Welcome to the Generation YES Express
September 2006 - 9,540 subscribers
The start of each new school year always takes me back to the bright-eyed excitement of my first year as a high school teacher in East Los Angeles in 1968. Nearly 4 decades later, I continue to be optimistic about the positive role students can play in improving schools, and the key role of technology as a vehicle for student learning and expression.
Around the world, nations are moving forward in their recognition of the importance of educational technology. Although I brought the first computers into the schools of more than 30 countries, no project is more exciting to me than the creation of the new Liberia Renaissance Education Complex. Check out https://www.liberiaschool.org for information or to become involved in making this country whole again for the next generation of children.
I hope to see some of you in Dallas this November at T+L I'll be doing a spotlight session on "Student Voices - Around the Block, Around the World" about the empowering impact of technology on young lives.
Forward...Dennis
What's New at Generation YES
Fifty-Six New Schools Begin GenYES
Student Showcase
Parents, Teachers, and Students Speak Up!
Three GenYES Schools Named Winners of the 2006 Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Awards
Kent School District (WA) Leads Way in Student Centered Tech Support
News You Can Use
States Provide Student Tech Literacy Toolkits
New Education Issues Blog - The Pulse
Make Your Own News at Conferences!
Tech Tips Plus
Girls Inc. Online
Funding and Contests
That's All For This Issue of the Generation YES Express
Independent Evaluation of TechYES - Student Technology Literacy Model Published
Under the direction of Dr. Steven A. Schneider, the Woodside Research Consortium published the results of the Verizon California Literacy Technology Project evaluation. Woodside investigated the role of TechYES in bridging the digital divide, improving academic and technology proficiency, the ability of middle school students to tutor and evaluate, and the model's viability towards meeting the NCLB requirement that every eighth-grade student in the U.S. be technology literate. The full report and an executive summary can be downloaded at https://www.geny.org/verizon/evaluation
The beginning of the 2006-07 school year saw 56 more schools start their first GenYES program. They join the more than 1,100 schools that have implemented this professional development model over the past 10 years. With many more schools scheduled to start later in the year, preparing students to support technology integration is certainly catching on. See if there's a GenYES school near you!
Generation YES Students Participate in Digital Equity Event at NECC
Students from Borrego Springs (CA), Torrance (CA), and Olympia (WA) participated in a daylong event at NECC 2006 in San Diego focusing on solutions to the Digital Divide. The Digital Equity Toolkit can be found at: https://www.nici-mc2.org/de_toolkit/pages/toolkit.htm
See our NECC photo diary at https://genyes.com/news/necc06
Announcing NetDay Speak Up 2006 - November 1-30. Now in its 4th year, NetDay Speak Up's national online survey invites students, teachers, and parents from around the country to share their input in an online survey. The survey data goes back to school communities to be used for discussion and decision-making. Learn more about NetDay Speak Up and register your schools at https://www.netday.org/speakup
This annual awards program honors schools for implementing innovative and replicable programs that support positive educational outcomes and impact student achievement. The Schools of Distinction Awards bring national attention to best practices in education. Three of the 16 schools receiving these awards are GenYES schools:
Congratulations to all the winners!
www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20060822corp.htm
Under the direction of Don Hall, the Kent School District involves students as an integral part of every phase of their technology plan https://www.kent.k12.wa.us/curriculum/tech/tech_int.html
Check out what TechYES students at Mattson Middle School are producing: www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/KimMcKeever/Student_Projects/student_projects.htm#cyber
Microsoft Voucher Settlement Continues
In 2004, Microsoft agreed to a settlement with consumers and businesses in 14 states to resolve a class action suit. Now that the initial phase of the settlement is complete, some of the unclaimed money is available for schools. But hold your horses, every state is going to have different criteria for how schools can claim it.
Just this week, California posted information about the application process online and how schools can qualify for the voucher reimbursements - a total of over a billion dollars!
Since this is a new funding source for technology and professional development, what better way to use the money is there than Generation YES programs!
We are tracking all the developments here: www.genyes.com/news/microsoft
Connecticut and Georgia have created websites to help schools and districts sort out the options for tech literacy assessment that will meet the NCLB 8th grade tech literacy mandate.
TechYES is the only project-based solution on these lists.
Georgia Technology Literacy Assessment Toolkit: https://www.gatechlit.org
Connecticut Regional Educational Service Center (RESC) Alliance Report on Student Technology Assessments: https://www.learncit.org/sta
Be sure to check out "The Pulse" - a new education oriented blog from District Administration magazine. According to Gary Stager, editor of The Pulse, "The Pulse will feature exclusive articles by many of today's leading educators, authors, scholars and policy-makers, along with news related to education. Best of all, you can talk back and add your voice to the conversation."
Articles by Roger Schank, Alfie Kohn, David Thornburg, Will Richardson, Ken Goodman, and many others are appearing daily.
www.districtadministration.com/pulse
Be an eSchool News "Conference Correspondent." All you have to do is send in informal reports during the conference, giving your reaction to the workshops and sessions you attend. Your analysis will be featured throughout the conference on the eSchool News Online web site.
Support sessions that emphasize student-centered solutions, project-based learning, and constructivist uses of educational technology!
Try it at NSBA's T+L in Dallas, November 8-10!
https://www.eschoolnews.com/cic/tpluslvolunteers/index.cfm
Tech Literate Kids Do Better in School
A new study out of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reveals that students who are more technologically skilled tend to perform better across a wide range of educational indicators.
https://www.oecd.org/document/14/0,2340,en_2649_201185_36002382_1_1_1_1,00.html
MySpace watch out - Girls Inc. is a safe, secure, and free membership site that lets girls create homepages, interact with other girls, and learn about health and relationships, economic literacy, career exploration, and education. The site hosts chats with women in various careers, and more. Parental permission is required to join.
https://www.girlsinc-online.org/demo/
Best Buy Awards - Deadline: September 30, 2006
$3.5 million in spending accounts, gift cards, and cash to K-12 schools using interactive technology in the classroom. Schools must be within 50 miles of a Best Buy store to apply.
https://communications.bestbuy.com/communityrelations/teach.asp
2006 Student Moviefest Contest - Deadline: September 29, 2006
The National School Board Foundation and Apple Computer invite K-12 students to submit ninety-second movie trailers about technology's role in the global economy.
https://nsba.org/t+l/program/spotlight.cfm#moviefest
Toyota TAPESTRY Grants - Deadline: January 18, 2007
The Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Teachers program awards fifty $10,000 grants and at least 20 mini-grants of $2,500 to K-12 educators of environmental
science, physical science, and science and literacy programs.
https://nsta.org/programs/tapestry/
Find More Funding at Grant Wrangler
Grant Wrangler is a free grants listing service that makes it easy for
teachers to find funding.
https://grantwrangler.com/index.html
We hope you've enjoyed this email newsletter. If you have stories to share or news clips about technology in education, student empowerment, or funding for technology, please send them our way and you might see them in the next issue! https://www.genyes.org/about/contact
