INTEGRATE Meeting
Meeting Minutes		 September 8, 2011
Collette Center
 
  Organization   Organization   Organization   Organization
X
 Appoquinimink
X
 Indian River
X
 Smyrna
UD
X
 Brandywine
X
 Lake Forest
X
 Sussex Tech Diocese of Wilmington
Caesar Rodney
Laurel   X Woodbridge
X
 Providence Creek
X
 Cape Henlopen
Milford
DOE
X
 Moyer Academy
Capital
X
 NCC Votech
DSEA    
X
 Christina   Polytech   DSU    
X
 Colonial
X
 Red Clay   DTCC
Business/Other Entities
X
 Delmar
X
 Seaford
X
 DTI
 

Welcome to Our New Members:

Tom Gavin: Colonial SD Julie Bradley: Laurel SD
Terri Sensenig: Delmar SD Chantel Janiszewski: Laurel SD
Lesia Jones: Indian River SD Cassandra McKay: Moyer Academy Charter
Lilia Meredith: Las Aspiras Academy Charter Melissa Bleile: Woodbridge SD
Corinne Stayton: DCET

Total Meeting Attendance: 23


 

Ron Baker
Maanager Training & PD Delivery
SMART Technologies
Cell: 301-653-2415

Ron presented information on the upcoming SMART Conference being held in the Woodbridge, Delaware on October 22, 2011. Visit http://smarttech.com to register. Cost is $15 per person; includes lunch.

 

Wendy Modzelewski
INTEGRATE Update
  • Member Introductions - Welcome to all our new members!
  • Comcast Internet Essentials
    • This is a program that provides internet access to families of students that receive free lunch and are in areas that are serviced by Comcast. This program is supported by the Governor and Superintendents received notice on August 28th in their monthly communication from Secretary Lowery.
    • Internet rates are $9.95 per month; computers can be purchased for $149.99
    • All support is provided by Comcast
    • Free printed materials are available (Posters, flyers, letters) through Comcast. Visit www.internetessentials.com for information on the program and ordering or downloading of print materials.
    • [Side topic] Comcast Cable - A rumor is being circulated that schools must pay for Cable when previously it was free. Comcast does not charge for the cable service, however, boxes are required to unscramble the signal. Up to three boxes will be made free; thereafter schools must pay for boxes. Contact is Tom Worley at Comcast. Tech Directors (through TechMACC) were notified of this some time ago.
  • iSAFE
    • The Federal Government requires that all Local Education Agencies (LEAs - meaning districts and charter schools) have an internet safety curriculum for their students. DCET funds the iSAFE curriculum for Delaware public schools.
    • You do not have to use this particular curriculum but in the event of a federal audit you must be able to prove that you have a curriculum and demonstrate that it has been taught. The iSAFE program will provide this documentation IF you use the system as it is intended and teachers download the materials annually.
    • Each LEA should have received a document called a STAT from Bill Burgess at iSAFE. Second notices will be going out shortly if you did not send that document back. The document informs iSAFE lists teachers that need access to the curriculum and they are provided with logons and passwords. The LEA should then evaluate the curriculum and determine which lessons are appropriate for their students while meeting the Federal requirement.
    • Wendy will be scheduling a work session for the review of the curriculum and the materials. She will also be scheduling a training session for the curriculum overall. Dates to be announced.
  • The State Department of Technology and Information (DTI) Internet Safety Presentations
    • DTI, in the past, has offered internet safety presentations to 4th graders. These sessons were approximately 45 mins to an hour long, in an assembly. Schools could sign up if they were interested.
    • This year, through a grant from Verizon, they hope to continue the program and expand their offerings to K12 and the community. The program will be more extensive.
    • Visit this addendum document for more information.
  • Vendor Presentations to INTEGRATE
    • Vendors approach Wendy about coming to do a presentation to INTEGRATE. They usually are invited to come around 11:30 or noon, provide lunch, and do their presentation during a working lunch. The group voted to continue this process again this year. If you are speaking with a vendor and think they would be of interest to the group, ask the vendor to visit the DCET website and complete the Vendor Presentation Request form and email it to Wendy.
  • ePals
    • Many of you may remember ePals as the company that teachers could join and then they could try and connect with another teacher somewhere in the world for a penpal or collaborative project. They have greatly expanded since then and many of their offerings are now free.
    • According to their website, ePals is the leading provider of safe collaborative technology for schools to connect and learn in a protected, project-based learning network. With classrooms in 200 countries and territories, ePals makes it easy to connect learners locally, nationally or internationally.
    • There is a webinar open to INTEGRATE members and any others you would like to invite. The date is Tuesday, September 20 at 10:00 AM. Webinar information and details are forthcoming.
  • LoTi - Levels of Technology Integration
    • The DCET funds a teacher self-assessment called LoTi that provides LEAs with data regarding their teachers use of technology (LoTi), Personal Computer Use level (PCU), and Current Instructional Practices level (CIP), and Digital Age Practices. We have data archived to 2003. If your LEA participated in the
Wayne Hartschuh
Executive Director Update
  • Identity Management System (IMS) (formerly Single Sign-on)
    • Everyone who logs into this system should now see PDMS as an option.
    • This sytem will update PDMS so if someone changes buildings, districts, etc., PDMS will be updated.
  • Professional Development Management System (PDMS) (formerly True North Logic)
    • Now shows under the IMS
    • Feeds data to DEEDS and tracks hours. No PD certificates are needed.
    • For relicensure, transcripts are acceptable for documentation
  • Blackboard
    • PDMS is linked to BlackBoard (Bb). If you register for a Bb course in the PDMS, it will enroll you in Bb and you will show in the roster.
    • Bb purchased Elluminate. It is now known as BlackBoard Collaborate. The link is different for this system. The link is https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/login/user.
  • eLearning Delaware
    • Registration is open; ten (10) courses are available.
    • Courses start 9.28
    • Visit the PDMS, search on eLearning, and you can see the courses that are available. Registration is available through the PDMS.
  • Live@edu - see this topic under DTI
  • Microsoft Innovative Educator
    • FREE, 2-day program offered by Microsoft for educational teams. Being offered in PA.
    • Wayne mailed the flyer to INTEGRATE members via the listserv.
  • NBC Learns
    • Available at HS and MS this year.
  • YouTube - Safe Search
    • DTI has the capability of forcing safe-search on YouTube. With this search we can eliminate adult content from YouTube.
    • Of the administrators of districts that Wayne has spoken to, they are split 50/50 in wanting this turned on. Some would approve it for adults and not for students. An informal poll of INTEGRATE showed that all of INTEGRATE would approve this change now.
    • Wayne will have to go to the superintendents to determine if he can move ahead with this. This will go out in the Chief's Weekly memo sometime this month. Wayne will notify INTEGRATE when this happens.
    • [additional note] The TechMACC support for YouTube Safe Search was no where close to that of INTEGRATE. This may be a topic to discuss with your curriculum staff and your superintendent NOW.

