Family Computer Workshop @ Weathersfield

Welcome to the computer lab!  This evening we're going to look at a number of sites online, that provide resources for you to work with your children to help reinforce concepts that they have learned at school.  The first thing that you will need to do is click on the word "handout."  Save this to the desktop.  (If you need help, just ask.)  All of the sites that we will visit during this session are active links on the handout.  These sites are free, safe and are accessible from home.  If you have a computer at home but do not have interest access, ask Art to send home a CD with your child that will have many of the online simulations that we view tonight.

Where did all of the ARRA technology $ go?

Just released...A Preliminary Report on State Administration of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009: Enhancing Education Through Technology Program. ARRA Investments in Technology, Innovation, and K-12 Reform: The Digital Education Funding Cliff, November 2010.

Looking for 12+ good teachers across disciplines and grades.

Vita-Learn has limited openings left for individuals who are interested in improving their technology skills, like to help others, and want to influence the use of technology in their schools.  We will pay $585 to help you on your way. (Combine this with local PD $$ and do this for no personal cost :)

Become a part of the leaders’ teams who are influencing the use of technology in our schools. Play a critical part in advancing the use and integration of technology in our schools providing 21st Century Skills and Learning for our students.

Earn 120 hours of Professional Development credits, (8 Grad Credits for salary advancement) and a Certificate of accomplishment for the ISTE NETS-T for teachers.

Check Out the 3 courses Starting January 27th 2011 http://tinyurl.com/VitaCertCourses

Indicate your interest by signing up at: http://tinyurl.com/Vitapd or go to: http://www.vits-learn.org  click on Scholarship

For more information contact: Neil Manders, Vita PD Grant Coordinator  Neil@techmastervt.com  802-257-1258

New National Educational Technology Plan

It was just released November 9th.  Download the full version or the executive summary.

Free online texts and course materials

Long before the iPod or Kindle there was Project Gutenberg, an online depository of thousands of free books...today there are over 33,000 available for free.  Today's version of the Project is Curriki.  It has thousands of course materials and Smart Notebook activities.  For free access to these and other sites, download the handout.

Thanks to Weathersfield's Laura Berry for this information.

VT's New Technology GEs

The new Technology GEs have just been released.  Read and download by chapter at the Tech GEs wiki or download the complete text in either Word or PDF format. 


What exactly is a GE? A grade expectation [GE] is a stated objective that relates directly to a Vermont standard and associated evidences. A GE differentiates performance on content knowledge or skills between adjacent grade levels and describe clearly what students will do to show that they understand a designated concept.) 

Google Docs tutorial

Google Docs is a free online program that allows users to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations online and share them with others for collaboration. This allows educators and students to share their work with others, collaborate on assignments, and save documents online for access at school or at home.


You can watch the brief introductory video


and download a hard copy set of directions.