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October 31, 2008

Bein' Green

Posted by Chris Brown, Blog Team, at 12:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Since we were quite busy with all kinds of receptions, ceremonies, and our own presentations I didn't get a chance to get to many other concurrent sessions. The school board members I traveled with did get to a few however and were particularly impressed with Green Fingerprints: Leaving our Mark on the Planet by Marina Light from the Center for Digital Education.
As one of the panel to help decide which sessions were accepted to T+L this year I remember the group discussing the need for this topic to be a part of this year's conference and in the future. I was glad to hear our school board members caught this one and are now motivated to start encouraging more programs in conservation and environmental issues at our school. We do a good job with this but I believe we have some new ideas that we can use here. I encourage everyone to start by placing a reminder in their email signature - something like "Please consider the environment before printing this email" and see if that makes a difference in your paper consumption.

Cool Tunes

Posted by Chris Brown, Blog Team, at 9:38 AM | General Session Keynotes | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

For the first six years of my career I taught instrumental music and music theory and always used technology a bit with my students - tech was my hobby at that time. Now, the roles have reversed with technology being what I do and music is a hobby. So I am always excited to hear the winners of the MENC/T+L Student Electronic Music Composition Talent Search. We were lucky enough a few years ago to have a student win in the middle school category which I know was very exciting for her and her parents. Take a listen to their compositions and read their stories below at:

http://www.menc.org/news/view/2008-nsba-student-electronic-music-composition-talent-search-winners

Congratulations to all of them and encourage your music students and teachers to get involved with this program!

October 30, 2008

Web 2.0 tools

Posted by Matt Huston, Blog Team, at 3:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Nifty end-of-conference preso just now -- plenty of hands-on time, a G-Cast cel phone ==> podcast demo that seems promising for folks without lots of podcasting gear, and interesting use of pbwiki to generate ideas and pages for discussion.

Great table conversations about the need for professional development vision, funding, personnel to enact Web 2.0 / tech-integration / literacy-redefinition efforts. At our table, we had a Board Member, a Chief Tech Officer from a district, and me, a non-profit professional developer.

Presenters used PBWiki to host the conversation about social - legal - ethical issues around using Web 2.0 in our districts / schools. We surfaced a bunch of the core issues, and commented on them on sub-pages. Wonder what a next step with that particular Wiki, and our thinking, would have been?

Call me crazy, but I still want to see a rockin' match between a Wiki's core functionality -- ability to spin off pages, links, and edits -- and a topic in a for-educators' workshop. Maybe I need to try to develop one. Anyone out there got suggestions for using a Wiki super-well with adults, say in a professional development context?

Redefining Literacy, Y'all! (Warlick @ NSBA)

Posted by Matt Huston, Blog Team, at 3:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

David Warlick, in his Thursday morning presentation, challenged attendees to redefine literacy for the uncertain future. Sounding pretty Big6-ish at first, he suggested literacy was about finding, evaluating, and applying/contextualizing info; then inferring/building meaning and organizing it into personal digital libraries.

Fun happened when he opined that we educators need to "Stop integrating technology - start integrating literacy and teaching kids to teach themselves."

Loved the tag-cloud comparisons, using Tag Crowd, of FDR's Day That Shall Live in Infamy and Churchill's Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat speeches -- two stirring 20th c. come-to-war speeches. Why *are* those tag clouds -- keyword-frequencies -- so different looking? Have at it, Social Studies and English teachers...

Moodle Wednesday

Posted by Matt Huston, Blog Team, at 3:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Had a great time with Moodle on Wednesday @ NSBA T+L Seattle 2008. Got to co-present a session ("Taking It to the Next Level Online with Moodle"), with Nicole Yemothy of Kent School District (WA) -- attendees seemed to enjoy seeing how Nicole's using Moodle with 7th grade students in a science class, plus the overview of Moodle hosted in a Moodle course. Deep dive: Moodle's "Choice" activity continues to be a winner, in terms of

*eliciting students' prior understanding*
*letting students choose project or topic ideas*
*doing formative assessment after experiencing content*

Then attended Randy Orwin's "Moodle Magic..." session 2pm -- great setup: thin-client Linux network giving us all online access; entry Moodle Feedback survey on who we are and what we know about Moodle; and tons of information on Moodle modules and functionality, Web 2.0 and open-source software in general. Well-deserved applause ended this great session.

TLN Special Event - Let's ROCK!!!

