Conference Agenda

Thursday, March 29, 2007

CoSN and the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), in partnership with The Winter Group, will host a focus group for district and state technology leaders to frame challenges and to discuss key education technology issues. Each forum has a specific focus of interest and concern to the K-12 education community, as well as to SIIA-member education technology companies. The focus group is by invitation only. Pre-registration is required. For more information on this event, please contact Stacey Kocan-McCormick.

• View Presentation of Awards and Plenary Session II: Linking School Reform & 21st Century Preparedness with Education Technology—A Bold Vision from Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has designed a bold and comprehensive education and economic reform agenda that surrounds and supports the state's high school reform initiative called "Classrooms for the Future." This initiative is the largest statewide education technology project currently underway in the U.S. Hear how Governor Edward G. Rendell ‘s leadership and vision is reforming high schools through professional development and technology integration as it prepares students for the global workforce. The session will highlight statewide initiatives in support of the initiative as well as specific efforts from the perspective of district and regional service area.

• Sheryl Abshire, CoSN Chair 2005-2007 & Administrative Coordinator of Technology, Calcasieu Parish School System, LA (Moderator)/li>
• Karol Galcik, PhD, Superintendent, Highlands School District, PA
• Norton Gusky, Coordinator of Educational Technology, Fox Chapel Area School District, PA
• Vince Humes, Director of Technology, Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit #5, PA
• Sean McDonough, Information Technology Specialist, Bureau of Educational Technology, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education

TH101: Innovations for Assessing 21st Century Skills (Spotlight Session)
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision

• View video from this session

This panel highlights many of the innovative solutions to the challenges associated with assessing 21st century skills. Panelists will discuss specific examples of tools that successfully measure analytic reasoning, critical thinking and problem-solving and Information and Communication Technology learning skills.

• Karen Cator, Chair, Partnership for 21st Century Skills (Moderator)
• Margaret Honey, PhD, Director and Vice President, Educational Development Center, Inc.
• Bob Pearlman, Director of Strategic Planning, New Technology Foundation

TH102: Research, Design and Evaluation Planning for Ed Tech Programs
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Information Management, Education and Training

The focus of this presentation is to present participants information not only on developing studies focusing on use of educational technology, but also the results of two different studies focusing on the use of technology in mathematics. The first part of the presentation will include the rationale for the project, brief examples of previous work, and preliminary findings from the current study. These will be based on a multi-state review of projects funded through NSF and the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) competitive grant programs, focusing on patterns among these projects, specification of their design elements, and identification of missing components in their design descriptions and typical evaluation questions. The second part of the presentation is the results of two studies: One is the Congressionally-mandated National Study of the Effectiveness of Educational Technology Interventions. The second study, asks whether a wide variety of 7th and 8th grade teachers could enhance student learning using powerful representational tools for graphing and simulation.

• Michael Coe, PhD, Director, Research Unit, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
• Robert Murphy, PhD, Senior Researcher, Center for Technology in Learning, SRI International
• Dr. Jeremy Roschelle, Director, Center for Technology in Learning, SRI International

TH103: What Does Research Tell us About One-to-One Computing?
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Team Building and Staffing, Education and Training, Ethics and Policies

This session will summarize what has been learned over the past six years from the Tech-Know-Build Project (TKB), funded in 2000 as the last of the USDE Technology Innovation Challenge Grants. The project established a one-to-one laptop program and provided laptops for some 3000 middle-school students and 200 teachers per year in two Indiana school districts, one rural, one urban. It also introduced and supported the use of problem-based learning for teachers and students. Sharing quantitative and qualitative data from six years of research, this session will focus on how the two districts used technology to advance student learning. The audience will learn how teachers' and students' use of laptops and problem-based learning evolved, how and why implementation varied, and what impact the project had on digital as well as traditional and literacy skills. Presenters will share what the affect is on community involvement in schools and district curricular and technology planning, as well as how leadership plays an essential role in the buy-in for a school and staff.

• Amy Perry-del Corvo, CoSN Board Member & Education Strategist, Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES (Moderator)
• Saul Rockman, President, Rockman Et Al
• Kay Sloan, Managing Research Director, Rockman Et Al
• Todd Whitlock, Technology Coordinator, North Daviess Community Schools, IN

TH104: Integrating Technology and Curriculum with Moodle
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Education and Training

As schools strive to identify new ways to prepare students for the demands of the 21st Century, MOODLE, open-source content management software has emerged as a viable, low-cost option. Education needs more exposure to open-source resources such as MOODLE which creates a one-on-one learning environment by combining face-to-face and online components. This presentation goes beyond implementation and discusses curricular and staff development uses of Moodle in such areas as career preparation, new teacher training, and classroom instruction (K-12).

• Pat Donahue, Supervisor of Instructional Technology, Prince William County Schools (Moderator)
• Thomas Adams, Educational Technology Coordinator, Education Connection
• Norton Gusky, Coordinator of Educational Technology, Fox Chapel Area School District, PA
• School District Representative TBD

TH105: Podcasting: Taking Student Centered Learning to a New Level
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Team Building and Staffing, Information Management, Education and Training

Podcasts, the hot Web 2.0 tool, can be a real stimulus for engaging students in a variety of curricular areas. Participants will explore the benefits of podcasting and reasons why administrators and teachers fear using this technology. Get an insight into the problems faced along the way including budgeting, staffing and training and how these were overcome. Hear data from Singapore on how student test results improved as a result of learning in this different way, and how it motivated students. Attendees will get a 'how to' guide as well as a podcasting resource package.

• Charlene Blohm, President, C. Blohm & Associates, Inc. (Moderator)
• Patsy Lanclos, Knowledge Architect, University of Houston Clear Lake (Retired)
• Paviter Singh, Special Assistant, Schools Division, Ministry of Education, Singapore

TH106: Business-Like Practices: Do They Provide ROI for Schools
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Team Building and Staffing, Systems Management, Information Management, Business Leadership, Education and Training

Are "Business-Like" practices effective for schools? During this session presenters will discuss their experiences with strategies and concepts such as performance-based budgeting, return on investment, total cost of ownership, project management, and process management. Participate in the discussion and form your own conclusions.

