smart-schools.com » Education Technology Plan

Ultra-Rapid Growth for Tablets in 2011 and More Options

Smarty — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 04:51:25 +0000

Apple continues to dominate the tablet market in 2010 with 87% market share according to eWeek Magazine.

But rapid changes as well as blisteringly rapid growth are amongst the trends for 2011:

-New iPad 2 from Apple before end of 2011 that will help continue their leadership position

-Significant XOOM tablet by Motorola with amazing features

-Significant products by Samsung

-Enterprise tablets from Blackberry and Cisco that will integrate VOIP phones and other never seen-before features (Blackberry Playbook and Cius)

-HP Web OS in significant development (Palm WebOS) with flurry of new products months out

-5 inch form factor tablets bite the dust: Not popular

-Widely divergent quality of product

-Windows tablets not significant in market share

-Android OS Making significant gains in market share in 2011

“School Pride” on NBC

Smarty — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:50:27 +0000

NBC fishes for new ratings by testing the public’s interest in education. Schools in Los Angeles were part of the episodes. Let’s hope the interest spurs NBC to renew the series. You can watch some episodes here.

http://www.nbc.com/school-pride/

So Cal Educators to Learn About Newest Apps, Best Innovations for Schools

Smarty — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 23:42:27 +0000

Oct. 15 Ed Tech Event at CSULA is Among the State’s Biggest

Hundreds of teachers, technology coordinators, school and district administrators, and select students from around Southern California will gather at Cal State L.A. for a special conference that will explore the innovative and effective ways technology is being used at K-12 schools.

The 21^st Century Learners Symposium, which is sponsored by the Los Angeles County Office of Education, will feature workshops by top consultants and technology specialists on successful and “hot” classroom uses, trends, services and applications. Topics will include mobile technology, digital textbooks, netbooks, open source, Google, and Web 2.0 tools. The conference is one of the largest education technology events in the state.

WHAT: The 21^st Century Learners Symposium of 2010

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 15, 2010 — 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: CSULA Golden Eagle Conference Center, 5151 State University Dr., L.A. 90032

NOTE: Media parking available by checking in at the Welcome Center/Kiosk on

Paseo Rancho Castilla (campus map: www.calstatela.edu/univ/maps/cslamap.php)

WHO: Participants are K-12 educators, staff and students from public and private

schools throughout Southern California. Featured presentations:

All Day: Special hands-on product and demonstration sessions

All Day: Student multimedia projects by Hollywood High School (LAUSD)

and Rowland Avenue Elementary School (Covina-Valley USD)

9:30 am: Leadership keynote: Cheryl Lemke, CEO, Metiri Group

12:50 pm: Afternoon keynote: Milton Chen, George Lucas Ed Foundation

Symposium is presented by the L.A. County Office of Education’s Instructional

Technology Outreach and California Technology Assistance (Region 11) Project.

INTERVIEWS / VISUALS:

Nearly 600 attendees are expected. In addition to open interview opportunities with presenters, experts and participants, there will be numerous displays and demonstrations by product and service vendors, including Troxell Communications.

LAUSD School Choice Reform Board Decision Results

Smarty — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:29:06 +0000

February 23 2010

The tally:

NEW CAMPUSES (24 )

-19 teacher-district proposal

-4 Charters

-1 Mayor’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools

____________________________________

EXISTING SCHOOLS (13)

-10 teacher-district proposal

-2 Mayor’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools

-1 Youth Policy Institute

-0 other charters

____________________________________

1. There was an election, involving parents, students, community members, employees.

2. Superintendent Cortines made his recommendations

3. Board made final decision

____________________________________

Challenges for Charter Management Organizations:

Vernerable charter organizations, Green Dot, ICEF, Alliance proposals not approved.

Charter parcel tax, and Proposition 39 issues remain.

____________________________________

We wish the best to all!! Innovation is afoot!

New KCLS Series: The Teacher’s Hour: Response to Instruction and Intervention

Smarty — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:15:02 +0000

ANNOUNCING the NEW KLCS SERIES!

The Teacher’s Hour: Response to Instruction and Intervention

The first broadcast is tomorrow night, Wednesday, February 24, 2010,
beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Tune in to your local KLCS station to view best practices happening all
over LAUSD!

This Wednesday’s show features Cienega ES, Van Nuys MS, South Gate HS
and how they are addressing students’ needs through a multi-tiered
framework of instruction.

During the show:

Call in to ask questions at: 1-800-527-8839 or 1-800-LA-STUDY
or
Submit your questions and/or comments at:
http://sites.google.com/site/lausdrti/

Won’t be near a TV? The show may also be viewed live by webstream at:
http://sites.google.com/site/lausdrti/

Mark your calendars for the next three The Teacher Hour shows:

       March 24, 2010, 7:00 p.m. Topic: Problem-Solving Process
       April 28, 2010, 7:00 p.m. Topic: Data-Based Decision Making
       May 26, 2010, 7:00 p.m. Topic: Academic Engaged Time

Classroom 2.0 Seminar for L.A. School Principals

Smarty — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:31:06 +0000

How do teachers integrate 21st Century technology into a seamless learning and teaching environment? … including interactive whiteboards, document cameras, student responders and countless other tools?

It’s easy to see the benefits of many of the 21st Century learning tools & techniques, but having an effective integration plan and knowing what tools, when to use them and how to integrate it into curriculum, effectively, is not easy.

This seminar, designed for School Principals and Administrators, will host a continental breakfast.

It will be a morning of current & relevant content for the K-12 education environment in Los Angeles, which is both very demanding and very budget weary.

