Vita Learn NW (February 13) Agenda
Vita Learn NW - Meeting
February 13, 2009
Essex Middle School.
I. 8:30 – 9:15 – Introductions Updates, and Announcements)
Update about Grade Level Expectations Discussion
Update about Upcoming Conferences
VTCITE updates
Sharing What's New and Questions
(Moved to online for this meeting. Won't you insert your share in the comment section of this agenda below by hitting reply.)
PLEASE participate. Let's show them that ed tech leaders can walk the walk and practice what we preach.And don't forget to contribute to the online discussion to our "Vita Learn questions on our mind" from the last meeting at:
For this meeting, we will move the share section to an online version to leave enough time for a significant discussion on how Web 2.0 is impacting your school's web publishing protocols which was postponed from last meeting.
9:15 – 10:15 Group Dialogue on Web 2.0 policies and protocols in your school.
How has the increase availability of Web 2.0 tools impacted your practices, policies, and procedures regarding content hosting on the WWW. Many schools have in the process of modifying old Web 1.0 policies and procedures to reflect the realities of Web 2.0 in education. Where is your school at in the process? Come prepared to share and support your colleagues by sharing your process.
We are strongly suggesting that you bring an educational leader in this topic from your school community to join us.
III. 10:30 – 11:15 Ed Tech Demonstrations
E Portfolios: E-portfolios at Enosburg Elementary with E-Pearl (Rob Gervais)
A Peek Inside Successful Moodle Classrooms (Teachers from Lisa Fenalds school)
IV. 11:15 – 11:30 Wrap up. Next Meeting Agenda.
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Directions to the February 13 Vital Learn Meeting
RSVP to: lfernald@gmail.comHere are the directions and a link to google maps of the address;
After parking anywhere in the parking lot, you will enter the middle
school by going in the door closest to the traffic circle to access
the Main Office just inside the doors. Don't use the door near the
gym which is the left end of the building. Once signed in you will
proceed up the stairs across from the office and watch for signs to
get to the Learning Center, where we will be meeting.From 5 Corners
Take Route 15 east. Follow Route 15 for approximately 5 miles.
When at the
intersection of Routes 15 and 128, bear right staying on Route
15 for only a short
distance. Notice large church on left, bear right soon after
on Sand Hill Road. Follow
Sand Hill Road for approximately a quarter of a mile, then turn
right on Founders Road
Follow Founders Road until you see Founders Memorial School on
the right - across the
parking lot is Essex Middle School and the central office is on
the left - newly
constructed gray building with red door.Link to Google Map:
St. Albans City School Update
We are continuing to make headway on our 5 year plan which includes a "Making Learning Visible". We are slightly ahead of schedule and I think we will reach our goal this year (year 4). Getting them mounted is another story. Struggles with questions about "code" and who can do which part.
Google Apps for Your Domain is still being used by school.
Open Source (Tux Paint, Open Office, and Type Faster) being used more since we are customizing them for improved usabeablity in the classroom.
Google Earth Projects are increasing.
Flip Cameras are starting to enter the picture. Consumer Level Video-- setting expectations is important. What can a Consumer Level Video camera do well (i.e. formative assessment) and what is it not meant to do. Also.. requires increased PD about the tasks of video production. (i.e. How do I go from I shot some video to "I want a DVD of standards of practice for reading in the First grade classroom").
Questions about how to handle the increase in multimedia. Let's prepare for this influx. Do we need to pack up 'media' that is raw footage. What about increased accumulation of photos taken with cameras set for 9 megapixel, that find their resting place on our network. New conversations
More talk about security, protocols, and Web 2.0 use and procedures. Tech Planning.
Network admin busy putting in a new Novell server.
Lucie
Lucie deLaBruere www.LearningWithLucie.com
Minutes to February 13 Vita learn NW meeting
Vita Learn NW Minutes
February 13, 2008
Location: Essex Middle School
I. Update about Grade Level Expectations
Members who attended the recent Grade Expectation Discussion provided insight on the trends of the discussion.
Three main trends were reported
a. Get rid of them
b. Modify them
Revise them to align them with ISTE standards
More information and the ability to provide input is available on the discussion wiki at:
vt-tge-.review.pbwiki.com
Professional Development Updates
Dynamic Landscape Conference
Workshops will be available in early March..
Social Studies Networking Meeting Workshops Announcement
Castleton
Montpelier
April 10 Open Source Conference
Collaboration with VSA and VPA (Google Apps)
Special Educators: Assistive Technology
Alan November for VTFEST 2009
Request for increased ways to share “little things that make a big difference” was discussed as an important element of professional development. Ideas for sharing these were discussed.
Including Tagging any online content that can be tagged that fits into this category as VTTechGems
(including blog entries, delicious bookmarks, etc)
Lucie asked others to publish their Gems in the Friday Five Format she has been posting on VTCITE. Anyone who wants to contribute should contact Lucie.
Lisa Fenald will also post a Google Form to collect delicious accounts so we can start networking using delicious.
Some Ed Tech leaders have been presenting to the DOE and other leadership groups.
Carrie and David (Essex)
Cathy Gallagher
III. State of the State Updates
Arlyn B. and Peter D. from Department of Education provided updates about:
1. LNV grant -
Schools interested in purchasing equipment outside the grant may contact Northeast Computer system in Lyndonville information about equipment or the web software version using a web cam.
Members who have credit in the content dollar bank should contact Aryln B. at DOE
Offerings through CILC.
