http://www.techsets.orghttp://www.techsets.org/images/TechLogoRss.gif9860Schools and districts throughout the state of California are making greater use of technology on a daily basis. If you are responsible for planning, installing and maintaining this technology, then TechSETS web site can provide the assistance you need.Schools and districts throughout the state of California are making greater use of technology on a daily basis. If you are responsible for planning, installing and maintaining this technology, then TechSETS web site can provide the assistance you need.(c) 2008, TechSETS. All rights reserved.5bev@the-techmasters.comhttp://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3689316a28,00.htmlExperienced IT staff usually wait awhile before implementing a new version of software. Microsoft promises that its next operating system upgrade, Vista, will be the most thoroughly tested release ever. Look for its emergence in early or mid-2007. bev@the-techmasters.comhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/news/pdf/best_of_the_ed_blogs.pdfBlogging is a powerful new tool for educators. eSchool News and Discovery Education have announced the first ever "Best of the Education Blogs" awards. Winners were selected in the areas of: The Best Blog for Teachers - "Assorted Stuff"; The Best Classroom Instruction Blog for Students - "Applied Science Research"; The Best Education Theory Blog - "Moving at the Speed of Creativity"; and The Best K-12 Administration Blog - "EduWonk." bev@the-techmasters.comhttp://www.santee.k12.ca.us/qzab/Resources/Review%20of%20Research%20.pdfIn 2000, John W. Thomas, Ph.D completed the study, "A Review of Research on Project-Based Learning." His findings indicated that Project-Based Learning (PBL): requires that students be supported as they "learn how to learn"; is a more popular method of instruction than traditional methods; generates more professionalism and collaboration; is better at producing gains in general academic achievement; enhances the quality of students' learning; is an effective method for teaching students complex processes and procedures; and works best when used as a "whole-school" change. Views on project based learning vary greatly but good results are being seen when project based learning is guided by content standards.Bev Blaylockwww.standup.orgA national campaign has been launched by Bill and Melinda Gates to call on all Americans to STAND UP for excellent high schools that prepare every student for success. More than 50 education organizations, districts, and schools across the country have joined together to create STAND UP, a community-based national campaign that promotes educational reform. The website provides resources for parents, educators and community members.Bev Blaylockhttp://cio.uiowa.edu/ITsecurity/resources/documents/Enterprise-IT-Disaster-Plan.pdfIt’s your worst nightmare. The server room floods the week-end prior to the start of school. Are you ready to exercise your disaster plan….or will you run for the hills? The University of Iowa provides both a sample plan and a step-by-step guide for creating your own plan. You may also want to check out the recent plan posted by the University of Florida at http://cio.uiowa.edu/ITsecurity/resources/documents/Enterprise-IT-Disaster-Plan.pdf, and the additional example from the University of Maryland at http://www.oit.umd.edu/ITCouncil/materials/DRPoverview052005.pdf.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cio.com/blog_view.html?CID=23690Google, in collaboration with The Stop Badware Coalition, has just added a useful feature to its powerful search engine. A warning will now appear whenever you click on a link that could take you to a potentially dangerous site. A page informs the user of the danger and allows a safe way out.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr06/yr06rel86.aspIf you are responsible for managing data related to student and teacher information, you will want to follow the progress on some of the fourteen new bills being introduced to the California Legislature. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell urges lawmakers to approve fourteen new bills that expand opportunities for students to gain skills required in the competitive global economy through rigorous academics and real world work experience. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/eti/2006/07/001550.phpWikipedia has become a well-known source for sharing information, but the content may not be appropriate for younger students. Now a resource is available for schools that would like to create and control their own internal wikis! A company called Socialtext has released their core wiki engine under an open source license. Socialtext includes its own blogging system and other tools for collaboration within organizations. Schools can use Socialtext to pilot wikis on a small scale with fairly inexpensive hosted blogs at Socialtext.com. If the idea catches on, the school can switch to local hosting without having to switch to a different system. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume_33_2006_2005_/May_No_8_/33810g.pdfIf your educational job assignment is to assist teachers integrate technology, this ISTE report, "Collaborative Apprenticeship: A New Role for the Technology Coordinator in Teachers' Professional Development" contains practical, research-based strategies for long-term success. Specific recommendations are provided as teachers move through the stages of "Introduction", "Developmental", "Proficient", and "Mastery." Bev Blaylockhttp://misc.lps.org/misc/post/detail.cfm?id=113Do you want to teach others the benefits of Real Simple Syndication (RSS)? If so, review this website created by Lincoln Nebraska Public Schools. Their site will help you define, demonstrate the value, implement the basics, and stretch the RSS capabilities of your learners.Bev Blaylockhttp://images.globalknowledge.com/wwwimages/whitepaperpdf/WP_10TipsWebSite2.pdfAs the new school year begins, webmasters scramble to update their websites with current information. In addition to updating the content of a site, here's a checklist from Global Knowledge of technical updates to consider:1. Make sure your web pages are accessible2. Take steps to minimize security risks3. Use web server statistics to determine how popular your site is4. Use dynamic technologies styles5. Be aware of web development software and how to use it efficiently to enhance your web site6. Use XHTML, DOM Scripting, and CSS to make your site browser and rule independent7. Choose an appropriate database to ensure it is more dynamic, and does the job of many static pages8. Use image editors for fast-loading graphics9. Learn to use planning and project management techniques to build great web sites with large teams10. Use new technologies like XML, DTDs, and XSL to help your application communicate with other platforms in the most flexible manner.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr06/yr06rel92.aspThe State superintendent of Public Instruction joined officials from the University of California to announce the launch of the Calisphere Web. This free Web offers educators, students, and the general public access to more than 150,000 digitized primary sources from the libraries and museums of the UC campuses and cultural heritiage organizations across California.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6509Last November, the California State Board of Education unanimously approved a new History/Social Science for California adoption from educational publisher Pearson Scott Foresman. This new program has already been selected by 200 schools and has history teachers scrapping traditional textbooks in favor of digital learning materials that blends printed text, digital, and activities-based instructional methods aligned with state standards.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htmAs children begin a new school year, you will often hear parents express concerns about Internet Safety. The FBI has produced a website, "A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety," that provides information such as: The signs for at-risk behavior, actions that parents should take, frequently asked questions, and common definitions.Bev Blaylockhttp://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionid=a78d3383-8c23-4b95-a56c-b9967270629eA new web-based service called Windows Live OneCare Family Safety allows parents to control what their kids do on the Internet. Parents can a) block sites relating to subjects like pornography or alcohol, b) obtain activity reports on which websites their children have visited, c) obtain guidelines on how to talk to kids about online activity, and d) check in on their kids from any Inter-enabled PC. The beta version of the OneCare Family Safety software is a free download from the Windows Live Ideas website.