March, 2008

This is a report from New Paradigm, one of the companies now part of my firm, BSG Alliance.


Google and Software as a Service: The Implications for Government IT

December 2007
by Grant Buckler

Donwloadable Media

Newton School Committee Newsletter - March 18, 2008

This was sent through the School Committee's newsletter email list. 

 
Newton School Committee
Newsletter March 18, 2008
In This Issue
Communications Update
Applications for Strategic Planning Working Groups
Board of Aldermen Set Override at $12 Million
Recent Meeting Summary
Quick Links

Despite the passage of two budgets on February 11, 2008, the School Committee now needs to address budget modifications in both the allocation and override budgets (see below). We hope the community will stay tuned to these deliberations.

The Superintendent will make recommendations to the School Committee about appropriate modifications to both budgets once the specific allocation of revenues has been determined by the executive office. Modified budgets will be passed soon so that voters will be able to judge what passing an override will pay for on the school side.

Sincerely,

Dori Zaleznik
Chairperson

Communications Update from the School Committee

Over the past several months, School Committee members have expressed interest in updating our communications practices. The following changes were approved by the Committee on March 10, with the understanding that we will reevaluate in June to determine if they have been successful.

NSF Sponsor - Village Bank

NSF Sponsor - Village Bank

NSF Sponsor - Symphony Payroll

NSF Sponsor - Symphony Payroll

NSF Sponsor - Newton PTO Council

NSF Sponsor - Newton PTO Council

NSF Sponsor - Nixon Peabody

NSF Sponsor - Nixon Peabody

NSF Sponsor - Hammond Residential

NSF Sponsor - Hammond Residential

NSF Sponsor - Dimeo

NSF Sponsor - Dimeo

NSF Sponsor - Continuum

NSF Sponsor - Continuum

NSF Sponsor - Chobe Hoy Associates

NSF Sponsor - Chobe Hoy Associates

NSF Sponsor - Atlantic Trust

NSF Sponsor - Atlantic Trust

NSF Grants for 2007-2008

NSF Grants for 2007-2008

NSF Dinner Committee

NSF Dinner Committee

1-1 Learning Pilot-Stage 2

Lastest update:
We received 28 macbooks on loan from Apple and will be using them for one 8th grade science classroom at Brown to support two science units. We are meeting 2/20/08 with the teacher to define our assessments before and after each unit as well as the final student product.

We also heard we will be able to borrow tablet pcs by the end of the month. We are working on the logistics of that loan to see if we can fit it in this late in the year. We are still hoping to borrow some ultaportables.

Trends for School Networking

As a quick summary of my 3 days spent at CoSN's 13th Annual K-12 School Networking Conference
Visionary Leadership: Scaffolding 21st Century Learning with Technology
(Sunday, March 9 - Tuesday, March 11, 2008).

I noticed the following trends:

• Assessment—data warehousing and bringing the data to the teacher desktop (unlocking the data) as well as online assessment
• Making the case that 21st century skills are crucial and can be supported using technology
• Laptop 1-1 initiative as part of an Intelligent Classroom (projector with whiteboards)
• Ultraportables—two years out???

Open Source Webpage

I had the great opportunity to attend the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) conference in Washington, DC this week. (3/9/08-3/12/08). One of the better attended sessions was dedicated to open source? software in the K-12 environment. Some of you might be interested in checking out the CoSN website pages dedicated to open source (esp. the info about Moodle?)
http://k12opentech.org/k12ot/

School Portal Meeting Notes

When: March 11, 2008, Erik’s Home

Attendees: Erik Britt-Webb, Janet Porcaro, Arnold Sodder, Charles Frankston, Lisa Cohen, Bob Rainville, Miles Fidelman, Neeraj Mital

Meeting goal: To review evaluations and establish top priorities for the school portal

Agenda

  • Review of ground rules
  • Review of notes from last meeting
  • Shift in School Portal priorities
  • Review solution evaluations
  • Identify outstand issues concerns by stakeholders
  • Discussion of SCI Community Portal

This tool would probably best be used as another channel for communication to and from school portal. A Newton North parent has agreed to underwrite the expense of the first year.

Newtonite 87.3 - Grades to stay offline

Grades to stay offline

Newtonite - Volume 87, Issue 3 - Friday, March 7, 2008

BY MOLLY SILVERMAN

Students and parents will not find students’ grades online, said special education teacher Dianne Lochhead, a co-chair of the Streamlining Communications Committee. For now, teachers will be able to learn how to use a program to present assignments, curricula and handouts, but teachers “can use it at their discretion,” Lochhead said to the faculty Tuesday. At the meeting, the faculty focused on communication in the school and on a Student Showcase Thursday, April 17.

Posting grades daily on line has benefits, drawbacks -
Newtonite 87.2

Newtonite - Volume 87, Issue 2 - Friday, Feb. 15, 2008
Mass Interview by Rebecca Harris and Georgina Teasdale

On a voluntary basis, teachers might post grades on line every day using a
program called Edline? so students and parents can see them. The Streamlining
Communications Committee will be talking about possibilities in a faculty
meeting March 4. Meanwhile, members of the school community gave their views on
the pros and cons of this possible change in practice.

Faculty might put their grades, assignments on line

Newtonite - Volume 87, Issue 1 - Friday, Jan. 25, 2008

BY BEN PLOTKIN AND HAO-HUA WU

On a voluntary basis, individual faculty might decide to use a web-based
program, said special education teacher Dianne Lochhead, a co-chair of the
Streamlining Communications Committee.

With the program, called Edline?, they could “post assignments and grades and
help students stay on track,”she said. Students and parents could also
use the program to check out announcements, school news and upcoming events, she
said.