• Donna Boivin, Chief Information Officer, Information and Instructional Technology Solutions, Springfield Public Schools, MA (Moderator)
• Deborah Gendreau, EdD, Supervisor of Technology, Springfield Public Schools, MA
• Robert Hamel, Assistant to the Superintendent, Springfield Public Schools, MA
• School District Representative TBD

TH107: Online Global Learning and Leadership
Essential Skills: Education and Training

Focusing on TakingITGlobal's online community of global youth leaders and suite of tools for educators, this presentation will share strategies for implementing technology and new media to integrate global issues across the curriculum. Using examples of schools and districts in the TIG network, including the School of the Future in Philadelphia, attendees will learn how virtual classroom communities empower students to drive their individual and collaborative learning, and how social networking tools and games promote student engagement, expression, and action on today's most pressing global issues. This session will also highlight how online, collaborative learning improved impacts student engagement and understanding of global issues.

• Emily Kornblut, TIGed US Program Manager, TakingITGlobal1

TH108: One-to-One Mobile Computing for Effective Instruction
Essential Skills: Leadership & Vision, Planning & Budgeting, Education & Training

In the US (e.g., Detroit, Alvin, TX) and in the UK (e.g., Wolverhampton) there a number of one-to-one mobile, handheld computing projects that are exploring various instructional models for leveraging the computing in each child's palm. As we will report, the key to the effective use of the technology in all these projects goes beyond the worn cliche of "technology integration"; rather, it is critical that the technology be thoughtfully and explicitly interwoven with both the curriculum and with the instruction. Hear our “lessons learned” regarding these projects.

• Cathleen Norris, PhD, Regents Professor, University of North Texas
• Elliot Soloway, PhD, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Department of EECS, College of Engineering, University of Michigan

TH109: Ohio Data-Driven Decision for Academic Achievement (D3A2) (Spotlight Session Hosted by IBM)
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Systems Management, Information Management, Business Leadership, Education and Training, Communication Systems

The current project is a pilot for several school districts. The D3A2 solution is being demonstrated to district Superintendents. This project is building an infrastructure to compile data collected from operational systems at the local level and to make it available through audience specific tools. The solution will relate previously un-related data, provide pre-defined education specific reporting, benchmark student performance, and link to pertinent instructional content. It will provide teachers access to assessment data—including item level assessment data, the tools to interpret and understand areas needing improvement, and automated links to the appropriate education content resources.

• Beth Juillerat, Chief Technology Officer, IT, Ohio Dept of Education
• Kirsten Schroeder, Partner, K12 Education, IBM

Participating in one of the small-group discussions during lunch gives participants the opportunity to connect with industry experts and their peers to discuss current issues, hot topics, and cutting-edge technology solutions and/or applications, and serve as an information resource to attendees. Informal roundtables will be set for 10 participants each. Listing of roundtable topics will be available in late January.

We have data. Simply having the data, however, is not enough. Staff and faculty need tools to analyze the data that is retrieved, and they need the training to understand how this information can be used as a critical tool in the journey to student success. With the right tools and training, these users can learn how to use the data to become more effective advocates for their students’ efforts. Join us for a discussion of successes and failures we have all experienced in our quest to use different types of data for instruction and evaluation and how we can better use analysis tools to accomplish our desired outcome—improving student achievement.

What should you look for when considering virtual school options? Whether you are new to the idea or have virtual school experience to share, this roundtable will discuss successes of virtual educational opportunities and the technology tools used to foster that success.

Are you trying to get data from different applications or different repositories? Are you looking at SIF? This roundtable will gather those who have implemented SIF applications with those who are trying SIF and those who are considering SIF. The discussion will include what is working, what needs a work-around, what needs work, and what doesn’t work.

As audio-visual equipment is more prolific and in high demand in the classrooms, it becomes necessary to streamline upkeep and management in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning through the use of these tools. Join this discussion of ways to manage your A/V technologies, including centralized control solutions, and get the most out of your technology budget.

This roundtable will focus on ways to foster ongoing professional development through professional learning communities. Share ways to enable peer groups of teachers to collaborate within a school and across a district and to share best practices.

This roundtable will focus on the technology proficiency that elementary and middle school students must possess in order to succeed in the classroom and the larger world. Join this discussion of which skills constitute proficiency, particularly at grades five and eight. Participants are also encouraged to share resources for technology instruction.

This roundtable will discuss decision criteria, funding, evaluation methodology, and alignment to student outcomes associated with the deployment of a district-wide Voice over IP communication system. Key topics to be discussed will be reducing costs, gaining operating efficiencies, increasing school safety, and improving communication with parents.

This roundtable will discuss the implications of social networking tools such as MySpace and Facebook in providing teachers with a new forum for professional development through online collaboration, best practices sharing, and networking.

Join your colleagues to discuss and share ideas on how to use data in decision-making to improve student and district outcomes. Share how you established your own internal processes, policies, and culture around the use of data in decision making and how you designed and implemented a system that addressed these goals.

This roundtable is geared toward those who are responsible for technology to support individualized learning and improved academic performance. The focus of the dialogue will be to identify some of the most urgent technical-support challenges as well as some practical and affordable solutions that are being implemented by various districts and states, including low-cost online technical-support resources and training for K-12 districts and schools.

Can the installation of increased bandwidth be justified in terms of student achievement? If you have installed broadband, do you want to see how others leverage their investments and share your ideas and experiences? This roundtable will unite those who are considering broadband installations with those who have a vision for how broadband will shape the future of education. We anticipate a lively debate on balancing the benefits, risks, and costs of broadband installation, as well as an exploration of options for supporting technology based educational initiatives such as one-to-one computing, distance learning, and other rich-media applications designed to increase student achievement.

