DOCUMENT RESUME ED 472 670 IR 021 874 Richey, Nancy, Ed.; Byrom, Elizabeth, Ed.; Bingham, Margaret, AUTHOR Ed.; Guerrero, Jeanne, Ed.; Thrift, Beth, Ed.; Holton, Brook, Ed NewsWire, 2000-2001. TITLE SouthEast and Islands Regional Technology in Education INSTITUTION Consortium, Durham, NC. Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), SPONS AGENCY Washington, DC. 2001-00-00 PUB DATE NOTE 54p. R302A980001 CONTRACT AVAILABLE FROM SouthEast and Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium (SEIR*TEC), SERVE, Inc., 3333 Chapel Hill Blvd., Suite C-102, Durham, NC 27707. Tel: 919-402-1060; Tel: 800- 755 -3277 (Toll Free); Fax: 919-402-1617; Web site: http://www.seirtec.org. For full text: http://www.seirtec.org/publications/newswire.html. Collected Works PUB TYPE Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT NewsWire; v3-4 nl, n1-2 2000-2001 EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Computer Uses in Education; Educational Administration; Educational Resources; *Educational Technology; *Elementary Secondary Education; Instructional Design; Instructional Development; Internet; *Newsletters; Professional Development; Student Projects; Technology Integration ABSTRACT This document contains five issues of "NewsWire," a newsletter created for the SouthEast and Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium (SEIR-TEC). Topics addressed in these issues include: leadership and educational technology; technology program development; resources for teaching and learning with technology; U.S. Department of Education funding for SEIR-TEC; a web-based collection of projects that promote collaborative constructivist learning; technology planning materials; research on the impact of technology on teaching and learning; SEIR-TEC partners; Gates Foundation challenge grants for leadership development; seven exemplary and promising educational technology programs; technology standards in the South; virtual courses; online staff development; adventures of the SEIR-TEC traveling mascot bear; interview about the Florida Virtual School; an online learning institute; online learning opportunities for adults; educational Web portals; EvaluTech software evaluation database; building a statewide virtual classroom; online learning resources; collaborative Web projects; and handheld technologies in schools. (AEF) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. C N N Z NewsWire Volume 4, Number 2 2001 Volume 3, Number 1 2000 - By: SEIR-TEC at SERVE Inc. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY pi This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. K. Oliver Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. 1 MST COPY AMIABLE 2 Number 1 Volume 3 s ands . . a a 1 Educational Technology: INSIDE THIS for It? Are School Administrators Ready ISSUE Executive Summary (Atlanta: Southern Regional Education Board, 1999) Educational Technology: 1 Are School Administrators Ready for It? School administrators have to Every national poll in recent Three Roads Taken 1 years indicates that parents and deal with many issues, and often the i Destination the Same business leaders want schools school's technological needs are over- Message from the Director 2 and students to increase their use looked. What should administrators of technology. More than $5 billion and principals know about technology Adminiatrator Action Plan 8 was spent on educational technolo- and its practical uses in the school A Positive Attitude Makes 12 gy for kindergarten through 12th and classroom? Should they be the Difference for the Drew grade during the 1997-98 school trained in the use of technology School District year. Sales estimates of electronic during their college years? This report Principal Connections 15 instructional materials alone in 1999 addresses these and other issues. CD-ROM and Web site continued on page 11 Three Roads Taken Destination the Same By Margaret Bingham Three states in the SEIRTEC region have taken the bold and timely step of addressing the need for school and district lead- ers to demonstrate leadership in technology decisions and actions. continued on page 3 3 BEST COPY AVAILABLE re 2, SEIRTEC News Wire Dear Reader: Over the past four years, SEIRTEC has been working intensively with fourteen schools across the Southeast and Islands. This work has been a rich opportunity to look at the ways technology is or isn't used in schools and to observe some of the factors that affect teachers' and students' use of technology in classrooms. Planning, professional development, technical support, infrastructure, and evaluation are all important, but our experience tells us that the most important factor is leadership. Schools and districts that have leaders who support and promote a vision for the ways technology can enhance teaching and learning are the schools and districts where technology is making a difference in student performance. So what is it that effective leaders for technology do? First, they have a vision of what is possible through the use of technology, and they are able to work with others to achieve the vision. Without this vision, and the translation of the vision into action, lasting school improvement is almost impossible. Equally important, effective leaders lead by example. Think of the powerful messages that principals and superintendents send when they use technology fluently, or when they participate actively in professional development opportunities with their teachers and staff. In addition to modeling the use of technology, effective leaders understand and promote best practices for teaching with technology. They know what good teaching with technology looks like, and they support teachers as they learn and try out new skills. Support means securing the resources for professional development, finding time for teachers to experiment with new teaching strategies (and making it okay to fail sometimes), and ensuring that technology