eTech Ohio Connections Volume 1, Issue 1

September 2005

eTech Ohio Connections is a monthly publication of eTech Ohio, giving the latest information on programs, achievements, upcoming opportunities and more. The information is categorized by the agency's core services, which were created by the Governor's Task Force for Consolidating Functions of the Ohio SchoolNet Commission and the Ohio Educational Telecommunications Network Commission in July 2005.

eTech Ohio was created under Am. Sub. H.B. 66 to merge the technology functions and support provided by the Ohio Educational Telecommunications Network Commission (OET) and the Ohio SchoolNet Commission (OSNC). eTech Ohio is legislatively charged with aligning content and technology resources and expertise, eliminating unnecessary duplication of services, providing visionary leadership for enhancing learning through the use of technology for Ohioans of all ages and leveraging shared networking to utilize available resources more efficiently.

Mission: To advance education and accelerate the learning of Ohioans through technology.

Vision: To provide leadership and support in the equal access and use of technology to extend the knowledge of all Ohio citizens.

Core Services: The following core services will be maintained, developed and enhanced by eTech Ohio:

• Network and Infrastructure
• Grants and Subsidies Administration
• Planning and Coordination
• Professional Development and Training
• Research and Evaluation
• Content Management
• Client Support Services
• Applications Development

Be sure to check out the new eTech Ohio website for the latest eTech Ohio news and information.

Network and Infrastructure

E-Rate Support and Information

• Through Wave 8 of the 2005-06 funding year, Ohio applicants have received over $34.5M in E-Rate discount awards. Funding waves are being announced by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD - program administrators) every week.
• SLD expects to begin to announce Priority 2 "internal connections" awards very soon. Internal connections awards will begin for applicants with 87 - 90% discount levels. The discount level for internal connections may go lower as availability of funds is determined.
• Planning is underway for the eTech Ohio October 2005 E-Rate Workshops in preparation for the 2006-2007 funding year. We expect to provide at least eight workshops for school officials at locations across Ohio in both October and December.

  October workshops will include information on program changes for the new funding year, as well as step-by-step instruction for filing the first form in the application process (Form 470).

  December eTech Ohio E-Rate Workshops will offer step-by-step instructions on preparing and filing the Form 471, requesting discounts on eligible services ordered. eTech Ohio also provides E-Rate support and information to public libraries through an agreement with the State Library of Ohio. Registration information for all workshops will be posted on the Opportunities section of the eTech Ohio website soon.

• eTech Ohio provides E-Rate program support including technology planning, annual workshops, listserv news and information, and individual problem resolution. For more information on the federal E-Rate program , contact Dan Farslow at 800.644.6761.

Grants and Subsidies Administration

Telecommunity

• eTech Ohio's Telecommunity program has been providing competitive grants for interactive distance learning and Internet access technologies to enhance K-12 teaching and learning since 1997. While the program has distributed over $30M in subsidy grants, dedicated program resources have always been limited and are close to being distributed across Ohio schools. Unfortunately, FY05 was the last scheduled year for the provision of grant opportunities.

  At present, there are no grant opportunities available through the Telecommunity program. There is a possibility that some funding may become available for future grant rounds, either through recovery and return of committed funds to the program or through service provider stakeholders providing new resources to the Telecommunity. Instructions and application materials for any new funding opportunities through the Telecommunity program will be posted in the Opportunities section of the eTech Ohio website.

  The Telecommunity program is a competitive grant process funded entirely by contributions from Ohio's large local telephone companies. Any and all awards are dependent upon available funding in the telephone service area of the applicant's educational institution. For more information on the Telecommunity contact Dan Farslow at 800.644.6761.

Enhancing Education Throught Technology (EETT)

• eTech Ohio is collaborating with the Ohio Department of Education to administer the federal ESEA Title II D - No Child Left Behind Act - Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program. Approximately $9.9M in federal funds was awarded to 49 new and 46 continuation recipient sites through this competitive application process to eligible Ohio school districts. Awarded sites are beginning their project implementations and are making preparations for the upcoming site visits by program staff in late September early October.

  We are also pleased to announce the release of the 2004-05 recipient EETT Project Portfolio videos. These videos provide wonderful insights into the year 2 local projects from the view of participating teachers and students. For additional information about the competitive grant portion of the EETT program, contact educational technology consultant Edward Hill at 800.644.6761.