Participants will engage in a discussion on the use and impact of interactive whiteboards, online learning, and project based learning, as well as lessons learned and best practices.

Being “networked"—both culturally and technologically—improves the ways in which people live, work and learn together, creating more vibrant, successful education communities This roundtable will explore the critical importance of networked communities, tools, and the managed infrastructures that are converging to create dynamic, equitable learning opportunities for every student.

This roundtable will explore the learning styles of today’s “digital natives,” for whom computers and an array of digital devices are primary learning tools. How do these digital learners approach learning, and how can teachers incorporate digital natives’ learning strategies and tools into the learning process?

Are your students doing better, or are they doing worse? You only really know if you track their data over long periods of time. This roundtable will discuss longitudinal data: How do different districts track it and analyze it, and what types of decisions are they making from it? Participants will discuss what is involved in setting up longitudinal data systems and share lessons learned on how to set up or improve the longitudinal data systems and analyses in your district.

This roundtable discussion will focus on the viability of K-12 open source curriculum and center around three questions: 1) Can you trust the community? 2) Can you build curriculum collaboratively? 3) How open is open? Participants will discuss the impact of open source curricula (OSC) on publishers, teachers, achievement, and students. How can educators use Curriki, Connexions, Merlot, Educommons, and Teachers.org?

This roundtable will discuss implementing open technologies in schools. For those who have implemented these technologies: what did you implement, what worked, what didn't, and is there a challenge that you want the group to try to answer? For those who are considering open technologies: what attracts you, what scares you, and what question do you want the other participants to answer?

Are there alternatives to banning all social networking in schools? Does it have a place? What are your thoughts? What sites do you allow? Are you creating your own social networking alternatives for your communities? Do Web2.0 tools offer a new way to educate and learn?

Now that you've evaluated the cost of implementing a new technology, how do you determine if it is worth it? This discussion will share how districts are currently determining cost and benefits of proposed technology projects. Gain other perspectives on determining cost savings, quantitative benefits, and qualitative advantages for tech projects.

There has been a lot of discussion about the use of games as student learning tools. If you have experience with gaming or simulations in education, please come share your story. If you want to learn more about the topic, please join us.

Let’s explore the possibility that the next major upgrade of Windows provides an opportunity to reduce and/or eliminate the need for a traditional desktop. The assumption for this discussion is that the primary alternative is a browser-based delivery environment. What are the benefits? Why is the time right? What are the challenges? What are the other options?

Participants of this roundtable will be encouraged to share best practices, experiences, and concerns in using various types of student assessment data at the classroom level to improve student achievement of high-stakes accountability standards.

When the state of Michigan made it law last year that students must complete an online course in order to graduate, the event signaled the end of the idea that online learning is an experimental novelty rather than an essential utility. This roundtable will focus on how administrators can turn the various high-concept theories of online learning into practical how-to solutions both inside and outside the classroom. Participants will share best practices in creating and managing curricula online: Should you build it yourself or outsource? How can an online learning initiative enhance attempts at individual learning? What about students with no access to technology outside of school?

For principals, superintendents and other administrators with wide ranging responsibilities, technology is just one area that demands their attention. And yet, more and more, technology is critical to all aspects of the education enterprise. How do we ensure that these school leaders have sufficient knowledge and vision to make sound decisions about technology implementation? How do we provide professional development opportunities to K-12 administrators whose days and nights are already full and who are stretched to capacity? Join us and share your own experiences, successes, and challenges on this critical topic.

This roundtable will discuss best practices for deploying a Wi-Fi solution that best meets the needs of end-users as well the IT departments of K-12 education. Participants will identify key considerations in selecting and deploying a robust wireless infrastructure for K-12, tips on calculating the true total cost of deploying a wireless classroom, and strategies for maximizing the value of a wireless implementation in the face of emerging standards such as 802.11n.

This roundtable will address the issues that districts and states are now facing in writing the evaluation plans that call for scientifically based research, not just traditional evaluation methods. Participants will learn how to make these scientific evaluations work for them as decision-makers. Find out how to integrate the plan for district-wide roll-out into your evaluation. Discuss the requirements of specific RFPs—what does the new language really mean. Participants will discuss how collecting implementation data, such as online teacher surveys and data from educational technology systems, can reveal problem spots in implementation as well as the impact on particular student sub-groups and still meet the standards for scientific evidence. Come join the discussion and bring your questions about these new federal requirements.

This is an opportunity to see how others are dealing with Internet safety in their schools: What are you teaching students about Internet security, how are you balancing access to information with protection, what are your horror stories, what are your sucesses, and what questions would you like others in the group to answer?

How do you use your Palm handheld device or Treo to increase your productivity? How does your district support handheld devices? We will be discussing these questions along with looking at the future of Palm devices in education.

TH201: America's Digital Schools 2006: Approaching a Tipping Point (Spotlight Session)
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Team Building and Staffing, Systems Management, Business Leadership

• View video from this session

One-to-one computing is growing but do you know the facts? Learn from the first quantitative study about what technology directors, curriculum directors and superintendents see happening in 2011. Find out how districts that have already implemented one-to-one differ in their expectations from districts planning to implementation. Find out how those deploying one-to-one computing have analyzed academic performance improvements and how their measurement of significance differs from those who have not yet deployed ubiquitous computing.

• Jim Bosco, EdD, Emeritus Professor, Educational Studies, Western Michigan University
• Jeanne Hayes, President, The Hayes Connection

TH202: Open Source Implementation in K-12: Case Study of Saugus, CA
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision

This session will share CoSN's Open Technologies initiative first introduced at this conference a year ago. Presenters will provide an overview of the Open Technology implementation in Saugus Schools. Findings from the implementation study will be discussed in the context of that implementation. In addition, presenters will provide an overview of the rich resources available from CoSN to support planning for and integrating open technologies with existing school and district technology or new installations.