is readily available when teachers need it. Supportive leaders also highlight the efforts of teachers who are using technology effectively. We know a couple of principals who give first dibs on new equipment to teachers who frequently use technology rather than placing it in a classroom where it might not be used. Others find funds for their technology using teachers to share best practices at state or national technology conferences. This is not to suggest that leadership for technology has to come from the central office or the principal's office. School technology committees play an important role in making decisions that reflect the needs of the total school community. Administrators can help this happen by showing both interest and trust in decisions the group makes. We have found that the most effective committees are those that are representative of the total faculty and staff and are selected by a method other than being appointed by the principal. We have also seen many schools where leadership comes from groups of classroom teachers. Sometimes, for example, teachers get together to conduct research on promising practices for technology and then work together in adopting the strategies in their own school. In other cases, teachers of the same grade level or subject area study the state curriculum and then work together on strategies for using technology in their lessons to enhance student performance. In schools and districts where technology is an integral and substantial element of teaching and learning, leadership is evident at the central office, in the principal's office, and in classrooms. We believe that SEIRTEC's role is to provide information that helps leaders as they move their technology programs forwardthus, this special issue of NewsWire. We hope you find it useful. For more information about the factors that affect the use of technology in schools, look on the SEIRTEC web site <www.seirtec.org> for our publication Factors Influencing the Effective Use of Technology for Teaching and Learning: Lessons Learned from the SEIRTEC Intensive Site Schools. Sincerely, Elizabeth Byrom, Ed.D. SEIRTEC Director Visit our Web site at http://www.seirtec.org/seir-tec BESTCOPYAVA1LABLE 4 SEIRTEC News Wire 3 ree Kentucky Roads Program) coordinators, elementary teachers, middle school teachers, Establishing Standards Taken high school teachers, preservice Kentucky educational technology teachers, school and district continued from page 1 leaders currently are establishing technology coordinators, and leadership and administrator stan- representatives from several other dards. Leadership for technology categories. The vast majority are decision making and support is not Each state has approached classroom teachers who give their a new idea in the Commonwealth the task in a different way. time to help others within their One is establishing a new facet of of Kentucky. For several years teaching day. Most do not have educators in Kentucky have had an existing program in technology release time for ITLP activities. the opportunity to participate in the leadership, one is providing a Even so, through their work they 10-day residential program devoted Kentucky Instructional Technology exemplify leadership in technology exclusively to leadership issues Leadership Program (ITLP). for teaching and learning. This program is designed to relating to instructional technology, A variety of resources are avail- prepare educators to provide and one is establishing technology able to the ITLs on the program leadership, assistance, and support standards with associated training website at www.kde.state.ky.us/ in the implementation of the for administrators. oet/customer/itl. One resource of The destination for each Kentucky Educational Technology particular note is the ITL University, approach is the same: for the state System (KETS). an on-line delivery model that to have school and district leaders The ITLP mission is to identify provides professional development who are leaders in technology and train instructional technology resources for ITLs, teachers, and for educational purposes. As the leaders in every school district administrators. The on-line activities to support the curriculum and following descriptions of these include links to resources and enhance student learning through programs illustrate, whichever road workshops. Michael Dailey, coordi- the use of technology. There is taken to building leadership in nator of ITLP who is known as are three program goals: technology each state needs to "Pop ITLP," finds that one of the begin this journey now. most rewarding aspects of the pro- 1. Recruit and increase the gram is the development through number of ITLs (instructional the website activities of an electronic technology leaders) to impact community of teachers who the instructional program. continually connect to report, share, 2. Communicate and demonstrate request collaboration, and interact learning through technology to with fellow ITLs. These instructional one or more persons with the technology leaders are building expressed purpose of increasing technology leadership capacity awareness of how instructional within their schools and districts technology can impact student by working one-on-one with achievement. individuals and small groups. 3. Provide professional develop- The ITLP is not the only ment in a variety of formats on leadership initiative in Kentucky. ways to integrate technology as In the past two years, the Kentucky a tool through the curriculum. Department of Education (KDE) has been actively formalizing teacher Participants in the ITLP represent technology standards as part of the entire education community. its Standard IX- Demonstrates They are principals and assistant Implementation of Technology. principals, curriculum coordinators, (See www.kde.state.ky.us/otec/ library media specialists, slip epsb/standards web page.) Now (Student Technology Leadership that those standards are approved, 5 4 SEIRTEC News Wire 1: ;4?r,: Kentucky 'Department of 1d Three Roads Taken continued from page 3 the Kentucky Department of WK.W. C.V..akr; .i.. ,rxxo. I 11=r11 WIN iar 1.W1.1:.rig.:ZP Education has initiated a new 'ism Gov Nei 1.14ai, ^-1 ifr:. CI &LEI Tall iC41.3.11 1,1e0 crz--ar' Mar+. 