Conference Agenda for Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Tuesday, March 11, 2008 (continued)

T401: CSI: Computer Forensics and Data Recovery for Educators
Essential Skills: Systems Management

Are bad things happening on good computers? Has an administrator lost a critical file on a hard drive? Computer forensics and data recovery is a fascinating field that has direct applicability to all educational institutions. This session will describe proper forensic techniques and will demonstrate tools that can be used to gather forensic evidence or simply recover lost files or documents. Be prepared! Find out how to handle child pornography stored on computers, threatening e-mails sent to instructors, and more. This session addresses the makeup of a response team, appropriate times to bring in legal counsel or authorities, proper response levels, evidence gathering techniques, and software used for evidence gathering and for building a sound case. CSI is not just a TV show: It is an important aspect of properly managing PC and other educational technology—and protecting your students.

• Tom Tokarz, Special Counsel, Henrico County, VA
• Brent Williams, Educational Technology Specialist, Educational Technology Training Center, Kennesaw State University & Georgia Department of Education

T402: Taming Online Professional Development: State-wide Strategies
Essential Skills: Education and Training

E-Learning for Educators, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is based on a unique partnership between a public television station and state departments of education in eight states. The program designs and delivers high-quality, web-based professional development for teachers in each state. The collaboration uses a variety of online technologies to organize cross-state project planning and to share lessons from the implementation in each state to impact content knowledge and pedagogical practices of teachers.

• Wayne Hartschuh, PhD, Executive Director, Delaware Center for Educational Technology
  [View Presentation]
• Barbara Treacy, Managing Project Director, Education Development Center, Inc.

T403: Multimodal Learning and Digital Content: What the Research Says
Essential Skills: Education and Training

Looking for that spike in learning? Join this session for the latest cognitive and brain research on how to increase academic achievement and 21st century skills through the strategic use of digital content and multimodal learning. Learn why and how differentiated instruction using images and sound increases learning. Discover how to transform students into informed consumers of media. Lastly, find out how to effectively leverage communication systems on which today's youth have grown up in today's 21st century K–12 classroom.

• Cheryl Lemke, President and Chief Executive Officer, Metiri Group
• Charles Fadel, Global Leader, Education, Cisco Systems, Inc.

T404: Children, Computing and Change: Papert Matters
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Education and Training, Ethics and Policies

This session presents just a few of Professor Seymour Papert's most powerful ideas about children, computers, and learning through his own words and rarely seen video. The presenter, Mr. Gary Stager, worked closely with Dr. Papert and was the principal investigator on his most recent institutional learning project. Educators new to Papert's theories will be challenged to think more deeply about learning. Veteran educators will be inspired to reinvigorate their practice and challenge the status quo. All attendees will gain a greater understanding of Papert's historic contributions to education through his words and the stories shared by his protégé. Attendees will learn of Papert's enormous contributions to computing, learning, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and be inspired by his vision of re-empowering education.

• Gary Stager, PhD, Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University

T405: The Value of Open Technologies and Open Source Software
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Systems Management

While open technologies are fast making inroads into education, most of the discussion has focused on cost. In this session, attendees will discover the value of open technologies through a discussion around some of open source's "killer apps" for education: the Moodle learning management system, Linux thin-client, and several ready-for-prime-time desktop applications. We'll dive into CoSN's latest implementation study on the many ways school districts across the country are using Moodle, look at the district-wide implementation of Linux thin-client at Windsor Unified in California, and hear about Indiana's integration of Open Source programs in regular classrooms.

• Steve Hargadon, Project Director, CoSN’s Open Technologies Initiative & Principal, K12 Computers
• Heather Carver, District Technology & Information Services Director, Windsor Unified School District, CA
  [View Presentation]
• James Klein, Jr., Director, Information Services and Technology, Saugus Union School District, CA
• Laura Taylor, Director, Office of Learning Resources, Indiana Department of Education

T406: National Policies that Enable or Inhibit ICT in Education
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision; Business Leadership, Planning and Budgeting, Ethics and Policy

Why are some countries leaders of innovative policies for the use of education technology in schools while others are slashing budgets and eliminating key programs/initiatives? Hear from some key policy leaders about what is driving an increased focus on education technology. From Australia, where the new Labor government has announced a $1billon (US $883Million) project to provide all students (years 9–12) with a laptop, to Japan, where the decision has been made to move the ICT in schools initiatives from the federal government to local universities, colleges, and the private sector, to the United Kingdom, which has a range of new initiatives to spur innovation with ICT. What is driving an emphasis on or away from investing in education technology? Hear from the experts.

