On Thursday afternoon of the conference I sat in on the session by Lindsay McFillin titled “Grant Writing for Beginners! Opportunities and Tips”. Ms. McFillin lead a great and frank discussion of the world of grants. From the perspective of a grant award team member, Ms. McFillin gave us the realities of the grant decision process. Such as if you do not follow a simple requirement such as summary word count, you will likely be discarded in the first round. To more advanced tips such as sending notes of thanks even if you are not chosen.

For all those who missed the session, fear not her PowerPoint presentation can be found here. It is titled Grant Writing Seminar. This page also has other wonderfully free materials.

Here organization’s website, www.digitalwish.org, offers a 2 for 1 grant to add an Ultra Flip to their classroom.

I tried at this conference to take a wide variety of different workshops and round tables. The open source sessions were top notch and my hats are off to the presenters. They focused on the benefits of open source software, but also was frank about the realities of open source software.

I was extremely excited to see the Linux desktop in use. In the open source lab I spent a good time looking at all of the educational software availablein the Linux KDE environment.

That night I was trying to figure out how I could get those applications on my laptop with out installing Linux. I then came across a great project from kde.org called KDE on Windows. You download a small install program and then finish the install from a mirror in the Internet. I have not dug in to how they accomplish it but I can describe the results. The program created a new program group in my start menu with all of the KDE programs I chose to install. When I click on one of these applications, Windows launches the application like it was a native Windows application. It is an excellent way to look at these programs right away on existing equipment and software.

KDE on Windows can be found here.

Today my goal was to discover ways to help my district without having to rob the US Mint and I believe I discovered several new ideas.  We often use our HS cafeteria for disrict wide professional development and use a projector for various presentations.  AVRover has a very nice little tool that is extremely portable, less than $1000 and when connected to a projector will may any surface an interactive whiteboard.  Not only is that impressive but the fact that the ONfinity will enlarge the image up to 15 makes it an outstanding value.  All three of our schools would be able to make use of this.  Also there is the RFB&D program that offers downloadable audio resources  and it is offers free home usage for students that qualify.  Two very exciting finds for my district in these times of financial shortages.

The Technology Leadership Network is thrilled to see the “Keyboard vs. Pen” blog storm continue to brew!  Thanks to a handful of innovative teachers in Colorado, our T+L Blog is being stormed by high school and elementary students blogging about their personal experiences using technology in today’s classroom.  TLN loves to hear from students!  Just listen to what some students are saying about technology in the classroom:

”We are in the 21st century and humans are depending on technology more and more.”

“This IS a world of technological advancements and schools that don’t use these technologies are just going to be left behind in the dirt.”

“In a swiftly changing world like today it is important to evolve along with new technologies.”    

Learn more ways technology can bring excitement into the classroom by attending T+L, Denver, CO, October 28-30, 2009 and register for the field trip to Littleton Public Schools, East Elementry and see the amazing innovation in action!

Do you love to blog, share your thoughts with colleagues, and share your conference experience with those back home?  Well, if you are attending T+L this October we invite you to join the T+L Blog family.  As bloggers you agree to blog at least once a day and share your thoughts on sessions, networking, and the conference at large.  If you are interested in applying to be an offical T+L Blog Family Member, please apply now!

Also, if you are tweeting about T+L don’t forget to tag us, #NSBATL, so others can join the conversation. 

See you in Denver!!!!

Just when it seems we could be creating a generation of non-writers (keyboarders) a recent study performed by Virginia Berninger, a University of Washington Professor of Educational Psychology, discovered that children write better and longer essays at a faster pace when using a pen.  The purpose of this study was to compare methods of transcription (the process of translating thought and ideas into written form).  Read the article to find out whether the keyboard or pen was more useful while writing the alphabet and how the results of this study could affect disabled children.  Berninger declares “We need to help children become bilingual writers so they can write by both the pen and the computer. So don’t throw away your pen or your keyboard. We need them both.”

Are traditional, printed textbooks headed for extinction? There is a trend toward moving printed publications to digital mediums, but it’s not without controversy.  You might think that going digital may save you money, but the savings might not be as large as you think.   For one thing, online textbooks are not cheap, and when the initial cost of purchasing the technology to read them is factored in, the cost difference with print textbooks shrinks. And keep in mind that there is no single platform yet that is universally accepted for digital books. 