• Gordon Shukwit, Senior Manager, Strategic Education Programs, Apple (Moderator)
• James Klein, Jr., Director, Information Services & Technology, Saugus Union School District, CA
• Shaun Taylor, Co-Director, CoSN’s K-12 Open Technologies Leadership Initiative & Senior Research Associate, Educational Systemics Inc.

TH203: Leading in 3D: Data-Driven Decision Making for 21st Century Schools
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Team Building and Staffing, Education and Training

Participants will discuss key elements of effective data-driven decision making, and explore what a data-driven school district looks like. The session will focus on key competencies for data leaders, as well as various roles school and district staff should assume in order to lead the effective use of formative and summative data in school improvement efforts.

• Bob Choquette, Director, Professional Development Services, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
• Chris O'Neal, Director, Virginia Initiative for Technology and Administrative Leadership, University of Virginia & Education Leadership Consultant

TH204: Internet Safety and Literacy for the MySpace Generation
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Education and Training, Ethics and Policies

Educators know students need to be protected on the internet while in school, but it is equally important to ensure they are safe regardless of the setting in which they go online. Learn about Virginia’s 2006 legislation that requires mandatory internet safety be included in the curriculum–the first law of this type in the nation. This presentation will provide highlights of and lessons learned from the first year implementation of Virginia's new lawl. Through the presentation and discussion, participants will be challenged to reconsider their school district internet safety practices in light of Web 2.0 internet applications and to reassess the role of K-12 education in preparing students to be safe and responsible users of the internet.

• Helen Soule, PhD, Executive Director, Cable in the Classroom (Moderator)
• Lyn Allen, Virtual Learning Consultant, Oakland School District, MI
• Lisa Hicks-Thomas, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Chief of Computer Crime Section, Office of the Attorney General
• Lan Neugent, Assistant Superintendent for Technology & HR, Virginia Department of Education

TH205: Measuring the Impact of 24/7 Computing on the Academic Success of Low-Income Students
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Education and Training

24/7 computing is a powerful way for school districts to improve students' success in school. For low-income families, in particular, these initiatives offer access to educational resources, experiences, and models for learning that may not otherwise be available. This presentation draws upon five years of research that the author has conducted in NYC with Computers for Youth (CFY), a non-profit organization that partners with public middle schools to help children from low-income families succeed in school by improving their learning at home. CFY provides underserved families with computer-based home learning centers, computer workshops, and on-going technical support. A framework for implementing and researching these initiatives will be presented.

• Kallen Tsikalas, Director of Research & Learning Services, Computers for Youth

TH206: Transformational Leadership: Successful Funding and Working with Policy Makers
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision

Based upon personal experience, the Presidents of CoSN and ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) will present proven strategies for securing funding and for effectively working with policy makers. The workshop session will begin by quickly learning about members of the audience and their transformational leadership "bag of tricks". In real time, the presenters will adjust the learning objectives to meet the unique needs of the audience. Humor and interactive dialogue will be interspersed with solid content about transformational leadership. Attendees can expect to leave the session with ideas that can be immediately put to use. Key learnings will include communicating a compelling vision, strategies for building a large coalition of support, and the importance of diversity. With plenty of time for Q&A, this fun workshop will close with an overview of the national Education Technology Action Network (ETAN).

• Sheryl Abshire, Administrative Coordinator of Technology, Calcasieu Parish School System, LA & Board Chair, Consortium for School Networking
• Katie Lovett, Chief Information Officer, Fulton County Schools, GA & Board Chair Elect, Consortium for School Networking
• Dr. Kurt Steinhaus, EdD, Education Policy Advisor for Governor Bill Richardson (NM) & President, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

TH207: Enhancing Instruction with Video Conferencing
Essential Skills: Communication Systems, Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Education and Training

Two U.S. school districts and one Canadian province will present strategies for using video conferencing for K-12 content instruction and professional development. Student created social studies projects were presented to students in another state, providing students with collaborative opportunities to examine similarities and differences in their geographical areas. The provincial model utilized a Community of Practice collaborative research approach to use video-conferencing for expanded learning opportunities for students, teachers, and administrators. The implementation, challenges, and opportunities for video conferencing will be shared.

• Bette Gray, EdD, Director, Stakeholder Technology, Alberta Education (Moderator)
• Karen Andrews, Research and Planning Manager, Stakeholder Technology Branch, Alberta Education
• Gigi Kelley, Teacher, Robert C. Fisler School, Fullerton School District, CA
• Frank Rizzo, Director of Information Technology & CIO, Technology Instruction Support Services, East Aurora School District, NY

TH208: Show Me the Research: Ed Tech’s Impact on Math/Science Competitiveness
Essential Skills: Leadership & Vision, Education & Training

Our nation’s prominence in scientific exploration and leadership has always played an important role in our nation’s economic strength. To maintain this advantage, we must have sufficient and qualified individuals in the STEM areas; and the role of technology must be at the forefront. This session will include a national perspective and specific state programs that ensure our nation’s competitiveness in the STEM areas and focus on the critical areas of access to technology, the dangers of education’s slow implementation of technology, and the importance of training. Any approach to these competitiveness and STEM challenges must rely on technology solutions that are scalable, flexible, reliable, and have the ability to cost-effectively individualize education for ALL students.

