Vita-Learn NW Meeting and Minutes (October 9, 2009)

Vita Learn Meeting

Milton Elementary School

10-9-09

 

I.  Share Time (Attending members shared current initiatives, helpful resources, or questions they would like support with)

(Combination of Face to Face and Online Tools were used to share)

30 people completed the online spreadsheet with resources, questions, and initiatives

We removed the names and organization to this spreadsheet to publish it here

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tD2dcfLCDUR16SBgFfGI_iQ&output=ht...

Face to Face share:

Essex:

            Glogster - Online mm poster  edu.glogster.com

            Zoomit

            New guidelines for CIPA - revamping

Montpelier:

            Powerschool, caf software, library software

            Reduction of classes; freed up time for integration

            K-2 classes as a part of library class

            Freed up computer lab time - increase in project-based learning as a result

Milton:

            High school - implemented Powerschool, My learning plan

            Integration specialist role new - full time

            Implemented 1:1 with Freshman class - most parents signed consent for students to bring them home

            Increase in motivation

FCSU:

            Network administrator looking for network of colleagues for support

Charlotte:

            *Tech Assessment in schoolspring - Susan Fitzpatrick looking for feedback (susan@schoolspring.com)

            To get to the test:  www.globalclassroom.us

            see Susan for password

Shelburne:

            New website, schoolwires (Shelburne, Williston, Hinesburg)

            Teachers in charge of own page and own section   

            Drafted out basic components of websites; recommended components

Williston:

            120 netbooks in Middle School

            20 macbooks w/cart

            Launching new website 

            Teachers report:  ease of communication with parents and families, engagement of teachers - want to add more

Charlie Wilson:

            Consultant - evaluating infrastructure and pedagogy

            Work w/Ed on follow-up GLEs:  Scenarios that exemplify 21st century learning

Hinesburg:

            Website - goes live, Nov. 1

            12 Smartboards - link to some PD 

            Implementing speak up - participation for parents, students, faculty, administration:  looks at 21st century skills and technology.  Information is collected and analyzed with comparisions to national data.

CESU:

            Netbooks for elementary schools

            Not robust enough for High Schools

            iphones for Admin. - 

            Gmail vs. Groupwise discussion

FNWSU:

            Powerschool at high school

            Elementary email to Google Domain - gone smoothly

            No training or inservice time available, used tutorials to assist people through the transition

            Increased usage of google docs, google sites, shared calendars

            Google forms as formative assessment 

            Con 21

FCSU:

            Curriculum - 21st century skills

            PD - Model for differentiated PD using technology

CVU:

            Website:  Using Moodle integrated with Google Apps, will be single sign on

            Gmail, faculty conversation through use of forms

            12 mimios - St. Johnsbury model, couple workshops this summer 

Fairfax:

            Technology Institute for FWSU

            If they participated they got credits and technology tools

            Work on support for teachers and tech tool usage

            Tech course planned for next summer

            Encourage teachers to create their own web sites - google sites

Burlington Elementary:

            3 out of 6 principals new to district

            Create own webpages, new commitment and level of interest in technology

            VCAT 

            2nd laptop initiative course for teachers this fall (24 participants)

            Web 2.0 tools at the various grade levels

            Teachers receive a laptop for participation

Burlington, MS:

            1:1 netbook project (28 Linux)

            7-8 class getting laptops

Milton:

            Aerohive

            Public side (open DNS filtering) and MTSD side

            Powerschool

            Integration Specialist in the High School 

            Changing the culture

            Technology plan approved - student centered learning (hired a consultant to facilitate discussion of what is ssl,                etc.)

            33 SmartBoards and Elmos - summer course

Burlington HS:

            Online grade book, not required but over 80% of teachers voluntarily use it

            77 netbooks roll out

            Every teacher required to have a web page

St. Albans City School:

            Visual Learning in every classroom (projector in every classroom, whiteboard access to Mimio, smartboard upper grades, doc cameras)

            Moved 57 classrooms - restructure and reconfigure technology to support new model

            Google sites used for communication tasks

            Google culture has taken off at SACS

            *RSS feature added to Google 

            7-8 grade Google as tools for collaboration

            Powerschool

            VCAT development

            SU wide - Novell for email, Google for collaboration

            *Offisync (http://www.offisync.com/)

Peter Drescher (DOE):

            Confusion of purpose of VCAT, VDC

            Both are valuable

            Documentation to support both of the tools as useful

            Feedback on Grants, Initiatives Relevant Connections

            E-tech listserve:  forward relevant information to classroom teachers

            New Deputy Commissioner:  RaeAnn Knoff

            Overview of grant opportunities (see handout)

            Broadband:  VT FEST presentation, erate information

            Statewide managed network

            Broadband "Backbone" Stimulus Grant - "Last mile" will be addressed 

VDC - Data Consortium Update    

            Still viable

            Portal through DOE with customizable reports

Powerschool Users Group

            This is needed for this area

            Sharing 

            Local Development that you can use to enhance your own powerschool; user group can promote that

II.  Netbook Discussion

Whose deployed 

Craig:        Robust

                Wireless strength impacts netbook usage

                4-6 SACS

                7-8  FF

                XP Home 

Ed Barry:    Open Office

                  Philosophical approach:  get out and use tools on the web

                  No web cams enabled 

                  Student feedback

                  Acers - 6 cell battery (250) 

                  10 were bad; support at Acer not very good

                  Self-insured

                  PCmall.gov

                  students do not have access to administrative rights on their netbooks

George:    Netbook usage - teachers "apply" for usage (10 or 20 in a classroom?)

                Student feedback piece included in this model

                Netbooks at HS:  Support programs for math and literacy

                Aerohive system to support 80 netbooks - synchronize the launching of netbooks and wireless

                Toshibas

                Google Domain:  student accounts for students to post work online and create a flexible learning environment

Steve:    HP

              3 year protection warranty

              Novell

              XP Home

              High School:  HP notebooks because software needed (Adobe, Photoshop, etc.)

Bonnie:    No printer drives

Netbooks as personal computing device; every day, ubiquitous 

Heavy duty applications - use computers in a lab format - more function based

What about teacher stations? Netbooks or laptops?

Acer netbooks - difficulty with connecting to the projector

III. Announcement:

    VT FEST - Spread the word, enrollments might close early.

    GE Follow up Doc - Scenarios:  what it looks like in the classrooms.  Goal:  Completion in Dec.

    DOTS3 now open - see vtcite.org - north (math and ss gr. 4-12); south (sci and literacy)

IV. Next meetings 

Possible Dates Possible Location / contact

12/4/2009 CCSU Carrie 

2/5/2009 CSSU Ed Bianchi 

4/2/2009 South Burlingon - Steve Webster

Possible Topics

Possible Topics cipa/copa safety ethic pd models / equipment etc web 2.0 multimedia student owned devices

V.  Door Prize- Net Book

Winner:  Ed Barry