tkt8763-01: Class Notes 15 Sep 99

[Christopher & Raydene Wolney <wolney@ebicom.net>]

Hello Class,

Again I will attempt to type what I hear in the SIP class. Understand that 
I capture only 10% of what is said and probably only type 10% of what I 
hear and unfortunately probably get correct only 10% of what is typed.

1.Continue to critique Technology Plans. The minimal standard was five; 
however, Dr. A. is sure that every SIPper wants to exceed that standard.

2.CCSSO stands for Coucil for Chief State School Officers (referred to as 
Chiefs). Professional organization in Washington DC at 100 Mass Ave NW next 
to postal museum. CCSSO is organization of all the superintendents in each 
state school system. In 1994, CCSSO realized that states needed to have 
technology plans. CCSSO published guidance for all state technology plans. 
The need for technology plans was noticed when computers were dumped on the 
laps of teachers. Teachers did not have input into the purchasing of 
technology. A physics teacher may receive a computer with no scientific 
programs on it. Or worse, software bought was for an Apple computer but an 
IBM PS/2 arrived. This actually occurred in a school east of here. Hence 
CCSSO was developed to assist states with the development of technology 
plans. The first state to take action on CCSSO's guidance was Texas. $30 
per student was supposed to be appropriate from the Texas legislature and 
increased by $5 for five years. Schools had to SUBMIT a written technology 
plan to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to get the $30 per student. We 
will call Annetta Givens in the future possibly (State Directors of TEA). 
She read the first 588 technology plans that came into the TEA. The TEA 
received many plans from Anywhere, TX. A template was created as part of a 
technology planning kit. Anyhow, the template came on a 5 1/4 disk and 
schools just filled out the template. The name on the template for the 
school was Anywhere, TX. Schools did not really pay attention but filled 
out the template to get their $30 per student. (Now I understand that this 
paragraph is hard to understand but it is how I heard it and was able to 
type it). Needless to say in the beginning schools were just checking the 
block as opposed to really writing effective, detailed technology plans.

3. Find the "Texas Technology Plan" on the internet. Specifically look for 
Max Anders vision. I found a site at 
http://129.120.20.20/trainer/WebSites/START/html/lrp.htm. Max Anders vision 
is in part , "We don't buy glasses; we buy vision. We don't buy awning; we 
buy shade. We don't buy a newspaper; we buy information. It isn't the 
product we want. It's what the product will do for us. We buy something or 
pursue something, not because we want the thing itself, but because we want 
what that thing will give us or do for us."

4. Florida also started Technology plans but unlike Texas did not 
automatically give money to each school even if their plan was bad. In 
Florida, schools submitted technology plans but only the schools with the 
best technology plan received monies allocated by the legislature. 
Unfortunately, people begin to secure or hide their technology plans from 
other schools. Good plans were guarded so there was less competition. Since 
knowledge is power (actually it is one of seven power resources) this plan 
limited the spread of knowledge as opposed to promoting the spread of 
knowledge.

5. Kentucky was another situation. Look at KERA (Kentucky Education Reform 
Act) and KETA (Kentucky Education Technology Act). Lidia Sledge (or 
something to that effect) is a reference. Check out 
http://ra.msstate.edu/~kerjsmit/kera/kera.htm or check 
http://unix.wburg.k12.ky.us/kera.html and finally check out 
http://gatton.gws.uky.edu/cber/kentucky_education_reform_act.htm. Kentucky 
only allowed schools to buy products from vendors which it supported. The 
vendors were put in completion with each other and among other things it 
resulted in cheaper prices on software. Kentucky was noted for having a 
well written, well executed technology plan.