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/id,126948;RSS,RSS/article.htmlRSS (Real Simple Sindication) is best known as a way to filter the vast world of the Web. For example, TechSETS researches 15-20 of the top Ed Tech web resources for news of interest to our members and posts the news as RSS feeds. Members can either subscribe to these feeds or select them from our scrolling web bar on the TechSETS website. Microsoft and Mozilla browsers are working to include native RSS support, so members can read and manage RSS feeds without the configuration that is necessary today. The link below provides a review of the RSS enhancements found in the Microsoft Windows Live Toolbar 3.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cio.com/archive/090106/fea_talent.html?CID=24439Technology Directors need more than technology skills. To be successful today, they must have training and experience in the areas of both emerging technologies and legacy systems, as well as top-notch analytical and problem-solving prowess, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work well independently and as a member of a team. They must have experience in business process management, certification in project management, and a solid understanding of enterprise architecture. A customer service attitude is required! Read more to find tips on how to find and keep this type of person working for you!Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cio.com/archive/090106/tl_vishing.html?CID=24428In "phishing" schemes, scammers will send an email that looks like it comes from a bank, credit card company or PayPal. The message typically indicates that there has been a security breach and asks the person to confirm his/her account information on an official-looking website. In "vishing," identity thieves may use an automatic dialer to call VoIP phone numbers and play an automated message asking for the same information. Bottom line: Be very cautious of anyone who asks for you to confirm personal information.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cue.org/2006/09/01#a313The 2007 California Computer-Using Educators (CUE) Conference, Sharing the Summit, will be held in Palm Springs on March 1-3. Registration fees range from $140 - $295, depending on CUE membership, and time of registration. Register early and save.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cetpa-k12.org/events/?cmd=vi&typ=evt&id=3The 2006 California Educational Technology Professionals Association (CETPA) Conference, "Shaping the Future", will be held in Monterey on October 31 - November 3. Registration fees are $425 for active members and $125 for retired members. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cnn.com/EDUCATION/CNN news offers a daily video for download to computer or IPOD that is specifically for students. The short video segments offer education-related coverage on topics ranging from Pluto to the social implications of painted elephants. Once you get onto the website, click the "Podcast" link on the right sidebar. Curriculum content is available for each program.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/id,126818;RSS,RSS/article.htmlPC World completed a comparison of antispyware software. The top three include Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.0 Beta ($30), PC Tools Spyware Doctor 3.8 ($30), and Sunbelt Software Counter Spy 2.0 Beta ($20). Last place was given to Spybots.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.pcworld.com/PC World regularly conducts extensive tests on new and emerging technologies. Whether you are looking for digital cameras, laptops, printers, cell phones or PDAs, the PC World web site is a good place to start looking for the best-of-the-best. From the home page, just select the device you want to purchase from the list in the left sidebar.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.spoofcard.comSchool districts contact parents every day to provide information, obtain attendance verifications, etc. These conversations often involve an exchange of confidential information. How does the parent know it is really the school making the call? How does a school office know that it is really the parent making the call? Technology is available that allows privacy thieves to make telephone calls that display a different telephone number on the caller ID as well as change the voice patterns of the caller. How can you and your families protect against this new spoof? Know your caller. Ask questions. If in doubt, ask if you can call the person back. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection_06.htmThe Student Voting Project is conducting a Student Mock Election on October 24, 2006 to familiarize young people with the elections process. Students will have the opportunity to make their choices known for U.S. Senate, Governor, and state propositions. The Student Mock Election is aimed at promoting voter education efforts among California students to ensure that they know not just why they should be involved in the democratic process but how they can make a difference. Sign up to participate and then view the results of the mock election online.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cue.org/acsa/The Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and Computer-Using Educators (CUE, Inc.) have announced a partnership to develop a clear vision for technology's role in bringing results in student achievement. Towards this end, they are jointly presenting two events in 2007. The Leadership Summit: Improving 21st Century Schools with Balanced Leadership and Technology will take place as part of the annual CUE Conference in Palm Springs, CA. The summit will be presented again as a pre-conference event at ACSA's conference in November 2007. The first event will take place on Thursday, March 1, 2007 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Participation is open to all K-12 instructional leaders at the site or district level. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/techwatch/A new online video news program debuts at eSchool News Online. Sponsored by New Dimension Media, eSN TechWatch is a 20-minute program that brings you the latest educational technology news in video format, streamed to your computer free of charge. It's easy to use.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/California Computer-Using Educators (CUE, Inc.) is proud to join WestEd, KZO Webcasting, and Google Education in the launch of the weekly Infinite Thinking Machine blog and Internet TV show. "The ITM is a positive vehicle for K-12 educators to share stories and ideas that tap into the infinite resources available on the Internet. Our goal is simple: to show how today's digital tools can impact student learning in meaningful ways. The ITM is about learning, thinking, communicating, and creativity - not technology. We sincerely hope that this blog and our media productions can jumpstart a wider conversation about innovation and creativity in K-12 education, and we look forward to hearing your ideas and feedback."Many CUE leaders are involved in the ITM, including Chris Walsh, Hall Davidson, Mark Wagner, Julie Duffield, Ray Hernandez and Mike Lawrence. CUE congratulates West Ed, KZO Webcasting and primary sponsor Google Education in this exciting launch. Infinite Thinking Machine offers a RSS feed that can go right to your iPod, or other feed.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.google.com/educators/index.htmlIs your school unable to fund advanced desktop software for all students? Check out "Google for Educators", a new site that gives teachers a place to share their best ideas for using technology to innovate in the classroom, and the modern web-based tools to do the job!The site offers a teacher's guide to 12 Google products, including basic information about each tool, examples of how educators are using them, and lesson ideas. Teachers will also find lesson plans and videos from partners at Discovery Education, focusing on two of Google's most popular teaching tools: Google Earth and Google SketchUp.