OK...I am back...not that I went anywhere

OK...I am back...not that I went anywhere...I just took an unannounced hiatus due to multiple life events which also caused me to take a 90 day leave of absence from my school work, which as of January 1, 2011 is no longer authorized. So you either have to withdraw or get back on track. Along with my return to school, I am back to blog entries.


Lessons learned:

• Being one part of the sandwich generation causes personal growth, good, bad, or indifferent. Who knew Sandwich Generation Month was celebrated every July?
• Life events can be challenging...but learn from them, go with your gut, and if you mess up, admit it, learn from it, and keep moving forward...or in my jargon, adapt, implement, and overcome (AIO).
• As long as you are a parent, you will always love your child (ren) even when they hit their lowest of lows and even when you cannot skull drag them for assistance.
• If you are contemplating seeking a degree...go for counseling. Mental and behavioral health issues impact people which make up communities...everyone can use a little assistance.

Now for the ed techie part of this post:

A Retrospective on Twenty Years of Education Technology Policy 2003

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/2004/site/bb/edlite-Retrospective.htm

National Educational Technology Plan  2010, 2004....and archives

On November 9, 2010, Secretary Duncan announced the new National Education Technology Plan as part of his keynote address at the 2010 State Educational Technology Directors Association Education Forum held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. We appreciate the tremendous amount of assistance we received in the form of comments, ideas, research and perspective from the entire education community throughout the development of this plan. Follow the (US) Office of Ed Tech on Twitter http://twitter.com/OfficeofEdTech

The National Education Data Model is a conceptual but detailed representation of the education information domain. The Education Data Model strives to be a shared understanding among all education stakeholders as to what information needs to be collected and managed at the local level in order to enable effective instruction of students and superior leadership of schools.

The Education Data Model can be used by educators, vendors, and researchers to understand the information required for teaching, learning, and administrative systems. The Education Data Model answers questions such as:

What data do schools need to collect and manage in order to meet the educational needs of their students?

What information is needed to effectively manage education organizations such that teaching and learning is successful

The Connected Online Communities of Practice project will steward a scalable, sustainable ecology of online communities in education to improve teacher and leader effectiveness, enhance student learning and increase productivity. There are already many online communities through which educators can connect with people and resources, but these communities tend to be isolated from each other, leading to redundancy of effort, missed opportunities for collaboration, and difficulty in finding appropriate support and resources. Through more efficient and coordinated online participation, education professionals will be better able to share practices, access experts, and solve problems that require systemic solutions in order to improve the opportunity to learn. The first iteration of the project report will be published in March 2011. 

The Learning Registry makes federal learning resources easier to find, easier to access and easier to integrate into learning environments wherever they are stored -- around the country and the world. This will enable teachers, students, parents, schools, governments, corporations and non-profits to build and access better, more interconnected and personalized learning solutions needed for a 21st-century education.  

Archives of National Ed Tech Plans:

The National Education Technology Plan was officially released at a launch event on Friday, January 7, 2005. Read the remarks given by Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Director of Education Technology Susan Patrick.

Tear Down Those Walls: The Revolution Is Underway

Action Steps from the 2004 NETP 

Archived data: http://www2.ed.gov/Technology/index-archive.html

Archived Information from the Office of Educational Technology—U.S. Department of Education

This page links to archived pages posted by the Office of Educational Technology (OET) under previous administrations.

Latest TRADOC Pams:

TP 525-8-2 The Army Learning Concept for 2015, 20 January 2011

TP 525-8-3 The Army Training Concept for 2012-2020, 7 January 2011

http://www.tradoc.army.mil/tpubs/pamndx.htm

Keep moving forward!
Many thanks to my PLN who kept me connected and motivated during the hiatus...RSS feeds are awesome!


Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can - there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did. Sarah Caldwell

July 2008 RCSS Superintendent Dr. Bedden warns of tech crisis...

On July 11, 2008, the Augusta Chronicle featured an article, "Bedden warns of technology crisis" and "According to the school system, about $3.85 million is allocated in the general fund for technology, including personnel. Another $1.4 million comes from sales tax revenue". 