Nevertheless, digital textbooks are clearly an attractive option for many students and school districts with tight budgets. At the upcoming 2009 T+L Conference in Denver, October 28-30, there are a number of sessions planned that will examine the use of digital classroom materials. John Palfrey from Harvard Law School will take a look at how the Internet has fundamentally changed behavior related to information. Jefferson County Public Schools will present a session on how their school libraries have adapted to the digital age – combining valued aspects of the traditional library role such as customer service, research assistance, and literary acquisition with enhanced technology and 21st century skills. And Southeast Polk County in Iowa will share how their school libraries combine materials, services, and activities to meet the needs of their community–and make learning fun with the use of digital mediums.

For details on these, and other related sessions at the T+L Conference, take a look at NSBA’s own foray into digital publishing and view the T+L online conference brochure. 

How has your school district used online textbooks or digital course materials to save money or to engage students in the learning process?

Lots of people talk about 21st century learning, but one organization, New Tech Network, formerly the New Technology Foundation, has been putting words into action for a number of years. Bob Pearlman, as the former Director of Strategic Planning for the Foundation, was closely involved with the group’s work and has recently written Making 21st Century Schools: Creating Learner-Centered Schoolplaces/Workplaces for a New Culture of Students at Work for the Sept-Oct issue of  the  journal, Education Technology.  NSBA’s T+L Conference is fortunate that one of the New Tech Network schools is located in the Denver suburbs. T+L attendees will have an opportunity to visit Welby New Technology, a small high school within the Mapleton Public Schools, on October 30th.  In addition, several of their students will participate in the 21st Century Skills Mini-Academy during T+L that addresses Defining, Developing, and Assessing those skills from a leadership perspective. The mini-academy will be facilitated by Bernie Trilling who currently serves on the Board of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.  How has your district embraced 21st century skills?

The Technology Leadership Network understands that sometimes there just isn’t any spare money in the budget to cover extras that would give your science programs the excitement needed to keep the attention of today’s student.  Now is a great time to take advantage of online science resources that are available to the public for free.   Listed below are a few motivating science- focused resources to make use of today.

One great way to keep an eye on incoming asteroids and comets is to check out the new Asteroid Watch web page created by NASA which just recently debuted.  You can actually track flybys with the help of an Asteroid Watch widget.  Incoming asteroids have been known to grab anybody’s attention!

Need a resource for an engagement activity in an Earth Science class?  How about The Ten Most Spectacular Geologic Sites in the Continental United States as selected by Smithsonian Magazine Online.  It’s like a trip around the world without ever having to leave the classroom.

Studying volcanic activity in the classroom?  Check out Oregon State University’s Volcano World website where you can click on an interactive map to discover the location of volcanoes around the world.   Or log on to YouTube for a catchy little tune like Explosive Volcanic Eruptions that will get your students singing their newly learned knowledge of volcanoes to their family and friends.

Looking for funds to cover the cost of resources? 
Please Join us for a webinar, Latest Information From Capitol Hill, A Special Report, on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT to find out how the U.S. Department of Education is preparing to disseminate education technology funds from the ARRA and how to issue applications for new “Race to the Top” funds.   Registration Free for TLN participants

And if you’ll be at T+L this October you will have the chance to learn about S.T.E.M opportunities that engage your students and increase their excitement about science and technology!  Below is a short list of some of the featured S.T.E.M sessions that will be available to attendees at T+L:

• TEAMS: Connecting the Dots across S.T.E.M. and the Arts
• Putting an Extra E in S.T.E.M.: Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math into the ELEMENTARY Classroom
• S.T.E.M. on Stage: Blending Fine Arts, Science, Math, and Technology
• Sharing Stories: International K-12 Student S.T.E.M. Projects
• Science and Math Alive: Raising Student Motivation Through Collaborative Projects
• The Virtual Learning Magnet for Space Science and Mathematics: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Hope to see you there!  And remember if you haven’t registered yet, it’s not too late!  Register now!!!

Note taking in the 21st Century!  Are whiteboards increasing student ability to take notes?  See how a 4th grade class is using BrainPOP movies and activity pages for note taking.  With these 21st century tools, note taking has become interactive by allowing teachers to provide feedback on effective note taking while it’s happening.  Note taking skills are essential throughout a student’s life and BrainPOP, who will present at T+L this October, recognized the need to help properly develop that skill which will provide students with an opportunity to excel in the classroom.  Watch the below video to see BrainPOP in action! 

Do you use BrainPOP in your classroom or school district?  If so, please share your experience and the impact on learning and student development.