March+Meeting+Minutes


 * Technology Curriculum Meeting Minutes**
 * March 13, 2007**

Missing from meeting: Sarah Simon, Joe Connolly, Paula Goosen, Tara Bracali-Haas, Jan Harding, Debbie Danna


 * Update on MACUL:** Those of us who were able to attend MACUL are asked to post any information anyone found valuable on the MeidaTech Wiki at mediatech.wikispaces.com. If you need to be invited to become a member of the Wiki, contact Rita. Some information has already been posted on the web site, including the minutes from these meetings.


 * Eighth Grade Technology Literacy Test:** Rita presented suggested changes to the questions used on the Technology Literacy Test last year. The questions were then reviewed and discussed by the committee and approved with minimal changes. Craig McBain will make any changes to the test before break. Middle School Administrators will be notified as soon as changes and class lists have been entered into the program so that the test can be administered during late April and May.

Rita gave each committee member an analysis of incorrectly answered questions, broken down by middle school. Incorrect answers to these questions were fairly consistent per building, suggesting the need to incorporate additional technology experiences into the curriculum through grade 8 to cover a wider area of technology expertise. A short discussion concerning the need to use curriculum based projects, incorporating technology but based in an academic area, as part of the technology assessment. One way to do this would be to build in a project at a particular grade level.


 * Update on Professional Development:** There is a need for presenters, as well as for a design for the presentation of PD for the next school year. A number of committee members have volunteered to teach a session, but there is a concern about the payment for the sessions and the content of each three hour session. A sub-committee of committee members will meet during the next few weeks to develop a timeline, a plan, look at Saginaw Valley materials, check on CEU information, and make suggestions for upcoming PD.

Craig McBain mentioned that the district might be adopting Microsoft’s new Office program (Vista, a.k.a. 2007) for the next school year. The current program, Office 2000, is much different from the new one. If anyone on the committee would like to preview the program, please check out a laptop from your building and contact Jill Green (Tech Services), who will install the program on the laptop. It cannot be used on our network at this time. This might be an area where PD is definitely needed in the fall (the days before school starts?).


 * Skills Checklist:** Sarah, Jill, and Jennifer met with K-3 teachers to start working at the K-8 skills checklist. Another meeting needs to be scheduled with this group to disseminate the information collected. Rita distributed a handout describing the new national standards that ISTE is developing for students and presenting at the summer conference.

The next meeting will be on April 17, at Sequoia (North of 23 Mile), at 4:15.