http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/ DataBus from CETPA, the California Educational Technology Professionals Association. http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/388 See attached PDF for the text of this article. <i>Todd Finnell is Vice President of Information Technology at Imperial Valley College. He currently serves as CETPA’s President Elect and has spent the past 18 years in educational IT. Todd can be r... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/389 <strong>Today’s To Do List:</strong> -- Accept that every new idea, new device, and new application translates into a new project for you. -- Find a balance between control and flexibility on technology standards that doesn’t send you over the edg... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/390 What a year it has been and what a pleasure it has been to serve as the president of this organization. We continue to be challenged with very tight education budgets, and we have all had to come up with ways to tighten our belt when it appeared that... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/391 Tablet computers have become one of the most exciting teaching tools to hit classrooms in a while. We've already seen the benefits of the Apple iPad: the ease of use, how it engages the student, the anytime-anywhere learning options, and the heighten... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/392 By now, I am sure you have seen CETPA’s news release to the media or on the CETPA listserve that the organization has signed a multi-year contract with Microsoft and Software House International (SHI) to offer greatly-reduced pricing on Microsoft’s E... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/393 Today’s IT and network projects are increasingly complex. Phone, computer, video surveillance, and other systems that used to work as standalone networks are typically now part of one IP-based infrastructure. While this approach provides many benefit... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/394 1. WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT? I am responsible for planning and developing the information technology function at San Francisco Unified School District, which serves ... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/395 It has long been known that parent and community support is a key factor associated with student success. One of the most effective ways to reach out to your local parent community is with the assistance of technology tools that enhance communication... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/386 Google Define: Potpourri 1. A mixture of dried petals and spices. 2. A mixture of things, esp. a musical medley. Potpourri is the perfect theme for this time of year for IT leadership. The first month of school is very challenging for all of ... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/387 Corcoran Unified School District's (CUSD) vision to provide student access to technology learning tools within and outside the school day has become a textbook example of success with its iPad integration program. Complementing its overall technology... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/379 Our CETPA Communications Director, Tim Goree, came up this issue theme and what a great one it is. It takes off from some of the EdTech listserv’s “Friday Funny” threads. We have all experienced crazy anecdotal stories, outlandish requests, lack of p... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/380 The theme this issue discusses “unusual stories from the field and what we can learn from them.” When we look at the role of IT Leadership in education, I believe most of our stories could be told as “unusual” in the industry of enterprise level tech... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/381 District and school technology leaders are searching for unconventional ways to stretch every technology dollar. Open source solutions (both free and at greatly reduced cost) designed specifically for the school environment allow technology departmen... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/382 <strong>The Problem</strong> I have worked in Educational Technology for 14 years now, and I cannot tell you how many times I have encountered issues that people wish to solve with the latest and greatest innovation, a.k.a. “technology”. This may so... http://reg.cetpa-k12.org/pub/db_art/383 Since I last updated you in the spring edition of the CETPA DataBus magazine, new E-Rate updates have come out or will have come out by the time you get this article. <strong>CIPA</strong> In a recent briefing I attended with FCC staff, it app...