Planning and Coordination

Version 3 of the Technology Planning Tool (TPT v3) now Available.

• TPT v3 provides a streamlined, more complete planning framework for integrating technology into district curriculum and classroom instruction. It was designed from the ground-up to be E-Rate compliant. The first two phases of TPT v3 have been available since August 1, 2005. New features and sections will be released approximately every two weeks through the end of October 2005. For more information see the TPT Release Notes.

  Release Schedule:

  • August 1 - Initial launch; Phases 1 & 2; User Management
  • August 23 - Phase 3; Document Library
  • September 13 (estimate) - Phase 4
  • September 20 (estimate) - Phase 5; Archive Plan
  • October 1 (estimate) - Feature enhancements (TBD)

  For more information about TPT v3, contact your eTech Ohio field representative. For technical support, please call 1-800-644-6761.

Professional Development and Training

State Technology Conference 2006

• The eighth annual State Technology Conference is scheduled for February 13-15, 2006 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The theme for the 2006 State Technology Conference is Ohio Connects! Bridging Learning, Technology and Achievement.

  Key Dates and Deadlines:

  • Wednesday, October 5, 2005: Call for Proposals deadline for Concurrent Sessions, Technical Support and Classroom Integration Workshops and Videoconferences
  • Wednesday, October 19, 2005; Call for Proposals deadline for Student Displays, Educator Awards (Technology Teacher, Coordinator and Leader Administrator of the Year) and Conference Documentary Team
  • Wednesday, November 9, 2005: Student Video Contest deadline
  • Wednesday, December 14, 2005: Early Bird registration deadline. Volunteer for Conference 2006 and receive complimentary full-Conference registration and lunch!

  Inquiries about the State Technology Conference should be directed to Simon Buehrer at 800.644.6761.

eLearning - Online Professional Development

• eTech Ohio and the Ohio Department of Education have collaborated to offer 30 eLearning - Online Professional Development courses for PK-12 educators. Registration will be available now through Thursday, September 15, 2005, on a first-come, first-served basis

  Registration will take place using the eTech Ohio Opportunity Tracking Tool, which requires a Hall Pass account. Registrants will need to login with an existing Hall Pass account or create a new account to begin the registration process.

  For more information, contact the eLearning team at 800.644.6761.

Learning and Growing Together: A series of fun and practical online scenarios and resources for parents!

• The Ohio Department of Education and eTech Ohio are working together to produce a series of fun and practical online scenarios and resources for parents, titled Learning and Growing Together. The goal is to demonstrate ways to enhance early learning for reading and writing and mathematics through scenarios, activities, and resources.

  The initial online resource focuses on pre-kindergarten reading and writing. Additional resources will be developed around the reading and writing and mathematic academic content standards in grades pre-kindergarten through eighth. For additional information about the program, contact the eLearning team at 800.644.6761.

PD Grant Funds

• All recipients of FY04 and/or FY05 PD Grant funds are required to complete and submit the online Final Project Report and the online Final Expenditure Report.

  The deadline to spend (cut the check) FY04-05 PD Grant funds is Thursday, September 15, 2005. These funds may not be encumbered to be spent after September 15, 2005. If your organization has not spent all of the PD Grant funds, please contact Unice Teasley at 800-644-6761for suggestions on spending the funds before the deadline.

  The deadline for submitting the Final Project Report and Final Expenditure Report is Friday, September 30, 2005.

  The eTech Ohio Commission will review and approve the FY06-07 PD Grant plan and allocations when they meet in the fall. We anticipate that the applications for FY06-07 PD grants will be available to customers online shortly after this occurs. Approval of the FY04-05 Final Project Report is a requirement for FY06 funding.

  Please contact consultants Unice Teasley, Sandy Paxton or your eTech Ohio field representative with any questions or concerns related to the FY04-05 PD Grant Online Final Report.