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/The Infinite Thinking Machine website offers rich content related to classroom technology integration. A new blog, "Redesigning the Research Assignment," by Lucie deLaBruere, was posted on October 25, 2006. The author provides instructions and examples of how to help students develop higher level critical thinking and research skills. Two websites, FURL.net and del.ico.us, help students find, save, and organize research content by using "tags" and social bookmarking tools.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cio.com/blog_view.html?CID=26119Microsoft attempted to clear up confusion over licensing of Windows Vista for power users who rebuild their PCs on a regular basis. According to Microsoft spokesman Mike Burk, Microsoft users who frequently change the hardware configuration of the system running Vista may fail Vista's new Software Protection Platform software-validation feature more than once. If they do, they would be required to purchase an additional license or use Microsoft's support services to activate Vista on a newly configured machine.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.iste.org/nets-surveyThe National Educational Technology Standards for Students were released in June 1998, with accompanying Performance Profiles of technology literate students and Essential Conditions for implementation. Over time, the standards have received acceptance and widespread use across the United States and in many other countries.The collective wisdom of the educational technology community is necessary to help ISTE maintain the NETS for Students and associated resources as fresh and meaningful guides for leadership and innovation in the use of technology. Currently, online visitors interested in the NETS Refresh can participate by accessing the following URL and responding to the NETS Refresh survey (hosted by SurveyMonkey).Bev Blaylockhttp://www.google.com/educators/globalwarming.htmlStarting on October 17th, 2006, Google for Educators asked teachers to participate in a collaboration project to give students a chance to collectively brainstorm strategies for fighting global warming. This activity can take less than 1 hour of class time and can help connect what students are learning in class to the world around them.After reviewing the spreadsheets, Google partners at GlobalSchoolNet will choose the top 50 ideas, and publish the list in an ad that will appear online and in a November issue of the Washington Post. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.universalservice.org/sl/The Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2008 closes at 11:59 pm EST (8:59 pm in California), on Thursday, February 7, 2007. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2006/11/08/11poverty.h26.htmlWhen education researchers want to measure the collective poverty level in a school, they typically use the same yardstick: the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-rate meals under the federal school lunch program.Because of known flaws in the current system, researchers are looking at other measures, such as Geocoding, the Dissimilarity Index, the Isolation Index, and Home Resources. The NCES, which administers The National Assessment of Educational Progress, has relied for years on subsidized-lunch statistics to get a handle on children’s economic status, as federal law prohibits the tests from including questions on how much money test-takers’ parents earn. Next year the statistics center will experiment with some survey questions that would be appropriate for test-takers of different ages that might yield the same, or even more reliable, information on their socioeconomic circumstances at home. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/110406dnmetebooks.3255a88.htmlSchool districts across the nation are replacing traditional textbooks with e-books. Forney School District in North Texas, Vail high school - a new high school near Tucson Arizona, and Philadelphia’s School of the Future are just a few examples.Administrators are setting aside their textbooks because they are often out-dated, can’t be modified, are heavy, and can’t be rapidly obtained when districts experience high growth.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.macworldexpo.com/live/20/Steve Jobs will kick off the Macworld Conference and Expo that runs from January 8 – 12 atThe Moscone Center in San Francisco. Register before December 11 for best registration rates, which range from $40 - $1,695. MacWorld will include an Educators K-12 Market Symposium, hosted by CUE. This year, it will be on Wednesday, January 10, 2007. CUE members have a time-limited offer of the Educators K-12 Market Symposium for $99 (regularly $249). Go to www.cue.org for more info.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2006/11/cerfs-up-maps.htmlLearn more about maps as you link to map collections, historical maps for students, the art of making maps, geospatial technology and careers, Green Maps (a collaborative project for students), U.S. Census maps, and FREE maps for your classroom. Includes a flash video interview with Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.alannovember.com/Default.aspx?tabid=160Alan November shares important information about the importance of Information Literacy. Information literacy is part of the collection of 21st century literacy skills required by businesses. This informative site will help you understand the grammar behind the Internet, how to find the author and publisher of a website, and much more.Beverly Blaylockhttp://nacol.org/events/symposium/socal.phpIf you missed the October 2006 NACOL (North American Council for Online Learning) Symposium, produced by the University of California and Pepperdine University, you can view fifteen sessions via online podcasts. Start with the keynote address, “A National Perspective of Online Learning”, by Susan Patrick, Executive Director of the North American Council for Online Learning.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2006/12/2006-in-review-readwrite-web.htmlThe 2005-2006 school year was characterized by an increase in educational blogging, podcasting, educational Wikis, and “Google in Education”. Where will this technology take us in 2007?Beverly Blaylockhttp://oedb.org/library/features/top-100-education-blogsThe Online Education Database (OEDb) has identified and categorized its top 100 favorite educational blogs. Browse by areas of interest, such as educational policy, learning, research, teaching and technology.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr07/yr07rel02.aspIf you are involved with updating your Technology Plan, or writing a grant, you will want to include these research references in your bibliography:1. Education Week’s "Quality Counts 2007: From Cradle to Career", 2. "Connecting American Education from Birth to Adulthood", and 3. Children Now’s "California Report Card: The State of the State’s Children".Links to all three reports, plus quotes from State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell are available on the California Department of Education website. Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.tommarch.com/ozblog/2006/06/13/okay-how-old-are-you/Only a few people over the age of 30 can hear the “Mosquito” ring tone. Young students utilize this feature for in-class cell phone use.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2007/01/key-technology-trends-for-educational.htmlYou may want to add your comments to this blog by Wesley Fryer, who discusses key trends for 2007. Fryer forecasts a new evolution in web-based software, $100 laptops, less costly “open source” solutions, “walled gardens” (safe digital social networks), and more. The biggest challenge will be the “mindware” of some teachers who still cling to the myth of quality education beginning with a textbook and ending with a standardized test.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.cio.com/research/voip/abcs_of_voip.html?CID=27981Are you planning to replace your “old” phone system in 2007? If so, this is the time to look at what is new with VoIP. What exactly is VoIP? Do you need it? How do you go about getting it? This overview of the promise and limitations of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provides the basics needed to get your replacement project started.