Tech+Advisory+Meeting+April+5,+2010

=Tech Advisory Meeting April 5, 2010= --Back channel for today-- http://todaysmeet.com/bashork4510 tweet tag of #tsdtech

Please read the summary for the National Educational Technology Plan draft 2010 before our meeting. For a quicker look, read page 3 and then the goals starting on page 10.
 * 1.0 Learning || 2.0 Assessment || 3.0 Teaching || 4.0 Infrastructure || 5.0 Productivity || R&D, Grand Challenges ||

=**Thompson Online**= 1--Refrigerator Worthy - Marketing http://fridgeworthy.tumblr.com/ http://flavors.me/savetheworld#_

2--Professional Development I3 grant opportunity What schools, teachers and administrators?

http://yourschool-designit.wetpaint.com/ This Wall is for mission and vision- http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/bashork4510 This Wall is for goals and results- http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/techadv4510-2
 * 3--Project definition document and plan**
 * 4--Community meeting #1**
 * 5--RFP #1400 for Online Learning Content- Hosted Service with future implementation options**
 * 6--Work towards Mission, Vision, Goals and Results**

__**Blended Learning Summit references**__
The Foundation will be posting presentations made at the summit to their website. http://www.dkfoundation.org/

iNACOL research document on Blended Learning http://www.inacol.org/research/promisingpractices/NACOL_PP-BlendedLearning-lr.pdf

USDE Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning A report issued by the U.S. Dept of Ed that found that "on average, students in online learning conditions (i.e. blended) performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction." The report's accessible at: http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf


 * IS/TS Update from Derrick

__//Server Project//__** IS/TS has begun working with Apple Computers, Inc. and TKC Global on the upcoming Server and Network Operating System Project. On March 29th, Apple and TKC Global arrived to begin the planning process. Servers are beginning to be delivered to the locations over Spring Break, and will be completed over the next couple of weeks. A final schedule, and a detailed plan, should be completed by April 9th, and ready for distribution. A plan for Professional Development is being worked on, and will be discussed at the next Elementary Principal's meeting and Secondary Principal's meeting in mid to late April. This project will be going "full steam" by late April, and it will be a busy summer for IS/TS getting everything changed over by August, 2nd. More information will be forth coming once all of the documents have been finalized, and all of the planning is completed.



__//**Interactive White Boards**//__ Thanks to several grants and funding sources, there has been a large delivery of Interactive White Boards to the Schools. 21 were installed at Winona and 6 at Monroe over Spring Break. Between January and March the following sites received: 6 at Van Buren, 6 at Cottonwood Plains, 5 at Loveland High School, and 4 at Lucile Erwin Middle School.

__//**Ruckus Wireless**//__ Berthoud High School and Mountain View High School were completed with a new indoor wireless system, an 802.11n system. It was installed by 3db Networks, and the product Thompson School District selected was Ruckus Wireless. A fairly new company that specializes in digital video delivery over WiFi technology. Both schools have 100% coverage, and are now using the new networks tsd-staff, tsd-students, and tsd-guest for access. These network seperate the users from each other. There is a guest network that non-staff and non-students are allowed to us, the student network has been opened up to student personal devices, and the staff network has been opened up to district owned devices and personal devices. This type of setup is a pilot at both schools, and the pilot thus far has gone very well

__//**Used Indoor Wireless Re-purposing**//__ With the installations at BHS and MVHS, this freed up a handful of very old indoor wireless access points. (802.11g Cisco products.) This access points have been divided up among schools that have NO indoor wireless access at all. Currently there are 3 access points per school, and the schools that have NO indoor wireless access have been contacted about the installation of these access points.

__//**Internet 2 Connectivity**//__ Front Range Internet (the District's current ISP) was selected to provide Internet 2 access to the District. This installation is currently under way, and the Internet 2 connection is scheduled to be active by April 16th. This network and it's content will be used in a pilot program for the 2010/2011 school year. Details on the pilot program are currently under works.

• We are "refocusing" our efforts on providing end users with data and reports. This includes more restructuring of responsibilities and duties within the department. Michelle Mowat, Patrick Mount, and Skip Armatoski are all now pulling data for end users. A central phone line, request form, and more have been setup with streamline this process. • 8 versions of our SIS codebase have been released since our last meeting which provides an array of custom developed functionality for our end users which includes audits, reporting, analytics, "tabs", nightly processes, and more. Please see the following release notes for more information: and • Online accessibility of all SIS documentation is being pursued. • Online training options for many Infinite Campus trainings is being pursued. • Testing/certifications of most Infinite Campus trainings is being pursued, including online test taking options.
 * Student Information Systems from Rocky**

**Library Media Department**
We have been previewing databases and eBooks from 10 different vendors to determine which options for Thompson School District will best meet instructional and learning needs.

The program that we use for library administration, circulation, etc. will receive a much needed upgrade. The PAC will have some additions that will provide more information for patrons who are conducting searches.

The SRI and RC software will be updated this spring. Middle school library media specialists will be managing the database and will be implementing the program in each building. Through a collaborative effort between middle school library media specialists and teachers, the new program will be used to meet a variety of needs.

We have completed the opening collection for Ponderosa.

Secondary library media specialists are doing a preview with the Kindles to determine different uses in the Library Media Center as well as the classroom.

Unitedstreaming/Discovery has been purchased through the Library Media budget for all of the elementary and secondary schools. Student accounts have been set up for use at the secondary level. If all goes as planned, elementary student accounts should be ready when we return from spring break. The secondary media specialist will be managing the database for his/her building. They have set up accounts for all of their teachers. At the elementary level, some teachers at each building participated in a training for Unitedstreaming/ Discovery. In the near future, all elementary teachers will have accounts.

Does Thompson want to consider Google Apps? Info is at the following site: http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/k12.html
 * Google Apps for Education**


 * FYI--ERC/variance planning on hold until budget finalized

Tech Committees Cabinet—**district-wide, large dept communication Quarterly off set from above, Align with P-12 Council meetings, maybe 2nd or 3rd Friday 8-11am Sept 17, Dec 10, April 15? ➢ Function to align with Curr & Instruction & relationship with technology integration- filter through which curriculum is looked at with a tech lens, place for P-12 councils to take their proposals, help guide support services side to look at where to go with technology (better coordination/communication), see cool tech tools bring it to council to see where it fits in ETIL plan. ➢ Systemic means to have regular updates & feedback electronically (intranet, regular blog posts, feedback given to comments posted). Tech Talk as a continual conversation. ➢ Key LS and SS Representatives-
 * Tech Steering-** quarterly, schedule additional meetings for ERC, ETIL, big projects or special needs (2nd or 3rd Friday 9:30-11:30; Aug 20, Nov 19, Feb 11, May 13)
 * ETIL as part of School Effectiveness plan-** Lisa to talk about schedule and format
 * Technology Integration Council**
 * Tech Innovators-** quarterly -work on and bring back to Tech Stg
 * Media Specialists-**meeting with P-12 Councils

Thompson on FaceBook- join in
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