TWTW Teaching with the Web	The Instructional Technology Journal of Greenwood School District 50 http://www2.gwd50.org Volume 2, Number 8 October 15, 2006
Why eProficiency? 10/15/06 Past issues of TWTW informed readers of the new tool our State approved to help educators attain the knowledge and skill needed to understand what it takes to fully integrate technology. Specifically, the 10/1/06 issue directed readers to an article on the successful piloting of eProficiency in Florence County. In the coming weeks as eProficiency is explained and discussed, it will be natural to experience some apprehension and even some frustration. Being (mostly) logical creatures, we sometimes find it easier to embrace the new and unknown when we understand the “why.” To use a new educator buzzword, let’s drill down to the heart of the “whys” of technology proficiency for educators. · NCLB: “Technology will be fully integrated into the curricula and instruction of the schools by December 31, 2006.” —Title II, Part D, Enhancing Education Through Technology, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 · (SC)TEACHER TECHNOLOGY PROFICIENCY PROVISO GUIDANCE-Proviso 1.25: “Districts must adopt teacher technology standards that are aligned with ISTE standards” · From the Proviso 1.25 FAQ: “What is the intent of the Proviso? The intent of the proviso is to ensure South Carolina students receive instruction from technologically proficient educators who are equipped to prepare them for higher education and the world of work.” · SC K-12 School Technology Initiative “Technology alone is not the panacea to the educational improvement effort in the state. However, the use of technology and the integration of “e-learning” into the classroom can be a key strategy in the state’s roadmap to education excellence.” · Tammy Mainwaring - Office of Educational Technology SC Department of Education: “In order to comply with the EETT mandate, schools must ensure that their teachers know how to integrate technology through curriculum and instruction, which first requires teachers to be proficient in the technology themselves.” · Lynda Hawkins, Florence County School District Three: “(After piloting eProficiency)… We see teachers becoming more confident in their own use of technology, and therefore using the technology more in the classroom. That’s what we wanted all the time.” · DISTRICT 50 MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of Greenwood School District 50 is to educate all students to achieve their full potential as responsible and productive citizens. … and this is why we do what we do.	Computer Safety Days Mondays are "Computer Safety Days" for Greenwood 50. On Monday afternoons, your computer is scanned for viruses and any needed security updates are installed. If a reboot is needed for your computer's updates, you will be notified with a "Novell Desktop Deployment Manager" window. If you leave your classroom computers on Monday nights, this will all happen while you are away. For your laptop that is home with you, this will happen on Tuesday morning when you return. If you do not see the "Deployment Manager" window appear, don't worry. That just means that your computer is up to date. Remember, teacher laptops are intended to be used at school each day. Beyond their use in instruction and management, having them at school and connected to the network each day helps to keep them updated and safe from viruses.
	Site Survey: Websites that Educate, Enlighten, Entertain, and Engage · Free: Federal Resources for Educational Excellence http://www.ed.gov/free/index.html More than 30 Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make hundreds of federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to find. · Y-Press – Children’s News Network http://www.ypress.org/joomla/ Y-Press is a non-profit news bureau that stresses youth development and leadership skills. Stories are researched, reported, and written by reporters (ages 10-13) and editors (14-18) for audiences of all ages. · Proteacher http://www.proteacher.net/ “ProTeacher is a professional community for elementary school teachers, specialists, and student teachers in grades preK-8. It includes carefully moderated discussion sites for elementary school teachers featuring hundreds of active discussions, and tens of thousands of teaching ideas provided free of charge to teachers nationwide.”
	Important Teacher Notes · Curriculum and Standards Newsletters http://ed.sc.gov/agency/offices/cso/cso_newsletters.html The Office of Curriculum and Standards provides teachers, principals, district leaders, and community members periodic updates designed to share information about instructional practices, education legislation, and professional development opportunities for each content area. · National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Teachers http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/t_book.html Included in this PDF is an explanation of the standards, lesson plans across the curriculum for K-12, strategies for integrating technology, rubrics, and web and software resources. · Instructional Technology Coach Web Page http://www2.gwd50.org/hughesc/hughes1.htm Tips, resources, how-to’s, tutorials, and relevant technology news for teachers, instructional specialists, media specialists, principals, and anyone else who is engaged in the process of teaching and learning. The site will be updated very often, so check it regularly.
	The Laptop-and-Projector Project Website Tech Project: http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/TechPlan2006.htm Instr. Resources: http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/StaffDevResources.htm Previous TWTW Issues: http://www2.gwd50.org/techplans/TWTW-Index.htm