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.cio.com/career/boost/column.html?CID=27988Over the next decade, your career will hinge on your ability to attract and retain top-notch IT professionals. Below are seven tactics for winning the talent war. 1. Go for it! 2. Offer challenging work that matters 3. Provide an abundance of opportunities 4. Help your staff be all they can be5. Trust and respect your people. 6. Applaud a job well done. 7. Create an exciting environment. Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.universalservice.org/sl/tools/deadlines/default.aspxThe E-rate Window to post a Form 471 closes February 7th, at 11:59 PM EST. For new services, a Form 470 must be posted at least 28 days prior to filing the Form 471. Therefore, the last date to file a Form 470 for Year 10 (7/1/2007 - 6/30/2008) is January 21, 2007!Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1055Will Richardson, a contributing editor to “The Pulse: Education’s Place for Debate”, describes what to expect as Web 2.0 technologies begin to transform the school library. Here are some of the changing library characteristics: o 24/7 digital workspace o Learning-centered laboratory o Participatory, social, user-centered space o Librarians as connectors o Community of trust emphasizing personal responsibility o Interactive learning and collaboration with othersBeverly Blaylockhttp://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1060Very quietly, and without much flair, data storage capacity has increased through megabyte, gigabyte, and terabyte to exabyte. The Apple 80 gigabyte iPod has 16,000 times the storage capacity of the 5 mb hard drive first developed by IBM in 1956 at a cost of $50,000. How can education utilize this almost “free” technology to strengthen education? Read on for ideas, and be sure to add your own. The author proposes some very aggressive changes and challenges readers to be part of the dialog.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1045&p=1#0As IT Departments support users, teaching others is an expected skill. Using the basic fundamentals that a) Students learn best by “doing”, and b) Learners need to do their own thinking and exploration, this article provides proven techniques to help you excel!Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2007/01/say-yes-to-creativity-in-2007.htmlIf you find yourself frequently saying “NO” to user requests, you will want to review this insightful response to a blog posted by David Thornburg, titled “The Power of Yes”. Say "yes" to creativity in 2007!Beverly Blaylockhttp://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=4254With Apple taking the word “computer” out of its name, and announcing the new iPhone (which is really a phone, camera, and browser in one device), the sales are expected to reach 10 million units by the end of 2008. Future releases may have VoIP compatibility.Beverly Blaylockhttp://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/career/?p=77IT folks often join the field because of their attraction to, and flair with, technical gadgets and computing systems, rather than communication skills. The fact is, while high intelligence does play a big part in IT success, people skills (Emotional Intelligence) play a bigger part in moving up the corporate ladder. Learn what Emotional Intelligence is and how to show your strengths.Bev Blaylockhttp://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/comics1The Creative Commons (CC) website will help you sharpen your understanding of copyright and fair use, and allow you to license your own work. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from “All Rights Reserved” to “Some Rights Reserved.” You can also search for other licensed works and use them according to how the author specifies.If you want to brush up on your copyright and fair use rules, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use. To add a copyright to your own work, select the link below.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.iste.org/nets-refreshISTE has released their draft revisions to the NETS standards for students. Please review and comment on the new standards on their NETS Refresh web page. The new standards will be presented at the ISTE NECC 2007 conference.The original ISTE standards for students identified skills and knowledge every student needed to succeed in the technology and information environment that was emerging in 1998. Don Knezek, the ISTE group's chief executive, reports that “the new standards focus on skills and knowledge that students need to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly digital society ... Cognitive and learning skills, as well as creativity and innovation, are the focus now--and information and media literacy are also elevated [in importance]." Bev Blaylockhttp://books.google.com/Two years ago, Google Inc. began its book-scanning project with a core group of libraries, including Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, and the University of Michigan. Recently, Princeton University became the 12th major library system to join Google’s ambitious project to scan the world’s great literary works and make them searchable over the Web.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStorysr.cfm?ArticleID=6364&page=1According to an independent study conducted by Educational Systemics, three school systems in Missouri, Illinois, and Oklahoma, implemented SIF(Schools Interoperability Framework) and found measurable cost savings as a result of the easier integration of software applications, more effective use of staff time, and increases in government funding that come from better tracking and reporting of student data. Each case study is presented to assist you with your own SIF implementation.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstoryts.cfm?ArticleID=6869&page=1On March 11, all clocks will “spring ahead” three weeks earlier than usual. This will impact many IT applications that are time sensitive. Applications to check include backup systems, calendaring applications, student and staff automated calling systems, telephone call-charging programs that adjust the rate by time-of-day, automatically scheduled imports and exports, etc. IT departments can also remind their M&O departments to check air conditioning and heating systems. It is time now to check that your operating systems have the appropriate Daylight Savings Time patches.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.brandchannel.com/start1.asp?fa_id=352Which brands have the most Global impact? The 2006 Readers’ Choice Awards, completed by brandchannel.com announced the winners as (1) Google, (2) Apple, (3) YouTube, (3) Wikipedia, and (3) Starbucks. Brandchannel.com Editor Anthony Zumpano noted that: “The ascension of brands like Wikipedia and YouTube in our impact rankings are indicative of the mainstream emergence of Web 2.0 products that reward user participation.” Bev Blaylockhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOEThe web isn’t very old, but this 5-minute video will amaze you with the progress that has been made. Michael Wesch, an assistant professor at Kansas State University has captured the essence of the Web, Bogs, Tags, XML, RSS and more. The video also highlights the cultural shifts that the Web and Web 2.0 brings, and clearly identifies some important concepts that we all need to “rethink”. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2007/02/itm-extra-make-wish-2007.htmlWatch this video and listen to what MacWorld educators wish for! You will be inspired.Bev Blaylockhttp://showcase.k12hsn.org/At last there is a place where student technology work is on display! This new website, sponsored by the California Technology Assistance Project (CTAP), Computer-Using Educators (CUE), the Orange County Department of Education, and the California K-12 High Speed Network, currently highlights "Student Showcase" presentations from the CUE conference.Bev Blaylockhttp://contest.sketchup.com/entry.php?rules=1You are invited to model your school's buildings in Google SketchUp, geo-reference them in Google Earth and submit them through a competition web site. Google SketchUp is a powerful yet easy-to-learn 3D software tool that enables you to build and modify 3D models quickly and easily. The deadline for competition models is June 1, 2007. Winners will be posted by July 10, 2007.Bev Blaylockhttp://stopcyberbullying.org/Do you need a resource to help your school educate students, teachers, staff and parents about cyberbullying? This resource provides a short but powerful web presentation, along with information and activities targeted for specific age groups and roles (student, teacher, parent, police agency).Bev Blaylockhttp://learningismessy.com/blog/?p=196Review this short video that shows how a 4th grade classroom in Nevada included Celest, a child who could not attend school because of her on-going leukemia treatments. The project uses easy tools, including two wireless laptops, two webcams, and the free Skype web videoconferencing software. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstoryts.cfm?Articleid=6961At the recent CoSN (Consortium for School Networking) conference in San Francisco on March 28, 2007, past CoSN board chairs participated in a roundtable discussion about the need to advocate more forcefully for change in higher education. Their overall recommendations include: 1. The need to shift the focus in the national dialogue about educational technology from the technology itself to the changes it enables in teaching and learning, and 2. The need to overhaul teacher education in the United States to produce a new generation of educators who are not only comfortable with technology, but expect it to be used in schools.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.google.com/educators/gta.htmlIf you live within 90 minutes of Santa Monica, you can apply now for the FREE “Google Teacher Academy”, sponsored by CUE and WestEd. The academy is a one-day professional development experience to help K-12 educators get the most from innovative technology. The application deadline is April 23, 2007.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.teachertube.comTeacherTube is a safe environment where teachers can post, view, and use curriculum-related videos. In order to access the site, you will need to set up an account. Once that is done, you can search for content of interest to you. It’s a great homework help, too. Check it out!Bev Blaylockhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/id,130207-page,14-c,technology/article.htmlPC World has ranked the top 50 technology products of all time. If you are a seasoned IT person, you might be amazed as you realize how many of these tools you have actually used. Check it out and enjoy the progress technology has made since the early 1980’s.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryRSS.cfm?ArticleID=7011A new federal study of reading and math software that was released on April 5th found no significant differences in standardized-test scores between students who used the technology in their classrooms and those who used other methods. Ed-tech experts point out that these results were affected by fundamental flaws in the project's implementation, including the lack of ongoing mentoring or peer coaching throughout the school year, which other studies identify as a key element of success. Also, the software was only used about 10% of the total instructional time during the year, which is well below what the products were designed for.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2007/04/how-do-we-teach-kids-to-cross-busy.htmlIs it OK to film a teacher (or student) without his/her permission…and then post the video on YouTube? Your existing AUP may need an overhaul to account for all the new technology tools being used by students, such as blogging, podcasting, RSS subscriptions, social bookmarking, media and networks, web and video enabled cell phones, etc. This website provides thoughtful questions to consider, and also provides additional links and “…insightful posts and comments … on the topic.” Beverly Blaylockhttp://edtec.sdsu.edu/comet.htmSan Diego State University has just received approval to offer their internationally-recognized Educational Technology Masters program online, with a curriculum targeting the needs of K-12 educators. For the first time, the online program is available with reduced in-state fees for California residents, although tuition is still quite reasonable for participants from any location worldwide. The program starting this fall will be cohort-based and include extensive opportunities for students to have live interactions with each other and faculty members in a very supportive environment that offers flexibility to accommodate participant schedules. The deadline to apply is May 1. The program starts at the end of August with anticipated graduation in the Summer of 2009. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.portical.org/Presentations/brooks-young/web2.0/index.htmlSusan Brooks-Young presents a short 11-minute video that shows how a group of educators in Northern California used several Web 2.0 tools for collaboration and planning. They used AirSet Groups, Calendar, Blog, and Links (www.airset.com) to establish a web-based communication portal for their planning committee members. Wiki-Front Page, Wiki-Plan, and Wiki-Edit (http://pbwiki.com) were used to place project instructions on a website. Members were able to use the wiki to contribute and share work for their respective assignments. The Webtop application, Writely (www.writely.com) was used to place the final planning document on the web for committee review and editing. ("Writely" has since been acquired by Google and is now called "Google Docs".)Bev Blaylockhttp://www.ncjrs.gov/school/ch2a_1.htmlThe National Institute of Justice (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/, which is the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, prepared a publication, “The Appropriate and Effective Use of Security Technologies in U.S. Schools” in September 1999. Although an update to the publication is underway, the basic principles of the use of video camera surveillance in schools, as described in Chapter 2, contains excellent advice for districts researching or implementing this technology. The report begins by asking, “Why video cameras?”, and continues by covering topics related to camera placement, mounting, lighting, maintenance, and legal considerations.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/lp/vl/improvingschls.aspThis California Department of Education's Visitor’s Guide provides a glimpse into some of California’s most successful elementary schools and the practices they perceive to have supported their success. Contact information is provided to facilitate school visits.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2007/05/youve-got-to-see-it-to-learn-it.htmlLearn how Visalia Unified School District uses digital cameras and Picasa (a powerful and free program for editing, organizing, and sharing photos) to engage students and to differentiate instruction for all students, including English Learners and Gifted students. Many specific examples are presented to help you expand your camera use.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2007/04/it-really-is-really-simple-rss-for.htmlLooking for information? Let RSS feeds do the work for you. Check out what’s new with this time-saving technology.Bev Blaylockhttp://communications.bestbuy.com/communityrelations/teach.aspBest Buy is pleased to announce that the San Diego Unified School District has received the 2007 Best Buy $250,000 Teach Award for demonstrating exceptional, creative plans to expand technology-inspired teaching in its K-12 classrooms. The district will use the $250,000 Teach Award to launch “Unsung Heroes,” a program where students will help expand awareness of social services available in their communities by documenting and broadcasting the stories of local heroes. To do this, students will use digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, Web sites, and podcasts. Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.cue.org/2007/05/30#a435Computer-Using Educators (CUE) is partnering with the California League of Middle Schools (CLMS) and the National High School Association (NHSA) to offer two Differentiated Instruction Bootcamp Institutes in Maui, Hawaii, on July 10-13, and in Indian Wells, CA, from July 29 – 31. The cost is $259 for members and $319 for non-members. The registration deadline is June 25th for the Maui Institute and July 16 for the Indian Wells Institute.