• Sara Hall, Deputy Director, State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) (Moderator)
• John O'Connell, Consultant, Instructional Technology, Iowa Department of Education
• Rick Gaisford, Educational Technology Specialist, Utah Department of Education

TH209: Instructional Management Solutions – The i-Tunes for Education (Spotlight Session Hosted by SchoolNet, Inc.)
Essential Skills: Education and Training

Before Mp3’s, music content was purchased from an oligopoly of music publishers that required consumers to buy music through a physical medium (CD’s), a physical distribution (Tower Records) and in a collection called an ‘album’. With the introduction of Mp3’s and i-Tunes, music consumers were suddenly enabled to purchase music content digitally, to play it digitally and to buy it one song at a time. Mr. Jonathan Harber, CEO and President of SchoolNet, Inc. envisions the same trend in the future of education, in which text books are decomposed to content objects purchased and deployed in an open digital standard that allows measurable results. During this session presenters will discuss technology in the classroom and explain the future of IMS with regard to digital content and customized education.

• Jonathan Harber, Chief Executive Officer & President, SchoolNet, Inc.
• Glynis Lee, Executive Director of Information Applications Technology, Atlanta Public Schools, GA
• Lester McKee, Executive Director, Research, Planning and Accountability, Atlanta Public Schools, GA

Summary: SchoolRooms™ by SirsiDynix is a new online portal that encourages K-12 students to explore, discover, and learn. Organized by subject, all content featured in SchoolRooms was selected, reviewed, and certified by teachers and librarians. This demonstration will show how students can search libraries, interactive educational media, and the Web – all at once – to find resources hand-selected by educators to meet their needs by visiting subject-oriented “virtual rooms. The Best of Web search feature yields only high-quality, relevant hits that allow SchoolRooms to target grade and age-appropriate content. The audience will learn how students at different grade levels explore information from the results of a Kent State University usability study. In the study, “eye-tracking” the eye movements of approximately 1,000 students helped determine what strategies students use to find the information. SchoolRooms is also a resource for parents and educators. At every level – elementary, middle, and high school – SchoolRooms offers resources to help parents, including refresher courses on key subjects. The Parent Room will show recommended books, Web sites, and other resources on subjects like dating, body image, and nutrition.

Key Points:
1. Age-relevant and subject-relevant content in context to standards
2. Search engine that qualifies searches, regardless of where those searches are directed, i.e., Web sites, library resources, databases
3. A parent resource for not only assisting their students with homework and research, but providing them (the parents) with information on how to deal with school/student issues

Summary: More flexible access to technology can add value to all segments of the educational community from external remote access to internal access control, using handheld’s, PCs and thin clients. The right access control strategy can serve all stake holders in the educational community by allowing the end user to decide the best time and best device for them.

Key Points:
1. Teacher Benefits
2. Student/Parent Benefits
3. IT Benefits

TH301: Technology in Schools: What the Research Says (Spotlight Session)
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting

• View video from this session

Over the last two decades, educators have introduced technology into schools for a myriad of reasons, with mixed results. The good news is that a body of knowledge is beginning to emerge on the potential of technology to improve and deepen learning. According to a research report released by Cisco Systems, extracting the full learning return from a technology investment requires much more than the mere introduction of technology. It requires software and web resources aligned with the curriculum, and the triangulation of content, sound principles of learning, and high-quality teaching—all of which must be aligned with assessment and accountability practices. This session will highlight the deployment caveats that allow technology to have a positive impact, and will make a case for the additional research that needs to take place. Join this session to gain insights on how your district might use these research results to make wiser use of its technology investments.

• Cheryl Lemke, Chief Executive Officer, Metiri Group
• Charles Fadel, Global Lead, Education, Cisco Systems, Inc.
• View Charles Fadel's Presentation

TH302: Interoperability: A Roadmap to Student Achievement
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Team Building and Staffing, Information Management, Planning and Budgeting, Systems Management, Business Leadership

Looking for an interoperability map? This is where the road meets the rubber! The network is the infrastructure on which applications share information and the architecture and planning over the past 10 years is finally allowing us to travel places we could only dream of. SIF and SCORM, standards that emerged from different traditions, are coming together to provide a common language by which applications can share critical information thus making data-driven decision making a reality and allowing schools to assemble solutions from disparate applications that meet their specific needs. This session will address the movement of data to inform instruction, reporting at a state and federal level, and throughout a school district to increase both the quality of services and overall efficiency.

• Ling Tan, Director, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Capital Budget & Financial Planning, New York City Department of Education (Moderator)
• Jill Abbott, Learning Strategist, Schools Interoperability Framework Association (SIFA)
• Laurie Collins, SIF Project Strategist, Schools Interoperability Framework Association
• Debbie Truax, Chief Technology Officer, Mukilteo School District No. 6, WA

TH303: Alternative Visions to One-to-One
Essential Skills: Leadership & Vision

This session will look at alternative strategies for deploying one-to-one programs across the globe. What will the $100 laptop program mean to countries that are lacking resources to do full scale one-to-one programs? Student appliances are predicted to be the biggest revenue generators in the next five years. More and more research indicates the positive achievement related-impact among students in one to one teaching and learning environments. Lower cost devices are sure to open doors that have long been closed. WiMax and alternative wireless connectivity strategies will drive an influx of student computing alternatives. Schools will need to adapt and embrace students’ increased ability to utilize personal, portable technology in the classroom.

• Leslie Wilson, Director of Professional and Curriculum Development & Vice President, Programs and Services, Freedom to Learn, One-to-One Institute (Moderator)
• Bruce Dixon, President, Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation
• William Hamilton, EdD, Superintendent of Schools, Walled Lake Consolidated School District, MI
• Bob Moore, Executive Director of IT Services, Blue Valley USD 229, KS
• Terry Smithson, Team Program Manager, Intel Corporation
• Bruce Wilcox, Chief Executive Officer, Project Inkwell

TH304: State of the E-Rate: An Update on E-Rate Legislation, Regulations, and Applications (Repeat of Session W403)
Essential Skills: Planning and Budgeting, Business Leadership

Gain an in-depth understanding of E-Rate policy changes that may impact the future path of the program and receive practical insights on securing E-Rate support.This session will cover a wide-range and informative discussion that will hit all of the important angles on the E-Rate program. The presentation will provide attendees with the latest news from Washington on possible major legislative and regulatory changes to the E-Rate program, as well as recommendations on navigating the E-Rate application process and coping with new program rules changes.