Posted by Kurt Bernardo, Blog Team, at 11:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Last evening's TLN Special event at the Experience Music Project was fun and interesting. Being from the Greater Cleveland area I figured the EMP would be a second rate copy of our Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Well...I was (let me get it out)...wrong.
What a cool place with lots of exhibits the Rock Hall does not have. I have had theory that there is a strong correlation between technology people and musical ability and I think I'm dead on! Looking at the band that played Monday night and all of the people in the "jam rooms" at the EMP I think we should just start doing some online jamming and take it to the top of the charts! I don't know who the guys were I was jamming with but I think we could have played all night. Mary Ann discovered some new talents on the drum pads. I think the Who may have finally found a replacement for Keith Moon.
I was disappointed the gift shop was not open. I was ready to boost the economy and spend spend spend!!!
I know we will be off to Denver next year and I am wondering where we might end up for the TLN Special Event. Maybe the EMP has a travelling exhibit we can hijack!

October 29, 2008

Smells Like Tech Spirit

Posted by Kurt Bernardo, Blog Team, at 10:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Looking back on today’s T+L activities I wonder why I’m not asleep standing up, sitting down, or in a fetal position. The day started at 7:00 a.m. when I met with a number of folks to discuss Green Computing as a part of the new CoSN Green Computing initiative. This is one of the really cool parts of T+L. It seems that each year I get invited to participate in some sort of discussion group that could have far reaching outcomes. I think we all need to consider what we can do to reduce power consumption, packaging, trash, and to address the responsible disposal of technology equipment.
I finally got some time to wander around the vendor exhibits. I gathered some info on some products I was interested in but did not see everything I was looking for. Oh well, I will make some other arrangements when I get back home.
A highlight for me was attending the TLN Luncheon where this year’s Salute Districts and other awards are given out. We were on the 35th floor of the Sheraton. What a view! Ann Flynn mentioned that this part of the conference is always like a family reunion (only better) because past Salute districts attend. It is nice to always see old friends at this event.
We wrapped up the day time activities at the day’s featured speaker session with Joe Caruso. Joe had some inspirational stories, and some stories, and some more stories...and wrapped it up with......some stories!
Now I am relaxing a bit before I catch the bus to the TLN Special Event at the Experience Music Project. Hey…the Phillies just won the World Series!

Linking up

Posted by Christina Gordon, NSBA Staff, at 12:31 PM | About This Weblog | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

It seems we've got some more fans out there in the blogosphere (we're not Britney Spears or anything, but we can still feel the love). Check out these folks who are also blogging the conference:

Generation Yes tells us that they're coming to the conference with a team and exhibiting here as well.

TechLab talks about the 20 to Watch.

And IQity is here and sponsoring tonight's special event at the conference. If you're here, be sure to put on your 70s best and join us to celebrate!

Tuesday at T+L

Posted by Kurt Bernardo, Blog Team, at 9:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

It was a busy Tuesday at T+L. I started of by going to a session presented by a crew from Rex Mill Middle School titled “High Tech Classrooms that Motivate and Challenge Digital Natives”. This high energy bunch kept us engaged and entertained. This was a great wake up session! It is nice to see a school full of innovative and passionate teachers using technology in great ways. “Don’t remediate…accelerate!” was a battle cry!
Since my fellow bloggers have commented on Paul Saffos keynote I won’t say anymore about that! I always love the opening General Session since we have an opportunity to see some student work during the film awards. It is nice to also see the first of the Video Salute Districts. It looks like there are some great things happening in the Avoca District in Illinois.
Later I attended a session about E-Discovery. Email and document retention is a hot topic in my district. One thing I learned in this session is that it is a confusing topic no matter what State you work in.
My last attended session was a CoSN CTO Forum – “Leveraging Banned Technologies to Create Ubiquitous Learning Environments.” It could be wrapped up with a quote from my old buddy Scott McCleod (who was not there…just quoted) “Technology cannot be stopped and students will be served.”

The REAL end of the day was the Excellence Fair. Mary Ann and I were trying to remember how many of these we have done in a row and we came up with 8. This is always an activity we look forward too. We get a chance to meet teachers, administrators, board members, and technology advocates from all over the country. We ended the session exhausted but pleased that so many people stopped by to hear our professional development story. They asked great questions and we took away some new ideas and some new acquaintances.

October 28, 2008

The World Is Changing

Posted by Susan Olesen, Blog Team, at 7:29 PM | Educational Programming | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Great day at T+L. I learned a lot. Folks from McRel provided very interesting questions to be posed when considering how integrated technology is into the teaching and learning system and provided a whole new framework for me when considering how to do a good analysis of whatever it is you're studying in a school.