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2007/05/clipmarks-skim-best-from-blogs.htmlThe market is bursting with new Web 2.0 tools to keep you up-to-date with whatever you are interested in. Pageflakes (www.pageflakes.com) is an RSS feed reader that customizes an Internet home page with automatic feeds, stock updates, to-do lists, and more. Clipmarks (www.clipmarks.com) allows users to grab, share, search, and catalog snippets clipped from news or blogs.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.teachermagazine.org/tm/news/2007/05/29/06apgreen_web.h18.htmlSchools across America are going “green” to cut costs. A recent Washington state study found that green schools cut energy costs by up to 50 percent! Want a challenge? Begin to think about how to turn your technology department green. Start the discussion.Note: You may be prompted to establish a free login to Teacher Magazine in order to retrieve this article.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2007/04/07/cyberbullying.htmlDanah Boyd’s Cyberbullying blog has an active discussion in progress about this topic. She wonders if "cyber" has gained too much emphasis over the "bullying" part of the term. She asks, “What are the tactics that we can teach kids to handle bullying? How can we help them process what’s going on? How can we help them strategize how to handle the bullies rather than run away? What would happen if we put our energies into helping those who are attacked lessen the impact of the blows?” Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/cjaycontent/index.php?id=2If you have a book in your head, but lack the time to bring it out, join the National Novel Writing Month project. It’s a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. The goal is to start on November 1, 2007 and write a 175-page novel by midnight, November 30th. In 2006, over 79,000 participants started the project and nearly 13,000 crossed to the 50k-word finish line by the deadline. Sign-ups will begin October 1, 2007.Beverly Blaylockhttp://www.cio.com/article/108403/Gartner_Virtualization_Is_Too_ExpensiveSystem Virtualization is a technology that is expected to grow from the current 500,000 virtual machines to three million by 2009, and will be part of nearly every aspect of IT by 2015. However, Gartner warns that IT managers should “stick it out” until the current problems with virtualization, such as licensing, support, and emerging technologies, are ironed-out.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2007/may07/05-15MSMath3dot0PR.mspxMicrosoft Corp has released a standalone math software product, called Microsoft Math 3.0, that can be downloaded for $19.95 (educational pricing also available). The software is intended to help students (and their parents) tackle complicated problems in pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, physics, and chemistry. The software is intended to help deepen students' overall understanding of these subjects by invoking a full-featured graphing calculator and step-by-step instructions on how to solve difficult problems. It also features tools such as a library with more than 100 common math equations and formulas, a triangle application, and a unit-conversion tool.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.clrn.org/elar/PDFs/elar_guidelines.pdfThe revised (5/14/07) “Electronic Learning Assessment Resources (ELAR) Guidelines, Review Process, and ELAR Features” report is now available on the CLRN (California Learning Resources Network) website. The CLRN project provides ELAR selection and comparison information to help school districts make the right decision in this complex market. Study the new ELAR guidelines and compare the various competing software options on the CLRN website at http://www.clrn.org/elar/findRightElar.cfm.Bev Blaylock http://www.iste.org/Template.cfm?Section=NETSISTE published the new National Educational Technology Standards for Students at the June 24-27, 2007, NECC Conference in Atlanta. Participants in the Refresh Project included representatives from 50 states and 22 countries, ISTE said, including China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. Creativity and innovation head the list of characteristics the new standards seek to measure.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/cic/The need to produce a generation of students who are creative thinkers and innovators was a key theme at this year’s National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in Atlanta. Enjoy several short eSchool News TV conference videos, including the keynote speaker Andrew Zolli, a futurist who offers suggestions on how to encourage creativity.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstoryts.cfm?Articleid=7249Experienced technology leaders share and discuss their educational-technology security recommendations. They suggest: a) tracking student behavior, not just filtering content, b) authenticate all network users, and don’t use generic logins, c) involve teachers with pre-selecting Internet content, d) block proxy sites so students can’t set up their own proxy servers, e) enforce acceptable use policies, f) use tools to search Internet history files and discipline as necessary, g) work together and stay one step ahead.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cetpa-k12.org/events/California educators have an array of excellent conferences to attend this year. Review the following offerings and submit your travel paperwork soon. • The school year starts out with CETPA (California Educational Technology Professionals Association), which is scheduled for Indian Wells October 9-12. This is nearly a month earlier than prior years, so register now.• The California League of Middle Schools and the League of High Schools will present the Digital Immigrants, Digital Natives Conference in Monterey November 29 – December 2, 2007. Visit http://www.cue.org/2007/06/16#a439 for more information.• CUE (Computer Using Educators) will be in Palm Springs March 6-8. Visit http://www.cue.org/2007/06/11#a438 for more information.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2007/07/igoogle-is-must-have-for-kids.htmlMeet Adora Svitak, a 9-year-old, tech-savvy news correspondent who has already written hundreds of short stories, maintains her own blog, and has been featured on CNN and Good Morning America. In this article, she discusses how students can use iGoogle.Bev Blaylockhttp://ilife4windows.wikispaces.com/This Wiki provides excellent help for PC users who want to use the free Web 2.0 tools Picasa, Photostory, Audacity and Movie Maker for educational purposes. Picasa is a free software from Google that helps you locate, organize, edit, add effects, and share the photos on your computer. Photostory allows you to create and share slideshows, add special effects and soundtracks (including your own voice) to your digital presentations. Audacity is all about audio editing and Movie Maker is a free video-editing tool that will allow you to turn home movies into awesome videos.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Professional_Development/ISTE_JHU_Certificate/ISTE-JHU_Certificate.htmISTE has partnered with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) to offer an 18 credit online Graduate Certificate in School Administration and Supervision. The ISTE JHU Certificate is designed to provide aspiring administrators and supervisors with effective strategies and tools for infusing instructional technology to ensure student success.The deadline to apply for the 2008–2009 ISTE JHU Administration Certificate is April 11, 2008. This cohort will kick off in June at NECC 2008 in San Antonio.Bev Blaylockhttp://129.71.174.252/tcov2/Technology planning should be integrated into annual budgeting, training, data gathering, and assessing school performance. The K12 TCO Calculator can help you estimate the multiyear costs of implementing and maintaining technology systems in a K-12 school. The new calculator is now easier to use and more flexible. Enhancements include district summary reports, construction figures based on regional profiles, revised professional development criteria, and more.