In my last post, I shared information about the Department of Defense Computers for Learning program. One issue I have with all Richmond County schools is their disconnect with Fort Gordon, Georgia, home of the Signal Corps, even though many of us are parents, tax payers, volunteers, educators, administrators, and supporters of RCSS in countless ways. 


As a Signal Soldier, one of the numerous mottos we live with is, "They can talk about us but not without us" regardless of the type (analog, digital, or IP) of communications we are working with. One of many things that has been a frustrating to me is the disconnect and the lack of technology in the schools of Richmond County. So for $chieße and giggles, I wanted to see how many of the RC schools were approved in the DoD Computers for Learning program. The results (school, year approved):

Academy of Richmond County, 2010

Diamond Lakes Elementary, 2009
Freedom Park School, 2008

Hephzibah Middle School, 2006

Jamestown Elementary School, 2009

Mcbean Elementary School, 2009

Morgan Road Middle School, 2010

Spirit Creek Middle School, 2009

Barton Chapel Elementary, 2004

Glenn Hills Middle School, 2004

Goshen Elementary School, 2008

Terrace Manor Elementary, 2008

Tobacco Road Elementary, 2008

Tutt Middle School, 2004

Wheeless Road Elementary School, 2010

Collins Elementary, 2005

East Augusta Middle School, 2004

Laney High School, 2010 ( 1 of 3 schools receiving of $1.5 million federal grant in 2010)

Willis Foreman Elementary School, 2009
Wheeless Road Elementary, 2010

Why aren't all Richmond County schools participating in this program? Why isn't being registered in the DoD Computers for Learning program a prerequisite before receiving federal funds, whether Title 1, grants, and other sources of funding? 

While former RCSS Superintendent Dr. Dana Bedden is quoted, "I basically went crawling and begging to the Signal Corps and the county for help because of the number of employees we lost". We asked each other if he stopped at the front gate.

Fast forward 2.5 years later...now what?

Google Apps Education Edition? Educate community members? Eradicate the us vs. them mentality? Read the multiple resources available through the Georgia Department of Education Keys to Quality School Improvement and resources for School Keys, GAPSS Analysis, and Implementation Resource and the Richmond County School System 2010 AYP ?

What happened to the recommendations presented by MGT of America when they conducted the Performance Review of RCSS (2008, 10 chapters, 328 pages) at a cost of $250,000 and approved by the RCBoEd? When is the last time you reviewed the RCSS Technology Plan, System Technology Inventory by School, System Technology & Media committee? 

When the F2F communication doesn't work take it to the net...or even academic research. How many times have we heard the reference to the infamous quote from Cool Hand Luke...What we have here is a failure to communicate.

If identifying the problem puts you 50% closer to finding the solution how do move towards a solution if the decision makers aren't listening?

Trust but verify

Three words that exist in my world for many reasons. Reagan used this phrase often and it is a quote from a Russian proverb. During some of my school assignments I check out technology plans, primarily from the schools that we attend (or have attended), on and off line. What do you do to encourage students to question the school’s technology plan while encouraging critical thinking and decision making skills?

Parents, students, teachers, media specialists, administrators, educational and instructional specialists…is your school’s technology plan up to date? Realistic? Was it created as a copy and paste job? Was the plan created by the administrators that report information, but have no idea about your boots on the ground experience with technology in a classroom, media center, or the school? Is the public information in the plan acceptable to all users? Believable? Accessible?

When is the last time you checked the technology plan for your school, school district, and state department of education? If you have questions about conflicting information, how do you resolve the issue? Do the links provided on the site work? What does one do when the link to report an issue does not work and the POC (point of contact) email is returned? Keep an audit trail.

Are the students aware of the Technology Plan? Do they have an opportunity to provide suggestions, make recommendations? Does your school district have a suggestion improvement plan that works?
Just because the plan is in writing…trust but verify. If your child is growing up with technology and takes issue with what works and does not work at school, it is OK to follow through. Don’t buy the media hype, get connected, get engaged…instead of enraged.