Had some new personal insights into how to use the wonderful tools provided through PD 360 when using the Joyce and Showers model of professional development and had a great conversation with the rep of the company. The PD 360 is a terrific vehicle through which to provide the theory and demonstration components in a good professional development model, which are often the costliest parts of an effort.

And Paul Saffo's remarks about kids posting on their resumes that they''re masters in a video game being evidence they can manage a budget, move people in the right direction, etc. made me want to try that video game and also gave me a whole new perspective on gaming. I need to get out more often! The world is changing and I am seeing huge evidence of that right here. Probably the biggest learning of all.

Keynote #1 Paul Saffo

Posted by Chris Brown, Blog Team, at 5:27 PM | General Session Keynotes | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

One of my favorite parts of this or any technology conference is listening to some great keynote lectures when it is someone that is not quite in the education field. This morning was the case with Paul Saffo, who yes is in education as a college professor, but is removed from the k-12 world most of us are in. The perspective here is refreshing as I think in PD we often get tunnel vision for our classroom and need to have a new experience on occassion. Interested and not at T+L? - take in a few lectures from the TED conference which are available online and through iTunes.
Many interesting nuggets in this lecture but of a number I noted down one was his request of us to "look back twice as forward as you look ahead..." which is something most of us struggle to do. So many of the issues teachers have when confronted with our interest in unleashing technology into their classroom have been fought previously but do we take the time to reflect and learn from them? Is the challenge to incorporate computers much different than when a television first was used in a classroom?
Another statement he made is one that the more people I tell the more I find few had any idea that it was true. Right now, 85% of the world's population is not online which reinforced one of his statements that we re just at the beginning of a new revolution, one that may yet have an official name but he expressed as a combination of a creation and consumption economy. We all have the ability to publish and create content, just as I am doing now, but still far more people tend to consume than participate which imho needs to be addressed in schools. We still aren't very far along in having kids produce and publish their own content for a wide audience on a consistent basis. We rarely give them time to work on one project long enough, or leave a project open ended to allow them to work over multiple years, to really develop ownership in the work they do.
He ended with a nifty quote from a San Francisco coffee house tip jar - "If you fear change leave it here"- which he encouraged us all to do as we left the conference hall.
Heading to the EEF fair - stop by if you are in town!

T+L Conference in the blogosphere

Posted by Christina Gordon, NSBA Staff, at 4:26 PM | About This Weblog | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Our friends at Education Week have picked up on T+L and are blogging about our adventures in Seattle. Check it out, weigh in with a comment, and tell us what you think!

2008 Twenty to Watch: An interview with Lenny Schad

Posted by Andrew Paulson, NSBA Staff, at 10:51 AM | Podcasts | Twenty to Watch | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Lenny Schad is Chief Information Officer at Katy Independent School District (TX).

As Chief Information Officer, Lenny Schad set goals that changed the IT department’s focus from educational into a service-oriented business model. With over 30,000 desktops and laptops throughout the district, Lenny quickly recognized the need for software to be deployed remotely and that now allows it to be rolled out to all machines in a matter of minutes. While his primary focus is on reducing operating costs and downtime, enhancing performance, and increasing service delivery, Lenny implemented an online, automated curriculum and lesson-planning system which was developed in-house and patented by the district. He has utilized key performance indicators and metrics to demonstrate the IT effect on district and student achievement and is a leader in cyber security and IT organizational models. Mr. Schad has successfully combined his passion for technology with education and keeps Katy on the cutting-edge, not the bleeding edge.

Listen to the interview.

2008 Twenty to Watch: An interview with Ryan Imbriale

Posted by Andrew Paulson, NSBA Staff, at 10:30 AM | Podcasts | Twenty to Watch | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Ryan Imbriale is Assistant Principal at Perry Hall High School, Baltimore County Public Schools (MD)

Ryan Imbriale challenges his staff to integrate technology resources on a daily basis while reminding them that it’s more about learning than the technology. His encouragement to use Web 2.0 tools resulted in one of his teachers podcasting his Spanish class so that students could practice outside of school hours, and contributed to having, 22 students enrolled in the school’s first online course in the 2007-2008 school year. Ryan has made incredible strides in moving his school from the 19th century to the 21st century and formed an action team that developed a professional growth plan for infusing technology into instruction, data management, and classroom management. Under his guidance, a full-scale video streaming tool was implemented, a new student swipe system was introduced so teachers can immediately access attendance information, and the ConnectEd system has been adopted to send parents information and attendance daily.

