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=Conference Notes:=

Opening Day
Opening Remarks by Bill Johnsen, Director of Instructional Technology
 * Started Own Blog

Address by Dr. James Merrill, Superintendent
 * - Try to create policy for use not to write policy to restrict
 * - Dr. Merrill is contemplating starting a Blog

Address by Ramesh Kapoor, Chief Information Officer, DOT
 * Goals for year
 * Stabilize Gradebook Program
 * Administration Computer Replacement approximately October
 * Wireless Access by end of September (move computer from one room to another)
 * Looking at Teacher webpages ~ Jan 2008
 * SharePoint will expand to newer version
 * New Security Filter
 * Distance Learning Labs (3 this year)

Address by Paul Roxer, Security Officer, DOT
 * Internet Safety training in school this year (state mandated)
 * Must be implemented across the curriculum
 * New firewall program
 * New advanced reporting module
 * Content Keeper
 * Content blocked by user
 * Report generated at DOT
 * Protect Login ID and Password (YOU WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE)

Internet Safety - Lori Ann Buterbaugh, Instructional Coordinator, DOT
 * 2006 VA passed a law regarding Internet Safety
 * Each Division must develope and incorporate Internet Safety Policy
 * Group Targeted for Training
 * Students (must be ongoing)
 * Parents, Grandparents, Guardians, Caregivers
 * Teachers, CRS, LMS, Councilors, Resource Officers
 * Administrators
 * School Board
 * Program in schools must be consistant reinforcement of grade level topics
 * DOT will design quick reference card to be read before class logs into computer
 * DOT will provide presentation material
 * STUDENTS MUST BE MONITORED BY TEACHERS
 * School Administrator Strategies:
 * Allow time for training teachers during pre-service week
 * Principal must sign off each year that all stakeholders (teachers, students, adminstrators) have recieved information and training

Address by Maria Nuzzo,Instructional Specialist - Foreign languages
 * Spanish and German textbook available online

Address by Melani Loney, Science Coordinator
 * Training for teachers optional (voluntary)
 * Current usage of ArcGIS in science moving to Geography
 * Use for exploring landforms and population
 * 3.5 year license to install on any instructional machine

Day 2 - Technical Issues
Address by Marty Smith (Opening Session) Introduction to Group Policies (Session 1)
 * VBCPS is creating a new data center in Coorporate Landing Area
 * - Wireless Update
 * Antenna's for wireless are mounted, waiting for new switches
 * Will be installed in presentation areas
 * Ready for SOL testing
 * New Spam Filter - Iron Mail
 * Sometimes blocks legit mail
 * Keeps black list of spammers
 * Used for External Email
 * Internal can be use Offensive Material Block
 * Content Keeper
 * Uses Active Directory
 * Knows who you are
 * Generic Accounts
 * CR01 account moved to Generic Domain
 * Will allow tighter password control
 * Can be set to lock during certain hours
 * Administrative Replacements
 * One for one swap
 * LANDesk
 * Looking at update to 8.7
 * more capabilities
 * Proactive Bandwith Monitoring
 * Allows DOT to see trouble before it starts
 * Can see down to the room level
 * Talk of Re IP ing Building
 * Put printers in own Subnet
 * Problems caused by D-Link Mini Switches
 * Laptops still print to printer on cart even if in another room
 * how to lock down computers
 * gpupdate /force (forces group policy update)
 * gpresult (shows group policies used on computer and user)
 * Policies refresh every 10 to 15 minutes
 * Working on list of most requested polices
 * can view through Group Policy Management Console

LANDesk Software Distribution Portal (Session 2)
 * New Tool for CRS to install software on computers
 * Will allow automation of install of multiple software packages
 * Initiate HEAT call to populate list
 * Must be run under CRS profile so lock computer and let install run

Mandatory Profiles and Desktop Lockdowns (Session 3)
 * We are too big for mandatory Profiles
 * Can view what other schools are doing to lock systems down