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.schoolcio.com/showArticle.php?articleID=196604322IT Directors often include Service-Level Agreement (SLA) requirements in RFP’s for IT goods and services. This two-part article provides instructions on how to set up an SLA for educational users on such issues as network uptime and hours allotted to solve technical problems.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.isafe.org/channels/sub.php?ch=ai&sub_id=4As part of starting up a new school year, it’s a good idea to see what is new with Internet safety. I-SAFE, Inc. is a non-profit foundation whose mission is to educate and empower students, parents, seniors, and community members to safely and responsibly take control of their Internet experiences. Update your own skills in personal safety, predator identification, and intellectual property issues, and browse the curricula for teachers, students and parents. Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cosn.org/about/press/08_Aug/ATTAIN_Senate_Press_Release_FINAL.pdfThe ATTAIN (Achievement Through Technology and Innovation) Senate Act will update the existing Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program in several areas to improve technology curriculum, professional development and research.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.whatworks.ed.gov/Topic.asp?tid=01&ReturnPage=default.aspThe What Works Clearinghouse, from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, was created in 2002 to produce research on “what works” in education. The clearinghouse has recently released its research results that focused on the impact of reading interventions for students in the areas of alphabetics, reading fluency, comprehension and general reading achievement. Once again, the clearinghouse has given few of its coveted positive ratings. Review the results quickly on a chart that compares 24 different beginning reading programs. The programs which received a “...strong evidence of a positive effect…” score in one or more areas include DaisyQuest, Earobics, Fast ForWord, Kaplan SpellRead, Reading Recovery, and Stepping Stones to Literacy.Bev Blaylockhttp://www2.edweek.org/agentk-12/job-seeker-resources/index.htmlThis site is filled with helpful information for teachers and others who are looking to change careers, locations or positions. From portfolio and resume creation to credential and transition strategies, you will find good advice. You can even search for available jobs.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstoryts.cfm?ArticleID=7320&page=1The need to meet the ISTE NETS and NCLB technology training requirements for teachers and students, will seem overwhelming if you try to establish traditional face-to-face training solutions. You may want to study and adapt the successful professional development program implemented by St. Mary Parish Schools in Louisiana. Their ‘Professional Development in Your Pajamas,' or ‘PDNPJ,' program uses InfoSource Learning, an online curriculum that supports individualized learning from anytime, anyplace. The successful Louisiana model established innovative tracking and incentive programs and has resulted in an increase of the ISTE NETS-T proficiency levels (in all six areas) of 720 teachers from 12% to 29% in just two years. The project is also just as successful with students. Although the InfoSource Learning curriculum was used in this success story, other solutions, such as MySkills Source or Career Academy (offered at greatly reduced costs by TechSETS), may apply the same program implementation to achieve similar results.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20466219/The National Science Foundation has found that one of the most effective interventions to help young women choose and sustain a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) educational path and subsequent career is mentoring. What are you doing to resolve the five myths below? 1. Most girls are less interested in STEM than boys are. (FALSE for grades K-1, TRUE for grades 8)2. Classroom interventions geared to increase girls’ interest in STEM run the risk of turning off the boys (FALSE. Interventions work for both.)3. Science and math teachers are no longer biased toward their male students. (FALSE)4. When girls aren’t interested in STEM, parents can’t do much to motivate them. (FALSE)5.At college, some women are “weeded out” of STEM programs. (TRUE) Danica McKellar, the actress who played Winnie on the ‘90s hit television show, “The Wonder Years,” just released a new book, “Math Doesn’t Suck.” Her book shares her struggles and successes as she went on to major in math at UCLA. She even co-authored a groundbreaking mathematical physics theorem (the Chayes-McKellar-Winn Theorem).Bev Blaylockhttp://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstoryts.cfm?ArticleID=7325&page=1A new report prepared by the research firm Quality Education Data (QED) has found that “…tech support is the fastest-growing cost area for school technology budgets.” In 2002-03, QED found that tech support accounted for about 14% of the technology budget. This amount has doubled to 28% in data released in 2006.The newest report indicates, sadly, that most schools make poor decisions when trying to reduce costs (such as limiting professional development). The article provides some good suggestions for making long-term decisions to help reduce costs.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.epsilen.com/Epsilen/Public/Home.aspxIs there a respectable MySpace for educational professionals? That’s what some users call Epsilen (by Times Magazine), which places social networking and ePortfolios in the center of global eLearning, and creates a totally new environment for the next generation of learners and professionals. If you have an email address that ends in “.edu”, you can set up a professional portfolio for free. Institutional subscriptions are also available.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.mozilla24.com/en-US/On September 14 – 16, the Stanford Center for Innovations brings us “Mozilla 24”, a worldwide, 24-hour open discussion that connects community members, academics and Web visionaries from Asia, America and Europe, in person and over the broadband video WIDE network. Mozilla 24 will feature industry leaders who will present on Web trends and technologies that will help shape the future of the Web.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.classroom20.com/group/office20conOn September 6, 2007, “Office 2.0”, a San Francisco futurist conference, will discuss ten impacts that Web 2.0 will have on education. Review the forum discussion on these important topics:1. Is Web 2.0 a good fit for education?2. Is Web 2.0 significant to future student achievement, workplace skills, information literacy, and digital citizenship?3. Do we need to start teaching "digital citizenship?"4. Are the formal structures of education changing because of online learning, and what roles can Web 2.0 software play in those changes?5. Technology decision-making in schools: The divide between IT and the classroom, and why is it so hard to implement new technologies in education?6. How much commercialization should be allowed in the classroom and in the school?7. The conflict between school security issues and the innovative technologies of Web 2.08. Publicly shared lives: how transparent should students lives be, and is it appropriate for students to be "clickable?"9. The training gap: professional development and rapid technological change. How do we train a huge workforce in skills that are just being understood?10. How important is equitable access to technology, and do the tools of Web 2.0 change that?Bev Blaylockhttp://go.hrw.com/math/midma/gradecontent/manipulatives/GraphCalc/graphCalc.htmlHRW provides the biggest interactive graphing calculator you've ever seen — it fills the screen. Use this free tool to plot points, graph equations, or to find intersection points.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=196604637Is it legal to copy an image found during a Google search and paste it to your report? Here are some suggestions to consider:• Check for copyright notices at the bottom of the Web pages where the image was found • Never put copyrighted material up on the Web without permission. (Fair Use allows a one-time use. limited to a classroom - not for a multimedia presentation where others may download that image.) • If in doubt, ask for permission. (This means leaving time for receiving permission before using something.) • Create your own graphics. There is no more important literacy skill than learning to communicate. Visual communication is very important today. Always give credit to the original creator of anything you use. • Use a Creative Commons (http://creativecommons.org) license on your own work on the Web that will make it clear that others can use it.