Listen to the interview.

October 27, 2008

Monday's Site Visit

Posted by Kurt Bernardo, Blog Team, at 9:40 PM | Site Visit | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

We participated in the pre-conference site visit to the Lake Washington School District. An interesting note is that Chip Kimball is now the superintendent of the Lake Washington District. I remember seeing Chip speak at a couple of conferences a number of years ago and I still quote him when I have to talk about data and data driven decision making. Lake Washington, like many of us, is focusing on 21st Century skills. I like their guiding principle of “Every Student Future Ready.”

We split into groups and not every group saw every school. My group visited Rose Hill Junior High and Rose Hill Elementary. We saw that each classroom was equipped with the same tech package of an interactive whiteboard, a data projector, teacher station, and 3 or 4 student desktop computers. Lake Washington places a high value on professional development and with the tech investments it makes sense to train teachers how to use the equipment and how to integrate technology into their teaching.

I will not take the time or space to mention each classroom, but overall this was another terrific T+L Site Visit.

Greetings from Seattle!

Posted by Christina Gordon, NSBA Staff, at 7:33 PM | About This Weblog | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Here we are in Seattle. It's a beautiful, brisk, sunny day and the first day's pre conference programming is just finishing up and we're all gearing up for the big start tomorrow.

Be sure to check out the online discussion "It's not just fun and games" tomorrow at 1:00 PT to get the inside scoop.

October 24, 2008

Pre Seattle

Posted by Susan Olesen, Blog Team, at 2:06 PM | Learning and Teaching | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

I'm looking forward to going to Seattle. My in-box has been deluged with email related to the conference. It seems there's a lot for sale! My goal is to find out more about state of the art technology plans related to teaching and learning - not technology for technology's sake, but technology for learning's sake. What kinds of training do teachers need to ensure kids learn well utlizing technology? How can we provide that training and still have time left to provide the training necessary to improve instruction?What do the experts on school improvement have to say about technology? I hope I'm not the only one less interested in "stuff" and mroe interested in how we use technolgoy to support student learning. I'll keep you posted on what I find.

Online discussion: we'll give a topic (two actually!)

Be sure to log in to two online discussions that will take place during the T+L Conference. These hot topic discussions are sure to get tongues wagging (or fingers typing, at least), so don't forget to tune in!

It’s not all fun and games! How schools can harness educational games for learning It’s no secret that kids love video games. And even an recent article in the New York Times has highlighted the advantages that some games can present. But how can your school district find the best way to use these games? Log in and learn from expert Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, the educational benefits of using gaming in the classroom. Submit your questions now for this online discussion which will take place during NSBA’s T+L Conference, October 28, 1:00 p.m. PT.

Yours, Mine, and Ours
Ways school districts can make it work with students’ personal technology devices
With all the talk of one-to-one computing, school districts are working hard to find ways to put technology in every student’s hands. Why not let students use their own devices – laptops, ipods, voice recorders – in school to enhance their learning? Kathy Rains, Director of Technology, in the Madison (AL) City Schools will discuss the ups and downs, the challenges and opportunities, of these options and how school districts can make it work. Leave a question for Kathy or tune in live on Wednesday, October 29 at 1:00 p.m. PT.

And don't forget, we'll be on the west coast, so be sure to tune in during Pacific Time. We hope to see you (and your questions) there!

Packing Up

Posted by Kurt Bernardo, Blog Team, at 11:12 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Today is Friday Oct 24 and we are scrambling to get ready to head off to Seattle. Mary Ann Guidos and I will be attending yet another T+L and, as always, we know we won't be disappointed.

We are trying something a little different this year and instead of leaving from Cleveland Hopkins Airport we are driving an hour south to the Canton-Akron Regional Airport. The flight was cheaper and it won't be as crowded! We are flying out at 10:00a.m. Sunday morning and have to make a change in Denver. It's a long flight from Northeastern Ohio to the Northwest so a chance to stretch our legs will be a good thing.

We are packing the materials we need for the Excellence Fair and hope we will see you there!!

October 17, 2008

White spaces achieve "proof of concept"

Posted by Andrew Paulson, NSBA Staff, at 2:26 PM | 21st Century Learning | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

BoardBuzz is excited to think that we're one step closer toward achieving free wireless in the U.S. That's right, the FCC's Office of Engineering Technology finally has released its report on white space prototypes. The report concludes:

"At this juncture, we believe that the burden of 'proof of concept' has been met. We are satisfied that spectrum sensing in combination with geo-location and database access techniques can be used to authorize equipment today under appropriate technical standards."