• Jon Bernstein, President, Bernstein Strategy Group
• John Harrington, Chief Executive Officer, Funds For Learning, LLC

TH305: Collaboration in K-12 Schools: Anywhere, Anytime, Any Way
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Information Management, Communication Systems

This presentation will highlight the fifth CoSN Emerging Technologies Report, Collaboration in K-12 Schools: Anywhere, Anytime, Any Way. Students are using the latest technologies to collaborate, communicate and learn. Why aren't our schools embracing these technologies to engage students and enhance collaboration throughout the educational organization? Although many collaboration technologies are relatively simple to implement they are complex to manage. A panel of committee members will share our findings on how educators are using Instant Messaging, blogs, wikis, and school portals to facilitate collaboration in schools. We will review current implementations, technologies, costs, and policy implications of using these digital tools to make collaboration—regardless of location and time—possible for groups of teachers, administrators, and students.

• Karen Henke, CoSN Board Member & Writer, Consultant, Nimble Press (Moderator)
• Sylvia Martinez, President, Generation YES
• Darrell Walery, Chair, CoSN Emerging Technologies Committee & Director of Technology, Consolidated High School District 230, IL

TH306: Capacity Building: Developing Technology Infused Leadership in K-12
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision

Building the leadership capacity of K-12 administrators to foster the most effective uses of technology is the mission of a major statewide initiative - Technology Information Center for Administrative Leadership (TICAL) Project. The project is jointly sponsored by the California and Arkansas Departments of Education. The project engages a statewide cadre of administrators in vision building, skill development and resource sharing. Through demonstration and discussion, session participants will learn how this successful program works and how it can be adapted for use in your state.

• Michael Simkins, EdD, Director, TICAL, Santa Cruz County Office of Education(Moderator),
• James Boardman, Assistant Commissioner, Research and Technology, Arkansas Department of Education
• Harry Dickens, Director of Technology, Texarkana Arkansas School District, AR
• Melanie Wade, Principal, Fremont Adult School, Fremont Unified School District, CA

TH307: Connect the Dots: Statewide Distance Learning Programs
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision

Alabama and Georgia have implemented statewide distance learning programs. Presenters will focus on the challenges of creating and maintaining an online program that serves rural and suburban districts, providing all students with alternative learning opportunities. Outcomes, lessons learned, and best practices will be shared with participants.

• Marina Leight, , Vice President, Education, Center for Digital Education (Moderator)
• Denise Oliver, Education and Outreach Director, Alabama Supercomputer Authority
• Earlene Patton, Distance Learning Supervisor, ACCESS, Technology Initiatives, Alabama Department of Education
• Kristie Clements, EdD, Principal, Georgia Virtual School Program, Office of Instructional Technology, Georgia Department of Education

Every school district in the country is challenged to improve student achievement and leverage their technology budgets to do so. Too often the necessary planning to integrate the technology, Support and Professional Development does not meet the needs of Schools and Teachers. This session is designed to review the critical elements required to maximize the effectiveness of technology in the classroom so your districts can improve Student Achievement and integrate Instructional Technology. Educational experts and educators will take you through the planning, funding, professional development, technology and infrastructure components and how they all fit together to create a successful One-to-One or Technology implementation.

• Jon Beard, Chief Executive Officer, Knowledge Network Solutions, Inc.
• School District Representive TBD

This presentation will focus on demonstrating how districts can engage today’s digital native learners. Incorporating the right technology can motivate digital natives to become enriched with their learning. Taking learning to the next level by meeting the learning styles of kinesthetic, visual, and auditory students. In addition to demonstrating technology that engages students, the presentation will also demonstrate how teachers are motivated and by using the right technology teachers can work collaboratively to build and deliver more engaging and enriching lessons.

• Garth Gomes, Information Systems Supervisor, Information Systems, Los Banos Unified School District, CA

In education, as in business, the job of the organization’s top-level technology leader continues to expand and change as technology and information become ever more crucial to success. As outlined in CoSN’s essential skills of the K-12 Chief Technology Officer (CTO), the consummate CTO is a multi-talented individual with skill in everything from budgeting to systems management, from business leadership to education and training. How do district technology leaders develop and continually hone these skills? What professional development opportunities are available to district technology leaders? A panel of technology leaders will discuss state certification and/or continuing education requirements as well as other professional development opportunities for chief technology officers.

• Ed Zaiontz, Executive Director, Information Services, Round Rock ISD (Moderator)
• Sheryl Abshire, Administrative Coordinator of Technology, Calcasieu Parish School System, LA & Board Chair, Consortium for School Networking
• Andrea Bennett, Executive Director, California Educational Technology Professionals Association
• Bailey Mitchell, Chief Technology and Information Officer, Forsyth County School District, GA

TH401: ICT Policy for Schools In England, 1997-2007 (Spotlight Session)
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision

• View video from this session

Over the last eight years Michael Stevenson has been at the heart of the digital revolution in English schools—first as the architect of the BBC's digital curriculum, then as the lead civil servant on ICT at the Department for Education and Skills. Having left government last autumn he now reflects on the lessons to be learned—for the UK and elsewhere —from policy over the last decade. Does it work to focus on the schools, not the wider education system? Where do you strike the balance between e-enabling school administration and transforming teaching and learning? Can you have transformation without a radical shift in learning outcomes and curriculum? Can you have such a shift and still keep a focus on standards and accountability? How do you forge a coalition with industry? And is there a short-cut to heaven for anyone coming new to all this?

