Technology Impact in Education Month

Arlington, VA, January 4, 2006 - The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is currently hosting Technology Impact in Education Month during the month of January 2006. Technology Impact in Education Month is a month of sharing, discovery and celebration of the potential, both realized and envisioned, that educational technologies bring to the teaching and learning environment helping students achieve.

Teachers in hundreds of schools will facilitate discussions about the impact that modern technology has on every students’ daily life. Students will examine how technology permeates the way we work, learn, and play. They will even have an opportunity to assign homework to their parents that addresses the transformative nature of technology on the workforce. Those that submit their outcomes before January 31, 2006 will be eligible for thousands of dollars of prizes including an Interactive SMART Board, HP Digital Camera and online curriculum subscriptions for teachers.

“Through this event, we hope to create awareness around the impact technology has on closing the achievement gap, enhancing accountability, and increasing teacher quality – not to mention providing a 21st century environment for students to learn, share and grow,” said Melinda George, Executive Director of SETDA.

SETDA will offer free lessons and activities around technology for elementary, middle and high school students in social studies and language arts and technology on the event Website, www.edtechimpact.com.

Status of Infrastructure Awards

CSDE received one hundred and twelve proposals requesting almost $12,000,000; substantially more than the $5,000,000 that the Bond Commission has allocated for this year. The attached list (click on it to increase the size) represents the list of projected awardees. Although official award letters cannot be sent out until such time as the Bond Commission releases the $5M, letters indicating the projected awards will be mailed out before the end of this week. (The next meeting of the Bond Commission is scheduled for January 27, 2006.)

CSDE is indebted to the thirty-seven readers who gave of their time and expertise to read, discuss and score the proposals that were submitted. I would also like to give special thanks to Assistant Superintendent Tim Howes from East Windsor for his help developing the database that housed the summative evaluations of the proposals.

If you would like a copy of your proposal’s summative evaluation please send an e-mail to arthur.skerker@po.state.ct.us

Online Writing Assessment Awardees

Congratulations to East Haven Public Schools, Bristol Public Schools, New Fairfield School District, Glastonbury Public Schools, Windsor Public Schools, Killingly Public Schools and Stonington Public Schools; official award letters are on their way!

Fifty-two proposals were submitted for this grant opportunity. Special thanks to the thirty-seven readers who had the difficult task of scoring these rfp's. The readers indicated that there were many wonderful applications...they would have liked to fund many more than the $500,000 would allow.

If you would like a copy of the summative evaluation of your district’s proposal, send a request to arthur.skerker@po.state.ct.us.

Let's Keep up the Pressure...

Over 7,300 emails to Congress in the past weeks opposing major education technology cuts in the FY06 education appropriations bill.

Today, your efforts have paid off! This afternoon, the House of Representatives rejected, by a vote of 224 to 209, the conference report on the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill, which would have slashed the Enhancing Education Through Technology program to $275 million, which represents a 45% cut over last year. Without further action on this legislation this week, EETT and all education programs will operate for the next month under a Continuing Resolution, which funds EETT at $300 million.

This action in the House gives us a second chance to press Congress for more education technology funding. Let's use it. Please call and email your Senators and Representatives and tell them to use the opportunity provided by this dramatic vote to increase EETT funding to at least last year's $496 million level.