With the announcement that NC has just received a federal grant for school reform in the amount of $400 million, it's important to understand what this means for North Carolina, our students, and our teachers.

You can wade through the 271 pages of the narrative application, June 2010, if you want to get the whole feel for the proposal: the standards, assessments, data systems, professional development, closing the achievement gap.

But the pages that caught my eye and made me think about my role in this race were pages 27 - 29 of the document. This is where the NC PK-12 Education Technology Cloud is visually represented and outlined. (If you're not familiar with cloud computing, read more from Wes Fryar or David Warlick.)

The K-12 Education Cloud "will be used to deliver statewide access to the major digital resources and tools necessary to support RttT initiatives." (p. 28) According to the plan, this means online resources and tools to insure EQUITABLE ACCESS. It means professional development. It means SHARING of resources across classrooms, schools, and districts. It means Web 2.0 tools. It means digital learning and video streaming. It means CONNECTING.

All of this improved technology supports the four main initiatives of the RttT: 1) standards and assessments; 2) data systems to support instruction; 3) great teachers and leaders; and 4) turning around the lowest achieving schools.

When referring to the lowest performing schools, it was noted: "In addition, it is essential that students in these schools have equitable access to technology and to teachers with the expertise to use it well, to guarantee that they experience the full range of technology uses that their peers in high-achieving schools receive." (p. 29)

Teachers with the EXPERTISE to use it WELL. Are you prepared to be the teacher with the expertise? Are you prepared to work with your fellow teachers to insure that they are experts as well? What do you see as your role in your classroom and in your school in the race to the top?

Will you have your head in the CLOUDS or will it be stuck in the SAND?

Posted by Ms. Dee at 4:54 PM

The NC Technology in Education Society (NCTIES) conference is happening in Raleigh, March 3-5, 2010. Are you here?

If you're not in attendance, then you are missing out on some great sessions on instructional technology: Google-free searching, wikis in the elementary classroom, web 2.0 tools, web gadgets, E-rate, online professional development, video in the classroom, student response systems, 3D virtual worlds, and a host of other topics.

If you're not in attendance, then you are missing out on some great speakers: Gail Lovely, Hall Davidson, Kevin Honeycutt, Leslie Fisher, Clif Mims, Kathy Schrock, Alice Yucht.

And Ron Clark. Yes, Ron Clark. You know, the former Disney Teacher of the Year, subject of biopic movie, and founder of The Ron Clark Academy. That Ron Clark, the eastern NC boy making a difference for kids.

What does he have to do with instructional technology? Well, not as much as I had expected. But man, is he infectious and inspiring and enthusiastic and passionate....okay, he's like an educator on speed to hear him speaking about children and teaching. And his reminder: if you don't like kids, you need to quit teaching!

While you may not be willing to get up and act "the fool" for the sake of education with your students, it's his out of the box thinking that makes the difference. And for many of our colleagues using instructional technology tools is out of the box thinking. The problem is if you are not a school librarian who integrates technology tools to enhance instruction then you might need another job. To paraphrase Ron, if you don't like technology, you need to quit being a school librarian in the 21st century!
Ron reminded us that technology motivates, inspires, and engages kids. And folks, remember that good teaching is still good teaching. But enhancing that instruction with technology tools can be the difference for some students.

Ron's best advice: "We don't have time for fear, and we don't have time to be afraid. We gotta go for it, live for it." If that means trying some new technologies, taking a risk with your students, making a difference for kids, then you need to step out of the box and try it.It will make all the difference in the world!

Posted by Ms. Dee at 9:47 AM