Thursday, 3:15-4:15

Session: 153 Title: Setting Up a School or Home Wireless Network (Repeat)
Presenter: Brent Williams, Kennesaw State University ETTC, Featured Speaker
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Salon 1 Seats: 260
Strand: Networking/Technical Support Audience: Administrative
Wireless networks are great if they are set up correctly. They offer the speed and flexibility that everyone finds appealing. Set up incorrectly, wireless networks become nightmares; they can be slow and unreliable and can randomly disconnect users. This session outlines the things you need to know about setting up a wireless network the right way. Whether for school or home, you will learn a great deal of valuable information.

Session: 154 Title: Weblogs in School
Presenter: Will Richardson, Connective Learning, LLC, Featured Speaker
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Salon 2 Seats: 260
Strand: 21st Century Learning Environments Audience: Instructional PK-12
The almost limitless potential of weblogs as a teaching tool is fostering an explosion of innovative projects, partnerships, and techniques at every level of education from elementary school to graduate programs. The ease with which weblogs allow for publishing of content to the Internet makes them the perfect tool for bringing new voices into to the classroom and building true educational communities that go beyond traditional school walls. This session will highlight best practice uses of weblogs in schools and include resources on how to get started.

Session: 155 Title: Scholastic Keys Across the Curriculum
Presenter: Susan Silverman, Featured Speaker
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Salon 3 Seats: 260
Strand: Best Practices Audience: Instructional PK-5
Participants will discover how their elementary school students can use a "kid friendly" interface to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Have fun and learn, while your students benefit from an early exposure to professional software.
Click here for handouts.

Session: 156 Title: What's New and What's Different in the 2007 Microsoft Office System
Presenter: Patrick Crispen, California State University, Featured Speaker
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Salon 4 Seats: 800
Strand: 21st Century Learning Environments Audience: Instructional PK-12
In late 2006 or early 2007, Microsoft plans to release the most significant Microsoft Office update in history. The presenter will introduce participants to the new Microsoft Office user interface and show what's new and what's different in Microsoft Word 2007, Microsoft PowerPoint 2007, Microsoft Excel 2007, and much, much more.

Session: 157 Title: Distance Education in Georgia's Public Schools
Presenter: William Tankersley, Columbia County
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Salon 5 Seats: 800
Strand: 21st Century Learning Environments Audience: Instructional PK-12
Using the study released in March, 2005, by the U.S. Department of Education, "Distance Education Courses for Public
Elementary and Secondary Students: 2002-03," as a model, the presenter gathered baseline data on the current utilization of
distance education in Georgia's public school districts. In this session, this data will be discussed, as well as the perceived barriers to successful implementation and expansion of distance education in Georgia. All 180 public school districts in Georgia were included in the study. Statistics common to quantitative research were calculated and will be presented.

Session: 158 Title: Addressing the Needs of ESL Students using Technology
Presenter: Lisa Dubernard, OnBoard Learning, Vendor
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Salon 6 Seats: 260
Strand: ESOL/Bilingual Audience: Instructional PK-12
Participants will learn how the Activclassroom learning environment can help teachers address the needs of students whose primary language is not English. They will see examples of lessons that allow for all types of student participation: verbally, physically at the Activboard, remotely with the Activslate, and in whole group, using the handheld Activote devices. Participants will also learn how to use the resource library in Activstudio and Activprimary to develop engaging lessons where students are actively participating and how to use the sound recorder to allow students to practice listening skills or to record directions in their native languages.

Session: 159 Title: Issues, Benefits, and Lessons Learned in Transitioning to Open Source Educational Software and Thin Client Architecture
Presenter: Shawn Adams, Atlanta City
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Salon 7 Seats: 260
Strand: Networking/Technical Support Audience: Instructional PK-12
Participants in this session will learn about the impact of converting student PCs at Morris Brandon Elementary School into Linux thin clients using Open Source Software. The number of working PCs at Brandon was tripled, maintenance problems all but disappeared, teacher satisfaction with and use of technology went from nearly zero to 100%, cost of technology was reduced by 90%, and academic performance and productivity saw significant improvements. The presenter will discuss the issues seen in the transition, benefits of the approach, and lessons learned throughout the process.

Session: 160 Title: Birds-of-a-Feather Session - Instructional Technology Specialists!
Presenters: Traci Redish, Kennesaw State University ETTC; Jill Hobson; Linda Whitacre
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Salon 8 Seats: 260
Strand: Leadership/Organization/Policy Audience: Administrative
This "birds-of-a-feather" session is a special opportunity for Instructional Technology Specialists (and other educators responsible for promoting instructional technology) to gather and network with one another. In addition, the facilitators will discuss the possibility of launching a statewide professional organization whose mission is to promote the professional growth and network opportunities of Instructional Technology Specialists in Georgia.

Session: 161 Title: Implementing a North Star Type Community in Your School or Classroom
Presenter: Cristine Goldberg, University of West Georgia
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Swiss 1-2 Seats: 88
Strand: Library/Media Audience: Instructional PK-5
Participants in this session will learn about a combination of technology, books, and other activities that will bring some pizzazz to a media program or classroom. An overview of the North Star book (available online) will lead off the session. Participants will then explore other areas of the parent website that can be used to promote "a something good is happening in the media center" environment. Participants will receive a book list and a handout of appropriate URLs.

