February+16,+2010

Our first meeting focused on:
 * looking at the big picture including ...
 * what are our purposes?
 * what have we already done?
 * who has what hardware?
 * where are we now?
 * beginning to explore where we want to be, by ...
 * examining and self assessing ourselves as a program according to the ISTE standards for each cluster grade level
 * ranking which standards are most important for us at this point in time

The obstacles we identified included:
 * current school policies (and the decision making procedures) for blocking access to internet sites is very restrictive
 * how can we balance access with decisions for web security
 * how can we allow access and still avoid cyber-bullying
 * do we have reasonable expectations of staff in terms of time (given all of the other needs) - for example, having to prepare material and edit media (e.g., film) for teaching
 * funding resources are limited
 * applications and installations are inconsistent throughout the school - for example, not everyone is able to show video through their computers onto a projection board
 * some of our staff training needs to be more age level focused
 * how do we sustain technology leadership
 * helpdesk and IT support needs to be increased - some areas (ECC) feel very isolated, follow-up is not timely nor transparent in notification
 * how can we better monitor AUP and student care of hardware
 * we need to upgrade age appropriate technology for our youngest learners
 * how can we save exemplars, so that they can become future resources

We looked over the ISTE Standards for Students, and used the NETS 2007 Profiles, which is divided up into age/grade clusters. The results from our review shows the following, listed in priority order (average scores we gave ourselves were out of a possible 4):

__Grades PK-2 (ages 4-8)__ 4. In a collaborative work group, use a variety of technologies to produce a digital presentation or product in a curriculum area. //Below Basic (1.8)// 7. Demonstrate safe and cooperative use of technology. //Below Basic (1.6)// 1. Illustrate and communicate original ideas and stories using digital tools and media-rich resources. //Below Basic (1.7)

__Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-11)__ 4. Select and apply digital tools to collect, organize, and analyze data to evaluate theories or test hypotheses. Below Basic (1.6) 7. Conceptualize, guide, and manage individual or group learning projects using digital planning tools with teacher support. Below Basic (1.8) 1. Produce a media-rich digital story about a significant local event based on first-person interviews. Below Basic (1.6)

__Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-14)__ 3. Gather data, examine patterns, and apply information for decision making using digital tools and resources. Below Basic (1.8) 4. Participate in cooperative learning project in a online learning community. Below Basic (1.6)//

__Grades 9 - 12 (Ages 14-18)__ 8. Model legal and ethical behaviors when using information and technology by properly selecting, acquiring, and citing resources. //Basic (2)// 3. Select digital tools or resources to use for a real-word task and justify the selection based on their efficiency and effectiveness. //Basic (2.1)//