Group Policy Management Console (Session 4)
 * Lock down user rights
 * There are around 500 polices that can be implemented
 * Place HEAT call asking if something can be done

Hands-on Lab (Session 5)
 * Time with Marty Smith to answer questions
 * Demonstration of network monitoring software
 * Will look into CRS doing multicast install
 * Problems with stepping on DOT multicast
 * Bandwidth with too many installs

Day 3 - Instructional Issues
Keynote by Will Richardson (Opening Session) What is a Pod and What Type of Reel Do I Need to Cast for One? (Session 1) Hands-on workshop with Will Richardson (Session 2) Building on Our Success: Planning for Professional Growth (Session 3)
 * Tools are there to transform education
 * Blogs
 * Wikis
 * Podcasts
 * Social Networking
 * We do not teach to the 21st Century Learner
 * We teach for today, not for when students get out to real world
 * Teachers are behind curve, teachers are stuck in a rut
 * We teach students about what not to do with social networking should set good examples
 * Social Networking important
 * Shaping politics (mySpace)
 * 71 % of students with online access use social networking tools on a weekly basis
 * research beginning to show social networking is having positive influence on learning
 * Need to teach students to make sense of much more complex literacy regarding who to trust as authoritative sources.
 * Using Wikis we can connect our student to students around the world
 * How do we model technology?
 * How do we model good practices?
 * In order to teach our students how to use Blogs, wikis and podcasts we need to exerience them ourselves!
 * Hands-on workshop on creating Podcasts
 * Some uses for podcasts
 * Class lecture
 * Radio Program
 * Plays and Poetry
 * Review information
 * Vocabulary
 * It's cool to listen to an iPod but you never know what the person is listening to
 * Software that can be use (and is approved by VBCPS)
 * Demonstration of blogs and blog readers
 * Social Bookmarking (del.icio.us)
 * Use of news aggrigator to keep up on information (google reader)
 * Online favorites (PortaPortal)
 * Many teachers want to see what this tool will do for me
 * What is collaboration
 * Best practices for collaboration
 * Most times we think we collaborate but we just share information
 * How can collaboration help us and our teachers

Day 4 - Instructional Issues
Virtual Connections (Session 1) Teaching with Primary Sources (Session 2) Adobe Acrobat Professional: Basics and Beyond (Session 3) Games and Simulations - The New Assessment Tool (Session 4)
 * Video Conferencing on Wheels!
 * New system for Distance Communications
 * Can be used point-to-point or point-to-multipoint
 * Can be used from school to school
 * Can be used for virtual field trips, discussion with famous people, connect to Museums
 * System run approximately 3K
 * DL has 3 systems must reserve in advance
 * DL will help with initial setup, testing of connections and use
 * Use of Library of Congress Digital Archives
 * Creating projects using pictures and documents
 * Many Ideas for incorporation into curriculum shown
 * Excellent Session!
 * How to create Acrobat files from multiple word documents
 * How to archive Email into Acrobat file
 * Break an Acrobat file apart
 * Games can tie to curriculum both commercial and home made
 * 82% of students play games outside of instructional time
 * 18% of teachers play games outside of instructional time
 * Can be tied directly to SOLs
 * Not using technology for "Drill and Kill" but for problem solving
 * Use of Gaming in curriculum shows:
 * High time-on-learning
 * Motivation and goal orientation, even after failure
 * Infinate patience (die and go right back to game)
 * creating games can help students
 * Even MIT uses gaming in classroom
 * Used Discover Babylon Game (goals, problem solving, curriculum)
 * Used Gamemaker software to begin process of writing a game

Overall Opinion of Conference
This year's conference was extremely well organized and I went home each day discussing the information that had been presented. I am still digesting the information presented because there was alot of good information presented. Some of the material presented I am using already (like a Wiki). The big thing now is selling the teachers on using the wonderful tools!