Of course, this has broadcasters in an uproar over fears of interference with television. However, tests have shown that interference can be eliminated. Just remember, these are the people who opposed satellite TV and challenged the FCC's authority to authorize the Direct Broadcast Satellite service.

In fairness, we'll note that white space prototypes don't work flawlessly yet. But they do show that spectrum sensing of TV signals can work with great accuracy, even if transmission currently causes problems. Moreover, white space technology will provide greater broadband penetration (can you say rural schools?), speed, and internet access to underserved communities. Not to mention the new opportunities that will be created for consumer applications, devices, and services. Just what our economy needs as unemployment continues to climb.

Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has come out publicly in support of using white spaces to deliver wireless internet services. Those white spaces, which exist between television broadcast frequencies in the 150 megahertz and 700 megahertz bands, are unlicensed and could therefore be used for free by anyone. Companies including Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Motorola Inc. have formed the Wireless Innovation Alliance and have been lobbying the FCC for the past year to make those airwaves available so that they could offer wireless broadband.

Sounds good to BoardBuzz. What do you think?

October 8, 2008

The cloud hits education

And that's a good thing! As ZDNet's Christopher Dawson writes:

Cloud computing is one of those great buzzwords in IT that, so far, has meant very little to the average Ed Tech customer. We all have a pretty good idea what it means: lots of computers somewhere (we don’t actually care where) doing lots of processing to deliver services to our desktops via the Internet. On the other hand, with the maturation of virtualization technology, the idea of virtual desktops and virtual servers is certainly rearing its head in education as we try to cut energy costs, ease management, and consolidate resources.

And the latest of example of this comes to us from SIMtone Corporation and Frank Porter Graham Elementary School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school is piloting SIMtone's cloud computing platform to deliver low-cost, virtual desktops to hundreds of students and faculty. The pilot is part of the SIMtone Education Thunder Program which aims to help close the digital divide and provide access to full PCs in the cloud to the estimated five billion people who cannot afford it, without requiring them to own a computer. The program educational content is provided by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF (USF), and is open to technology and connectivity sponsors worldwide.

Frank Porter Graham is part of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District which is recognized for its academic excellence. The pilot is being launched during the current fall 2008 semester. SIMtone has also identified other schools and institutions to expand the Education Thunder Program on a national and global scale.

“Our school wants to equip each student with the most advanced computing environment necessary today to effectively study, learn and access all the digital courseware and teaching tools available. Asking each student to purchase and maintain their own PC is impossible, just as it is impossible for the school to ensure each student’s PC is up to date and has all the latest courseware. SIMtone eliminates all these complexities and costs, and allows our school to deliver to each student a real ‘PC in the Cloud,’ fully maintained by the school itself, that is always available to our students on-demand and on-the-fly, in class, in the library and at home, without requiring them to purchase yet another PC,” said Shelia Burnette, Principal of the Frank Porter Graham School.

The SIMtone Education Thunder Program aims to provide students with their own, school-managed, SIMtone-powered PC in the cloud, containing their own coursework, homework, school services, personal files and TeachUNICEF education materials. An Asus Eee-based notebook (called a SNAPbook) will be provided for easy access to the cloud. BoardBuzz is intrigued. Is your district exploring Cloud Computing? Let us know, leave a comment.

October 2, 2008

NSBA Announces “20 to Watch” as Leaders in Education Technology

Posted by Colleen O'Brien, NSBA Staff, at 11:08 AM | Twenty to Watch | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The National School Boards Association’s Technology Leadership Network (TLN) has announced its annual list identifying 20 emerging leaders in education technology. These individuals are recognized for championing technology initiatives that make a difference for students, teachers, school districts, and the greater education technology community.

A nationwide search was conducted to identify individuals who reflect the spirit of creativity and collaboration that embraces the power of technology to enhance learning for students, inspire colleagues, transform operations, and engage communities.

“Innovation in K-12 technology is the result of educators with the vision, passion, and natural curiosity to explore new tools and teaching strategies that transforms teaching and learning,” said Ann Flynn, director of education technology for NSBA. “Today, the exceptional accomplishments of these 20 individuals help us define our expectations for the role technology can play in the future. We hope this program inspires other educators to follow their lead and provides policy makers and school leaders with the insight they need to further support future innovation.” The 20 technology leaders will be recognized at NSBA’s annual technology and learning conference, T+L, which will take place Oct. 28-30, 2008 in Seattle. They will also be showcased in future NSBA education technology publications. For more information, please visit the T+L Conference Website.