• James Bosco, EdD, Co-Chair, CoSN International Committee & Emeritus Professor, Western Michigan University (Moderator)
• Kathryn Moyle, PhD, Chair of AICTEC, Australia’s Policy Committee for Education & ICT
• Gavin Dykes, Adviser to Becta & Associate Director, Innovation, United Kingdom
• Professor Tsuneo Yamada, Professor and President’s Advisor, Research and Development Department, National Institute of Multimedia Education (NIME)

T407: Report from the Policy Front: What’s in Store for Ed Tech
[Session is part of Washington Advocacy Summit.]

The presentation will highlight key education technology related policies with a particular focus on No Child Left Behind reauthorization, education appropriations, and the E-Rate. Attendees will gain an in-depth understanding of the major issues involved in each of these areas and will hear from Washington insiders on the likely trajectory for each over the coming year.

• Jon Bernstein, President, Bernstein Strategies Group

T408: Report From the Policy Front: What’s in Store for Ed Tech
[Session is part of Washington Advocacy Summit]

The presentation will highlight key education technology related policies with a particular focus on No Child Left Behind Reauthorization, Education Appropriations and the E-Rate. Attendees will gain an in-depth understanding of the major issues involved in each of these areas and will hear from Washington insiders on the likely trajectory for each over the coming year.

• Jon Bernstein, President, Bernstein Strategies Group
  
  

T501: What Works Around The World with ICT in Education (Spotlight Session)
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision

This session will present a fascinating international review of what is working in information and communications technology (ICT) in education. Join us for this around-the-world tour of technologies being used. Mr. Black is the new CEO of Australia’s national education ICT agency, Ms. Evaristo is Deputy Chair of the European Schoolnet and a leader in education in Portugal, and Dr. Koh is leading Singapore’s master plan rewrite. Explore what’s cutting edge around the globe.

• Marsha Rhea, Senior Futurist, Institute for Alternative Futures (Moderator)
• Greg Black, Chief Executive Officer, education.au (Invited)
• Teresa Evaristo, Deputy Chair, EUN and Sub-Director, Portuguese Ministry of Education (Invited)
• Thiam Seng KOH, PhD,Director, Educational Technology, Ministry of Education, Singapore and Deputy Director, National Institute of Education, Singapore

T502: Social Networking in Education: Creating a 21st Century Collaborative Environment
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Systems Management, Information Management, Education and Training, Ethics and Policies, Communication Systems

Hot technologies such as blogging, podcasting, online media, file sharing, RSS and community building all come together in the form of social networking, the ultimate representation of Web 2.0. The use of these participatory technologies has the potential to provide 21st century learning opportunities never before imagined. Yet aligning their use with the K–12 environment often presents significant challenges. In this session, attendees will learn about social networking tools, including effective approaches to their use and important considerations prior to their implementation. Attendees will also hear about appropriate policies and see the positive impact social networking tools can have on the learning environment. Social and networking don't have to be dirty words! Discover how to effectively leverage social networking tools to create a collaborative 21st century K–12 environment.

• James Klein, Jr., Director, Information Services and Technology, Saugus Union School District, CA
• Steve Hargadon, Project Director, CoSN’s Open Technologies Initiative & Principal, K12 Computers

T503: What Tech Support Really Costs: Tough Choices
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Planning and Budgeting, Team Building and Staffing

New research from the America's Digital Schools series and the "Survey on Information Technology Staffing and Issues" suggests that tech support costs have doubled in the past five years and that most school districts are drastically under-staffed. Learn how district leaders cope with budget shortfalls and what the elephant in the room consists of. Learn about new research on LMS systems, online assessments, and interactive whiteboards—what percentage of districts are using these tools and why. This interactive presentation will focus on primary research, as well as on interviews with leading technologists about the current state of budgeting and how that correlates with the long-term vision of a district's mission in teaching and learning.

