Keynote - The NAEP/Comprehension/Literacy/Technology Nexus 
Jamie McKenzie
Editor of several education publications and consultant
to schools for smart use of technologies
Bellingham, Washington
As we enter the third decade of bringing new technologies into schools, Dr, Jamie McKenzie demonstrates how we might employ them to meet the very big challenge presented by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. While NAEP has been around for decades, NCLB now requires that all states measure up to these tests that often require inference, analysis and synthesis as well as open-ended response. Jamie has been arguing for more than a decade that information literacies are the best focus for new technologies and he shows how teachers can incorporate the tough NAEP items into slam dunk digital lessons that are highly structured and appealing to teachers who seek a reliable and efficient way to blend the use of new technologies into class activities.
Follow-Up 2 Hour Session - Building Five Kinds of Slam Dunk Digital Lessons 
Jamie McKenzie
Editor of several education publications and consultant
to schools for smart use of technologies
Bellingham, Washington
Building on the keynote's introduction to this lesson design strategy, Jamie shows the group how to build a variety of lesson types ranging from well defined, lasting Web versions to quickies that take 10 minutes on a Tuesday night for use the next morning. Participants will leave with a firm grasp of the lesson building approach.
RSS: The New Killer App for Educators
Will Richardson
Supervisor of Instructional Technology and Communications
Hunterdon Central Regional High School
Flemington, New Jersey
Real Simple Syndication is a powerful tool that is changing the way we access and deliver information. For educators, the potential impact is enormous. Not only does RSS allow users to have relevant information come to them, it also makes it easy to share the best of what we find with our many constituents. Of all the new Internet technologies, this is the one that could be the "killer app" for students and teachers. This presentation will detail how RSS works and what it can do for you.
Administrative Applications of SurveyMonkey and InfoPath
Nicole Tomaselli
Technology Integration Specialist
Nashua Public Schools
Nashua, New Hampshire
Come learn how these administrative tools can work for you!
InfoPath is a windows product that can create smart forms
which can be merged into Access or Excel. SurveyMonkey is a
Web-based service that can be used for teacher or course
evaluations, workshop signups, general teacher or student
surveys.
The Berkshires to Boston : One-to-One Learning in Policy and Practice
Matt Mervis
President, AE Communications, Ltd
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Two key projects underway in western and eastern MA will help to define the future of learning with laptops in the Bay State. Under the direction of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's John Adams Innovation Institute, four middle schools have begun deploying laptop computers; the culmination of two years of planning and development (http://www.bwli.org). In Eastern Massachusetts the planning phase of the New Boston Pilot Middle School laptop initiative is under way and is being designed to create a replicable model for districts seeking to adopt one-to-one learning. Presented by Bill Ennen (MTC's Program Director) and Matt Mervis (MTC's New Boston Project Consultant), this interactive session will help district leaders explore the importance of policy, strategy and implementation support for any successful one-to-one effort.
Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery
Carole Schuster
Vice-President for Business Development
Integrity
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Jeffrey Bajgot
Vice-President for Technology Infrastructure Services
Integrity
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Creating a school continuity plan is not an easy task to undertake. Although school services are interconnected by a common goal to provide a safe and rich learning environment for teachers and students, they are mostly run independently from each other. How do you assure that your continuity plan meets your actual needs? How do you define key elements for a good planning and recovering effort? This workshop will provide participants with useful tips in implanting a school-wide continuity plan and discuss disaster recovery procedures.
ePortfolios: An Open Source Solution
Matt Oquist
Software Engineering Consultant
Majen.net Consulting
Hudson, New Hampshire
In this session Matt will demonstrate the installation, configuration, and use of the Moodle e-Portfolios Module, a publicly-funded e-Portfolios system that enables schools to meet New Hampshire 's new digital portfolio requirement. This software is freely available to everyone. As time permits, we may discuss how school districts can become involved in funding software projects for public use.
Just in Time Technology Professional Development
Scott Moore
Technology Integration Specialist
Horace Mann Laboratory School
Saltonstall Elementary School
Salem, Massachusetts
The key to a successful school technology program is delivering the ongoing professional development necessary to create a culture of confident technology users. An effective approach to achieve this is the “just in time” model of professional development, wherein technology integration specialists work with staff members as the need arises to learn new skills and strategies for making use of technology. This approach also offers great potential for changing the technology culture within a school building or district. Join Scott for a thought-provoking hour full of first-hand experiences, practical suggestions, and a concrete model you can implement for your district's delivery of technology professional development.
Linux, K-12 Linux Terminal Server Project, Open Source and More
David Trask
Technology Director
Vassalboro Community School
Vassalboro, Maine
David will discuss how Linux and Open Source can help you maximize your technology dollars and increase access to technology for our number one clients, our students! Come learn how schools all over the world are using Linux and Open Source in the classroom. You will learn how to set up your own Linux network/workstations/terminals as well as a common sense approach to implementing Linux and Open Source in your existing network and curriculum.
Moodle in the Classroom
Aaron Mandel
Manager of Information Systems
Governor Dummer Academy
Byfield, Massachusetts
Susan Chase
Director of Library Services
Governor Dummer Academy
Byfield, Massachusetts
Aaron and Susan will highlight some of Moodle's capabilities and demonstrate its integration into the classrooms at Governor Dummer academy. Using Moodle's intuitive interface, teachers can quickly set up a course where they can post assignments, conduct discussion forums, lay out course expectations, provide additional resources, and set up activities. Susan and Aaron have trained faculty on the use of Moodle through a four year E.E. Ford Foundation grant for teacher technology training and sponsored the first MoodleMoot NE 2005 with Moodle creator Martin Dougiamas coming from Australia to participate.
Moving Forward: Goals for Technology Leaders
Walter McKenzie
Director of Technology
Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough
Northborough, Massachusetts
What have we learned from the first big push to bring technology into K-12 education? What have we done well? What would we do differently? And as we move ahead, how will we use this experience in the next phase of technology in education? Join Walter for an interactive discussion of the state of technology in the commonwealth and help establish the goals for technology leaders over the next ten years. Bring your thoughts and ideas from other sessions you've attended at the symposium and an open mind – it's sure to be a lively, thought-provoking work session!
Windows SharePoint Services in Education
Leslie Carroll
Instructional Technology Specialist
Mary Rowlandson Elementary School
Lancaster, Massachusetts
Mary Marotta
Technology Department Chair/Instructional Technology Specialist
Nashoba Regional High School
Bolton, Massachusetts
Nashoba Regional School District has begun using Windows SharePoint Services to improve teacher communication and collaboration across a 3-town district of seven schools and to provide all teachers with classroom web sites having a consistent look. The software is a component of Windows Server 2003. Windows SharePoint Services allows teams to create web sites for information sharing and document collaboration to increase individual and team productivity. By using SharePoint, teacher web sites are available at no additional cost to the district. See how we have customized this business application for use in education - including school and teacher pages open to parents and students, a staff page for each building, and district professional development pages open to staff only. We will review the process of exploration, planning, customization, implementation and staff training that we have accomplished over the last year and share the amazing results. Learn how we have modified templates to deal with the different needs of elementary, middle and high school users. Applicable to all levels K-12.