The 2008 “20 to Watch” are:

Celine Azoulay, Borough Instructional Technology Director, Staten Island, New York City Schools (NY)
Celine Azoulay is recognized for her vision to introduce colleagues to powerful teaching strategies that are coupled with state-of-the-art technology to improve student achievement levels. Within the New York City public school system, Celine utilized her expertise in mathematics and background in teaching, professional development, and instructional technology to oversee the introduction of Tabula Digita’s DimensionM™, an immersive educational video game, into the district’s middle school math initiative.

Jeremy Davis, Coordinator of Instructional Technology, Anaheim City School District (CA)
As the co-author of the Magnolia School District’s technology plan, Jeremy Davis was instrumental in helping define the district’s vision for instructional technology use and in the development and implementation of the plan. He designed a four-part technology lesson plan for each grade, provided in class laptop lab sessions for teachers, and created web-accessible screen shot videos and downloadable video podcasts for teachers to access. As a technology trainer for the Orange County Department of Education, Jeremy provides instruction on topics from “Making History Come Alive” with Google Earth to Advanced Excel and can often be found twittering and posting in various Diigo and Google groups.

Dr. Rudy Duran, Superintendent, Windsor C-1 School District (MO)
As superintendent, Dr. Rudy Duran recognized that students could not reap the full benefits of educational skill building software without sufficient access to hardware. In addition to increasing the total number of PCs, he has supported the creation of a wireless network and acquisition of other classroom equipment. Dr. Duran also made significant investments, in the district’s security and communication systems over the last three years that support increased collaboration with the local sheriff’s department to improve video surveillance, emergency parental notification, and included the installation of VOIP phones in every classroom.

Dr. Karol Galcik, Superintendent, Highlands School District (PA)
Dr. Karol Galcik has been the champion of many technology initiatives over the past several years, including gaining $850,000 in grants to furnish every math and English teacher with a personal laptop and outfit each of their classrooms with whiteboards, projectors, and laptop carts stocked with enough computers to accommodate every student. She is continuing efforts to provide every science and social studies classroom with the same equipment and believes interactive software can help struggling students. Dr. Galcik recognizes the importance of providing ample professional development through in-service opportunities to ensure that her teachers are able to effectively integrate the technology resources that are provided.

Karen Greenwood Henke, Managing Director, Nimble Press (CA)
Beginning in 1996, Karen Henke has been a leader in school technology planning efforts. She set standards for school networking as the director of the Smart Valley NetDay project, worked as consultant to national non-profits and technology companies to help bring technology created for business to learning organizations, and today is an advocate for using technology to improve school productivity, collaboration, and communication beyond the school house walls. Recognizing the lack of discretionary funds for teachers and foundation giving trends to education, Karen launched www.grantwrangler.com, a free online listing service of grants and awards for teachers and students. In fall 2008, mygrantwrangler.com, will be the first social networking site for both grant seekers and grant givers to share insights and experiences.

Kristen Hernandez, Teacher, Carolyn Park Middle School, St. Tammany Parish Public School System (LA)
As a middle school teacher, Kristen Hernandez is known for having a technology-rich classroom that uses technologies like, electronic portfolios, classroom response systems, and GPS, to enhance instruction, engage students, and raise student achievement. Kristen regularly presents conference workshops on integrating technology in the classroom and has received statewide recognition for her expertise by the Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators. Kristen is acknowledged as the driving force behind Technology Night, during which students act as presenters showcasing the current technologies used in school to over 450 members of the community. She has inspired colleagues to earn their Masters Degrees in Education Technology, and supports her students and their parents through a comprehensive website that includes class assignments, school info, and at-home enrichment ideas.

Kay Hones, Librarian, Stevenson Elementary School, San Francisco Unified School District (CA)
As a school librarian, Kay Hones ensures that all students have the skills they need to effectively use technology to support their research and projects in the library where each child has access to a laptop. She teaches five-year-olds to turn on computers, find the library homepage, and use appropriate kinder websites; third graders to find digital primary sources and the how-to’s of blogging; and fourth and fifth graders to utilize Google Custom Search and to complete online book reviews. She produces a monthly newsletter for teachers that highlights online resources for all curricular areas and contributes articles to the parent newsletter on public library resources. In addition, Kay was chosen to participate in the Yahoo! Teachers of Merit program and to be the lead blogger on the official Yahoo! ForTeachers blog.

