State and Federal Updates

State Technology Survey

Given the current financial circumstances, the CDE has decided to suspend the survey requirement for this year. If you would still like to use data from the survey or would like to take it voluntarily, contact Jim Freese.

CTAP Region IV Updates

SIS Vendor Fair

CTAP 4 will host a vendor fair for choosing a Student Information System next week. Please visit the website for more information.

On the Road web resources

On the Road is a web resource provided by CTAP Region 4. It represents the best practices and emerging trends of education mavens in the Bay Area and beyond. The resources will include pictures, sounds, and video as well as contact information for the practices highlighted. Subscribe via RSS to recieve updates and new entries. If you have suggestions for best practices, please contact your CTAP representative.

Technology Funding Alert

The January technology funding alert is posted on the CTAP website.

Doug Prouty classroom Grant Program is offered by East Bay CUE in honor of Doug Prouty. EBCUE members functioning as a classroom teachers are eligible for this grant.

HP Innovations in Education

Genentech Foundation funds school districts in SanFrancisco, South San Francisco, San Mateo, and Solano County to support science education. Grants awards begin at $25,000.

Anheuser-Busch and its charitible foundations support schools in in Solano County with awards ranging from $100 to $1M+.

K-12 Voucher

A school with 40% free and reduced lunch will be eligible for round 2. If you have a school that is close to the 40% FRL, the school might want to apply since the numbers will be re-evaluated with the most current and approved data. If you were approved in round 1, it is likely you will need to re-apply in round 2. Because most high school have a low participation rate for FRL, feeder schools made high schools eligible. We expect this will still be the case.

Enhancing Education Through Technology

Formula Grants

New changes in funding proceedures are in motion for this year. Districts will expend all their funds for their grant and then submit paperwork for reimbursement. See a detailed article.

Announcements and Information

21st Century doucments

Bonnie and Micheline shared some documents for 21st Century Education
Education for the 21st Century: The Basics
Leadership in the 21st Century: The New Visionary Administrator

EBCUE

Cool Tools is happening this Saturday at Alameda COE from 7:30 to 4:00pm. Registration is available at the door. Every session is hands-on! Learn about Thinkfinity, the 3G's, Blogging, Google Tools and more. Cool prizes and lunch are included. $50 for CUE members and $80 for non-members.

SVCUE

Get You Geek On! is the SVCUE conference happening on February 28, 2009 from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. Registration costs $30 for CUE members and $35 for non-members. Fee includes lunch, snacks, and over $7,000 in raffle prizes. Register online @ http://svcue.org

CUE Conference Palm Springs: Driving Student Success

This year's CUE conference will feature Robert Marzano as the opening Keynote. Peter Reynolds will be the closing keynote. The event will happen on March 5-7 in Palm Springs. http://www.cue.org.

Computer History Museum Educator Focus Group Info and Invitation

The CHM in partnership with CTAP Regions 4 and 5 and with the assistance of Educational Support Systems (ESS) is working with the education community in the Bay Area to make the Museum an important educational resource for students, teachers, and parents

Featured Speaker

Dr. Kathy Hayden

ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers

Handouts: Free Resources for Studying Earth Science

The National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers have been updated. on new change is the shift from 6 categories to 5. The categories are:

1. Faciliatate and inspire student learning and creativity
2. Design digital-age learning experiences and assessments.
3. Model digital-age work and learning
4. Promote digital citizenship and responsibility
5. Engage in professional growth and leadership

Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity:

The goal is for students to ask questions. Dr. Hayden shared an example video of a project using video conferencing and the state park system.

Design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments:

Google Earth is one example of digital-age learning. Students use real earthquake data and Google Earth to study seismology.

Model digital-age work and learning:

CLRN has a newly updated Web Information Links (WIL) section.
Many new web 2.0 tools are highlighted on this site. Kathy Schrock also has many cool reasources. Digital literacies were highlighted. Dr. Hayden highlighted Jim, a teacher, who has students using interwrite tablets. His use of technology with some of the schools most struggling students helped his students have a 90% pass rate for the CAHSEE.

Promote digital citizenship and responsibility:

CTAP Region 4 has many resources in this area. It is an important section in the framework.

Engage in professional growth and leadership:

Life-long learning is a critical component of 21st Century learning and is part of this standard.

Questions:

Where can we get resources for pre-packaged video conference lesssons? CILC is one source. NASA is another one.  Also check out the AT&T site for videoconferencing ideas.

Some collaborative projects described by attendees:

Read Around the Planet in elementary schools (Kentfield)
School Loop for book discussion groups in high school (San Rafael)
PORTS Project - Elephant Seals Project using polycom unit (Fairfield School District)
- guided students in questions using Blooms Taxonomy for higher thinking.

Spotlight Speaker

Jessica Neely

KQED Quest resources for Educators
http://www.kqed.org/quest/

Quest is a Multimedia Series Exploring Northern CA Science, Environment and Nature. 

• Ready-made narrated slide shows created from radio shows.
• Can embed audio and video on your own site.
• Can download as podcasts from the itunes store.
• Can also download the newer stories directly from the site.
• Topics include educator guides - correlated to content standards.  Includes additional links and transcripts.
• Quest Blog with new entries every day; RSS Feed.
  
• Science & Nature hikes around the Bay Area.  Includes photos.  Can be used as virtual field trips.
  
• Exploration guides that help teachers and students design their own Google Maps.
• Education page includes all interactive guides that have been produced. 
  
• Student work sheets (both factual and reflective)
• Summer Institute for teachers [August 09]
  
• Also workshops on digital storytelling using Google maps.
  

For more information on upcoming KQED workshops, please visit the science website: http://sites.google.com/site/kqedscienceeducation