• Michael Stevenson, Former Director of Technology, Department for Education and Skills, United Kingdom

TH402: Building a Data Warehouse for K-12: A Case Study
Essential Skills: Planning and Budgeting, Systems Management, Information Management

For districts interested in developing business intelligence through data warehousing, this session provides a first-hand account of the effort, challenges, and process for implementing a data warehouse in a K-12 district. Planning, preparation, vendor selection, management and managing change within the district will all be included in the discussion. The Oakland Unified School District, CA has recently implemented a data warehouse to support student achievement and accountability. Presenter will identify implementation risk areas specific to the K-12 industry and a summary will be offered to bring home the essentials for anyone considering a data warehouse/business intelligence solution for their district

• Russ Ballati, Project Manager/Consultant, Oakland Unified School District, CA
• Oswaldo Galarza, Information Technology Officer, Technology Services, Oakland Unified School District, CA

TH403: Leadership & Successful One-to-One Initiatives: What is the Recipe for Success?
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Team Building and Staffing, Systems Management, Business Leadership, Education and Training, Communication Systems

Implementing a one-to-one initiative is not an easy task! This panel of presenters will give some highlights from their programs, Michigan’s Freedom to Learn and Greenville County Schools, and logistics of how they were started. The panel will also discuss the leadership skills crucial to effectively leading these initiatives, teacher behaviors crucial to classroom success, and how technology can shift educational practice and effectively reform schools. Time will be allotted for audience participation.

• Alice Owen, PhD, Executive Director of Technology, Irving ISD, TX (Moderator)
• Jeff McCoy, Director, Instructional Technology, Education Technology Services, Greenville County School District, SC
• Leslie Wilson, Director of Professional and Curriculum Development & Vice President, Programs and Services, Freedom to Learn, One-to-One Institute

TH404: High Quality, Customizable Media-Rich Content from PBS
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Team Building and Staffing, Education and Training

School districts grappling with achievement gaps, increasing student diversity, teacher shortages, and constantly changing instructional technology need resources and professional development that deliver results--and Public Broadcasting can help. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has been a partner in education since its inception, bringing high-quality educational products and services that are delivered at the national and local level. Now, with the support of the U.S. Department of Education's Ready to Teach grant, PBS and three local stations are developing customizable, media rich resources that will improve learning for teachers, administrators, and students. Join us for this unique session as grantees come together to share their research and resulting services, as well as ideas for incorporating these public broadcasting resources into schools and districts. Session participants will walk away with findings from ongoing research supporting the use of technology in delivering curriculum and instruction to both teachers and students

• Melinda George, Senior Director, TeacherLine, Public Broadcasting Service
• Sandra Goldberg, Director, VITAL/Ready to Teach, Thirteen/WNET
• Marcia Foster, Director, Product Development, TeacherLine, Public Broadcasting Service
• Barbara Freeman, Managing Director HELP Program & Chief Operating Officer, Digital Directions
• Lynne Meeks, EdD, Project Director, e-Learning for Educators, Alabama Public Television

TH405: Ignorance of the (Date Retention) Law is No Excuse
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Systems Management, Information Management, Ethics and Policies, Communication Systems

Participants in this session will learn about current federal and state rules regarding the retention of electronic communications and data, including the recent changes to federal civil procedure rules which may have a significant impact on school policies and practices. Specifically, the discussion will provide answers to the following: "What are the changes?" "To whom do the rules pertain?" "What do you need to do?" "What will it cost you to comply?" and "What will it cost you if you don't comply?"

• Jon Bernstein, President, Bernstein Strategy Group (Moderator)
• Donna Boivin, Chief Information Officer, Information and Instructional Technology Solutions, Springfield Public Schools, MA
• Robert Hamel, Assistant to the Superintendent, Springfield Public Schools, MA

TH406: Educational Technology Competitiveness: Preparing for Tomorrow
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Business Leadership, Education and Training

America’s competitiveness is dependent on the revitalization of our educational resources, practices and schools through the use of new technologies. To remain both relevant and effective in a century marked by rapid innovation and global competition, the education community must understand how learning can be improved through the use of new technologies, and use the data gathered with help from these technologies to guide educational decisions. Until now, the investment in technology has led to the discovery and development of "best practices," but has not yet led to large-scale, systemic change. This session will outline the Software Information Industry Association’s K-20 Education Vision including recommendations for positive change and the means to track our progress in this critical effort. Learn about an annual “report card” that shows these measures of progress and provides a tool for institutions to measure themselves.

• Lillian Kellogg, Vice President, Education Networks of America (ENA) (Moderator)
• Karen Billings, EdD, Vice President, Education, SIIA

TH407:Planning & Promoting Technology Projects (Spotlight Session Hosted by Dell)

Essential Skills: LLeadership & Vision, Planning & Budgeting, Business Leadership

As Education and technology leaders we need to communicate to a myriad of audiences. Tailoring our message to each of these groups – state administrators and representatives, school district administrators, teachers, students, parents, and the community can be a challenge. Without a shared strategy and clear communication, many projects fail or never get started. During this session, Dell will highlight the successes different districts have had in vision creation, planning and positioning to leadership and influential audiences. School District leaders will share best practices beginning with the three most critical priorities education and technology leaders should know before submitting in initiative: What are the educational goals of the technology? How will the technology help the district meet those goals? How will the district evaluate the technology’s success?

• Kathy Thomas, Manager of K12 Education Strategy, K12 Education, Dell
• Lloyd Brown, Technology and Information Services Director, Henrico County Public Schools, VA

TH408: Vendor hosted spotlight session to be announced

TH501: Applying Data Mining Techniques to Educational Research and Practice (Spotlight Session)
Essential Skills: Information Management

• View video from this session

The application of datamining techniques to support decision making is routine in the business world. Decisions around database marketing, credit risk management, and fraud detection are all influenced through predictive modeling. However, the potential of such techniques is unrealized in education. Just as in other sectors, sophisticated educational media enable the collection of very rich datastreams about individual learners. For example, our computer-based multi-user simulation tracks individual students’ activities, utterances, and behaviors as they work through the curriculum. Other examples of educational applications that generate such datastreams include computer-based games, web-based curricula, intelligent tutoring systems, and wireless handheld devices. Analyzing these rich datastreams can potentially yield formative, diagnostic information about student performance–including real-time feedback to teachers–as well as research findings about complex patterns and dynamics of student behavior and learning related to individual characteristics such as gender, native language, and prior educational preparation. During this session presenters will share their ongoing work exploring these educational potentials of datamining.