0.7-1,7.".:7T.71 project to determine how best to 4 t==t-...tr- isOle riaWfw. kitta C:3 41/4.1...+31.31RtZLOrthoWIM ,---rEllt7rOP67^13 support teachers and administrators ea' lent t114 I ww.IF iwww-4.1 p. Fri' to fulfill the new standards. A part . WpAIN.14 Cits7..s retqw of this project is a focus on Isentiks=qty 05=git .Offta MP:1M= spelErRe Leadership and Administrative U6i1UW6.1A idr.3.2=aesth: Standards. Specifically, the goal is to identify how KDE leadership and school administrators can maximize their knowledge and use of tech- nology as a tool for communication, 3. February 2000Obtain 4. Write the final draft seeking final research, and time management. consultant report on process approval by May 15, 2000. 4. FebruaryApril 2000 Obtain 5. Plan professional development The goal is to identify and leadership credit opportuni- data from field how KDE leadership ties for KDE leadership and 5. April 2000First meeting of and school administrators school administrators to learn Drafting Committee can maximize their and understand the components 6. June 2000Second meeting of of the final adopted standard. knowledge and use of Drafting Committee technology as a tool fbr As this effort was beginning, 7. AugustSeptember 2000 communication, research, KDE was invited to participate Audit by national certification in a national initiative to write and time management. for standards technology standards for school and 8. October 2000Final meeting district administrators. The goal of of Drafting Committee this national effortto improve In April 1999, the KDE staff 9. November 2000Implementation the capability of administrators to outlined a five-step process provide leadership for the effective As KDE leaders participate and schedule: uses of technology in schools in the national project, they are 1. Form the advisory committee complements the KDE project goal. conducting a parallel effort that is (composed of administrators, The first activity for the national a modified version of their original KDE leadership, business and effort is to create standards for plans. They have their own drafting community leaders, teachers, preK-12 school administrators committee, which will review the parents, and others) and gather pertaining to the use of information national committee's recommenda- research data from across the technology in schools. Thus the tions. A state committee consisting nation by October 31, 1999. leadership in KDE's Office of of school and district leadership, 2. Write the first draft and Education Technology/Division of district technology coordinators, present to full advisory Customer Support Services modified KDE leadership, classroom teachers, committee and other professional the state project schedule to benefit and state-level representatives of organizations for consensus from the research and decisions of each of the national leadership by January 30, 2000. the national effort. The national associations, higher education, and 3. Present the project at the time line is professional associations will begin Kentucky Teaching and Learning defining technology standards 1. January 2000Establish Steering Conference on March 2-4, for Kentucky leadership. These and Drafting Committee 2000, for additional input standards will enable the leadership 2. JanuaryFebruary 2000Develop from teachers, district leaders, to lead the state's initiative in resource documents for the and others. education technology and improved Drafting Committee 6 SEIRTEC News Wire 5 North Carolina student performance on state and of Technology Services for PEP, national assessments. The ultimate recognized a very clear need for a aim is to implement the school and Participating in a program on technology leadership district administrator standards and Residential Leadership for administrators. She realized that KDE leadership technology stan- Program the integration of technology into dards for Kentucky following the the existing PEP program was Beginning in 1984, public school completion of the national effort. not adequate to help the PEP administrators in North Carolina Lydia Wells Sledge, director of participants understand how to have had a the opportunity to par- the Division of Customer Support provide technology leadership in ticipate in a residential leadership Services, states that the involvement their schools. program, the Principals' Executive of Kentucky in the national effort During the 1999-2000 school Program (PEP). The PEP mission is will benefit both Kentucky and the year, PEP began three new SEIRTEC region. With only two to provide high-quality professional initiatives in the technology strand: development for school leaders. state departments involved in the Operating under the auspices of the national effort, both SEIRTEC members, she believes that University of North Carolina General The Pi-Inc-pas as the region is definitely in the Administration, PEP offers a variety of programs addressing the needs forefront in setting technology Technology Leaders leadership standards. of school prin'cipals, school assistant (PATO session topics are principals, central office staff, and For further information, technology planning, visit the Kentucky website at district superintendents. In 1997, the student learning, www.kde.state.ky.us/oet/customer/ North Carolina General Assembly appropriated funds for PEP to offer prglessional developmen Standards/adminstandards.asp technology training to program and community participants. Ongoing technology Information provided connections. training and technology leadership by Lydia Wells Sledge, development sessions became part Director of Division of of the regular PEP program. Specific Customer Support Services Principals as Technology Leaders professional development events Michael D. Dailey (PATL), Taking a Good Look at on using instructional technology to Instructional Technology (TAGLIT), improve teaching and learning were and Technology Leadership also developed. As a result of these Standards. PATL is a residential offerings, Dr. Sheila Cory, director program on leadership issues related to instructional technology. TAGLIT is a suite of assessment tools for school leaders to use in gathering, analyzing, and reporting information on technology use for teaching and learning. It is being ,BERS.T.C.U2, weusw.d.