See Arlene about doing inservice or PD at your school.
It was suggested that VTCITE start a forum for LNV to share feedback and reviews of activities.
Peter also provided updated about
Real World Design Challenge
State Winner : South Burlington High School
Peter is watching the impact of Stimuluus Package
and hopes for increase in Tittle 2D allocation
The official State Tech plan will be ready March 1, including signature page
Discussion around school Web 2.0 policies and practices
Paul Irish from Burlington School District shared extensive work on this and shared process and current drafts with group.
Discussion around educating veteran teacher vs. new teachers.
New teachers come in with different EXPERIENCE .
Discussion on
professional ethics.
OPT out vs OPT In
web publishing 2 component
student work
relationship between FERPA directory and web publishing
Schools have different student access to email accounts.
More and more schools have opt out policy
Group suggested that a wiki was started posting the work Burlington has done as an example and encouraging other groups to also post their process, drafts, etc, so we can learn from each other.
Wiki address will be announced on School IT and at next meeting.
Lucie and Shannon will set this resource up.
South Burlington shared their student privacy form
Some schools have had email permission form for 8 or 9 years
When people sign that they have read the policy, make sure everyone knows where the policy is.
Importance of having good relationships between your parent
Note that at middle school – less communication with parents
Attempts to get rid of paper.
Use first day packets to consolidate permissions.
Offer a parent portal so parents can update their information.
Put all AUP information in student information system.
Be careful about creating too many red flags around an instructional tool.
Use of PDF form as email attachment that can be easily filled out.
This creates a poor man's database application
Focus on Leadership in a student centered environment
How that goes from being an idea to a reality is challenging.
Differentiate between using web 2.0 tools as a collaboration process VS a final product publishing place.
Discussion will be continued on a Wiki.
Teacher Demonstration:
A. John and Lisa from Essex Middle provided demos of real classrooms using Moodle
B. Rob Gervais provided demo of E Portfolio System using E Perl
Next Meeting April 3rd at Mt Mansfield Union High School:
FROM ESSEX
1. Take VT-15 East
2. Go thru Jericho, and turn RIGHT onto BROWN'S TRACE RD. (Clark Trucking w/very large US flag is there on right) 1.9 mi
3. Left into Mt Mansfield High School. Park in the lower parking lot.
FROM BURLINGTON
1. Take I-89 South
2. Take the US-2 exit, EXIT 11, toward VT-117/RICHMOND/BOLTON. 0.2 mi
3. Turn RIGHT onto US-2/W MAIN ST/THEODORE ROOSEVELT HWY. 1.6 mi
4. At light in center of Richmond Turn LEFT up JERICHO RD (a.k.a. Browns Trace Rd). 6.5 mi
5. Right into Mt Mansfield High School. Park in the lower parking lot.
South Burlington Update
We're wrestling with filtering. Amazing how many teachers want to use YouTube in their classrooms! We're considering a couple of options, such as two levels of filtering--one for adults, one for students--or possibly purchasing a commercial filtering system to give us more options and controls.
We're about to go public with this summer's 21st Century Technology Teams course. There will be two sessions--one the week of June 22nd and another the week of July 13th. Same as last year, each participant will "earn" $900 to spend on IT equipment. For more info, see http://cvedc.champlain.edu... soon.
Technology for Tobacco Prevention Grant
Greetings from CCSU. Since the last VITA Learn meeting we learned that we were going to receive one of the Technology for Tobacco Prevention Grants. One novel aspect of our grant is that it involves the installation of SMART boards with attached projectors in three of our elementary school gyms, where our health classes are currently taught. Our goal is to match the interactive potential of the SMART boards with our health curriculum and the active nature of our young students. All of our best minds have been working on the logistics for protecting this vulnerable equipment from stray basketballs.
Lauren Kelley Parren ANESU
Lauren Kelley Parren ANESU Ed Tech Coordinator Mt. Abraham Portfolio Coordinator Airport Drive, Bristol, VT 05443 802-453-2333 x1119
Nothing too exciting to report. The district tech team spent a day writing the new tech plan. I love the emphasis on student centered learning and it was great to get our techies on the same page. To all of the original authors: nice job on the state plan! We lifted heavily from it. I think the important part will happen now when each team member takes our SU rough draft back to their school communities to have real dialogue about what this all means in their particular world.
We also spent an afternoon deciding how to collect samples of student work for the tech GEs. We are allowing teachers to continue with the tech tasks they have done in the past, but are also letting them let go of those tasks if they want to try something new. Our "trailblazers" however few were getting weary of the old tasks. Teachers will meet with their ed tech staff to decide which standards they want to assess (ISTE NETS*S or VT GEs) and design a rubric to meet the needs of the classroom, not the needs of the tech staff. It will be sloppy this year, our "bridge" year as we call it, but it will be a heck of a lot more fun to view student work than it has been in the past! It won't be as measurable, but it will be more authentic.
Sharing from Essex High School
Am I really the first to share on this for this week??! OK, well I've been inspired by the book The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner to try to start connecting with schools elsewhere in the world and to start international student conversations and projects. I've connected with a teacher in each of three countries - Turkey, Italy and the Netherlands. I decided to start slowly so am going to be working with a World Cultures class here at the High School on a Wiki that we'll be collaborating on with the three other schools. The students are excited, and I'm hoping it can be the start of a program where the teachers here can easily have their students working with students at these other schools for little projects over the years - and that we can develop a better sense of global community for our students.
I'll keep you posted!!
:-) Carrie