Instructional Media & Technology Team

October 22, 2008

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2008-09 Instructional Media & Technology Regional Meetings

Over 425 educators met with the DPI Instructional Media and Technology Team (IMTT) over the last two weeks in Oconomowoc, Neenah, Rice Lake and Wisconsin Dells. Two national groups, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), recently revised their ten-year-old standards on information and technology. Participants in these meetings provided input on Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards for Information and Technology Literacy in light of recent national changes and 21st Century Skills initiatives.

Erin Harvey of the Wisconsin School Board Association provided information to school districts on policy issues arising from the increasing use of Web 2.0 tools in schools. The IMTT provided information on a variety of current state initiatives and on tools available for assessing both teachers, students, and programs on their use of technology. PowerPoint presentations with this information are available below:

For additional information contact Amy French at amy.french@dpi.wi.gov or by phone at 608-261-6327.

Thinkfinity Enhances Engaged Learning

Thinkfinity.org rolled-out in Wisconsin on November 8, 2007. Thinkfinity, Verizon Foundation's flagship education program, is a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and leading national educational organizations that provides over 50,000 high quality online instructional resources. Visit Thinkfinity in Wisconsin at http://dpi.wi.gov/imt/thinkfinity.html.

Since October 2007 Wisconsin has trained over 100 local educators as Thinkfinity Field Trainers. Throughout 2007-2008 these Wisconsin field trainers provided ongoing systemic professional development for 506 of their colleagues; plus 712 educators participated in Awareness Sessions that introduced them to Thinkfinity lesson plans, interactive modules, professional research, online field trips and web-links.

A 30 hour Verizon Foundation Online Field Trainer Course begins on August 6, 2008 and new sections of this course are available the first Wednesday of each month throughout 2008-2009. Thinkfinity for 21st Century Learning, two 1-credit graduate courses, will be available to Wisconsin Thinkfinity Field Trainers to facilitate, beginning fall 2008.

For additional information about Thinkfinity or to enroll in training opportunities contact Donna Steffan at donna.steffan@dpi.wi.gov or by phone at 608-267-1282.

School Library Brochures Now Available in Spanish

Two of the popular brochures highlighting the importance and value school libraries—Your Child’s Library Media Center: What Parents Should Know and Measuring Up: Characteristics of Quality School Libraries—have been translated into Spanish and are now available upon request. Contact Kate Bugher, School Library Media Consultant at 608-267-9287 or nancy.anderson@dpi.wi.gov to request copies of these brochures.

All documents relating to the Wisconsin study of school library programs-- Student Learning Through Wisconsin School Libraries—are posted on the Study Page:

Executive Summary and Key Study Findings at bottom of Study Page
Your Child's Library Media Center: What Parents Should Know (2007) (PDF Brochure)
Measuring Up: Characteristics of Quality School Libraries (2007) (PDF Brochure)
Powerful Partnerships: The School Library Media Specialist and You (2007)(PDF Brochure for Building and District Administrators)

School Districts to Share an Estimated $35 million from Common School Fund for Library Resources

The state's 426 public school districts will share an estimated $35 million in school library aid from the Common School Fund, the state's oldest trust fund managed by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. Library aid payments for the 2007-08 school year are estimated at $28.09 per census student. The school census is the number of persons between the ages of 4 and 20 living in a school district as reported to the DPI.

Although library aid payments from the Common School Fund will be made to school districts before May 1, 2008 the DPI provides calculations of estimated payments in January to help districts plan expenditures and permit library media specialists to order materials. Purchases must be made by June 30 and used for expenditures cited in statute, including books, periodicals, newspapers, software and other media resources that are accessible and circulate from the school library media center.

Complete information about the Common School Fund and this year's allocations can be found at http://dpi.wi.gov/sfs/comsch.html.

Now Available: Wisconsin Power! A Parents' Guide to School Libraries

Wisconsin Power! A Parents' Guide to School Libraries (Hi Willow Research & Publishing, 2007) provides information to parents and teachers about school library media programs, student achievement, information literacy, technology and reading. Purchase of the book allows the purchaser to make unlimited copies of any pages for use in the school community. Purchase of the accompanying CD allows the purchaser to reproduce and customize any of the pages for use in the school community. Order information is available at http://www.lmcsource.com/isell/.

Download Page
Click for listings of presentation handouts and other materials relating to educational technology!

For questions about this information, contact Amy J. French (608) 261-6327

Last updated on 10/22/2008 3:40:27 PM