EDUCATIONAL TECH UPDATE JUNE 2006Greetings!
Not a day too soon, summer has arrived. Planning to get away? Take a class or two? Write a grant? Take a look in this newsletter for ideas and solutions to those questions and more. I hope you all have a safe and sunny summer! -Cathy EDUCATIONAL TECH UPDATE JUNE
2006
By Cathy Matier ================== CLASSES/TRAINING ================== **Podcast Institutes** A two-day class and you receive an iPod and microphone to keep. Many BOCES and Teacher Centers are hosting two-day Podcasting classes this summer. Here are a few examples: LHRIC: http://www.lhric.org/ms/sti/index.html Dutchess BOCES: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=10281&I=229277&H= Rockland Teacher’s Center: http://www.rockteach.org/ Check with your BOCES! ----- WWDC The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, taking place August 7-11 in San Francisco, is a great opportunity to delve into best practices for creating and deploying leading-edge computing solutions using Mac OS X technology. With more than 130 sessions planned and dozens of hands-on labs staffed by top Apple engineers, WWDC makes it easy to learn how to make the most of current technologies in Mac OS X Tiger, and get ready for what's coming in Mac OS X Leopard. Visit the WWDC website at http://developer.apple.com/wwdc/ for complete details. ---- NECC Visit Apple at booth #800 at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) Annual Conference to see the latest innovations for improving student achievement. Learn about iPods and Podcasting. See our new mobile learning labs. Explore digital media tools for advanced or novice users. Expand your infrastructure for learning. And experience a whole new lineup of Macs, now featuring the power of Intel processors. http://www.apple.com/education/necc/ ================== GRANTWRITING/FUNDING by Christine Dowd, cdowd@apple.com ================== Wouldn't it be wonderful if education received all the funding it needed for technology? Unfortunately, in these times of shrinking budgets, technology often takes a back seat to other district and building priorities. Understanding the grant universe and writing successful grants can help generate funds for your technology initiatives. Some points to keep in mind: • Funders seldom fund technology per se, they fund solid educational goals, the accomplishment of which may include technology • As you look for grants, your job is to eliminate those that DON’T fit your goals • Follow the guidelines provide by the funder to the letter of the law. One of the grant reader’s jobs is to eliminate those grants that don’t! • Funders are investors shopping for outcomes, think of your organization as selling outcomes. Is your organization a “good buy?” Define your project: • Determine the broad goals do you want to accomplish • Connect objectives to these goals, then connect actions to the objectives • You may want to use a logic model in order to organize your thoughts – the Kellogg Foundation logic model one you might want to look at. You can download a pdf of their logic model guide at http://www.wkkf.org/Pubs/Tools/Evaluation/Pub3669.pdf The actual logic model template is located on page 54 of this publication • Describe project outcomes in measurable terms • Remember SMART when writing goals and objectives: • • Specific • Measurable • Action Oriented • Realistic • Timed • Draft a timeline to help you stay on target • Create action teams to help you complete the application. This may include an English teacher to read the proposal, the Business Manager for budgeting information, and subject area teachers who will benefit from the grant. Identifying Funding sources: With the web, finding sources of funds is no longer the problem that it used to be. Here are just a few you might want to check out these sites: • http://www.grants.gov All federal grants have been consolidated on this site. You can sign up for an alert. • http://fdncenter.org/ The Foundation center maintains a database of foundations, corporate givers as well as their associated grants. Most universities and larger public libraries have a subscription to the guide, hopefully in electronic format • http://www.eschoolnews.com eSchool News Grant and Funding Alert email. $ 35/year (24 issues via email on the 1st and 15th of every month – the best $35 you will spend! • http://www.schoolgrants.org Your one-stop site for PK-12 school grant opportunities Some tips for success. When you find a grant that looks like it matches your goals: • Obtain the proposal guidelines • Pick up the phone and call the funder. Establish a relationship! • Send a letter of inquiry is appropriate • Write a concise proposal – remember KISS! • Tell a good story – communicate your passion • Don’t assume the reader knows anything about education – never use jargon or acronyms without defining them • Have a non-educator read your grant before you send it in. If they understand it, so will the funder. • Make sure your budget matches your narrative • Follow all the rules • Send the proposal ahead of the deadline - you never know what can happen... • Whether you win or lose, send a thank you note. If you lose, pick up the phone and ask where you went wrong, what you might do to improve in the future. Keeping these tips in mind, you may increase your chances of being a successful grantwriter. Best of luck in your quest for funding! ----- Perkins Grants: Please note - schools may use $$ from this grant to purchase technology. The NYS site is: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/funding/perkins0607.htm ---- Pre-K Grants: List of districts and allocations: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/funding/targetedprek0607.htm#Eligible According to the application, you can purchase equipment. ----- EXCEL Grants — New funding news pending, but your schools will get either $320 per student or $780 per student to spend on technology, an excellent resource to jump start a 1:1 program for your staff and students. ================== SPECIALS ON MACS AND IPODS ================== These prices expire on June 30th. Get up to $150 off each iBook if you buy more than 20. Get up to $150 off each eMac if you buy more than 25. Get up to $20 off each iPod if you buy more than 200. Contact myself or Tad Ross at 800-800-2775 x42218 to place an order or get a quote. ================== NEWS ================== Anne Davies, one of Maine's researchers, recently did a conference for Apple Canada where she reviewed her work in Maine. Her presentation is available at http://web.mac.com/igoilearn11/iWeb/Site/ Podcast/Podcast.html. I highly recommend you download this and listen to it. There is a great body of information that you can use in your discussions with district on 1 to 1. In fact, feel free to point your staff to this piece as well. ------ On Monday, National Semiconductor gave each one of their 8,500 employees a 30GB iPod. These iPods will be used as an internal training tool and for use with podcast-delivered employee communications. For more information please visit: http://www.national.com/news/item/0,1735,1172,00.html ----- BusinessWeek Advice to Students: Pack a Mac http://www.businessweek.com/technology/wildstrom.htm?sub=techmaven ----- Most frequently asked AppleCare questions: 1. What is the status of my repair? 2. When does my AppleCare coverage expire? 3. How can I order a Do-It-Yourself Part? 4. Where is the closest Apple Authorized Service Provider? http://www.apple.com/support/contact/ ----- Secrets: Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac http://www.macworld.com/2006/06/secrets/tcowindows/index.php Dual-booting Macs, virtualization -- it's enough to make your head spin if you're trying to find a way to use Windows on your Intel-based Mac. In this excerpt from Take Control of Running Windows on your Mac, Joe Kissell walks you through your options -- dual-booting via Apple's Boot Camp or virtualization programs like Parallels Desktop and Q -- and helps you find the best choice for your needs. ----- ProfCast is a versatile, powerful, yet very simple to use tool for recording lectures and creating podcasts. ProfCast provides a low cost solution for recording and distributing lectures, special events, and presentations as podcasts. ProfCast offers an integrated workflow that makes creating, recording, and publishing podcasts easy. It's as simple as Launch, Load and Go! http://profcast.com/ ----- Apple set to lead a PC renaissance http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/4685/53/ ******************************************************* Catherine M. Matier, Account Executive 914-319-6890 Cell, 914-243-4819 Fax 914-243-5456 Office, 800-800-2775 Support & Quotes cmatier@apple.com http://www.apple.com/education/nys/ IM: AOL IM - cmatier, Yahoo Messenger - cmatier ******************************************************* NYS Contract #’s: Apple:PT55529, HP:PT58424, Lexmark:PT58730 Please request order status at “k12orders@apple.com” or “hiedorders@apple.com”. Posted: Tue - June 27, 2006 at 07:30 PM |
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