2-16-12

=Tech Council Meeting on 2/16/12= >>
 * Agenda**
 * **Welcome and Burning Issues/Questions**
 * Rich's questions: We couldn't help today, but we are interested in what Rich discovers.
 * Has anyone purchased a HD projector?
 * Any cutting edge districts to visit?
 * **State Department of Education Update**
 * Marty Rose - Director of Information Technology (old position) has been moved into Josiah's position for this year. June 30, 2012 is the end of the grant funding for the position. He will probably be the person who will answer the questions for the Tech Plan.
 * EASTCONN has had two good tech planning sessions.
 * Timeline is to get district's plan by March 30th. Districts can get an extension if needed -- we just want enough time to do a good job reviewing the plans. Plan should be on the Board Agenda by April or May so an Approved Final Copy, printed and electronic on CD, is submitted to LEARN.
 * State Dept. of Ed. will then provide a letter that district can use for grant applications and such.
 * Tech Plan should be a "living document" that changes as needed to keep community informed.
 * Hopefully the new commissioner will support technology at the state level.
 * ATTAIN is replacing E2T2 for tech funding, but this has been in discussion since before the Obama presidency and may be after the next election. Now money is coming through block grants and it is unknown if it will be earmarked.
 * Curriculum Standards: How Do We Make Sure Technology is Embedded into the Curriculum?
 * ACHIEVE - take time and look at what you have before rewriting curriculum -- not truly aligned yet. Think about transitioning into the curriculum and aligning to CCSS. How to make a classroom more 21st Century-looking and get teachers the professional development they need?
 * In Windham, how do you use technology to inform students and teachers, and have teachers adjust teachers as a result.
 * Get everyone something to get started, then get the higher end equipment slowly.
 * Moving to tablet vs. board -- the board isn't smart, but the tablet is. Apps let you control projection features. Need to be careful with usernames and passwords on iPads. Bretford cart allows you to image up to 30 iPads.
 * Franklin using iPads with Kindergarten and curriculum apps. Apple TV ($100), you can show any iPad in the room.
 * Michel - ISTE message was (especially at upper grades) go for tablets, not interactive boards.
 * Raspberry pi - http://www.raspberrypi.org/ According to the site, "The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming."
 * RESC Alliance wikispace for CCSS and Guaranteed Technology Experiences: http://common-core-and-technology.wikispaces.com/
 * **iPad Apps**
 * iPad App: Onlive Desktop - Social Networking site for MS Office. - http://desktop.onlive.com/
 * Great site for iPad apps - http://teachwithyouripad.wikispaces.com/
 * iBooks Author - http://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/