eTech Ohio Connections
Volume 2, Issue 9

• eTech Ohio is now the state's primary contact for K-12 videoconferencing services.
  
  eTech Ohio Videoconference Services provide video bridging for Ohio's K-12 School Districts, Content Providers and various state agencies. We also bridge sites on our network to sites all over the world via ISDN. eTech Ohio Videoconference Services support transmission protocols for H.320 Direct connect T-1, ISDN and H.321 ATM.
  
  The VC Wizard scheduling interface remain the same, and customers can access this site via a link from the eTech Ohio website. Ohio's K-12 education community should contact eTech Ohio for all videoconferencing needs and issues.
  
  Contact eTech Ohio network services at 877.VIDEO.40 (877.843.3640).

• The Ohio K-12 Network application is now available online. Districts will again need to use their Hall Pass accounts to apply for the subsidy.
  
  There are some important changes to the program requirements this year, including increased eligibility for additional wireless WANs and metro-Ethernet service offerings. Districts will still need to complete the online application including an updated WAN diagram, and applicants are still required to have completed an eligible Funding Year 2006 E-Rate application. The per-building allocation for FY07 remains at $3,000 per eligible building.
  
  Eligible entities include all Public Schools, Community Schools, Educational Service Centers, Joint Vocational Schools, Ohio School for the Deaf, Ohio School for the Blind, and the Dept. of Youth Services. In order to receive funding, all entities must be in compliance with the program guidelines.
  
  The application deadline for this year is Tuesday, October 31, 2006, and there will be NO LATE APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED.
  
  Should you have any questions concerning the application process, please contact program manager Scott Gaughan at 614.485.6004.

• eTech Ohio will provide nine E-Rate Workshop sessions for the 2007-08 funding year for school officials at locations across Ohio in October and December 2006.
  
  October workshops will include information on the many program changes for the new funding year, program compliance and deadlines, as well as step-by-step instruction for filing the Form 470, the first form in the application process. eTech Ohio October 2006 E-Rate Workshops are scheduled for:
  
  
  • October 3: Muskingum Valley ESC, Zanesville
  • October 6: Upper Arlington Library, Columbus
  • October 10: Jefferson Community College, Steubenville
  • October 12: NOECA, Sandusky
  • October 13: NWOET Conference, Lima
  • October 18: Butler Tech Center, Hamilton
  • October 19: SCOCA, Piketon
  • October 20: WNEO, Kent
  • October 24: NWOCA, Archbold/Toledo area
  
  December eTech Ohio E-Rate Workshops will offer step-by-step instructions on preparing and filing the Form 471, the form requesting discounts on eligible services ordered. eTech Ohio December 2006 E-Rate Workshops are scheduled for:
  
  
  • December 1: NWOCA, Archbold/Toledo area
  • December 4: Auglaize ESC, Wapakoneta (AM)
  • December 5: SCOCA, Piketon (AM)
  • December 6: Upper Arlington Library, Columbus
  • December 7: NOECA, Sandusky (AM)
  • December 8: WNEO, Kent (AM)
  • December 11: Jefferson Community College, Steubenville (PM)
  • December 12: SOITA Conference, Dayton (PM)
  • December 14: Muskingum Valley ESC, Zanesville (AM)
  
  Details and registration will be provided on the eTech Ohio website. Registration will take place using eTech Ohio Opportunity Tracking Tool, which requires a Hall Pass account. Potential registrants will need to login with an existing Hall Pass account or create a new account to begin the registration process. Registration information for all workshops is available NOW in the Current Opportunities section of the eTech Ohio website.
  
  Through Wave 18 of the 2006-07 funding year, Ohio applicants have received $29M in E-Rate discount awards. Funding waves are being announced by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) program administrators every week.
  
  eTech Ohio provides E-Rate program support including technology planning, annual workshops, listserv news and information and individual problem resolution. eTech Ohio also provides E-Rate support and information to public libraries through an agreement with the State Library of Ohio. For more information on the federal E-Rate program, contact Dan Farslow at 877.383.2406.