ERIC Austin
Randy Reynolds
DTI

  • Phishing
    • There have been a LOT of issues with phishing on the K12 network.
    • The problem with DTI is that SPAM, for example, is easy to filter on keywords, etc.
    • Targeted phishing attacks - spearfishing - is more difficult to locate because the subject and message are crafted as to look viable and relevant to the individual. If someone responds to a phishing attack, the phisher uses the information to send out large quantities of email. This, in turn, gets us blacklisted from different providers (Comcast, AOL, Yahoo).
    • INTEGRATE is requested to please include information about phishing when doing PD. The more times people hear about this the less likely they are to fall for this type of scam. DTI has a great handout on phishing that you may print or circulate.
  • K12 VLAN
    • DTI was asked to provide virtual LANs for district networks.
    • LANs like this can segregate student and teacher traffic, for example, however, then the two groups cannot communicate with each other.
    • Some districts are looking to purchase their own devices to allow LAN communication as DTI does not currently have the funding to do this for the district.s
  • K12 GuestNet
    • LEAs want to create a network that is separate from the K12 network so that outsiders (vendors, parent, personally owned teacher devices) are not on the K12 network.
    • Appoquinimink is piloting this right now to determine the effects on the network and to see the ramifications of doing this.
    • The wireless hardware is funding by the district.
  • MAGPI
    • MAGPI is a regional consortium that provides and consults on video conferencing. They are a fee-based organization. DTI funds membership for the State of Delaware; K12 is one of the agencies that reaps the benefits of this membership.
    • Cape Henlopen has hired them to offer professional development for their staff. The services have been professional and targeted.
    • Loaner VC equipment is available from both DTI and DCET. Randy Reynolds (DTI) is willing to assist you with delivery, set up, and being there to assist your district/building technician(s).
    • You can join MAGPI's listserv by visiting http://www.magpi.net/Community/K12-Education You will receive monthly mailings with their free and fee-based programs. Should you want to join a program, MOVE QUICKLY. The number of sites they offer is always limited.
  • RUS Grant
    • Federal grants that could fund video conferencing equipment for rural districts. Districts/charters must meet certain criteria.
    • Grant opens in March; planning is required.
  • Live@edu
    • There was a teleconference between DTI, DOE, and Microsoft. There are still issues with the contract that have not been resolved yet.
    • DOE and DTI want to move forward.
    • Timing - DTI has not done any of the technical work that needs to be in place to schedule migration so even if an agreement is signed, DTI will need at least a month to get ready for a changeover.

Denise Tuck
Thinkfinity
  • Grant will be closing at the end of this year.
  • There will be two more trainings to train Field Trainers in buildings.
  • If you have schools that don't have trainers, she will work with you to get people trained.
  • If you would like a list of who the Thinkfinity trainers are in your district, send Denise an email and she will send you that list.
  • Thinkfinity - Focus on Features:
    • Common Sense Media has Internet Safety resources for Internet Safety and Cyber Bullying. You may want to use these materials to supplement the iSAFE curriculum.
    • The Electric Company has materials that teach punctuation. These may be timely for back-to-school
    • State Standards Search now includes Common Core along with the Delaware State Standards. Note that until we realign our State Assessment in 2014-2015, Delaware is using the State Standards for assessment.
    • Community - Through the Thinkfinity Community, they have arranged for Guest Speakers that will provide interactive web events.
  • Karen Hartschuh volunteered that Lesson Planet (a commercial product) is marketing their fee-based product to districts and charters. Karen felt that Thinkfinity offered more extensive resources at no charge when compared against this product.
  • Special Event for INTEGRATE - Thinkfinity is bringing in a speaker for one day of training in project -based learning. The date is November 28. Please calendar the event; more details to follow.
For the Good of the Cause
  • We will be schedling dates and times to work on the two outstanding projects INTEGRATE has had:
    • Best practices for use of the K12 network
    • Replacement for the Computer Skills Growth Chart

 

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please notify Wendy Modzelewski of
any errors you find.

Minutes last updated on November 10, 2011