Ep 32 Inauguration and The Road Ahead for 2009 and Pres. Obama

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Start the new year with Vision and Direction from TTPOD

Launching the new year Kathy and Mark share opportunities, resources and insights for educational technology across grades and content ares.

Sharing their travels, interactions with teachers and school leaders, as well as incorporating headlines from educational and national news, this episode is a great boost offering vision and action for teachers, instructional technology staff, staff developers and all educators.

There are many opportunities for producing change from appointments of US Secretary of Education, to the new budgets and surplus plans, join us as we examine the potential for our classrooms, schools and learners!  From NYSCOSS, to FETC and TCEA we are on the road to meet with our listeners and spread the news of easy ed tech which incorporates 21st century learning.

Join us the Major Educational Technology Conferences!

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Resources and Articles in This EpisodeKazakhstan is on course to be one of the top 50 developed nations in the world.

• Calling USA schools to spring ahead with 21st century learning! 
• By Marina Leight, Mark Gura & Wayne Grant
• Entire Converge Issue Fall 2008

Nothing But Praise for Duncan in Senate Hearing

• Democrats and Republicans on the education committee are impressed by President-elect Obama’s choice for secretary of education. ( Education Week article)

Duncan confirmation gets under way

• Arne Duncan, who has been Chicago Public Schools chief since 2001, goes before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today for his confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. Secretary of Education.
• In the eight years since he became superintendent of Chicago schools, student proficiency in reading and math has grown, and Duncan has shut down 61 failing schools.
• Article listed: Google/The Associated Press (1/12) , The New York Times/The Caucus (1/13) , The Boston Globe/The Associated Press (1/12) MSNBC (1/13/09)

· Tech & Learning’s Ed Tech Ticker

• Obama promises EdTech Infusion by Kevin Hogan
• In his most recent weekly address, the president-elect once again mentioned modernizing schools as part of his infrastructure initiatives. Here’s the money quote:And we’ll create hundreds of thousands more jobs in education, equipping tens of thousands of schools with 21st century classrooms, labs and computers to help our kids compete with any worker in the world for any job.Watch the whole speech at the President’s transition site.
• Tech Learning.com Editor Blogs

* Technology allows educators to augment lessons

• Teachers are more frequently turning to technology to breathe new life into classroom lessons, including using blogs, podcasts and online features such as Google Earth to engage students. Instead of using classroom time to lecture, some teachers are recording lessons onto podcasts that their students can listen to at home — freeing classroom time for hands-on learning. (From ASCD SmartBrief)
• CNN (1/15) article

*Stimulus bill includes $142B for education

• Some $20 billion for school modernization and $1 billion for educational technology are among nearly $150 billion in funding targeted toward education in the House version of the new economic stimulus package, which lawmakers introduced Jan. 15. Key concepts: educational technology, school modernization, stimulus package.
• eSchoolNews article

 Read More

* Educators to Obama: Focus on 21st Century Skills

• Two surveys by the American Society for Quality suggest the new administration should focus on 21st century skills.
• Listen in as Kathy and Mark talk about the message for Pres. Obama and critical directions ahead
•  eSchool News, January 8, 2009

  * Technologies for the 21st Century

• “Teachers’ Lessons Go Viral on Education Video Website”
•  The Dallas Morning News, January 5, 2009

* Obama Links Ed Tech to Economic Growth

• The President-elect pledges to put more computers in classrooms and expand broadband access to schools and homes.
• ( Digital Directions )

* How Ed Tech Can Help Fire Up the Economy

• Keith Krueger, the CEO of the Consortium for School Networking, pitches ideas for using federal investments in educational technology to help stimulate the U.S. economy and improve K-12 schools.
•   ( Digital Directions )

RESOURCE

Google makes famous artwork more accessible

• In a move that will benefit students, art historians, and casual viewers alike, Spain’s Prado Museum has teamed up with Google Earth for a project that allows people to view the gallery’s main works of art from their computers–and even zoom in on details not immediately discernible to the human eye.
• Key concepts: Prado Museum, Diego Velazquez, Francisco de Goya, Peter Paul Rubens, Hieronymus Bosch, art history
• From eSchoolNews report