• Sheryl Abshire, Administrative Coordinator of Technology, Calcasieu Parish School System, LA & Board Chair, Consortium for School Networking (Moderator)
• Chris Dede, EdD, Timothy E. Wirth Professor of Learning Technologies, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University
• Jody Clark, Project Director, River City Project and Student, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University

TH502: New Brunswick, Canada’s Dedicated Notebook Computer Research Project

Commencing in the fall of 2005, the New Brunswick undertook a research project that involved a two-phase distribution of notebook computers to approximately 500 grade 7 students and their teachers. The researchers monitored student achievement, engagement and satisfaction. Hear the exciting results.

• James Bosco, Professor Emeritus, Western Michigan University (Moderator)
• Debbie Good, Director of e-Learning, New Brunswick Department of Education

TH503: Using Data-Driven Decision Making to Meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Goals
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Systems Management, Information Management, Communication Systems

Participants will learn how educators from California and Florida are collaborating in a new school productivity action research project to find innovative ways to use technology and current action research to meet their adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals. For five years the partners researched and tested lesson planners, electronic portfolios, electronic individual educational plans (IEPs), and observation tools for administrators, teachers, and parents, culminating in the development of one integrated teacher and administrator productivity tool which is used to inform instruction.

• Bob Barboza, Educator on Special Assignment, The School Tools Design Group, Super School University, CA
• Greg Walker, School Administrator, Technology Department, Pinellas County School District, FL

TH504: Supporting at Risk Schools: The Role of Credit Recovery Programs
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision

Against a backdrop of changing demographics, declining student achievement, and an increased focus on accountability, leaders in education are being asked to rise to the challenge. The traditional view of leadership has centered on the capacity to take charge and get things done. This notion of leadership does not take in to account the importance of collaboration and empowerment in defining and focusing on the purpose of teaching and learning. Transformational leadership is about implementing new ideas. This session presents a real-world example of the impact of transformative leadership in supporting at-risk students through the development of an on-line credit recovery program. Attendees will learn about the role and impact of transformative leadership in education, as well as best practices in implementing an online credit recovery initiative, and how to measure both quantitative and qualitative benefits of the program on students, schools, and school districts.

• Allan Jordan, EdD, Director of High School Operations, Director of Online Teaching and Learning, Principal Web Academy, Cumberland County Schools, NC
• Michelle Lourcey, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, CCS Web Academy, Cumberland County Schools, NC

TH505: Digital Video-On-Demand Supports a Variety of Student Learning Styles
Essential Skills: Education and Training, Communication Systems

Supporting the learning styles of today’s students can be a challenge for educators. District created digital content can be integrated into curriculum objectives and provide real-time learning resources for students, teachers, and administrators. Video-on-demand presents visual content that engages students and provides individualized learning opportunities. This session will focus on exploring the design of learning environments to support digital instruction, designing digital content to support curricula, and measuring the impact on student retention and high-stakes testing.

• Mary Hewett, Executive Director of Instructional Technology, Plano Independent School District, TX

TH506: : RIEPS: An Open Source Application Supports High School Reform
Essential Skills:

Starting with the class of 2008, Rhode Island high school graduates will be expected to demonstrate proficiency by meeting rigorous state and national content and applied learning standards as measured by course work, state assessments, and successful completion of a school-wide diploma assessment (graduation portfolio or exhibition). A student portfolio as a purposeful collection of student work includes documentation of the student’s selection of a variety of portfolio content, selection guidelines, assessment rubrics, student self-reflection, teacher assessment, state/national standards, and district expectations. The Rhode Island Electronic Portfolio System (RIEPS) allows students and educators to upload/store, reflect upon, assess, and present collections of digital material. RIEPS is built on the open source application Sakai. Designed by Rhode Island educators, with project planning, customization, training, and technical support from The rSmart Group, RIEPS allows Rhode Island high schools to meet the new legislative mandates and provides students the opportunity to reflect on their learning and make connections to their future academic and career goals. Join this session to learn how RIEPS supports staff and students in their efforts to meet Rhode Island’s new Proficiency Based Graduation Requirements.

• Steven Foehr, Director of Application and User Services for the Rhode Island Network for Educational Technology
• Janice Smith, PhD, Senior Education Consultant for The rSmart Group
• Sharon Lee, PhD, Secondary Reform Fellow for the Rhode Island Department of Education

TH507: The Data Tells the Story: Easy to Use Analysis Tools for Improving Student Achievement (Spotlight Session Hosted by Pearson School Systems)
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Information Management

Today, faced with increased state and federal reporting requirements, district administrators say they need efficient ways to make use of student and assessment data to guide decisions about educating each child. See how Marion County School District uses Pearson’s Inform Data Analysis tool to match student performance data to student data gathered from district benchmarks and FCAT to help administrators, principals, and teachers measure, manage, and maximize student achievement to reach their greatest potential.

• Sandra Layne, Account Executive, Pearson School Systems
• Kris Lyon, Program Specialist, Instructional Evaluation & Curriculum Technology, Marion County Public Schools

TH508: Vendor hosted spotlight session to be announced.

Join CoSN for a reception and silent auction in support of our advocacy efforts to raise awareness of the necessity of technology funding in our nation’s schools. Please help ensure that policymakers continue to hear from educators about the value of investments in technology by donating an item to be auctioned or making a bid during the live event. For more information on this event see the advocacy section of this site.