Breakout Sessions for Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSION IV

W401: Preliminary Report on Findings of a National Survey of School Leaders on the Use of Web 2.0 in Schools
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Leadership and Vision
SALON A

This session will provide a preliminary report of findings of a national survey of superintendents, curriculum directors, and chief technology officers on the use of Web 2.0 in schools. The survey is part of a CoSN project funded by the John D, and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation titled, "Schools and Participatory Culture: Overcoming Organizational and Policy Barriers." The findings from this survey provide the first comprehensive and detailed examination of the perspectives of school district leaders on the role of Web 2.0 for teaching and learning in U.S. schools. Implications of the findings for policy and leadership will be discussed.

W402: Educational Broadband Policy:
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Ethics & Policies and Leadership & Vision
SALON E

This will be a panel presentation about US K12 Broadband by experts in the areas of research, technology implementation and K12 education. The panel will show how high speed broadband can dramatically increase the opportunities and effectiveness of the K12 experience for students and educators and it will present and discuss facts about US broadband performance in an international context, including technical capability, leadership capacity and policy making.

W403: Global Views on the Future of Technology in Education
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Leadership & Vision, Ethics & Policies
MR406

What future trends and innovations in education technology are critical?  Hear from experts from Australia’s education.au and United Kingdom’s Futurelab discuss how they are preparing for the future today.

W404: Open Content & Video in Education
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Ethics & Policies and Leadership & Vision
MR408

Discover how to build quality learning resources for educators, students and community on iTunes U through collaboration with state-wide organizations and educational agencies. Learn about the process Michigan is using for project design, for gathering educational content from many providers and for developing a sustainable program. Access to resources and guides will be provided.

W405: Bridging the Digital Divide:  Innovative Online Education Model Serving Students
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Leadership & Vision and Education & Training
MR410

Does the traditional high school instruction where coursework is often “silo-ed” and a one-size-fits-all approach reigns still the best model? Does this model ensure that students meet state accountability and college acceptance requirements? In this session participants will see how technology can play a critical role in a vision of rethinking high school to make it a more relevant, engaging, and individualized experience for students.  NYCiSchool, through the NYC Department of Education will illustrate how using technological supports can assist in rethinking High School for the 21st Century.  Utilizing these technology supports, iSchool leaders have developed an instructional program that includes interdisciplinary, problem-based Modules that focus on developing students’ 21st Century skills and an understanding of broader concepts. Students also participate in technology-enabled individualized programs to insure completion of more content-specific state and college admissions requirements. Participants will see how students and teachers can utilize a Virtual Desktop environment, and a ubiquitous Moodle Learning Content Management System (LCMS) to develop their Modules and courses, share files and work, communicate with field experts, access eLearning courses, and collaborate without the limitations of physical boundaries.  This session will also illustrate the Colorado Hope Online education model, a proven model of individualized online education for underserved populations.  This is a state recognized initiative at the forefront of generating policies and regulations in regards to online education addressing the changes occurring in online education at a state level. Participants will also view a combination of online education and supportive learning environments that not only fosters increased student achievement, but also familiarizes students with critical skills for the 21st century Knowledge Economy.

W406: Collaborative Small Rural 21st Century Classrooms
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Leadership & Vision
MR410

Small rural schools face unique resource limitations due to their size and geographic distance.  This presentation will provide an insight on how small rural school districts can offer their students access to 21st century classroom experiences through collaboration among schools and effective community based partnerships. See how these schools communicate the value that they are providing their student to the school’s stakeholders.

W407: State's Deliver Digital Content Leadership
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Ethics & Policies and Leadership & Vision
MR410

Building on the principles of equity, innovation and collaboration the Arizona Department of Education and Arizona State University have partnered to create IDEAL (Integrated Data to Enhance Arizona’s Learning), a flexible, dynamic, and sustainable eLearning platform for all Arizona’s education  stakeholders. This session provides an overview of this unique partnership; the driving principals of the initiative, the technical and organizational architecture, sustainability and expansion strategies, and an analysis of the total cost of ownership. By utilizing an open source infrastructure, integrating a variety of in-house and commercial tools and resources, and through the formation of strategic alliances. IDEAL is positioned to foster, support and enable innovation. Examples of current IDEAL environment will be featured, along with a glimpse at our roadmap.

W408A: Rapid Notification Services -- Emerging Trends and What Works
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Communication Systems
MR404

Spotlight session hosted by:

Kyle Berger, Executive Director of Technology Services, Alvarado Independent School District, Alvarado, TX

With each tragic act of violence on today's campuses, news reports often highlight the success – or failure – of the school's ability to communicate quickly and effectively. And with each tragic event, the number of notification solutions available seems to increase. Cast against a background of industry trends over the past 10 years, this session will focus on sharing best practices in selecting and implementing a rapid notification solution, from integrating it with your existing data and telecom systems, to training and managing usage policy as well as determining the long term costs. What has worked, and what hasn't? Of the many service architectures available, what makes the most sense for your district?

W408B: We’ve Got a Data Warehouse. Now What?
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Information Management
MR415

With each tragic act of violence on today's campuses, news reports often highlight the success – or failure – of the school's ability to communicate quickly and effectively. And with each tragic event, the number of notification solutions available seems to increase. Cast against a background of industry trends over the past 10 years, this session will focus on sharing best practices in selecting and implementing a rapid notification solution, from integrating it with your existing data and telecom systems, to training and managing usage policy as well as determining the long term costs. What has worked, and what hasn't? Of the many service architectures available, what makes the most sense for your district?

W409B: IMAGIN-ing the Future of Education with Visual Instruction
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: System Management, Leadership & Vision
SALON B

Spotlight session hosted by:

Jill Hobson, Director of Instructional Technology, Forsyth County Schools Bailey Mitchell, Chief Technology and Information Officer, Forsyth County Schools

Two important trends in education include developing creative minds and increasing academic rigor for students. Bailey Mitchell, nationally recognized leader in educational technology, and Jill Hobson from Forsyth County Schools, will demonstrate how using the SAFARI Montage System (an exceptional provider of digital content is essential for teaching today's digital natives. Forsyth is transforming their 21st century classrooms through the integration of interactive whiteboards, projectors and SAFARI Montage's visual instruction tools which promote a total approach to teaching, learning and achievement. Attendees will also consider where visual instruction may be heading in the future - from multi-user virtual learning environments to machinima to video gaming.

W410A: Microsoft in Education – Enabling 21st Century Learning
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Systems Management
MR402

Come hear about Microsoft’s vision for Software + Services and how you can extend existing infrastructure investments into the cloud. Learn about a new services platform that can help you create applications for your schools combining the power of the Internet and the magic of software.

W410B: The Benefits of SaaS in a Tight Budget
ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Systems Management
MR402

According to Gartner, spending on SaaS applications will jump 27 percent over 2007, and will catapult to $14.8 billion by 2012. With organizational budgets as tight as ever, fewer departments will be able to sell the idea of a big upfront investment for new technology. Examine the TCO and VOI of SaaS applications compared to legacy/installed solutions.