eTech Ohio Connections Volume 1, Issue 2

October 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 13 of the 2005-2006 funding year, Ohio applicants have received $38M in E-Rate discount awards. Funding waves are being announced by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) program administrators every week.

  eTech Ohio October 2005 E-Rate Workshops for the 2006-07 funding year are now open for registration on the eTech Ohio website. Registration will take place using the eTech Ohio Opportunity Tracking Tool, which requires a MHall Pass account. Registrants will need to login with an existing Hall Pass account or create a new account to begin the registration process.

  There will be 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 is available NOW in the Current Opportunities section of the eTech Ohio website.

  eTech Ohio provides E-Rate program support including technology planning, nnual 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.

Ohio K-12 Network

• The FY06 Ohio K-12 Network (formerly ONEnet Ohio) application is currently available online through Friday, October 28, 2005. 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.

  All Ohio public school buildings that meet the connectivity requirements for Ohio K-12 Network funding are eligible for $3000 each. These funds are to be used to offset the cost of connectivity fees and services necessary to participate in the Ohio K-12 Network.

  Please contact project coordinator Barb Bloxam at 800-644-6761 or your local eTech Ohio field representative. For technical support, please call 1-800-644-6761.

Grants and Subsidies Administration

Telecommunity

• 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.

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 by the end of October 2005 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), Interactive Video Distance Learning (IVDL) Content Provider Table Displays and Conference Documentary Team
    • All proposals and nominations must be submitted online and require a Hall Pass account
    • Visit the Conference website for details about proposals and nominations for Conference 2006.
  • Wednesday, November 9, 2005: Student Video Contest deadline
    • SVC 2006 co-sponsored by Ohio public television stations.
    • Submissions should be sent to one's local public television station by Wednesday, November 9, 2005.
    • Visit the Conference website for details and the SVC 2006 Submission.
  • Wednesday, December 14, 2005: Early Bird registration deadline; Conference attendee registration rates increase after this date
    • 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.

• Student Video Contest : Ohio students, grades 6-12, are invited to create a video that will "Tell a Story" or Illustrate a Concept" in five minutes or less and submit it to the Student Video Contest (SVC) 2006. This is a fantastic opportunity for your students to showcase their student-produced videos, offering regional and statewide venues for students' unique voices and visions. The structure of the Student Video Contest has changed for 2006 with the introduction of four regional contests. eTech Ohio is collaborating with Ohio public television stations (WGTE/Toledo, WBGU/Bowling Green, WVIZ/Cleveland, WNEO/Kent, WOSU/Columbus, WOUB/Athens, WPTD/Dayton and WCET/Cincinnati) in support of a productive and memorable educational experience for students in grades 6-12 through Student Video Contest (SVC) 2006.

  Video submissions can express their chosen theme using any style or format, but must be submitted in mini-DV format or on standard, full-sized VHS tape. Entries over five minutes long will not be considered. Video submissions to the regional contests must be received by the stations by Wednesday, November 9, 2005. Winners from these regional contests will advance to compete in the statewide contest in December 2005. Eight state finalists will be selected and invited to attend the 2006 State Technology Conference on Tuesday, February 14, 2006. Four of these eight finalists will be chosen as Student Video Contest 2006 Videos of the Year.

  Visit our website or contact field representative Maureen Davis for more information about SVC 2006.

eLearning - Online Professional Development

• eTech Ohio and ODE to offer eLearning - Online Professional Development courses! eTech Ohio and the ODE will be offering several eLearning - Online Professional Development courses that will begin in January 2006. Registration will be available online from Tuesday, November 1 - Thursday, December 15, 2005.

  The courses will range from three to ten weeks, depending on the content of each course. Graduate credit or certificates of participation will be offered for each course. Detailed course information and registration will be available Tuesday, November 1 - Thursday, December 15, 2005.

  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!

• eTech Ohio and the Ohio Department of Education 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.

  For additional information about the program, contact the eLearning team, at 800.644.6761.

PD Grant Funds

• Professional Development Grant funds assist eligible entities in providing technology professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators that are aligned with their Technology Plan and/or their CCIP. The spending deadline (checks cut) for FY04-05 funds was Thursday, September 15, 2005. Any FY04-05 funds not spent by the deadline must be returned. All entities receiving PD Grant funds in FY04 and/or FY05 must complete and submit the online Final Project Report and Final Expenditure Report by Friday, September 30, 2005. These documents are available to the funded entity?s PD Contact on the eTech Ohio website through the My Applications feature.

  The State Budget Bill has made professional development grant funding available for FY06 and FY07. The eTech Ohio Commission will review and approve the FY06-07 PD Grant plan and allocations when they meet this fall. We anticipate that the application for the FY06-07 PD Grant will be available to customers online shortly after this occurs. Notification of the availability of the FY06-07 PD Grant application and directions for accessing it will be sent to the PD Contact of all eligible entities via email. Review of FY06-07 applications will be based on approval of the FY04-05 Final Project Report and Final Expenditure Report.

  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.

Action Research

• Visit eTech's new action research resource! eTech Ohio has created a new resource which provides information about action research and shares findings from studies conducted through the Action Research and Technology online course offered through eTech. The site explains what action research is, how teachers can get involved in action research and provides the study reports from teachers who participated in the course as well as brief interviews with the facilitator and a participant.

  Please contact consultant Sandy Paxton, or your eTech Ohio field representative with any questions about action research.

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 Leadership for Integrating Technology (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 of Ohio LIT will begin the week of October 3. The purpose of the program is to help K-12 superintendents and principals 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.