• Mark your calendars! eTech Ohio presents the ninth annual Educational Technology Conference, Ohio Connects! Technology for Learning February 12, 13 and 14, 2007, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
  
  Registration is now available through the Conference website. Online registration is NOW OPEN. The Early Bird Registration deadline is Wednesday, December 13, 2006.
  
  
• Call for Nominations: 2007 Educator Awards: eTech Ohio is currently accepting proposals for Educator Awards presented in conjunction with the 2007 Educational Technology Conference. Educator Awards honor annual achievements and accomplishments in support of learning and student achievement through the use of educational technology in Ohio PK-12 education. The Call for Nominations for Technology Teacher of the Year (TTOY) and Technology Coordinator of the Year (TCOY) is NOW OPEN. Submit a nomination online. The Call for Nominations for Technology Leader Administrator of the Year (TLAY) will be available soon. The deadline for all Educator Award nominations is Wednesday, October 25, 2006.
  
  
• Call for Proposals: Interested in sharing new ideas or successful practices for improving learning through the use of technology? Consider presenting at Conference 2007. The Call for Proposals for Concurrent Sessions, Panel Sessions (NEW for 2007), Student Displays and Teacher Displays (NEW for 2007) is now available through the Conference website.
  
  The deadline for Concurrent Session and Panel Session proposals is Wednesday, October 11, 2006. The deadline for Student Display and Teacher Display proposals is Wednesday, October 25, 2006.
  
  
• Call for Submissions: 2007 Student Video Contest: eTech Ohio and the Ohio Public Television Stations are pleased to announce the 2007 Student Video Contest. Student Video Contest 2007 recognizes outstanding student achievement in grades 6-12 in the use of video production technologies while meeting Ohio state academic content standards and other instructional objectives. Complete details - including the application form - can be found on the Conference website.
  
  
• The Call for Volunteers for the 2007 eTech Ohio Educational Technology Conference is Now Open! Conference volunteers provide services and assistance necessary for making the eTech Ohio Educational Technology Conference a reality. Volunteers agree to work eight (8) hours onsite at the 2007 Educational Technology Conference - February 12, 13 and 14, 2007. From providing labor - such as stuffing or distributing Conference bags - to staffing key areas of the Conference - such as the Information Center and the Presenter Ready Room - volunteers serve many key and essential roles at the Conference.
  
  Anyone with an interest in educational technology and life-long learning who is interested in taking an active role in the Conference is eligible to serve as a volunteer.
  
  Volunteers receive complimentary full-Conference registration and lunch for all three (3) days of the Conference. Volunteers are also provided with a complimentary t-shirt to be worn during their hours of service.
  
  Access the online volunteer application form now.
  
  
• 2007 Exhibition Space: Is your company or organization interested in exhibiting at Conference 2007? Join the hundreds of other private companies and public entities who exhibit during the three days of the Conference. 49% of Conference attendees report spending 3 or more hours in the Exhibit Hall while at the Conference. It's an excellent opportunity to connect with current customers/clients while also discovering new ones. Contact Conference exhibit hall staff or information about available booth space and rates for Conference 2007.
  
  Additional questions or inquiries about the eTech Ohio Educational Technology Conference can be directed to the Conference Team at 1.877.383.2406.

• PBS 45 & 49 announces the appointment of Jeffery P. Good as director of education.  Good has more than 15 years of public education experience, with a specialty in building distance learning networks and educational resources for networks.
  
  Good recently relocated to Ohio from Flint, Mich., where he was manager of interactive media operations, technology and media services for the Genesee Intermediate School District.  He has also held educational media technology positions at several school systems in Michigan and Ohio, and was associate director of Media Services at Youngstown State University.
  
  A 1987 graduate of Youngstown State University, Good holds a Master of Arts degree in education curriculum and technology from University of Phoenix in Arizona.  He also holds a high school teaching certificate and a supervisory certificate from the State of Ohio's Department of Education. 
  