6. SB 3350 (http://www.msstate.edu/dept/teched/sip/3350.txt) was written to 
in many respect copy the Kentucky Education Reform Act. It is important to 
look at the intent of the bill. See line 1475 to see who makes up the 
council. Five members are directed and four are appointed. Only appointed 
members needed to have demonstrated knowledge in an area of technology 
(line 1489). It is not important that the five directed members have 
knowledge of technology but appointed members must have demonstrated 
knowledge. Appointed members will be approved by the Senate (line 1491). 
Dr. Anderson has had fun appearing before the Senate twice to be confirmed. 
 Next (see line 1499) the council was to "immediately call a meeting". Only 
two of the appointed members showed up. Dr. Anderson was one of the two 
appointed members. At the time, Dr. A was in ill health (undoubtedly he 
read one of the many motivational books we will read to stop focusing on 
the negative and begin focusing on the positive to beat his ailment). The 
State Superintendent of Education denied being designated as the Chairman 
(Line 1503). Dr. A was selected/elected as the Chairman(person). His focus 
was to get the teachers voice heard. He went to different areas of the 
state and teachers from schools were selected to write the Mississippi 
State School Technology Plan. One thing that is of particular importance is 
when the council goes before the legislature, the council will have once 
voice. This was implemented by the council to ensure that when the council 
wanted legislative action, it would get it. (A council coming to the 
Mississippi Legislature with once voice is unheard of in Mississippi). This 
is a techniques we also do in the Army. It is extremely important and 
productive. It allows the decision makers to receive clear guidance. Line 
1562 starts the teeth of the Bill. The council sets guidelines which must 
be followed by schools in order to spend money allocated to individual 
schools. If a school does not spend its money wisely (buys out of date 
equipment or buys rather high marked up equipment from the say the 
principals nephew) the school district's (not just the school's) 
accreditation could be in jeopardy (line 1568). This sparked the question 
of whether the minimal standard was/is too high. Dr. Anderson pointed out 
that if Mississippi is ever able to get elevated in the realm of technology 
it needs to have a high standard. (See reference 
http://www.stateline.org/story.cfm?StoryID=43016 for a reason (maybe not 
the reason, but a reason) for this inference).

7. Sidebar: Look at http://www.ties.k12.mn.us/techplan/index.html. It is a 
really neat site that provides a technology planning guide for the 
Minnesota School Districts and Libraries. It is another technique for 
writing a technology plan.

8. Also look at http://www.mdek12.state.ms.us/oet/pindex.htm. This is the 
site for the Mississippi Master Plan for Education Technology.

9. Back to SB 3350 and the Council for Education Technology, the State 
Treasury can budget up to $60 million in bonds to Mississippi School. 
Currently $0 million (not a typo-the number is zero) has been budgeted (by 
bonds). The council decided they did not want to buy computers with at most 
a 3 year obsolescence time with bonds that come due in 10 years. 
Mississippi's state of technology would continually get worse as time goes 
on. Instead, Mississippi raised the state sales tax from 6% to 7%. The 
extra one percent would go to education technology. This totaled about 30 
million dollars (still not sure whether that equaled the 1% increase or was 
less than the 1% increase). Part of the funds went to "Pre-planning 
Grants". The purpose of pre-planning grants would be to get teachers from 
school that did not have technology plans to visit schools that had good 
technology plans. Another cut was made to have local hubs throughout the 
state to lessen the wire charges (connect charges) within the state. For 
example a charge from Corinth to Tupelo is less than Corinth to Jackson. I 
am not sure if Fiber Net 2000 is a part of this plan. Mississippi's plan 
has been reviewed by CELT (the Center for Educational Leadership & 
Technology) at http://www.celt.org/index.html. CELT was commissioned to 
review Mississippi plan. CELT gave Mississippi's plan rave reviews. See 
http://www.celt.org/links.html for some great Technology Planning sites.

10. Dr. Anderson talked about the jazz concert last night by the Dr. 
Applebaum Trio. Images can be seen at 
http://www.concert.msstate.edu/images. It was a great event that was a 
first in many respects.

11. This is by no means the definitive guide for the class. If other have 
input or feel I have stated something said erroneously, please by all means 
add your input. It will be greatly appreciated.

12. Sidebar. For those interested there exists seven power resources. First 
power must be defined: Power is the ability of group A to influence the 
behavior of group B in such a way that the new behavior is more pleasing to 
group A. The seven power resources are in order of psychological importance 
for most individuals:

	Wealth-money although could be spiritual; however is one of three human 
emotions of greed, fear, and greed
	Physical Well-being-good health and ability to have not harm come to 
oneself (it is the fear above)
	Skill-in using the power resources
	Knowledge-in the subject that is of interest
	------
	Position-in society, a family, in business, etc.
	-----
	Affection-how much you like a person
	Rectitude-whether or not you feel an individual is morally good

OK, the first four are qualities an individual possesses (or doesn't 
possess). The last two are qualities we give individuals (for US Presidents 
the last two are referred to as charisma. Position can go either way. It is 
both an inherent quality of an individual and it is a given quality. For 
example, your parents are your parents; however, whether you respect that 
quality is up to you.

Now, all that being said, when somebody exerts power over you they are 
using one or more or all of the following power resources. How you deal 
with that influence can now be categorized and with this knowledge and 
skill you can either heighten the influence (if you perceive it is good, 
pious, etc.) or you can diminish the influence (if you perceive it is bad).

With the readings we have been executing, I felt this discussion was in 
order.

Finally, being a rambler myself, that ends "Ramblings From The Rock"

Have a good day all.

Chris Wolney

Shoot, Move, and Communicate
Armor, The Combat Arm of Decision!

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