  The course meets three times during a period of 12-14 weeks. In between course meetings, participants complete job-embedded assignments designed to assist them as they engage stakeholders in continuous improvement and instructional technology planning. An online community provides access to resources and discussion areas to support participants in their work. 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.

  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 is now open to district staff, 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...

University Events and WOUB Radio bring Mountain Stage to Athens

• Mountain Stage, a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, will appear at Ohio University's Templeton Blackburn Memorial Auditorium for a live taping on October 2, at 7 p.m. The WOUB Radio Network and the Ohio University Performing Arts Series are sponsoring the show, which will feature Son Volt, Charlie Sexton, Eric Bibb, Over the Rhine, and Adrienne Young and Little Sadie.

  Son Volt plays an eclectic mix of music with Jay Farrar leading the 5 member band. The band will be playing songs from their recently released CD "Okemah and the melody of Riot."

  Charlie Sexton, who is only in his early twenties, has already had several phases to his career. Sexton, raised in Austin, Texas, made his debut with Pictures For Pleasure in 1985 at age 16. Word of his reputation as a prodigy guitar player spread and he found himself an in-demand session player while still in his late teens.

  Eric Bibb grew up surrounded by musicians and fell in love with the blues. Although his travels took him all over the world and he had a brief stint writing pop songs, he returned to his love of the blues.

  Over the Rhine borrowed their name from one of Cincinnati?s most colorful and controversial neighborhoods. For their new album, "Drunkard?s Prayer," Over the Rhine made a relaxed, emotionally vulnerable record in their living room. The album showcases the band?s talent and love of songwriting.

  Adrienne Young and Little Sadie performs "urbane bluegrass." Adrienne Young and Little Sadie have a subtle aura of social commentary included in their music that speaks to audiences about issues in society today.

  Mountain Stage is a series of two-hour specials that presents acts ranging from traditional roots and country music to avant-garde rock and jazz. Mountain Stage producers respect the musicians who keep traditions alive as well as the innovators who forge ahead. In addition to showcasing both established and emerging artists from the United States, Mountain Stage has featured artists from all over the world. Mountain Stage can be heard every Saturday at 8 p.m. on WOUB-FM.

  Tickets are available at the Templeton-Blackburn Memorial Auditorium box office by calling 740.593.1780.

Access Online Graduate Credit

• K-12 Educators searching for an affordable, convenient way to obtain graduate credit should consider the benefits of enrolling in TeacherLine Courses from ETSEO/WOUB and partner, WVIZ, Cleveland.

  These six-week, facilitated online courses have been developed by leading educational curriculum specialists, and are aligned with national and state standards. Educators can use TeacherLine Courses for re-certification and/or salary upgrades by obtaining two semester hours of graduate credit from Ashland University or Cleveland University for $120/credit hour or $240 for each online course. The TeacherLine Courses fee in $200 for a total of $440 for each two credit online graduate course.

  The registration deadline for the Fall Session, Wednesday, October 12 - Wednesday, November 23, 2005, is Tuesday, October 11, 2005. Visit the WOUB website and click on the TeacherLine logo on the right of the page to view details about Teacherline Courses content and procedures. More information is also available on the WVIZ website.

  Additional online courses are available through PBS National -- just click on National PBS TeacherLine under the same TeacherLine logo at the bottom right of the page. Better yet, eTSEO/WOUB will organize and implement a facilitated "closed session" online graduate credit course for a group of 12 or more educators from the same district, ESC, SERRC, etc. For more information or assistance, please contact ETSEO at 740.593.6572.

WGTE Public Broadcasting Awarded Grants to Promote Literacy and Child Development

• WGTE Public Broadcasting has received three special grants, one from the United Way's Women's Initiative in the amount of $15,069 to promote family literacy locally, the second from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the amount of $35,000 to promote literacy throughout the WGTE broadcast area, and the third from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Service in the amount of $1.2 million to promote early child development state-wide.

  The United Way grant, entitled "Big Bird, Books and Beginnings," will allow WGTE's Early Learning staff, while working with parent support organizations in the Scott, Libby and Woodward School districts, to conduct a series of three free workshops for parents of children ages 0-8. Each workshop will focus on reading readiness by concentrating on vocabulary and word recognition. The first two sessions are intended for parent participation only, while the third session is for both parents and children. Refreshments will be served and childcare will be provided. Participants attending at least two of three workshops will receive a membership with WGTE's Early Learning Lending Library and storybooks to take home. The approximate one-hour long workshops will begin soon and continue through June 30, 2006.

  The Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant, entitled "Beyond Big Bird, Books and Beginnings," extends the work of the United Way Women's Initiative grant to WGTE's greater broadcast area. The workshops begin soon and continue through August 31, 2006. Additionally, WGTE will continue its broadcast of 8.5 hours of PBS Kids daily and the distribution of storybooks to low income children in our community.

  The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Service grant, entitled "Ohio's Ready to Learn," is a joint venture with all eight PBS stations in the state of Ohio, including WGTE. Each PBS station will conduct a total of 75 workshops, designed for family homecare providers caring for infants and toddlers. The workshops, divided into two sections (Ready to Learn Early and Ready to Learn for Caregivers) with three sessions in each, will focus on topics such as health and safety, cultural diversity and appropriate child behavior development. Free materials will be provided to participants. Two hours of Ohio Department of Job and Family Service in-service credit (ODJFS) will be available to childcare providers, as well as Continuing Education Units (CEU's). The two-hour long workshops will begin soon and continue through June 30, 2007.

  For more information regarding "Big Bird, Books and Beginnings," "Beyond Big Bird, Books and Beginnings" or "Ohio's Ready to Learn" contact WGTE's Director of Early Learning and Outreach, Kathy Smith, at 419.380.4638.