know that a Web 2.0 application or downloadable is 'really safe'. We are asked for recommendations, but ‘we’ don't know how to guarantee that it is ‘Safe’
- How can we capitalize on individual interest in student leadership? (Joanne is using a club; Lucie is doing Tech Savvy Kids)
- Has anyone else used RCA (Small Wonder)? What type of solutions are there to deal with codec issues.
- What kind of transition is happening over to Microsoft 2007?
- What type of support is being offered to Blackberries/ PDA/ , etc.
- Where do you go with the enthusiasm or ideas from the Leadership Series of Speaker? Did we record any of it?
- Who is the 21st century team of your school? How do we create the paradigm shift that was offered by Leadership Series?
- Power Standards?What are our key content areas?Things may fall off the table but responsible teachers still worry about this.Is it possible to get rid of mass content?
- What do we mean when we sav “We need to be creative?” Or “We nee to work smarter?
- Who is using VCAT? Does it supplement or replace VDC.?
- Where does traditional web publishing: fits with Web 2.0? How do we evolve from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 publishing? It's easy, and enthusiasm is high. How do we capture the momentum, yet be thoughtful.
- What are people doing with Internet Safety? Would like a snaphot of what that looks like. Is it formal? hit and miss?
- How can you do keyboarding?
- How do schools handle more ‘technology” in all areas in terms of budget? Time?
- Is Discovery Streaming working ? Is it a good investment?
- Who is using Net Trekker? How well is it working? Is it a good investement.
- How do we bring the content people in the conversation? We need to step out of the echo chamber
- Should we as a school be encouraging tech 'use' outside of the school day?
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III. Updates from Ed Barry:
. VTCITE: summer institute
funding for another year with a second phase for work started this summer. (Social Studies)
Units from Phase 1 due: October 31.
Going in River Deep
(state department)looking at these units (science curriculum
go to VTCITE Forum: Resources: Web 2.0 presentation
Rewards are good:
Look for VTCITE updates.
Phase 1 participants will reassemble for a day
1 week in the summer to put units in moodle
during new summer institute (will start with online component over 12 weeks)
MOODLE will be part of it
application deadline will be in December
Focus will be: Social Studies: Social Studies/ English
Vita-Learn update postposed (Paul Irish will update later)
Vermont Fest:
Podcasting conferences are filling quickly
Numbers are ahead of past years.
More people signing up for single days
Science specialist Gayle Hall is helping organize science strand.
See Aryln if you need help getting access to River Deep
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IV. Google Pot Luck
Lucie provided update on Google Teaches Academy
Lisa and Lucie led a Google Potluck (share time of favorite Google Tools for Education.
Lucie added the shared tools into this Google presentation
http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=ajb8zckp5j87_309dcm5j9hc
attached to this message is the Google Apps for Your Domain Permission Letter I referenced
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V. State of the State: Peter Drescher:
Privacy discussion for Google and other web 2.0
Technology GE will be updated
Title 2D competitive grant process will
tie the work of updating Tech GE's to VTCITE
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Technology state plan is being drafted now
Local piece will be due June 30
Secondary Transformation Grant –
Bill Romond (Deputy Commissioner for Transformation)
Will have 3 awards for model schools (mostly high schools)
E-rate update:
Make sure that you have 'interim tech plan ' in place to apply for e-rate.
You must have a plan in place that covered the funding you are asking for.
There is a form you need to fill out
Keep it on file Don’t mail it in, but have it on file.
Tech Plan will be focused on :
-student centered learning
-Moodle and distance learning
-flexible learning environments
-student access outside of the school day
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LNV is moving forward.
Currently support is for classroom type robust connection camera
staying away from desktop cameras
LNV mini grant (6 cameras) soon!!!!!
40 schools are on board now.
State department is not going to Office 2007 at this time
And is actually having trouble with schools who are sending Office 2007 documents
Peter encouraged schools to join the Real World Challenge
Encouraged consolidated PD and technology.
IF you are doing PD and there is a piece of hardware you need to do the PD, that tool that is allowed in the PD portion of the grant
We need to encourage PD on Tools for 21st century thinking
Titles funds: you can move money between 2D 2A and 2-1
Those who are available to do PD should let Peter know.
VTCITE group reminded PD that there is a document with available mentors for certain topics.
VI. Future meeting tentative schedule
December 12 Milton
(originally suggested Dec 5; doesn’t work for Milton; 12 th suggested)
Febraury 13 Essex Town
April 3 Mt. Mainsfield
Agenda Items should be emailed to Ed Barry or Lucie deLaBruere
Suggestions: Web 2.0 tools update
combined with both “opportunities” generated by these tool
and “issues” raised by these tools
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Google Apps for Your Domain.doc | 432.5 KB |