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/poetry/outloud/tennyson.shtmlThomas Edison sent his agents to the Poet Laureate, Lord Tennyson’s home to record his voice on wax cylinders in 1890. Listen to the poet read his work, and then reflect on the impact of your own work today. (Requires Real Player).Bev Blaylockhttp://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=196604659If you are trying to “make the case for technology”, here are eight more reasons to add to your list.Bev Blaylockhttp://pc.innovativeteachers.com/mpc_web/PeerCoaching/pc_home.aspxThe Peer Coaching Program, sponsored by Microsoft, is designed to help schools implement a professional development model that can enhance standards-based instruction by assisting teachers to offer students engaging, technology rich, learning activities.The Peer Coaching Program trains teacher leaders to serve as peer coaches for colleagues. As coaches, these teachers assist their peers in identifying ways that technology can strengthen classroom curriculum and enhance their students’ academic achievement. Be sure to check out the Portfolios tab.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.usac.org/sl/about/training-presentations/training-2007/fall/2007-fall-training-presentation.aspxIt is time to set up a new notebook for Year 11 E-Rate documentation! Now is the time to review the training materials for 2007-2008 and/or attend a training session within your region. This year there are few changes, and the major focus is “Back to Basics.”Bev Blaylockhttp://www.podcastingnews.com/articles/What_is_Podcasting.htmlPodcasting delivers audio content to iPods and other media players (including your computer) on demand. Here’s the basic process:1. Publishers create audio content and post it to a web server, usually as an MP3 file.2. They then publish an RSS newsfeed that provides descriptive information about the podcast, along with an “enclosure” of the actual audio file.3. End-users subscribe to the RSS feed, using a free application, such as iPlodder or Feedburner, which is able to separate the descriptive information from the enclosed audio file and sync the audio file with the appropriate media player preferred by the user.4. End users are then able to listen to the podcast on demand.Bev Blaylockhttp://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/our-feature-presentation.htmlGoogle has added a presentation feature to its web-based document and spreadsheet suite. Presentations -- whether imported from existing files or created using the new slide editor -- can be edited, shared, and published using the familiar Google Docs interface, with several collaborators working on a slide deck simultaneously, in real time. When it's time to present, participants can simply click a link to follow along as the presenter takes the audience through the slideshow. Participants are connected through Google Talk and can chat about the presentation as they're watching. Visit this blog and view the YouTube video, and the links that may just convince you to try it out!Bev Blaylockhttp://teachers.yahoo.com/ Yahoo is in the beta release of a new social networking site where teachers share ideas and lesson plans. Visit the site, watch the introduction video, and sign up to be notified when the site goes live.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cetpa-k12.org/events/schedule.php?evt=4&cmd=vi&typ=typ&id=1TechSETS is hosting a provocative panel discussion at CETPA that you won’t want to miss! We have selected teams of superintendents and technology leaders who will share their strategies for successful CEO-CTO collaboration. Learn from the very best as superintendents respond to questions such as, “What would be the ONE piece of advice you would give to your Technology Director?” Identify with your peers as they respond to, “What would be the ONE piece of advice you would give to your Superintendent?” Please reserve Wednesday, October 10th from 1:30 – 3:20 in the Barcelona room. Also, bring your own questions for the interactive Q & A session following the main presentation.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.infinitethinking.org/2007/09/tech-savvy-learning-communities-la.htmlMoodle is a free learning management system, similar to Blackboard and WebCT. Many schools are using it to either offer online or hybrid courses, or as a digital space for a face-to-face class where students can submit homework, view resources, or have online conversations. This blog discussion provides a five-step strategy for a successful Moodle implementation.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/re/ht/yr07wildfires10.aspSchool facilities will not lose Average Daily Attendance (ADA funding if they were used as community shelters or forced to close during the recent October 2007 fire storm. In addition, Class Size Reduction calculations will be modified for classrooms that had to accept additional students due to the fires. For students who missed CELDT, CAHSEE, STAR, or NAEP tests, flexibility is allowed.Bev Blaylockhttp://edtechvalley.blogspot.com/2007/10/google-model.htmlWhat if we ran schools like Google runs their business? At Google, employees are allowed to spend one day a week working on a personal project. From those projects come some of the best new ideas! What would happen if students and teachers could do the same?Check out the two You Tube videos at this site to learn more, and then ask yourself this question, "What would my project be if I had one day each week to work on it?"Bev Blaylockhttp://www.wiziq.com/WiZiQ (Wiz-IQ) brings students and teachers together regardless of boundaries. With absolutely no cost to join or use its state-of-the-art virtual classroom, WiZiQ is becoming a vital tool in an online teacher’s or a student’s toolkit. This product is similar to Elluminate, but free.As members meet with other WiZiQ members, teachers and students who share subjects of your interest:1. Find, share, download or upload Powerpoints on educational subjects and topics.2. Use an intuitive interface to schedule sessions with a single participant or a group.3. Teach and learn live, online in WiZiQ’s virtual classroom technology that needs no downloads and launches with just a few clicks.Bev Blaylockhttp://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.phpYou only have until November 26th to take advantage of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Foundation donation program. Under the promotional rules, you pay $399 plus shipping (two hundred dollars of the amount is tax deductible) for two laptops. The Foundation donates one XO laptop to a child in a developing nation, and you keep the other one for the child in your life. Patty MacIntyrehttp://www.k12hsn.org/programs/erate/training_materials.phpFor anyone who was not able to attend the Beginning or Intermediate/Advanced E-rate training sessions sponsored by the K-12 High Speed Network (HSN) and California Department of Education (CDE), the PowerPoint presentations and supporting documents are now available on the K12HSN website. Patty MacIntyrehttp://www.cue.orgThe 30th annual Computer-Using Educators (CUE) conference will be held at the Palm Springs Convention Center on March 6-8, 2008. The conference features hundreds of concurrent sessions for K-12 educators (beginners to advanced), hands-on workshops, professional development seminars, special interest group (SIG) meetings, captivating keynote speakers, and a statewide Student Technology Showcase. •Save $50 on Pre-Registration (deadline: February 15th)Patty MacIntyrehttp://www.atomiclearning.comThe TechSETS website will soon provide updated information regarding 2008 statewide pricing for Atomic Learning subscriptions. Individual accounts will be available for $25 for those who sign up through the California Technology Assistance Project (CTAP) consortium. The information will be posted no later than January 31st. Please click the Training tab and then click on Atomic Learning.