Greetings Everyone:

It’s been a busy time since our last update.  You’ve been diligently working on your DSWs and getting school ready for the 2011-2012 school year, among other things.  We also had a visit from Hurricane Irene.  I’m sure many of you are both personally and professionally trying to get things back to normal as best you can.

This update will be rather long.  I promise to shorten them in the future and send them out more frequently.

In this update:

Dates to Remember
Region 2
Contact Information (Google Doc)
DSWs
Technology Plan Template
E-Rate Training
DPI Toolkit Update
Form 479
PRC 073
TCO
PRC 15, Revision 6
Thinkfinity
Resources

Dates to Remember

• September 30, 2011 - Region 2 Director’s Meeting/Fall Vendor Luncheon in Wallace, at the Mad Boar 

• October 6-8, 2011 – NCSLMA’s 11^th Annual Conference in Winston-Salem, NC http://www.ncslma.org/Conference.htm

• November 1, 2011 – Tech Plan Due

• March 7-9, 2012 – NCTies in Raleigh, NC

Region 2 Contact Information:  Please click on the following link if you have not already updated the Google doc with your contact information.
http://tinyurl.com/3g5l36d

E-Rate Training:

NCDPI Fall E-Rate Training for Applicants:
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will again sponsor a series of E-rate workshops throughout the State this fall. The format will include newcomer training from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. and advanced training from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Lunch will be on one’s own. The training session will be held for Region 2 on the following date:
Region 2   Oct. 13 (Thurs.)  Location  — Kenansville (Duplin County Schools)

DPI Toolkit – An update will be given at our Regional meeting in September by Gail Holmes.

Form 479: Remember to hold off on sending or faxing until further notice from Barry Pace.  In the mean time, work on getting those Internet Safety Policies updated for
Protecting Children in the 21^st Century and approved by the board before July 1, 2012.

PRC 073: Reminder to submit your PRC 073 information by August 31^st in order to allow the Connectivity Team to verify your out-of-pocket after E-rate connectivity expenses.  Failure to do this could result in an overall delay in receiving PRC 073 funds.  The Connectivity Team must be able to verify demand in order to proceed with the initial revision.

Here is the link to submit PRC 073 information:  
(URL:  https://sites.google.com/site/ncprc073/ )

TCO: Completion of the annual Total Cost of Ownership document for NCDPI Instructional Technology will not be required this year.  Data gathered during the Statewide Cloud Interviews will be utilized this year as TCO information.  During the upcoming months, the NCDPI Instructional Technology Division, along with it's partners and district representatives, will explore the possibilities of developing a new instrument that will assist LEA's in making data-driven decisions.

PRC 15 Fines and Forfeitures and Revision 6 reports have been posted
http://it.ncwiseowl.org/resources/funding/prc15_updates/

Thinkfinity
A face-to-face training will be provided as a 2 day pre-conference at SLMA. Must be a media coordinator, recommended by supervisor who will provide pd within their home district).  Travel and lodging are included.  Register through SLMA.
There are plans to offer the 2 day face-to-face training at NC TIES

See the Thinkfinity Cadre page on our IT Website
http://it.ncwiseowl.org/resources/thinkfinity_nc/thinkfinity_nc_cadre/

Here you will find links to resources such as Essential Standards, NC Laws and Regulations, RttT and Cloud Resources, Funding, Media and Technology Resources, and Division Information, etc.

Follow Kelly Brannock on Facebook to receive great resources.
Take a look at a few that she has posted recently.

Create Word Clouds in Poll Everywhere
http://tinyurl.com/3t8cr3h

The Science Behind Adult Learning
http://tinyurl.com/3wkkqdh

Managing The Flow of Information in Social Networks: How Do You Do It?
http://tinyurl.com/3sp7arv

To Ban or Not to Ban: Schools Weigh Cell Phone Policies
http://tinyurl.com/3nh6vcy

Accessibility vs. Access: How the Rhetoric of “Rare” is changing in the age of information abundance
http://tinyurl.com/3qhera2

Thinking Cap: The Seemingly Persistent Rise of Plagiarism
http://tinyurl.com/3kfne6z

What’s the “do”? Student iPad implementation choices
http://tinyurl.com/3f99c9k

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Region 5 (Joint Media & Technology) Meeting

• Technology & Media Spotlight Presentations
• DPI Update
• Instructional Technology
• Connectivity Team
• Information Technology Essential Standards Presentation - Gerry Solomon

AMTR Update

PR 15 Update

PRC 015 Planning Allotments for next academic year have been released and are available at the URL below. Note: This DOES NOT include any Fines and Forfeitures. As you probably recall, we received roughly $36 million in fines and forfeitures last year, with $6 million coming from the top to go to support NCVPS. This year, it looks as if we are slated to receive half that amount, or roughly $18 million. No word yet on whether or not there will be any removed for NCVPS.

Again, this is a planning allotment, and anything may change up until the end of the legislative short session, which begins in May.

Please bring your questions to the Directors Pre-Conference Meeting at NC Ties. 

http://snurl.com/prc01520102011

Check out our Division Calendar

E-Rate Update on Guidance for Protecting Children in the 21st Century

Let me know if you have more questions.

Thanks,

Barry Pace State Education E-Rate Specialist

(Southwest, Northwest, & North Central Regions) NC Department of Public Instruction

mailto:bpace@dpi.state.nc.us

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/erate/ 

Cell:  828-460-1937

*News from SLD web site posted below

What Keeps Good Teachers in the Classroom