Tuesday March 23, 2010

Embassy Suites Los Angeles-Glendale

800 N Central Avenue

Glendale, CA 91203

8:30 -9:00 AM Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 am to 12:00 pm Classroom 2.0 Seminar

Seminar designed for School Principals, Key Administrators and Technology Leaders.

How do you define 21st Century Learning?

How can technology increase student engagement?

Are your teachers 21st Century educators?

How do you seamlessly integrate 21st Century technology into the learning environment?

Seminar for Registered Guests. Hosted by Troxell Communications & Presented by Eduscape Learning.

Linked Learning: Better way to prepare H.S. students for real life w/ Multiple Pathways

Smarty — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:17:37 +0000

Whats the big deal? This effort helps High School Students prepare for real life, both additional schooling afer high school and vocational readiness. This is opposed to simply delineating between college bound and career worker students, and hopes to utilize small learning communities to grow overall life skills for all students.

What is the Linked Learning initiative? Originally called “Multiple Pathways”, this is a effort by a consortium of public and corporate entities. It is a new way of teaching and learning, a new way to deliver curriculum, including online strategies.

Here is the latest draft ofthe initiative, Assembly Bill 2648 Multiple Pathways Report

More Info here on new Report, dated Jan 15 2010

Grant Writing Ideas/Best Practices for Public, Charter, Private Schools

Smarty — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:18:37 +0000

Grant Writing Notes Dave Boller | Troxell, Los Angeles, CA

Grants are important than ever, and more competitive than ever. But they are there, and with some smart effort, you can win them.

Once you do the first one, you’ll be doing more grants. Get started.

2 Approaches to Begin

1. RFP Search in specific georgraphical or subject areas

2. Create a Proactive Needs Assessment

Don’t spend time (waste time) on grants that don’t FIT what you want to do.

Don’t let needs assessment get too lengthy

You don’t necessarily need consultants to write it.

Informal needs assessment can work fine.

Steps in Needs Assessment

1. Clarify organizational expectations, goals, or objectives

2. Review current practices and though

3. Collect and analyze data

4. Identify areas of need

5. Determine where to start

Once you know your needs….Search for Solutions

-research and pilot projects

-Professional journals Ed Leadership, Edutopia…

.. pages in back of journals that list grants

-Gov publications, including web sites

(What Works in Public Education website)

-Stakeholder resources

-Software companies

-Be creative

Who (what position ) do you write too a big corporation?…

make a call first, find foundation manager or budget manager.

Additional educational grant information sources

-business

-journal lists

-local grant makers (find their “Mission Statements”)

-state agencies

-foundations

-title programs

-SIGs

Use creative Boolean strategies in search engines. See search engines listed here at smart-schools.com in addition to Google.

Try http://www.zuula.com as you can search all major engines in addition to Google. We will post more on smart web searching later. But it can help you find the “needle in the grant haystack” you’re looking for and increase YOUR chances of scoring the grant.

Be creative in your thinking….get what you want and still satisfy the grant makers.

Getting Organized

Print RFP including all instructions

Form a grant writing team…DON’T DO IT ALONE

Form a list of partners.

Read all instructions, including rubrics and grant-maker goals.

Set up a timeline.

Assign responsibilities.

Gather data.

Begin writing.

Invite an employee from the grant offering company to help !! Great way to keep on-target and build rapport.

Writing process

Divide into sections:

(can get grant writer help..but write the cost into the grant with % to grant writer)

Abstract

Intro

Needs

Goals & objectives

Activities and personnel

Evaluation

Budget

Communicate with your grant maker along the way. Even if you don’t have a serious question…email a question or a call or visit, that way you accomplish them getting to know you…they know you’re working on it, you can bounce ideas off of them.

Utilize resources from nearby colleges/community. Sometimes leverage them for specific projects in their training…help each other

Matching funds….?…

go to local businesses to secure matching funds…

FINAL STEPS

Double check requirements. Don’t risk losing it

Edit one last time

Let the grant maker know that the grant is on the way

Follow submission format

Send multiple copies if requested

Turn in on time

If mailing or facing, request a receipt

Make it happen

Follow the proposal

Stick to the timeline

Spend only the original budget, or request a modified budget

Collect data

Document the project with notes, photographs, video, and testimonials

Celebrate

Give credit

Communicate

Share information

Complete all reports & evaluations on time

Thank partners and the grant maker

Plan for sustainability. Look for ways to sustain the project….it is a personnel and time issue after the grant is all done…keep it alive and plan for it.

Individual schools probably even more eligible than district…more emotional, closer to the source, individual children.

OTHER NOTES

At Risk/poverty and Spec Ed money available ARRA

-research based not brand new..proven as successful

-list WHO will be doing after school program, must have one certified teacher at least to give program credibility . Grant can pay teacher

-“Race To The Top” funds ARRA be distributed on a competitive basis

Hope something here helped you.

Let’s do this!

Take Advantage of Inexpensive Tech Training with ITO Workshops at LACOE

Smarty — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:26:27 +0000

Los Angeles County Office of Education offers some very cost effective workshops to help teachers and administrators ride the technology wave. With everything from specific software and hardware products like Inspiration or iTell to Technology Integration Academy, there is a wealth of resources. This can be a great way to keep aligned with the bigger picture and keep your skills advancing. The consultants at LACOE are fun and it’s refreshing to get out and meet some progressive like-minded teachers and administrators.

http://ito.lacoe.edu/workshops/workshops_display.pl

There are also Web 2.0 classes as well as performing arts applications. There is a lot of depth in the ITO Workshop offerings and I hear they are pretty fun.

Cost effective world class tech training here in Los Angeles area

Instruction Technology Outreach – CTAP – LACOE Los Angeles