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Index reveals what kids are searching for online
What are students searching the web for most frequently while at school? Turns out, it's math games, animals, and historic figures and events, according to an unscientific index of the 15 most popular in-school search terms released by Thinkronize Inc.

South Carolina students to get low-cost laptops
South Carolina is joining the Birmingham, Ala., school system in implementing low-cost laptops from the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child initiative here in the United States, reports the Post and Courier of Charleston, S.C.

Students demo uses for Google cell-phone OS
What do you want your cell phone to be able to do? Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Hal Abelson put that question to about 20 computer-science students this semester when he gave them one assignment: Design a software program for cell phones that use Google Inc.'s upcoming Android mobile operating system.

Schools will have until 2009 to buy Windows XP
Microsoft will stop offering Windows XP in retail stores June 30, but at least two major computer manufacturers say school districts, colleges, and universities will be able to buy machines with the older operating system until January 2009, as Windows Vista--released last year--remains unpopular with many consumers.

Comcast mulling web-usage cap to discourage 'excessive' use
Comcast Corp., the nation's second-largest internet service provider, is considering setting an official limit on the amount of data that subscribers can download per month and charging a fee for those who go over, the Associated Press reports.

Wilmington, N.C., to test change over to digital TV
Residents of Wilmington, N.C., soon will become laboratory rats in the nation's transition to digital TV, reports USA Today.

Broadband over power lines fails to catch on
Once touted as a possible third option for home broadband access that could compete with phone and cable companies, the idea of providing high-speed internet service over power lines now looks like it has died in infancy, the Associated Press reports.

Online insight: Challenges beat cheerleading
Simply providing online discussion forums is not enough to keep students engaged in virtual courses, according to educators who are well-versed in online instruction: For real learning to occur in an online setting, virtual-school educators must establish clear rubrics and enforce rules for participation.

Schools hope web will help speed up testing results
The Sun-Sentinel of South Florida reports that Palm Beach and Broward County high school freshmen and sophomores finished the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test by mid-March--yet, more than six weeks later, they still don't know the scores.

More than 250 install Purdue supercomputer
Purdue University professors and technology staff accomplished something May 5 that typically takes about six weeks, reports the Journal & Courier of Lafeyette, Indiana: They installed a supercomputer.
Ed Tech News

Enhancing Education Through Technology Requirement

NCLB, Title II, D Goal 2-A

To assist every student in crossing the digital divide by ensuring that every student is technologically literate by the time the student finishes the eighth grade, regardless of the student’s race, ethnicity, gender, family income, geographic location, or disability.

 

SETDA  (State Education Technology Directors Assoc) Definition

Technology literacy is the ability to responsibly use appropriate technology to communicate, solve problems, and access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information to improve learning in all subject areas and to acquire lifelong knowledge and skills in the 21st century.

 

Recommended Curriculum

KSDE has incorporated state technology literacy standards within the Kansas Model Curricular Standards for Library Media & Technology Literacy which were approved by the Kansas State Board of Education in June of 2007.  These standards incorporate the ISTE NETS for Students.   It is recommended that districts use this document as the primary resource and adapt it for developing benchmarks, indicators, and instructional activities at each grade at the local level.    CLICK HERE for a link to the Library Media Literacy standards.

 

Assessment Methods

The method of assessment used is determined at the local level. The assessment method can be:

 

·         knowledge based (test)

·         grades in a required 8th grade course

·         performance based (checklist/rubric)

·         e-portfolio based (collected over a period of years)

·         project based

·         combination of any of the above


These assessment methods can be used with each standard individually or clustered where it is appropriate.

Assessment Resources: Measuring Student Proficiency

 

  • The Technology Literacy Proficiency Checklist for K–8 students was developed in response to a request from the state members of the North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium (NCRTEC) at Learning Point Associates, founded as the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL).  http://www.ncrel.org/tech/nets/
  • Online Rubrics and Rubric Tools:   RubiStar  www.altec.org

  • Online Surveys and Survey Tools:

o       ProfilerPro (existing skill surveys available!)- http://profilerpro.com/

o       Survey Monkey- http://surveymonkey.com/ 

o       Zoomerang- http://info.zoomerang.com/

  • Dr. Mirah Dow from the School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University has developed an Information and Technology Assessment.  There are three forms:

o       8th Grade Information & Technology Literacy Product/Project Contract

o       Information and Technology Evaluation Rubric

o       Annual Analysis of 8th Grade Students Information & Technology Literacy Form

 

These resources are located at:  http://slim.emporia.edu/kschool/home.htm  

  • 21st Century Skills Audit Tool, developed by Sioux Falls School District in South Dakota http://workshop.altec.org/TRCeval/documents/21skills.doc

  • ISTE has collaborated with Microsoft in the development of the NETS Online Technology Assessment to help teachers measure student skills in using software applications and help measure student progress toward meeting the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS•S). These assessment resources were developed to help support educators of middle school students as they worked towards the 8th grade technology literacy requirement.  These resources are available at:     http://www.iste.org/resources/asmt/msiste

Have a locally developed checklist or resource to share?   Share it with us!  Email Melinda Stanley at mstanley@ksde.org .

Assessment Resources:  Measuring Classroom Level Technology Implementation

Levels of Technology Implementation (LoTi) provides a framework for measuring authentic classroom technology integration, with an emphasis on higher order thinking.  http://www.loticonnection.com

Northwest Educational Technology consortium has tools for assessing Technology Integration, including Observation Protocol (OPTIC) for assessing the degree of technology integration occurring in classrooms/schools.   http://www.netc.org/assessing/home/integration.php

 

 

Guiding Documents/Standards/Research

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml

Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001

http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg34.html#sec2401

ISTE Student NETS Technology Standards have been revised and now incorporate 21st Century Skills at http://cnets.iste.org/index.shtml

 

21st Century Skills documentation at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

 

About These Resources
In an effort to facilitate local choice, The Technology Assistance for Kansas Educators Team has identified some products and strategies that can be used to address student technology literacy. This toolkit serves as a guide to assist schools in addressing student technology literacy as defined by NCLB. The resources listed on this website are provided solely for informational purposes, and do not constitute and shall not be construed in whole or part as an endorsement of a vendor or a product by the Kansas State Department of Education, the Kansas State Board of Education, or any employee or Office of the Department. This list is not exhaustive or conclusive, and the Kansas State Department of Education makes no representation or claim as to the suitability or usability of any resource for a particular purpose. There are other products available that may serve district needs in addressing student technology literacy, including system-created assessment strategies. The TAKE Team at KSDE is open to reviewing/adding resources for inclusion in this toolkit. It is solely the decision of each school district to determine what assessment tools or strategies are appropriate for addressing student technology literacy.