Saturday, June 25, 2011

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In this issue:
• Destination Innovation 2012 Conference
• iPads: What are we learning?
• Tech.News Approaches 10th Anniversary
• Upcoming Events
• IT Audit and Security Management Training Course
• Making a Difference Resource
• SMART Technologies Innovative Use of Technology Award 2011
• PASI Change to Handle Temporary Enrolment of Displaced Slave Lake Students
• LearnAlberta.ca Update

Destination Innovation 2012 Conference

The Destination Innovation 2012 Conference will advance educational innovation, exploring imaginative practices for learning with technology. The conference will provide a premiere professional development opportunity for innovators on the leading edge of technology in learning and teaching, including educators, IT staff, administrators, researchers and pre-service teachers. The conference will be held at The Banff Centre on August 19 to 22, 2012. The call for presenters is now open.

>> For full details, click here.

iPads: What are we learning?

In response to significant interest in the province regarding the use of iPads to support learning and teaching, School Technology Sector will be hosting an event -  iPads: What are we learning? -  on Monday, October 3, 2011.  This event will provide an opportunity for early adopters to engage in dialogue about the opportunities, emerging lessons learned, and challenges presented by the implementation of iPads in schools.   Registration will be restricted to participants (both technical and educational personnel)  who have already been involved in implementing  iPads or will be doing so in the 2011/2012 school year.  The findings from the day will be shared with all stakeholders to inform others who are considering going down this path.

To express interest in receiving an invitation or learn more about the event, contact Ralph Luedtke at Ralph.Luedtke@gov.ab.ca or by phone at 780-427-6961 (toll-free outside of Edmonton by dialing 310-0000 first).

Tech.News Approaches 10th Anniversary

The August 2011 edition of Tech.News will mark the 10th anniversary of this electronic newsletter.  Over the 10 year span, the technology we work with every day has evolved and changed. 

Subscribers are asked to share their thoughts on the changes in educational technology over the past 10 years.  How has technology changed in your school, jurisdiction, organization, workplace or day-to-day life since 2001?  Please keep your response to two or three items.  A compilation of the responses will be included in the August edition. Responses will be treated with confidentiality; names will not be included.

Responses can be sent to Wendy Nero at wendy.nero@gov.ab.ca by August 1, 2011. 

Upcoming Events

iPads:  What are we learning

• Monday, October 3, 2011 – Edmonton (location to be determined)
• To register, contact Ralph Luedtke at Ralph.Luedtke@gov.ab.ca or by phone at 780-427-6961 (toll-free outside of Edmonton by dialling 310-0000 first).

Jurisdiction Technology Contact Events – by invitation only

• November 24, 2011 – Mount Royal University, Calgary
• May 3, 2012 – Fantasyland Hotel, Edmonton

Alberta Technology Leaders in Education (ATLE) Annual Conference

• November 16 – 18, 2011
• Capri Centre, Red Deer
• Conference website

Destination Innovation 2012 Conference

• August 19 to 22, 2012 - The Banff Centre
• Registration will open in September 2011

IT Audit and Security Management Training Course

As part of the School Technology Services Program, Alberta Education is offering a course on IT Audit and Security Management on July 11 to 14 in Edmonton.  The hands-on course will help participants identify and evaluate security safeguards and automated technical auditing tools.  The course is free for school authority personnel.

Detailed course information and a link to registration is available on the course website.   Please register soon as there are limited spaces available.

Making a Difference Resource

A new Alberta Education resource, Making a Difference: Meeting diverse learning needs with differentiated instruction, is available for teachers.  This resource provides an Alberta context for differentiated instruction with information and strategies for implementing differentiated instructional practices.  Included in this resource is a chapter on ways that technology can be leveraged to address diverse learning needs.

A print version of this resource is available for purchase from the Learning Resources Centre (Product Number: 755525) or may be downloaded at no cost from the website.

SMART Technologies Innovative Use of Technology Award 2011

Three Alberta teachers received the 2011 SMART Technologies Innovative Use of Technology Award on May 28, 2011.  The teachers were selected for this award as part of the annual Alberta Education Excellence in Teaching Awards.   

This year’s recipients of the SMART Technologies Award are:

• Rob Coumont – St. Patrick’s Community School, Red Deer
• Gerald Chung – Bev Facey Community High School, Sherwood Park
• Melissa Kerr – Lakeland Ridge School, Sherwood Park

All three recipients will receive comprehensive technology packages, including a SMARTboard.  All recipients were formally honoured at a dinner and awards ceremony with Education Minister Dave Hancock in Edmonton.

>> For more information about these three award recipient, click here.

PASI Change to Handle Temporary Enrolment of Displaced Slave Lake Students

Special provisions have been built into PASI to assist schools in temporarily enrolling Slave Lake students who were displaced and relocated because of the Slave Lake fire.   

The goal is to retain the original enrolment for the displaced students, while at the same time allowing the temporary receiving school to create an enrolment and submit marks for them.  To properly support this situation, a new Enrolment Type Code (600 – Displaced Student) has been created and should be used by the temporary receiving school when entering a displaced student’s enrolment in PASI. 

While this will create overlapping enrolments, related work items will not be generated in PASI.  These changes came into effect with PASI Release 1.10 on June 7, 2011.

LearnAlberta.ca Update

LearnAlberta.ca will be adding supports for various browsers and operating systems for the 2011/2012 school year. Changes are also being made to the Content Delivery Devices and Content Delivery Network.

>> For details on these changes, click here.

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School Technology Sector
Alberta Education
10th Floor, 44 Capital Boulevard
10044-108 Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 3S7

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