Ryan Imbriale, Assistant Principal, Perry Hall High School, Baltimore County Public Schools (MD)
Ryan Imbriale challenges his staff to integrate technology resources on a daily basis while reminding them that it’s more about learning than the technology. His encouragement to use Web 2.0 tools resulted in one of his teachers podcasting his Spanish class so that students could practice outside of school hours, and contributed to having, 22 students enrolled in the school’s first online course in the 2007-2008 school year. Ryan has made incredible strides in moving his school from the 19th century to the 21st century and formed an action team that developed a professional growth plan for infusing technology into instruction, data management, and classroom management. Under his guidance, a full-scale video streaming tool was implemented, a new student swipe system was introduced so teachers can immediately access attendance information, and the ConnectEd system has been adopted to send parents information and attendance daily.

Jim Klein, Director Information Services and Technology, Saugus Union School District (CA)
Jim Klein is recognized as an aggressive and enthusiastic technology leader for his work in advocating for education technology within California and through meetings with congressmen and women on Capitol Hill. Jim has inspired his district to implement cutting-edge technologies like the use of open source software, Web 2.0 tools and green computing and he actively challenges his peers to vigorously pursue those ideas and other emerging trends that will make a significant difference in the lives of students, teachers, and staff. With $1.4 million in grant funding to study the impact on 4th grade student achievement when each child has an ultra mobile device, Mr. Klein is well positioned to continue his contributions to the field.

A.J. McAdams, Teacher, Metropolitan School District of Warren Township (IN)
A.J. McAdams was one of 42 high school teachers in the U.S. to pilot a biomedical class as part of Project Lead the Way last year. A.J. was not afraid to take on this new curriculum at Warren Central High School since he recognized it provides a foundation for a career field that will become increasingly important to his students. He works well with a diverse student population and helps many reach their potential to become first generation college students. A.J. is a high energy individual who is approachable to those colleagues who are less tech savvy, because his interpersonal skills and personal humility, along with his focus on students first, makes him a leader among teachers.

Thuan Nguyen, Executive Director of Information Technology, Kent School District (WA)
Thuan Nguyen has been instrumental in developing the necessary infrastructure to support the district's outstanding technology program and has negotiated significant savings to do all of their technology initiatives at the best possible cost. He has managed an HR/Payroll conversion, established two secondary technology academies and is central to the implementation of a major laptop initiative. He supports the staff in sharing the district’s IT accomplishments from the community’s technology levy funds under the banner of “Delivering on the Promise”. As a former ELL student in the Kent District, Thuan brings a unique perspective to his position and wants to ensure that all students who come after him have the same opportunity for success. He was recently nominated for an international technology award and has been named as a "laureate" by Computerworld.

(Mr.) Jan Pabitzky, Chief Information Officer, Geary County Unified School District 475 (KS)
Working through challenging budget times, Jan Pabitzky has persevered and supported the superintendent’s vision of technology becoming a “non issue” where it is seamlessly integrated into everything that happens across the district – from instruction to business operations. In spite of the small budget, his large ideas have enabled the district to move towards a 2:1 ratio for computers without special funding; helped with the transition from four student information platforms to one, and made wireless access in all the buildings a reality. Jan regularly collaborates with business leaders and university and technical college faculty to determine their needs and then translates that information for his colleagues so they it can be incorporated in the district’s philosophy and future plans.

Matthew Putman, Teacher, Westfield High School, Westfield Washington Schools (IN)
Matthew Putman is recognized as an individual who makes a profoundly positive difference in the lives of kids and who teaches some of the most innovative – and complex – courses in the school. In his passion to teach 21st century skills and provide rich in-depth learning and understanding opportunities for his students, Matthew has convinced the district to invest in a new CIM (computers in manufacturing) course which involves producing 3-D plastic models generated by computer. Matthew is a strong advocate for advancing the district’s communications processing courses, and as a result of his vision, a computer lab was constructed to benefit Art, Music, Theatre, Engineering/Technology and Business department classes. Next, Matthew and his principal are planning to expand this course into an entire communications department capped with an operational radio/television studio for their students and community.

Jeremy Renner, Technology Resource Teacher, Jefferson County Public School District (KY)
Jeremy Renner, a Technology Resource Teacher, is both an instructional leader and a technology leader who fosters and supports a culture of change in his role. He championed initiatives to get laptops for low-income students, to ensure classrooms were web-enabled, and that 5,700 teachers in a special program had tablet PCs, projection devices, and the professional development they need to be successful. .. He is recognized for implementing the one-to-one laptop project at the state’s lowest performing high school, serving as an e-mentor, facilitating online professional development and implementing the a Parent Portal, bringing Google Tools into the classroom, and introducing primary teachers to Nings.

