 |
Friday, August 28, 2009 |
In this issue: |
Stakeholder ConsultationEffective September 2009, School Technology Branch will be making some changes to its stakeholder consultation process. Jurisdiction Technology Contact (JTC) events will become the primary means of consultation, and short-term working groups will be used as needed to consult on emergent issues in a timely manner. Both the School Technology Advisory Council (STAC) and Technology Advisory Group (TAG) will be discontinued as part of this evolution. Stakeholder organizations who were formerly members of STAC will be invited to attend JTC events, and will be included on working groups where appropriate. Changes to JTC and the addition of issue-specific working groups are intended to make better use of stakeholders’ time and effort. These changes will also enable School Technology Branch to solicit feedback from a broader group of stakeholders. Wherever possible and appropriate, any working groups that are initiated will incorporate technology-mediated options for meetings and collaboration in order to reduce time and travel burden for participants. If you have any questions about these changes, please contact Bette Gray, Director, School Technology Branch, at Bette.Gray@gov.ab.ca or by phone at 780-427-1509.
|
School Technology Branch Staffing UpdateSchool Technology Branch has seconded Ralph Luedtke as an Education Manager for the Emerge One-to-One Laptop Learning project. A former junior high teacher, Ralph taught science and math prior to joining the Greater St. Albert Catholic Regional Division central office team as technology director where he supported teachers in the integration of technology. Ralph has also worked as a program manager in Alberta Education’s Learning Technologies Branch, focusing on the planning, coordination and management of projects associated with the development of digital learning resources. He was also involved in supporting strategic and operational planning, the procurement and management of contracts and consultation with both internal and external stakeholders. Ralph can be reached at Ralph.Luedtke@gov.ab.ca or by phone at 780-427-6961.
|
Emerge 2010 SummitThe Emerge 2010 Summit will bring together participants from across Alberta and around the world in exploring the use of one-to-one laptops and related technology to support 21st Century teaching and learning. The Emerge Summit will take place at The Banff Centre from August 15 to 18, 2010, and is open to the K-12 education community including leaders, teachers, technical support directors, policy makers and researchers. Registration opens on September 30, 2009. A Call for Presenters for the Emerge 2010 Summit is now online. Proposals that showcase innovative practices in 21st century teaching, learning and leading are now being sought by the summit organizers. To submit a presentation proposal, please visit http://emerge2010.galileonetwork.ca/home and follow the link to the online form. The deadline for proposal submissions is Friday, October 30, 2009. For more information please contact Ralph Luedtke at Ralph.Leudtke@gov.ab.ca or by phone at 780-427-6961. >> For more information on the Summit and the call for presenters, click here.
|
Alberta’s International Space Station EventStudents from Palliser Regional Schools will have a chance to speak directly to astronauts aboard the International Space Station this fall. The event will be hosted from County Central High School in Vulcan, and will feature Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dr. Robert Thirsk answering science and technology-related questions from participating students in real time. All Alberta schools will be able to watch the event live through a live Internet stream and through Shaw cable. Due to the nature of the event, the date and time is yet to be confirmed. Information on how to access the live stream of the event and the broadcast times will be available on the Alberta’s International Space Station event’s website at http://education.alberta.ca/admin/technology/csa.aspx.
|
Upcoming EventsJurisdiction Technology Contact Events 2009/2010
November 23, 2008 (Edmonton) May 19, 2009 (Calgary)
These events are open to Jurisdiction Technology Contacts and invited guests only.
|
Webcast Supporting Alberta Arts DaysAlberta Arts Days, September 18-20, is an opportunity for all Albertans to celebrate Alberta artists and demonstrate strong community spirit. Alberta Education Minister Dave Hancock has issued a challenge to all Alberta schools to find innovative and creative ways to celebrate the arts in classrooms or schools on September 18. The Tyrell Museum is hosting a special, free webcast of its most popular Distance Learning Program, Up Close & Palaeo, on Friday, September 18 at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in celebration of Alberta Arts Days. Until noon on September 17, teachers and students are encouraged to submit questions about palaeontology, dinosaurs and palaeo-art by accessing the event link on www.tyrrellmuseum.com. Then, on September 18, classes can log onto the Museum’s website and join schools across the province to discover more about Alberta’s prehistoric past. More information about Arts Days as well as resources and ideas to help plan Arts Days events are available at: education.alberta.ca/artsdays.
|
Inspiring Education UpdateWith the first round of community dialogue events completed in June, event summaries for each of the 10 community conversations are available on the Inspiring Education website, www.inspiringeducation.alberta.ca. Albertans still have an opportunity to contribute online or sign-up for the Fall Conversation on October 18 to 20. >> For more information and background on Inspiring Education, click here.
|
Research ArticlesAlberta Education’s School Technology Branch is continually monitoring research on best practices in the use of technology for teaching and learning. Research articles or reports from outside sources that may be pertinent to the work of tech.news subscribers will occasionally be included in this newsletter. The information in the articles or reports does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Alberta Education. Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update – June 2009 This report on online learning in America is part of the Speak Up project, conducted by the Project Tomorrow organization in collaboration with Blackboard Inc., and updates their previous two reports. Statistics Canada: Canadian Social Trends – August 2009 online edition This article shows trends in Internet use in the baby boomer and senior age groups in Canada. >> For more information on these reports, click here.
|
LearnAlberta.ca UpdatesThe new jurisdiction user names and passwords are available from school principals and jurisdiction technology contacts. To obtain information on the distribution and use of these user names and passwords, click on the link below. Over the summer, there have been some changes made to the LearnAlberta.ca site. These changes include the sign in and several new visual elements, which enhance the ease of use for all users. >> For more details, click here.
|
Tools4Teachers UpdatesA variety of new resources have been posted on the theTools4Teachers site for September 2009 implementation. The Tools4Teachers website can be accessed at http://www.tools4teachers.ca/. Login and password access to Tools4Teachers are distributed province-wide to schools in September. To receive a password, contact your school administrator. For more information, contact Lori Ristoff at Lori.Ristoff@gov.ab.ca or by phone at 780-674-8719. >> To access a list of new resources for September 2009, click here.
|
Vol. 9 No. 1Tech.News is an electronic newsletter for Alberta's education community. It is produced by Alberta Education, School Technology Branch. Send your questions, suggestions, or article submissions to tech.news@gov.ab.ca Next edition: September 2009 LINKS: Alberta Education - Technology section Emerge One-to-One Laptop Learning Technology and High School Success Supporting Innovative Classrooms LearnAlberta.ca
|
Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Printable Version | Send this to a friend |
|
This email was created and delivered using Industry Mailout |
