CITI

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CITI

• Commonwealth Information Technology Initiative
• http//www.citi.mass.edu

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http//www.donahue.mass.edu
http//www.cs.umass.edu
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• Alana Wiens Charles Schiller

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• CITI is a public/private partnership to promote
  IT education, through strategic investments, that
  prepares graduates to participate, lead, and
  innovate in the knowledge-based economy of
  Massachusetts.

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• Launched in 2000, CITI brings together K-12,
  community colleges, public universities and
  industry to promote IT education across the
  curriculum and respond to technology workforce
  needs.

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• Instructional Technology
• vs.
• Information Technology
• ????

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• Technology for learning
• vs.
• Learning technology

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• What is Information Technology Fluency
• and why is it important??

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• Promoting Information Technology Fluency
• Skills- a sufficient body of knowledge to permit
  people to use a computer effectively today
• Concepts- refers to the fundamental knowledge
  underpinning IT, such as how a computer works,
  digital representation of information, assessing
  information authenticity. Concepts provide the
  principles on which students will build new
  understanding as IT evolves
• Capabilities- forms of higher-level thinking
  applied to IT problems, including everything from
  sustained reasoning to thinking technologically
• (National Research Council report Being Fluent
  with Information Technology 1997 currently being
  revised and Sponsored by the National Science
  Foundation)

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• Fluency Concepts
• Fundamentals of computers
• Organization of information systems
• Fundamentals of networks
• Digital representation of information
• Structuring information
• Modeling and abstraction
• Algorithmic thinking and programming
• Universality
• Limitations of Information Technology
• Social impact of computers and technology

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• Fluency Skills
• Set-up a personal computer
• Use basic operating system facilities
• Use a word processor to create a document
• Use a graphics or artwork package to manipulate
  an image
• Connect a computer to the Internet
• Use the Internet to locate information
• Use a computer to communicate with others
• Use a spreadsheet to model a simple process
• Use a database to access information
• Use on-line help and instructional materials

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• Fluency Capabilities
• Engage in sustained reasoning
• Manage complexity
• Test a solution
• Find problems in a faulty use of IT
• Navigate a collection and assess quality of the
  information
• Collaborate using IT
• Communicate using IT about IT
• Expect the unexpected
• Anticipate technological change
• Think abstractly about Information Technology

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• The new standard of fluency assumes an
  ability to use abstract reasoning to apply
  information technology in sophisticated,
  innovative ways to solve problems across
  disciplines and subject areas

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• to interpret vast amounts of information with
  analytic skill to understand basic principles of
  programming and other computer science
  fundamentals and to continually adapt and learn
  new technologies as they emerge in the future.
• Tech-Savvy Educating Girls in the New
  Computer Age AAUW

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• Why fluency??

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• Three rationale
• Education
• Workforce
• Societal
• (From Being Fluent with Information Technology
  Computer Science and Telecommunications Board)

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• Educational Rationale
• Technology as an enabler for new educational
  opportunities
• Computers as a conduit of powerful ideas and
  cultural change
• Providing the opportunity to develop critical
  thinking

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• Workforce Rationale
• All jobs need to understand IT
• Business needs employees with a core
  understanding (i.e. Easily trainable)
• Improved job mobility

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• Changing nature of work
• Massachusetts economy needs workers to work in
  technology infused sectors
• Changing job descriptions
• Employees no longer at one job for life need
  broad skill sets

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• Societal Rationale
• Better understanding of the world around them
  (e.g. Databases to understand risks of datamining
  or credit card transactions)
• Better educated electorate
• Understand how to evaluate social impacts of
  information technology

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• How do we achieve this?

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• Soapbox 1
• Multiple Points of Entry

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• Soapbox 2
• Information Technology Across the Curriculum

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• IT Minors ITAC (H.E. and now K-12)
• (Information Technology Across the Curriculum)
• Example http//www.umass.edu/itprogram/

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• Example courses
• Social Impacts of IT (Communications)
• Contemporary Internet Communication (English)
• Introduction to Visual Culture (Art)
• Genomics and Bioinformatics (Biology)
• Geographic Information Systems (Forestry)

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• Taking IT out of pure computer science and
  integrating it with other subjects.
• IT in context.
• Provides multiple points of entry.

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• Obstacles
• or
• This makes a lot of sense, why arent we doing
  it??