- 14..t L'Y used in the PATL program as well as by the BellSouth Foundation in its NeNt.. CnIcridar edu.pwr3 Power to Teach grants. With respect to the Technology Aj!irristtainfd NA- Leadership Standards initiative, 41 Dr. Cory is a leader in the national Makdkic0;ca effort to develop Technology Leadership Standards, serving on the Leadership/Governance Team of the national effort. She brings to this group the multiple 7 BEST COPY AVAILABLE r 6 SE;114TEC News Wire 4: :- Three Roads Taken continued from page 5 successes from the PEP technology program and the PATL program structure. Of particular interest to other states as they develop or enhance their efforts to build leadership for technology within their school administrator community would be the structure of the PATL initiative. The program is open to all public school principals, assistant princi- pals, and central office instructional staff. The PATL goal is to help school administrators improve teaching and learning through effective applications of educational technology. Educators spend four page to demonstrate concepts in the principals and superintendents in two-day sessions, for a total of 10 presentation. The PATL program North Carolina and is including that days, in project-based learning and website provides participants the plan in a proposal to the Bill & collaborative research activities. program schedule and activities and Melinda Gates Foundation's State The PATL session topics are tech- includes a link to the class pages, Challenge Grant for Leadership nology planning, student learning, complete with pictures. Development. The combination of professional development, and Dr. Cory states that the two pro- her role in the national effort to community connections. Between gram components that participants develop technology standards for the sessions, PATL attendees partici- in this first-year session have report- school administrators with the other pate in on-line discussions about ed as meaning the most to them are two initiatives, Dr. Cory believes, educational technology in general (1) the opportunity for hands-on mark PEP as a national leader in and as related to their school. work on major projects similar to providing technology training for what they expect their teachers to public school administrators. Session themes are to do and (2) the use of the TAGLIT For further information, visit the 1. Develop a vision and the role of assessment tool in their school. By Principals as Technology Leaders leadership in making it happen actually creating a web page, they section of the PEP website at 2. Focus on teachers have increased confidence and www.ga.unc.edu/pep/rppatl.html 3. Focus on students capability in their own technology skills. In using TAGLIT tools, they Information provided by 4. Focus on community connections have been able to get their faculty Dr. Sheila Cory, and moving forward involved in discussions, thus Director of Technology Services, Each participant receives a laptop increasing the awareness and PEP computer for the duration of the knowledge level of the entire program and produces a web faculty as to the uses of technology page on how his or her school is for teaching and learning. using technology for teaching and The first year of PATL and the learning. At the conclusion of the initial uses of the TAGLIT tools have program, each participant makes a been well received by the North 20-minute presentation about Carolina PEP participants. Dr. Cory his/her school and technology, is excited about the possibility of using the personally developed web extending these opportunities to all 8 SEIRTEC News Wire 7 Academy in July 1999 with the goal The Mississippi Project of developing a process and draft standards. By the end of the four- Stepping Up to the Stepping day professional development Standards process based on the Authentic Up to the Technology standards are not new Task Approach (developed by for Mississippi educators. Since Learning Innovations, a division of Standards October 1995, the Mississippi West Ed and a SEIRTEC partner), Department of Education has had the Mississippi team had accom- Conceptual Framework in place technology standards for plished its goal and was ready to teachers. By the summer of 1999, return home with a process and a To develop a conceptual educational technology leaders in framework for the standards. framework, action plans, the state agency saw a need to The design for their Action Plan implementation strategies, revise the standards. Betty Lou Pigg, and evaluation processes would serve as a guide for other for preparing all educators technology professional develop- state leaders. It consists of a state- in Mississippi to integrate ment coordinator with the Office ment of the current status of tech- technology into their of Academic Education/Mississippi nology standards in Mississippi, daily activities. Department of Education states, the desired status, the strengths to "The standards were fine for 1995, recognize about the current status, but by 1999 the statements were the barriers to overcome in ensuring not substantial enough to prepare that all teachers/administrators meet teachers to use technology for the standards, and the steps to