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=Newsletter Ideas for D. Roth=

Current educational technology focuses on the use of technology as a tool across the curriculum. Many districts' investment in hardware and software languishes without "warm-ware," people with the specific knowledge set of educational and technical skills to help schools make the most of their investments. Integrating technology into teachers' toolbelts is part of the job description for Piedmont's site technology coordinators.

At the elementary school level, technology coordinators hold multi-subject credentials and bridge the curricular and technical worlds. They work with teachers to design lessons that use computers to support state content standards. Computer class time may mean researching mass and volume on other planets, designing multi-media mystery games that sharpen map skills, or recording a podcast public service announcement on health. Their work with kids introduces new concepts, reaches different intelligences, teaches information literacy and sometimes provides remediation.

Beyond teaching classes in the lab, the technology coordinator group is vital to the invisible technology that keeps the district going. They are the "go-to" people for over 1,200 users and maintain over 300 computers. Their support and leadership has been critical to several district projects. Elementary teachers in grades 1-5 now use an online system to create report cards and access previous years' assessment data, helping teachers identify students and areas in need for differentiation. This year the technology group lead the effort to implement a new library catalog and circulation system and is currently involved with a district-wide website initiative that will allow teachers to have an easy method to post communications their school's website. Technology coordinators write grants to external and internal sources, winning the Best Buy Tech Award in 2006 and most recently gaining Piedmont Educational Foundation support to put 21st century tools into elementary classrooms. The first phase of this four year grant will take place this spring.

Educational technology has become a vital component of Piedmont's curriculum. In the late 90's, technology in PUSD was championed by passionate teachers and community members, who, like others across the country, participated in Net Day activities getting schools wired and on the internet. Technology at first was seen as an exciting enrichment activity, focused on programming and how to use the computer curriculum. Then a movement to use it as a "tool" across the curriculum shifted how technology and computers were viewed and used. Word processing, rather than handwriting, permitted a more rigorous writing program. The internet became a vital component of research. Persuasive writing and presenting have been coupled with powerpoint. Teachers use email to communicate with parents and to share electronic lessons with each other. The relic "ditto," reused year after year has transformed into a digital document that is changed and enhanced instantly to meet the changing needs of students and classes. Technology in schools today accepts that technology is a tool, (for some the preferred tool!) and our schools now view technology instruction in the larger frame of "information literacy".

support to student info system=ada and reporting have become more important with NCLB leaders in developing a vision for how schools use technology in the latest rewrite of our tech plans (required by law every 3-4 years)

transition from an extra to a necessity over last ten years
in late part of 20cent tech in PUSD was led by passionate teachers, across the country was focused on Net Day activities getting schools wired and on the internet. Technology at first was seen as an exciting enrichment activity, then a movement to use it as a "tool" across the curriculum shifted how technology and computers were viewed and used. Word processing, rather than handwriting, permitting a more rigorous writing program. The internet became a vital component of research. Persuasive writing and presenting have been coupled with powerpoint. Teachers use email to communicate with parents and to share electronic lessons with each other. The relic "ditto," reused year after year has transformed into a digital document that is changed and enhanced instantly to meet the changing needs of students and classes. Technology in schools today accepts that technology is a tool, (for some the only tool!) and our schools now view technology instruction in the larger frame of "information literacy".

Nowadays technology is vital to district, from reporting and interpreting student data for NCLB, to our voicemail, web and email systems to communicate with parents and community and within the district, to expectations of technology literacy of students, and even how we teach.

New tools? to reach thumb generation/milleniums
most of us have seen the email that circulates each year about how the latest crop of incoming college freshman have grown up in a entirely different world than most of us. They don't know records, never lived without a microwave or remote control, etc etc. Average teenager sends over 2000 texts a month, xx% create content on the internet, etc etc... Digital natives for sure! Teachers have been adapting to these digital natives- using lcd projectors in classroom to capture attention, addressing different intelligences with interactive whiteboards that add kinestic aspects to learning, Support is available 24hrs a day, as textbooks and other materials are now online and not confined to mortar and brick classrooms.

creeping across the district are innovations to reach

the invisible, but vital, tech in PUSD
support to student info system=ada and reporting have become more important with NCLB online report card system for ele (teacher access to previous years helps them differientiate instruction, identify students needs etc) currently working with district team in a CMS for teacher websites main line of training and repair/maintainence at ele schools- over 300 computers and over 1200 users! led effort to move library catalog and circulation system to new online platform write grants leaders in developing a vision for how schools use technology in the latest rewrite of our tech plans (required by law every 3-4 years)

what we've done without- training haven't gone to training in a long time! remember netware training, dreamweaver? I went to an excel class with megan n