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• Teachers
• The system (including parents)
• Testing
• Gender, race income divides

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• Teachers
• Installing hardware before teachers receive
  training
• Training in basic skills rather than integration
• Disseminating best practices
• Show tangible benefits
• Need to reach pre-service teachers

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• The system
• Administration, teachers and parents need to
  value IT fluency
• Need to have time and budgets (infrastructure
  training)

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• Testing

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• Gender, race income divides
• 4 of CS undergrads at UMass Amherst are female
• Underrepresented in IT classes, workforce
  academia

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• Whats CITI and how can you help us??

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• K-20 strategy
• Awareness conferences, articles, networking
• Policy
• Networks/cooperation
• Policy
• Licensure
• Grants

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• CITI BHE - Board of Higher Education
• Our recent past and our current relationship
• Matching funds and the private sector
• Economic Stimulus Bill funding
• FY2005 and FY2006

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• BHE - Seven Regional STEM Networks
• Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
• http//www.mass.edu/pipeline

 
 Berkshire Network  Central Network  Greater Boston East Network  Greater Boston West Network  Northeast Network  Pioneer Valley Network  Southeast Network
Pre K-16 Networks
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• The STEM Collaborative
• http//www.stempipeline.org
• At STEM Summit II, CITI funded
• The Wingspread Strand
• Goal Thinking about Strategic Planning for
  Information Technology Fluency in PK-20 Education

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• IT Licensure Study funded by CITI
• Information Tech. in all teacher licenses?
• IT in Principal and Supervisor licenses?
• Expand Instructional Technology licenses
• Keep Instructional Tech. Teacher?
• Reinstate Instruction Tech. Specialist?
• Clarify IT Coordinator, Director, etc.?
• Supporting ETAC and MA DOE decision making

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• Summer 2005 Projects
• Teachers Implementing Imaging and Imagery for
  Classroom Learning (TI3CL) PV STEMnet
• Berkshire Teachers Teaching with Technology (BT3
  ) Berkshire STEM Pipeline Network
• Project MAKE-IT and LIFT2 Framingham SC
• QCC Summer Technology Academy (Quinsigamond CC,
  BATEC Replication Project)

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• Teachers Implementing Imaging and Imagery for
  Classroom Learning (TI3CL) PVSTEMnet
• Workshops for teachers to expand their skills
  in using Imaging and Imagery in their teaching
  through the use of digital photography and
  Photoshop Elements.
• http//umassk12.net/pvnet/imagery_files/TeacherPro
  jects/index.htm
• C\Documents and Settings\cschiller\Desktop\Zielen
  ski Monocots-Dicots.ppt

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• Berkshire Teachers Teaching with Technology (BT3
  ) Berkshire STEM Pipeline Network
• Workshops and online components for teachers in
  Berkshire County to increase fluency skills in
  their teaching and use various technologies in
  their classes.

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• Multidisciplinary Achievement, Knowledge, and
  Experience through Information Technology -
  Project MAKE-IT
• Framingham State College
• Online course for teachers to upgrade their
  information technology skills in order to
  facilitate their integration of these skills into
  their teaching.

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• Leadership Initiative for Teaching and Technology
  - LIFT2
• Framingham State College
• Development and implementation of differentiated
  instructional support through two online graduate
  courses to meet the varied needs of Middle and
  High School teachers in improving IT integration
  in STEM curricula.

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• QCC Summer Technology Academy (Quinsigamond CC,
  BATEC Replication Project)
• Two three-week workshops for HS Juniors
• Robotics
• PC Maintenance, Game Programming, and Webpage
  design
• A lot of business-industry involvement.

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• Eleven New Projects for 2005-2006

Project Type Lead Organization
Getting Fluent in IT PD new Bristol Community College
PV ITAC Robotics, Design, and Collaborative Learning with IT PD new Holyoke Community College and Educational Technology Program UMass Amherst
IT Module Field Testing and Dissemination  PD new UMass Boston
Infusing Technology Across the Curriculum  PD new UMass Medical School
Leadership Initiative for Teaching and Technology PD continuation Framingham State College and LIFT2
Multidisciplinary Achievement, Knowledge, Experience through Information Technology PD continuation Framingham State College and the Learning Curve
Berkshire Teachers Teaching with Technology PD continuation Berkshire STEM Pipeline Network Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Teachers Implementing Imaging and Imagery for Classroom Learning PD continuation PV STEMNET
Creative Classroom Computing Pre-Service  Course Devel. Northern Essex Community College
Literacy in New Times Pre-Service  Course Devel. UMass Amherst
Starting Out with Computer Savvy Teachers Pre-Service  Course Devel.  UMass Boston
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• Questions to consider
• What are other obstacles IT faces in our schools?
• How do we overcome these obstacles?
• What could ITAC look like at my school?