TIPs Trainings

• TIPs next step sessions are being now being scheduled to assist districts in planning technology integrated professional development. In these sessions, district teams will review resources, conduct an inventory of current professional development offerings and begin creating a professional development plan for integrating technology. To schedule a TIPs session, contact your local eTech Ohio field representative.
• TIPs Resources: Check out our newest TIPs resources. eTech Ohio has recently conducted interviews with several experts on topics of high interest to educators including technology integration, HQPD, evaluating professional development and technology planning.

Ohio Leadership for Integrating Technology (Ohio LIT)

• Ohio LIT, a State of Ohio program funded in part by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has been extended through June 2006. Round 10 classes will begin at various locations around the state during the week of October 3, 2005.

  The purpose of Ohio LIT is to help K-12 superintendents and principals of K-12 public and non-public schools envision what the effective use of instructional technology can look like in their schools and to help them lead their staffs to realize this vision. A network-ready notebook computer, complete with Microsoft Office programs and a carrying case, is provided as a participation incentive to eligible administrators who complete the Ohio LIT program.

  We've streamlined the online application process to make it faster and easier to apply for Ohio LIT program participation. The online application for Ohio LIT Round 10 will open on Tuesday, September 6, 2005, and will close on Friday, September 23, 2005. To submit an application, go to the eTech Ohio home page and click on the Ohio LIT Round 10 opportunity. For more information about Ohio LIT course content, participation requirements or the Ohio LIT grant partners, visit the Ohio LIT website.

Research and Evaluation

The Biennial Educational Technology Assessment (BETA)

• The Teacher Survey is now open to teachers online. The Teacher Survey measures factors related to teacher and student use of technology. How extensively are your teachers using technology? How effective is tech support at the classroom level? What barriers do your teachers face?

  The Building Survey opens to district staff online beginning Thursday, September 1, 2005, measuring your technology profile - how technology is deployed in your district and the staffing and policies that support it. How does your district compare with similar districts? How does your technology profile relate to teacher and student use? How does this data assist with technology planning in your district?

  New for BETA06-07 - the District Survey has been integrated into the TPT to go beyond just asking, "Do you have?" but assisting you in planning for improvement.

  BETA will provide answers to questions like these and more, offering important guidance both to you and to state policymakers regarding technology funding and support. Completion of the BETA survey is a requirement for many state and federal technology funding programs, including SchoolNet Plus. The deadline to submit the Teacher and Building Surveys is Wednesday, November 23, 2005.

  Please do not hesitate to contact your eTech Ohio field representative or the eTech Ohio customer service desk at 1.800.644.6761.

FYI...

WGUC Becomes 24-Hour Classical Music Station

• A new era of Cincinnati radio began Monday, August 22, when the new WVXU 91.7 FM went on the air.

  Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc.?s, purchase of WVXU from Xavier University was completed at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, August 22 with the transfer of all on-air operations including the new programming schedule. The transfer of $15 million to Xavier University will complete the transaction. WVXU now joins WGUC, Cincinnati?s classical public radio station, as part of Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc.

  The new WVXU programming line-up was determined, in large part, by the results of a comprehensive survey of members and listeners of both WGUC and WVXU. "The original intent of the purchase, to have one station dedicated to classical music and one primarily a news and information source with a strong local presence and diversity of other programming, has been achieved with this line-up," according to Richard Eiswerth, President and CEO of Cincinnati Public Radio Inc.

  As a result of the acquisition of WVXU, 90.9 WGUC will now begin broadcasting classical music 24 hours a day, with the National Public Radio programs All Things Considered (Weekdays from 4-8 pm and Weekends at 5 pm) and Car Talk (Saturdays at 10 am) moving to WVXU but retaining their regular broadcast times.

ideastream (WVIZ) to Relocate at the end of September

• The Idea Center at Playhouse Square will be the new home for the Arts Education activities for Playhouse Square, and will also serve as the broadcast and administrative home of WVIZ/PBS and 90.3 WCPN ideastream.

  With approximately 90,000 square feet of space, the Idea Center features a 300+ seat Black Box Studio Theatre for television productions and performance theater, a street front Dance Studio, a street front television and radio broadcast space, and multi-purpose educational classrooms.

  The unique design of the Idea Center will accommodate the needs of both theatrical and broadcast productions.

  All spaces in the Idea Center are "Wired" for distance learning, television and radio broadcasts.

  For more information, contact ideastream communications director Gene Sasso at 216.739.3869.