take. teaching and learning." In fact, she Those steps consisted of developing commented that as the state tech- the technology standards and Technology nology leaders and a work group of performance indicators, obtaining teachers and administrators began buy-in and adoption by the state Integration examining the teacher standards, board and all involved, addressing they found administrators asking licensure issues, creating an why they were not included. Thus ER EH evaluation process for the initiative, began an effort to create a compre- and disseminating information hensive package: technology stan- on the existence of the standards dards for teachers and technology (see Figure 2). standards for administrators plus Since, the state technology performance indicators for the leaders and the academy team Students standards and state professional wanted input from across the state development sessions (see Figure 1). and from all levels of education Principals Teachers Superintendents The first step in creating this they hosted a videoconference and comprehensive package was to Figure 1. Conceptual Framework a forum for administrators. The for the Mississippi Project form a state team to outline a comments and feedback on the process and develop a framework concept of having technology for both sets of standards. Dr. administrator technology training, standards for administrators were Helen Soule, director of educational which all administrators take for overwhelmingly positive. In fact, technology for the state education recertification. according to Dr. Soule, the major agency, directed the team, which After reviewing the comments response they received was, consisted of the state technology and suggestions, the state technology Why were the standards not going professional development coordina- leaders organized two work groups to be mandated? Her response was tor, a school superintendent, a in the fall of 1999. The work that the state would not issue that middle school principal, and a high groups consisted of teachers, mandate but that the local district or school science teacher. The team superintendents, members of school could mandate that adminis- attended the SEIRTEC State the higher education community, trators master the standards. The Education Agency Technology district central office staff, licensure standards will serve as the basis for 9 _ 8 SEITOTEC News Wire Three Roads Taken integrate technology into curriculum processes that produce effective continued from page 7 uses of technology in teaching and instruction." specialists, state education agency In January, Dr. Soule was invited and leaning. (Professional technology staff, and representatives to join the national effort to develop Development) of educational organizations. Using educational technology standards 4. Models the effective use of tech- e-mail mainly, these individuals for school administrators. Her nology in support of teaching, conducted initial discussions about involvement has been a benefit to learning, and administrative the draft standards. In November the Mississippi process by affirming functions. (Model User) 1999, the state leaders convened the that it was on the right track and a 5. Creates a learning environment two work groups for an intense benefit to the national effort through that empowers staff to infuse two-day retreat. One group was to her sharing of the Mississippi technology into teaching and examine the suggested revisions to process and draft standards learning. (Learning Environment) the technology standards for teach- Both Dr. Soule and Ms. Pigg 6. Ensures the implementation of ers and the other was to react to attribute the success and the district, school, and classroom the feedback about the standards accelerated time frame for the strategies that prepare students to for administrators and develop a entire initiative to the assistance be successful in a technological draft set of standards. SEIRI'EC from SEIRTEC and to the use of a world. (Student Learning) consultants facilitated the work committee model which involved of the two groups. By the end of representatives from almost every 7. Communicates the legal, ethical, the retreat the groups presented and security issues related to sector of the education community their suggested standards to each and its supporters. They are excited technology. (Legal, Ethical, and other and found that the two sets about having technology standards Security Issues) meshed well. for teachers and administrators in Each standard has from two to From November 1999 to April place this summer and are willing to six performance indicators, with 2000, the state leaders obtained share their experiences and work Standards 5 and 6 having six reactions to these standards and with other state colleagues. indicators each. The performance suggested performance indicators. indicators are statements that clarify When the standards and the action Information provided the standard as well as establish a plan were presented to the State by Dr. Helen Soule, level of proficiency to document. Board of Education members in Director of Educational Technology An example of a performance December, their reaction was very and Betty Lou Pigg, indicator for Standard 5 (Learning positive. Until the total approval Technology Professional Environment) is "Encourages staff to process is completed, the standards Development Coordinator seek new and innovative ways to will remain labeled "draft." The current version of the standards and performance indicators for administrators consists of seven standards: *c, 1. Communicates to all stakeholders a vision of the mtAttf, ktattat Liwatalsi *!sal role of technology in teaching 'ZrAeria and learning. (Vision) qaffiwao =t+rre. ib 2. Develops, implements, and monitors a long-range **Ne****************** technology plan. (Funding ** and Long Range Plan) 3. Indicates and supports .mor uky .w\ professional development 10