  In his new position with PBS 45 & 49, Good will oversee the K-12 services the station provides to 21,000 educators and 257,440 students in 96 public and 134 nonpublic school districts throughout its eight-county service area.  These include technology training for teachers, Web-based projects, distance learning projects and instructional television programming and multimedia content.  He will direct and manage PBS 45 & 49's local educational services, including Ready To Lead in Literacy and Ohio Ready To Learn.  Good also will serve as the organization's primary contact with the Ohio Department of Education and eTech Ohio.
  
  
• The WMUB News Team received three awards from the Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI) during ceremonies July 22 in Los Angeles. The Awards received are in Division C, for stations with newsrooms comprised of 2 or fewer full-time staff members:
  
  
  • Breaking News, Second Place, "Oxford Fire" (produced by Tana Weingartner, Ben Weinberg and John Hingsbergen)
  • Continuing Coverage, First Place, "Katrina Coverage" (produced by Cheri Lawson, Tana Weingartner & Kristin Oberlander)
  • Spot News, Second Place, "Fallen Marines" (produced by Tana Weingartner)
  
  For more information, contact WMUB Program Director John Hingsbergen, 513.529.5894.
  
  
• WORDS Radio Reading Service hosts Leaders Are Readers!
  
  Jillian Froment, executive director of eTech Ohio, was one of 25 "celebrity" guests to read during the "Readers Are Leaders" event in the studios of WORDS Radio Reading Service at Goodwill Easter Seals headquarters in Dayton, Ohio.
  
  Each year, special guest readers are chosen from corporations, politics, foundations, the arts and media to fill in for the regular volunteer readers on WORDS and read articles from the Dayton Daily News and The Wall Street Journal live over a subcarrier frequency to thousands of blind and disabled listeners. These listeners hear WORDS over special radios tuned to the subcarrier channel of WDPR/WDPG FM.
  
  WORDS is one of eight Radio Reading Services in Ohio which serves the needs of Ohio residents who can't access printed information because of visual- physical- or mental-disability.
  
  "With Radio Reading being part of the broadcasting alliance -- along with public television and public radio -- working through eTech Ohio, it seemed appropriate to invite Jillian to take part in our annual event," said Jane McBride, WORDS Coordinator.
  
  
• On August 1, 2006, Scot Mullins replaced Peggy Fain as Executive Director at the Scioto Radio Reading Service in Portsmouth. Mullins has been Assistant Director of SRRS since 1999. Ms. Fain leaves the Service as Director since 1990 to move to Tennessee.
  
  The SRRS Board of Directors in August also announced the hiring of Lisa Potts as Broadcast Operations Director.  Lisa comes to SRRS with years of radio experience, knowledge and talent.  As Broadcast Operations Director, Potts has been expanding the broadcast schedule of SRRS to air more locally produced programs and programs provided by the International Association of Audio Information Services. (IAAIS)
  
  Contact SRRS for additional information at 740.354.3909 or visit the SRRS website.

• TSCO is gearing up for the new school year and will have a lot of professional development opportunities for you. Along with their traditional classes, a series of project based learning classes has been added focusing on media in the classroom, digital storytelling, differentiated instruction, Google Earth, podcasts, blogs and wikis.
  
  The Interactive video distance learning class presented by WOSU will continue. In addition, new IVDL classes that feature content experts throughout the state will be added. Online classes continue to grow. The new course line-up has been expanded to include a series of online classes that start this winter including "Writing Across the Curriculum through Digital Scrapbooking" and "Creating Web Pages with Dreamweaver."
  
  Instructional Television programming will continue to air every Wednesday through Friday morning from 4:00-7:00 AM. Check out our online catalog and schedule for upcoming programming. ITSCO will also continue to offer PowerMediaPlus Media-On-Demand to all schools throughout Central Ohio. PowerMediaPlus offers school districts over 50,000 media components that focus on all K-12 curricular areas.
  
  A complete list of classes, dates, descriptions and registration information will be available at the launch of ITSCO's new website at the end of September .Visit our website today to see the new look and all of the new resources -- and to sign up for our quarterly enews! For more information, contact us at 614.247.8400.