From: Davina Pruitt-Mentle <dspruitt@umd5.umd.edu>
Dear Friends of Teachers, Enthusiasts of Technology, and those who like
to bring them together to support student learning!
I wanted to be sure you were aware of a WebSite-- The Educational
Technology Coordinator Website-- that has been developed for and by
Educational Technology Coordinators, Instructional Technology
Specialists, and all those who work in this fast growing field. It was
created and supported by the Northeast Regional Technology in Education
Consortium (NetTech).
NetTech (http://www.nettech.org) is one of six Regional
Technology in Education Consortia (RTECs) funded by the U.S. Department
of Education. Unlike most other sites, the Educational Technology
Coordinator Website has a staff of dedicated volunteers (who are all
teachers or district coordinators and receive a modest stipend for their
time and talents in supporting the Website) who think about the
challenges faced by Instructional Technology Specialists or
Coordinators in K-12 schools around the nation. Since NetTech has as
its charter serving the Northeast, most come from the states within the
region , although we have a long-distance Northeast diehard who happens
to have moved to New Mexico this summer, but that's another story!
Still, the content is valuable to anyone who holds this position,
formally or informally, full-time or part-time, anywhere around the
country (or, perhaps, in schools anywhere around the globe!) =20
The attached abstract tells you a bit about the site. Please check it
out and add it to your "new sites" or, better yet, "best sites" list!
Come check it out at http://www.nettech.org/tc/ and thank you for your
help in spreading the word!
NetTech Educational Technology Coordinator Website
ABSTRACT
The NetTech Educational Technology Coordinator Website is designed by
and for individuals who serve in the challenging task of coordinating
technology initiatives in schools. The title may be "Technology
Specialist", "Technology Coordinator", and "Instructional Technology
Team Leader", "Educational Technology Resource Specialist", or even
"Technology Evangelist" but, in any case, you know one when you see
one! This is a difficult position; educational technology specialists
and coordinators must be all things to all people, including computer,
network, and web page expert; software installer and teacher; and a
resource for educators to help design technology-enhanced curriculum.
Unfortunately, the position is so new, it is impossible to be an expert
in everything.
The goal of the site is simple: to help educational technology
specialists and coordinators in the many tasks they face in this
ever-evolving job. Specifically, we hope the site will=
support them in their diverse roles,
assist them in their daily work, and
guide them in long term planning to facilitate the integration of
appropriate technologies in the improvement of teaching and learning.
The Website seeks to provide links to a wide variety of resources,
including annotated links to professional development programs and
opportunities; latest products and applications; proven skills and
strategies, lesson planning guides, and resources; relevant research
papers, government documents, funding opportunities, and articles; and
opportunities for discussion and sharing of ideas and concerns. The
site has four key areas: professional development issues; curriculum
integration issues; technical issues; and technology in context.
Content for each of the sites is supplied by a three-person content
development team of technology specialists from the NetTech region. The
site is hosted by the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse, and overall
site development is coordinated by the Center for Learning and
Educational Technology at the University of Maryland. We hope this web
site will provide the support all technology coordinators will need in
their daily struggle to upgrade the technology proficiency of all
administrators and classroom teachers in their respective districts.
The site was set up in the late Fall of 1999 and can be found at
http://www.nettech.org/tc/
EDTECH has changed addresses. The new list address is
EDTECH@H-NET.MSU.EDU. All subscription commands should be sent to
LISTSERV@H-NET.MSU.EDU.