• Leonard Niego, Director of Information Technology, Brick Township Public Schools, NJ
  [View Presentation]
• Lee Prevost, President and Founder, SchoolDude.com
• Meris Stansbury, Assistant Editor, eSchool News Network

T504: Restructuring Technology Leadership to Transform Information Flow
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Information Management

Presenters in this session will share a newly implemented model of technology leadership and detail how it is working in one urban district to support the implementation of the superintendent’s rigorous new system of accountability. Topics discussed will include 1) the superintendent’s rationale for the new structure; (2) the former and current organizational charts; (3) the role of the chief information officer and the need for a diverse knowledge base in academics, business practices and computer application development; (4) the definition of the four groups needed for successful operation: infrastructure, academics, program management, and application development and Web presence); (5) the role of administrators in the technology leadership team; and (6) how this structure supports the goal of user-friendly, timely, accurate information for all stakeholders, including academic, business, community, and other needs.

[View Presentation]

• Donna Boivin, Chief Information Officer, Information and Instructional Technology Solutions Department, Springfield Public Schools
• Deborah Gendreau, PhD, Director of Technology, Springfield Public Schools

T505: Sustainability of One-to-One
Essential Skills: Leadership and Vision, Education and Training

Mounting pressure to show the effect of technology on student achievement makes it essential that education and IT leaders understand the key characteristics of successful technology deployment and the steps required to put those characteristics in place and at scale in schools. This presentation will focus on how the first and longest lasting one-to-one deployment in the world (started in 1993) is a model for how thoughtful design can lead to truly embedded technology use in a school. The presentation is based on a 10-year program of published research and a 2007 independent evaluation of implementation integrity. Attendees will learn about the key concepts for a successful one-to-one effort, how to use those concepts, and how their schools can move on a trajectory from their current technology deployment to a comprehensive integration of technology that produces dramatic gains in student and teacher performance.

• Mark Weston, PhD, Researcher Professor, University of Colorado, Denver (Moderator/Presenter)
• Peter Hess, Dean of Studies, Brewster Academy, NH
• Bruce Dixon, President, Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation
• Gary Stager, PhD, Senior Editor, District Administrator Magazine & Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University

T506: Sound the Alarm for Funding - Practical Strategies for Increasing IT Investments
Essential Skills: Business Leadership

Hear a unique insider's perspective about how to build the political will for making IT investments. The co-presenters for this session have served as CTO, School District Superintendent, State Ed Tech Director, and Policy Advisor in a Governor's Office. The highly-interactive dialogue will include tips and techniques for communicating with the leaders who make IT funding decisions. Come prepared to ask questions such as:(1) What is the best way to talk with school board members, central office staff, state officials, legislators and Governors? 2) How can I craft a compelling case? and (3) With a thousand challenges in education, why should they listen to me? Attend this session if you want practical information not found in textbooks, magazines, or web sites.

[View Presentation]

• Kurt Steinhaus, PhD, Education Policy Advisor, Office of Governor Bill Richardson
• Chip Kimball, EdD, Superintendent, Lake Washington School District, WA

T507: Becoming an Ed Tech Advocate: Strategies that Work
[Session is part of Washington Advocacy Summit.]

Join fellow education technology leaders from around the country as they share their proven advocacy strategies for influencing policy at the local, state and federal levels. You will leave this session with ideas and strategies to effect change and "make your voice heard!" Receive pointers and preparation for congressional hill meetings, which attendees of the Washington Policy Summit will put into practice the following day as they meet with congressional staff to share their experiences of the importance of technology in the classroom. 

• Hilary Goldmann, Director of Government Relations, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
  

Sponsored by:

In Daniel Pink’s best selling book “A Whole New Mind”, he argues that the future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind. The era of "left brain" dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which "right brain" qualities-inventiveness, empathy,and meaning-predominate. Mr. Pink uses the two sides of our brains as a metaphor for understanding the contours of our times and offers a fresh look at what it takes to excel. In this closing keynote address, Mr. Pink will reveal the six essential aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfillment now depend. He will explore what these mean for education and how his vision parallels or differs from the Framework for 21st Century Skills developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

• Sheryl Abshire, PhD, Chief Technology Officer, Calcasieu Parish School System, LA (Moderator)
• Daniel Pink, best-selling author and an expert on innovation, competition and the changing world of work