When was the last time you updated your AUP?

Does your Acceptable Use Policy include concerns about cyberbullying? If not, perhaps it's time to revisit your policy.

Call for Presenters

Preparing Students for the Conceptual Age: A Regional Conference for 21st Century Learners

The Connecticut Educators' Computer Association (CECA) and the Connecticut Educational Media Association (CEMA) have teamed up to create the first New England regional conference for computer using educators. The conference will be held at the new Hartford Convention Center on October 23, 2007. The central location and superb conference facilities are an ideal setting to showcase the best educational practices from across the region. This promises to be a landmark event. The keynote speaker is Henry Lee.

Would you like to be a presenter? Presenter applications must be received on or before March 6th.

Proposed 2008 Budget Eliminates EETT

As expected, President Bush’s proposed budget eliminates the Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT) - NCLB Title II, Part D program in his 2008 budget. Notably, it is the largest program being slated for elimination and the only program dedicated specifically to education technology for our schools. Here's the list of programs slated for reduction or elimination in the 2008 budget.

As in the past, Congress now has the opportunity to develop its own budget in response to the President’s proposed version. We cannot be idle and we MUST SHARE how education technology (EETT funding specifically) is increasing student achievement, improving teacher quality, and ensuring America’s Competitiveness. Please make sure to:

Remind and share your EETT successes with your state’s contacts on Capitol Hill and reach out to new members of Congress (they are eager to learn about education) Ask your Congressional Leaders to mention to include EETT as a program that should not be eliminated as we set goals to improve our nation’s competitiveness.

Send a note to your ed-tech champions asking them to reach out to Congressional Leaders by personalizing the message below.

Dear Congressman XXX:

I want to thank you for your support of education in the past, and I welcome your support in the upcoming congressional session. Specifically, I would like to call your attention to the elimination of the Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT) program in President Bush’s 2008 Proposed Budget.

The EETT funds are critical to the success of our students and the improvement of our teachers in XXX. We use the EETT funding to:

PLACE YOUR SUCCESS STORY HERE

If the EETT funding is eliminated, our schools will be limited in addressing the needs of the media and technology savvy students of today. I urge you to do whatever possible to maintain a dedicated funding stream that explores how technology can modernize schools and successfully engage the 21st Century student. The federal investment serves as a catalyst for change in states. The EETT program is an incubator of ideas - It provides states with targeted resources to assess where technology can be infused into the learning process to dramatically increase the effectiveness of teachers as well as improve student achievement. We need to learn from these examples and replicate the successful models nationally.

Send a similar note to corporate partners that you work with asking them to reach out to Federal Congressional Leaders in support of EETT as well.

Do your teachers connect their personal computers to your school's network?

One of our districts is considering a measure to supplement the too few computers to which their teaching staff has access. At the request of a staff member, they are attempting to codify a process by which staff members may use their own computer on their school network. It is their hope that some other system has already "invented this wheel" and would be willing to share their perspective and understanding of what needs to be considered, to assure the program's success.

Please send Joyce Hall an e-mail and let her know if your district allows its certified staff to use their own personal computer equipment on your school's network, how the process is defined and if there have been any problems connected with this activity. If you have considered this option but chose not to implement, she would also like to hear the reasons for your decision.

Once Joyce has compiled your comments, I'll post a summary.

Thank you for any help that you can provide.

EETT Funding Restored in 2007

I just received the following message from the State Educational Technology Director's Association (SETDA).

"SETDA is pleased to announce that Congress officially passed the Continuing Resolution (CR) which funds the Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT) program at $272 million in FY 2007. This is very good news because it shows support for the effective use of technology in schools even when budgets are tight and resources are being shifted. It also holds the line on further cuts as we go into substantive conversations on what this program may look like during the ESEA reauthorization. Going into next year’s advocacy efforts, our hand is much stronger due to a new Congress, level funding in the current program, better effectiveness data, and the national agenda focus around competitiveness!

We should celebrate this long fought victory. However, we want to alert you that President Bush will be announcing the Administration’s FY 2008 Budget on Monday, February 5th. From all indications, EETT will be zeroed out again. Please know this is expected and that education technology has many allies on Capitol Hill and throughout the education community who are working to ensure technology is adequately addressed during the reauthorization discussions that will affect the actual federal budget that is enacted for 2008."