Amber Rowland, Project Leader, ALTEC, University of Kansas (KS)
Amber Rowland, a PhD student in the department of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education at KU, is currently a Senior Project Leader for the Advanced Learning Technologies (ALTEC), a division of the Center for Research on Learning at the University of Kansas (KU). She also serves as the project coordinator for the Technology Rich Classrooms initiative, whose mission is to provide evidence that technology integration, when supported by strong, on-going professional development, can produce positive changes in the classroom environment that result in improved student learning in the areas of reading, math and science. As a current instructor for the Technology Integration into Middle and Secondary Education course in the School of Education at KU, Amber hopes to empower pre-service teachers by modeling a multidisciplinary, project-based learning approach that uses technology as a tool to enhance content standards and 21st Century Skills.

Paul Sanfrancesco, Director of Technology, Garnet Valley School District (PA)
Paul Sanfrancesco is honored for his enthusiasm and availability to assist faculty, students, administrators, and community members in all aspects of technology. He frequently runs workshops beyond the school day so that all members of the Garnet Valley community can become aware of issues and new pieces of technology. Paul developed and implemented the district’s first summer Technology Academy for 94 teachers in partnership with the nearby Neuman College. If the district is unable to fund purchases to support new initiatives at the time that Paul feels they should be implemented, he often seeks and secures grants to advance the vision. Paul has earned the respect of the Board of School Directors, the administration, faculty, student body, and community at large. Recent accomplishments include his work to help the district go wireless, an Internet Safety program, and implementation of systems for online grading and emergency notification.

Lenny Schad, Chief Information Officer, Katy Independent School District (TX)
As Chief Information Officer, Lenny Schad set goals that changed the IT department’s focus from educational into a service-oriented business model. With over 30,000 desktops and laptops throughout the district, Lenny quickly recognized the need for software to be deployed remotely and that now allows it to be rolled out to all machines in a matter of minutes. While his primary focus is on reducing operating costs and downtime, enhancing performance, and increasing service delivery, Lenny implemented an online, automated curriculum and lesson-planning system which was developed in-house and patented by the district. He has utilized key performance indicators and metrics to demonstrate the IT effect on district and student achievement and is a leader in cyber security and IT organizational models. Mr. Schad has successfully combined his passion for technology with education and keeps Katy on the cutting-edge, not the bleeding edge.

Gail Soriano, Technology Facilitator, Avoca School District 37 (IL)
Gail Soriano has driven numerous technology related initiatives with her strong pedagogical background and fluid knowledge of technology. Under her guidance, interactive whiteboards were installed in thirteen district classrooms where, within one year, teachers have revolutionized their instructional practices with the support of her professional development efforts. Among the district’s technology team members, Gail is described as the teacher who has developed the most engaging and innovative projects and who is a driving force behind the district’s technology endeavors. She chaired a committee that helped develop the district’s long range technology plan and led the team that developed the scope and sequence of student and teacher technology skills for the district based on the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS). Gail has not only taught many community technology classes that provide essential skills for the district’s constituents, but she has delivered others designed to help them understand the role technology plays in delivering a 21st century education.

Cynthia Trujillo, Directory of Technology, Zuni Public School District (NM)
Cynthia Trujillo is honored for taking a group of individuals with little or no technology training and transforming each member of her technology staff into knowledgeable, customer oriented service technicians. She has been called a visionary as a result of her work with community and tribal leaders to pioneer a new Student Information System, implement PLATO for academic remediation, and to ensure the availability of high speed connectivity for all school sites, as well as making it available to the entire Pueblo of Zuni. She implemented a youth program in which 6-10 high school students make applications, are interviewed and selected for a paid technology training program during the summer. Cynthia is frequently out in the school sites, training, problem-solving and generally assessing needs and even traveled 200 miles one-way to meet with the parents of a hospitalized child to provide a technology solution so that child could continue his education in his home district of Zuni.

Nicole Vitale, Teacher, Cleveland Municipal School District (OH)
Nicole Vitale has been instrumental in her district by bringing at least $250,000 worth of technology into the school through her grant writing and sharing her interactive 2nd grade writing program with her colleagues. Nicole has supported her English Language Arts curriculum with a SmartBoard and more recently, has pioneered the use of iPods and airliners in the primary grades. She is recognized by district administrators as an intelligent, reliable source of information, especially when it comes to technology, and has provided professional development content to her colleagues in the district and through her role as a presenter for her local PBS station.