Session: 162 Title: A Survey of Open Source Software Alternatives for the Educational Community
Presenter: Doug Arnold, Rockdale County
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Swiss 3-4 Seats: 88
Strand: 21st Century Learning Environments Audience: Instructional PK-12
In this session, the presenter will provide information about free and open source (FOSS) tools that schools might want to consider adopting. Participants will receive CDs that contain a variety of software that they can take back to their schools and share and use to promote teaching and learning. Included categories are office productivity, anti-spyware and anti-virus, image management and editors, multimedia and audio tools, Internet, games, system utilities, elearning, and website design tools.

Session: 163 Title: Classroom Blogging
Presenter: Rae Spradley, Heart of Georgia RESA ETTC
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Kenyan 1-2 Seats: 88
Strand: 21st Century Learning Environments Audience: Administrative
Weblogs (blogs) are the most popular tool of the new Internet. Blogs are blooming in classrooms all over the world as more and more teachers discover their potential as learning tools with students of every age. Weblogs are online journals and so much more. During this session you will see examples of classroom blogging and also see a demonstration on how to set up a classroom blog.

Session: 164 Title: Empower Learning through eMath
Presenters: Cindy Culverhouse, Thomaston-Upson; Rhonda Gulley
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Kenyan 3-4 Seats: 88
Strand: 21st Century Learning Environments Audience: Instructional PK-5
The attendees will learn how Thomaston-Upson has handled the implementation of the Title IID eMath grant. With all the great technology provided with the grant money, math scores have increased, teacher technology proficiency has increased, and writing backward design units has taken off. The new eMath classrooms have a different look; now the students are in collaborative groups with technology at their finger tips. This is the perfect way to implement the new GPS standards.

Session: 165 Title: Georgia Public Broadcasting Presents Ready To Learn for PK-2
Presenter: Lauretta Kloer, RCPS
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Italian 1-2 Seats: 88
Strand: ESOL/Bilingual Audience: Instructional PK-5
GPB offers a wide variety of curriculum-based, educational services and information, including television shows, websites, streaming videos, and print material that will enhance teaching. This presentation will focus on those Ready To Learn programs, GPB websites, videos, and print materials that will foster English language acquisition. Participants will leave with a better understanding of how to access information on the GPB and PBSKids website, how to select an appropriate curriculum-based Ready To Learn program for viewing in their classroom, and several free items for their classroom.

Session: 166 Title: Easily Design Your Own Educational Computer Game
Presenter: Ian Johnson, Walton County
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Italian 3-4 Seats: 88
Strand: Multimedia Audience: Instructional PK-12
Using the Game Maker program, any teacher or student, third grade and up, can design computer games for academic use without having to learn how to write a program or a single line of code. Just use your mouse to drag and drop and design a professional-looking educational game in a very short time. The program is free and easy to use for the K-12 environment, and all games can be sold commercially for fundraising or other activities. These games look very professional. The different game types include mazes, scrolling shooter, platform, 3-dimensional, multiplayer, and first-person shooter games.

Session: 167 Title: The Amazing Wireless Router
Presenter: Douglas Comer, Cisco; Featured Speaker
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: German 1-2 Seats: 88
Strand: Internet Audience: Technical
Participants in this technical session will hear how a tiny, inexpensive device can allow multiple computers in your school or home to share a single Internet connection.

Session: 168 Title: Developing an Effective Technology Plan
Presenter: Alan Preis, Atlanta International School
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: German 3-4 Seats: 88
Strand: School Improvement Audience: Technical
An effective technology plan is critical for schools and districts wishing to maximize the benefits of technology and the impact on student learning. This session will provide ideas and strategies to make the most of technology in schools or districts by creating or revising a technology plan. The presenter will discuss the elements of a successful technology plan, including critical components such as project portfolios and key metrics, as well as a number of phases of plan deployment, including initiation and initial assessment, collaboration and buy-in strategies, idea gathering, feasibility and evaluation, consensus, publishing, implementation and monitoring, and review.

Session: 169 Title: Best Web Resources for Administrators
Presenter: Wendy Marshall, Armstrong Atlantic State University ETTC
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Spanish 1-2 Seats: 88
Strand: Internet Audience: Administrative
Discover the best sites and tools to assist you in providing effective leadership for the technology infusion efforts going on in your school or district. Door prizes will be given away.

Session: 170 Title: Use Captivate and MOODLE to Enrich and/or Remediate Your Students
Presenter: Joey Eddy, Cullman County
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Spanish 3-4 Seats: 88
Strand: eLearning Audience: Instructional 9-12
Do you have students of varying abilities in your class? Do you need enrichment and remediation strategies? This session will show you how you can meet the needs of these students and others by using Adobe's Captivate and MOODLE, a free open-source course management system. This session will include samples of lessons created for math, science, language, and social studies that are tied to Georgia’s standards and the NETS for students and teachers.

Session: 171 Title: Making the Most of Wireless Network Access in the K-12 Environment
Presenter: Rick Smith, Micro Technology Consultants, Vendor
Time: Thursday, 3:15pm - 4:15pm Location: Australian 3-4 Seats: 88
Strand: Networking/Technical Support Audience: Technical
Attend this session for an overview of best practices for configuration and security of wireless networking. Topics discussed will include various methods on setting up and managing your wireless environment, including best practices, central management, security concerns and methods, and ideas on how to optimize your wireless access to perform at near equivalent wire speed.